The Summer Everything Changed

The Ball Pt.2

Jeremiah POV

I follow after John and Laurel, after we're excused to our tables. "Laurel?" I question seeing her tear stricken face.

"Jeremiah? What is it?" John says upon seeing me.

"The escort dance is about to start. And B didn't want you guys to miss it."

"Thank you, we'll be right there." Laurel says wiping her tears and smiling.

"Okay." I say walking out confused more than ever.

"Now, time for the escort dance." The announcer says as the guys in front of me walk out and I lean over to Steven.

"Hey, does my mom seem okay to you?" I ask him in a whisper.

"Sure, why?" He says looking forward smiling at everyone.

"I don't know." I shrug before continuing. "She's been sleeping a lot and smoking a lot more pot." I say worriedly.

"She seems fine to me."

"Yeah, but I heard your parents talking about it and your mom seemed really upset." I say recalling what I heard before interrupting their conversation.

"I don't..." he says before we move to our lines across from each other for the dance when the music starts.

Put a smile on my face but I can't seem to shake the feeling that something's wrong. As the dance starts I here the moms laugh and I look out at them laughing.

The dance continues and the cheers get louder from everyone. I can hear B's laughter and cheers and I smile more, forgetting just for a second about my worries. The dance comes to a end and everyone claps. I look at B smiling but I catch the sight of mom behind her and my smile falters a little.

I can't help but want to know what's going on, so while everyone's distracted I grab my moms phone off the table and stick it in my coat packet before turning and walking outside.

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Bree POV

The dance between the debs and escorts was about to start and Jeremiah was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know where Jeremiah is." I say standing up.

"He'll be here in a minute, I'm sure of it." Susannah says reassuring me. I walk to the dance floor looking around for him.

The dance was close to starting and Jeremiah was still no where to be seen. I walk up to a group up girls and ask if they've seen him but they say no.

I'm close to just setting back down when Conrad and Belly come up to me. "B." Belly says and I turn to face them. "Conrad will dance with you." She says as Conrad shakes his head looking down sheepishly.

"No. Belly he's your escort, I'll just set this one out." I say shaking my head at them.

"I insist. This is your first ball, I've done millions, you need him more than I do right now." She says putting a hand on my shoulder. "Please, dance with him."

"Okay," I say smiling at her and thanking her quickly before turning to Conrad and connecting our hands as the music starts.

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Jeremiah POV

I'm sat outside on the steps with tears falling down my face as I look at the email on my moms phone. She has cancer again. That's why she's been different and talking about all the changes after this summer, she wasn't gonna do the treatment.