NATE KNOWS THAT Taylor is coming back today, and he stares blankly down at the box of Air Jordan's on his floor with a sigh. His chest feels heavy— he doesn't know why.
He decides to get up, because he swears he can hear the faint noise of ballroom music in the room next to his. Belly's door is ajar, and he can see her attempting to dance with a pillow. He leans up against the doorframe, watching her in amusement.
It takes her a few seconds to notice him, but she practically jumps into the wall when she does. The pillow lands on the floor, and she scrambles to turn the music off.
"What's going on in here?" Nate asks, motioning to the phone and then back to Belly. "Living out your fantasies?"
"Shut up, Nate." she grumbles in response, throwing the pillow at him. He catches it and throws it back to her.
"Still don't have a date to the deb ball?"
Belly glares at him, clenching her jaw. "No."
"Okay, well, I can help you dance." Nate offers, stepping into her room with a broad grin. "I'm not saying I'll take you, but it actually physically hurts watching you try and do this by yourself."
"Are you trying to be nice or a jerk?"
"A little of both, I think." he shrugs, holding his hand out. "Come on, show me what to do, Princess."
She scoffs once more before taking his hand, showing him where to place it, and then showing him the steps of the dance. Within a few minutes, he manages to get the hang of it, and slowly but surely, it's rhythmic.
"I didn't know you could dance, Nate." Belly teases, to which he tilts his head and smiles proudly.
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Belly." he almost wants to say something about how he's not actually with Taylor, but he chooses not to.
"What are you talking about?" Belly scoffs. "Your life is an open book. Your my mom's favorite boy by far, which is definitely saying something."
Nate puts a hand over his heart. "I love your mom." he knows why Laurel likes him so much; he's not as impulsive as all the other guys in the house. If they wanted to, they'd throw punches as soon as possible. Nate prefers not to get physical.
The music slowly fades out, and Nate motions to himself proudly. "Am I a natural, or am I a natural?"
"You're something." she pats his shoulder comfortingly as she heads towards the door. "I've gotta go get painted by Susannah. See you later? Taylor's gonna be here in, like, two hours."
"Lovely." mutters Nate quietly, which Belly doesn't hear, because she's all the way out the door. He walks out behind her, but she's somehow all the way down the stairs by the time he leaves her room.
Jeremiah's door open, and the grinning, curly-haired boy exits. He slings an arm around Nate, sighing contentedly as they head downstairs.
"Let's walk on the beach or something." he suggests, somewhat dreamily. He's been in this trance-like state for the past few days, but he hasn't told Nate what it's about yet. "We've got a couple of hours before the volleyball game."
Nate stares at his best friend curiously. Something had to have happened with Belly, or else Jeremiah would not be as cheerful as he is.
"Just say it." huffs Nate, putting his hands on his hips and stopping right in front of Jeremiah. "Something happened between you and Belly."
"I never said that," Jeremiah has that knowing grin on his face, which wordlessly proves Nate's point. "Come on! Let's just, like, live life! Summer's almost over."
"You're going crazy or something." mumbles Nate sarcastically, pushing Jeremiah's head jokingly. "Just tell me already, bro."
"Fine!" Jeremiah dramatically throws his hands up into the air, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Me and Belly made out a couple days ago, but nothing has happened since. I mean, we've hardly talked since."
Nate resists the urge to wince— he doesn't want to say anything that might make Jeremiah upset, so he states, "Sounds like she's just as nervous as you."
Nate has always been a pretty good liar, so he's satisfied when Jeremiah breaks out in a wide grin.
*
Jeremiah had been ranting about Belly for about a half an hour before he decided he wanted to go and swim before the volleyball game. Nate says he's gonna stay inside, so he's finally off the hook with Jeremiah. He's standing in the kitchen when Conrad comes in, looking somewhat pale.
"Hey, Connie." greets Nate casually, glancing up from his phone. "How was the boat?"
"I need your help." Conrad almost immediately breathes out. "Which is, like, a selfish thing to say because we've hardly talked this summer and I feel... well, like a jerk, but I need to talk to someone about this that isn't Jere or Steven."
