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"What the hell?" U'liani said to herself as she sat up from the couch. She looked around, seeing she was in the Fisher beach house. She raised her right hand to seat her her forehead as she thought about the day before. Her sister went to the beach bonfire, the moms, her and her watched old movies on the couch, they left for a minute to talk while she read a romance book and next thing she knew she was out like a light.
With a sigh, the girl looked around for her phone, feeling for it anywhere on the couch before the device caught her eye on the coffee table. Reaching over, she grabbed it to see that it was six am. She always woke up early, it was like her body was conditioned to wake up at a certain time, no matter how late she went to bed. And it didn't bother her, she loved waking up before everyone else, especially during the summer. It gave her time to herself to recuperate and just sit in silence. It also made her day seem longer, which she also enjoyed.
She scratched her head through her bonnet and got up from her place on the couch, her back bone popping as she did a large stretch to wake her self up.
After doing that one, she moved to an open area in the living room to start doing her morning stretches. Now she didn't add this into her morning routine until a couple of months ago. It was a simple but strenuous Pilates routine her therapist recommended and the girl couldn't say it helped that much. It just popped her bones in places she didn't know needing popping.
She was half way through the memorized routine when the soft sound of steps caught her attention. It kinda spooked her since she thought she was the only person awake and and whoever it was, was obviously trying to sneak. Getting up from the group, the girl turned her attention towards the stairs to see Belly creeping down the steps.
Said girl looked around as she made it into the common area and almost screamed when she made eye contact with U'liani in the living room. They both started at each other in shock and slight confusion.
"What are you doing?" Belly asked, frozen still as she stared at the equally frozen girl.
"Stretching." She said. "Where are you going?" U'liani asked, looking the up and down to see she was in what she considered pajamas and a jacket she's never seen before.
"Out." Belly said, giving the girl a one word answer like she did her. U'liani just stared at the girl, giving her the signature U'li stare where you couldn't tell what she was thinking but you could it was a lot.
"Please be careful, Belly Bean." She said, still looking at the girl. Belly let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, glad the girl didn't interrogate her like a child.
"Okay, U'li Fish." She said with a small smile.
Belly nodded her head before easing her way through the kitchen and out of the back door. U'li watched her leave, sighing to herself once she was gone. She shook her bead before finishing her routine.
She was going to sit back down on the couch and wait until more people woke up to start doing things when a bag and some clothes caught her attention on the coffee table. She looked closer to see it was her makeup bag next to a stand mirror and what she guessed to be her uniform for work. She sat back in her seat against the couch and let out a little sigh, totally forgetting about her first day of work.
She then decided to get up and just get ready now.
Maybe more people will be here when I get out of the shower. She thought.
She grabbed her clothes and walked into the guest bathroom in the hall. She didn't want to wake anyone up but she knew it was about that time before people started to get up anyway. And that she was right because five minutes into her shower, the door opened.
The girl didn't think much of it at first, thinking it was one of the moms or Belly coming back from wherever she went but froze when the person spoke up. "Sorry Jere, I know you're in there and all but I gotta piss." Steven said before the sound of urine hitting the toilet water echoed through the bathroom.
The girl didn't say anything, not even moving in the shower anymore. Shes naked. Naked and wet in the shower. Naked and wet in the shower with her best friends brother. Naked and wet in the shower with her best friends brother who she's had a crush on for years. She placed a hand over her mouth as she moved more into the corner of the shower once she realized she was naked in the same room as her crush who had his penis out.
Not paying attention to where she was going, the girl almost slipped but she caught herself on the dry shower wall. After a while, Steven flushed the toilet, washed his hands and walked out, leaving a shocked naked girl stuck in a corner.
The water ran for for what felt like hours, but was only minutes as the girl stood their in the same position since the boy left. After the water just ran for 2 minutes, the girl snapped out of her head and continued her shower, this time slowly.
On the other side of the door, Steven walked down the stairs in his pajamas still to get a class of water. When he went into the kitchen, he saw Jeremiah there drinking his own glass of water. He quirked is brow in questioning, while the other boys eyes met his.
"What?" Jere asked, looking at the boy with a still tired face.
"Nothing, I just thought that was you in the shower when I went to the bathroom." Steven said as he pointed up the stairs before moving around the kitchen to fix his own glass. Jeremiah furrowed his brows while Steven shrugged.
"It's was probably Conrad." He told himself before taking a sip from the glass, the water instantly curing his cotton mouth.
"Conrad's hungover on the ouch over there." Jeremiah told him as she started to fix himself a bowl of cereal before he got ready for work. His words caused Steven to stop his drinking and put the glass down on the counter, turning to face Jere. "And Lani's still asleep. I went and checked." He said before the other boy could question his actions. "It was probably Belly, she wasn't in bed." He said with a shrug before taking a bite of his now fives bowel.
Steven cringed in disgust at his words, shaking his head to get rid of that thought. "Ew, bro, gross. Don't say that." He said before going back to sip his water. He chugged it down before walking back upstairs to get ready for his day.
And while they chatted, ten minutes after she had her little breakdown and Steven left, U'li was done. The girl dried off and got dressed in the bathroom, not wanting to risk bumping into Steven too soon.
