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the fourth of july in cousins is all about traditions. susannah decks out the whole house, the dads come up for the weekend, the boys steam clams and shoot off fireworks.
all the other fourth of july's, belly and alianna would just tag along. but this year, they had friends. of course they had each other but this year was different, they had plans.
"can i finish your milk?" jeremiah asks as alianna eats away at her cereal. "i'm still eating." she says with a mouth full of captain crunch.
"c'mon. we both know your not gonna finish that." he smirks at her, convincing her. "ugh, fine." alianna sighs giving the bowl to jeremiah.
he slurps on the milk, drinking it all very quickly. "your so gross!" alianna laughs as he puts the empty bowl down and reveals a milk moustache.
"yo, i'm gonna go wash the clams. did you get the lighter fluid." conrad walks into the kitchen and asks jeremiah.
"mmh, it's already on the beach." he says after drinking the milk. "are we done with the portrait yet?" josh asks as he and susannah enter the kitchen as well, "yeah, but just for today." she smiles making him rolls his eyes.
"sweet!" joshua yells grabbing the cereal box from belly, "hey!" she cries as josh pours the cereal from the box into his mouth.
"give it, josh!" belly tries to grab it from him but fails. "just give it back" alianna rolls her eyes at her brother.
"fine, fine. here you go you big baby." josh leans over to the chair to hand her the box. "do i have to wear this?" steven complains walking into the kitchen.
"yes steven. you look good in a dress shirt!" susannah says drying her paint brushes, "which reminds me if belly doesn't hurry up and ask cam to that ball, you should take her."
"ew, no way." belly cringes at the thought. "no way. i'm already going with shayla." steven adds. "well ali you also need to find someone." susannah mentions.
"huh." she looks up, "have you thought about who your gonna take to the ball?" susannah asks. "uhm nope, not yet." alianna says softly.
laurel and natalie enter the kitchen carrying the platter and cutlery for this evening. "hey mom, shayla is coming today, so you'll get to meet her." steven says catching laurel's attention.
"oh okay." she says to him. "that's wonderful." natalie smiles. "oh and don't forget, ms. covingtons first dance rehearsal is tomorrow so, uh, tick-tock." susannah adds, talking about the girls escorts.
"i'm asking cam today so you don't have to worry." belly says eating her cereal. "i don't know my kids anymore." laurel blankly says.
"wait are you wearing make up?" susannah looks closely. "oh my she definitely is!" steven looks as well, all of them laugh. "so what? we're having a party." laurel makes something up.
"i'm sure it has nothing to do with john." natalia sips her coffee, trying to hide her face, "nat!" laurel's eyes widen.
"the husbands always come for the fourth." laurel rolls her eyes. "he's not your husband anymore." belly says slightly aggressive.
"oops, yeah. ex-husbands." laurel and natalie laugh. "i still don't understand why you invited dads next girlfriend." steven added.
"that reminds me, belly i need you to make up the guest bed." laurel says to belly, catching her attention. "wait, victoria and dad are staying here?" she sits up.
"no they're not. matt is." laurel said, alianna and joshua give each other the look. "uh mom, you didn't tell us dad was coming." josh tells his mom.
"sorry i didn't think it was a big deal, what's the problem, you literally live with your dad?" natalie shakes her head. "still." he shrugs his shoulders.
susannah mentions that adam can't make it which upsets jeremiah but for some odd reason makes conrad happy.
TIME SKIP TO ALIANNA'S ROOM !
alianna grabbed her sheets from the floor and threw them onto her bed. she put her hands on her hips, contemplating not if she should make her bed but if she knew how to make her bed.
alianna tucked the sheets into the edge of the bed, not really caring about if it was right or not. "you gotta fold the bottom sheet at a 45 degree angle if you want right corners." conrad spoke, he leaned against the wall, watching alianna.
"hey, stalker." she smiled still tucking in the sheets, incorrectly. "yeah not like that." conrad said.
"then come help me." alianna stood back, waiting for him. conrad had moved away from the wall, and began coming over to where alianna was previously been standing.
"you gotta pull this down." he said, pulling the sheets out so now they were flat. alianna leaned down helping him, "now come here." he said as she came closer towards him.
alianna was focused, not on the bed but on conrad. if you asked what was the last thing he just said, she wouldn't be able to answer you.
"and down." conrad said dusting off the bed. "thank you." alianna chuckled, now standing up. "hey, don't you think it's weird my dad is coming and now he's staying here?" she asked out of the blue.
"nah, i don't think so. he usually comes, i think it's weird my dad isn't coming." conrad added. "yeah, but like your mom said, it's about work." she shrugged her shoulders, not really paying attention to the conversation.
"but hey, don't worry about it." she reassured him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "can i tell you something." he said looking down at the ground.
"sure, whatever." alianna was serious and interested. "i'm actually glad that he can't make it. is that bad?" he asks, slowing lifting his head up. "oh my god! conrad fisher how dare you say that!" alianna joked making conrad throw a pillow at her, "oh shut up!"
"ouch!" alianna whined fixing her hair, "wait there's something in your hair." conrad told her. "can you get it out?" she leaned towards him, waiting for him.
"let me just-" as he said this instead of getting anything out of it, he scruffed her hair up. "conrad!" she whined again hitting his hand away. "now i have to redo my hair!" she once again fixing her hair.
"you look so cute when your angry." conrad smirked, "oh shut up." alianna smirked back. the horn beeped and that was the signal for them to realise that alianna and joshua's dad was here.
lish speaks ! 🤍🌊🫶🏻
hello my lovely readers !! thank you so much for 3k reads already ?? i'm so grateful for all your support and help during my journey, i can't wait for you to continue reading this story and also planning on writing a joshua p.o.v chapter !!
