What Could I Do? - The Summer I Turned Pretty

6.

Today is the day. The deb ball. It was like princesses all over again. Conrad and I, Jeremiah and Belly.

Our family sat at our table anxiously waiting for us to be called. Conrad and I were 3rd in line while Belly and Jeremiah were 5th.

I couldn't help but to think about if I had asked Jeremiah first before Belly to go to the ball with me.

Within seconds I could hear my name be called, and I could hear my mom and dad cheering for me together. My family was always loud, I felt embarrassed by them for how loud they were screaming.

Conrad grabbed onto me and instantly calmed me down. We continued smiling at the crowd, and I gave my flowers to my mom. I gave my dad a kiss on the cheek.

I loved my parents, and I loved Susannah and Laurel.

By the time I went back to the stage, Belly and Jeremiah were up next. His eyes were on Belly, until he reached my gaze. His eyes went wide and I couldn't help but to blush.

"You look beautiful." I could make out from his moving mouth.

"You too." Is all I could mouth back to him.

Belly gave her flowers to her mom and went back on stage with the rest of us.

Conrad smiled at me from across the stage. After everyone was introduced, it was now time for the escort dance. Which meant Conrad, Steven and Jeremiah all had to dance for the debs.

Neither of the boys allowed us to see their dance since they were so embarrassed of it. I couldn't help but smile at the boys humping the air.

Belly and I looked at each other and giggled. The dance was cute, but we could understand now why they didn't want us to see it.

"I can't believe you got Conrad to go with you." Belly says to me as the boys finish up their dance and I shrug.

"I can't believe you convinced Jeremiah to go with you. He hates theses things." I say and she shrugs.

"He said he was more than happy to." She replies back and I just smile at her.

I couldn't help but feel Belly was too okay with Conrad and I going to the ball together.

Maybe we both realized how stupid dibs truly was. We can't put a tag on boys. We can't help that our feelings change.

But I'm sure a part of us will always have room for our first loves. I mean, Jeremiah is the one who taught me what love is.

We would spend my 12th birthday pointing out couples who were in love and who weren't. Or couples who were bound to be together.

That's how I knew he was my first love, all the signs he told me, I had for him.

From the way he made me feel, the way my mom told me I look at him. I knew he wasn't just a child's crush on a close friend. But maybe I was wrong, because here I am gaining feelings for his brother much like how Belly probably feels right now.

I met up with Conrad, but Belly came up to us in panic not knowing where Jere had went. I told her I would help her find him, a part of me wanted to know what happened to him. If he was okay, or if someone in a short span of 3 minutes had taken him hostage.

I went outside the ballroom and when I went to scope out the pool, there I found him. Looking down at a phone that looks vaguely familiar. As I got closer and closer to him, I could see what the text read.

Cancer trials, this had me so confused. "What's that Jere bear?" I say to him as I sit down next to him on the floor. I touched his knee since he was curled into a ball just letting his tears fall down. I hated seeing him like this, it hurt my heart intensely.

"What are you d-doing he-here? Should you be dancing?" He says to me in between sobs.

"Shouldn't you be too?" I ask him and he sighs.

"It's my mom." He says finally, and then it clicked in my head why he was crying about cancer trials.

I pull him into me so he could cry into my dress. I didn't care about anything or anyone in that moment. I just cared about giving him comfort.

His whole demeanor changed when I comforted him, he let out the biggest sobs I ever heard from anyone. And I could feel tears in my eyes wanting to escape as well.

We couldn't lose Susannah she was like a fun aunt to me. It was like losing a family member.

"Do you want to go?" I ask him sadly, and he looks up at me and shakes his head.

"No, we should head back inside. I have to tell Conrad what I found out. Plus we can't have your dress go to waste." He says as he gets up and pulls me up with him.

I smile weakly at him and nod. He still managed to make me feel shy and electric jolts fly around my body.

In that moment, I knew I could never truly get over my feelings for Jeremiah Fisher.

We walked over back to the ballroom hand in hand. I rested my head on his shoulder as we left.

We both watched as Belly and Conrad danced together. I couldn't help but feel like this was how it was supposed to be. Belly and Conrad, Jeremiah and I.

Once we got to our seats, Jeremiah left me with the moms and dads. After the dance he went up to Conrad and told him the news. I saw Jeremiah's face change instantly and before I could blink he punched him. Conrad fell to the ground and Belly didn't know what to do.

I couldn't help but to feel like Jeremiah punched Conrad because he was jealous. Or maybe that was just me over reacting.

Susannah and I both ran over to the kids. She forced them to separate, and they did.

Conrad knew already what was happening to his mom. Jeremiah was upset by that. We all were, even I was upset, how could he not open up to me about that? Didn't he know he could tell me anything?

Within seconds all of us started crying including our parents. It was so sad, couldn't believe Susannah had cancer again.

-

We spent the last few days of summer crying about Susannah's cancer. The boys were able to convince her to do the trials, we were all hopeful that she would get better. We knew she would, Susannah was strong. We loved her for fighting.

I also found out that Conrad was using to get Belly jealous. It worked, because after that night they became a "we."

I think Jeremiah took it the hardest though. He distanced himself from Belly and Conrad and even me for it.

All I had left was Steven, who made me promise not to leave him like how the Fishers did.

And that was it, that's how that summer ended.