𓆉 KILBY GIRL 𓆉
CHAPTER TEN
𓆉
"LANA GO GET ME A beer!" Shouted Xana, it echoing through the tidied house, due to the job of the maids. Xana pretended that her life was put together and she was a great mom, but anyone who lived on the inside of the walls new it was all fake.
Lana was footsteps away from opening the front door to head over to the Fishers. It was Belly's birthday, she had to follow tradition.
She hesitated, debating wether she would listen or go about with her day and pray that Xana's to drunk to remember. With a swift sigh, she opened the door with her opposite hand, as she had a present in the other, and slammed the door shut. Making sure her mother knew she was gone.
She rushed as quickly as she could out the door, hoping she wouldn't drop the thoughtful gift held with her toned arms. She didn't bother knocking against the door as she entered the house and made her way into the kitchen just on time like they had planned.
"Sorry for the wait, Xana was a bitch as usual. You know nothing new." Lana shrugged like it was nothing, placing her gift down on the table.
Jeremiah swooped by her, swiftly wrapping his right arm around her shoulders from behind, before moving away to attend his next task with cooking. She could tell her words worried him, but didn't it show greatly to the rest. But the small action of the quick hug was enough for Lana to know.
"Where's Trent?" Steven questioned, looking away from his cooking.
Lana looked around noticing that he wasn't already there like she had guessed. "I don't know, he been off ever since last night." She shrugged away the thought, pulling out a chair beside Conrad who ate cereal on the island. "He's probably with his girl friend again." She gagged, profound images she'd rather not see filling her mind.
"Thats not like Trent." Susannah frowned, worry crossing her face.
"Yeah, he's never missed any one of our birthdays." Conrad added, shoving cereal in his mouth.
They went to add on their ideas but fell silent when Belly entered the room in a beautiful floral dress that hugged her body perfectly.
The family's all chorused happy birthdays, bringing a bright smile to Belly's features.
"Happy birthday, gorgeous girl." Lana lovingly whispered into her ear. Wrapping her arms around the file lovingly, before retreating back to Steven.
As Steven leaned the freshly cooked bacon closer to his mouth, she leaned her lips to his, snatching the bacon with her teeth. His mouth was left agape, meanwhile she happily ate the delicious bacon.
"Shall we open gifts?" Susannah suggested after Belly turned down the Mickey Mouse pancakes Laurel suggested.
They all clapped in excitement, grabbing ahold of their gifts and making way to the living room.
Lana took notice of Belly's smile slowly dropping as she looked around the room for a certain face. It dropped even more when she notice Conrad as he sat there with no look of excitement towards the girl sweet sixteen.
Lana let out a cough to break her daze. "I'm gonna go call Trent, I'll be right back." She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, walking over to the foyer so they couldn't hear her scold Trent for his stupidity. "Don't start without me!"
Brining the phone up to her ear she waited for the line to stop ringing and hear her brothers agitated voice on the other side. She may of heard the line stop ringing, but she most definitely didn't hear her bothers deeper voice.
"Who's this?" Lana eyes widened in confusion as a female voice came on the other side of the phone.
"Trent's sister, who the hell are you."
A momentary amount of shuffling, she finally heard her brothers voice. "What do you want, Lana?"
"Where are you?" The brunette cut to the chase, knowing exactly what he was doing but not understanding why on a such important day.
"I'm at a friends, why?" He answered, sounding out of breath.
She wanted to gag at the thought, but held back. "Yeah, friends." She scoffed. "What is wrong with you? You're at some chicks house, instead of being home to celebrate Belly's birthday."
Silence was all she was given, until he finally spoke up. "It's not that important." He coldly replied, ending the call, leaving Lana dumbfounded and full of anger.
With a failed attempt of hoping he would answer when she called again, she shoved her phone back into her short pocket and headed back into the living room. Plastering on a smile, she sat on the floor beside Jeremiah.
He tapped on her shoulder and nodded his head, as a way of asking if he was coming.
Still keeping her smile and looking ahead, she shook her head.
"Okay, open mine now, Belly." Susannah smiled, leaning over to give the small gift over to the girl.
Belly shook it around and then carefully took the wrapping paper off, revealing a small velvet black box. She slowly opened it, forcing the rest in the unknown of what she got.
Lana already knew as she got the same thing for her sixteenth birthday. Susannah gave Lana a pearl bracelet, that was her mothers. It meant the world to her and she couldn't think of a better reason to give it to her girl. She had also been waiting for Belly's coming of age, deciding it was time for her set.
