c r u e l s u m m e r

after i changed into dry clothes and unpacked, i laid on my bed, soaking it all in. i could just sense something good about this summer. i was interrupted when my mom came into my room, telling me dinner was ready. i shot up and made my way straight downstairs. dinner on the first night was always my favorite because my mom actually put in the effort to make something nice. as i entered the kitchen, i was immediately greeted by the smell of home cooking. i headed over to the dining table and noticed everyone was there except for conrad. just as we started digging into the food, conrad walked in with an annoyed look on his face. i stared at him in confusion; he was usually much happier than this.

"steven, i swear to god, if you look at that phone one more time, i'm putting it in the screen basket," laurel raised her voice. the moms weren't really strict about phones but they liked it when we all caught up screen-free, and most of the time, we all respected that. "it's just that we love to see your beautiful faces. can dinner be a screen-free zone? like the olden days?" susannah asked politely. jeremiah immediately stood up, grabbed steven's phone and flinging it into the basket. "we get it, you have abs now," steven said, rolling his eyes. "you're just jealous he has a better body than you," belly chimed in. this made us all laugh until steven tried to defend himself. "it's all about the lean look now. otherwise, you can't wear tailored suits." "when would you ever wear a tailored suit?" blake laughed. steven rolled his eyes, and i giggled. "anyways, when are you leaving for training camp?" steven asked conrad. "he quit football," jeremiah blurted out. "what!" i said, shocked. conrad used to love football. it was all he ever talked about.

Age 13

All of us were stuck inside as it decided to heavily rain, which rarely ever happens. Belly and I were sitting on the living room floor, making bracelets, while Blake, Steven, and Jere were engrossed in some fighting game on the TV and the mom's gossiping in the kitchen. Conrad was nowhere to be seen. After about 30 minutes, the rain showed no signs of letting up, and I started to doze off as. Just then, Conrad came downstairs, practically begging us to play football outside. "Please, can just one person come and play with me please?" he pleaded.

After a lot of begging and no luck with the boys, Conrad was about to give up when he turned to me. He just stared at me with those big eyes, and I could feel myself melting. Conrad always had that effect on me; I would of felt guilty for saying no, even though I didn't fully understand why. "Please, Andy, I beg—" he started, but I cut him off with a soft "okay." He looked at me, surprised that I agreed so easily. I helped Belly clean up before rushing upstairs to grab a hoodie.

As soon as I stepped outside, I immediately regretted my decision. After what felt like hours of running around and playing, my mom called us in. "You guys are drenched! What were you thinking?" she shouted. I glanced at Conrad, and we both burst out laughing before sprinting upstairs to change. Unfortunately, that fun day led to both of us being trapped inside with the worst summer cold ever the following week. To this day, I still haven't been able to forgive him, and honestly, I don't think I ever will.

"Are you serious man? I'd kill to play college ball." Steven said. "He can always change his mind," Susannah said, trying to uplift the mood. "I'm not changing my mind. I was just going to sit on the bench all season anyway," Conrad shouted. I just stared at him, thinking about how much he has changed since I last saw him.

"Well, if you're not playing football anymore, what are you doing all summer?" Laurel asked. "He can work at the club with me, Jere, and Blake, we've been hired as life guards." Steven proudly said. I burst out laughing. "What's so funny about that?" Blake shouted at me. "Surprised anyone would trust you with their lives," I said, trying to hold my laughter in. Blake looked so angry, but before he could bite back, Susannah butted in.

"Andy and Belly, I almost forgot! I have a surprise for you," Susannah said as she ran out of the dining room and came back with two invitations. As she handed them to us, I just looked confused, as I had no idea what these were for, and neither did Belly. "I wrangled Andy and Belly an invitation to be debutantes, and yes, I know, Andy, you turned down the offer last year; but it's still worth a shot," Susannah excitedly said. To be honest, I don't even know why I turned it down last year. It looked fun but definitely was not for me; I would've felt too out of place. I smiled at the thought as Susannah explained what it was to Belly. "I don't know..." Belly slowly said. "I cannot believe you're still holding on to this archaic dream," Laurel said, standing up to help my mom take the dishes to the kitchen. "It used to be about finding a husband; now it's about networking," Susannah said, trying to convince her. "Oh, please," my mom said, bursting out laughing, which made me smile.

"It's changed so much from when I did it in the 90s. Yes, they teach you etiquette," Susannah said, while I looked at belly who was looking a bit uncomfortable. "They also teach you leadership skills like how to market yourself. And it benefits charity. It's like a bat mitzvah," Susannah added cheerfully. Laurel and my mom erupted in laughter. "It is not a bat mitzvah. There's nothing religious about a debutante ball," Laurel shot back while heading to the kitchen. "It's all about a girl's coming out; it's a formal recognition of a young woman who's reached maturity," Susannah insisted, still trying to plead her case.

"Mature? Belly? My sister Belly?" Steven said sarcastically. "Agreed," Blake chimed in, staring at me. "Shut up, Blake," I retorted, tossing a leftover pea at him. "Kennedy, come on, stop," my mom interjected, trying to calm things down. The room fell silent and awkward until Conrad finally spoke up. We all turned to him, surprised as he had barely said a word all night. "The whole deb scene is bullshit. It's for sheep," Conrad declared. "No, it's not, Connie, it's—" Susannah began to explain, but I cut in.

"I'll do it," I said, standing firm. Susannah rushed over and hugged me, exclaiming, "Ugh, finally!" I smiled, noticing my mom with a brief smile looking at us from the kitchen. As Susannah pulled away, I caught a glimpse of Conrad, who looked pissed as I made my way upstairs. Lying on my bed, I couldn't believe I'd agreed to be a deb just to annoy Conrad. It made me smile, realizing how easy it was to get under Conrad's skin. Just then, Jere and Blake burst in, "We're leaving in 15 minutes!"They said as I shot up, suddenly remembering the first bonfire was tonight.

I couldn't believe I'd forgotten! I loved the first bonfire; it was the perfect chance to catch up with all my friends from cousins. I quickly slicked my hair back and touched up my makeup as I made my way downstairs, sneaking out the back door to find Steven, Jeremiah, and Blake waiting for me.

"Dude, you coming?" Steven whispered, glancing at Conrad, who was sitting at the edge of the pool. "Yeah, coming" he said, standing up. I noticed Belly in the pool, a frown reached on her face, and my heart sank. I felt bad for her. I walked over, trying to offer some comfort. "Hey, I'm really sorry you can't come, but trust me, I'd rather be with you and the moms than go out," I lied, knowing I'd choose a party over night with them. "But please make sure you have fun. Bye!" I waved and quickly caught up with the boys.

We squeezed into the back of the car, with Blake and Steven on either side of me, Conrad up front, and Jeremiah driving. The car ride was filled with an uncomfortable silence and awkwardness. As soon as we arrived, we all jumped out and went our separate ways. I paused for a moment, taking it all in. I was finally back where I belonged.