Cruel Summer, Jeremiah Fisher

ten

After getting ready for the day, the three of us ran downstairs. I was wearing some jean shorts with a cute top and my hair wavy.

"I'll get it," I said when the doorbell rang and the other two girls walked to the living room.

"Hi, can I help you?" I asked the woman with a warm smile.

"Sandy Denatty, I'm looking for Julia..." The woman answered holding a stack of papers.

"Right, uh, for the open house?" I asked and she nodded.

I cleared my throat and looked towards the ground, "Uh, unfortunately her car crashed on the way here... she didn't make it. I don't think we can have the open house."

The pudgy woman looked like she didn't believe me, "Oh, I'm sorry, who are you?"

Jere stepped up beside me and opened the door further, "She's my girlfriend, and she's right. The house isn't for sale."

"Jeremiah Fisher, right?" the woman asked, "It's nice to see you, I am sorry about your mom."

"Thanks, uh, we decided not to sell the house though," he answered placing his hand on my back.

"Ignore them," Julia came running up behind us, "Ignore them. There will be an open house today. But, there does seem to be a minor problem with the AC. It died."

"That is not a minor problem, Julia. It's supposed to hit 95 today," the woman snapped.

Julia apologized and went to talk with the woman outside, closing the door.

"Shit," I muttered, "I tried."

Jere let out a small laugh, "Did you really say she died?"

I snorted, "It was the first thing that came to mind!"

Belly walked up to us, "Maybe if we could get Skye alone we could get some information out of them."

"We'll think of something," I said pulling her along into the kitchen.

"It's so hot, it's like two thousand degrees in here," Taylor groaned fanning her face.

"Julia said the AC is broken," I told them.

Steven gasped, "What? No way."

Obviously he had something to do with it.

"Todays open house has been cancelled," Julia announced walking into the room, "so I need you all out of the house while I get the AC guy here to do some work. Also, uh, who is the AC guy?"

"Uh, do you want me to loom one up for you?" Skye asked.

Julia shook her head, "No, that's okay. I'm certain Susannah has her approved technicians for backups... right here," she pulled out a folder.

Jere sighed, "Great, now I don't have to lie about the black mold virus."

I laughed and shoved his shoulder with mine, "I'm not leaving," Conrad said.

"Come on, Con. There's no point in sitting around," I told him.

"The mall has good AC," Taylor suggested.

"Good, have fun, I didn't leave finals just to leave this house for the taking by-" Conrad said.

Julia cut him off, "Conrad, I am trying to keep my shit together. You've already ruined my day, the least you could do is get out of my hair for a few hours."

"What about the boardwalk?" Belly suggested and I smiled at her idea.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Jere responded.