𝒮𝓃ℴ𝓌 ℴ𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝒸𝒽－ ᶜᵒⁿʳᵃᵈ ᶠⁱˢʰᵉʳ.

𝓅ℴℴ𝓁𝓈𝒾𝒹ℯ ⁰⁶

Belly and Florence had retired to their rooms for the night, but Belly's mind was still restless as she thought of how Conrad had been acting the entire day. She glanced out of the window and noticed him sitting by the poolside as an idea sprung into her mind.

"Flo, do you want to go for a swim in the pool?" Belly asked Florence, her voice filled with anticipation.

"Now?" Florence asked, checking to see how late it was.

"Yeah, why not?" Belly shrugged in response, "you said you wanted to."

"Um yeah, sure. It sounds refreshing," Florence agreed, "just give me a minute to change."

"Hey, I'll go wait for you downstairs," Belly then said, already making her way out of the room. "Take your time."

As Florence changed into her swimwear, Belly hurried downstairs, hoping to have a private moment with Conrad before the others joined them. She wanted to understand what was bothering him this summer.

As Belly reached the poolside, she noticed a faint smell in the air. To her surprise, Conrad was smoking pot. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern as she placed her towel on a pool chair and dove.

She took a deep breath and resurfaced from underwater, approaching Conrad with a serious expression on her face. "Why are you smoking?" she asked him directly, "I thought you said smoking pot changes the way your brain processes information. You said marijuana messes with white matter."

Conrad, taken aback by Belly's directness, looked at her with a mix of annoyance and defensiveness. "Do you even know what white matter is?" he retorted, his voice laced with frustration.

Belly's confidence wavered slightly, but she refused to back down. "You said our brains are still developing, and that-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Conrad interrupted her, his voice filled with exasperation. "God, do you memorize every single thing that I've ever said?"

Belly's mood soured at his dismissive response. She had hoped for a meaningful conversation, but it seemed that Conrad was unwilling to engage with her concerns.

"Get over yourself," she replied angrily, disheartened as she turned away from Conrad and took a moment to compose herself. She didn't want their disagreement to ruin the rest of the evening...or summer.

As Belly and Conrad engaged in their tense conversation by the pool, Florence made her way downstairs. The faint scent of pot in the air immediately caught her attention, and she couldn't help but look at Conrad with disapproving eyes.

"What?" Conrad asked, clearly annoyed by Florence's judgmental gaze.

Florence crossed her arms and took a step closer, her tone stern. "You're smoking pot?" she questioned, her disapproval evident in her voice, "you're the one who said that smoking is dumb and that real athletes don't put shit in their bodies."

Conrad sighed, growing defensive. "God, what is it with you two?" he replied, irritation creeping into his voice, "I said a lot of stuff, and I'm not an athlete anymore, so..."

"Well, I think you should quit," Florence asserted firmly, holding out her hand towards him, signaling for him to put out the pot and hand it over. Her gaze remained fixed on him, waiting for his response.

Conrad glanced at Florence's outstretched hand, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face. He met her eyes and smirked, testing the waters. "What'll you give me if I do?"

For a brief moment, Florence and Conrad locked eyes, a silent exchange passing between them. However, Florence quickly brushed off his provocative question, not willing to entertain his teasing.

"Nothing," she stated plainly, "I think you should quit for yourself. It's not healthy, whether you still play or not."

With her point made, Florence decided to join her friend in the pool. She placed her towel on the pool chair and dove into the water, leaving Conrad with his thoughts.

Belly and Florence were swimming and discussing the upcoming debutante ball as Belly said she was considering participating, and Florence didn't seem to object.

"Hey, why are you two considering this debutante thing?" Conrad suddenly asked, drawing their attention.

Florence took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding, her voice calm. "Why not?" she replied, a hint of defiance in her words. "I mean, it's not like we have anything else going on."

Belly nodded in agreement, supporting Florence's sentiment. However, Conrad seemed unconvinced and voiced his concerns. "But it's not you. Even Laurel thought so, right, Belly? Don't let my mom make you two into her little dolls just because she never had a daughter."

Belly's expression wavered for a moment, contemplating Conrad's words. "I don't mind it. I mean, sometimes I wish I was her daughter," she confessed, her voice tinged with a mix of longing and acceptance.

Conrad scoffed, his disagreement evident, "you're better off with Laurel. Trust me," he retorted dismissively, causing Florence to shoot him a sharp glare.

"Why are you acting so different?" Florence questioned, her voice laced with concern and slight annoyance. She studied Conrad intently, searching for answers. "I know you. I mean, something's going on. Just... just tell us," she pleaded, her genuine worry seeping into her words.

Conrad met Florence's gaze, his eyes briefly searching for a response. He hesitated, the weight of his emotions evident on his face. "Flo..." he began, his voice trailing off, unable to find the right words to express himself.

Just then, the atmosphere shifted as Steven and Jeremiah burst into the pool area, their laughter filling the air. The arrival of the boys interrupted the intense moment, diverting the attention away from the emotional conversation.

"Come on, man, we're leaving. You ready?" Steven called out to Conrad, their camaraderie evident. Conrad looked back at Florence and Belly, a flicker of indecision crossing his features before finally nodding and getting up to join his friends.

Belly, not wanting to let Conrad slip away, asked, "hey, can we come too?", a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes. However, Steven chuckled and shook his head, "uh, no. The moms are getting everything set up for your movie night. See you," he explained, before the three boys turned and walked away, leaving Florence and Belly standing there, their thoughts swirling in the wake of Conrad's departure.