She gathered all her clothes and the evidence that she was in the bathroom before slowly opening the door. She peaked her head out of the door to see that the hall was empty, so quickly but quickly, the girl rushed to the girls room and threw her pajamas and towel into the room, it hitting the floor at the foot of Okalani's bed, who was still sleeping.
She then slowly scurried down the stairs, looking every which way to make sure no one was there. One she was down there, she paused at the sight of Conrad passed out of the couch, the blanket she slept with wrapped around his head. She stood there for a minute before slowly walking and sitting on the floor next to his feet she saw his even breaths and concurred the he must be sleeping.
So as quietly as possible, the girl moved the makeup bag and stand mirror to start on her face. She opned the bag next to her and was very surprised when she saw her skin care bag inside. She almost yelled in excitement but settled on just kissing the bag in affection and excitement. She also reminded to give her Aunt a huge 'thank you' later, knowing this had to be her doing.
She applied her moisturizers and eye cream before letting that sit on her skin for a while. She wanted her skin to absorb as much of the products as possible before she got started on her makeup. She waited five minutes in silence, thinking about all the things she was gonna do today.
As she was lost thinking, a small piece of paper caught her eye. She tried to read it from where she was but ultimately gave up and just grabbed the note. She looked down to see it was the debutante invitation with her name on it. She started at the paper, still contemplating on whether she wanted to do it or not.
She glanced over at Conrad, who seemed to still be sleep. She thought about all the words he said earlier. Maybe he was right, maybe this isn't her, she's not good enough for this stuff, and all those girls are way better looking than her. She knew that for a fact.
She softly huffed before looking back down at the invitation, her fingers tracing over the hood boarder. But maybe, she could do this. Maybe this was her chance to 'step out of her shell', show everyone's she's changing for the better.
Maybe this will help me cope and all that other junk. She thought.
At that, she took a spare pen from the coffee table and checked the accepted the note with pleasure. She sported a smile before placing the paper down and deciding to start on her simple makeup routine.
Now, U'li wasn't one of those girl who wanted to be different and say she didn't wear make up and that is was pointless and weird. No matter how insecure she used to be, she hated those girls and saw them as pathetic. But, she also didn't really do a lot of make up, because she didn't know how. In her defense, she only got pretty about two years ago, or at least to some, so she never had the confidence to wear makeup before. And she also had no one to teach her considering...
But she did spot correct with concealer instead of wearing foundation. She used mascara, lipstick, eyeliner and simple things like that. She pretty much did a basic makeup routine but just without foundation and eye shadows.
Half way through getting ready, Laurel came down with her laptop, greeting the girl with a warm welcome, which she returned enthusiastically yet quietly, as she sat at the kitchen counter to do some work.
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"Oh my God, I'm gonna be late!" Okalani yelled as she rushed to put make up on her face. She was still at the Fisher household, having spent the night in the room her, Belly and sister usually shared. She had just gotten up a few minutes after realizing she had turned off her fifth alarm and that today was the first day on the job as a caddy girl. She was sort of disoriented seeing that she wasn't at home and that her things were already there for her for work at some reason. But without much questioning, she got up and got ready.
She was glad she didn't put on her outfit her with the the way she was making a mess in the rush of applying her make up. She was on her last step, which was the lips, when Jeremiah burst into her room, dressed and ready to go for his first day. Okalani jumped, almost messing up her up makeup with the brown lip liner she held.
She turned around to face the cheesing boy, his bright smile and blue eyes blinding this time of morning. "The beauty queen has risen." The boy smiled as he walked into the room while the girls finished her lips before applying lip gloss.
"What if I messed up my routine? You can't just burst in on people." The girl said as she popped her lips together, making sure her gloss was applied evenly. Jeremiah started down at her mouth, unknowingly dragging his tongue across his bottom lip as the girl looked for any flaws on her face in the mirror.
Seeing none, she flashed herself an awarding winning smile before turning to face the boy beside her, her smile dropping. "Now what do you want?" She asked in a monotoned voice.
"I just wanted you to know that I'm making my signature hangover cocktail since you got so shitfaced last night." The boy joked, causing the girl to scoff as she pushed his shoulder.
"I was not shitfaced, I'm just kinda a lightweight. I can show you shitfaced." She said as she stood up and walked over to her work clothes for the day. With her back turned to him, Jeremiah rubbed the back of his neck as he decided his next words.
"So, uh, do you remember anything from last night?" He asked the girl nervously, also getting up from his spot. His words caused Okalani to glance at him, looking him up and down to gauge his mood.
"Why? You hoped I forgot that you called yourself my boyfriend last night." She asked the boy with a smiled as she took a seat on her bed. Jeremiah let out a chuckle as he looked at the girl.
"Yeah, kinda." He said with a shrug, walking closer to the girl.
"It's fine Jere Bear. It's not like I'd ever date you." She said as if it was nothing as she reached over for her phone on the lamp stand next to the bed. Jeremiah jerked his head back in shock, looking at the back of her head as she took her phone off the charger.
"What? What makes you say that?" He asked, taking a seat next to her on the bed. Okalani looked back at the boy once she had her phone.
"Because we'd never work." She said with a nonchalant shrug.
"What makes you say that?" He repeated with slightly squinted eyes causing Okalani to eye him weirdly at his questioning.
