𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 || 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗿𝗮𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘅 𝗬/𝗻 𝗟/𝗻

𝟜.

"The Deb Ball?!"

I couldn't believe my eyes right now. Not because of how prestigious and reputed this shit was supposed to be, but because of how ridiculous I found it. But of course I cannot turn it down now that Susannah actually took the liberty to get for me and Bels.

"So this is why you had to stop by the Country Club..." Laurel mumbles, and t just he blonde just grins and nods. Must've happened while we were at the beach, which was really really fun by the way. Never thought I'd miss having sand in my bra so much.

But I specifically couldn't stop thinking about my moment with Connie earlier...

How cool his touch felt on my burning skin, or how precious and passionate his sea blue eyes looked, when they peered into my own, fiery y/e/c ones. I don't know what it is about him that makes me feel so queasy and excited inside, but I'm sure it'll fade away soon.

I sure hope so, at least. It has to...

"Uh oh... Please don't tell me it is what y/n just said it is." Steven sighs, snapping me back to reality. "I wrangled the girls two invitations to be two respective debutantes." Susannah reveals proudly. "Is that the thing where girls wear white dresses and curtsy?" Belly guesses.

"Waiting to be selected by a man for betrothal after hitting puberty-" I add, oversimplifying shit. "No... It's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society." Susannah corrects. "So basically what y/n said." Belly sums up. "I-I know it sounds silly, but I swear, it's fun." Susannah defends.

"Girls come from all over New England to Cousins just to be a part of it." She adds.

So basically everyone is a stuck-up bitch, got it. Our silence kinda made Susannah's face fall a little. "Sound like my kind of an event." I then grin menacingly, knowing how very amusing it can get to piss people off for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Believe me, it's a hobby at this point.

"Now that's the spirit." She appreciates me. "You both will make so many new friends." She gushes. "Mom, I'm pretty sure that's not what y/n meant- Just look at her face! She's evil." Jere sighs, already realizing what I was up to.

"Well I think she looks adorable, mind you." The blonde defends when I glance at her innocently. "What? No way- She's a demon, I'm telling y'all!" Steven chimes in, noticing my sticking out my tongue at the tanned boy, teasing him. 

"I cannot believe you're still holding onto this archaic dream-" Laurel scoffs, excusing herself to get some water. "No, it used to be about finding a husband, but now it's all about networking." Susannah corrects, and that's when my mind begins opening up about this traditional idea a bit. 

"Networking?" I repeat, liking that word far better than betrothal. "Yeah, they teach you leadership skills, like how to market yourself, and it benefits charity." She elaborates. "It's um, like a bat mitzvah." She shrugs. "It's not like a bat mitzvah-" Laurel laughs mirthlessly, fetching some wine for herself.

"There is absolutely nothing religious about a debutante ball." She rolls her eyes, pouring herself, and her friend some wine, smacking my hand away when I tried to grab her glass to take a sip. "The whole deb scene is bullshit. It's for sheep." Conrad comments bitterly.

"Not some place y/n would enjoy." He then adds, making me look at him, perplexed. Since when did he care about what I'd like and what I would not? Am I the only one who has noticed his uncanny behavior lately?

"Yes she would, and it's NOT for sheep." His mother scoffs.

"It's when a girl has a coming out, it's like a formal recognition for when she's reached maturity." She corrects, making the boys snort. "Oh, sorry, I'm sorry- Mature?" Steven guffaws, looking over at his sister, and then me, the other guys snickering silently.

"Yeah." Susannah nods. "Belly?" He raises his brow. "Mhm." She nods again. "A-a couple of months ago, you had a cat funeral, and you made us all wear black-" He scoffs, reminding Belly. "And y/n's just bat-shit crazy." He adds, making me roll my eyes.

"Shut up, Steven. I saw you crying in your room!" Bels exposes him back. "Wait, Mochi died?" I ask, upset about the loss. "We're sorry man." Jere chimes in. "y/n, Belly..." Susannah then calls us. "Hmm?" I turn to her, still looking at my invitation.

"Don't you two wanna get all dressed up?" She smiles, treating us the way she'd like to pamper her own daughters, if she had any. "Oh please, by the time I'm through, I'm gonna slay so hard, that the other debs are just gonna look at their own outfits, and barf." I smirk, already knowing what kind of a dress I'm gonna get.

"Dude, she's definitely gonna make them all cry her first day in." Conrad sighs to his brother, who looked equally concerned, and somewhat scared too. "Love the confidence." Susannah smiles proudly. "Now how about you, Belly?" She turns to Bels.

"It's... Just not Belly's kind of thing." Laurel answers on her daughter's behalf. "She's our feral little alley cat." She smiles, stroking Belly's hair and making us all burst out laughing at that little nickname. "Alley cat." I repeat, drinking some water to calm down.

"What are you laughing at so much, y/n? You literally sound like a hyena-" Steven teases, making the others laugh some more. "That's rich coming from someone like you, toad-butt head." I scoff, and we all joke around some more for the rest of the night. "I'll think about it." Belly finally replies, cutting us all off, staring dead into her mother's eyes.

"She'll think about it..."