𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄//𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧

{𝕋𝕨𝕠}𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕓𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪

"I thought you hated the red sox." Belly said, angrily. 
"Who are you?" Nicole asked Belly.
"Who are you!?" Belly asked back defensively. 
"Nicole. Conrad and I went to the Deb ball together last summer." Nicole responded, coolly. 
"It was after you guys left to take Steven to look at colleges." Conrad explained. Flora felt slightly guilty for not telling Belly.
"I thought you said that deb balls are bullshit, and all debs are sheep." Belly responded, anger grinding in her eyes and voice. Nicole looked to Conrad a bit accusingly and hurt.
"I didn't... you're such a brat." Conrad said coldly.
"Don't be assholes." Flora snapped, mostly talking to Conrad. Glaring daggers at him. Flora grabbed Belly's arm and pulled her away.

"I'm sorry about my brother, he can be such a dick sometimes. For one, I'm really happy you're here." Flora told Belly. Belly's face softened from the scrunched-up anger, and she gave Flora a small smile. 
"Thanks, Flora. For sticking up for me twice." Belly smiled. Flora smiled back. 
"Of course. Anything for you Bells." Flora sighed.
"Can we uhm, go sit. I'm kind of embarrassed." Belly said sheepishly. Flora nodded and the two girls sat on the sand a bit away from the party and the bonfire.

The two girls sat in silence for a while before chatting about various topics, they caught up, filling each other in on the latest news. They'd stayed in touch via phone but talking in person was much different. It felt good to be in each other's company again. Belly had to admit, she was much happier in Flora's company than Conrad's. She was pissed at him. He'd changed a lot and not for the better. He hadn't treated her well.

Flora found herself watching Belly and another boy talk. Her heart ached seeing them so happy together. She'd been chatting with Belly when a boy named Cam had come up to them, claiming he knew Belly. She'd left, wanting to give them space and no one had even noticed. No one ever noticed. Flora felt a gaping hole in her heart somedays. In the end, she just wanted Belly to be happy, even if it wasn't with her. 
Flora felt as though she didn't exist sometimes. She had always been close with her mother and brothers but lately there had been a change in the air. She felt invisible. She felt like she was in a bubble, watching everyone and everything change and function without her. A part of her knew why, but she was still in denial about it all. Flora was hurting, and she felt no one was there to comfort her. She was just a burden. And right then, Flora felt herself begin to disappear yet again.

Flora was snapped back to reality when she heard commotion erupting. She looked over past the fire to see Conrad and that random dude who was hitting on Belly. They were quite obviously arguing about something. Flora got up and began to walk over to help Nicloe break up the tussling. Flora gasped when she saw random dude's elbow slam into Belly's face when she tried to separate the two.    
"Bells!" Flora yelled, running over. "You fucking dick!" She yelled, shoving random dude by the shoulders making him stumble, he drunkenly and angrily glared daggers and Flora and aggressively grabbed her arms.
"You slut! Get out of my way bitch!" He yelled. He shoved her aside making her stumble, roughly.
Conrad, who had been going to help Belly, saw the interaction and snapped.  
"Don't even fucking think about touching either of them again!" He yelled, tackling him. The two boys wrestled, throwing punches. 

Flora ran to Belly who was laying in the sand for the second time that night, groaning in pain. 
"Belly! Are you okay?" She asked, worried. Belly groaned, sitting up. Flora gently touched her face which was already beginning to bruise. Cam ran over and began to help Belly up with Flora. Just when Flora was about to get back in and try breaking up the fight (or aka joining in and helping Connie fight the guy), sirens split the air. Cops. Everyone began to scatter their own ways, Flora, grabbing Belly and running off with her brothers, stumbling slightly. 

"C'mon, legs, legs." Jeremiah said impatiently helping his drunk brother into the car. He was much gentler with his twin, due to her not having gotten into a fist fight. Flora was almost as drunk as Conrad but kept her wits as much as she could. 
Flora was laying in the back seat trying not to listen to Cam asking Belly out. Her pounding head ache got increasingly worse when she saw a sight that nearly broke her heart. Cam's and Belly's lips interlocked. They were kissing. Right in front of the car. Belly got into the passenger's seat, happily and grinning while Flora in the backseat rolled her eyes. Flora was much drunker than she realized and suddenly opened the door and leapt out.

