seventeen going under - jeremiah fisher

ch. 8

I stayed home while Jeremiah went to get Taylor from the bus stop with Belly. I wasn't the biggest fan of Taylor and any chance to avoid her was taken even if it meant she was shamelessly flirting with Jeremiah and I wasn't around to gauge his reaction. But his reaction wasn't my business. I made that very clear.

I went into town to get groceries with my parents and watched as they acted like a newlywed couple picking out staples for their new home. I lagged behind like a puppy with too short of legs to keep up. Dad picked up something too sugary and Mom scolded him to put it back and when she wasn't looking, he tossed it in the cart anyway and gave me a thumbs up.

At home, I helped mom make a lemon loaf for Belly's birthday. It was one of the only things she knew how to bake well and made it every year for her. As it cooled down on the counter, I added one candle right in the middle. Happy birthday, Bells.

My phone went off in my back pocket and I pulled it out to see a text from Jeremiah:

We're going swimming in 10. Be there :)

I didn't reply and put my phone back in my pocket. "I'm gonna go next door, okay?" I called up to my mom who was upstairs in her bedroom. She yelled back, "okay!" And I went out the back door. I didn't really care to go swimming, but I had my suit on underneath my clothes anyway. It was a written rule that when in Cousins, you always had to have a suit.

I was still reeling from my talk with Jeremiah and took my time walking through the backyard. It all just felt too heavy for me to carry right now. I don't even know how I'll feel once I see him.

Jeremiah, Steven, Belly, and Taylor were all in the pool already when I snuck through our bushes. Belly saw me first, waving me down and calling out my name. I smiled and called out, "Happy sweet sixteen!" Steven and Jeremiah were hanging off the edge of the other side of the pool, talking to themselves. Jeremiah looked at me when Belly called my name and he smiled. Really smiled. Like nothing had happened, which I guess for Jeremiah, things were easy to let go of.

"Are you coming in?" She asked, checking out what I was wearing. I shook my head but kicked off my flip-flops so I could sit on the edge of the pool with my feet in the water.

"Why not?" She swam over to me as I sat down, the water hitting just below my knees. She held herself up on the pavement with her arms and she was getting water all over the place but I didn't mind.

I looked out at the pool where Jeremiah and Steven were talking when I arrived. They were now both staring at me instead of engrossed in whatever conversation they were having. I looked down at Belly instead. "Not in the mood. What are you guys doing?"

"I think we should play chicken," Taylor said as she waded in the pool, a big grin on her face. Belly smiled and agreed, swimming back over to her friend. I kicked my feet in the water as the four of them decided who was gonna be whose partner and Jeremiah kept stealing looks over at me and I kept dodging them.

Belly got up on Jeremiah's shoulders and Taylor got up on Steven's and as they pushed at each other in the water, I watched as Jeremiah gripped Belly's thighs. The way her legs hugged his upper chest and how, if she wanted to, she could run her fingers through his hair without even having to try. I was jealous of her in that moment. That she was that close to him. That her skin was touching his.

"What are they doing?" I heard Conrad speak behind me. Somehow, he snuck in the backyard when I wasn't paying attention and he was with Nicole.

"Chicken," I told him. He laughed a little and went to sit down next to me when Belly called out for Nicole. During the whole deb ball process, her and Nicole had kind of become close, I noticed. She had become close with all the girls, I think. Slowly. Without me noticing.