"Because you're not a relationship guy, Jere. You told me that, remember? After that whole Nancy thing three years ago." She said.
"Well that was three years ago, I can change." The boy said, crossing his arms with furrowed brows and an almost unnoticeable pout. Okalani laughed at the boy before sitting up a little. "Would you date me, Jere?" She asked the boy softly.
Her words caught the boy off guard. He looked the girl in her chocolate brown eyes that were brought to life by her long lashes and the pink blush on her cheeks. His eyes darted down to her glossy lips that were lined with brown with a pink center, giving her already plump and kissable lips a cute pout.
I want to kiss her so bad. He thought.
She tilted her head with a blink when the boy still refrained from offering her a response. He then started to stutter out a response when he snapped out of his admiration. "I-, well, uh, you know." He said, causing the girl to chuckle as she got up from her spot.
"See, you wouldn't date me either, it's okay Jere Bear." She said softly as she walked closer to him so they were lest than a foot apart to place a hand on his shoulder. "And if I'm being honest, Conrad's more my type, ya know, he's a little more serious." She said quietly, as if someone else could hear her. Before Jeremiah could even react, the girl was pulling him up from her bed and pushing him towards the door.
"Now go, I have to get dressed and no one's seeing this hot bod unless we're dating." She said, pushing him out the door. Jeremiah turned around once her hands were off his back, seeing the girl send him a smile before the door was being closed in his face. He stood there in shock at her confession before letting out a huff in shock. He then turned around and walked down the stairs, knowing this information will be eating him alive all day.
One the other side of the door, Okalani sighed as she leaned her head against the door. She could feel her hangover coming in to ruin her day and the conversation she just had made it ten times worse.
She regretted asking him that question. Even though she knew the answer already, his confession, or lack there of, still hurt. And the whole Conrad being her type was just a lie to see if she could hurt him the way he hurt her. She didn't mean it at all and saying those words to him made her feel sick to her stomach, especially considering how she knew how Belly felt about Conrad.
Truth be told, U'liani was right, she had a crush on Jeremiah. A raging one that's been going on since she could remember. That's actually one of the main reasons she hasn't been in a relationship with anyone. She's been stuck on him forever and it's impossible for her to like more than one person at one time. So she would have the occasional hookup here and there with people she was cool with to get out sexual tension but that's was it. Nothing more than the occasional booty call.
Letting out a loud groan, the girl stomped her way over to her clothes to get ready, trying to take her mind off of the situation that just happen. She looked down at her bed to see attire for today will be a black, wide arm tank with a black tennis skirt and a white seater with the country club name. She looked around to see if whoever brought her the clots brought any shoes and saw a pair of her white Nike shoes by the door.
She got dressed as quick as she could remembering that she was still on a time crunch. She then sat in front of her mirror to see she didn't take her jewelry off last night and she didn't but on her bonnet. With another groan, only this time quieter, she just brushed the knots out of her hair and applied some water for it to curl. She gave herself a simple side part that swooped over and clipped back with some white clips that were in her makeup bag. She then got up and tied the seater around her neck before looking at herself in the vanity mirror. She was about to pick up her phone to take a few pics when the debutante invitation caught her eye.
Reaching over and grabbing the paper, she started down at it, contemplating if she should do it or not. She thought about the friends she made last night, and the all the things she'll be doing this summer if she didn't do this. So with a final shrug, she grabbed the letter and big into her purse for a pen. Once she found one, she accepted the note with pleasure, sitting it back on her nightstand before taking a few pics and heading downstairs.
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And just like she thought, the beach house was full of life as she did her makeup routine in the living room floor a few minutes later. Laurels typing away on her laptop while Steven, Keanu and Jeremiah stood in the kitchen playing around before work started. She was applying concealer to to some pimples and dark spots she had, letting it dry a little before she blended it into her skin.
"Do we really have to physically sit for our portraits?" Jeremiah asked as he placed an egg into the hot skillet in front of him. He was talking to Laurel after being informed that all the teens had to pose for a self portrait that Susannah was doing. "Can't she just, like, look at a picture on her phone or something?" He asked, looking over his and Steven shoulder at the older woman in the kitchen, since said boy was breathing down his neck.
"Okay, get out." Jeremiah snapped, turning and pointing to the boy. Steven laughed at finally getting him to crack, steeping away from him slightly. "What? Why?" He asked as he laughed. U'li rolled her eyes as she blended out her makeup, picturing the scene of the boys annoying each other, totally oblivious of the eyes that watched her.
"She need to see you in the flesh in order to capture your essence. While you're still young and full of hope." Laurel told them, causing the teens that were awake to all laugh at the statement.
"Her words." Laurel defended herself.
"Well, Conrad does not have hope, actually, he's hopeless. But my hangover smoothie—it cures all." Jeremiah bragged, causing the boy on the couch to groan.
"Can you please just hurry up." Conrad said, placing his hand on his head to ease his headache. U'liani stopped putting on her eyebrow gel in shock that he was awake. She looked over to see the boy was indeed awake and was now staring at her. No words were exchanged between the two, Conrad just looking at the girl with a dull look while U'liani stared at him in surprise. She gave him a small smile before going back to her makeup.