"Shit." Jeremiah said, quickly running out of the car to his sister's side. She'd just hurled into the near by bushes and was sitting on the ground, emptying the rest of her drunken stomach. Jeremiah sighed and pulled a hair tie off of his wrist. 
"C'mon Flo." He said, sympathetically to Flora who was now teary eyed. He gently pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and patted her back.
"Why is she fucking around with my feelings?" Flora slurred, sadly. 
"What?" He said confused.
"Hey Jer?" She slurred once again. 
"Yeah Flo."
"I'm really glad you're my twin." She sniffled.
"Oh my god, you are so drunk." He chuckled, helping his twin into his jeep. Flora immediately layed onto the seat, placing her legs onto Conrad's lap who was even drunker than she was. Flora had a mediocre medium alcohol tolerance, and she was a sleepy and emotional drunk. Before Conrad's fight, Flora had downed one too many cups of beer without being aware.

The car came to a harsh stop after a few seconds of driving.
"Fuck! Steven. Watch Conrad and Flo." Jeremiah told Belly who was completely sober, he ran off to go find Steven who they'd forgotten about. Conrad was drunk fast asleep, and Flora was awake, gazing at Belly, sobering up slightly. 
"I love your hair. I always have. I like how it's always so messy. Like a little kid." Flora whispered, making chills run down Belly's spine as Flora played with Belly's hair. "You and Cam cameron are cute together. Just please don't forget about me, Bells." Flora sighed. 
"Flora-" Belly started but was interrupted by a knocking on the window, Conrad shooting up, awake. 
"You kids been drinking?" Shit. A cop.

"Officers, I'm so sorry. I can assure you it won't happen again." Laurel spoke to the officers that brought the kids home. 
"Tell Mr. Fisher, chief wants to set up a tee time once he gets home." The officer smiled. Flora rolled her eyes, Laurel smiled back, closing the door. She then turned around, anger written all over her face. 
"How could you guys be so irresponsible!?" Laurel scolded.
"Mom, it's not a big deal, cops were just looking to break up the bonfire." Steven sighed in defense.
"Getting picked up by the cops for underage drinking is a pretty big deal!" Laurel said. Steven chuckled bitterly and sniffed the air.
"Were you guys smoking tonight...?" He asked, accusingly, leaving Laurel flustered and caught.
"Keep your voice down Susannah is asleep on the couch!" Laurel scolded. 
"I wasn't yelling!" Steven said in annoyance. 
"Laurel, I didn't drink, I was the designated driver, I swear." Jeremiah spoke up. Laurel turned her attention to Conrad.
"You're the oldest. What the hell has gotten into you?" She asked firmly. "And when did you sneak out and what in the world are you wearing?" She loaded Belly with questions and then proceeded to scold Belly on how walking to the beach alone was dangerous.
"If you wanna be treated like adults, act like one!" Laurel said, mad. 
"Maybe you should too." Conrad spoke up. 
"What does that even mean?" Laurel asked, Conrad rolling his eyes. "I hope you realize this night could have ended a lot differently if your family wasn't your family." Laurel scolded, angrily. 
"We're sorry Laur." Flora said.
"Just go to bed." Laurel said, exasperated. Everyone began to walk away, Laurel grabbed Flora's arm.
"I don't understand what is going on with Conrad, and you Flo. You seem different. Sad. What's going on with you, honey?" Laurel said, eyes sad. Flora wanted so badly to tell Laurel everything going on inside her head. But it was too hard. So, she just shook her head and trudged off to bed. 

Once Flora got up to her room, she laid on her bed, and let it all out. Tears streamed down her face, and she let out a few quiet sobs, not wanting to disturb anyone with her cries. She cried because she felt like no matter what she'd always disappoint. She cried because she felt alone. She cried because her best friend was forgetting her. She cried because she had feelings for her best friend, and she couldn't come to terms with it. She cried because she was confused and scared. 
She didn't know that on the other side of the wall, Conrad Fisher lay on his bed, tears streaming down his face as well. Listening to his sister's quiet cries. He wanted her to tell him why she was drifting away, what was wrong, but he was drifting away too.
Belly lay on her bed as well. Oblivious to the fact that someone was waiting on her. That someone just wanted to be someone to her. Flora just wanted to feel okay again.

𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝘽𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙡-𝙊𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙍𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙤