↳ TIDAL WAVES ༉‧₊˚✧ C.F

5

CHAPTER FIVE
✧.* THE BONFIRE ✧.*

Drying her damp hair as Belly applied lipgloss, Juliette couldn't ignore the knot in her stomach, Conrad's intimating stare taking over her mind.

"Buttoned or unbuttoned?" Juliette turned to Belly, gesturing towards the bright orange cardigan slinging off one shoulder, the white tube top dress ending right before her mid thigh.

"Hm, unbuttoned." Belly nodded with a smile, turning to look at herself in the mirror as she fixed her head, tying two strands out of her face, "So, how's Conrad?"

Juliette chuckled, shaking her head, "Do you feel like he's kinda off this summer? Like, something's up but he just won't tell me."

"Yeah, I've noticed." Belly hummed, fixing the frizzes of her hair before grabbing her phone off the bed, "Jeremiah, too. Maybe they're crushing on you."

"Yeah, okay." Juliette rolled her eyes, "I can't even deal with one Fisher."

The two girls laughed, creeping down the steps, stopping as Laurel and Susannah sat in the living room, the black and white film portraying on the screen as the mothers giggled.

"C'mon." Juliette whispered, leading her towards the side door as the exited the home as quietly as possible.

"We did it." Belly cheered as they ran to the start of the beach, the bonfire had only been less than a mile walk.

Sharing fits of laughter, jokes, even slipping in remarks, they stopped as they arrived to the crowded party.

Juliette glanced at Belly, panic in her eyes as they slowly walked down the steep pathway covered with sand.

The familiar boy from earlier that day had seen them, approaching them with a beer in his hand, "Yo, gas station girls. Hey. Where you coming from?"

"From another party." Juliette replied, an awkward smile on her face.

"Sweet. Yeah. Hey. Here, take my beer." He offered them, Belly immediately shook her head, Juliette debated, shrugging as she took the full drink.

Belly gave her a scolding look, nearly slapping the beer from her hand.

"So, uh... you got a boyfriend back home?" The boy asked with a sly smirk, his tone making the both of them become uncomfortable.

"Um..." Belly trailed off, taking her eyes to behind him where she saw a familiar face, "Steven!"

Steven turned as his name was called, her furrowed his brows, a shorter girl next to him looking at the girls with concern. "What are you guys doing here? And I-I'm sorry, wh-what are you two wearing?"

Juliette pulled her dress down, looking at the sand.

"I invited her. Who the fսck are you?" The boy cursed, Steven's eyes widening.

"I'm their brother. Their fifteen and sixteen, you pedo." Steve shot back, the older boys eyes widening at their ages, he stepped back with his hands up.

Belly gritted her teeth together, scratching the back of her neck, "I'm-I'm almost 16."

"Jesus Christ. Belly, Juliette, come on." Steven grabbed for the two girls, his eyes falling to the beer Juliet was clutching, "Is that a beer? Juliette."

He grabbed the drink from her, Juliette not fighting back as she just formed her lips into a flat line.

"Will you let go of me, please? What are you doing? No..." Belly fought as Steven held her wrist, the girl beside her just following behind, "You're embarrassing me."

"I'm embarrassing? Why am I embarrassing?! Quit embarrassing yourself. Are you kidding me?" Steven snapped, people starting to glance their way.

Juliette dropped her hands to her side, feeling helpless as she watched the two loudly argue.

"Stop it! Steven!" Belly pushed him off, tumbling to the ground as onlookers gasped.

The blonde was at her aid immediately, helping her up as Belly snarled at her brother.

"Juliette?" Conrad peered up at her, brows furrowed as he was cupping a girls cheek.

She glanced down at her, her eyes narrowing at the girl with dark skin, she felt her heart ping, she was beautiful. She tucked her hair behind her ears, attempting to play it off, "I thought you hated the Red Sox."

The girl with the hat on stared at her, tilting her head to the side slightly, "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Juliette scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as Belly peered over her shoulder.

"Nicole. Conrad and I went to the deb ball together last summer." She explained, glancing at Conrad.

Conrad licked his lips, avoiding Juliette's gaze, "It was after you guys left to take Steven to look at colleges."

"I thought you said that deb balls are bullshit, and all debs are sheep." Juliette croaked, tears nearly building in her eyes as she shook her head.

"I didn't...You're such a brat." Conrad insulted, rolling his eyes at the younger girl.

Juliette bit her bottom lip, holding back from laughing in his face, "Well, you're an asshоlе."

"Juliette! Belly!" A cheerful voice sang, Jeremiah hurrying over to them with a large smile, "You came! Great, we can all hang out, you guys."

"I'm about to take them home." Steven interrupted.

Belly twisted her face up, looking over at her overly annoying older brother, "Are you kidding me?"

"Okay, Steven, chill out. Come on. Go-go hang out with Shayla or something." Jeremiah gestured towards the girl beside him, raising his brows.

Shayla held his shoulder, "Come on."

"Fine. But just stay right here and don't talk to anybody." Steven told them, wondering off with the girl.

"Fuck you!" Belly shouted at him, flipping him the bird, Juliette chuckled to herself, turning her friend around.

Jeremiah's eyes widened, "Wow. Listen, for one, I'm really happy you're here."

"Jeremiah." Two girls stared at him blankly, he turned back to Juliette and Belly, "Okay, I will be right back."

Juliette glanced at Conrad, taking the drink from his hands as she used her free one to pull Belly along, they sat on the beach, further from the party.

"Flavia?" A curly headed boy approached them, Hi. It's me, Sextus."

Belly's brows pulled together with anger, "What did you say to me?"

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Sex-tus." He panicked, "From seventh grade Latin convention. You're Flavia, right? You placed second in the poem recitation."

"Oh, yeah." Belly laughed, shaking her head.

He flashed a bright smile, "You, uh, you-you dressed up for the costume contest, right?"

"Mm-hmm. Weren't you a-a wizard or something?" Belly asked.

He nodded, "Close. I was Charon, ferryman of the dead. My real name's not Sextus, though. It's, uh, it's Cam."

"I-I'm Belly, or Isabel. This is my friend Juliette." Belly gestured to the blonde who gave him a small grin.

"Nice to meet you, Juliette. Uh, this is Charlie." Cam stepped to the side, revealing a boy.

He had short blonde hair, the ends sort of spiking up, light eyes, a chain made out of rope dangling from his neck and the nicest smile imaginable.

Juliette gulped, her lips parting, "Um, hi."

"Hi." He chuckled.

I picture Charlie as young Chad Micheal Murray.
Literal love of my life