Conrad continued to watch the girl, he's actually been watching her since she started her makeup. He heard her come down the stairs when he had the blanket on his face but he was too lazy to move it. Plus her apple pie smell on it lulled him to a calm sleep for a few minutes before his splitting headache came back.
"Just go back to bed, all right?" Jeremiah yelled to him from the kitchen as he continued to cook whatever he was making. Steven and Keanu then eased their way closer to Jeremiah, looking over his shoulder again, causing Jere to turn to him and point his spatula at his face.
"Ok, you two, get out. This is a delicate science, and your heavy breathing is gonna break the yolk." He said, causing the boy to scoff while U'li burst into a fit of laughter.
"Okay, okay, okay." Steven said in distress, looking into the living at the laughing girl once he moved away from Jeremiah.
"It's not that funny." Keanu said, looking over at the girl before rolling his eyes. U'li just gave the boy the finger without even looking his way, casing Steven to snicker. Keanu looked over at the boy, prompting him to shut up. Just then, Okalani came downstairs, fully dressed and ready for work. She had a little pep in her step considering she had a raging hangover but she was kinda used to it.
She smiled at her sister before making her way into the kitchen to see what Jeremiah was doing over his shoulder. He glanced down at the girl with a smile as she placed her chin on his arm. Steven gaped at them, hurt that he was told to move away but she wasn't.
"She hasn't painted you guys since you were little. I think it's be nice to have these portraits for when you're older." Laurel told them as Okalani moved to sit her things down on the counter stop and take a seat next to her while Jeremiah moved too do other things for his smoothie.
"Old? No, when I'm older, I'm sure there'll be, like, holograms or something I can watch of myself, you know?" Steven said as he moved around the kitchen to a spot closer to the living room, looking into the area as U'liani did her mascara, not paying attention to anything around her.
The girl chuckled at his words before placing the wand back into the mascara tube. "Do you know how many people have said that before you? Everyone thought they're old age would be filled with futuristic technology. And I'm telling you know, we are not the chosen ones for that futuristic dream." She said, not once taking her eyes off herself in the mirror as she pulled the wand back out to do her other eye.
Steven and Conrad watched the girl as she did her makeup, not really fully grasping the words she said as she talked, only watching her side profile as she moved to do step by step. Before anyone could reply to her statement, Jeremiah started the blender, causing Conrad to jump at the loud noise. U'liani looked over at him when she caught the movement in the corner of her eye. She tried to stop herself from laughing and was about to look away before she caught eyes with Steven, who leaned against the wall with his shoulder and his arms crossed.
Her and the boy stared each other in the eyes for a minute before U'liani broke into a smile first and looked away, to do her lips. Steven smiled as he watched the girl, not even touched on the conversation behind had anymore.
"Just sit for your portraits." Laurel said after the blender went off. "I don't see Conrad, Lani or U'li complaining." She said, gesturing over to the people to her right and placing her hand down on the girls back, who had her head down next to her.
"They'll complain when they're conscious. And U'li's doesn't mind being she and mom have this weird bond where they can sit in silence with one another for hours and be completely comfortable." Jeremiah said as he walked into the living room and handed his brother the smoothie he made. "Hey. Here." He said as he gave the boy a pat. Conrad took the drink with a thank you as he sat up.
He then walked back into the kitchen and over to the girl with her head down. He grabbed the other smoothie before softly patting her back. "C'mon sleeping beauty, drink up." He said as the girl slowly sat up and took the drink from him, and gulping it down. She pulled the glass from her mouth in disgust and looked at Jeremiah with a glare, causing the boy to raise his hands up in defeat.
"Hey, you got wasted, not me, so drink up." He said, walking over to clean up his mess. U'liani rinsed her makeup completely and put her things back into her bag, zipping it up and placing it on the coffee table.
"Yeah, after Nani and I specifically told you not to." U'li said as she got up from the floor and walked into the kitchen. She was wearing a tight black tank with a tight black skirt and white converse shoes. Her braids were down in a middle part and was held back by a white head wrap with a white country club sweater wrapped around her shoulder. "And weren't you supposed to be watching her? You're the oldest. I thought you were more responsible than that." She said, looking her brother up and down. The boy raised his arms in defense.
"She can take care of herself." He shrugged, immediately shutting up when his younger sister gave him a death stare with a knife in her hand.
"He was too distracted by the ladies." Jeremiah teased with a laugh, casing the boy to shoot him a glare while U'liani rolled her eyes as she placed her items down and walked over to grab her phone and her romance novel from the small coffee table before walking back into the kitchen.
Steven followed the girl with his eyes as she walked into the area, looking her up and down in admiration. Her outfit made her brown, smooth legs look long. And her exposed skinned shined in the gold oil she applied earlier after her shower. His admiration was cut white when made eye contact with both his mom and Okalani as the girl passed behind them. He coughed nervously before speaking up to distract them from what he was just doing.
"Come on, man. Hurry your ass up." Steven said to Jeremiah as the boy walked back into the kitchen. "I can't be late for my first day of work." He said, turning to the boy.
"You won't, we're good." Jeremiah said as she passed the boy, gaining an unexpected slap on the ass as he passed. Jeremiah yelped in surprise while the girls rolled their eyes.
