the summer you noticed me ↠ conrad fisher {1}

t w e n t y - e i g h t

Taylor gasps. "Let's play chicken!" She says, eyeing Jeremiah. "I call Jeremy," she says using her nickname for him. It isn't even a nickname is just her acting stupid to get him to notice her in anyway. It makes me sick.

I've never had a problem with Taylor until this moment. She knows how Belly feels about Jeremiah, how she always has, and Taylor is flirting up a storm with him. If Belly minds, she seems to hide her feelings well because she's complaining about the fact that she's stuck with Steven in chicken just because she's her brother. Not because she isn't going to be with Jeremiah.

"That isn't fair. Are you kidding me? Taylor is so much lighter," Steven groans. I gasp quietly and hold my hand up to my lips.

Belly scoffs, "oh sorry I'm so massive,"

"Wha..." Steven starts but Belly cuts him off.

"I wouldn't want to break you delicate little shoulders," she mocks.

"No, you're just taller then her that's all!" Steven protests. I know he realizes his mistake because calling Belly fat would be like saying the sun is cold. She's perfectly fit, volleyball doesn't give her a choice to be anything but.

Belly splashes him in the face, "you complainer. Let's just switch," okay maybe Taylor knew it was going to end that way. Maybe she called Jeremiah to get a rise out of him to let Belly get to be with Jeremiah. I'm not sure she's that smart but because I don't want to hate her I'm going with that.

"We're playing the winners," Conrad says jumping in the pool behind me. His arm snakes around my neck, and pulls me towards his chest.

I press a kiss to his arm and smile watching the games begin.

* * *

We stayed in the pool for hours, we had a very intense game of water volleyball after chicken. Me and Conrad had played Belly and Jeremiah and I don't mean to brag but we won every round; of chicken, and water volleyball. We ended up being in the pool so long my hands are wrinkly and look like I'm 90 years old.

     Conrad rushed off a little bit ago, saying something about helping Cleveland and then left. I didn't question him because he seemed genuinely distraught when leaving, and I do remember him saying something yesterday about being there for Cleveland for an interview to help him but I thought it just got cancelled.

     Belly and Taylor went on a walk on the beach a little over a half hour ago. Like earlier I'm trying to give them some to themselves since Taylor is only here for the weekend and I get Belly for the whole rest of the summer. I took a shower and am in the process of drying my hair when Conrad walks in.

      "Hi babe," I smile.

      "Hey, can we talk. Please, I need you right now," the urgency in his voice causes me to put down the hair dryer and turn around.

      He sits on my bed, and I walk over and sit beside him. My hands instantly find his, and I notice he's shaking. "What's wrong?" I ask.

      He takes a shuddering deep breathe, and that's when I realize he's trying not to cry. I bring one hand to his back and start rubbing small circles. My mom did this when I first started to get my panic attacks. She told me the feeling and the motion will help me focus on something other then my struggle to breathe. Soon you start to breathe normally without even realizing it.

      "I just—" he pauses, shakes his head. He leans forward bringing his hands to his face, and resting his arms on his knees. "I just was talking to Laurel," he takes another deep breathe and this time it turns into a sob.

      "Okay," I say lightly. "You're scaring me, what's wrong?" I repeat again.

      He sighs, and takes a really big deep breathe before looking up at the ceiling. He squeezes my hand tightly before meeting my eyes, "Laurel said I need to stop holding everything in. I don't know who else to tell, I can't keep this in anymore," he sounds so pained it cuts through my heart.

      "Please Connie, you can tell me anything. Absolutely anything," I repeat, giving his arm an encouraging squeeze. I have no idea what is about to come out of his mouth but I'm scared. So many possibilities and my mind can't land on one that would made him so upset like this, especially since I saw him three hours ago and he was perfectly fine, happy even.

      "Claire," he shuts his eyes closed as if the words he's about to say physically hurt him. He winces slightly then opens his eyes. They're red, and I can't tell if he's high or if this is from crying. "My mom's cancer came back," he whispers. "And my dad cheated on my mom a few years ago. While she was in chemo."