The Conklin's go to Cousins Beach every summer with their mom and her best friends Susannah and her two sons. Bree never felt in place at Cousins Beach, whether it be how she looks or even the fact she was adopted. Belly had always been the favorite...
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When I got to my room I decided to sit on my window seat and read a little bit. A little bit into my read I heard the door to the outside open up too see Belly walking out only to find Conrad there smoking pot. I didn't mean to ease drop but I just couldn't help myself.
"I thought you said smoking pot changes the way your brain processes information?" Belly questions him.
"So does your cell phone," He replies.
"You said marijuana messes with white matter."
"Do you even know what white matter is?"
"You said our brains are still developing and that-" Belly is cut off by Conrad.
"God do you memorize every single thing that I've ever said?" Belly scoffs when he said that but all I could do was laugh from the window. She and I both knew she did, if she really wanted to she could recite the first sentence he ever said to her.
"Get over yourself." She reply's. "I mean Conrad, your the one who said that smoking's dumb and that real athletes don't put shit in their bodies."
"I said a lot of stuff, and I'm not an athlete anymore so."
"Well, I still think you should quit." Of course Belly was making it about her. She didn't realize Conrad was in pain and was hurting mentally. That's why he quit football and that's why he's smoking pot, he block out his thoughts. Over the time we were apart Conrad kept in touch with me, not as much as Jere, but even for me to know what was going on with him. He quit football because his dad was putting so much pressure on him, so instead of talking about it he resorted to drugs and alcohol. He told me because he knew I would never judge him because I used to be like that and no one noticed.
My thoughts were interrupted when Conrad replied, "What'll you give me if I do?" This puzzled Belly and he knew it would, he knew all along she had liked him, he just never wanted to hurt her.
"Nothing I think you should quit for yourself." She finally says.
"Hey, why do you think B is considering this debutante thing?" This caught my attention. Why did it matter that I was considering it, if Belly can do it so can I.
"I don't know, it's not like she has anything else going on." Belly saying this didn't bother me because we both knew it was true. If I didn't do this, I would be stuck in the house all summer.
"But it's not her, she shouldn't let my mom make her her little doll just because she never had a daughter." This struck a nerve for me. I wasn't doing it because of Susannah and even if I did it would be none of Conrad's concern, I was doing it for myself.
"I don't think she minds it, you know she's always had a special place in her heart for your mom. I think she sometimes wishes she was her daughter." When Belly said that I felt a tug at my heart. Sure, Susannah understood be, but I loved mom and she could never be replaced. I don't understand why Belly would think that.
