Everything Changes-The Summer I Turned Pretty

Four

My eyes open to the sound of loud whispers. I can't remember when I fell asleep, but the movie was long over. I sat up slowly, careful not to wake Mom who was also asleep and who's shoulder my head was on.

I cover my mom with my blanket before tiptoeing through the living room towards the noise.

The first figure I see is Laurel, her hands on her hips. As I get closer, I see Steven staring at the ground, Belly standing beside him, and Conrad leaning into Jere.

"I thought you guys were going to be responsible!" Laurel whisper-yells harshly. "But no, your party gets busted by the cops, Conrad's drunk, and Belly...Belly when did you even leave the house?"

"I walked out during your movie," Belly answers quietly.

"Walked?" Laurel repeats in disbelief.

"Laur," Jeremiah starts. "I was the DD. I didn't drink at all, I swear."

"Yeah, Mom, it's not like we're in trouble or anything. They just wanted to break up the bonfire," says Steven.

"Be quiet," Laurel warns. "Susannah and Kristin are asleep on the couch."

I press myself against a wall around the corner, not wanting to interrupt the conversation because I'm a little afraid about what Laurel would say if she found out I was awake.

Laurel presses a hand against her face and sighs. "You're lucky you're part of the family you're from, otherwise things might not have ended as well with the police."

"Quit treating us like kids, Mom," Belly says. "Especially me. Why can't I ever go with them?"

"It's not that you can't go with, you need to ask. What if something happened? Nobody would know where you were." Laurel sounds exhausted. I can tell that she's over the scolding and is ready to go to sleep. She waves them upstairs. "Just go to bed."

Steven sighs and passes me to go upstairs. Belly follows him, grumbling, wearing someone's hoodie. I don't recognize it to be either of my brother's, and I feel excited to ask who it belongs to. But then I remember how careless Belly's been about me, and decide that it's none of my business.

"Jeremiah," Laurel says, and I peek around the corner. He's still supporting Conrad, who looks so helpless it makes me nervous. Of all the weeks that Conrad's been acting differently, he's yet to get this drunk. "Go ahead upstairs."

"Are you sure?" he asks. Usually confident, now he sounds concerned. I knew he didn't like this new Conrad either, but it never seemed to bother him the way it did to me.

"Yes, I got him." I watch Laurel wrap an arm around my oldest brother and she squeezes Jeremiah's forearm before he ducks under Conrad's grip. "Good night,"

"Night, Laurel." He's moving slowly, looking over his shoulder at Conrad as he passes me. I reach out and grab his hand. He jumps and inhales sharply. "Kristin!"

I put my finger to my lips and then tell him that I saw everything. I struggle to keep my voice even and he pulls me into a hug.

"Con will be fine," Jeremiah tells me. "Out of anyone, I think Laurel can knock some sense into him."

"Okay," I say and step out of his arms. "I guess I should probably go back to Mom before Laurel finds out I'm awake."

Jeremiah grins and gives me a double thumbs up. "See you in the morning. I'll pick up some muffins for breakfast."

"Really?"

He nods. "I told Belly she could come and I'd teach her how to drive. Well, I guess she knows how to drive but she's not very good. So if I don't return, you know what happened to me." He makes a fake concerned face.

"Oh, alright," I say. Belly got Conrad today and gets Jeremiah tomorrow morning. Maybe she'll finally want to hang out with me after she comes back from the bakery, I tell myself to feel better. "Just make sure to get me a chocolate chip one."

Jeremiah gives me a fist bump and we split apart. I take one final look at Conrad and Laurel before walking back to the couch and curling up next to Mom.

As I try to fall back asleep, I keep hearing the last words I heard Laurel say to Conrad: "What's wrong with you?"