"Oh, wow." Belly said in admiration, toying with the pearl as she pulled it out. "They're gorgeous. Thank you, Susannah."
Susannah leant up, waltzing over to sit beside the birthday girl. She grabbed the pearls from her hands, and placed it around her neck. "My mom gave me these pearls for my sweet sixteen." She lovingly told her, tracing the pearls. "She told me if I ever had two girls, to give them the pearls. That's why you and Lana have them."
Lana smiled with the warmth of the meaning behind it. She tucked her knees into her chest, feeling it tighten. It hurt her to think that Xana would never have the thought to do this. That somebody else's mother had to do it for her. It almost made her want to go insane at the thought. But she brushed it away like normal, she couldn't seem like she was sad, not on somebody's big day.
"Radiant, isn't she?"
"They look great on you, sweetheart."
"Oh, I'm next." Jeremiah swiftly grabbed his present off the table, excitement clear in his demeanor as he handed the present over. "Here."
Belly laughed. "Thank you." After opening the dark green box, she looked back up in confusion.
"It's a good-luck charm to help you pass your driving test." He explained, thought and consideration behind his voice. Jeremiah was always like that.
Belly clasped it around her wrist, showing it off with a bright smile. "Perfect. Thank you."
"Now, your favorite person of all time, is up next." She gloated, playfully flicking her long hair into Jeremiah face. Trying hard especially not to laugh when she heard coughing and complaints from Jeremiah about strands of hair now stuck in his mouth.
Belly took the light blue wrapped present with a bow out of her hands. Gracefully setting it on her lap. Lana sat back down beside Jeremiah who narrowed his eyes, only making it funnier in her perspective.
Lana's presents never failed to excite people. She was a spontaneous and adventurous girl, meaning her gifts came the same way. A lot of the time they had deep meaning and went way back. And other times it would be random stuff she found in Walmart if she exceptionally didn't like somebody.
After what felt like years of struggling to unwrap the bow she got down the the Amazon box that held the items inside. Belly pulled out a large scrap book, things sticking at from the inside and bulging out. She flipped through it, seeing all sorts of pictures of them throughout each summer. It had clearly been thoughtfully planned out and put together. Shades of pink rose to Belly's cheeks. It was so sweet and thoughtful.
Belly ran to hug Lana, knocking her down in the process. They laughed as they let go, happiness making them both forgot who wasn't here.
When Belly had sat back down Steven almost immediately threw the present into her body, not giving her a chance to react.
Steven just laughed, while their mother scolded him.
Belly unraveled the shirt, holding it in front of her body. "Wow, Steven, i can't believe you actually spent money on me." She smiled big and cheesy, teasing her older brother.
"Relax. I just didn't want you stealing mine next year when i get in."
Laurels smile partially dropped with confusion as she took a look over to her son. "i didn't know you were still considering Princeton."
"You know, I-i think i'm gonna apply for some scholarships, and Dad think i can get some financial aid." He rushed to explain. "I don't know. i'll see if i get in." He said as if i was scared of his mother's disapproval.
Lana just couldn't quite catch onto why she'd be disappointed. Anyone would be more than happy to get into an ivy league school.
"Okay, um..." Laurel went in to continue, trying to find words.
"Conrad, uh, do you want to give Belly you present?" Susannah interrupted, resting her fingers against her knees.
Everyone's eyes fell onto his. He looked the least prepared and excited. Almost like he hadn't got anything at all.
Belly's smile slowly started to fall when they all came to a realization he had nothing.
"Sorry, i forgot." His voice sliced the air like a knife.
Belly looked around helplessly, embarrassed even. "Uh, that's...that's cool, I wasn't really expecting anything anyways, so..."
While Belly tried to cover up her hurt, harsh glances were thrown Conrad's why. Conrad couldn't miss the disappointment in both Belly and Lana's eyes.
Lana tried to hide her roll of her eyes. She knew it was a lie. Conrad had made sure to ask Lana if Belly would like the necklace he had picked out a week ahead of time. She constantly reassured him, and even watched him buy it. It made her furious he thought he needed a reason to back away.
"Oh, so i got to go. Um, i promised Cleveland that id show him some knots today." He awkwardly stood up, shoving his hands within his pockets and walked away.
"Happy birthday, Belly."
Lauren speaks
took way to long for me to update 😜