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i'm all the kids gathered near the enterance, peeking through the front door to see belly's possible future stepmom and alianna's not missed drunken father.
"she's hot!" jeremiah said from behind alianna. "jeremiah." she elbowed him, "what? i'm just saying what everyone else is thinking." he grabbed his stomach.
"i wasn't thinking that." belly quickly turned around.
"yo, that could be your future step mom." conrad joked, "due what the hell!" steven pushed him, "don't push me." conrad said before steven and him start to punch each other.
"josh, you didn't tell me how bad dad was." alianna watched as her dad stumbled out of the uber. "i didn't think you'd care." joshua said, popping up next her.
"he isn't even sober." alianna muttered, her father almost falling over as he made his way to the front of the house.
when josh and alianna were just twelve, they're parents split. it was a difficult period for them, joshua had gotten over it quickly.
but for ali, we'll she never fully recovered. her father was an alcoholic who mainly forgot he even had kids.
she never knew why joshua loved him and why he would want to stay a person like him.
"natalie." he says coming closer to the moms, "luke." she reply's not in usual cheery mood. "come on, didn't you miss me sugar." he tried to hug her.
"never." she backed away missing his arm wrapping around her. "let's go inside, shall we." susannah announced.
"shit they're coming." jeremiah noticed and everyone got away from the door. belly, steven, josh and alianna stayed to greet they're dad while jeremiah and conrad ran off.
"be nice." natalie whispers as the moms walk past. "hey." john smiles as he and victoria enter the house.
right behind them barely walking straight was luke. "careful there." john laughs as he catches luke.
"hey kids" john smiles once luke is standing upright. "dad." alianna says with a straight face. "ali, baby, i've missed you." luke says, "come give your old man a hug!" he opens his arms.
but alianna declines and backs away. belly and steven were talking to their dad and victoria. in a different room, held alianna and josh with luke.
"why are you drunk." alianna asks sitting down in a chair. "i got bored" luke shrugs his shoulders. "of course you did" she mumbles.
the door bell rings and alianna jumps up, "that's me cue." she says as she thankfully leaves the room.
TIME SKIP TO THE PARTY !
the debs arrived as well as the rest of the guests. alianna, belly and jeremiah all sat in the kitchen watching victoria make her pomegranate drinks.
"can i try a sip?" alianna boldly asks, "uhm is your parents cool with that?" victoria says, "yeah, yeah. my dad for sure is." she lies.
"oh cool, then sure." victoria smiles, finishing the drinks.
"i'm gonna take these out to the parents." victoria grabbed the drinks, "can you take those two to yours, ali?" she asks, and alianna slakes her head yes.
she sneaks a sip whilst victoria makes her way outside, going back to the party. "that's really good!" she smiles.
"try it!" she suggests to jeremiah and belly. belly takes a quick sip and has the same reaction as alianna, "woah."
belly passes the drink to jeremiah, as he takes a sip, "it's tastes just like a slurpee!" he licks the sugar off his lips.
"i have an idea!" belly jumps out of her seat rushing the the cupboards to grab her ingredients, "make some more pomegranate juice!" she tells jeremiah, "you got it boss!" he grabs the fruit.
conrad walks into the kitchen, "what are you guys making?"
"pomegranate margaritas, but with a twist!" belly excitedly says coming back to the table. "well you gotta use the good blender." conrad suggests.
"oh i-i haven't used that thing since the great kool-aid debacle of 2011." jeremiah warns as conrad brings the blender to the bench.
"i remember the counters were sticky for about two summers." alianna laughs taking another sip of her drink.
jeremiah quotes his dad making fun of him and how he taught him a lesson. "wait won't he be bad?" alianna adds, drinking more.
"he's not gonna find out. he's not coming." conrad smirks, setting the blender up. belly and conrad add the ingredients to the blender.
"you know what i miss." conrad laughs as he sits down whilst the blender finishes. "laurel putting dad in his place." he says lifting off the lid.
"oh yeah, she'd walk in and go 'adam'" alianna jokes.
"adam!" laurel surprising shouts as adam enters the house, dropping his bag causing everyone to stare. "happy fourth!" he smiles, coming near everyone.
conrad didn't look to happy, but jeremiah had a wide smile. alianna never really felt close with adam, he wasn't the father figure you'd imagine, he was just there.
"hey guys, hey connie." he specifically says but conrad ignores him, not bothering to look up. "i'll have a little of what your mixing up there." he scoffs and belly hands him the glass, "oh your gonna love it!" jeremiah tells him before taking a sip.
but before he could, susannah makes her way into the house "where did everyone go?" she asks. she realises that adam is here and is stunned. "adam." she blurts out, "you managed to get off work."
"yeah, couldn't miss the fourth with my family." adam tells everyone, mainly susannah. alianna looks around noticing that everyone was pleased with adam's appearance, especially conrad.
"hey where is everyone... found them." josh sneaks his way in, making his presence known. "alright let's get back to the party." susannah suggests, and everyone follows laurel outside.
"hey connie can i talk toy you for a minute." adam tries to pull him aside but conrad skips past him, "i'm gonna head to the beach." he walks off. "hey wait up." alianna chases him, trying to talk to him.
"conrad." she finally catches up to him, pulling him aside. "what's up. why did your mood change all of sudden?" she looks up at him, him not looking down at her. "conrad." she pulls his face towards her, now he's staring down at her.
"what's wrong." she tells him, waiting for him to answer. "nothing." he pulls her hand off him. "why are you acting like this. a second you were all happy and fun, now your just mad and angry." alianna holds onto his hand.
"i told you it's nothing." he holds onto her hand, "promise me." she sticks her pinky finger out, "promise." he lies and hooks his pinky onto hers. "you said you wants to go to the beach?" she smiles making him also smile.
she walks infront of him, "let's go then." she holds her hand waiting for him, he rolls his eyes and follows her. the both of them making their way to the beach while shayla and steven are already set up with gigi and nicole already sitting down.
"took your time." gigi howls as she spots the pair from a distance. "yeah we'll the big bad wolf arrived." she laughs sitting down in a free spot in between an inflatable deflated unicorn and what's to guess — conrad's seat.
lish speaks ! 🤍🌊🫶🏻
hello lovely people !! thank you so much for almost 5k reads on this book !! i honestly can't believe how much time i've put into this book so far and we're only onto episode four in the series ?? just a reminder to not be a ghost reader — makes me feel unmotivated and i love reading your comments they complete my day, always vote on the chapters as well !!
also opinions on victoria ? should she be the evil step mother :))
