Our Beloved Summer | A TSITP Story

Chapter 23

Walking back towards the ball room, I could hear the crowd of people already in there. It made me nervous knowing so many people were in there and it made me even more nervous not being able to set eyes on any of my family. I stood there in the middle of the doorway looking across the clusters of people. Most everyone was wearing black so they all started to morph together, until I saw him - Conrad standing at a high bar table.

I didn't move toward the familiar boy yet, I just watched him move his weight from one foot to the other and tap his glass a few times. He'd been watching the crowd as well until he matched eyes with me. This look from him didn't make me nervous like it did before. I was relieved to see someone I knew and I could tell he was relieved as well. I walked over to him slowly, coming to stand next to him. I didn't look at him as I stood there, I still wanted to find where my mother was.

"Champagne?" Conrad said, making me look at him. His eyes looked down to the small glass he was holding towards me. I didn't say anything, just slowly grabbed the glass and raised it to my lips. I could see him watching me do so, but the horrific taste on my tongue distracted me.

"That's terrible." I said, harshly putting down the glass with a grimace on my face. "That tastes like soap."

Conrad laughed as he took a sip of his own. "It takes a little to get used to."

I shook my head and kept the grimace on my face as I kept my head on a swivel. Eventually I could see my mom and dad standing with someone at another table. The third guy turned his head, letting me see his full face. I gasped and turned back around to hit Conrad on the arm. "You see that guy over there? With my mom and dad? I think that's who my mom hooked up with."

Conrad looked where I had pointed a finger, I watched his reaction. He looked curious then amused. "Oh, it is." He smiled, with a raise of his eyebrows.

"What?" I asked, wondering why he looked that way.

"Yeah, he's the guy I went sailing with. He told me about it without knowing it was your mom."

"And you didn't tell me?" I said, feigning insult.

"I would've but I kind of messed that up for myself." Conrad shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the table. His smile turned into a frown as he fiddled with the cloth that covered the table.

I put a hand on his back, giving him a few awkward pats. "Don't beat yourself up too much about it. It's really hard for me to stay mad at you."

He looked up and smiled once again. "Yeah?"

I couldn't get a word in before a woman at the front of the room tapped on a glass with a knife. She claimed the ceremony was about to start and that we should all take our seats. As Conrad and I moved towards our assigned table, he kept his hand on the small of my back. He also pulled out my chair as we sat down. The room rummaged around finding their seats as I spoke to my dad and the rest of the table. I glanced at my mom as she talked to who I now remember as Cleveland. She caught me looking and I raised my eyebrows twice and made an okay sign with my hand. She just rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head. The commotion around the room began to silence as the woman from before started to announce the debutants of the season.

Each one looked very beautiful in the dresses but as Belly began to walk out with Jere, none of them compared. She looked like a princess with her gown and her tiara, and her prince charming. If I didn't have any manners I would've screamed for the two of them as they came down the stage. Belly kept her arm hooked around Jere's as they came to our table. She gave mom her flowers and gave her a huge, showing me an excited smile as she curtsied. I couldn't stop smiling about how beautiful and happy she looked. And I couldn't keep the line of tears from forming in my eye. I felt so proud to be this girl's big sister. And the tears would start to actually fall when I saw Steven come out with Shayla. He looked as handsome as any of the escorts and his smile was so wide standing next to Shayla.