she, conrad fisher

3

chapter 3
[play: why don't we go there by one direction]
i know the way, why don't you go there with me?

-

maisie

belly and i were on the beach laying on our towels trying to get in a little tan. her towel had different colored stripes while mine was covered in a vibrant pattern of the sun. between us was a small cooler that we had packed with snacks and little caprisuns. belly was in some new bikini that she said her best friend taylor from home packed her. i could tell she wasn't quite comfortable in it even though she looked great. i was laid out beside her on my stomach, the back of my black bikini top untied for an even tan.

"so have you had a boyfriend before?" she asked me, playing with the thin yellow straw sticking out of her juice pouch.

"yes and no. i had a really weird dynamic with a guy, but ultimately it didn't workout. he cheated." i told her, coming off unbothered when i only knew how long it took me to get over it.

"oh wow. im so sorry he treated you like that." belly sounded sorry for even asking me.

"in a way im glad it happened. i realized how much he sucked. how much i was settling. anyways back then i think i rushed because the rest of my friends were dating around too." i admitted to her something i had never really said out loud.

"what about you?" i asked her, my head resting on my arms folded in front of me.

"me? no. no." she laughed. "i don't really think boys started looking at me until this summer."

"what?!" i raised my head up at her, squinting and using my hand has a visor.

"yeah. i was kind of a geek before." she sounded embarrassed, but there was no reason to be.

"i firmly believe a geeky phase builds character. some personality. i went through the same thing in middle school." i cringed thinking back at how much i was experimenting with looks and styles back then.

"no way you had a geeky phase?" she looked at me in disbelief.

"belly, i went through a boyband phase. i was that one obsessed kid who wouldn't shut up. i mean i had no regrets. i'd do it all over again, but i was weird." i backed myself, but she giggled clearly able to get the idea.

"so, belly, you are beautiful and any guy who hasn't seen that before is an idiot." i reminded her and she shyly smiled to herself.

i was only a year older than belly, so the same age as jeremiah, but in a way felt like an older sister to belly. we had gone through life pretty much the same. i remember being in this identity crisis stage belly was in, except 2 years ago for me. i was doubting everything about myself. i had just gotten comfortable with who i was and what i liked, but at the same time i had never felt more lost.

"speaking of boys." belly's words trailed off, and i lifted my head to see jeremiah, conrad, and steven running over in our direction.

our moments of peace were soon to be disturbed. we watched as they got closer and closer carrying a football and towels and come waters. steven jumped right beside belly, making sure to get some sand on her legs. she shot him a dirty look, getting ready to run after him if he pulled anything else. my eyes were on conrad who was squinting and the wind blowing his hair around.

"im thinking about a...belly flop.." jeremiah trailed off, dropping all his things by our cooler and grabbing belly as she tried to run. steven grabbed her legs and i quickly picked up on what as happening as they ran with her towards the blue water.

conrad took a seat beside me, keeping more distance between us compared to how close i was to belly's towel. as i began to get up, i quickly realized that i had left the string running along my back untied. shit. because my face was already a little sunburnt, conrad wouldn't be able to tell how mortified i was with my face going red. i couldn't even check to see if belly was coming back, but from the screams and laughs in the water i realized it might be a minute.