Pulled in by the Current ~ Steven Conklin

~ Deb Dinner ~

We pull up outside the country club in Laurel's car, and Belly and I hop out thanking her.

"Belly?" Laurel calls after her, "I just want you to know that if you decide you hate it, or if the girls are mean, or even if the food is bad, you can text me. You too Amaya. I promise I won't say I told you so." She says sincerely.

"We'll be fine," Belly sighs

"Thanks, Laurel, but I think it's the other girls you should be worried about with Belly around," I fash her a grin, to which she returns.

She pulls away, me and Belly walk up to the entrance. As we get closer I see my twin walking toward us holding a stack of towels.

"Hey," Belly calls, he doesn't respond. "Jeremiah."

"Oh my god. Wow, I didn't even recognize you two."

"Tell me the truth," I sigh, "Do we look like fools?" I ask. Belly was dressed in a checkered blue dress with puffy short sleeves, decorated with yellow flowers. On top of her head, she was a pink whatever you call it. I was wearing a blue whatever you call it paired with a green flowy dress that was scattered with yellow daisies.

"Um..." Jere laughs under his breath, "No you guys look.... good. You look good. Let me walk you over."

Jere links each of his arms with one of ours as he escorts us up the stairs. "They have strawberry and raspberry cookies, and they are to die for. I still never thought I'd see a day where you two wear fascinators." That's what they are called. We turn the corner greeted by thirty or so girls, wearing an array of 'fascinators' sitting around big circular tables. Some look us up or down I roll my eyes at their snobbiness.

"Jeremiah." The Lady who seems to be in charge greets him, not seeming thrilled to see him.

"Paige," He smiles back.

"Where is your shirt?"

"It's always a pleasure," He ignores her question, placing a kiss on her hand. "This is Belly, uh, Isabel Conklin, the young woman my mom told you about. And, as I'm sure you know, this is my sister, Amaya Fisher."

"They are late. You both are at table two." She nods her head.

"Are those little brie and fig jam sandwiches with the prosciutto?" Jere grins mischievously, eyeing the table.

"Don't you dare. Those are for the girls." But she's too late as Jeremiah leans over and grabs one from the nearest table.

"Just one." He laughs, "Knock 'em dead." He tells us and runs out.

I glance over at our table, there are two spare seats between Nicole and Shayla. Yes, I'm with Shayla. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

"Hi..." Belly awkwardly greets the table as we sit down, sharing an awkward glance at Nicole.

I grin at Shayla, but she looks past me, at Belly. "Is that from the other night?" She asks, referring to the obvious bruise on Belly's cheek after she got in between Jumper and Conrad. Belly nods. "Here, let me fix it." Shayla offers, raking around in her back, I swear that girl has everything you need. She leans over and blends out some foundation, covering up Belly's bruise. "I think we're good."

"Thank you."

"I told my mom the only way I would do this," A girl called Marisa chats loudly, "is if I could bring my girlfriend, 'cause I thought it would be a deal killer, but the club has been surprisingly chill about the whole thing."

"I am honestly shocked," Dara responds, sitting next to her.

"Literally, Dara. I was expecting a conversion camp to spring out of the bushes No. Lesbians and debutantes are, like, a completely juxtaposing idea."

"Opposites," Gigi agreed.

"Yeah but Cousins likes to pretend to be woke," Nicole chimes in, the others agreeing. "Trust me my family deals with it constantly."

"The things we do for college applications," I sigh, the others nodding.

"Don't worry Marisa. You'll get in everywhere." Shayla rolls her eyes, playfully.

"Wait. Where are you applying?" Belly asks.

"You know, the usual. Every Ivy minus Cornell." She responds nonchalantly.

"Ithaca is so bleak," Gigi says, earning a laugh from a few.

"What about you?" Marisa asks Belly.

"Oh, Belly's only a sophomore, right?" Nicole chimes in for her, "I think that's what Conrad told me."

"Yeah, I'll be a junior in the fall," Belly nods.

"So is this your first summer here in Cousins?" Dara asks with a frown.

"No, I've been coming here my entire life," She laughs.

"Yeah, our moms are best friends." I smile.

"So are you and Jeremiah, like, a thing?" Gigi asks slowly, "Are you gonna take him to the ball?"

"Oh my god, back off Gigi," Nicole laughs, I glance at Belly who has her mouth stuffed full with cake, and I hold down a laugh. "They are like basically related." I'm not sure how Belly feels about being told she's basically related to her crush, but whatever. "You have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried," Gigi defends.

"Yeah, sure." "Keep telling yourself that, babe." The other girls laugh.

"Gigi has had this thing for Jeremiah..." Nicole giggles.

"Every since he got abs?" Shayla laughs, cutting in.

"Absolutely, pun intended." Nicole smiles.

"So what's it like to live with Jeremiah and Conrad?" Dara asks.

"Absolutely terrible, they stink. I don't know what girls see in them." I roll my eyes, gaining a few laughs around the table, while Belly stammers.

"Hello Debutantes," Paige announces. "A few small housekeeping bits, I'd like to go over. We have a lot to look forward to this season. Now, I understand that a few of you think debbing is outdated," I smile and glance at Shayla, to see her reaching into that purse of hers and bringing out a small flask. That's my girl. "It's something you're doing to appease your families. But the Cousins Debutante Ball is a part of history," I catch Shayla's eye as she grabs her cup and pours a bit from her flask, she grabs my cup and repeats the step, grinning back at me. "Venerated, yet ever-evolving. It's a tradition you'll someday pass on to your own daughters." Shayla passes the flask to Gigi. "It's a formal marking of this passage of time between your teenage years and your adulthood. One ends and the other begins." The flask is handed to Marisa. "It's a journey of generations of women before you. Women who you can learn from and who can inspire you." Marisa winks at Belly, who has caught on to the situation, and passes it to Dara. "Debs at each table is a big sister who will guide you through the season. So, please introduce yourselves." Finally, I never thought that woman would stop talking.

"Hey little sis," I hear Nicole tell Belly, as the flask reaches her. "Honestly, my parents made me do it last year, because, you know, like all the women in my family have done it. But my big sis was great and I actually ended up having a lot of fun. So just don't be nervous. Okay?" Belly nods, "Do you want some?" Nicole offers her the flask.

"No thanks, I'm good but I'll be right back," Belly gets up and runs out the door.

"What is that about?" Dara asks Nicole and I. We shrug. Nicole passes me the flask and I slip it back inside of Shayla's bag. This might turn out a lot better than I expected, I think, taking a sit of tea.