Stars Around My Scars - Conrad Fisher

11. Connie's Secrets

"Who is that?" Sarah asks.

"Oh um, that's Nicole. She was a bitch to me yesterday." I say.

"Don't worry about her. Now come on, let's beat Jere and Stevie's asses." We both smirk and go play.

Sarah and I play volleyball together so this should be good.

We both hop in the pool and play volleyball. After a few minutes, we're beating Stevie and Jere by 5 points.

"Time out." Stevie says.

I look over at Nicole and Conrad and see them kiss. I feel my heart crush. Sarah looks over and sighs.

"Mackie, you okay?" Sarah asks.

I nod. "I'm fine." I say.

Sarah takes me to the corner of the pool. "Mack, look at me. I know you're in love with Conrad but listen, that isn't the girl for him." Sarah says. "Now, let's beat Jere and Stevie's asses." She says. I smile.

"Ok, let's beat some asses." I say. We do our handshake and then hop back in the game. Sarah sets the ball to me and I jump and spike it into the water on the other side. Sarah and I cheer.

"Yes girl!!" Sarah says. I laugh and we both beat Stevie and Jere.

"Damn! You girls are good!" Jeremiah says.

Then Taylor comes over and hugs me. "How are you?" She asks. "I didn't say hi to you yet!"

"I'm doing okay." I say.

"Taylor! Pass me the ball!" Jere says.

Taylor throws the ball but hits Nicole in the head. Then Belly starts really apologizing to Nicole. Did she not see how much of a bitch she was to me?

Then Conrad and Nicole leave. Nicole is such a little weakling. How could Conrad pick Nicole over me?

"How about a chicken fight?" Jere says, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Bet!" Stevie says.

"I get Stevie!" Sarah says. "Mackie, you can have Jere."

Jeremiah fake gasps. "What? Why don't you want me?" He asks, acting surprised. Sarah and I laugh and then we get on the boys' shoulders.

"Go!" Stevie says. Sarah and I start shoving each other. Jere is the more athletic out of the boys so we have the advantage.

I shove Sarah off of Stevie's shoulders and I cheer. "Wooo!! We won!" I say.

Jere and I hug and smile. "Look at you, all smiley and happy." He says.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I say. I hug him again and he hugs me back.

Then I go get dried off. Sarah and I hang out in my room and I get her new number. I see Conrad run through the hallway.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I ask.

"I'm late to meet with Cleveland, see you later!" He says. He runs out.

Two hours later, Sarah and I go sit on the couch. Sarah takes a nap so I sit on the couch and listen to the mothers conversation.

"Is Connie done shucking the corn?" Susannah asks.

"Not yet." Laurel says. "I can believe he forgot Belly's birthday. What's up with that?" She asks.

"He's been shut down like this since April." Susannah says.

"When he and his girlfriend broke up?" Laurel asks.

"Yeah, but he won't tell me about it." Susannah says.

Wait, there's no way that just be you a breakup that Conrad would crush his own dream of football and completely change his personality. There's got to be something more.

"I just, I want to make sure he's okay." Laurel asks. "Remember that time he broke his arm and didn't tell anyone because he didn't want to be a bother?" Laurel asks.

Aw, he's so sweet.

"Classic Connie." Susannah says. "Do you think maybe you could talk to him?" She asks. "You've always had a way of making him open up." Susannah says.

"I'm on it." Laurel says. I hear her leave the room.

I walk upstairs to my room and open the window. I do it quickly but quietly. I can hear most of the conversation.

"How have you been?" Laurel asks.

"Fine." Conrad says.

"We used to talk." Laurel says.

"We still talk." Connie says.

"Rarely." Laurel says. "You're still my special guy, you know." She says. "You're the first baby. You can talk to me about anything."

"Thank you." Connie says.

"You know, you don't have to hold everything in all the time." Laurel says. "I mean, I said the same to Mackenzie but she still won't open up to me about anything." Laurel says. Conrad stays quiet and looks down. "You don't always have to be strong." Laurel says.

Conrad looks at Laurel and then looks down. "I know." He says, quietly. "I'm just..." He doesn't finish.

"It's been a while since I was your age but I still remember what it was like to have my heart broken." Laurel says.

My heart was broken. It was broken completely two days in a row. I feel like I only have half of a heart now.

"Loosing your first love, it hurts." Laurel says. "It takes time to get over it."

Conrad nods like he doesn't know what Laurel is talking about. I knew it. This isn't about his ex girlfriend.

"Aubrey, yeah." Connie says. "Yeah no, that was brutal. Yeah."

Damn, and Conrad said I was bad at lying.

Then Laurel walks away. What is up with Conrad? What does he know that no one else knows?