"Steven, watch your language in front of your mother." U'li told the boy as she swiped peanut butter onto a slice of bread. Steven flashed as sheepish smile before mounting 'sorry' to his mom. The woman nodded her head before looking at at the girl a mouthing 'thank you' to her. U'li smiled before nodding her head.
"Those old country club boomers are gonna me so hard, man, they wont know what hit 'em." Steven said with a smirk before doing a random hit thrust. Okalani chocked on her disgusting smoothie while U'li burst out laughing as she was biting into her bread.
"Oh!" Jeremiah shouted in agreement, feeding off of Steven's energy while Laurel groaned at what she just heard her son say day and do. "Ugh, Steven, I swear."
"Come on, Laurel. My boy's gotta get that bread." Keanu said, smirking over at his friend. "Thank you." Steven said, as if everyone's reaction to his was unnecessary.
Just then, the sound of the back door alerted the people in the kitchen and in wakes Belly. She had a tired expression on her face as she looked at everyone in the room.
"Good morning." Jeremiah said tot he file as she wakes passed him.
"Belly, where have you been?" Laurel asked, looking at the girl with a worried look as she walked closer to her. Laurel turned and studied the as she came over took and took a seat between her and Okalani. "Is that a bruise?" She asked, reaching over and touching the side of her daughters face, examining the mark.
"I-I bumped into someone." Belly explained to the woman, not looking her in the eyes as she caught eyes with U'li. Said girl furrowed her eyes brows at her best friend, a worried look on her face thinking something bad happened after she left this morning. Belly just shook her head at the girl softly before looking away towards the living room, making eye contact with Conrad. Still concerned, she looked over at her sister for some type of explanation but all she got was a slight shake of her head before the girl mouthed 'I'll tell you later'. U'li just sighed before she bit into her pb&j.
"You bumped into someone?" Laurel asked the girl worriedly but Belly didn't respond, glaring at the boy in the living room.
"Doesn't look that bad." Conrad spoke up, looking the younger girl in the eye. Belly rolled her eyes at the boy as she looked away.
"Uh, cereal?" Jeremiah asked, breaking the awkward tension the filled the room after that small interaction.
"Yeah, hit me." Belly told the boy as she leaned against the counter separating the two.
"Oh, my God!" Came the loud voice of a family blonde woman. Susannah walked around the corner from the living room with a large smile on her face as she held all three invitations in her hands.
"The girls are gonna be debutantes!" She said excitedly as she laughed with Belly and Okalani while U'liani just nodded as she chewed her sandwich while looking down at the book she was reading.
"It's really not the big of a deal." Belly said as the woman came over and squeezed the two girls into a hug while the boys looked at each other.
"I'm sorry. Like, Belly?" Steven asked Susannah. "Like, my sister. That thing, right there." The boy joked, pointing over at the girl. Belly's smiled dropped as she glared at her brother.
"Shut up, cretin." The girl snapped at the boy.
"Okay, this is gonna be so much fun. Just you wait." Susannah said, smiling at the girls as she walked over to U'li behind the counter and squeezed her into a hug as well. U'li smiled as she leaned her head against the woman. "There is, uh...there's the tea, the auction, the ball, of course, and the rehearsal." Susan's said excitedly as she moved around the kitchen.
Her words caused U'liani to look up at her in concern. "Auction? We're being sold? Like, for money?!" She asked with a mouth full of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Okalani groaned as she put her head into her hands as Nani walked into the kitchen from the back door. "I knew this whole thing was some patriarchal bullshit." She said as Jeremiah placed a bowl of cereal down in front of here.
"No, not like that. An auction to raise money for charity." Susannah said. "Ah, I have to write this all down." She said before moving to grab a pen and paper before she gasped and looked back over at them. "We need to go shopping." She said.
"This all sounds...expensive." Nani said as she took a seat next to Laurel, who nodded her head in agreement.
"That's fine, we're rich." Keanu said with a shrug, causing his sisters and aunt to roll their eyes.
"Don't worry, Laur. It's on me." Susannah said as she took a seat next to Laurel and Nani when the girls codices to move to the table in the kitchen. "It was my idea after all, and we still need to style you for your book party, so.." the woman shrugged. Laurel looked at the woman with a solemn smile before looking over at her daughter.
"Belly, are you sure you want to do this? It doesn't seem very you." She asked. Before Belly could respond, however, she was cut off by Conrad.
"It's not." He said, causing all the women to look his way. The boy made eye contact with U'li, seeing the annoyed look she was giving him. Him saying that reminded her of the conversation they had before he went to the bonfire. And she wasn't still mad at him, she was never mad, but the way he was talking to Belly, she didn't enjoy.
"Conrad, could you please be a little more supportive?" Susannah pleaded before leaving it at that with him. "Now, which one of you is gonna be these gorgeous ladies escort to the ball?" Susannah asked all the boys lingering around.
"Not me, I went last year." Conrad said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, and I swore off balls." Jeremiah said, earning a look from his mother while Steven and U'liani snickered at his statement that probably wasn't supposed to sound that lewd. Jeremiah laughed along with them before clarifying. "The dances, you morons." He chuckled before going back to whatever ever he was doing.
"Wow, guys, stop fighting over us." Belly said as she and Okalni laughed with a fist bump. "I'm not going with either of you. I am going to find my own date." She said, looking over at Susannah to answer her.
