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

𝟞.

"I don't care what you're saying, we're still going, and that's final."

Belly just thinks about my proposal as we made our way to the kitchen where the mothers were preparing the brownies. "Hey kids!" Susannah greets us. "Go put the DVD in." Laurel instructs, and I just nudge Bels, reminding her of the plan.

"Uh... Do we have to watch It Happened One Night?" Belly asks, pretending to be tired all of a sudden. "Can't we do something different?" I suggest. "But we always watch It Happened One Night on the first night..." Laurel reminds. "It's your mom's favorite movie." She adds.

"But since she's not here, we could watch y/f/m (Your Favorite Movie) instead." Susannah then suggests, knowing that it was one of my favorites out of the collection they had. "Is everything okay?" She then asks me, seeing a hint of sadness on my face.

"Yeah, just tired." I lie, acting exhausted. "Couldn't even go for my swim." I yawn. "Yeah no, y/n and I were thinking we'd just skip tonight and go to bed instead, falling asleep while gossiping the rest of the night away..." Belly plays along.

"Okay yeah, sure hon, that sounds good." Susannah sighs. "We could-we could do the brownies another night, yeah?" She smiles. We just smile back and excuse ourselves, heading upstairs to our respective rooms.

Don't know why I feel so bad right now, but I know that something's definitely off.

I quickly rummaged through a few outfits, a grabbed the nearest thing I could find, and then rushed over to Belly's room to help her instead, cuz though my fashion sense may not be the best out there, I'd still survive.

On my way to Belly's room, I stopped dead in my track when I overheard my name. Now, I get that eavesdropping is a huge violation of privacy, but I can't help but listen, especially since I was now indirectly involved, apparently.

"Tonight, we were all at the pool... Conrad, y/n and I." She starts.

"And we were talking, kinda... But he hardly acknowledged me, so it was felt like it was just the two of them." She adds. "I lowkey felt like a third-wheel, and I don't even know why..." She sighs, making me feel a little guilty. I completely forgot about her history with the dude.

"Why's that?" I hear her friend, Taylor's voice. "I don't know. It just felt... different to be around him after so long." She admits. "Good different?" Taylor guesses. "See, I told you." She mumbles something I couldn't hear very clearly. "Yeah no, I don't know..." Belly stutters a bit.

"It's probably nothing. You're overthinking as usual." Taylor assures. "y/n's a great friend, and wouldn't do something like that to you, even if she does have any interest in the guy." She adds. "Which I'm sure she doesn't, because all they ever do is fight." She chuckles.

"They did seem pretty close today..." Bels mumbles. "Maybe because they met each other after what, 3 years?" Taylor reminds. "Right... I completely forgot about that." Belly muses. "You're right, I'm definitely overreading this." She then brushes it off.

"Anyway, before we could get any closer, Jeremiah and Steven came down, and they all just left to this beach thing." She continues, and that's when I decide to let my presence be known to the girls. "If you're talking about the bonfire... We're going." I grin, barging into the room.

"Y/n?!" Belly exclaims, shocked a little. "How long have you been listening?" Taylor then asks. "Long enough to hear the word PARTAY!" I cheer. "So basically nothing." Belly chuckles, much more relaxed now. "I already told you that we're going." I shrug.

"Hey Taylor!" I then wave at the blonde. "Hey heyyy-" She greets back, grinning widely. "You look amazing." I compliment. "Thank you! So do you." She gushes. "Totally ready to slay the day I see." She checks me out jokingly, biting her lip too, making us all laugh.

"So why didn't you you guys just go with them?" Taylor then asks, getting back to the topic. "Like I care about a beach bonfire-" Bels scoffs. "They ditched us pretty bad." I sigh honestly. "Yeah, they didn't really invite us either." Belly recalls.

"They don't own the beach." Taylor shrugs.

"Exactly what I've been telling you all this while." I scoff. "Well, I did talk to this one guy who asked me to come..." Belly then smiles coyly. "Oh, same. Except mine was a pedo." I deadpan. "I just think you girls ought to have fun on your first day of summer. Just like I am." Taylor grins.

"Yeah, but... I don't really like the guy who asked me out." Belly flips around, lying on her bed now. "How the fuck does that even matter at this point? Plenty of fish in the sea. Literally!" I shrug. "Exactly. Besides, the main point is that CONRAD will be there." Taylor reminds.

"Oh yes, this can be your chance to get in his eyeline!" I exclaim excitedly, trying to prove my loyalty to her, unable to shake off what I overheard them talk about earlier. "Let him see you all dressed up and so cute!" Taylor chimes in.

"Do you have anything to wear to the beach though?" I then ask Bels. "Well... I still haven't completely unpacked, so I don't--" She starts. "Go look in your duffel bag." Taylor smirks. "I've gifted you my secret weapon." She chuckles as Belly pulls out a simply, yet pretty pink dress. 

"Not to keep, obvs, just to borrow." Taylor specifies. "You see it?" She then asks, wondering what the silence was about. "It's perfect!" I exclaim, liking the fact that it wasn't too much, and neither too little. Casual, but cute, and more comfortable than most outfits too.

"No way in hell!" Belly exclaims, examining her outfit. "Belly, nothing's ever gonna happen if you're always alone, crying in your room in your big t-shirt, waiting for the boys to come home." Taylor talks some sense into our best friend.

"Yeah but... I mean, won't you be able to see my underwear underneath it?" Bels wonders aloud, making me chuckle softly. "So wear a thong." Taylor shrugs. "No, NO! Thongs are unhygienic." Belly protests. "Wearing a thong is basically like flossing your butthole." She adds.

"Ew-" Taylor chuckles. "Besides, thongs are mainstream now." Taylor sighs. "Shut up, I'll go..." Belly sighs, finally giving in. "YES!" I cheer to myself. "Wait... y/n." She then calls. "Hmm?" I turn to her, doing my makeup (optional).

"How the hell are we gonna go to the beach without a car?"