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Maddie Burke - It feels like it's been forever. Belly tells me it's like everything good, everything magical happened between the months of June and August. There isn't any better way to describe it. When I'm in that house I feel like I'm floating with joy. I have just woken up from a 1 hour car drive. "Mom when are we getting there" I ask. "5 more minutes, you gotta calm down your legs are shaking" "I'm just excited I missed them so much." The truth is, I'm terrified. It's my first summer with a boyfriend and I don't know if I can handle myself around Steven but I love Leo I wouldn't never do anything with any guy that isn't Leo, right?
I basically scream Taylor Swift songs in the car while my mom looks at me weird the whole time. "Okay let's meet with Laurel at the gas station" my mom says. "What? That's not part of the plan. We always meet at the house, you can't do that it's not fair to Susannah." "Fine you can just put some battery in the car tomorrow morning." We drive off and go to the beach house, the Conklin's car following behind us like always.
We park and my mom gets out of the car to say hi to Laurel and Susannah. "Beck! Laurel! Ugh I missed you guys." My mom says while hugging them both. I take a deep breathe and get out of the car. "Look who's all grown up!" Jeremiah says, I walk towards them both to give them a hug. "Jere! Maddie come here" the voice is familiar but it's deeper, "Steven?! Oh my god your so much taller then me now." I run to give him a hug and I almost make him fall over. "Woah slow down Maddie your gonna make me fall over." He says. "Shut up Steven you can't even lift the groceries in." I say trying not to get butterflies.
"Hey guys, guys I don't know about you but I think it's time for a - Belly flop!" Steven and Jeremiah say which makes Belly run away. We all chase her and throw her in the pool. She pulls Conrad in and I definitely know what's going on but I'm not sure yet. Me and Steven talk for a little bit to catch up.
"So Steven how have you been it's been ages." He talks for a while and tells me things about his life and what his plans are for the summer. "So what about you? You've been pretty inactive on social." He asks me. "Oh yeah uh my boyfriend doesn't like it when I post a lot." I try to say quietly because it sounds weird to admit out loud. "Oh. Uh so who's the lucky guy? Is it Lucas or Sam?" "No it's uh Leo Dawson. Do you remember him? He plays football with Jeremiah." "Leo Dawson? Are you kidding me Maddie he is such a loser, he fucks girls then ditches them." "Good thing we haven't done that yet then but he's a different person it was literally only 2 girls. He loves me." "Leo Dawson never changes. Watch out Maddie."
He storms off while I roll my eyes and go to my room to unpack. I can't believe he would say that about my Leo, he would never do that to me. A few hours later it's dinner time so we all sit down and talk for a little bit especially me and Belly since the boys are busy on their phones. "Steven I swear to god if you look at that phone one more time I'm putting it in the screen basket" Laurel says. "We just wanna see your beautiful faces." Susannah says it nicer compared to Laurel being a little angry. "Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days." Me and Belly laugh as Jeremiah tosses Steven's phone in the basket. "Okay okay okay, we get it, you've been working out." Steven says while making a face. "Your just jealous because Jere has a better body then you." Belly says. "Yeah earlier your arm cramped from taking your suitcase upstairs." I say in response.
We talk for a little bit till Susannah says she almost forgot and went to the kitchen to grab something. Me and belly try guessing by coming up with the most random things it could possibly be. "Invitations to the deb ball!" I say. "Isn't that the thing where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?" Belly says. Our moms all argue about the subject for a little bit and I say I'll do it but Belly is still on the fence about it.
I get ready for a party on the beach that I heard Steven and the boys talking about. I go to Belly's room and ask if she's coming. "I'll just stay with the moms tonight, night!" I run down and get in the car with the boys. I feel bad about leaving belly but if that's what she wants it's what makes me happy.
30 minutes into the party I find Leo there to my surprise and we start getting a little touchy touchy on the sand. I see Steven and some girl I recognize from school with her. We both make eye contact and I decide to sit on Leo's lap and we start making out. Steven looks away and sees Belly arriving even though she probably wasn't supposed to be here.
I lose my train of thought and me and Leo head to the car for more privacy. Later on in the party I hear yelling and I see belly on the ground and Conrad and the Skipper fighting. Leo runs there with his shirt barely on and I fix my dress and run over to help Belly. I think to myself how glad I am that we got interrupted by the fight so I wouldn't have to have done anything with Leo I would have regretted.
All of us go back to the car and a cop finds us and takes us home. After we get home my mom and Laurel are yelling at us for what we did and punish us and tell us to go upstairs. Me and Belly go to her room to talk.
"What were you doing hot making out with Leo Dawson in the car and why was he half naked?" Belly asks me. "He's my boyfriend actually and I don't know. I guess I was too drunk to know what was going on. I know this is selfish but I'm glad that fight broke out so we didn't have to do anything. Steven told me something that stuck with me." "What did he say to you?" "He told me that Leo used girls and then broke up with them. My Leo wouldn't do that it was the past. Right?" Belly and me talk for a bit longer and go to sleep. I wake up to Leo sitting next to me. "Leo? What's going on your not supposed to be here go home." All the sudden Steven runs into the room and beats Leo up for being in there. I have no clue what's going on this is crazy. Steven picks me up and says in a very soft raspy voice, "You're safe now Maddie." He leans in for a kiss and ... I wake up.
