𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 || 𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐏 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍 || 𝐂.𝐅

summary : you followed conrad out during movie night, helping him through a panic attack

the bucket of popcorn had been passed around all night, almost empty due to the amount steven had eaten.

"steven! save some for the rest of us." you groan when the bucket comes to you, only about 1/4 left inside.

every summer, you looked forward to nights like these. the moms had gone out for dinner on the beach, so it was just the kids gathered around the tv, watching a movie jeremiah had picked out.

you were sitting next to conrad when his phone buzzed. he picked it up, glancing at the message. you looked over, and he began to stand up and walk out the back door, heading to the beach.

you got up just a few seconds later and began to follow him out. "i'll uh- be back in a minute guys." you said to the others.

nelly nods jeremiah looks over and gives you a quick thumbs up before turning his attention back to the movie.

you walked out, feeling the nighttime sea-breeze sweep over you. the cold, soft sand between your toes as you made your way onto the beach.

you saw conrad's figure in the distance, standing out by the water with one hand on his chest, the other resting on his hip. "conrad!" you shouted out. he turned around, a fear stricken look on his face.

you walked closer, only standing a few feet in front of him now. "hey, what happened in there?" he was gasping for breath. "woah, are you okay?"

"it's- it's just a panic attack." he breathes out, trying to keep as much of his emotion inside. you'd had panic attacks in the past, they were nothing new to you.

"come here, come sit down." you said, taking a seat in the sand and patting the piece of ground bedside you. he takes a seat, his legs shaking in place a quite a bit. he dropped his head down to his knees.

you reached over and took one of his hands in yours, rubbing a thumb over the back of it. right now, the best attempt would be distracting him with other thoughts and memories.

"do you remember that summer where we all snuck out late, getting in the car and just driving for hours? steven had been singing the stupidest songs at the top of his lungs. jere insisted for stopping for slushees." you say, getting him to laugh a bit.

"i think that's been one of my favorite summer memories for a while." you say, leaning over and resting a head on his shoulder. his breaths were slowing down, but still abnormal.

"or there was that night where to two of us fell asleep on each other on the couch, waking up to the whole house making fun of us and a framed photo on the mantle." you knew he loved that memory. steven and jeremiah never let the two of you live it down.

his breathing was slowing to a normal pace. he looked up from between his knees, a few tears covering his cheeks. you hated seeing him upset. growing up in cousins, you and conrad were always together, all summer. you'd been each other's 'person' as susannah would say.

you wiped away a few tears with your thumb. "thank you." he said, squeezing your hand in his own. the two of you sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before you decided to speak again.

"do you want to talk about what had you all worked up?" you asked softly, not wanting to push him if he wasn't ready to talk about it. he let out a sigh.

"i was uh- accepted to stanford." he mutters. you turn your head around quickly. he'd been dreaming of going there for as long as you can remember. "conrad! that's amazing, isn't it?" you ask, confused as to why that would make him upset.

"no. yknow, jere's coming to finch in the fall. it's closer, i don't want to travel across the country. it just makes no sense to transfer." he says. you knew that wasn't all of it. over the past seventeen summers, you knew conrad almost better than you knew yourself.

"alright, now tell me the real reason you're not going." you say, looking right into his eyes. the sad look he had covering him had been there most of summer, but he was trying. he was really trying for everyone.

he looked down again, playing with some of the smooth sand between his fingers. "i- i can't leave her." he says, choking on his words. immeadiately you knew he was talking about susannah.

"i get it. i do. you know i'll come anytime this winter, just call me." you say, placing a kiss on the side of his head. "you guys are family, always have been and always will be."

he placed a hand on your thigh as you rested your head back on his shoulder, knowing all he needed right now was someone there. he didn't even need you to talk, your comforting presence was enough for him.

it always has been.