tidal wave

? chapter nineteen ?

"I wouldn't say stupid, but you both need to talk and get some closure" Jeremiah said truthfully.

"Words spoken so wisely, what's going on with you and Belly?" Bre asked, she wanted to change the topic.

"Ah, I pass on that one," He said giggling to himself. Jeremiah was never one to shy away from not talking about himself.

"Go on, you were the first person who spoke to me after my break up with Conrad" Bre confessed, it was like she'd tried to hide that week away from herself.

"You know that was for a reason, things are different now I guess. It's like with you and Conrad, maybe we needed to get it out of our systems" Jeremiah said biting his lip.

"You sound like a teenager, that's not like me and Conrad at all. I'm not even sure what broke us up now that I'm here. Things are just complicated" Bre said rolling her eyes at what Jeremiah was saying about her sister.

The two teens sat in silence, they didn't know how to continue the conversation.

"Shall we head back to the cinema room?" Bre said standing up and offering her hand to Jeremiah to help him up.

"Yep let's go" Jeremiah jumped up.

They hadn't walked far before they saw all the boys driving on a gold cart and Jeremiah raced off to them. Bre continued walking to meet them.

"What are you guys doing?" Bre asked when she met them.

She was trailing behind the cart, while Taylor, Belly and Skye were talking just behind her. They were talking about Steven and Jeremiah and Bre didn't want to intrude on their conversation.

"We are having fun" Steven said sassily.

"Oh okay, well didn't Cam say to not make a mess?" Bre pointed out.

"This isn't making a mess" Cam admitted himself.

Bre sighed and kept walking behind the cart before they got it stuck and all hopped off it.

"This thing is officially dead" Jeremiah said standing up from trying to push the cart.

"Maybe we should just stay here for the night?" Belly suggested it was a clear night and it made her smile.

Bre took some of the towels and blankets they'd found and started laying them out.

"Here, I know you like sleeping as far away from people" Bre said passing Conrad a towel. It was a lie, Conrad didn't like sleeping near people he didn't feel safe around. Which is why he always slept so soundly next to Bre.

"Let's play truth or dare?" Taylor said smiling, Bre laughed as she hadn't played that game in ages.

"Yes! I'll go first, dare" Steven said very enthusiastically.

"Okay, I dare you to eat the apple bong" Belly said pointing at the bong Skye had been working on the whole time.

"But I worked so hard on it," Skye said sadly.

"I'm sorry but a dare is a dare" Steven said before taking the biggest mouthful and spitting it out straight away. He looked like he was gonna throw up.

"He knows he gonna have to clear that up right?" Cam whispers to Bre before she gets up and clears it up to make him less stressed.

"Conrad your up, truth or dare" Taylor said pointing at him.

"Uh no, I'm gonna go with the truth" He said looking at Cam who had to ask the question.

"Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?" He asked, everyone sat in silence waiting for the answer but Bre already knew.

"Here honestly, come back to cousins, fourth of July BBQs, surfing with Jere..." Conrad exhaled.

"Pomegranate Margaritas," Belly said laughing.

"Right, it's like whatever happens here will forever be the same" Conrad confessed.

"None of you are playing this game right" Steven said sarcastically. It eas meant to keep it lighthearted.

"Okay I'll give it a whirl, I dare Bre to kiss Conrad" Skye said pointing at Bre, a wave of embarrassment came over her when she looked up and saw a smirk on his face.

"Um, no... we aren't in middle school," Bre said awkwardly. She wanted to kiss him because in truth she missed him but she didn't want to do it in a game.

"Okay next, Cam you know the drill," Taylor said smiling.

"Yes, truth please," He said smiling.

"What's your biggest regret?" Taylor asked innocently. They all started laughing because what could a teenager regret?

"Not spending enough time with my sister before she passed" He sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't know" Taylor said realising she'd opened a can of worms and it wasn't a joke.

The whole group started looking at him with a little bit more empathy.

"I always looked up to her and I still do now, I was a kid. The grief is still there, like I'll be in a store and I'll see the air freshener she had in her car or her favourite song will come on the radio. And I'm back in that place again. The pain starts to feel more like a scar than a scab. Everything goes back to normal, eventually. " Cam said sighing.

"Yeah I get what you mean" Conrad said.

"I'm sorry about your mom she was cool" Cam smiled at Conrad.

Taylor yawned which made the whole group start laughing. It went from a sad meaningful conversation to Taylor yawning.

"Sorry, I'm just tired," Taylor said laughing.

"We should all go to bed" Jeremiah said getting up and walking over to a set of towels with Belly.

Bre stood up and saw a towel in the far corner so walked over to it.

"Bre?" Conrad whispered approaching her.

"Yeah" Bre said scrunching her eyes.

"I think that's my made-up bed for the night" Conrad pointed out.

"Oh, it's the only one left," Bre said yawning.

"We can share" Conrad smiled. They both laid down next to each other in silence. Both trying to go to sleep. Both having a million thoughts going around in their heads.

"I'm sorry I didn't kiss you in the game, I didn't want that to be our next kiss" Bre whispered before turning over.

They both smiled and fell asleep slowly falling into each other's arms. The puzzle pieces finally fitting.