The Summer She Turned Pretty

Frozen Peas

rewritten-July 8th 2023 (and new title changed from confusion to frozen peas)

Somehow I found my way to a really hot boy. His name was Devin, he had these amazing green eyes, tan skin, and brown fluffy hair. We had been talking for 30 minutes now, and then he leaned in. We were making out, it was kind of heavy. He grabbed my waist and slightly pushed me down onto the sand. I slowly pulled away, and leaned towards his ear."We probably shouldn't fuck on the beach," I whispered in his ear. He chuckled, before pulling himself away from me.

"You're right." We both sat up and started talking. We talked about where we are from, our family. I learned he was somewhat friends with Jeremiah. Later into the conversation, I shivered. "Are you cold? Here have my hoodie." He pulled it off over his head and handed it to me.

"Oh um, thanks." I pulled it on over my head. It was super soft. I sighed into its warmth and crossed my arms. Much better.

"So, what are you gonna be doing this summer?" He asked.

"Oh um well, I got a lifeguarding job at the club, but I'm also gonna be a debutante so... I'll be pretty busy." He just nodded along, listening really well.

"Sweet." He smiled at me, I swear this guy was the boy of my dreams. I felt my cheeks heat up when suddenly I remember I had to reply.

"Yeah, Yeah. What about you?" He looks back out at the water for a second before looking back at me, shrugging.

"Oh um, nothing really. I do hang out by the club a lot though, so maybe I'll see you?" He tilts his head, and I could see the smirk playing on his lips.

"I hope so." It comes out like a whisper and I barely heard my words myself.

"You have an amazing smile." He says suddenly, leaning in closer to me. I was almost at a loss for words.

I blushed. "As do you." We sat like that for a while. Comfortable silence.

Suddenly I heard a lot of yelling. I spin around to see Jumper and Conrad getting into a fight. I ran over right away and saw Belly running from another direction. They started shoving each other, Belly and I were both directly behind Jumper. When his arm swung back and hit Belly right in the face, she was on the ground once again. "Belly." Conrad tried to get to her but Jumper shoved him back. Jeremiah realized what was going on and tried to intervene. I got in between both of them and Jumper straight up punched me twice in the face. I stumbled backward, and Conrad caught me. "What the fuck is wrong with you!" Conrad yelled. Suddenly I fell to the ground and everything went black. I faintly heard sirens and felt someone picking me up from the sand.

I woke up, with my head in someone's lap. I tried to sit up but my head pounded when I did. Whoever's lap I was sitting in gently put me back down. "Shh it's ok, just stay right here." Conrad. I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me. I got to smell the alcohol on his breath. We were in Jere's jeep. Belly was in the front but Jere and Steven were nowhere to be found.

"Where are.." I couldn't finish my sentence but Conrad knew what I meant.

"We forgot Steven, Jere went to get him." I nod, I wish I was in my bed right now. Instead, I was beaten up, laying in Conrad's lap.

I closed my eyes and hummed. I felt someone grab my hair. I opened my eyes. "Your hair is so soft and fluffy," Conrad whispered. "I love it." I sighed. He continued to play with it. "Maybell.." he began, but then there was a knock on the window.

"Have you kids been drinking?" A cop.
______________________________________

"Officers, thank you, it won't happen again I can promise you that much." My mom was talking to the cops who had brought us home. Conrad was sitting on the hallway coach, my head still in his lap. Steven Jere and Belly were standing by the opening. They continued to talk but I ignored it. My head hurt too much. Conrad was back to playing with my hair. Once I heard the door shut I knew we were in deep shit. "How could you guys be so irresponsible?" my mom asked.

"Mom it wasn't a big deal. All right? Seriously." Steven answered in a normal tone, "The cops were just looking to break up the bonfire."

"Not a big deal?" She raises her eyebrows and crosses her arms.

"Yes." He tells her. 

"I would say getting picked up by the cops for underage drinking is a pretty big deal, Steven." My mom snaps back.

My brother sniffed the air and scoffed. "We-Were you guys smoking tonight?"

"What? Keep your voice down Susannah's asleep on the couch!" They definitely did. Mom got defensive real quick.

"Well, I wasn't yelling. Well, you-you-you were." Steven throws his hands out toward Mom, making her roll her eyes.

Jere then butted in, "Just so you know, Laurel, I-I didn't drink tonight. I was the DD I swear."

Mom ignored him and focused on Conrad. "You're the oldest. What the hell's gotten into you?"

After no response, she moved on to Belly. "And when did you leave the house without telling anybody? And what in the world are you wearing?"

"It's Taylor's," knew it, "And why am I the only one who's not allowed to go out?" Belly complains. It seems that everyone was throwing their hands up or rolling their eyes.

"It's not that you're not allowed, it's that you should've told us you were going. And May what the hell happened to you." I groaned. "You know what, we'll continue that tomorrow." 

"Stop treating us like kids," I snap, making everyone freeze up. I was about to get another beating. 

"If you want to be treated like adults, start acting like some." Mom snapped back, I just took a huge sigh. I really didn't want to deal with this.

"Then maybe you guys should too," Conrad defends me, and now Mom was silenced. Conrad never fights her.

There was a pause. "What does that mean." My mom was pissed even more now. "I hope you realize this night could have ended a lot differently if your family wasn't your family."

"We're sorry Laur," Jere said genuinely.

Mom sighed. "Just go to bed guys."

Jeremiah picked me up from Conrad who tried to take me but my mom made him stay and talk to her. Jere brought me up to my room.

"Are you good May?" He asks me, setting me down on the bed.

"I don't know Jere. Conrad's so confusing." He sits down next to me, and I sit up. Now we're leveled. 

"I know, I know. Just get some rest alright?" He rubs his hand in my hair, making me shove him away. I force a smile.

"Ok. Night, love you."He smiles back as he gets up, heading towards the door.

"Love you too Maybell." And then he was gone.

I sat in bed for a while, just thinking of the events on the first day. It was a lot, especially a lot of emotions.

Then all of a sudden, Jeremiah was back, "Sorry I just wanted to get you something to heal your face." He waves a pack of frozen peas out in front of him.

"Thank you." He handed me the pack of frozen peas and left again. I held it up to my cheek and just lay there. I texted Emmy: First, make out of the summer, and first bruise. She replied: Girl you better spill this tomorrow morning. I answered: Of course.

We said goodnight and I officially drifted off. Frozen peas on my face and all.