i can see you - tsitp

eight.

"WHAT'S UP?" Nate raises a brow as Taylor enters his room, leaving the door open. He can't deny that she looks really good, and it makes him swallow thickly.

"Nothing." she shrugs casually, examining his room as if it's some odd specimen. "God, you're such a teenage boy."

He stares at her blankly. "Yeah. I am."

"Me and Belly are going on Nicole's yacht." Taylor tells him, approaching the end of the bed. He sits up against the headboard as she sits on the edge. "So... you know. Want me to put in a good word?"

"You think she likes you now?" Nate raises a brow at her.

"She invited me on her yacht."

"Yeah, which is, like, basic for the rich girls of Cousins." he shrugs, grinning for a second. "But have fun." he glances downward. "You're wearing you new shoes."

"Hell yeah!" she exclaims, showing them off. "I have to look good for these girls, don't I?" she tilts her head. "Didn't mean for it to sound like that."

"Whatever, TayTay." he teases. "I'm headed to a party tonight, so don't send me any thirst texts, got it?"

Taylor rolls her eyes. "Yeah, okay." she hears footsteps down the hall, as does Nate, and she immediately shoves him against the wall, aggressively pressing her lips to his.

But it's just Conrad, and Conrad couldn't care less about stuff like this. She groans, pushing him back and fixing her shirt.

"Whatever." she says begrudgingly, as if he's done something wrong. "I'm leaving now."

Nate doesn't reply as she exits his room, but he's still trying his hardest not to grin at her retreating figure. He sighs, spinning around and falling back on his bed.

*

Nate, Steven, and Jeremiah are sitting the living room playing video games. The girls had left a few minutes prior, and Steven had practically begged Jeremiah and Nate to play with him.

"Jere, you have to come to the party tonight, man." Steven says over his shoulder with a small grin. "It's gonna be sick. Shayla told me Liam ordered an ice luge."

"Sounds cool." mumbles Jeremiah blandly.

"What's up?" Nate inquires with a raised brow, elbowing Jeremiah gently. The curly-haired boy's somewhat solemn mood doesn't improve.

"Nothing." shrugs Jeremiah, his eyes focused on the game. "I just don't really feel like going out tonight."

"Since whenever?"

"What?" exclaims Steven, looking panicked. "No. No, no, no. Dude, I need you, man. It's not gonna be fun without you."

"Wow, thanks." Nate huffs, kicking Steven in the back.

"Dude, Shayla will be there, alright?" Jeremiah assures him, waving off his concern. "And everyone's scared shitless of her." his gaze moves to the trophy sitting on the table next to the couch.

"Yes, man!" cheers Steven, throwing his hands up victoriously. "See what happens when you don't concentrate?"

"Alright," Jeremiah sets the controller on the coffee table, "I-I've got some stuff to do. Have fun, guys."

"Wait, what?" Nate and Steven watch the boy leave, and he is quickly replaced with his older brother, who watches the boy leave with a slight frown.

"What's with him?" he asks, gesturing to the space where Jeremiah had been.

"I don't know, man. He's being weird." mumbles Steven with a shake of his head. "But, uh, he's not coming tonight, so it's just us three."

"Yeah, about that, bro..." Conrad trails off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he sits down on the couch.