the summer you noticed me ↠ conrad fisher {1}

t w e n t y - f i v e

      "Happy Birthday!" I scream, busting the door open. I go to pull the confetti thing I had bought from the convenient store and now I'm regretting my decision because this thing is hard to work. I thought all I had to do was pull this string and —

     POP!

     I stand there, wide eyes staring at my hands. Turns out this wasn't confetti, it also was not facing the other way but right at my face. My whole upper body, including my face and hair, and the wall behind me is covered in rainbow dust.

Belly is staring at me wide eyes from the bed, until she hears Conrad's fit of giggles from the doorway and she also burst out laughing.

I stand up straight and turn around slowly. "Hey, Conrad." I smile inching towards him. "Say, by any chance did you know that this wasn't confetti and it was powdered dust," I pause and take another step forward and he steps backwards hands still on his knees from laughing. "And did you happen to know, you know, when you handed this to me that it was facing my face?" I ask, in a calm tone.

     "Claire," Belly laughs from behind me. I turn around and look at Belly and that's when Belly screams. "Run, Conrad! Run!"

     By the time I realize what she has said and turned back around to Conrad he was already halfway down the steps.

     I face Belly and point an accusing finger at her. "You're lucky it's your birthday!" I scoff, then book it towards the beach where I know Conrad is running too.

     I heard Belly shout best birthday ever! But I'm too focused on my mission to stop and scold her for soaking in my misfortunes.

     By the time I make it to the beach, I'm panting, dripping rainbows down my skin because I'm sweating from how hot it is and the dust is connecting with it causing it to stain my skin. (I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS EVEN POSSIBLE, DO NOT COME AT ME FOR THIS PLEASE HAHAH)

      "There's my little unicorn!" I turn around and see Steven and Jeremiah hiding behind a bush holding out their phones, but the voice didn't come from either of them. It came from Conrad, and I felt goosebumps run down my arms because he was close but I didn't know where.

Right when I turn around I suddenly see millions of tiny specks flying right at my face. I gasp, and cover my eyes but it's too late because they're everywhere. If anything I just pushed them into my eyes.

"Conrad," I say. My voice is quiet, and for all they know I'm crying. He can't see my face because I'm covered in rainbow dust and glitter that's clinging to my sweat.

His face falters as he steps forward gently, "shit, Claire I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It was just a joke, for Belly's birthday. See she's in the window," I don't turn because I'm not angry. I'm just so flabbergasted that they pulled something like this off that I don't even know how to react. It's so random and out of place that I burst out laughing.

"What the fuck just happened!" I scream. "Who thought of that? Oh my god, I'm—what–this," I keep trying to start sentences and failing.

Conrad comes over and grabs my face. "Oh god, the glitter got into your brain. I killed my girlfriend," he shakes my head around gently in his hands. "Claire, baby if you can hear me come back to us," I laugh swatting his hand away.

I am more then grateful for the glitter and the dust powder because I can feel my cheeks blazing up from the words girlfriend, baby, and just my name in the same sentence.

Steven and Jeremiah must have gotten enough of the show because when I turn by around they aren't there, and I smirk because I have an idea.

I pull Conrad's hand back because he started to walk towards the house too. "Uh huh," I say shaking my finger. I give him another yank towards me. "I'm a little mad at you, Connie. You have to make it up to me," I smirk.

His eyes drop to my lips, and I feel my cheeks aching from how hard I'm grinning right now just by that simple action. "Not that kind of make up," I say. "Nice try, I'm talking about something more," I point behind me towards the ocean. "Wet," I wink. The pun was intended. I let out a giggle seeing his face turn a light shade of crimson. I love seeing him blush, especially because of me.

He shakes his head no. "I'm not going swimming, I have to go to work in like twenty minutes. I don't have—No, no. Don't do that. Don't make those eyes, Claire," he groans and looks back at the house. I keep my puppy dog eyes on a ten, because he's going to crack any second.

"Fine," I sigh. "I'll just go," I sigh again, and kick some sand under my feet dramatically. "I'll go, wash off this glitter and dust. That I didn't want thrown on me in the first place," I sigh again, and this time turn towards the ocean.

"Claire—"

I don't let him get another word out, I'm having way to much fun with this. "No, no. Just go to work, I get it. No problemo. Nope. Nope. Nope." I mumble.

"Oh my god, would you just shut up and jump in the ocean with me already," his words are rushed because he's rushing over to wrap his arms around my waist and toss me in the air over his shoulder so fast that I didn't even have time to process it.