august, conrad fisher

four

i wanted to go downstairs to tell susannah that i'll do the deb thing, but they were already out and about shopping for belly.
"hey, uh, i wanted to tell you that i'll do it"
i called Susannah.
"oh that's great news, sweetie. why don't you ask one of the boys to bring you, so we can drive back together?"
it hurted me to hear her. but conrad told me to not tell her that i know, and i think that's the best i can do.
in that moment he came downstairs.
"can you drive me?"
"my car's broken"
"i can drive with mine, and you'll bring it back?"

✩★✩

before i started driving i put on 'speak now (tv)' which made conrad chuckle a little.
"what? what's so funny?"
"nothing, it's just i remember that when we were younger, you went with belly and my mom to the record store because laurel wouldn't let you buy it back home. you made us listen to it all summer long. so time hasn't changed you at all"
"i changed a lot. but i always had great music taste, you can't deny that"
we got there after a lot of discussion, so that we switched seats in the parking lot.

"i know how to drive, don't worry lane" he said after i had explained it like five times.
"if you'll crash my car, i'll crash your life"
"i promise you i won't"
i gave him one last look and then went inside the store, where the others were waiting for me.

we found quickly belly's dress and some outfits for the other deb stuff.
even though i haven't found a dress for the ball, we went to the country club for the first event. i told susannah i would get my dress later.

before we got out off the car, laurel told us to just text her if we wanted to run away, what had susannah rolling her eyes.
outside we met jeremiah who didn't recognize us at first.
"be honest do we look like fools?" belly said after a while.
"no, no not even a little bit" he spoke.
"it's hat, isn't it" i said laughing.
"mhm, yea. it's not that cool. but let me escort you in" he then offered us his arms.

inside all the other girls where already sitting at round tables.
when she spotted us a older looking lady walked over to us. not old more like laurels age, but she was very formal looking.
"paige. these are belly- i mean isabelle and lane conklin"
"they're late. and where's your shirt?"
before he could answer she directed us to a table where two seats were not seated.

i only knew the one girl with black her, i saw her with steven the other night.
i think the girl that sat almost next to belly was nicole. the description belly gave me fitted her the best.

i didn't follow their conversation the whole time, the first time when belly was mentioned.
"belly what about you? what college do you want to go to?" one of the girls asked.
before belly had a chance to answer her nicole did.
"oh, belly's only a sophomore. that's what conrad had told me"
i could feel pure disgust coming up my throat when she mentioned conrad's name.
"yeah, i'll be a junior this Fall. but lane's a senior"
"oh what about you than?"
"i'm not sure. i think princeton sounds nice. but steven's probably going there. yale or harvard sound good to and my grades are really good so i think i'll apply there"

"so is it your first time in cousins?"
"no we've been coming here since forever"
"yeah, they're like basically family with the fishers"
i just couldn't get why she won't mind her own business.
"excuse me, i'll go to the bathroom" i said getting up. i think if i would've spend one more second there, i would've thrown one of the small pastries at nicole.

i didn't go to the bathroom, i went outside.
"you're a deb?" i heard a voice begind me.
"uh yea. and you?"
it was a girl in my age, but she wasn't dressed like a deb, more like the waiters.
"i'm not. not my scene. i'm olivia by the way"
"yeah actually same. i'm lane"
"so why you do it?" she sat down.
something about her was so breath taking.
"it's complicated. family sickness"
"oh yea. i know that"
"i think i need to gonna go back in"
i got up and turned to the door.
"it was nice meeting you"
i had already opened the door and stepped in when i heard her saying.
"we should go out some time. i think you're really attractive, lane"
i went back and gave her my number.

✩★✩

in the evening i got dressed for meeting with olivia, we texted and then agreed on meeting at pacos tacos.
after i got dressed i went downstairs where the boys were playing video games.
"where are you going?" steven said, but didn't mind to look up.
"a date"
now i felt conrad's eyes on me.
"huh? you? a date? i thought you never wanted to date again after michael"
"well, it's not exactly with a guy. it's a girl, olivia"
"have fun"

the date went okay. olivia was nice and all that, but not really someone who i could picture as my girlfriend. we talked about it and decided it's better to not start anything but being friends.
so we stayed as friends, not as a couple, which felt really good. i never cared to make friends in cousins, why should i, i've got the fishers. but it felt good to know more people.

that's when i saw the boys entering the door, sitting next to us and starting chatting a little too loud.
"excuse me for a second"
i went straight up and to their table.
"what do you think you are doing here?" i asked in a harsh tone.
"what? it's a public restaurant and we got hungry" jere said.
"you don't have the right to! go!"
"lane, relax! we were just joking around" steven said.
"steven, i swear to god, if you don't leave, i'll send everyone i know your dramione fanfiction"
"you wouldn't"
"he spend an entire chapter talking about draco's wand" that was what made the two others laugh.

"just let us go now" conrad said out of the blue.
"man, really? it was your idea to come"
it was? that man was jealous, i could tell.

✩★✩

it was late when i came home, so i just wanted to grab water and then go to bed. to bad that i didn't notice that conrad was in the kitchen too.

"how was your hot date?" he asked with a provoking tone in his voice.
"sorry?"
"okay relax, we were just having fun" he took a sip from his beer.
"i'll never forgive you. all I wanted was going to dinner with a really nice person, but you had to show up and ruin it"
"and us showing up for 5 seconds ruined it? oh grow up"
"why can't i have one thing? you knew what you were doing. admit it"
"what? what was i doing?"
i could tell he was annoyed, but i didn't care. just because i know i can't put him in diapers.

"reminding me that you existed. that you cared where i was, who i was with"
it was a safe card to play.
"no i didn't. either way, you're a lesbian now?"
"you don't have the right to say this. and i am not and this isn't your business. i don't even like her that way, but this is not the point. the point is that you spend your saturday night crushing my date"
"oh grow up"
"stop treating me like a baby. it's one year! one fucking year"
"i know. i know..." his voice became all soft and trailed off.

"good. i don't even care anymore" i stroke a piece of hair out his face.
"let's just go to sleep, alright?" i softly got the beer out off his hand and directed him to the stairs.