The Summer I Turned Pretty - The Years Later✔️

chapter 9

I, Jeremiah,Steven and Conrad are going to the mall. It's just the four of us- the summer kids, no dates . I though will always have a date everywhere, Conrad is the most important part of us.

As years passed on all of us slowly realized how Conrad always held our hands since we were little. He was the big guy. There were times when he didn't have enough hands to hold us all.

I and Jeremiah always had a knack to wander away. The mall was our most favourite place to wander away. Jeremiah though at least had a little more sense of direction the I had. I got lost almost every time us kids went someplace alone. Well yeah, alone but together. Without parents .

As we entered the mall's parking lot, Conrad said," I just hope we don't take the wrong Belly home again" and everyone fell in a big feat of laughter.

Age 9

We were going to the mall. I was really excited as the disney store always had a great summer collection. I held tight to Steven's hand, I didn't want to get lost again.

Conrad held Jeremiah's. He was 12, Jere was 11,Steven was 12 too and I was 9. Almost 10 though, it was my birthday in two days.

Steven was being very nonchalant about holding my hand. He wasn't really proud of having a little sister. He wished he had a little brother though,like Conrad.

Conrad and Jeremiah were always the best pair of brothers I had ever seen. Also they were the only pair I spent so much of time with but that still counts.

We passed the store of Starbucks which was crowded with tall adults , sipping large cups of coffee and typing furiously on their computers. Coffee, yuck. I said pulling Conrad's sleeve down, "I don't get why adults need so much of coffee. It's disgusting. Kool-Aid is so much better."

"Yeah. It is Belly. I guess we just start liking yuckie things when we grow up. I read about it in one of my school books , something called hormonal changes. You'll get it when you're a little bit bigger."

"I hope I do. When will I get it though? When I'm 10? I'll be 10 in two days then." Conrad had chuckled very sweetly and said,"Oh dear Belly. Not when you're ten. I don't know when. I still dont like coffee. I'll tell you when I do."

"Do you promise to?", I had asked so innocently. "I do Belly."

Conrad and I were very close to each other then. He used to be my big brother. Steven never stood up for that spot. Conrad did, even for Steven though they were just eight months apart. Steven looked up to Conrad a lot, just like all of us.

I didn't know I liked Conrad then. It happened when I was ten. I never looked at Conrad like a brother afterwards.

We went to the disney store. Conrad and Steven were really into Starwars but I and Jeremiah were into Mickey mouse even then. I was looking at the cute princess t-shirts when I realized I was alone.

Steven was holding my hand all this time until he left to check where the others were. He never returned until..... Two hours!

I was crying so hard , I had lost them, I was lost. They'd left without me. Conrad would never do that. Didn't they notice I'm not there? I was crying in the corner of a shop when there was an announcement:

We are looking for Ms.Isabel Conklin . Your brother is waiting at the paying counter to take you home. I repeat,Ms.Isabel Conklin please come at the paying counter.

I ran as fast as I could to the paying counter sobbing and my nose running like a river. I reached the paying counter to find..... Conrad? Where was Steven? I stopped right in front of Conrad crying the hardest I ever cried.

He bent down on his knees and said in a as calm as a voice he could talk in,"Oh Belly! " he hugged me really tight. "I'm so sorry we left you behind. I was so worried. Steven took the wrong girl. He didn't even notice , when I asked which icecream flavour you wanted I realized it wasn't you. I'm so sorry Belly. Next time you hold my hand . Okay?"

I sobbed a little,hugging Conrad tightly,"How could Steven take the wrong girl? And why did he leave me? He doesn't care about me,does he?"

He said brushing my hair,"Do you want me to punish him Belly? How about this, we don't give him sprinkles on his ice cream?"

"Okay."

I held Conrad's hand since then forever. .

Present day

While laughing I slapped Steven hard on the side of his arm and said teasingly ,"How the hell did you get away with the wrong girl?"

"What? She didn't even say 'You're not my mommy.'"

We laughed so hard my stomach started aching.

"You held the wrong girl dummy!"

"Well you're lucky Conrad was then in love with you too."

"He wasn't!", I snapped. I hate it when people say that Conrad loved me at the times when I knew that he didn't. It felt really stupid to believe that we always had fallen for each other because we hadn't. I had fallen for him when I was ten. And he... I didn't know. I just bought myself a question to ask Conrad.

"Well Belly, I love you now. More than I ever loved anyone. And you know that right?"

How can I ever love someone more?

"I know", I said as sheepishly as I could but I think Con thought it was cute because he leaned in and kissed me.

In front of Steven. That was a mistake.

"Ew. Stop it man. Don't get all cuddly in the parking lot. Jeez", Steven moaned.

"Alright, the next time I feel like doing that , I'll do it with you" Conrad teased him.

"Ewewewew. Shut up Con" Steven spat. "The next time I'm coming with a date man."

"Oh give them a break Steve. Let's go inside. We'll go get some coffee till they come" Jeremiah said.

"Oh stop it you two" Conrad said after giving me a final kiss,"let's go inside."

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Hey guys I hope everyone liked this chapter. This definitely wasn't my finest one . This was the longest I ever took to update. Well I don't have so many readers but it'd be great if some of y'all would comment. How about this: Who do u think Belly should have ended up with? Comment down below and I'll mention my one and only comment in the next chapter. If I have more then we'll keep having this;)
Don't forget to read my first ever original story 'Before is After'.