❛︎ For what it's worth Con, ❜ he then looked up at her with a blank expression. ❛︎ I don't think of you as that anymore. These past few days, I've noticed that- ❜
❛ Don't do that, ❜ he took a puff out of the cigarette, before killing it completely...
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❛ FOR THE FUTURE CAR ❜
❁ ❁ ❁
"Happy birthday Belly!", Susannah exclaimed, hugging the teenage girl as she walked into the kitchen. "Thank you," she giggled, her mother coming for a hug, "Your Mickey Mouse pancakes are ready."
Belly looked cautiously around, "Actually, I'm not really hungry," she told her mother. "Oh." Laurel stated.
Iris was beside Jeremiah, sipping her coffee, trying to stay awake after a night of tossing and turning. "Shall we open gifts?" Susannah brought up, trying to ease the awkwardness.
Jeremiah had nudged Iris, "You are going to love mine," he looked at Belly, waving his gift around, Iris nodding hastily.
Belly kept a smile on her face, watching everyone make their way into the living room area. Conrad and Iris stayed back, the teenage girl keeping a stoic expression on her face.
"What did you get Belly?" she asked him. "I uh, I forgot to get her something," he said awkwardly, feeling the tension between them. Iris felt the tension too, giving a heavy sigh, "We can say we got this gift together then," she held up the small wrapped package.
"You don't have to Iris, I'll get her something eventually," Conrad insisted, causing Iris to shrug. The silence making the tension worse, "Iris," he said all of a sudden looking at her, "There's something that I've been-"
"Hey you two, we're waiting for you guys," Laurel called, interrupting Conrad. Iris called back to Laurel, grabbing her coffee in one hand and the small present in the other. "Something you needed to say?" she asked him. Conrad nodded awkwardly, "Yeah, but we can do that later."
Iris gave a faint nod, keeping the eye contact to a minimum, walking into the living room without a glance back at Conrad, sitting on the floor beside Jeremiah.
❁ ❁ ❁
After Laurel, Susannah, Jeremiah, and Steven all gifted their gifts to Belly, Susannah looked at Conrad for a moment, "Conrad?" she asked him, the boy opened his mouth to say something, but Iris shut him up easily.
"Actually, Conrad and I both got this for Belly," she threw the small package at the birthday girl, "It doesn't look like much but we think you'll love it, or at least we hope you do," she looked behind her to a brunette with thankful eyes.
Jeremiah nudged Iris, knowing well what was going on between the two, and knowing that Conrad had no correlation to the gift that Iris had given Belly. The girl gave Jeremiah a look of reassurance, her eyes telling him that she'd explain, though there'd be nothing to really explain about.
"No way," Belly laughed, holding up a small bag of assorted Jelly Bellys, an anklet, and a few small decals with a note that said 'For your future car'. "Thank you guys," Belly said with an awed tone. "I do love it."
Iris looked back at Conrad again, the boy smiling the slightest, not looking at Belly, but looking at her. Caught staring, Conrad looked down at his phone on his lap, "I uh, I have to go," he choked. "I promised Cleveland I'd show him some knots today," he dragged a cough, getting up and walking away, "Happy Birthday again, Belly."
Both Jeremiah and Belly gave each other a look, the two having a general idea for Conrad's sudden leave, not only his meetup with Cleveland.
❁ ❁ ❁
Iris spent the day with Belly, Jeremiah, and Belly's best friend Taylor. The four finding their afternoon full on fun, even including Steven when they all decide to hang out at the pool. The three girls wore their two pieces, a gift given from Taylor to Belly, and the one that Iris had packed with her.
While Belly, Jeremiah, Taylor, and Steven played a game of volleyball, Iris sat on the chair, reading a book, not wanting to smell like chlorine and would rather watch the game than play it. "Con, do you wanna join us?" Jeremiah called out, seeing his brother walk through the gates.
Conrad looked at the pool for a second, then looked to the chairs to spot Iris occupied in her own world, his eyes widening, noticing she was wearing a two piece, something he hadn't seen her in before.
"I'm uh, I'm good," he gave his brother a brief smile, "You guys have fun."
Iris put her book down and noticed that Conrad had arrived, her mind still on what he had to say to her. When Conrad disappeared into the house, Iris pulled the baggy t-shirt she had beside the table and put it on herself, thinking that now was a good time to talk to Conrad, alone.
❁ ❁ ❁
SPIDEMEISTER SPEAKS
i met a cute boy at work. he goes to my location a lot and i'm always the one to make his orders 🧍🏽♀️
debating on putting my number on his next order because yolo ✍🏽✍🏽 but i do not know for sure
anywyas chapter ! this is not the best, but the next two will be oh soooo good 🤲🏽🫶🏽😆
