The Summer I Fell

strangers

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About an hour had passed since Jeremiah and Jewel had had their flirty moment, Jewel still questioning the whole situation. She had joined back with Jordan and Preston, and the strangers they surrounded themselves with, finishing her last cup before starting another. Jeremiah could see her chugging her drink from across the beach, watching as Preston and Jordan cheered her on. He excused himself from the girl he had been talking to, moving toward her unsteady figure.
"Hey, hey, how much have you had?" Jeremiah questioned, putting his hand on her hip to stable her.
"Oh hey! Guys, this is Jeremiah. I told you he got ripped this year." She drunkenly rambled, looking toward Jordan for confirmation. Jordan laughed at her words, nodding her head nonetheless, before Jeremiah slipped the drink from Jewel's hand.
"Alright, you're done for tonight." He told her, slipping off his jacket before putting it on her.
"Hey, she's fine. We're just having a good time." Preston intervened, pulling Jewel back to the group roughly. Jeremiah quickly stepped forward, snatching the guy's wrist harshly.
"Don't touch her." He spat through gritted teeth, Preston taking a step back.
"Relax, man." He spoke, pushing Jeremiah back. Jeremiah's jaw clenched, Jewel knowing a fight was about to break out. He could feel Jewel's hand slip into his, pulling his arm lightly.
"I wanna go home, okay?" She told him, Jeremiah ultimately deciding to let the argument go.
"Yeah, it was nice meeting you guys." He said sarcastically, moving his arm around her waist and turning her around to head toward the car.
"Do you want your jacket back?" She asked, attempting to take off the jacket.
"Leave that on." He told her, adjusting his grip on her waist. Jewel chose to keep quiet, feeling as though Jeremiah was mad at her. Both teens were distracted by yelling by the fire however, Conrad and another guy fighting over a beer.
"It's my fսcking beer!" Conrad argued, Jeremiah and Jewel watching as the guy's elbow slipped from the bottle, hitting Belly in the face harshly.
"Belly." Conrad said, attempting to move toward her before the guy shoved him back.
"What the fսck is wrong with you?" Conrad spat, the stranger's fist cocking back before slamming against Conrad's face. 
"Shit." Jeremiah exclaimed, moving her along to try to get Conrad out of the situation. A pair of headlights shined over the teens, a siren going off as cops pulled up to the scene. Everybody shouted as Jeremiah moved forward, grabbing Conrad before getting them both back to the car.
"Seriously. Come on. Get in the car. Watch your head. Legs, legs." Jeremiah said, attempting to get Conrad into the vehicle.
"Yes. I know how to get into a car." Conrad grumbled, Jeremiah running around the car to get the door for Jewel.
"Belly. Let's go. Get in." Jeremiah rushed, watching as she stood beside the car with another guy.
"Cam can give me a ride home. Right, Cam?" Belly told him, Cam agreeing without hesitation.
"No, you're not gonna get in a car with a guy you just met." Jeremiah denied, Belly having a look of frustration.
"I'm Cam. Cameron." He stuttered slightly, Jeremiah's eyebrows furrowing.
"Your name is Cam Cameron?" He asked, Cam quickly shaking his head.
"No, it's just Cam. But we actually, we know each other. Seventh grade. Latin convention. So, like, we're not total strangers." He informed them, Jeremiah letting out a sarcastic laugh.
"Okay. No offense, but no. Belly, get in the car." He demanded, watching as Belly rolled her eyes.
"Just get in the car." Conrad said from the backseat, growing annoyed.
"Uh, you should probably go. But, um, the whaling boat that I intern on, it leaves at dawn every morning from the piers. I was wondering if you would, uh, want to come." Cam asked, Belly quickly agreeing with a slight laugh in her tone.
"I mean, how else will you get your hoodie back, right?" She asked, Cam nodding his head. Conrad watched as Belly moved forward, leaving a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Bye." She told him, opening the back door of the car and climbing inside. Jeremiah started the engine, pulling out of the parking spot and heading down the road. The tires screeched a moment later, Jeremiah hitting the brakes hard.
"Fսck! Steven!" He cursed, realizing that the other Conklin kid was no where to be seen.
"Watch them two. I'll be right back." Jeremiah told Belly, quickly getting out of the car and running back toward the beach.
"Does anybody else think it was dumb of him to leave the car in the middle of the road?" Jewel rambled, turning to lean her head against the door. There was a knock on the window a moment later, a bright light shining into the car.
"Have you kids been drinking?" An officer asked from the other side of the glass, Jewel swallowing nervously.