timeless, jeremiah fisher

fifteen

gina's pov

"what time is it? summertime! it's our vacation," melanie sang as she danced her way to my locker, i gave her a small smile. she was trying to make me laugh, almost all the time. especially since susnnah's death last month. nothing seemed the same. i had left the volleyball team the beginning of this semester. i was only focused on getting my grade up. i missed playing, i really did. but my heart had not been in the game for the last couple of months.

"you are crazy," i said, shaking my head.

"no. i am just happy the summer is starting. and that high school is over." she put one of her arms around my shoulder.

"i am, unfortunately, not." there was go going to cousins this year. and that hurt.

"okay. no. moping around isn't happening," she said sternly. "now that you'll be here for the summer, we'll do tons of shit we missed because you were in cousins. i won't let you get bored."

i smiled at her. "fine."

"just fine?' james asked as he walked in with his arms around his girlfriend mckayla's shoulders. i had gotten close to the boy since last summer, and by extension mckayla too. these three had become my support system throughout the last year, more than anything. "the three of us will not let you spend all the time in your house. we'll kidnap you if we need to."

"ha ha," i said, rolling my eyes, but with a smile on my face. "very funny, james. very funny."

"on a different note," mckayla said, changing the topic. "i am so happy you got into brown. i won't have to be alone there. and even though i didn't know them, mia and susannah would be so proud of you."

"i am honestly not sure if i should go there," i said softly. "i got into pennbrook. i think i might go there instead."

"uh. no," melanie said, "brown is ivy! you have dreamt of going there for years. and it was what mia and susannah wanted for you! you have to go!"

"but -"

"there are no buts!" she replied.

"fine. i'll think about it," i said as i picked my bag. "see you guys later, at the graduation next week."

"thank god!" james said, laughing. "at least you won't miss the party that day."

i shook my head and walked towards the main gate of my school. it would be one of the last times i did that. as i walked out of school, i saw a text from steven. high school is finally over. princeton here i come. i laughed. you got it dude. i replied to him. i was planning to go for his graduation tomorrow, that would be fun. after everything that happened, steven was the only one i was regularly talking to.

i had reached back home about two days before the conklin's were supposed to leave. it on the day they got back steven had called. it was nothing odd.

"shayla broke up with me," he said sadly as soon as i picked up.

"hello to you too," i said, chuckling.

"i am telling you something sad and you're joking!?"

"i'm sorry," i said laughing. "i just didn't expect that to be the first thing you said."

"yeah. okay. whatever."

"what did you do anyway?" i asked, laughing.

"still not funnt," he said. i could practically hear him roll his eyes. "and she just thought long distance wouldn't work –"

"that's a good excuse," i said. "you did do some dumb shit."

"hey," he said. "not fair."

"okay. okay."

"i haven't been able to talk about this whole thing with jere yet," he said sadly. "he was in quite a bad mood for the last couple of days."

"is he? i didn't know," i said sarcastically, pretending to be shocked. i didn't know what else to say.

"i think you know exactly what happened," he said. "he hates fighting with you gi. with everything else going on, he needs you."

"this is why i didn't want to tell you," i mumbled. "steven, he made it very clear that he doesn't. can we please talk about something else? please."

"okay," he said before changing the topic.

i was glad that i could still talk to him. i would occasionally text belly too. and a couple of times with conrad. but with jere. he hadn't texted me. and neither had i. i guess we both were stubborn asses. i hated it. but i couldn't do it now. i didn't know what i would say.

-x-x-x-

"hey hon," dad said as i walked in. he was home today because he had to catch a flight in a couple of hours for a work trip. he had probably just finished packing. "how was your day?"

"as good as it can be," i said, smiling at him. he smiled back.

"there is something here for you by the way?"

"what is it?" i asked. i was very curious. i hadn't expected any packages today.

"it's in your room. go have a look," he said with a big smile.

i walked into my room and saw a basket full of things i would probably need for college in the fall. a new laptop, notebook, post-in notes. it was fantastic. and some of it looked expensive. i looked at the letter it came with. "oh my god," i said softly with a tear falling down my eyes. i had a smile too. it was from susannah. she would have planned it before everything happened. i missed her.

"classic susannah, isn't it?" dad said as he walked in, putting a hand on my shoulders. "mia and her, both would be so proud that you got into brown."

"dad, i told you can't –"

"i know what you have said, gi. but at least go and have a feel for the campus again?" he said. he pointed at my phone. "call conrad and see if he can help you with that."

"i –" i paused. I knew I was pointless to argue. "fine."

"right now!" he said as he walked back to his own room. i smiled.

i picked my phone up from the table and dialled conrad's number. i hadn't called him in a while. i knew he had exams going on so he might have been busy.

"hey, gina. it's not a good time," he said as soon as he picked up. i could hear that he was a bit frustrated from his voice. "can we talk later?"

"is everything okay?" i asked.

"yeah," he said, but i was not convinced. "i'll call later."

"okay." but i didn't cut the call. I thought he would.

"hey sophie," i heard him say to someone. i guess he thought i had cut the call. "i am going to cousins. i have some work there – "and he finally cut the call. i didn't know what was going on, but i heard how flustered conrad was. so, i knew exactly what i had to do. i knew in my gut that i needed to go to cousins. i had nothing to do till the graduation next week. And steven would understand. so what the hell.

-x-x-x-