Shifting Tides || Jeremiah Fisher

3.

I hate waking up early.

But the commotion downstairs compels me to abandon my pillow. With a groan, I reluctantly brush the tangles out of my hair and trudge downstairs. I enter the living room to see Connie passed out on the couch, and Mom, Jere, and Steven in the kitchen.

"Alright, seriously Steven, get out." Jeremiah says, wagging his spatula at Steven, "This is a delicate science, and your heavy breathing is gonna break the yolk."

He earns a giggle from me, as I approach the fridge and pull out some orange juice.

"Hey, Nat," Steven remarks, noticing my tired appearance. "looks like someone had a rough night." I scowl at him, "You always look like you had a rough night, but no one says anything."

As I pour myself a glass of juice, Jeremiah brushes past me to give his hangover juice to Connie. The subtle contact of his shoulders against mine sends a rush of happiness through me.

When Belly walks in, I playfully nudge Steven's shoulder and whisper, "Looks like I'm not the only one, huh?"

As Mom questions Belly about the bruise on her face, Susannah walks into the room, her face beaming with excitement, clutching two debutante cards in her hands.

"Oh, my god! Nat and Belly are gonna be debutantes!" She says, joy radiating from every word.

"I'm sorry. Like, Belly? Nat? Like, my sisters? Like, that thing right there?" Steven's disbelief is palpable as he points at the debutante card.

"Relax Stevie, it won't bite." I roll my eyes at him while Susannah carries on on 'our duties are'.

She gasps, "We need to go shopping."

"That sounds, expensive." Mom remarks., massaging her neck with uncertainty.

"Oh, don't worry Laur, it's on me." Susie reassures, "It was my idea after all, and we still need to style you for your book party, so..."

"Nat? Belly? Are you sure you wanna do this?" Mom squeezes my hand, but I gently withdraw offering a smile in return.

"Now, who's gonna be their escorts to the ball?"

"Not me. I went last year." Connie replies.

"Yeah, and I swore off balls." Jeremiah right after, sparing me a glace before going back to cooking.

"Relax, we weren't planning on going with you two anyways." I retort, rubbing my hand on Belly's back. I knew well that I'd love to go with Jeremiah any day, though. 

I allowed Susannah and Mom to drag me along for a shopping spree, knowing well that they had a better sense of style than I did and would choose outfits that suited me perfectly. The shopping excursion felt endless as Susannah meticulously declined outfit after outfit until we finally stumbled upon the perfect ones. Although I found the fascinators a bit silly, I settled for a few more casual ones to maintain a simpler style. Today marked the first debutante meeting, and I adorned myself in a simple white gown with floral patterns, complemented by a white fascinator. Belly and I clasped our hands tightly, making our way towards the country club. However, as Jeremiah came into view, I instinctively quickened my pace, eager to avoid any confrontation with him.

As Jeremiah approached Belly, their interaction filled the air with laughter, echoing through my ears. Witnessing their interaction filled me with a tinge of envy, as I longed to join in without making things awkward. I arrived at the meet before Jeremiah and Belly, and as I entered, I was introduced to the officiator, Paige. She assigned Belly and me to a table near the window. I saw this as an opportunity to engage in conversation with my fellow debutantes.