Nate squeezes his eyes shut, smiling at Conrad. "What's up?"
"Me and Belly almost kissed. Fourth of July."
Nate can't stop himself from thinking, Why am I always the one at the center of things?
"I think Jere is mad about it or something and Steven is her brother. I can't really..." Conrad trails off, running a shaky hand through his messy hair. "I want to be with her so bad, Nate. I wanna take her to the ball, I wanna be there for her, but everything is falling apart-"
Conrad's breathing has gone a little unsteady, and he gently grips the counter— he holds it as if he doesn't want Nate to notice, but he does anyway.
"You okay?" Nate stands up worriedly, taking a step closer to Conrad and reaching out for him.
"Yeah, yeah." Conrad assures him, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."
Nate feels a little confused; on one hand, he knows exactly who Belly's heart truly belongs to, and it's the boy standing right in front of Nate. On the other hand, Jeremiah is one of Nate's best friends, and he seems to really like Belly.
But maybe he doesn't like Belly as much as Conrad does, because Conrad is practically fainting at the thought of losing the girl.
"Don't apologize," Nate still squints at his older friend suspiciously. He places his hand on Conrad's shoulder. "I just-"
Conrad practically jumps as Belly enters the room, completely encapsulated by the water bottle she's holding. She doesn't even notice the two boys standing in the kitchen.
"Hey, Belly." Conrad clears his throat awkwardly, and she looks up, somewhat surprised.
"Oh, hey." Belly says distractedly. Nate looks between them before patting Conrad's back and excusing himself from the room.
He wishes Steven was still at the house, but he'd gone over to Shayla's before the game. It seems that Nate and Steven are the only two sane ones in the house with the exception of Laurel.
He lays down on his bed, scrolling mindlessly through Instagram. Nicole had posted just a few minutes before, but he doesn't like the post. He almost always does, but something is stopping him from doing so.
It isn't long before he hears two pairs of voices coming up the stairs, and his heart races— Taylor has arrived. He slowly opens the door to his bedroom, leaning up against the doorway as Taylor and Belly reach the top of the stairs.
"Oh, hey, Nate." says Belly, grinning a little at Taylor. The shorter girl tilts her head at Nate, crossing her arms.
"Hey, Princess." greets Nate, nodding his head. "TayTay."
Taylor subtly rolls her eyes, but notices the way Belly is watching their interaction curiously. She steps forward, putting a hand on Nate's neck and pulling his lips down to hers.
"Okay, that's enough." mutters Belly in disgust, and Taylor flashes her a grin.
"Sorry, Belle." she says swiftly. "Just happy to see my man here."
"Okay," whispers Nate begrudgingly under his breath.
"Hey, Nate said he has a present for you." Belly winks at Nate, who wishes he could scowl but can't. Taylor gives him a look that makes him almost immediately annoyed. "I'll be in my room?"
"Sounds good, Cinderbelly." Taylor clicks her tongue at her best friend before seizing Nate's wrist and dragging him back into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them. "A gift? Isn't that sweet of you, Nathaniel?"
He scoffs, trying to brush off the way his face grows hot as her hand slides down his wrist into his own hand. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Jewel. I only got it because I felt bad for ditching you at the party."
"Sure you did." she cranes her neck to look around the room. "So... where is it?"
Nate rolls his eyes, walking over to his desk and grabbing the bag from underneath it. He hands it to her stiffly, forcing a grin onto his face.
She sits down on his bed, opening the bag and tearing the box out. She glances up at him in disbelief, frowning as she opens the box. Her jaw drops as she pulls out the sneakers.
"Belly said you... you wanted them." he points awkwardly out to the hallway. "Uh, yeah. She said I should get them for you."
"Wow," for once in her life, Taylor Jewel is speechless. "These are... They're expensive, Nathaniel. You slayed this."
"Okay, stop yourself there." he grumbles, making a noise of disgust. "Stop saying shit like that. Not in my room, at least."
