you know it's not the same as it was
❛ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ⎯⎯ㅤㅤIN WHICH sadie & jeremiah
reunite in the summer after years of not seeing each other, the only difference this time is their feelings for one another which are stronger now that they're older. coming to...
❛ don't go there 'cause you'll never return i know you think of me when you think of her ❜
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
the eight of them sat in the dining room, eating. jeremiah and steven were giggling at something on steven's phone. their behavior was starting to irritate laurel. "steven, i swear to god, if you look at that phone one more time, i'm putting it in the screen basket," she threatened.
laurel was like that—her approach was always direct and bold, often sending shivers down your spine. steven looked up from his phone at his mother, who was sitting across from him.
susannah cleared her throat. "it's just... we want to see your beautiful faces. can dinner be a screen-free zone? you know, like the olden days?" she always had a different approach. it had been interesting watching all three mothers over the summers. all the kids would do the same things, yet their consequences would be different.
laurel was always strict; she liked things done a certain way. but, like all mothers, she had a soft spot. more often than not, she cut the kids some slack. the most important lesson katherine wanted to teach her daughters was kindness. to katherine, it didn't matter what you did in life as long as you were a good person on the inside.
susannah was somewhat of a mix of both. katherine used to joke that susannah had it the hardest because she had two boys, but susannah would always argue that her boys were golden.
steven continued looking at his phone, ignoring the previous warnings. "steven," jeremiah called out before snatching the phone from steven's hand and tossing it across the room.
sadie watched as the phone soared above the table and landed on a chair a few feet away. "dude, are you kidding me?" steven protested.
"boom!" jeremiah cheered. "nailed it!" everyone at the table laughed and clapped lightly. "nice throw," piper complimented, letting out a wolf whistle before taking another bite of her food.
"okay, okay, okay, we get it—you've been working out," steven noted sarcastically. it was true. jeremiah had started working out, and it was obvious. he had grown so much since the last time the girls had seen him. his blue gaze, though, hadn't changed—it was still as intense as ever.
"oh, you're just jealous because jere has a better body than you," belly teased, her amused smile not going unnoticed.
steven squinted at his sister. "uh, no, actually. it's all about the lean look now—otherwise, you can't wear tailored suits." everyone at the table laughed at his defense.
"sure, sure," jeremiah said sarcastically, shaking his head in disbelief.
"tailored suits," conrad muttered under his breath, absentmindedly playing with his food. steven turned his attention to the older fisher boy. "when are you leaving for training camp, man?"
an awkward silence followed. it seemed as if steven had asked a forbidden question. the tension took everyone by surprise. conrad didn't answer, so jeremiah spoke for him. "uh, he quit football."
steven looked around the table, from conrad to susannah, clearly in shock. so was everyone else who hadn't known. "wh... wait, really? you quit?" steven asked, as if the fact wasn't already out in the open.
conrad nodded, letting out a simple "mmm-hmm."
"are you kidding me, man? i'd—i'd kill to play college ball," steven continued. piper and sadie exchanged a look. steven was clearly touching on a sensitive subject without realizing it. he could be oblivious like that sometimes.
"he can always change his mind," susannah offered gently. conrad shot her a look before replying, "i'm not gonna change my mind. i was just gonna sit on the bench all season anyway."
something was bothering him, sadie deduced. why would a football star suddenly quit? maybe he was going through something—well, he obviously was. it was clear that something was weighing on conrad, affecting his behavior. sadie wondered what could be so bad that it was making him act this way.
"well, if you're not playing football anymore, what are you gonna do all summer?" laurel asked, putting down her knife and fork.
conrad simply shrugged.
"oh, dude, you can work at the club. yeah, with me and jere," steven suggested eagerly. jeremiah nodded in agreement, matching steven's enthusiasm.
conrad glared. "i'm not gonna work at the club."
"you guys are working this summer?" piper asked, surprised. she hadn't expected the two boys to be so productive. "yeah, i'm lifeguarding, and steven's working at the snack shop," jeremiah explained, fist-bumping his friend.
"oh, belly, i almost forgot—i have a surprise for you," susannah said, handing belly an envelope. laurel chuckled, throwing her head back in disbelief. "so this is why you had to stop by the country club."
susannah just smiled widely and nodded.
"what... uh, wh-wh-what is that?" steven stammered, his curiosity getting the best of him. he was always nosy, especially when it came to his sister.
"i wrangled belly an invitation to be a debutante," susannah announced.
belly's eyebrows furrowed as she opened the envelope. "is that the thing where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?"
"it's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society. i—i know it sounds silly, but i swear it's fun. girls come from all over new england to cousins just to be a part of it. you'll make so many new friends," susannah explained patiently.
laurel took a big gulp of her drink. "i cannot believe you are still holding on to this archaic dream." she stood up and left the room.
"no," susannah argued, "it used to be about finding a husband, but now it's about networking. they teach you leadership skills—how to market yourself—and it benefits charity. it's, um, like a bat mitzvah."
laurel let out a sour laugh as she returned to the room, holding a brand-new bottle of champagne. "it is not like a bat mitzvah. there is nothing religious about a debutante ball."
"the whole deb scene is bullshit," conrad muttered. "it's for sheep."
someone else at the table murmured in agreement, but before the conversation could continue, sadie spoke up. "our mom was a deb."
and just like that, the tension from earlier—tension that had finally dissipated—was back, heavier than before.
sadie and conrad locked eyes. He was trying to apologize without actually saying anything. he hadn't meant it that way. she had to know that. besides, being a debutante over thirty years ago and today were two completely different things.
susannah cleared her throat. "that's right! katy was the most beautiful girl that year," she beamed at the memory.
it felt like only yesterday that she and katherine had searched all over cousins for the perfect white dress. it felt surreal to think about how long ago that was.
sadie's mind drifted elsewhere as they continued talking.
when she was little, she had dreamed of being a deb like her mom. but now, she was too old. now, without her mom here, it seemed pretty pointless.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ⎯⎯ㅤㅤNESSA'SNOTES! lowkey hate this chapter. might go back and rewrite it over time. kinda slow chapter with not a lot of interactions BUT the next one will be better i promise.
