03| NIGHT SWIMS
[ Chapter Three ]
❝That was before I accompanied Conrad to those things and realized how bad they actually were.❞
[Summer House]
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After dinner, Samantha had gone back to her room, to put on her swimsuit for a night swim.
Night swims had been Belly and Samantha's thing since they were young. Sometimes they swam at night together but tonight Samantha hadn't talked to her since dinner and she put on her favorite one-piece before grabbing a towel and leaving her room.
She could hear the shower running and figured it was one of the boys getting ready for their night out. The boys planned on going to a bonfire further down the beach, but Samantha and Belly hadn't been invited. Samantha was being ignored again, just as Samantha had predicted.
But for some reason she didn't mind as much as she thought.
She tiptoed past the other rooms, not really wanting anyone invading the peace that she gained by swimming at night.
Laurel, Susannah and Anna were in the kitchen cleaning up and waved at Samantha as she went past.
The backyard was quiet, the only sounds were the bugs and the wind in the trees. Samantha set her towel on a chair, before diving into the still pool. Her splash echoed off the outside walls of the house, shattering the peaceful silence for a moment. She started swimming the length of the pool, getting lost in her thoughts.
When she finally decided to take a break and come up for air, she noticed she wasn't alone. She brushed her hair out of her face and focused on Conrad who was sitting on the other end of the pool, with his legs in the water, smoking.
"Hi?" Conrad said, but it came out as a sort of question.
Samantha treaded water as her eyes flickered from the joint he was smoking up to his eyes, "I thought you said smoking pot changes the way your brain processes information?"
His face betrayed no emotion but his eyes locked on hers as he said, "So does your cellphone."
"You said that marijuana messes with white matter. You said that our brains are still developing and that-"
"God do you memorize every single thing that I've ever said?" Conrad interrupted, a smile on his face.
"Screw you." Samantha broke eye contact, disappearing beneath the surface of the water.
When she resurfaced Conrad was still looking at her and she rolled her eyes at him, "Weren't you the one who said athletes don't put shit in their bodies?"
Conrad shrugged, "I said a lot of things but I'm not an athlete anymore. So." He held out the joint as if to prove his point before he took another drag of it.
Samantha looked away from him as she said, "Well, I still think you should quit."
Silence fell between them for a few seconds before Samantha looked back at Conrad, their eyes locking again. Conrad blew out the smoke from his last inhale before leaning forward and lowering his voice, "What'll you give me if I do?"
His eyes burned into hers as a smirk appeared on his face. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared back at him, trying not to let the fact that he still affected her, show on her face. But a small hitch in her breath betrayed her and she quickly said, "Nothing. I think you should quit for yourself."
Conrad chuckled slightly but lowered the joint, not taking another hit from it.
Samantha sank beneath the water again and when she resurfaced Conrad asked, "Are you actually considering being a debutante?"
"What does it matter to you?" Samantha asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"It doesn't seem like you Sammy." Conrad used his personal nickname for her again.
"Since when do you know what I like?" Samantha asked, challenging him.
"I know you, Sammy. Whether you want to admit it or not." Conrad said and this time he grabbed the joint and took a drag from it as if this conversation was stressing him out.
Samantha knew he did but she also knew that he didn't get a say in what she did or not, "Maybe I just want something to do."
That was a lie and Conrad knew it immediately, "Didn't you plan on working at the bookstore this summer? And don't you have a class? Besides, don't let my mom make you her little doll just because she didn't have a daughter."
"I don't mind it honestly." Samantha said and leaned her head back in the water, "Besides, sometimes I wish I was her daughter."
"No you don't." Conrad said quickly, "You're lucky to have Anna as your mom. Trust me."
Samantha looked at him confused, "Why are you acting so different?"
"I'm not." Conrad shook his head.
"You are. I know you. Is something going on?" Samantha asked, with genuine concern on her face.
Conrad paused, "Sammy-"
But Conrad didn't get to continue whatever it was he was going to say because just then the door to the house opened and Luke came out. Luke looked between both of them before walking over to Conrad.
"Same idea?" Luke asked.
"Yeah I guess so." Conrad said, clearing his throat and exchanging a glance with Samantha.
Samantha sighed and swam to the side of the pool before pulling herself out, "I'm going to go shower this chlorine off."
Conrad didn't say anything but watched Samantha wrap the towel around herself and disappear into the house.
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By the time Samantha had showered off the chlorine and changed into comfy clothes, she noticed that the house was much quieter. She pulled the towel from her wet hair, letting it fall around her shoulders before she went through to Belly's door, knocking on it gently when she heard talking.
"Come in." Belly's voice sounded from the other side and Samantha pushed it open. Belly was talking to someone on her phone and Samantha went over to her, "Sorry, I was just talking to Taylor."
Taylor waved from the phone and then said to Belly, "Remember what I told you." Before ending the call.
"What's going on?" Samantha asked, noticing Belly's hair was wet and she was staring at a tight pink dress on her bed that looked like something Belly would never pick out on her own.
"It's Taylor's." Belly said, noticing Samantha staring at the dress.
"Makes sense." Samantha nodded.
"She told me to go to the bonfire." Belly explained.
"Seriously? It's just going to be people making out, bad music and beer." Samantha wrinkled her nose.
"Weren't you the one who complained that the boys never invited us to anything, last year?" Belly asked.
"That was before I accompanied Conrad to those things and realized how bad they actually were." Samantha said, although that was partly a lie. She did love being included in those things even if they ended up being awful.
Belly raised an eyebrow at Samantha, "Well, I want to go. Please go with me."
Samantha sighed, "I thought we were having movie night with the moms?"
"I told them I wasn't feeling well and I told them that you were invited by Conrad to the bonfire, which they all seemed really enthusiastic about by the way." Belly said.
"You didn't?" Samantha's cheeks turned red.
"I did." Belly nodded, "Please go with me, since you're supposed to be there anyway."
Samantha rolled her eyes, "Fine. But I'm not wearing something like that." She nodded to the dress on the bed.
"You absolutely don't have to." Belly's eyes shone with glee, "Go get dressed before we're late."
"We're already late." Samantha said as she left the room.
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Word Count: 1302
Hey everyone! Apologies for this being such a short chapter but I'm slowly getting into the good stuff.
(The gif at the top was made by me. Please do not steal it.)
What did you think? What about Conrad and Sam's current relationship?
I love you all and will see you soon for chapter 4!
POSTED ON:
8. 06. 22