She stands up swiftly, her arms taking Nate by surprise as she wraps them around his neck. It's of great strain to her— she has to stand up as tall as she can to reach him. He slowly (and awkwardly) wraps his arms around her midsection, trying not to let them make their way to her waist.
"I mean... you are kidding me." Taylor shakes her head, staring back down at the box. "Why the hell would you do this? I mean, like, since when do you have taste? You dress like my grandfather. We need to find you a stylist, there's this amazing girl on TikTok who can, like, sense your vibe-"
"Ah, ah, ah." Nate clamps his hand over Taylor's mouth, and she immediately pushes him away. "No. You are not styling me."
"I'm just saying, I can't date a guy who dresses like this. Do you know your astrological sign?"
"Enough." Nate puts his hands on his hips, a teasing grin on his face as he leans towards a beaming Taylor. "Go with Belly."
"Whatever." she pushes his head, scoffing before she exits the room. "See you at the volleyball game. You're going, right?" she hesitates in his doorway, leaning up against it. She's biting her lip, as if trying not to smile at him.
"I am indeed, Miss Jewel." he assures her. "I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines."
"Good. Go put a skirt on or something."
*
Nate and Conrad are silently helping Susannah get the beach ready. From afar, they watch the teams practice; some are good, some are great, and some are pretty disastrous. Nate thinks Belly has a real shot of winning.
"Jere and Belly are a thing, right?" Conrad asks abruptly. He doesn't bother to look up. "I don't know, Steven said something, but..."
"Yeah, something with them." Nate mutters, hoping he can say something that can clear Conrad's clearly discouraged expression. "I think... well, if you tell her, Conrad... you know Belly. She'd pick you in a heartbeat."
Conrad looks up at Nate, his face blank, but he says nothing. He just nods. "Uh, thanks, Nate. I'm gonna get a drink."
"Yeah, go ahead." Nate waves him off. "I'll just finish up here. See you later?"
Conrad salutes him with a strained grin as he walks away, and Nate sighs. He looks up in the opposite direction, and for some odd reason, his heart sinks when he sees Taylor and Steven talking across the park.
He sighs; maybe Steven is starting to pay attention. Maybe he'll learn just how good she is, just how funny she is, just how-
Nate shakes his head. What the hell is wrong with him? This is Taylor Jewel he's talking about, the girl he's been fighting with for his entire life. He can't be in a room alone with her, right?
He turns away, watching as Conrad and Nicole talk to one another. It's like he can't escape misery and disappointment. He scoffs, keeping his eyes glued to the ground.
Someone taps him on the back, and he turns to see Taylor, looking giddy. That's it, then, she and Steven are together.
"Hey." she says, as if there's nothing else to say.
"Hey." Nate nods in response. "What's up with you and Steve-O? I saw you guys talking over there."
Taylor doesn't seem let down by the mention of her crush, which only makes Nate feel more uneasy. She tilts her head at him, scoffing a little.
"Not every conversation we have has to be about... about Steven, or-or Nicki-"
"Nicole." corrects Nate, for what feels like the hundredth time. "Was that supposed to be, like, a comparison to Nicki Minaj? Because that's pretty rac-"
"Stop." she laughs, shoving him back. "You're so not funny."
"You're literally laughing right now." he accuses, pointing at her. "Seriously? You're not gonna tell me what Steve said? Come on. I'm rooting for you here, TayTay."
"It was nothing." Taylor's mood dampens a little, which makes Nate raise a brow. She sighs out. "Let's just talk about it later."
He rolls his eyes, looking past her. Belly is pacing across the sand; she's definitely nervous. He rubs the back of his neck before looking back at Taylor.
"Belly's gonna be a force to reckon with today." Nate says with a scoff. "Even to you. You'd better get over there and calm her down."
Taylor glances at Belly. "Ugh, fine. Don't miss me too much, freak."
"Can't make any promises." Nate calls out after her, but she doesn't look back. He smiles so hard it makes his face hurt— then it fades. He feels this odd feeling in his stomach, as if he's being warned about something.
He's being warned about his true feelings for Taylor. It's not all fake anymore; he actually likes her. He wants to be with her for real.
