𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 ; tsitp

12. cause it's late and your mama don't know

" SINCE FOREVER "

<3

Taylor was leaving the next morning. Charlie had gotten her things from Belly's room and helped her pack. The two best friends hadn't made up yet, and Charlie just hoped one of them would apologize before Taylor left.

As they were taking Taylor's bags downstairs, Belly walked up to them and decided to give them some space to talk it out.

Charlie moved to the kitchen where everyone was hanging out. Jeremiah was cooking and the moms were at the couch talking. Conrad was nowhere in sight and Steven was sitting alone at the dining table.

Charlie knew that he understood what he did last night. She knew that his mind was probably tossing and turning on what to do. So, she decided to help him out per usual.

"Hey, Steven."

He looked up from his phone and at her.

"Oh, uh, hey, Charlie." he went back to looking at his phone, so Charlie sat down next to him.

"So, last night." Charlie didn't start, she wanted Steven to talk about it first, saying what he thought.

"Taylor, told you?" Steven asked, shutting his phone off yet still staring downwards.

Charlie nodded, putting her hand on top of his. "Do you wanna tell me?" she asked, the same thing she asked Taylor the night before.

"It's bad. Belly's so mad." Charlie squeezed his hands even tighter, showing her support.

"None of it is your fault. Or Taylor's. Belly just needs time to adjust and process." Steven nodded along to what she was saying, "Besides, how would you feel if you caught Belly kissing your best friend?"

Steven stiffened at her question. Charlie realized what she said and it seems Steven did too.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did." he scoffed, "I'd have seen it coming, though. Belly didn't know any of this was happening."

"Oh please. You and Taylor were flirting in the pool the whole time. Even at dinner." Charlie said.

"What? No. That wasn't flirting." Steven insisted.

Charlie gave him a look, "Sure, Stevie."

Steven grumbled, pulling her into a head lock and rubbing her head with his knuckles. "Oh yeah, Char Char? What would you know about flirting?"

Charlie giggled as she tried to wiggle out of Steven's hold. "Excuse me! I know how to flirt!" she protested.

"Yeah? Since when?" Steven finally let her go, pushing her away with a playful shove. Charlie fixed her hair which Steven severely messed up, making sure it was neat again.

"Since forever." Charlie answered.

"Well, then name one person you've flirted with." Charlie took a second to think, and the first person she thought of was who she met last night.

"I called Mason pretty last night."

Steven's face scrunched in confusion. "Charlie that isn't flirting that's complimenting."

She stood up from the table and walked away from him, letting him process what she said.

"Wait, who the fuck is Mason?"

<3

It was now the Fourth of July. Flags go up, red, white, and blue clothes are donned, and the spirit of America runs free.

"Guys, they're here!" Steven shouted. Unlike last summer, the Conklin's dad was coming for the fourth, the two adults pushed past their differences to celebrate the holiday with their children. However, this year John Conklin brought along his young new girlfriend.

All the kids had ran to the door, trying to get a peek of the new girlfriend.

"She's hot." Jeremiah chuckled. Everyone looked at him weirdly.

"Dude!" Steven exclaimed, glaring daggers at Jeremiah.

"What? I was just saying what everyone else was thinking." Charlie rolled her eyes at her brother before shoving him out of the way so she could get a better look.

"I wasn't thinking that." Steven said.

"Same." Belly agreed. Charlie didn't chime in because the new girlfriend was attractive, but in her mind she ranked her lower because she was dating a much older man.

"Yo, that could be their future step-mom." Conrad said out of the blue.

Steven pushed Conrad, once again disgusted by the comment. Charlie turned to Belly with a sigh, "What is wrong with my brothers and their blunt honesty."

John Conklin and his new girlfriend got closer to the door and everyone jumped away from it. They all took off, leaving Belly and Steven to meet them at the door.

"Good luck." Charlie mouthed before running off after Jeremiah.

Not soon after, everyone else began to arrive. The debs along with Max and Devin had came, and Charlie immediately hugged her best friends.

Max and Gigi were still attached to each other, his arm around her shoulders practically the whole time. Steven and Conrad, too, were with their girlfriends while Jeremiah was sitting at the hot tub talking to Victoria, the girlfriend.

Devin had pulled Charlie to one of the pool chairs to start her interrogation.

"So, where did you sneak off to the other night?" Devin asked in hopes of hearing a juicy story, "Max told me you left with Taylor."

"Yeah, her and Belly had a fight so I offered to take her home." when that was all that Charlie said, Devin looked disappointed.

"And? What happened before that?"

"I went upstairs to a room." Charlie said.

Devin groaned, "Please, don't tell me that you were a loner all night."

"I actually wasn't." Devin perked up, raising her eyebrow, asking for more details, "I was with a guy."

"Oh my god, did you make out?" Devin asked excitedly.

"What? No! We just talked." Devin groaned once again.

"Boring!"

"But I called him pretty." Charlie stated. "And he called me pretty back."

Devin cooed, "Aw, a softie. You were always into the cuter guys rather than the smoking hot ones."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?"

"Bit of both." the two girls laughed.

"How about your night? You go home with Alex?" Charlie asked.

"You know, we actually didn't sleep together. Well, we did. But we didn't have sex." Charlie looked at her surprised.

"Really?" she paused, "And, are you okay with that?"

Devin took a second to think of an answer, "Surprisingly, I feel like I am. It kinda felt good that he wasn't searching for sex. He liked me for me."

Charlie smiled at her best friend, seeing the genuine smile on her face. "Good for you, babe."

Devin's smile didn't last long however. It dropped as she stared at something over Charlie's shoulder.

"Dev? What's wrong?" Devin continued to stare, so Charlie looked over her shoulder to she what it is. Her eyes widened and she let out a shaky breath.

"Dad?"

<3