"Yeah, no one wants to be seen with you geeks anyways." Okalani spoke up as she typed on her phone before looking up at them. "It's make me seem ten times less attractive, which isn't a lot for me because I'm insanely gorgeous but I don't need that kind of unwanted attention." She said jokingly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, but everyone knew there was some truth to her statement. The boys all groaned at her at usual over confident behavior while the girls laughed. No one could one up Lani when it came to anything, she was just that witty.
"U'li, what about you?" Nani asked, looking at the girl, who had her nose stuck in some book. The girl glanced up to see the room looking at her, waiting for an answer. She then placed her book down before looking at her brother, giving him her signature puppy dogs eyes. And before she could even plead her case, the boy already had his hand up, converting his eyes.
"Nope. That won't work on me, I'm not doing it." He said as he coved his eyes and shook her head. U'li has always been able to get what she wants with just a simple look, no matter the situation. And the look was never the same, depending on the matter at hand, she always had a look. The girl then directed her eyes to her best friend Steven who smiled awkwardly when she looked at him. But she couldn't even get her words out this time before Keanu cut in again. "Him either, he's to busy with Shayla." He said, causing the boys eyes to snap to him in shock. He glared at Keanu before turning his gaze back to U'li who just stared at him.
"Who's Shayla?" Laurel asked her son.
"No one." Steven answered her, not taking his eyes of U'li trying to gauge what her eyes were saying. But they weren't saying anything. She just stared at him, no more puppy eyes, just her usual bright eyes, staring at him blankly.
The girl sighed before shrugging her shoulders and turning around in her seat. "I'm sure I can find someone around here that'll go with me." She said before going back to her book. Steven started at the girl as he thought of his next move. He wasn't into this whole deb thing and the thought of U'li going with someone else made his stomach turn. He was about to speak when Okalni cut him off.
"Speaking of someone, I met these two cute dudes last night and this one guy was totally into you. You can ask him." Okalni said before taking the last bite of the cereal Jeremiah made her. The boys all froze, listening to what the girl said.
"Totally into me? How does he even know what I look like?" U'li said, non of the teen girls paying attention to the eyes on them. She was trying her best not to look behind her, not wanting to make eyes contact with Steven. Her heart was pounding in her chest at the thought of him having a girlfriend that she didn't know about and she didn't know why. Last time she checked, all she had was a stupid crush on the boy, but hearing another girls name made her head spiral.
"I showed him. It was a picture of you before you dyed your hair. It was like love at first sight. His names Elias." Her sister answered her with a smile on her face. Keanu and Conrad arched their brows in confusion while Steven and Jeremiah quirked his lip in disgust.
Is she talking about that Jonah dude? I hate Jonah. Jeremiah said to himself, internally.
Love at first sight? He doesn't even know her. Steven thought as they all continued to listen to the conversation.
"What does he look like?" U'li asked, causing the boys to look at her in surprise. U'liani didn't have much experience with boys, since no one wanted to date the fat girl and all that. So she didn't really talk about boy or relationships around people that weren't Belly and Okalani. So to hear her ask how a guy looked, it shocked everyone but her sisters.
Okalani squealed before as she swiped away in her phone. "I got his socials last night along with the other hot guy but he's for me." She before pulling up the photo of Elias and putting it between U'li and Belly for then to see.
The girls both gasped before U'li picked up the phone and stared at his Instagram closely. "Oh my." U'li as she started at the picture. The guys all stood behind the counter, wanting to see what the guys looked like. Conrad walked over to see over the girls shoulder but she placed the phone to her chest and looked up at the boy with a smirk.
"Oh no, no one can see this." She smiled as she laughed, causing the other girls to laugh while the boy scoffed. "I'm going for a swim." He announced to the room before walking out of the house and into the back yard.
"Wikipedia says debutante balls require instruction in morals and social etiquette." Laurel said as she read her computer before looking over at Susannah.
"Yeah, she could use some etiquette." Steven said, chuckling along with the other boys.
"No offense Beck, but I don't think a country club is the best place to teach Belly about morals." Laurel said, not liking the whole idea of her daughter behind involved in the debutante scenes
"Laur, times have changed. There's a girl debbing this season and she's bringing her girlfriend as her escort and the club was fine with it." Susannah told the reassured the woman while Belly zoned out of the conversation, looking out the window at the boy that left. Watching in strip to get into the pool.
"How very progressive of them." Laurel deadpanned. Jeremiah then came over hand took the empty bowl of cereal from Okalani and placed down some eggs in front of her. "Here you are Lani Pop." He said, using the nickname her mom used to call her when she was younger. Leimomi had a special nickname for all of the kids. The girl smiled up at the boy before he walked away.
"Hurry up! We have some shopping to do." Laurel said causing two of the girls to look over at her in confusion.
"It's not like I was getting any work done anyway." Laurel said, closing her laptop. "And I don't work down here so..." Nani said with a shrug.
"Wait, we have work." Okalani said as she pointed between the her and her sister. Susannah waved her statement off.
"There's other girls there who aren't debutants, and plus, the country club will understand." She said. The girls looked at each other before smiling back over at the woman.
