Bonrad One Shots - The Summer I Turned Pretty

Deep Connections

Life had been difficult but with time, it got better. Belly Conklin was now 18 years old while looking how everything was changing for her. She was a student at Finch University with her boyfriend, Jeremiah, as she chose him two years ago. She was in her freshman year. The end of her freshman year. She looked at the picture that was taken two years ago at Cousins Beach, smiling. It was the last picture that was taken there. Belly was standing there with Jeremiah and her own brother, Steven. But then also there, stood Conrad, Jeremiah's older brother, and Belly's first love. Belly had gotten hurt the first time round with her relationship with Conrad that caused her to not want to go down the same road again. So she went with a different route, and chose Jeremiah. They had been together for nearly two years now and for Conrad, he was enjoying his life at Stanford.

But one day all of that changed. Belly was sitting in her dorm room with her best friend, Anika, and her longest best friend, Taylor, when her phone rang. She saw it was her brother and immediately went to answer it.

"Belly! No, it's movie night," Taylor said.

"Is Taylor not answering her phone?" Belly asked almost laughing.

"Isabel," Steven said as Belly knew it was something serious.

Whenever her family called her Isabel, things seemed to completely be out of control. Belly looked at Taylor who was watching the movie as she knew Steven wasn't looking for her.

"What, Steven? What's going on?" Belly asked.

"Belly, it's mom," Steven managed to say.

Belly could hear his voice was hoarse. Like he had been crying. And at that moment she knew the news he ahd to gove her wass erious.

"What about Mom?"

This time it was Belly's voice that sounded hoarse. So hoarse that Taylor paused the movie ad walked over to her.

"She was in an accident, Belly. She was on her way back from New York. She was heading to Cousins so that she could prepare the house for us. She..." Steven's voice disappeared. "She's gone."

The word gone had always meant something much bigger to the family, especially since Susannah's death two years ago.

"What do you mean gone, Steven? Where is Mom?" Belly asked as Taylor laid her hand on belly's shoulder.

"She's dead, Belly. Mom is dead," Steven eventually said.

Belly had looked at Taylor, her face blank, as Taylor took the phone from belly.

"Babe, what's going on?"

Belly went to sit down next to Anika while it was clear that things were heading down very fast. Anika laid her hand on Belly's shoulder, her face falling into her hands. Anika watched as Taylor spoke with this kind of serious voice while Belly was breaking down.

"What is it, Iz?" Anika asked rubbing circles over Belly's back as she started crying.

The phone call ended as Taylor looked at Belly.

"Belly," Taylor said as she sat down next to Belly, in a way not even knowing what to tell her.

"Do you understand what Steven just told you?" Taylor asked.

"My mom... My mom..." Belly said as their dorm room door went open and Jeremiah stood there.

Seeing Belly crying, he knew something was seriously wrong. He looked at Taylor as she exhaled.

"Laurel got into a car accident," Taylor managed to say tears in her own eyes.

"Is she okay?" Jeremiah asked.