𝒮𝓃ℴ𝓌 ℴ𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝒸𝒽－ ᶜᵒⁿʳᵃᵈ ᶠⁱˢʰᵉʳ.

𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒷ℴ𝓃𝒻𝒾𝓇ℯ ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓈𝓊𝓂𝓂ℯ𝓇 ⁰⁷

It was a few minutes later when Belly and Florence climbed out of the pool, water dripping from their bodies. As they wrapped towels around themselves, Belly stopped Florence and proposed the idea of going to the party. "Hey, why don't we go to the party?" she suggested, her eyes filled with excitement.

Florence hesitated for a moment, considering their original plan of having a movie night. "But what about movie night?" she questioned, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Belly shrugged and replied, "We can do that some other night. Come on, you're back after so long. We should go have fun. A guy from the convenience store even invited me."

She couldn't hide the slight blush on her cheeks as Florence smirked mischievously at her best friend's reaction. "Oh, so that's why you want to go, huh?" she teased, causing Belly to playfully shove her shoulder.

Wanting to see Belly happy and knowing that a change of plans wouldn't hurt, Florence finally agreed. "Alright, let's go have some fun," she said with a grin as they headed upstairs to get ready for the party.

As they descended the stairs wrapped in their long coats that hid the party clothes underneath, they were ready to embark on their adventure when Laurel intercepted them, her eyes questioning. "Hey, where are you going? We have movie night set up," she reminded them.

Florence was about to speak when Belly quickly jumped in, stuttering slightly, "I-I'm just... I'm kind of tired, so I thought we could take a walk by the beach instead?"

Laurel hesitated for a moment, her gaze shifting between the two girls. She could sense that something was off, but she chose not to press them further. "Okay, hon, yeah, sure," she acquiesced, trying to be understanding, "we can, uh... we can do the brownies another night."

With a gentle smile, she gave them permission to leave the house.

Stepping out into the chilly night air, the girls were greeted by a gust of wind that sent shivers down their spines. They wrapped their arms around themselves for warmth and began to make their way towards the area of the beach where the bonfire and party were being held. The distant sound of music and laughter grew louder with each step, adding to their anticipation of the night ahead.

⋅• ━━━ ••⋅⊰☁︎︎☀︎︎☁︎⊱⋅•• ━━━ •⋅

After a few minutes of walking along the beach, Belly and Florence finally arrived at the lively gathering where a large group of teenagers had gathered around a roaring bonfire. The crackling flames illuminated the faces of the partygoers, casting a warm glow on the sandy beach.

"Yo, gas station girl!" a guy called out as soon as Belly and Florence stepped onto the beach. He approached them with a smirk on his face. "Hey. Where you coming from?" he inquired, his tone suggestive.

"Uh, another party," Belly quickly lied, casting a nervous glance at Florence, who shot her an angry look. She realized that Belly had used that excuse as a ploy to persuade her into coming along.

Florence's eyes narrowed, her voice filled with disapproval as she whispered to Belly, "This is the guy you wanted to meet?" Her disappointment was evident as she felt deceived by Belly's earlier explanation.

Belly's face contorted with guilt as she responded apologetically, "I just used that excuse so you'd agree to come. I'm sorry." She regretted her decision to lie, realizing that it had only caused tension between them.

Meanwhile, the guy approached them, extending a beer towards Belly. "Hey, here, take my beer," he offered with a smirk.

Before Belly could react, Florence swiftly snatched the bottle from his hand, her expression filled with disdain. He gave Florence a once-over, his gaze lingering a little too long, before turning his attention back to Belly.

Just as the tension between them escalated, Florence's eyes caught sight of Steven in the distance. She called out to him, hoping to divert attention from the uncomfortable encounter.

"What are you doing here?" Steven questioned as he approached them, his voice tinged with surprise. His eyes then fell upon Belly, taking in her attire, "and I-I'm sorry, wh-what are you wearing?" he asked, clearly taken aback.

Belly shifted uncomfortably, feeling self-conscious under the scrutiny of both Steven and the gas station guy. Before she could respond, the gas-station guy spoke, "I invited her. Who the hell are you?" he retorted, his tone laced with hostility. The guy's face contorted with a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"I'm her brother," Steven asserted as Florence chimed in, her voice laced with indignation, "and she's 15, you pedo."

Attempting to clarify the situation, Belly interjected, "I'm almost 16." However, her response only caused both Florence and Steven to turn their glares towards her, their expressions filled with concern and disappointment.

The gas station guy quickly realized his mistake and backed off, sensing the tension in the air. Steven, filled with protective concern, walked up to Belly and firmly grabbed her hand, attempting to drag her away from the party.

"Belly, Flo, come on," he urged, his tone laced with urgency.

Belly resisted, pulling her hand away from Steven's grasp. "What are you doing? Will you let go of me, please? What are you doing? No... You're embarrassing me," she protested, her voice filled with frustration and embarrassment.

Steven scoffed, his patience wearing thin. "I'm embarrassing? You're embarrassing," he shot back, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Florence, sensing the escalating tension, tried to intervene. "Guys, come on, let's calm down," she implored, attempting to restore peace between her best friend and brother.

However, both Steven and Belly chose to ignore Florence's plea, their emotions running high. Determined to remove Belly from the uncomfortable situation, Steven persistently tried to pull her away from the party. "Stop it, Steven!" Belly exclaimed, her voice filled with defiance. She forcefully pulled her arm free from his grasp, causing her to lose her balance and fall face-first into the sand.

The commotion caught the attention of all the partygoers, their gazes turning towards Belly. Florence swiftly rushed to her friend's side, shielding her face from prying eyes as she helped her to her feet. Concern filled her voice as she asked, "Are you okay?"

As Belly looked up, her eyes fell upon Conrad, who was sitting opposite them with his arms around another girl. The sight stunned her and Florence.

"Belly? Flo?" Conrad questioned, his confusion evident. The girls were caught off guard, confused and hurt by the sight of Conrad kissing another girl.

"I thought you hated the Red Sox," Belly remarked, noticing the girl's sweatshirt. The other girl, identified as Nicole, spoke up, curiosity in her voice.

"Who are you?" she asked her defensively.

Florence's protective instincts flared as she retorted, "Who are you?"

The tension in the air grew thicker as Nicole explained, "Nicole. Conrad and I went to the deb ball together last summer."

Florence looked at Conrad in disbelief, realizing the hypocrisy of his actions. "Hypocrite," she muttered under her breath, her disappointment evident. Conrad shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact, consumed by guilt.

"I thought you said that deb balls are bullshit, and all debs are sheep," Belly pointed out, her voice tinged with anger. She was frustrated with how the evening had unfolded, feeling betrayed and hurt.

Conrad stuttered, attempting to come up with an explanation, but his words failed him, "god, you're such a brat," he replied in annoyance.

Belly's frustration grew, and she didn't hold back, "well, you're an asshole," she shot back, her voice filled with defiance. With that, she turned and began to walk away, leaving Florence torn between following her or staying behind.

"Flo, leave me alone," Belly abruptly halted Florence, her voice filled with a mix of anger and vulnerability. "I won't go too far, but I just... I need a minute, please," she pleaded, her voice cracking with raw emotions.

Understanding Belly's need for space and processing her emotions, Florence reluctantly backed off, giving her friend the moment she requested. She watched as Belly walked away, her heart heavy with concern for her best friend's first party experience. So far, this party was not turning out how either of the girls had imagined it to.