"Yay! No work." U'li said as she raised her hands in excitement. The women all laughed at her while the boys rolled their eyes from behind them.
And the next couple of hour's consisted of the girls going from store to store as the bought outfits for each and every event the deb ball consisted of.
They were currently in a little boutique picking out cute pieces for the tea time this afternoon. U'liani came out in an unflattering blue two piece set. She did poses for all the girls waiting on her but all she got was faces of disappointment and a thumbs down from Belly cause the girl to groan because this was her second to last outfit.
She then came out in a tight pink, spaghetti strap corset that paired perfectly with a long floral skirt that that had the flowers the same shade of pink and some cream whit heels to complete the look. All the girls clapped at her outfit, especially considering this is their first time seeing her in real clothes besides her work clothes. She smiled at them with a nod before going back into to change back into her work clothes. That's what she wore here because they didn't have enough time to change.
And Okalni, knowing what worked for her and what didn't, came out in a white, linen top that pinched the waist and a long floral skirt like U'li except hers was white with blue flowers and white heels. Everyone smiled as the girl posed for them like she was in a photoshoot. They all laughed as she did her model walk back into the dressing room, dramatically closing the changing curtain.
They were now walking to another boutique when Susannah began talking. "Okay, they're called "fascinators" and all the girls will be wearing them." She said as they stood outside the window, looking at the extravagant hats that were displayed there.
"Seriously?" Laurel asked, looking weirdly at the hats.
"Yeah, I don't know about this." Belly said unsurely,
"They look like the things my grandparents and the old folks on my mom's side wear to church." U'li said, staring at the funny looking accessories.
Susannah sighed as they all started to make fun of the hats before going to open the door. "Come on." Was all she said, leading them into the store where they will be picked out their debutante ball dress.
U'liani went before Belly, trying on three dresses before she got fed up with all the back and forth. "This will be the last dress I'm trying on." She called out to all the ladies that are waiting on her, getting multiple responses of her to just come out.
She opened the curtain to reveal herself in a silk, off the shoulder dress that hugged her waist and extenuated her bust. It was very simple, the chest area having a piece of fabric lap over so you didn't see where her arms slip and the fabric fanned out at the hips a little.
The room gasped sh she stepped out, the white head band that held her hair back and her hair matching the dress perfectly, as if it was meant to be hers. She smiled at the sound of approval, ready to get this all over with.
After Belly, it was Lani's turn and she didn't have as much kick as she did at the other boutique. She actually more dressed than the rest of the girls combined. Everything was either to over the top or way to simple for her liking. But the minute she came out in her satin, it was all over. The dress had a corset that was sort of hidden with the satin train the dress had. Hers also had straps that could either be worms on or off, either way was stylish. It was perfect, the perfect blend of simple but extravagant.
"The dresses you girls picked is actually one of a kind." The lady that was helping them check out said as she looked between the darker skinned girls. "It's from Waterhouse couture. Many people judged them because they looked too simple and unfinished to to be wedding dresses. But they were made with the idea that whoever bought them would make their own tweaks to it. Like a true fashion visionary, Leimomi was ahead of her time and gone to soon." The woman said, totally unaware that she had the Waterhouse girls in front of her.
Nani wrapped her hand around Okalani, rubbing her thumb in it while Susannah pulled U'liani into a side hug. All the girls stood there with sad smiles as they thought about the woman who made everything better, and how she wasn't here now. Masking her pain, U'li smiled at the woman as she took the bags. "Thank you." She said and the woman smiled back at her, unbelievable to the boulders meaning of the previous girls words.
Thank you for speaking such kind words about my mother.
So after hours of shopping, the girl were dropped off at the country club for the tea party. U'liani and Okalni decided to go by the pool where they knew their best friends would be working before the tea started.
Jeremiah was chilling by the pool, talking to come chick when Steven came up behind him and startled him. Jeremiah laughed, accepting that the dude got him before he turned around.
His smile slowly faded, as is laughter, when he saw the item on Steven head. "Oh, you fucked up." He said, staring at the guy just as Keanu walked over to them. He wasn't focused on what the boys were saying because his attention was on Steven.
"Oh, dude, you fucked up." He said, looking at the guy next to him while Jeremiah nodded in agreement. Steven looked between them confused and concerned. "What? What? How could I have already fucked up?" The boy asked, looking down at his attire.
"Nobody's gonna wanna hook up with you after they see you with this." Jeremiah laugh, pointing at the boy. Steven stood there, confused for a second before realizing it was the hair net. "Oh!" He yelled in realization, snatching the thing off his head while Jeremiah and Keanu laughed.
"You should have just been a lifeguard with me and Key. Hardly anyone drowns." Jeremiah told him while Keanu nodded. "Yeah, it's simple work. I literally do nothing and get paid." The boy shrugged.
"Okay, well, I'll take the hairnet if it means I don't have to live with my mom freshman year." The boy said, taking all of his tips out of his pocket and counting through the money. The other boys made faces in agreement, backing off. "Okay, fair enough." Keanu said he was backed away from the boy as Jeremiah stood up.
he then stood in between him and Steven, crossing his arms as he glanced at both of the boys before taking in a deep breath. "Take it in, boys. This is all ours." He said, as they all glanced around the area at all the people. Keanu laughed as he looked over at the boy. "I'm gonna go get me a beverage from the bar, I'll be back." He said before leaving them. Jeremiah then put his arms around the other boy's shoulder, bring him closer.