*
"Good afternoon." Susannah announces from the podium. "I'm Susannah Fisher," some people clap for her, "chair of the club's community service board, and I am delighted to welcome you to Play It Forward! You know, as my mother used to say, if you're lucky enough to be at the beach, you're lucky enough." there's some more cheers, the group of teens among them. "And we are very fortunate indeed... which is why, in the spirit of fun and friendly competition... it is time to open our hearts and our wallets and give back to those who may not be as fortunate."
Nate gives Belly a thumbs-up, and she returns it with a shaky wave. He can feel the nervousness radiating off of her, and it makes him nervous.
"We have teams raising money for homelessness," continues Susannah, "women's shelters, environmental causes and many more. And Play It Forward will match pledges for the winner of the tournament! Pledge tables still open, so please donate generously. And with that, I say let the games begin!"
"That trophy is going to be mine." growls Belly under her breath, which makes Conrad and Nate exchange somewhat fearful glances.
"Watch out for those two." Conrad points to the two girls they'd send practicing earlier. "Her spike is lethal."
"You got it, Princess Belle." Nate puts a hand on the top of her head, shaking her. "You can belly flop me if you lose."
Belly looks almost disheartened. "Ugh. So I can't?"
He grins at her. "That's the spirit."
Belly and Taylor are first matched against a duo of middle-aged men. It's obvious from the first point that the girls are going to beat them; they can't even compare to Taylor and Belly.
"Come on, Belly!" shouts Nate, who is standing beside an tense, yet eager, Jeremiah. She hardly even needs his support. Sometimes he thinks she just tunes him out anyway.
It's going amazingly— and then something happens. Taylor dives for a ball and falls to the ground with a groan. Belly looks immediately panicked as she heads over to her best friend.
"You okay?" Belly asks, looking frantically between Taylor and the crowd.
"No, I just... my ankle." Taylor winces, reaching down and rubbing it. "I just, like, twisted it." she accepts Belly's hand as she hops to her feet.
"Can you walk?" Belly inquires; she definitely cannot.
Taylor looks over at Jeremiah, waving him over. "Can you sub, please?"
"Yeah." Jeremiah nods frantically. "Yeah, yeah." he looks at Nate.
"Do you need help?" Nate asks as he follows Jeremiah out onto the sand, holding his hands out for Taylor to grab. Instead, she hands him her visor as she tears the TEAM BELLY shirt over her head. He quickly adverts his eyes.
"Can you take this?" Jeremiah asks, handing Nate is tank top. The slightly younger boy nods, throwing it over his shoulder as Taylor takes his hand. Nate sees her wink at Jeremiah before throwing her shirt at him.
"You okay?" mutters Nate with a raised brow as he throws his arm over her shoulder. She presses her head against his abdomen, sighing out.
"Fine." she returns, limping over to the bench and taking a seat. "Thanks." she adds as he sits next to her.
"Yeah, totally." he nods— he refuses to look at her because he's afraid his eyes will betray him. He's practically shaking. "By the way, you're a terrible actress."
She glares at him but says nothing. She scoffs before turning to face the game again. He grins, something she sees out of the corner of her eye, and Taylor elbows him, rolling her eyes.
"What? I can read you like a book, Jewel."
"Oh, sure you can." Taylor rolls her eyes once more. She shivers (falsely, Nate can tell), looking at him expectantly. "Can you give me your shirt? Be a gentleman for five seconds, maybe?"
Nate grumbles under his breath as he pulls his shirt over his head, handing it to her with a forced smile. She forces one right back, stealing it out of his hand.
"Fits great." she beams at him. "Maybe you should've give me more."
"Nice try. Not happening."
Belly and Jeremiah play well together, even though it's such an abrupt switch. Belly teaches Jeremiah her handshake with Taylor, and he really looks like he's enjoying himself.
Even Conrad seems supportive on the other side of the beach; he's still standing with Nicole. Nate doesn't care.
Jeremiah and Belly beat their first opponents with ease, and they seem unstoppable. Until they get to the two girls Nate had seen warming up. Then it seems like something grabs onto them and refuses to let go.
