OLIVIA PRESUMABLY had Jeremiah wrapped around her finger. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that they two of them fit like a puzzle piece.
But not all puzzles are completed.
She stood in front of the mirror that hung behind her door. A sudden knock pulling her out of her thoughts when her mother walked through the door.
"Heading out?"
"I'm heading to the Fisher's." She said, "Meeting Jere's friend Belly."
"Belly?"
"Isabel."
Jessie nodded. She felt that Belly was such an odd nickname for someone, let alone someone of her age, but nonetheless, didn't speak her mind.
She sat on Olivia's bed as her daughter stared at herself in the mirror.
Olivia never really thought about her appearance. She liked how she looked and never, or at least tried to, look at the flaws that stood out to her.
The reassurance from Jeremiah was enough for her to ignore what she thought was bad simply because he told her otherwise.
"Is Jeremiah coming to get you?" Her mother asked.
"Yeah. He should be here in a few minutes."
Jessie furrowed her brows, "You seem oddly calm."
"That's what I'm going for." Olivia said, stepping away from the mirror, "Jere said that Belly and I are pretty much the same. I want to make a great impression."
Jessie only nodded, watching as Olivia opened one of her dresser drawers to find a bathing suit.
"He's talked so highly of her." Olivia started, "I want her to like me."
"I'm sure she'll love you for who you are, sweetheart." Jessie reassured.
Olivia smiled. She soon heard a horn honking and peaked out the window to find a red Jeep sitting in her driveway.
"He's here." She smiled, "I'll be back later."
"Liv?" Jessie called, "Call me if you need anything."
"Don't worry about me. Jeremiah said Belly was nice."
Jessie had seen Olivia at her lowest and as a mother, it hurt. More than anything she wanted Olivia to live the life that she wanted.
She didn't want to see her daughter hurt.
Olivia grabbed the bathing suit and waved her mother goodbye. Rushing downstairs and out the door to her boyfriend that stood, leaning against the Jeep.
Jeremiah glanced up and smiled, "Excited?"
"Probably not as excited as you." She smiled, pecking his lips, "Is she close?"
"Couple of hours away."
Jeremiah smiled, from his for peripheral he saw Jessie leaning against the doorframe.
"Hey, Ms. Summers."
Jessie smiled softly, waving at the boy as he opened the door for Olivia.
Jessie knew that Jeremiah was a good kid and good enough for Olivia. He was caring, kind, gentle. He cared for Olivia more than anything it seemed.
He waved a final goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway and back home, girlfriend in tow.
"I talked to Belly earlier." Jeremiah started, "She's excited to meet you."
"I'm excited to meet her."
"Are you sure that you want to?" Jeremiah asked, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you skipped out today."
"Better now than later, right?" Olivia smiled.
Jeremiah reached over, grabbing Olivia's hand with a smile as he pressed a kiss against her knuckles.
"Trust me. You'll love her." He said, "Her birthday day is the day before yours. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we combine them."
"That's not necessary."
"Come on. Two of my favorite people celebrating big milestones. It'll be fun."
Olivia would be turning seventeen. She didn't see why celebrating the day would be important. It was another day that came and left without any interruptions.
"Let me get to know her first before we start planning parties."
Jeremiah had done the most for Olivia's birthday. She saw it as another day and he saw it gold.
She had her reasons though. Her birthday fell on the day that she officially came out and things didn't go over so well.
Jeremiah rather get her mind off of that. Even if it meant rummaging through smelly ball pits to see her smile on the day.
The duo finally arrived at the Fisher residence and exited the Jeep.
"Is Conrad here?" Olivia asked.
"He's brooding around here somewhere." Jeremiah answered, "Come on, I want to show you what I'm wearing tonight."
He pulled her towards him, dragging her upstairs into his room.
"What's tonight?"
"Party on the beach, remember? You're still coming aren't you?"
She didn't remember agreeing to any party and she most likely remember if she had agree to go to one.
It didn't matter who was going to be there or what was going to happen. People got drunk and always did something utterly stupid and regretful when they went.
Jeremiah continued rummaging through his closet and smiled. He pulled out the outfit that he'd picked out with Olivia a couple of days ago.
"Remember?" He asked, presenting the outfit, "We got it at-"
"Clifford's. I remember."
It was the most basic white girl shit outfit they'd picked out. A yellow, floral crop top with a pair of green shorts.
Though Olivia didn't care what she wore, she didn't want to stand out either.
"After we hit the beach we can see if I can find anything to match."
"Match?" She asked, rested her hands behind her, "Are we that couple now?"
"The superior, well-liked, people kinda wanna be us couple." He smiled, stepping closer to her with every word, "Yes. As always."
He bent down in front of her, his hands resting near her legs almost as if he'd locked her in place.
