Conrad POV Counterpoint to 1st seeing Belly in Season 1 Episode 1.

Conrad POV, Seeing Belly 1st Time June

I remember when they arrived that summer—It was the last summer, before my mom died, before we knew it was all going to end. That Spring, I had gotten home unexpectedly early from school and found my parents fighting. I went in the back door; they must not have heard me because Dad was shouting and Mom was sobbing, she was sobbing so hard, and I wanted to go to her, but it felt like I would be interrupting them. Adam was telling her it wasn't going to happen again, like last time, and it took me more than a minute to determine what they were talking about. Mom had cancer a couple of years ago and now apparently it was back, and the other thing was that dad, Adam had cheated on her during the time that she was getting treatment. He cheated on her, he cheated on us. I ran, I ran out of the house, got into my car, and drove. What was going to happen? Should I tell Jeremiah? What could I do?

I kept thinking that she, mom was going to tell us, and she didn't. We weren't a family that shared the bad stuff. Everything had to look perfect, but it wasn't, it was a mess.

So, Spring faded into Summer, and she said nothing. Everything looked the same only I could see all of the cracks now and all of the battered failing parts and the good felt fake.

I broke up with Aubry, and she said nothing.

I graduated from High School, and she said nothing.

I quit football, and she said nothing.

I was going to Brown for college, and she said nothing.

We were going to Cousins like everything was normal and Laurel with Steven and Belly were to still come, and she said nothing.

Did Laurel know? She said nothing.

I was by the pool when I heard my mom call, "They're here."

By the time I made it around the house, she was standing there looking more grown up than I was ready for. I needed her to be the same, I needed something to be the same and instead Belly had been replaced. She had always been pretty, silly and familiar but this person was lit from within, and I wasn't prepared for another change.

Time slowed down as I approached her. What could I say? Her glasses were done, her hair was loose. I wanted to run my fingers through it.

"I like you better with glasses" I hope that doesn't sound as dumb as I think it does.

"Too bad, I like me better without them." Belly says.

I reach out and touch her hair, will she disappear like a dream? Will she turn back into the Belly that I know? I touch her for a moment and her hair is soft, but she moves away. Where is she?

I am saved by Steven and Jeremiah. They come over and the next thing I know we are chasing Belly. We have a tradition of throwing Belly in the pool. A "Belly Flop" was only one of our Summer House Traditions. She is squirmy and stronger than I remember. I am caught off guard as she is in my arms but there is no time to question what I am feeling or what any of it could mean.

She is flying and then SPLASH. She is gone, under the water. I shake my head and start to walk away but...

"Guys, my ankle." Belly is calling out.

I came to her aid, and I reached for her hand. That is when I feel the spark for the first time, it causes me to be off balance and Belly pulls me into the pool. She was giggling and I dunked her and that is the second time I was surprised by her today or is it the third. I have lost count. There is this moment, her hands were holding my forearms, and my hands were on hers and we are locked in that moment. Under water, eyes locked. This can't be real, this can't happen. We break the water at the same time, and we push away from each other. She is out of the pool. I can't have this as another complication this summer, too many things are changing, and I wanted to just know that Belly would be the same.

Again, my mom says nothing.