1 Step Forward and 3 Steps Back

Chapter 2 - Beach Swims

Belly had exhaled as she entered her room and saw the fluffy, stuffed polar bear that was on her shelve. She smiled as she grabbed it instantly and remembered the day that she had gotten it.

"Hi, Junior Mint," Belly said, purely smiling at the stuffed bear as she saw how someone came into the room.

She saw the person from side of her eye, but not fully. She had smiled at the bear as she felt someone putting their hands over her eyes. She exhaled as she knew who it was, or had a good idea.

"Steven, you're not funny."

"Try again," Conrad said as Belly smiled and moved forward, turning around, and looking into his eyes.

"I thought you would be out," Belly said.

Belly never had much to do with Conrad after he had turned 16 as he was always out. He would either be with his girlfriend or he would be with some of his older friends. The first night he would spend with Steven and Jeremiah, but Belly didn't really think that he saw her as much anymore.

"Only tonight, which you are coming with. Excited?" Conrad asked as Belly exhaled and slightly crunched her face up.

"I guess so," Belly said as she started unpacking and saw a pink dress.

"Something tells me Mom told Taylor," Belly said.

Taylor was the best friend of Belly that she had known ever since they moved to Philadelphia, but even with it all, it came as a shock how much her best friend knew. Especially since after a big fight Belly had decided that she wouldn't have contact with Taylor over the summer. She would only see her for the new school year.

"Is it good or bad that she knew?" Conrad asked as Belly shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know," Belly said.

"How is Taylor doing? That friend of yours has never really liked me," Conrad said as Belly bit her lip.

Taylor knew for years that Belly had a crush on Conrad, and judged her severely for it. Taylor always said that Belly deserved better and that there were much better in Philadelphia, but she had loved the New York boy too much.

"Taylor likes no boy at this stage besides Drew Martinez," Belly said as Conrad smiled at her while she tried her best not to talk about her best friend too much.

"Get changed then we can head down to the beach. Steven and Jeremiah heading to the beach club for a pre interview thingy so I am taking you to the beach," Conrad said.

"I'll meet you out in a sec," Belly said as she smiled.

"I can't believe you are doing this," Steven said as he looked how his mother and Susannah was unpacking.

"Steven, please don't do this. Your sister also deserves this. It's her birthday soon yet things can't be more difficult for her. You know she hasn't spoken to Taylor in quite some time and she isn't coming down to Cousins for her birthday. Your sister is spending her sixteenth birthday without her best friend," Laurel said as Conrad came into the kitchen.

"Wait, why is Taylor not coming? Did she and Belly fight?" Conrad asked.

"We don't know. She is very secretive," Steven said as he saw how his sister came down the stairs.

"Everything good?" Belly asked as Conrad nodded.

"Yeah, let's go," he said as they went out of the house and started walking down the street to the beach.

"I hear Taylor isn't coming down this year," Conrad said.

"We had mutually decided that it would be best if she were to just stay in Philadelphia this year," Belly said, hating that she had to lie to Conrad.

"Who mutually decided on that? Because according to Steven..."

"Don't listen to Steven," Belly said as Conrad nodded while they arrived at the beach.

Belly had smiled at the smell of the salty water while she didn't know how good it had all felt. Usually Conrad wasn't with her at this point. He was busy doing whatever while Jeremiah had kept Belly busy. But this year, Belly wanted to do something more with him. It did bring her joy to think that she was at the same place where she was all those years. She had a lot of memories in Cousins, in that house, at this beach.

"I've waited all year for this," Belly said as she and Conrad looked at one another.

"Last one in is a rotten potato," Conrad said as both of them raced into the ocean.

Conrad ha picked Belly up, throwing her into the waves as she smiled at him, splashing the water all over. Belly loved the water and she was known to be a good athletic swimmer at school. Hell, she had even dreamed of being an Olympic swimmer, but during summer those dreams were gone and all she could focus on was Conrad.

"Conrad, I'm gonna kill you," Belly said as Conrad laughed.

"Go on, try, little girl," Conrad said as both of them laughed.