Our Beloved Summer | A TSITP Story

Chapter 12

It didn't take us long to collectively agree it was time for burgers and hotdogs, so we made our way back to the house. After eating we all went our separate ways. The debs and Steven went to the dock, and Jere, Conrad, Cam and I ended up on the grassy slope at the bottom of the backyard. Jere and Conrad threw the football and Cam and I sat up and away from them. Every now and then I would look up from my conversation with Cam to see Conrad looking at us.

I turned back to Cam only for a football to be thrown at my chest. The speed made me let out a grunt of pain. "Woah, Dani, I'm so sorry." Conrad came up the hill. He got down to my eye level.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" I held onto my chest, the wind was nearly knocked out of me. Conrad actually looked concerned.

"I thought Cam would catch it."

"So you threw it at me?" With each word I spoke the pain in my chest grew bigger. Like my lungs were pressing too hard on my ribs.

"I didn't even know you were gonna throw it, man." Cam said from beside me. I didn't realize I had grabbed onto his hand until then.

"Yeah man, it was a bad call. I'm sorry, Dani." Conrad put his hand on my knee. We looked at each other longer than we should have. I hadn't seen him that concerned in a while, it was kind of nice, but I'd rather not see it than be hit with a ball.

"Yeah, whatever." I used Conrad's shoulder to sit up, pushing him out of his crouching position. "I'm gonna go walk this off. Don't run off without me." I said, pointing at Cam. He nodded his head.

I rubbed my chest and the pain slowly started to dissipate. I didn't really want to converse with adults about growing up so I made my way over to the dock. I could see Belly still swinging around her margarita glass and being loud. She was drunk out of her mind.

As I came up, I put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Belly, maybe we should get you some water."

Everyone on the deck looked up at me. "I'm okay. Come sit with us." Belly yanked on my arm, pulling me to sit next to her.

"Belly, by the way, I love that dress." Said Shayla. She was really sweet to Belly.

"Really? Taylor got this for me, actually." Belly said drunkily slurring her words. "Oh, my god. You know what? You and Taylor are, like, twins. Because you're both mega-fashiony. And you're both, like, baddies. And you both like the same summer boys."

Wherever this was going, I didn't want to find out. I tugged on Belly's elbow a bit. "How about that water, now?"

"No, no, no. I'm talking." Belly almost tripped as I pulled her up off her butt. It took all my strength since she was pulling away trying to sit back down.

Shayla couldn't help but ask, "We do?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. My brother is an idiot. And it didn't mean anything. It didn't mean anything."

Oh, shit.

"Belly, let's go." My voice was more stern than ever. It wasn't her place to speak about what happened.

"Wait, what didn't mean anything?" Shayla asked.

"Uh, them kissing." I yanked on Belly's arm even harder, making her drink spill.

"Go, Belly. Now."

"Don't be a bitch, Dani." Belly said, shocked that her drink had spilt all over the deck. I pushed her back all the way down the dock and up to the house. Dad was with Victoria on the porch.

"She is stupid drunk and she needs to lay down." I told him, pushing Belly off to him. Her and her drunkenness would not be my responsibility.

"Okay, okay. Could you help me get her inside?" I obliged, knowing that my dad typically did things half-ass and him trying to get Belly inside would leave one of them with unwanted bruises. As soon as Dad and I got her by the armpits, Belly went limp.