My Summer Girl ( Steven Conklin x OC )

2.

After a fun time swimming with Jeremiah they got back to the house and got ready for dinner. 

"Steven, I swear to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket." Laurel threatened. 

"It's just, we want to see your beautiful faces. Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days." Susannah asked hopefully. 

Steven just kept looking at the screen so Cordelia gave him a nudge "Steven." 

Jeremiah leant across and grabbed his phone. "Dude, are you kidding me?" Steven asked. 

"Boom! Nailed it." Jere smiled flexing his biceps, Cordelia shook her head and hit his arm telling his to sit down "Okay, okay, okay, we get it, you've been working out." 

"Oh, he's just jealous because Jere has a better body than him." Belly explained jokingly. 

As Jere smirked, Steven shook his head correcting her "Uh, no, actually, it's all about the lean look now. Otherwise, you can't wear tailored suits."

"Sure, sure. Tailored suits." Jeremiah nodded. 

Cordelia could tell that her best friends were about to start a little competition so she changed the topic "Hey Connie, when are you leaving for training camp? 

The table fell silent and Jeremiah answered for him "Uh, he quit football." Steven choked on a piece of his food in surprise "Wh... Wait, really? You quit?"

Conrad mumbled a quiet "Mm-hmm." 

"Are you kidding me, man? I'd-I'd kill to play college ball." Steven said.  Susannah jumped in saying "He can always change his mind." 

"I'm not gonna change my mind." he said stonily "I was just gonna sit on the bench all season anyways."

"Well, if you're not playing football anymore, what are you gonna do all summer?" Cordelia's mother asked.  

Steven smiled "Oh, dude, you can work at the club. Yeah, with me and Jere." He shook his head immediately "Yeah. I'm not gonna work at the club." 

Furrowing her eyebrows Cordelia looked between Jeremiah and Steven "Wait, you guys are working this summer?" 

"Yeah, I'm lifeguarding, and Steven's working at the snack shop." Jeremiah explained to her not meeting her eye.  Cordelia felt a little hurt that her best friends hadn't thought to tell her they would be abandoning her all summer for some stupid jobs. 

Susannah tried to lighten the mood by saying "Oh, girls, I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you."

Cordelia's mother looked at the letters Susannah gave the girls and chuckled "So, this is why you had to stop by the country club." 

"What, uh, wh-wh-what is that?" Belly asked looking slightly scared. Susannah calmly explained "I wrangled Belly and Cordelia invitations to be debutantes."

"Is that the thing that you and my mom did when you were younger? Where you wear a beautiful white gown and curtsy?" Cordelia asked hopefully.  

Susannah nodded "It's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society. I-I know it sounds silly, but I swear it's fun. Girls come from all over New England to Cousins just to be a part of it. You'll both make so many new friends."

Laurel sighed "I cannot believe you are still holding on to this archaic dream." 

"No, it used to be about finding a husband, but now it's about networking. They teach you leadership skills, like how to market yourself, and it benefits charity. It's, um, like a bat mitzvah." Cordelia's mother tried to explain to her friend. 

Laurel laughed "It is not like a bat mitzvah. There is nothing religious about a debutante ball." 

"The whole deb scene is bullshit. It's for sheep." Conrad said.  

Steven and Jeremiah nodded in agreement "Yeah." Cordelia lightly bat them on the head with the letter and whispered "Shut up"

"No, it's not. It's when a girl has a coming out, it's a formal recognition she's reached maturity."

Steven scoffed "Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. Mature?" 

"Yes." Cordelia clarified.  

He looked around and asked again "Belly? A-a couple months ago you had a cat funeral. You made us all wear black."

"Shut up, Steven. I saw you crying in your room." Belly retorted. "Then you called me crying" Cordelia added. 

"Way to sell me out Lia"

Jeremiah paused "Wait, Mochi died?" he gave Belly a pitying look "Dang. I'm sorry, Bells." 

"Belly. Don't you want to get all dressed up?" Cordelia asked her.  

"It's just not Belly's kind of thing, Cordelia. She's our feral little alley cat." Laurel said sadly.

"We'll think about it." Cordelia said wanting to make Susannah happy. 

Susannah smiled at the girl "They'll think about it."