Bre went straight upstairs to get into different clothes feeling too uncomfortable in her current ones. She grabbed the hoodie she was trying to avoid wearing but she needed the comfort. The comfort of Conrad. Slipping it on she was hit with a familiar smell. One she soon realised she had forgotten. Conrad's smell. It must've been the last one he gave her.
Breanna was laid out on her bed before she could hear shouting coming from downstairs. It was Laurel and Belly. Bre quietly got off her bed and made it to the top of the stairs sitting and listening in. She never realised how much conflict there was between them.
"Why didn't you tell me you lost your captaincy?" Laurel shouted.
"Does it matter?" Belly shouted back, you could hear the anger in her voice which was something Bre never heard.
"It matters!" Laurel shouted, you could sense the disappointment in her voice.
"Well I'm sorry I'm not getting into good colleges Mom," Belly said, Bre was slowly making her way to the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm very disappointed in you, you can do better" Laurel said, in a very angry tone.
"Well sorry Mom, you know Susannah died..." Belly began saying.
"No, you don't get to use Susannah's death as an excuse" Laurel shouted.
"It's been a hard year for me too you know" Belly said.
"That doesn't mean you can hide things from me" Laurel said, she wasn't angry anymore more disappointed.
"I wasn't hiding things you just weren't here. And I know you were there for Susannah and the boys. But you weren't here" Belly shouted. Bre decided to go and stand behind Belly to silently support her if she needed it.
"Here comes victim number two" Laurel said shaking her head.
"No! Don't take to her like that. You won't even promote your book because you don't want to talk about Susannah" Belly shouted standing up from where she was sitting on the couch.
Laurel looked between the girls stunned. You could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"You don't get to be interested in Volleyball when you haven't gone to a single one of my games. Even Bre has gone to a few. I have waited all year for you to step up and be a parent. And I guess I'm still waiting" Belly said crying before heading upstairs.
Bre watched Belly go upstairs and look back at Laurel. Everything was taking a toll on them, but they needed to get through this together. As a family.
"Did you eat?" Bre asked, deciding whether to stay downstairs or go up and see Belly.
Laurel shook her head. It was like she didn't care about being a mother anymore. Everything had been taken from her because Susannah died.
"I'm thinking of heading back to California tomorrow thought I'd tell you" Bre said picking her nail.
"When were you gonna tell me you lost your job?" Laurel whispered, almost like she didn't want to know.
"You're not gonna do this to me. Pretend like you care when I have reached out to you this last month. You'd know if you'd answer your phone" Bre stated.
"I've been busy," Laurel said. Looking in every direction but at Bre.
"Yeah I know, too busy for your kids," Bre said getting up and heading upstairs.
Bre pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at all the missed calls. Bits the bullet Bre thought.
calling Jeremiah...
The phone was ringing for what felt like a lifetime.
"Hello" Bre heard on the phone, it brought tears to her eyes hearing his voice.
"Jere...I've missed you" Bre said smiling. She wanted to tell him everything.
"Have you heard from Conrad?" He asked quite bluntly.
"Um no" Bre whispered feeling her heart twitch at the mention of him.
"Oh..."Jeremiah muttered.
"Why what's wrong?" Bre said worried.
"He took off from school, he hasn't turned up to his classes the last couple of days" Jeremiah said, Bre could hear some sort of video game noise in the background.
"Have you gone to Brown to check on him?" Bre asked, now needing to know if he was safe.
"No I was gonna go in the morning" Jeremiah said.
"I'll meet you there?" Bre asked, she didn't want him to think Conrad was the only reason for her wanting to help.
"Sure, Meet you at 11?" Jeremiah asked.
"Yep see you there," Bre said before Jere quickly hung up.
Bre went into Belly's room to see her lying on her bed staring at the ceiling.
"Who were you talking to?" Belly asked when Bre lay down next to her.
"Jere, He was asking me if I'd see Conrad as he's taken off again" Bre said resting her head on Belly's shoulder.
"Well, you haven't have you?" Belly asked.
"Not since you know. I'm gonna meet him at Brown tomorrow if you want to join?" Bre asked, she didn't know if Belly was ready to see Jere again but they needed to be there for each other.
"Sure," Belly said quietly.
"You know sometimes I think that if I hadn't gone to college everything would've been fine" Bre said closing her eyes. In her mind, everything changed when she was across the country.
"Isn't it weird how we've spoken of this since we were kids and it's finally happening?" Conrad said following Bre around while they were unpacking the car at her dorm.
"It's very weird but I'm happy I'm doing it with you," Bre said standing on her tip-toes to kiss him.
"I've also been dreaming of this for a while," Conrad said smirking.
"Oh, have you" Bre smiled.
"Everything is going well, we are finally together, my mom is doing the trial and Belly and Jere are together which is weird but good" Conrad smirked even more. Bre never wanted him to know how happy he made her. She could set fireworks off with how he made her feel. Alive was what it felt like.
"Bre don't say that, everything that's happened didn't happen because you went to college. Believe me" Belly said pulling the blanket over the pair.
"Belly I miss him" Bre said beginning to cry.
"I know" Belly said pulling her into a hug.
"I was gonna go back to California tomorrow but I might stick around if that's okay?" Bre asked. She didn't want to leave Belly but didn't want to stick around either.
"I want you to stay. Everything's easier when you're here" Belly whispered.
The two girls fell asleep like they used to when they were children talking about the Fisher boys. Just today it's more real.
YOU ARE READING
tidal wave
Fanfictionanother summer in cousins they all thought but they didn't know it would be last one as they all loved.
