𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓, jeremiah fisher

three. bonfire breakdown

I'M ON THE porch when I hear the boys coming out of the house. Conrad sees me first.

"Dani? What are you doing?"

The three of them stop to look at me, and I just shrug.

Jeremiah lets out an impatient breath, looking everywhere except at me. "Come on, man. Let's go."

I roll my eyes and take a bite out of the pop tart I brought out with me.

"Hold on," Conrad tells his brother. Then, he turns to me. "Aren't you coming? The bonfire's tonight, remember?"

Jeremiah and Steven both send Conrad death stares. Steven because he has never wanted me or Belly to hang out with them, especially now that boys have been all over Belly since she got her braces taken off. I don't really understand that, though, because she was pretty before then too. Just as pretty as she is now. As her older sister, it hurts a little to know that she doesn't think of herself that way.

And Jeremiah doesn't want me to come for obvious reasons.

I shake my head and get up before anyone can say anything else. I look directly at Conrad and say, "Did you ask Belly to come?"

He looks at his feet, and I know that he probably just stood there while the other two told Belly she couldn't come.

"Belly's a kid. She doesn't know any better," Steven whines, sounding a lot more like a kid than Belly.

"Whatever, Steven. You guys go have fun. It's not like I'm welcome there anyway."

It's clear who the last part is directed towards, but I start walking back to the house before I catch his expression and before any of them can say anything.

✧ ✦ ✧

I WATCH HALF of It Happened One Night with Mom and Susannah before I tell them I'm going to go to bed.

Belly hadn't felt like watching the movie with us, so she is already upstairs in her room. I decide to check on her before getting ready to sleep. I knock on her door lightly, but she doesn't reply so I just go in.

She's standing in front of the full-length mirror putting on lipgloss. She's wearing this short pink dress that I have never seen her wear before. My eyes widen, and I shut the door quietly.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" I almost screech at her. There's no way she would ever buy a dress like that. Taylor definitely gave that to her for her to wear while we're here.

Spinning around, Belly looks annoyed. "It's called a dress, Dan."

I roll my eyes. "And why the fuck are you wearing that and why do you look like you're about to go out?"

"Because I am? I'm going to the bonfire."

I exhale in frustration. Of course, she's going to the fucking bonfire. "Take that off right now."

"What?" She furrows her eyebrows and starts to look even more irritated.

"I said take the fucking dress off. You're not going anywhere."

She scoffs. "Says who? You? Just because you don't know how to have fun doesn't mean that I don't. And I want to party, so that's what I'm going to do. You can't stop me."

Before I can get a single word out, she brushes past me and I know she's probably tip-toeing out to the front door. She knows that I would never tell Mom if she snuck out, so she's taking full advantage of that right now.

I run a hand through my hair. God, she pisses me off so much. I stand there for a second trying to figure out what to do. Then, I sigh and sneak downstairs.