take you dancing, belly conklin ✓

fourteen

"You've been lying to me for days, Isabel." The mother spoke, her eyes narrowed as she dropped the bag she was holding.

Belly's messy hair moved as she did, her head shaking as her hands trembled. "They needed my help and I didn't know how to tell you."

"There is no excuse for either of you, I hope you both had fun together because it's the last time for a long time that you'll even see each other." Laurel snapped and her tone said that it was done, that there was no more room for discussion.

"You're not my mom, stop acting like it. We came here for Susannah, and you're making us seem like villains." Luna finally spoke, having gathered just enough courage to do so

Laurel threw her hands into the air. "I'm so sick of everyone using her as an excuse!"

"She died! My mother, your best friend, Belly's practical second mother, died. Her death burnt the world down and I'm sorry, but we're all still recovering. Her death can be used an an excuse form time to time because it's freaking justifiable." Lunas voice was loud, almost screaming, but not that close. It was loud enough though that her brothers and anyone else sleeping in the beach house would have heard it.

"Get out." Laurel yelled, staring at her best friends daughter who looked to much like her. "Get out, Luna! Now!"

And what did Luna do? She left.

*ੈ ❀‧₊˚ ————— It was hours before Luna returned back to the beach house. To her surprise, two more cars were parked in the drive way and Stevens car was gone. This all only sparked her interest of what had happened after she was told to leave.

Stepping inside of the beach house, Luna made sure to be careful when closing the door. She wasn't ready to alert anyone that she was here yet. She could smell food, her feet taking quicker steps as she headed towards the kitchen.

"I'm here to back up the kids. You can't let them lose this house, Adam."

Luna tilted her head, peaking around the corner to see Laurel and her father standing opposite of each other. It was weird, watching as her father ate the crispy burnt bacon. She actually hasn't seen him eat bacon in a long time, Susannah always made it for him.

Adam shrugged, no care in the world as he sipped his coffee. "Julia should it."

Julia stepped out from wherever she had been, dresses to impress and standing hall. "I changed my mind, pulled the offer."

Adam scoffed, not impressed that the two woman were teaming up together to take him down. "Let's get something straight here, I'm not letting them lose anything. This has been out of my hands since the start. So don't go making me the bad guy here."

Luna scoffed. He was the bad guy; he hasn't said more than two words to Luna since Susannah died. She lost her mother, but it was starting to feel like she lost her father too.

"I'm not making you out to be anything. I'm trying to help you." Laurel stated kindly, softly, as she leaned against the counter with her palms against the tops.

"So what? You're just gonna dissolve the trust and gift the kids the beach house?" Adam looked towards Julia, the only other woman in the house who was supposed to be on his side, who was supposed to help him sell the house.

"She has a child of her own to consider. I just want you to love some money around to buy it for them." Laurel suggested calmly, having already played out his reaction in her head before she even said anything.

"What?" Adam looked taken back by the statement. He was shocked to say the least.

"Fair market value, terms negotiable of course." Julia shrugged and spoke.

"I think, um, I'm gonna go now because that's - that's not happening end of story." Adam turned to leave only for him to turn and end up facing his daughter. "Luna."

"Why have we been trying so hard to save this house when you're so willing to give it away?" Luna pressed, her fingers and hands gesturing to all the other teenagers that stepped out from the living room and into the kitchen.

"Luna, Adam." Laurel called out, but she regretted it the second Adam turned towards her.

"No shut up; I know Susannah made you feel as if this house is part yours, but it's not. You have no vote."

"Excuse me, but fuck you, Adam." Laurel snapped, unhappy with how she had been spoken too.

"Suze wouldn't want us acting like this." Adam snarked, acting as if he was a child who wasn't given any ipad time.

Conrad took a step towards his father. "You have no idea what she would what! You lost her a long time ago."

Laurel looked as if she was about to cry, her voice breaking with every shift of her body. "Can't you not see what this house means to all these kids, your kids."

Ignoring Laurel, Adam turned towards his three children. "I thought it would be easier this way. Easier for everyone if we let this place go."

"She's still here, dad." Jeremiah finally spoke. "All her stuff, the kitchen where she cooked, the pool chair no one sits in because it's where she laid, the fireplace she didn't know how to start for the longest time. She will always be here."

"Being here is hard." Adam admitted, a frown resting on his face. "You're right. She's everywhere here."

"Do this for her, Adam, please."

"Dad, please." Luna whispered. This has been the first time she's called him dad in a long time, since she was little and didn't realize the horror the world held in its shell.

"I'm not gonna let you all use your trusts. But, if I sell the Boston house that could give us enough. You all would be in school anyways, we couldn't afford both houses. Is that really what you what?"

The three Fisher siblings all looked from one and other, asking silently without any words if this was something they really wanted to do. If this was worth it all.

Luna nodded. Jeremiah nodded. Conrad nodded. "Yes."

*ੈ ❀‧₊˚ ————— As simple as it was, the way Lunas hand fit in Bellys would always make her feel happy inside.

Walking together, side by side. The two were happy as they wondered around the Finch collage campus attempting to find Jeremiah.

    ( who had happily ran off once he saw a guy he had been in class with. )

"We should head back to the car." Belly was slightly tired. She's had a long day ranging from being thrown into the pool, to frantically cleaning up the beach house, to doing kart wheels on the grass of Finch collage. "Maybe have a snack? You brought some right?"

Luna nodded. She always brings snacks. "I sure did, baby."

Once they got back to the car, Jeremiah had already been there waiting for them. He drove them to a parking lot at brown, where he left both Belly and Luna alone. He was going to find Conrad.

Leaning against the front of the car, Luna let her hands rest on Belly's waist. Her fingers drummed against Belly's exposed skin to the song she could hear playing in the car, Mean by Taylor Swift. 

Belly leaned in first, pressing her lips against Lunas. They tasted like cherry and she couldn't be more in love.

"Oh wow." Jeremiah grinned as he leaned against his older brother. Watching as the two girls broke apart and placed as much room as they could between themselves.

"So, Belly. Who's a better kisser. Jeremiah or Luna?" Conrad joked, watching as both girls lit up like Rudolph's red nose.