The summer everything changed | C.F

Belly and Jeremiah went to go get Taylor, and Conrad went to go get Nicole. Steven with Shayla. I was basically alone. Well, not really. Susannah was in the kitchen preparing for our big midsommer themed party. A lobster and shrimp dinner. I sat alone for a bit before I walked into the kitchen to find Susannah, who immediately smiled in my direction.

"Hello pretty girl, what are you doing all by yourself?" Susannah asked, cutting something up. The sound of the cutting distracted my ears for a moment. Which distracted my mind.

"Everyone had someone to hang out with." I said standing by the counter before jumping myself onto a stool.

"Well Connie told me about the present he got you, despite my wishes. Why don't you go take a swim? I'm sure the other kids will be back to join soon." She looked up with a smile. "Oh plus, I got the bathing suit you were eyeing the other day." She pushed a small red paper bag in my direction.

"Susannah, stop spoiling me!" I exclaimed, opening the bag to take a look. To see the red bikini I was looking at, I've never had a bikini before.

"It's a mother's duty to spoil her children." She looked up at me through her lashes. "Now please go be a kid. You're already growing too fast."

"Thank you, Susannah." I smiled before running up the stairs. I could hear when Belly and Taylor got here. They were getting ready to do the same thing as me. Go for a swim.

Despite the slight discomfort and insecurity in my new teenage body, I still made sure I got to the pool before anyone else did. I cannon-balled right into the water, something I've never done before while being able to hear. As the sound of water engulfed around my face and hair, I could hear everything. A static rush of sound filled my brain as I tired to process it. I held my breath underwater while listening. This was amazing. How could Conrad be so cold sometimes and so amazing other times? When I came up, Belly, Jeremiah, and Taylor were all staring at me.

"I thought you were allergic to water." Taylor joked, throwing her towel over a chair.

"Hey Taylor." I said back in response, pushing my hair back off my face.

"Oh shit, I didn't think you could hear me." Belly looked at me confused as she saw I had my implants on. I was more insulted about what Taylor said to care.

"You got the cover?" All I did was nod, and Taylor and Jeremiah jumped in. Coming running from the house was Steven, jumping into the water with a large splash. I didn't know what to do. They ended up playing chicken. Belly was on Jeremiah's shoulders, and Taylor was on Steven's. I just sat back and watched and enjoyed watching the battle so up close. I think the last time they did this was when we were like twelve. Belly ended taking over and knocking Taylor right off Steven's shoulders. Belly threw her arms up in the air.

"Yeah! Woohoo!" She yelled, I bet it was nice to have your best friend actually talk to you on your birthday. Mine has hardly talked to me the whole time I've been here. I hated the fact that Jeremiah was my only other friend other than Belly. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved having a built-in best friend, but I didn't really have a lot of my own friends.

I was too scared to join in on the actual activities of the pool. I think part of me will always be. I just didn't know what to do, but it was nice being able to be in the pool at the same time as my siblings. Belly got up on the edge of the pool as Conrad showed up with Nicole. Why? "Hi guys!" She spoke so kindly.

"Oh, hi Nicole." Belly smiled widely, fixing her top.

"Happy birthday, you two! Are you guys playing chicken?" Nicole asked a little judgy, and then they started playing volleyball. I didn't want to play, plus it would make the teams uneven. I sat on the opposite side of the pool from Conrad and Nicole, my feet plunged into the water. I was a little chilly from the slightest breeze and the sun hiding from the pool. I got cold easily.

Suddenly a mean spike of Taylor's hits Nicole right in the face. I winced, but I didn't think it hurt that bad. "Ow!" Nicole covered her face, Conrad immediately tending to her.

"Oh my god." Taylor laughed a little bit too hard.

"Are you okay?" Steven asked concerned.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

"Taylor." Belly scolded as I watched this unfold.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Belly asked. Oh, come on, like you really care, Bells. You dislike her as much as I do, for the same reason.

"Yeah no-no, I'm totally fine." Nicole spoke, brushing it off. Of course she is. It's a really soft ball. Not even a normal volleyball.

"Let me see. Let's go inside; I'll get you some ice." Conrad said, and I basically rolled my eyes, She's fine! She's not made of porcelain.
for gods sake.

"Come on, Belly, Conrad can take care of Nicole. Let's go inside and look at ourselves in the mirror some more." Why is everyone so dramatic lately? Why can't things just be more normal?


~~~~~~~


Dinner was also dramatic, Conrad basically said nothing to anyone, and Jeremiah and Steven teased Belly for having Cam over. Taylor flirted with the boys some more, and I couldn't understand the appeal to teasing each other and being annoying. Maybe that was just me, but everything seemed so loud and dramatic this summer. Belly decided she was going to go to Nicole's party, and of course, when she asked me. I didn't want to say no. I mean, it was like the one day we can't say no to each other.

I sat on the bed while Taylor showed Belly how to put mascara on, and I wanted moments like that with my own best friend. But I didn't have a girl best friend. "Zero clumps, I'm a genius." She closed the mascara bottle, I love how she never included me in things. I always had the slightest suspicion that Taylor didn't like me all that much. But I could be wrong.

"Oh we should wear these to the party." Taylor says she is putting her flower crown back on at this point.

"Uh—I mean, Susannah got these for our birthday dinner. Isn't it weird to wear them outside the house?" Belly asked the logical question I was actually thinking.

"No it's hot." Taylor said, grabbing Belly's crown for her. "Look at us, we're hot ass bitches." She said as they stood in the mirror. Yeah, that sounds about right, they're the hot ones. I'm just kind of here.