how you get the girl - conrad fisher ♾

chapter one

JOSIE

(edited version)

BEFORE SHE KNEW IT, JOSIE WAS BACK AT THE SUMMER HOUSE TO GREET LAUREL, BELLY, AND STEVEN BACK TO COUSINS. Susannah had insisted that Josie come to have dinner with her, the boys, and the Conklins after they came back.

Susannah said her and her mom's presence was necessary. Originally, Josie politely said no to Susannah. Meeting her at the summer house last week made her sad enough about all the memories there. The ones she had with Conrad, especially. Susannah understood, but her best friend, Casper, was not having any of it.

"You're going," Casper told her, the day before when he was visiting her house. When Casper told you something, he was dead serious about it.

Josie plopped herself down on her bed, her head snuggled against her pillow. "I'm not going, Casper. I have to finish reading my book." She took the book on her left and waved it for him to see.

Casper rolled his eyes. "You have to. It's tradition, Josie. You do that, like, every year!" He insisted, softly nudging her.

Josie shook her head as she bit her tongue from saying anything else. She sensed his protective brown eyes on hers, which made her all the more embarrassed that she was exposing her vulnerability to him. "It's because of Conrad, isn't it?" He asked, his voice softening.

"Was it that obvious?"

Casper grinned slightly. "Hey, I'm sorry if I was pushing you to go earlier. I didn't think." Talking before he spoke was a habit of Casper. Josie, however, didn't mind too much, as she was aware it was never intentional.

Josie shrugged, giving Casper a half-hearted smile. "It's fine. You know how it is with him. It's been a lot,"

Casper said nothing, except for a quiet nod. "I get it. I do, but you've been sort of in a slump ever since 'You-Know-Who' broke up with you," Casper spoke, all matter-of-factly. Josie rolled her eyes and faced the direction away from him.

"You know I'm right,"

Josie didn't like admitting when she was wrong with Casper. He was good at telling anyone the truth, but there were times when Josie simply didn't want to hear it. Especially when it was about Conrad.

"I am being productive," She countered. "I'm reading, I'm binge-watching shows and baking. I'm perfectly content with that."

She could imagine Casper giving her that 'look' he always wore on his face whenever it was obvious she was in the wrong. "First, the last time you baked was two weeks ago, and those cookies were rock solid. Baking's your second nature." He reminded her, which made her grimace at the cookies she'd made.

Her baking two weeks ago was the first time she'd done it ever since the breakup. However, after realizing that they were unbeatable, she hadn't picked up any baking materials since, telling herself she'd try again some other time which was her way of saying: 'I'll do it in who knows how long,'