His bright blue eyes locking with her brown.
"Hey, Jere? Can you come here for a minute?" His mother, Susannah called.
"Duty calls." Olivia smirked.
Jeremiah could only roll his eyes as he gently pushed Olivia down on the bed.
"Jeremiah?"
"I'm coming!"
He left the room, leaving the door cracked and Olivia alone.
She sighed heavily and sat up. Jeremiah's room always felt... safe. It was odd to her. She'd known him for years, not as long as Belly of course, but Jeremiah felt like a safe place for Olivia to be herself with.
She soon heard a horn honk from outside and peaked out the window. She saw Jeremiah stepping out and hugging, what he could assume to be Belly Conklin.
"Now or never." Olivia muttered to herself and made her way downstairs.
She rubbed her hands together as she drew closer and closer to Jeremiah's side.
He finally caught sight of her and grabbed her hand.
"Don't be nervous." He muttered and turned, now facing Belly, "This is Olivia, my girlfriend." He introduced.
"Hey." Olivia smiled.
She felt awkward. She knew that she would and it didn't matter how much prep work she could've and maybe should've done. Meeting someone that really mattered to Jeremiah made her nervous.
Belly smiled, "Hi. He's told me so much about you."
"I could say the same."
Conrad, the eldest of the Fisher brothers, soon came around, speaking briefly to Belly as Jeremiah introduced Olivia to Belly's older brother Steven and their mother Laurel.
"Hey, hey, guys, guys." Steven laughed, "I mean, I- I don't know about you, but I... Well, I- I think it's time for a..."
"Belly flop!" Jeremiah and Steven laughed.
It didn't take long for Belly to run off, escaping Steven's grasp as she ran towards the backyard, the three boys chasing after her.
She had been caught in the matter of seconds as they dragged her towards the pool.
Olivia wrapped her arms around herself as she awkwardly followed behind. Just in time to watch the three throw Belly into the pool.
"How's the water?" Jeremiah asked, laughing as Belly swan towards the top.
"Guys, I hurt my ankle."
Conrad bent down to grab Belly's hand and when they touched she pulled him into the pool with her.
After the two seemed to bicker back and forth Steven, Jeremiah, and an awkward Olivia headed inside.
While Steven headed towards his room to unpack. Jeremiah stood outside his room with Olivia.
"So?"
Olivia furrowed her brows, "So?"
"It wasn't too bad, right?"
She shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the wall.
"Come on, Liv. I know it's gonna be awkward for a couple of days, but trust me, by the end of summer you and Belly will be inseparable."
Olivia held a small smile. She couldn't tell you whether or not Belly liked her by first glance. They had said a measly fourteen words to each other before they "belly flopped" her into the pool.
It wasn't the impression that Olivia was going for but there was no going back from what she saw as a summer's tradition.
"Go get changed. We're gonna take Belly to the beach."
"Um, I can't. I forgot my bathing suit."
Jeremiah pointed inside his bedroom. Her yellow bathing suit that she'd brought from home resting on the chair inside.
"I didn't mean that bathing suit."
"Liv."
She sighed, "Look, you haven't seen her in almost a year. I think you and Belly should have... you and Belly time."
"What if I want you, me, and Belly time?"
"Isn't she going to the party tonight?"
"Doubt it. The girls usually stay here and watch a movie." He said.
He wasn't going to force Olivia to hang out with him and Belly. But he didn't want to leave her hanging alone.
"I'll be fine." Olivia reassured, "Go hang with Belly."
She gently punched his stomach. He grabbed her wrist pulling her in close into his chest; wrapping his arms around her torso. She tipped her head up slightly to get a better look of him.
"Fine." He sighed, "But this means that you have to go to the party with me."
"As long as I get to drive there."
"You win, Princess."
He kissed her slowly, lips moving against hers carefully, but with an underlying eagerness that had his body tense.
Jeremiah absolutely adored giving Olivia affection. It was something that she'd lacked in her last two relationships and her father.
He would hug, kiss, spin her around, just to showed that he'd cared about.
Olivia smiled, backing up, "Get going. I'm sure she's waiting for her invite."
Jeremiah playfully pushed Olivia away and scoffed.
"If you didn't want me here that's all you had to say." He smiled.
He walked off, knocking on Belly's door before heading inside.
With that said, Olivia didn't stay long.
She texted her mother to come and get her with no questions asked.
She wasn't going to wait for Jeremiah to come back home.
"Was she nice?" Jessie asked.
"Yeah, she's pretty cool."
Pretty cool.
Belly was pretty fucking cool.
- lucy has something to say !!
anyways team belly 🫡
making them grossly romantic before i start snapping necks
also i haven't finished the show yet 🫣
bye :))))