c r u e l s u m m e r

After looking around, I finally spotted them. I ran straight for them—Ivy, Josie, Parker, and Grayson. Josie was the first to notice me, and she dashed over. "Andy, omg! I didn't know you were coming tonight!" she shouted, practically bouncing on her feet. I couldn't help but giggle at how hyper she was. After she let me go, I approached the rest of the group, still in disbelief. "Omg, guys, I can't believe this!" I said, overwhelmed with joy at seeing them after a whole year. Josie was my best friend from cousin's. The red head was the complete opposite from me, which made our friendship even stronger. We became friends when we were just seven, after a silly argument at the beach. Instead of actually apologizing as our moms insisted, we both just laughed it off, making us inseparable ever since.

"Ughh, I missed you!" Ivy sighed, pulling me in for a hug. I didn't become friends with Ivy until I was 9. She was new to the cousins that year as her mom and dad had gotten a divorce, and she and her mom were staying with relatives. Josie and I were at the boardwalk, stuffing our faces with candy, when we noticed a girl sitting on a bench all by herself, looking sad. I couldn't help but feel bad, so I immediately walked over to her and introduced myself and Josie. Ever since that day, Ivy has never left our side.

"What happened to your hair?" I laughed, referring to Parker's bleach blonde hair that used to be brown. "Just felt like a change. You like it?" he replied. I laughed and nodded my head sarcastically. Parker was Ivy's cousin, who she had been staying with, and he was always getting us into trouble. I still remember the time he told me he had paid for candy at the boardwalk (he obviously didn't), and I walked out with it, followed by alarms going off. We ended up trapped in the back office all day, and I left with a week of grounding and trust issues.

"Come here!" Grayson said with a big smile, pulling me in for a hug. Lastly, there was Grayson. He was the first boy I ever liked. When we were both 12, we really liked each other, but we were in that awkward puberty stage, so nothing ever happened. Now we laugh looking back at how obsessed we used to be with each other.

After what felt like forever catching up, everyone eventually drifted off, leaving just Grayson and me. "Hey, can we sit down? My legs are killing me," he moaned, and I couldn't help but laugh. "You're such a baby!" I teased as I searched for a spot to rest. We found a spot place near the ocean. Once we settled down, a comfortable silence fell over us as we soaked in the moment.

"This is beautiful," Grayson said, and when I turned to look at him, I found him gazing at me with an intensity that caught me off guard. Suddenly, it felt like the world around us faded away as our faces started to inch closer. His hand brushed against my cheek, and before I knew it, our lips met. A rush of butterflies flooded my stomach as we kissed. This felt just right, something I had been waiting for forever to happen. But then, a loud commotion broke out, pulling my attention away. I pulled back slightly, my heart racing as I spotted someone familiar in the chaos. "Shit, that's Conrad," I muttered. I stood up immediately and sprinted toward the scene.

When I reached the top of the beach, my heart sank as I saw Belly, who most of snuck out on the other side of the fight. I stared at her in disbelief before rushing in to pull Conrad away. "Come on, Conrad, just lea—" I started, but before I could finish, his elbow caught me in the face, sending me crashing to the ground. The fight broke around me, and I could feel tears welling up as I met Conrad's gaze, just staring at me. Just then, I was pulled back to my feet, followed by the sound of police sirens. "Fuck, this can't be happening," I thought to myself, turning to see Grayson was the one who had pulled me up. He kept asking if I was okay, his hands resting on my hips, but I just kept saying I was fine, but before I could process everything, Jeremiah rushed over, urgency in his voice. "Andy, come on, get in the car!" he said, and I found myself already moving before I could even think. I glanced back at Grayson and shouted "text me" while walking to the car.

As I sat in the car, I found myself next to a drunken Conrad, while Jeremiah was arguing with Belly and some random guy about getting in the car. Steven and Blake were nowhere to be seen, and I could feel Conrad's gaze on me, making me impatient. I decided to take control of the situation. "Belly, please just get in the car," I said, slightly annoyed, but it worked. Belly, who had just kissed this guy, surprising me had climbed into the front seat.

As Jeremiah started driving away, I suddenly realized Steven and Blake were still nowhere to be seen. "Wait, where are Steven and Blake?" I asked, confused. Jeremiah slammed on the brakes and shouted, "Fuck!" before bolting out of the car to find them, leaving me alone with an annoying Conrad and Belly. The car was silence until Conrad broke it. "Andy, I'm so, so sorry," he mumbled drunkenly, playing with my hair. I ignored him, trying to tune him out, when suddenly there was a knock on the window. My heart dropped—it was a police officer. This cannot be happening.

Rolling down the window, the officer raised their voice, "Have you kids been drinking?" Great. We were all escorted home, where my mom and Laurel were waiting for us. "I can't believe this," my mom said, anger in her tone. "How could you guys be so irresponsible?" Laurel chimed in. "Mom, it wasn't a big deal. Seriously, the cops were just looking to break up the bonfire," Steven interjected. "Not a big deal? Getting picked up by the cops for underage drinking is a pretty big deal, Steven!" Laurel shot back. Everyone had apologised , but Conrad and I who stayed silent. Just as I thought I could escape, my mom called me back, "were not done with you,Kennedy," forcing me to turn around and sit back down. "You guys are the oldest; you're supposed to look out for everyone. What was Belly doing there!?" Laurel asked, and I protested, "I swear I don't even know how Belly ended up there. No one was even that bad!" I argued back, "i don't want this happening again, Kennedy, ok?" My mom said. "Yes, mom, I promise never again," I replied while heading upstairs.

Once I was in my room, I rushed to get ready for bed and slipped under the covers. After tossing and turning for what felt like forever, I realized sleep wasn't coming, so I went downstairs for a glass of water. That's when I spotted Conrad sitting at the edge of the pool, smoking something. I couldn't resist the urge to join him. As I sat down, I reached for the cigarette in his mouth and said, "Since when did you smoke?" He shot back with, "Since when did you smoke Andy?" I could tell something was off with him. "What's up with you, Conrad? You're so different," I remarked, passing him the cigarette.

He didn't respond, but instead asked me, "Does Blake know you smoke?" "No, I've only done it once or twice, so I don't think it's a big deal," I replied, taking the cigarette back. "Anyways, I think you should quit," I said, putting it out on the grass. I expected him to be annoyed, but instead, he smirked and said, "What would you give me if I do?" I had no clue what he meant, but he was moving closer, so I decided to big up and say back, "Whatever you want." Our faces were almost touching when a loud bang interrupted us. It was Jeremiah, along with a drunken Steven and Blake trying to sneak back in. I jumped up and rushed over to them, "Did you guys seriously go back out?" I exclaimed in frustration while helping lift Blake into the house. I glanced back at Conrad, who had a big smirk on his face, and I couldn't help but give him one back. As I went inside, it hit me—I had almost kissed Conrad Fisher.