Cruel Summer - Conrad Fisher

four

I stared at the blank screen on my laptop, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Typically, my mind was filled with too many ideas, so many stories waiting to be told and characters that I wanted to meet. Right now, though, my mind was blank. Every idea I've ever thought of in the past had vanished.

    When we were kids, Belly and I would create blanket forts and sneak into the living room every Friday night to watch romantic comedies. It was those nights that sparked my love for writing romance. I loved the lingering looks and hopeful optimism they provided. I loved reading them but writing them became my escape; when things in my life felt out of control, I still had my stories, with happy endings that I could control.

    Before I can type out a single word, my phone begins ringing, "Jere?" I greet the boy. I'd heard him and Steven walking past my room on their way to grab Conrad and head to some beach bonfire.

    "Florence, hey," He sounds guilty, like the time he'd forgotten to put the lid on his dad's fancy blender and got Kool-Aid all over the kitchen, "how's it going?"

    "Fine..." I place my laptop aside, my brows furrowing together in confusion, wondering, "what's going on?"

    "We kind of need a ride...." He drags off. Jeremiah, who typically sounds chill, sounds anxious, something I'm not used to hearing, "Conrad's drunk, and he got into a fight, Belly tried to break it up, but she got hit. We walked far away enough from the cops, but it's a pretty long walk, and we've all drank... so I just figured maybe-"

    "The cops?" I question, my voice squeaking as I cut him, standing, already moving over to the door, "and what the hell is Belly doing there? Is she okay?"

    "Yeah, yeah," He reassures, in a rushed tone, not bothering to answer my first question, "so, are you coming... or?"

    I sighed. As much as I didn't want to get involved in their drama, I couldn't just leave them to walk, especially if the cops were nearby, "yeah, I'll be there. Send me your location."

    "Thank you, Flo," He lets out a breath of relief, "can you maybe not tell our moms about this? Please?"

    I sigh again. Mom would kill me if she found out I'd hid this from her, "fine."

    "You're the best, Flo." He tells me before the line goes dead. I creep down the stairs, the TV is off, but I can see Susannah's figure asleep on the couch. Mom is nowhere to be found. I nap the keys for the boy's jeep off the nearby table before quietly shutting the door behind me.

    I find them a few minutes later, all standing on the side of the road, not far from the beach. Belly is speaking with a boy I've never seen a few feet away from the boys, "Get in," I say to them, rolling down the passenger window, "we'll talk about this at home."

    Jeremiah hangs his head somewhat guiltily, helping a staggering Conrad into the passenger seat. He's clearly wasted, letting his head fall back against the seat, "I think I might get a ride with Cam," Belly says to me, nodding to the boy beside her.

    "Like hell you are," I say. If I weren't so annoyed right now, I'd cringe at how much I sound like mom, "you are not getting into a car with a guy you just met."

    "I'm Cam." The boy holds his hand out for me to shake through the window, reaching past Conrad, "Cameron."

    "Your name is Cam Cameron?" Jeremiah scoffs from the back seat.

    "No," He stutters, moving his hand once I don't shake it, "it's j-just Cam. But we actually know each other. Seventh grade, Latin convention. So, like, we're not total strangers."