This Love (Belly's Version)

Back to Cousins

Conrad Fisher.

The boy i'd been in love with since I was ten.

Standing right infront of me.

He'd gotten taller. His eyes darker and his smile sneakier. He looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Hey Belly."

He looks me up and down and I feel my cheeks go pink. This was what I was excited for. I had grown over the school year. Until now the boys, Conrad, had only seen me as a kid. But now? Now I was going to make this summer different. I wasn't gonna be silly sensitive little Belly. I was gonna be Isabel Conklin.

"Conrad! Come help me with my board!"

The voice made me jump. It sounded like...a girl? I peered behind Conrad to see her standing on the porch of the house. She was tall, tan, and absolutely beautiful. I could feel my confidence disappear into nothing. Of course Conrad had a girlfriend. He'd probably had a ton of girlfriends during the school year. But he'd never brought one of them to the beach house. This place had been sacred. Untouched by outsiders. Conrad smiled as he looked back to her.

"Relax! I'll be inside in a second!"

The girl flips him off and run back into the house, leaving the door open for us. Conrad turns back to me, a stupid smile on his face.

"Ignore her. She intends on being as bitchy as she can as, much as she can."

Jere and Steven were already inside the house. I know that if Steven was here, he'd be giving me this look. It's hard to explain but you'd understand if you saw. It was a look that was a mix of pity and amusement. Only the kind a dickhead but softie brother could give you. I followed Conrad as he made his way up the stairs and inside the house. My heart sank with every step. I was about to meet one of Conrad's girlfriends. As we stepped into the kitchen, I saw her again. How did she look even more perfect in person?

"Oh shit. Sorry I didn't come to say hi Belly."

She knows my name?

"Conrad, can you hand me the wheel?"

Conrad grabbed a white wheel that was sitting on the counter and handed it to her. A skateboard was sitting on top of the island, one wheel missing. If this was one of Conrad's girlfriends, she had absolutely no respect for Susannah's countertops. She looked so familiar. A memory sat on the edge of my mind, too blurry and faded for me to remember.

"It's nice to meet one of Conrad's girlfriends."

This time me and Conrad both jumped at the loud drop of the wheel and screwdriver she had been holding. Her face looked horrified and Conrad stifled a laugh.

"Umm, I'm not Conrad's girlfriend. That's like...illegal."

Wait what?

"Plus I'm a lesbian. So he'd never have a chance."

Oh!

Conrad was biting his lip, his eyes shifting between me and the girl. I really needed to learn her name.

"I kinda figured you wouldn't remember me. It's been a while since we've seen each other."

So they had met before?

"I'm Conrad's cousin, Jocelyn. But everyone calls me Jace now."

His cousin. She was his cousin. My face probably showed my embarrassment cause Conrad smiled even more. Jace smiled a little too, enjoying my embarrassment. Honestly, I didn't blame her.

"Oh my god. I- I am so sorry! I didn't even-"

"It's fine. Besides, like Conrad could ever be so lucky."

Jace winked and Conrad rolled his eyes. Jocelyn. I hadn't heard that name in years. She had changed so much. I barely even recognized her.

"My parents decided that they wanted a summer away from me and I from them. So I'll be crashing your summer crew this year. Sorry."

Jace shrugged and started to work on the skateboard again. I walked out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs to my room. Conrad didn't follow behind me. I gently closed the door and slapped my hand on my forehead. Of course. She was his cousin and I completely embarrassed myself infront of a beautiful girl. No wonder Conrad thought I was a kid.

"Stupid!"

I sighed and looked to my bed. My bags sat on top of the fitted sheets, probably brought up by Jere. He really was the best. I moved the bags to the floor and sat on my bed. Jace. Jace, Jace, Jace. I remembered her. I couldn't exactly recall the memories but there were times in between the summer that we all saw eachother. Like during the boys birthdays, or when Susannah was first sick. Jace had been there the first few times but she lived in Virginia. I had only heard her name most of the time, but it had been atleast three years since I saw Jace. And somehow I'd managed to embarrass herself during my new first impression with Jace. Classic Belly move. I laid back onto the bed and sighed, closing my eyes. This was gonna be a long summer.