What Could I Do? - The Summer I Turned Pretty

3.

I watched silently as both the boys fall in love with Belly this summer.

Susannah told me that I too was destined for one of her boys. That she reserved Jeremiah especially for me. We complimented each other so well. We both knew how to make each other laugh and stay comfortable. With just one look at each other we would know exactly what we were thinking.

I could remember the first time we used facial expressions to each other in order to figure out each others emotions.

I was 8 and Jeremiah had just turned 10. We were outside during spring break, Conrad was with Susannah and Jeremiah and I were playing at the arcade.

It wasn't cousins beach, but it sure was close to it.

Laurel yet again wasn't able to make it, their family was having a trip of their own.

Jeremiah and I spent hours playing this one game, dance dance revolution. I could always beat him, and he hated me for it.

On that day a girl around his age asked to play next with him. I felt a pit of jealous in my stomach, but I didn't know what it was at the time.

After a few minutes Jeremiah turned around and we made eye contact. I gave him a bored look and he sent one back.

I knew we were on the same wavelength, because we then both pretended to spare our ankles to hopefully get her to go away.

When she didn't leave I finally just threatened her to leave, and she finally left.

-

"Stay still my sweet girl please don't move." Susannah says to me as she puts Jeremiah and I looking at each other face to face for her portrait.

"Are you going to make Belly and Conrad do this too?" Jeremiah asks which a slight venom behind his words. His mom looks up at him giving him her mom look.

He moves his face back to looking at me and he smiles, which I couldn't help but to return and blush.

"You two are so cute together." Susannah says to us and that causes me to blush more, so I react by looking away.

"Allie cat! I told you to stop moving." She says to me slightly upset.

"I'm sorry." Is all I could say and Jeremiah shakes his head at me.

He mouths something to me but I had no idea what he said so I choose to pretend to know what he's talking about.

"Hold hands you two, I think it will look really good for the painting." Susannah says to us sounding really high.

Jere and I do as asked, but this time I knew what he was mouthing to me. "I think she's high out of her mind." He says to me continuing to look me in the eyes and laugh.

I gave his mom a side eye because I didn't want her to yell at me for moving. We both just laughed and that was the end of that.

Once she was done we wanted to see what she painted and it looked so terrible it was almost cute. Jere and I looked at each other then he called for Belly to see what his high mom created.

Belly, Laurel and my mom all came out to see what Susannah made, after Laurels comment. Susannah looked to see what the moms were laughing about.

Neither of us laughed so we wouldn't hurt her feelings. Susannah started laughing as soon as she saw the painting. We then all started to laugh together. It felt nice, it reminded me of the second summer we all spent together.

Belly and I were playing princess, we finally convinced Jeremiah and Conrad to play with us for one round. Steven wanted nothing to do with this so he just stayed in his room.