College Buddies (Conrad Fisher X OC)

Chapter 21

They drove from the convenience store to the party store. 

"All right, so what's the plan here?" Amelia asked looking around the huge place. Belly shrugged "Uh, I mean, it's a rager, right? So, go big." 

"Mm-hmm. How big are we talking, Bells?" Jere asked. "Right?" Conrad asked "I mean, are we talking, like... Dad's Amex big or...?" 

Jeremiah gasped "The sacred emergency Amex? Wait, guys, are-are you thinking what I'm thinking?" 

Amelia smiled "What?"

"Blow-up furniture, strobe lights, bubble machines... the whole shebang." Jere explained.  

Everyone cheered and agreed with the idea. 

"Okay. Last one to fill a cart has to load it all in." Jere yelled grabbing a cart and running "Go!" 

"Wait. Wait, wait. Stop!" Belly and Amelia yelled bustling for carts. 

Conrad appeared round the corner and Amelia glimpsed what was in his cart and she shook her head laughing "Okay, hold on. No. There is nothing fun in your cart. This is a party."

"These plates have glitter on 'em." Conrad compromised showing the sparkly golden plastic plates he was buying.  

Amelia smiled "You need to get out more, Conrad." she looked around the aisle "Um... Oh, hold on. Yeah. Just...Yup. Yeah, that's more like it. Mm-hmm. This is... a hundred percent your look, Connie baby." she said dressing him up in a flower necklace and oversized glasses.  

"Oh, is it?" he asked striking dramatic poses as if he was a model making her smile.  

"Yeah."

"It's funny, you know, my mom used to call me "Connie" whenever I was too in my head." Conrad noticed Amelia's face starting to fall "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to bring everything down. I know the... order of the day is fun."

Amelia nodded picking up the mood again "Let's have some fun."

"Listen Amelia about the other night..." he tried to start.  

Amelia shook her head walking back to her cart "No Conrad it's fine really"

"No Amelia I feel horrible." he said grabbing her hand "I never should have done that, I hurt you and I've regretted it ever since. Out of everyone I have pushed away you're the only one who has come back time and time again and I never realised how much I took that for granted until I pushed you too far." 

"Quite literally." Amelia joked to ease the mood. Making Conrad pull her in for a hug. Jere and Belly came round the corner and whistled.  

The two of them separated quickly "We..." 

"We're almost done." Conrad said gesturing to the nearly filled carts.  

Jeremiah gave his brother a knowing look "Cool. Uh, hurry up then." 

"Oh, we should grab some, uh, cameras." Amelia said noticing them on the shelves.  

"Yeah we can leave 'em around so everybody can take pictures at the party." Belly agreed grabbing armfuls to put in the carts. 

"We got to get one of all of us together." Conrad said. Belly nodded "Like Susannah made us do every summer." 

"That's a good idea." Jere smiled.  

Everyone drove back after Conrad lost and had to pack everything in the car. When they got to the house Amelia and Belly carried armfuls of party stuff into the kitchen, that was where they found Taylor and Skye chatting. 

"So do I immediately put my tongue in their mouth?" Skye asked.  

Taylor shrugged "I mean, if the spirit moves you." Skye asked "What if I don't have the spirit?"

Belly signalled to the endless bags "Help. Please." 

Oh, my God. Where are the boys and why aren't they helping you with this stuff? 

"Conrad's unloading the rest of the party supplies." Amelia explained "And Jere's in the garage looking for anything we can use that the, uh, movers left behind."

"Did you get me a halter top?" Taylor asked them hopefully. Belly nodded "I looked for anything remotely retro and grabbed it." 

"Okay, but so I part my teeth first and then stick my tongue out?" Skye checked.  

"What are you guys talking about?" Amelia asked rather confused. Taylor explained "Apparently Skye's never kissed anybody. Which is completely normal and fine." 

"I know. Externally imposed societal expectations of "normal" have no effect on me. That being said, I've decided that I am ready and willing and would like to know what to do with the various parts of my mouth when it meets another mouth." Skye said.  

"You want to take this one?" Taylor asked the girl "I mean, Belly's the expert. Cam, Jere, Conrad..." 

"Taylor." Belly and Amelia exclaimed. 

"What was it like kissing all them? Was it different? And in what ways? And feel free to be as technical as humanly possible." Skye instructed her.  

"Yeah, Belly, spare no detail." Amelia added teasingly. 

Belly sighed "Um, my first kiss with Cam was really, really sweet. And with Conrad, I... wasn't even in my body. I think I kind of blacked out. Uh, and with... Jeremiah, um... I thought it would be really weird 'cause we've been friends for so long, but..." she giggled "It was surprisingly really hot. Like, really, really hot." 

"Okay. Well, then, out of all three, who would you kiss again?" Amelia asked curiously hoping she wouldn't say Conrad.  

"Isn't it obvious?" Taylor told her seeing the hint of jealousy in Amelia's eyes. "No comment." Belly said quickly.

"Okay, but is there ever a situation in which it's, like, all teeth and no tongue?" Skye asked. Amelia thought for a moment "Just... let yourself be in the moment and everything else will come naturally."

"Yeah. Just make sure they moisturize. Milo is obsessed with lip balm. It honestly changes the game." Taylor said.  

Belly shook her head "Try not to overthink it. I mean, your first kiss is supposed to feel like a dream. If there's any place where dreams come true, it's here."

Everyone helped get things ready for the party and by 7 o'clock nearly everyone was ready. 

Amelia had been had nearly finished her make-up when she head Taylor exclaimed to Belly "You look hot." 

"Really?" Belly asked. Amelia turned round and saw her "It's not too much?" 

"No. Jeremy's gonna love it." Taylor assured her. Belly's face fell into shock "What?"

"Mm-mm. You've been looking at him all day like he's this ice cream cone you're dying to lick." Amelia joined in. 

"What about you and Conrad at the store earlier?" Belly said back.  

Amelia shook her head "That's so... Mm, it's just... It's complicated. I mean-he's mine and my brothers friend. I don't even think he sees me like that"

Yeah, no, I get it." Belly assured the girl with a hug. That was when they heard voices downstairs. "They're here!"