Jeremiah can't make a shot, and when he does, it's lucky. He hits into the net and sometimes he runs into the net, falling back onto the sand with a grunt.
"Oh, great." whispers Taylor, who has begun biting her nails anxiously.
Belly is fuming, and every time Jeremiah makes a mistake, she snaps at him. At first, he doesn't seem fazed, but as the game grows impossibly complicated, he seems stressed.
Then, he slams his body into the net, toppling onto the ground painfully. The crowd gathered around the game groans, Taylor and Nate included.
"Ref, can we get a time..." Belly holds her hands in a T shape, and the ref blows his whistle. She looks at Jeremiah with an apologetic expression. He knows exactly what's coming. "I'm so sorry. I have to win this, okay? They'll match my pledges-"
"Yeah. I get it." mutters Jeremiah— he gets it, but he's not happy about it. He looks at who Belly is looking at; Conrad.
"Conrad, I need you to sub in." she waves him over, and he quickly nods. Nicole watches him pull his shirt over his head before noticing Nate and waving. He waves awkwardly back.
"Nice job, Jere!" shouts Nate, cupping his hands around his mouth as he stands against the railing. Taylor joins him, and he finally looks down at her. His shirt reaches down just above her knees; she had totally been lying about it being a "perfect fit." He laughs. "That doesn't fit you at all."
"No, it's fine. I'm going for a Billie Eilish look." she waves him off, and he scoffs, rolling his eyes.
They both turn when they see Nicole coming up to them. Nate immediately faces forward, tensing up. Taylor clenches her jaw so hard that it looks like her bone has popped out of place.
Both girls look up at the awkward Nate, as if waiting to see what he's going to do. He looks over at Taylor silently until the refs blows his whistle again.
Conrad and Belly work perfectly together. The way they win makes it look easy. Belly'd been on the brink of losing, but with Conrad, she manages to make a comeback. The girls on the other side of the net are getting restless
And then, by some miracle, they pull it off. Jeremiah wasn't happy at first; he'd had his arms crossed over his chest. By the end, he's clapping and cheering for Conrad and Belly, putting his feelings aside.
"Competitive Belly is always a scary sight." voices Carlee as she comes up behind Taylor and Nate. Taylor looks a little tentative to see her friend. "Hey, TayTay."
Taylor smiles. "Hey, Carlee."
Carlee points to Nate. "Is he treating you right?"
Taylor glances at Nate, tilting her head. He ignores her stare as best he can, which makes her shrug. "He's alright. I'll keep him for a little while."
"Yeah, good idea." Carlee puts her arm around Taylor's shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug as they watch Belly and Conrad.
Their next matchup is easier than the girls they'd played before, and the game is over within a few points. Conrad and Belly are rolling; Nate is almost jealous of how athletic they are.
Within the hour, they're set to play Shayla and Steven in the final. Everyone standing against the railing cheers for each point, regardless of who wins. Belly doesn't seem to happy about it, but she'll forgive them eventually (Nate hopes).
It's so evenly matched that Taylor is holding onto Nate's arm, digging her nails into his skin and muttering curses under her breath. Nicole stifles a laugh on the other side of Nate, and Taylor's grip only grows tighter.
And then, finally, Belly and Conrad win. She leaps into his arms and he spins her around— it's like a movie scene. Jeremiah, while clapping, clenches his jaw jealously.
"Yes!" exclaims Taylor, raising her hands into the air victoriously. "Did you see that?" she demands, pushing Nate. "Did you?"
"I'm not blind, TJ." he reminds her, and she rolls her eyes.
"And the winners are Isabel Conklin and Conrad Fisher!" announces Susannah as Shayla and Steven congratulate the duo.
"I'm gonna head down and say congrats." Nate says to no one in particular, joining Laurel and Susannah on the sand. He smiles at Belly as she focuses on him. "Nice job there, Princess." he bows sarcastically.
"Thanks." she replies dryly, shoving him. "Couldn't have done it without your support, though."
He grins. "Yes, you could've."
jack
so tired and school starts soon😔