"You see her?" He asked, pointing over to a girl in teal and white shirts and a nude colored top. "Hooked up with her." He said casually, causing Steven to hum in acknowledgment. He then pointed to the lifeguard passing by. "Him, lifeguard."
"And, uh, the one in the blue." He continued, pointing to the file in a blue bikini that sat at the edge of the pool. Too busy talking about all his hook ups, neither of the boys heard the sound of heel's hitting the pavement behind them. "And the guy with the eyebrows." He finished with a smirk while Steven laughed out loud.
"Oh, so you're a slut?" A voice piped up from behind them before they walked so they were beside the boys. "You give it up, like, really fucking easily, you're a fucking slut." Okalani said with a smirk as she sipped her piña colada she got from the pool bar. The boys looked over at her and U'li, taken aback by their attire. They both stood there, sipping their drinks through straws to not mess up their make up. Steven couldn't help but be stuck in a trance as he stared at U'liani. The way her skin glowed under the sun, and the gold jewelry that shined off her exposed chest. He could feel his pants get tighter as his eyes scanned her body, and that also made him feel a little sick. Having such thoughts about such a sweet girl.
Jeremiah smirked as he looked at Okalani, who was staring up at him through her lashes. She played with her straw a little as she fluttered her eyelashes at him as naturally as possible.
"I'm not a slut. I just like to kiss and be cozy with people." The shrugged, looking girl in and down. His words had a very flirtatious undertone, and Okalani could help but smirk.
"You sure you weren't groomed or anything? Cause some of these guys look hella old to be dealing with you." U'liani said, side-eyeing the blonde looking at some of the people he pointed to. "I mean, he has a full beard." She said in disbelief, pointing at the man. Jeremiah just laughed her off, think she was making some sick joke when she was, in fact, very serious. His attention then went to a girl dressed in a black and white outfit with red accessories as she walked through the pool area.
"Speaking of kissing, I've never kissed her though." He said, making the girls eyes follow the girl. They all watched as she walked with confidence, paying no one may mind. Okalani's eye twitched at the boys words, thinking about him kissing another girl. She took a large sip of her drink, puffing out her cheeks before gulping it all down.
"Yeah, keep it that way." Steven said and U'li felt her heart drop at his words. She looked back over at the boys as she continued to sip her fruit punch, trying not to show any reaction to his statement. Steven glanced her way for a split second before looking back at Jeremiah who decided to start talking again.
"Okay, all right. Shayla's cute and all but I'd avoid getting sucked in." He blonde boy advised the other.
"Sucked? Sucked into what?" Steven asked.
"To all that." The boy said, gesturing to the girl with his hands before turning his attention to the girls next to him. "All this." He said, using his hands to rake up and down their bodies. The girls jerked his head back at his words while the boy just continued. "Girls in sundresses are my kryptonite, but I'd never let one talk me into being an escort. Trust me, if Shayla asks you and you say "yes" it's gonna blow up your whole summer." Jeremiah informed his friend while the girls rolled their eyes at his proclamation.
"We gotta go before we're late to our deb thing. It was nice chatting while we could." Okalni spoke up before turning in her heels and walking away, too pissed to even offer the boys a goodbye. U'liani smiled sweetly at them before offering them a wave and then walking away once she got one in return. The boys watched them leave, both still in complete disbelief at the gorgeous girls leaving.
"Girls in sundresses might be my kryptonite as well." Steven said, not taking his eye off the girl walking away. His words caused Jeremiah to glance at him before his eyes went back to the girls retreating backs. "See. Why stay locked down when you can have that." He said, pointing at the girls right before they left through the same gate as Shayla.
Both of the boys sighed once the girls were out of their sight before looking at one another. "So we're both acknowledging that they're very hot and gorgeous, right?" Steven asked the boy, Jeremiah immediately nodding at his words. "Yeah." He sighed.
"And those very hot and gorgeous girls are our best friends but also our other best friends little sisters and best friends with my little sister?"
"Mhmm."
"And that if Keanu heard any of this, he's kill us slowly?" Steven continued, earning another nod from the blonde haired boy. "Yup."
They stated each other in the eye before speaking.
"This stays between us."
And on the other side of the gate as the girls walked to the building where the tea party will be held, silence filling the air as they sip the rest of their drinks as their minds raced. Until a few minutes later, U'liani decided to speak up. "So you like Jeremiah, right?" The girl asked, causing Okalani to immediately nod her head. "Yeah."
"And I like Steven?"
"Mhmm."
"And those boys happen to be our best friends, but also our older brothers best friends and one is our other best friends big brother?" U'liani continued, earning another nod from her little sister. "Yup." The girl sighed.
They got to the door of the building, stopping outside the door and staring each other in the eye.
"This stays between us." They said at the same time before walking into the building.
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Jazzie Speaks!
Each chapter is getting longer than the last and I'm not even done with episode two. Do you guys like the progression of the story? Is it too slow, too fast? Let me know please. And what the girls wore for the debutante tea is down below. Please be sure to vote and comment, love you guys so much! <3
Word Count!
9,439