DOWNWARD SPIRAL- C.F

06

After staying at the beach a little longer with Conrad, we both reluctantly decided to head home since Conrad's hangover was starting to set in. 

I was sitting at the kitchen table eating the breakfast I made for myself. My mom walked in not saying a word about last night, she just said that Susannah wanted to paint portraits of all of the kids. 

"Do we physically have to sit for our portraits," I asked, not wanting to sit still for hours. 

"Can't she just look at a picture or something," Steven added. 

"She needs to see you in the flesh to capture your essence. While you are still young and full of life.," my mom answered making us laugh," Her words." 

"Well Conrad ran out of hope," I said laughing at the sight of him laying on the couch. 

" He's hopeless, but my hangover smoothie... cures it all," Jeremiah said confidently. 

"Can you please hurry up," Conrad said. 

"She hasn't painted you since you were little.I think it'd be nice to have these portraits for when you're older," my mom said. 

"Old. No. When I'm older, I'm sure there'll be, like, like, holograms or something I can watch of myself, you know?" Steven said.

"Just sit for your portraits," my mom said, "I don't see Conrad complaining."

Jere passed me the cup of his hangover smoothie and asked me to take it to Conrad, "He'll complain when he's conscious," I said. 

" Hey," I said gently moving a hair from his face, "Here." 

"Come on, man. Hurry your ass up," Steven said to Jere," All right? I can't be late on my first day of work." 

"We won't we're good," Jere replied. 

"Those country club boomers are going to tip me so hard, man, they won't know what hit 'em," Steven said making a suggestive gesture. 

"Steven," I said gagging at my brother. 

"Steven, I swear," my mother said.

"Come on, Laurel. My boys gotta get that bread," Jere said. 

My face scrunched at his cringy wording," Jere please don't say that." 

"Good morning," Jere said as Belly walked into the kitchen. 

"Belly, where have you been?" my mom asks, "Is that a bruise?"

"Um, I bumped into someone," Belly answered quickly.

"You bumped into someone?" my mom asked unconvinced.

I walked to Belly's side moving her hair behind her ear, "Doesn't look that bad."

"Um, cereal?" Jere asked her. 

"Yeah, hit me," Belly said.

Then all of a sudden Susannah ran into the kitchen say, "Oh, my God! Belly is gonna be a debutante." 

"It's really not that big of a deal," Belly said. 

"I'm sorry. Like, Belly? Like, my sister? Like, that thing right there?" Steven said annoyingly. 

"Shut up, cretin," I said to Steven. 

Susannah turned to me," So... Soph are you going to do it?" 

"Oh, what the hell," I said. In the grand scheme of things I might have just said yes to please Susannah. But I didn't mind, if she was happy, I was happy.