Shifting Tides || Jeremiah Fisher

2.

I was reluctantly dragged into a family dinner by Belly's persuasive charm.

I dreaded the idea of breathing the same air with Jeremiah, fully aware of the animosity between us, yet am unable to tear my gaze away from him.

"Steven, I swear to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket." Laurel warned.

"It's just, we want to see your beautiful faces." Susannah chimed, her tone contrasting Mom's, "Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days?"

Jeremiah snatched Steven's phone and swiftly tossed it into the screen basket, grinning. "Boom!" he exclaimed. A peculiar sense of joy washed over me as I witnessed Jere's happiness, realizing that our past hadn't changed him to the point of acting distant. It brought me a strange comfort, knowing that despite our disconnection, he remained his genuine, vibrant self. The conversation went on until something piqued my interest.

"When are you leaving for training camp, man?" Steven asked Connie.

"Uh, he quit football." Jeremiah interjected before Conrad could. My eyes widened in surprise. I glanced at Connie, tilting my head out of curiosity. He smiles back at me slightly. Mouthing the words, "We are talking about this." I signaled that I wanted to hear about this later, before the conversation continued.

"Oh, dude, you can work at the club. Yeah with me and Jere!" Steven suggested.

"You wanna spend your summer working?" I retorted.

"And pick up girls." Steven replied, winking. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh! Nat, Belly, I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you." Susannah interjected, leaving Belly and me exchanging confused glances.

"What, uh, wh-wh-what is that?" Steven asked, beating me to it.

"I wrangled Belly and you an invitation to be a debutante."

"Is that the thing where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?" Belly inquired, earning a giggle from me.

"It's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society. I-I know it sounds silly," Susannah rambled, and I plugged my ears as a joke, "but I swear it's fun. Girls come from all over New England to Cousins just to be a part of it. You'll make so many new friends.

"I cannot believe you are still holding on to this archaic dream..."

And as the night unfolded, my curiosity grew, prompting me to approach Conrad and inquire about his decision to quit football. I held the door frame, observing Conrad sitting by the pool. A frown creased my face as I noticed the cigarette held between his fingers. It prompted me to go up to him.

"Hate to be that person, but cigs are bad for you." I said, sitting beside him and removing it from his hand. He scoffed in return.

"Sooo... are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"It just got boring, you know? I thought it was that, until I realized I was playing in the first place for dad. I just, I dunno, lost interest." He shifted his position to directly face me, his eyes filled with something I couldn't put my finger on.

"I think you mean you never had interest in the first place," I replied with a playful smile, leaning back on my hands and gazing up at the sky. The words hung in the air, a mix of truth and gentle teasing.

I could sense his gaze upon me, unaware of the presence of another, fixated on the unfolding moment.

After a prolonged silence, Conrad uttered in a quiet tone, "I see why Jere likes you," as he left me by the water. Those words echoed in my mind, leaving me fixated on the fact he said likes. Lost in contemplation, I eventually made my way back inside. The Moms were busy arranging things for our movie night, but I noticed Belly's absence. Curiosity piqued, I approached her room and lightly tapped on the door before stepping inside, finding her in the midst of getting ready.

"Last time I checked, we didn't get ready for movie nights," I remarked, a playful smirk playing on my lips as I scanned her outfit from head to toe, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Ughh, don't tell anyone! I'm going to the bonfire with the boys," she replied, a glint in her eyes.

I look back at her puzzled, "What bonfire? I wasn't invited." She rolls her eyes, "I wasn't either, now get ready."

I grin widely and dash to my room, grabbing something from my suitcase. Despite packing a ton of cute dresses, I knew they weren't suitable for a nighttime bonfire I wasn't even invited to. I settled on a cozy hoodie and a pair of shorts, knowing that Belly would likely regret her choice of a revealing dress on a cold and windy night. At some point I'd need to lend her my hoodie. As we arrived, I couldn't help but find the party incredibly dull. People were either huddled in small cliques or engaged in make-out sessions, leaving little to do or rather see. Unbeknownst to me, I had left my phone  at home as I wandered away from the crowd, choosing to stroll along the shore. As the waves rhythmically sprayed me with a subtle mist, I realized how much I had missed this sensation. The gentle caress of the wind in my hair brought a smile to my face, a quiet acknowledgment of the power I possessed to find tranquility within myself.

In that peaceful moment, I allowed myself to heal, to release the burden of negativity I had inflicted upon my surroundings. I embraced forgiveness, recognizing that we all make mistakes and that it was time to move on.

Yet, amidst the serenity, my thoughts kept veering towards Jeremiah, serving as a constant reminder of the missing piece in my heart. It was a bittersweet realization, knowing that he was the one thing standing between me and the possibility of living my best life.

As time slipped away, the moon grew more luminous. Lost in the beauty of the moment, I found myself entranced, unaware of the passing hours in the absence of my phone. My thoughts was abruptly shattered as a sweating, anxious Jeremiah appeared before me, his expression filled with a tinge of concern and anger.

"What the fuck are you doing, Natalya?" He blurted, running his hand through his disheveled hair.

I was taken aback by his directness, but also filled with a sense of wonder that he was actually speaking to me. Moreover, it was the first thing he said to me since our reunion.

"I, uh, Wha, What do you mean? How'd you even know I was here?" I stammered, feeling a gulp catch in my throat and a sudden surge of nervousness.

"Fuck, dude." he continued, "I wa- Steven and Belly were worried about you." He said, ignoring my question.

"I, uh, planned on walking home tonight..." He avoided eye contact, muttering, "It's dangerous out. Don't be immature." With that, he abruptly ended the conversation, leaving me once again taken aback by the unexpected exchange. I trail behind him, hugging my shoulders and deep in thought. As we approached Steven's car, the scene was chaotic. I couldn't help but grimace when I sat down next to Connie, the overpowering scent of alcohol hitting my senses.

"Dude, Nat, since when did you come to the party?" Steven groaned, starting the car. I opened my mouth to respond, but Jeremiah interrupted, saying, "Just drive, it's getting dark."

Through the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Jeremiah's eyes, and they were colder than I had ever seen them before. We both averted our gazes quickly, fixating on the dark night sky.

Upon our arrival, we got chewed out by Mom. It turned out that Connie had been caught by the cops for underage drinking. I had immense self-control to stifle my laughter at the absurdity of it all. But as I stepped into my room, I allowed myself to sink into the solitude, solely to replay my encounter with Jeremiah in my mind.

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