Treading Water- tsitp fanfic

Back in Cousins

Nat's POV

If I was being honest with myself, these past few months had sucked ass. Parading around school with Jere pretending there was nothing wrong when in reality there was nothing right with the world. Only allowing myself a chance to catch my breath when in the privacy of my own room. But none of that mattered now, we were back in Cousins. Jere and I couldn't keep the smiles off our faces as we tore the white sheets that had covered the furniture while we were away. "Ya know, I have a good feeling about this Summer," Jere said.

"Oh yeah, and why is that?" I questioned. 

"I don't know what it is. I just, I feel like things are finally getting back on track. Things are finally back to normal." 

And just like that, I felt that pit in my stomach that I had allowed to disappear for only a second return in full force, "Yeah, I know what you mean." I said with a tone of false ease. Jere seemed to be satisfied with this as he said nothing and continued to uncover the couch. 

Just then we heard the honk of a car horn. We excitedly turned to each other before my mom yelled out, "They're here!" Jere and I were the first out the door with Mom at our feet.

Laurel stumbled backwards from the impact of Jere and I tackling her. "Ugh, my wonder twins, you two have gotten so big." She spoke as she brought her hands to our cheeks to give them a tug.

"Laurel, stop." I grimaced, "We've hardly changed, it's only been a year."

Jere took Laurel shifting her attention towards me as his chance to slip away and say hello to Belly. "Only a year, Nat?" She spoke in shock, now only holding my face, "Do you know how difficult it is to go a whole entire year without seeing my favorite twin?" She expressed in a rather melodramatic tone.

I scoffed at this, "Laurel, you call us both your favorite twin."

"Yeah, but I mean it with you", she whispered to me with a wink. We laughed as my mom approached us, I decided to let them say hello to one another as I had not gotten a chance to greet the others yet.

I hardly gave Belly a chance to process what was happening as I charged at her and pounced on her "BELLYYYYYY!"

"NATTTT!" she screeched in return. Only when we finally pulled apart did I get a chance to really look at her. I think I actually lost my breath for a second. "Holy shit Belly, when did you get so- so hot." she gave me a confused look, "Don't get me wrong, you've always been cute, but damn girl, if I didn't know you so well and how gross you actually are from sharing a bathroom with you, I might actually have a crush on you." 

At this she scoffed and punched my arm, "Missed you too, dingus." 

"Sooo?" I questioned.

"So, what?"

I rolled my eyes, "So, what's the plan with Connie?"

Her eyes widened as she slapped a hand over my mouth. "Be quiet Nat."

I licked her hand causing her to remove it from my mouth in disgust. I let out a small laugh, "Look, all I'm saying is that you've loved him since like, forever, you have to make a move at some point." I failed to mention that I was not only saying this for her benefit, but Conrad's as well. He wasn't himself, if anyone could help with that, it was Belly. "Speaking of the devil..." I spoke as Conrad approached. Belly gave me a look that signified she wanted me to get lost. Putting my hands up in defense I took a few backwards steps before turning to join Jeremiah and Steven.

 "Stevieee," I call walking up to the two before giving him a tight hug, "Ohhh, I missed you, bro."

"I missed you too...Nat Cat." I pulled away and scrunched my nose to show my distaste for his stupid childhood nickname for me. I shift my gaze between the two boys before smiling and saying, "50 bucks says that I pull more girls than you and Jere combined this summer."

The two look at each other with cocky grins on their face before Steven says "You're so on." The three of us laugh before the two start babbling about their stupid video games. I zone out and look over to Belly and Conrad. I smile to myself as I can envision my plan for the two of them to get together hatching "So what do you think, Nat?"

"Sorry, What?" I say tuning back into the conversation.

"Belly flop?" Jere questions.

"Oh, I am so in."

At this Steven approached Conrad and Belly, "Hey, ya know, I think- I think that it might be time for a Belly flop?", He says casually looking around at us for approval. We all hatch a smile, even Connie much to my satisfaction, as we pursue Belly with a look of horror on her face. 

As we take her to the pool each carrying our own limb, she pleads and rambles for mercy. "No, no, no. Come on you to Nat? What happened to girls looking out for one another."

"Sorry Bells, but Belly flop trumps feminism." I say giggling.

Me, my brothers, and Steven speak in unison, "1... 2... 3" We release her into the water, making a loud splash in doing so. We laugh so hard we can hardly breathe, Belly is not amused. She says something about her ankle hurting before tugging Conrad in with her. I burst out into another fit of giggles, this time not just from amusement, but happiness as well. 

Waiting for Belly to get out of the pool I sat in the kitchen with my mom and Laurel, watching the two interact, mesmerized by their dynamic. "What's got you smiling?", my mother asked me.

"I don't know, just glad to be back I guess." I said sharing a smile with my mom.

Just then Belly burst in, still wet from the pool. I laughed as Laurel scolded her for tracking water in the house, as we head done so many times before. Mom whispered to Laurel how beautiful Belly was before approaching her. "Sweetie you look beautiful," she expressed. Belly just leaned into her touch in endearment. My smile fated from happy to sorrowful. Belly didn't know, she didn't know that this was likely her last Summer with the woman who was practically her second mom. And it was my job to keep it that way.

When I tuned back into the conversation mom was talking about how dad wouldn't be coming out this year due to work in London. I sat in silence with a neutral expression on my face. I didn't know the whole story of what was going on between the two, and I didn't need to. Mom had always been there, rain or shine, and when she needed him most, he was on the other side of the world. Again my mom interfered with my train of thought, "No matter, it's just how we like it anyway, the women and the children." At this I smiled, she was right. What mattered was that we were all here, in Cousins, together. 

As we set the table for dinner that night we talked and we laughed and I allowed myself, just for a moment, to pretend like everything was like it was supposed to be.