AFTERGLOW, conrad fisher

02, back to the beach house

02, back to the beach house

The drive to beach house wasn't long, it was only about thirty minutes. In the car they listend to Taylor Swift. Fallon, Juliette's sister sang loud along and when the Chorus came Juliette joined her. It was the song "Don't Blame Me". It was a good Mood in the Car, even Mony decided to sing along.

"In four songs we are there" Juliette said after the next song began. She started counting time in songs since she started running, telling herself a amount of songs seemed more effective then actually thinking about the time she still had to run.

Juliette did things like this a lot, she always tried to romanticize her life. Distancing herself from toxic people, always trying new things like surfing or painting or watching sunsets. For her it was the little things that mattered.

Just like now. She rolled the Window down and stretched her arm out. The Wind flew through her fingers and the smell of salt from the ocean urged into her nose. It wasn't a bad smell, more like that kind of scent you smell when you walk along the beach. This scent and the wind made her feel free.

Since she was little Juliette loved going to the beach, she loved the feeling when she walked over the sand or the feeling when the Water hit her, the feeling of freedom when the cold ocean breeze blew her hair backwards or the fries she shared with her siblings after coming out of the Water.

Simply observing the Waves of the ocean could give her a satisfying relaxed feeling. She also tanned really fast, her friends were always  jealous because of that. The ocean was were she found peace and that's why she was always so exited to arrive at the Beach House.

But it wasn't exactly the summer she was exited for. She also loved the other seasons, it was just the things that happened in the summers and the people she saw. She had the fishers all other seasons of the year as well but it wasn't the same, the Conklin's weren't there and that was what made summer so special.

After two other songs Juliette decided to close the window again. She took her Phone to look if anyone had texted her. She had a few Notifications from Instagram but also a Message from her Group-chat with Belly and Taylor.

"Are you there already ?" the text was from Taylor. Juliette answered with a simple "Almost" and a few seconds later another Message arrived. "Is Matt gonna be there when you arrive?" It was from Taylor again.

Matt was Juliette's current boyfriend, she met him last winter when she was visiting Colleges she wanted to apply for. She asked him for the way because she thought he went there but he was actually doing the exactly same thing there as she did. They ended up exchanging numbers and she invited him to her Birthday which was in January.

She didn't throw a big party, it was just Matt, her siblings, Belly, Taylor, Jeremiah and her. On that day matt had asked her out on a date, something simple. He invited her to a picnic at a lake. She remembered the lake from her childhood, she used to  swim there with Jeremiah and Conrad when it was getting warmer.

When he had asked her she wasn't sure and didn't gave him an answer, she told him that she needed to think about it. He was annoyed by that answer, but tried to hide it, at least that was what Jeremiah who observed the whole conversation thought. At the end it was Taylor who convinced her to go on the date.

On the picnic Juliette learned that Matt worked at the County club, and that his family owned the giant summer house her and Belly always drove past when they were on there way to their favorite beach spot. The house was more like a mansion and they both always wondered who lived there.

A few weeks later they both started dating. It was different then with Conrad, it didn't felt right. But he was kind and charismatic, but it was also so much easier with him and even though it was selfish that was probably the reason Juliette stayed with him.

The time they spent together was nice but it felt like hanging out with a friend, and not even a close one like Jeremiah was, no more like a Classmate you liked but wouldn't talk to after school was over. Juliette never wanted to hurt his feelings but she still hoped that she would learn to love him.

Because she didn't knew if Matt was gonna be there at their arrival she texted back that she wasn't sure. After she put her Phone down she saw that they now were driving past the book store she worked at, and that meant that they were almost there.

When they arrived and their Mother parked Juliette got nervous. She didn't knew what would happen which made her anxious. When they stepped out of the car the door of the summer house opened. At first Susannah stepped out, behind her Jeremiah and then behind him wasn't Conrad but someone else. Matt came out, behind him no one else.

Juliette was disappointed, she wasn't sure if it was because Matt was there or because Conrad wasn't. At first Susannah greeted their Mother and then she pulled all three kids into a big hug. Susannah's hugs were always really comfortable, you just had to feel save around her.

When she let them go she looked them in the face one by one. "You all look great" she said while having one hand on Juliettes shoulder and the other on Monty's. "You do look great as well Susannah" Fallon said. She always looked up to Susannah, all the kids did. While Susannah talked with Monty and Fallon, Juliette got over to Matt.

"Hey" she said. "Hey" he answered. Even though they said the same thing it sounded completely different. Her hey was quiet and calm while his hey was loud and exited.
Without saying anything else he wrapped his arms around her lower body and lifted her up. To get more hold she put her hands around his neck. "I've missed you" he said after he put her down. When she dissolved the hug she looked up at him and smiled. "That's nice to hear" she said.

He was a  nice guy, she hoped it would be their year, she would hangout with him more and start to look more under his surface. And maybe then she would finally fully love him. To get Juliette out of her thoughts, Matt tickled her, whereupon she pushed him away laughing.

Matt stumbled after Juliette started to tickle him back so now she had a full view on the house. Her look wandered to the door and there he was, starring at her. Her eyes met his and in that Moment it was like only they existed. Conrad and Juliette lost in the eyes of each other.