ephemeral [ Conrad Fisher ]

7

"You know Lennie there's a bonfire tonight you should totally come." Jeremiah grins at me from his spot on the couch "First cousins party of the summer." he sings twirling a piece of my hair between his fingers

I grin my eyes trailing from the moonlit pool to meet his "You know I love a good party."

"You better go change then" he pretend to check his watch "Because as soon as Stevens is done getting pretty we're leaving you probably have five minutes.

That kicked my ass into high gear as I playfully elbowed him, rushing up the stairs to change. If Jeremiah knew how to do anything it was push my buttons. I had no clue what to wear, at home the summer house parties were filled with girls in black tops and blue jeans but this was the beach so I knew that my safe outfit would do nothing but make me stick out like a sore thumb. So, I opted for a tank top and some shorts I wouldn't be caught dead in back home.

"C'mon Len, we're leaving." Jeremiah calls from the bottom of the steps "With or without you." he adds, a teasing tone in his voice as he sees me coming down the steps

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say fisher."

"Why don't you go start the car while I grab Conrad?"

I nod, grinning as I grabbed his keys. I loved driving Jeremiah's car, it always made me feel bigger than I really was. Cranking the ac up, I slipped into the backseat scrolling on Instagram as I waited for the boy to join me.

"No way you're coming Nox." Conrad huffs as he opens the door to the backseat

"Oh, I so am."

Conrad had been following me around since we stepped foot on the sandy beach, snatching every drink I managed to snag and drinking it for himself.

"This one is too strong for you nox." he nodded to himself as he snagged my third drink from my hands not even wincing as he finished off the solo cup

"Conrad, don't you have friends you want to catch up with?"

"You are my friend Lennox."

I sighed running a hand through my hair "I know that but you only see these people once a year don't you have anyone you want to see?" I shake my head "You don't have to play the protective role tonight Conrad I'm a big girl."

He scoffs, shaking his head as he stalks off disappearing into the crowd

"He's an intense one isn't he?" The British voice startles me a little "I'm Shayla," she smiles "and you must be new this summer." She passes me a cup as I take a seat with her

"I'm Lennox." I smile "New to cousins yes, new to the Fishers, not so much."

It wasn't long before Steven and Jeremiah joined us, I wasn't sure when Steven and Shayla had met but, it was easy to tell that the two were hitting it off.

"Steven!" Belly calls waving at him

"Jesus Christ." Steven shakes his head as he grabs his sister's arm pulling her towards us, "Belly, come on."

The younger girl blinks shaking her head as they make their way towards us "What are you doing? Will you let go of me, please?"

I can't help but laugh as I watch the siblings argue, knowing that more times than not I had seen Jeremiah and Conrad act the same way. It's not until she drops to the sand that I stop.

"Oh my god do you think she's okay?"

I hadn't been able to find Conrad since he disappeared into the crowd earlier and now as my eyes settled on where he was I couldn't help but frown.

Belly stood glaring at the couple much like I was "I thought you hated the Red Sox."

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

"Nicole. Conrad and I went to the deb ball together last summer."

"It was after you guys left to take Steven to look at colleges."

I can't help but snort as I reach for the bottle nestled in the sand between Shayla and me, pouring just a smidge more than I should have as I turned to Jeremiah "What happened to no cousins fling because he had a girlfriend back home?"

I was definitely buzzed as I stood from my spot on the sand, wiping my hands across my legs and shorts in an attempt to clean some of it off as Steven and Jeremiah laughed

"I told you she was a lightweight man."

"I am not Jere!" I giggle shaking my head "Sorry we're not all six-foot football players."

The party was relatively tame and it was clear as I took in the beach that everyone here knew each other, each group sectioned on their portions of sand surrounding the bonfire as they chatted about what their year had been like leading up to their summer spent in cousins.

"What's your problem, man?"

"It's one beer. It's a party. Relax."

"No, give me my beer back. I paid for this"

I shake my head watching Nicole try to break the fight between the two belligerent drunk boys up, it's not until I see Nicole stumble away from the scuffle that I decide to step in

"Conrad!" I snap, pushing my hand on his chest trying to separate the two "You're drunk Con just leave it." He freezes his eyes meeting mine as he nods a little "Just take the fucking beer man."

"That's what I thought man." the boy pushes his chest out, acting big and bad as if I hadn't just saved him from getting his ass beat.

"Hey, asshole don't act so cocky because you almost just got your ass laid out." I glare crossing my arms as I turn to face him my back pressing against Conrad's chest "None of this would have happened if you wouldn't have been a dick and had just asked."

"Who knew Conrads girl was such a bitch?" the boy scoffs, cracking open the beer

And just like that, all hell broke loose again, except this time I wasn't on the outside watching no - I was stuck dead in the fucking center. I hadn't expected to get an elbow to the temple and I certainly wasn't expecting to hit the sand so hard that my ears rang.

"Cops!" Someone screamed out across the beach, the chaos of the fight ending as everyone began to flee

"Fuck are you okay nox?" Conrad lifts me up easily. steadying me as I blink slowly nodding

The walk to the car is a blur honestly I just remember Jeremiah treating it like he was the line leader of our kindergarten class hearing us not only to the Jeep but inside it too.

Jeremiah sighs running a hand through his hair as he fights with Conrad "Come on. Get in the car. Watch your head." he shakes his head "Legs, legs."

Conrad flops into the backseat "Yes. I know how to get into a car."

"Now scoot so Lennox can get in." Jeremiah helps me into the car, even buckling me in before he closes the door pulling Belly away from the boy she had been with all night, helping her into the car too

I lay my head against Conrad's shoulder as my head pounds "hurts." I mumble closing my eyes "god why does it hurt."

"Ice Jeremiah we need to find ice her head hurts. C'mon man just go."

The engine of the jeep rumbles awake and the cold air conditioner fills the car

Jeremiah huffs loudly "Fuck! Steven. Belly watch Conrad and Lennox." the slamming of his car door makes my head pound even more. Conrad's hand falls from my hair covering my ear as he leans his head on mine softly

"It's okay nox, still as pretty as ever." He nods his head ruffling my hair as he does "I'll make it better swear."

A loud knock on the window is what makes me finally open my eyes and lift my head from Conrad's shoulder as a cop shines her bright light into the jeep "Have you kids been drinking?"

"Fuck." Conrad mumbles