The Summer When Everything Changed

Chapter 1

It was the same every summer. It was the same house that they had visited year after year. It was the same old summer. Belly Conklin was sitting in the passenger seat while her older brother, Steven, was driving. The fifteen-year-old girl had looked out of the window as Can't Do Better from Kim Petra came on. She didn't sing along to it. She knew Steven hated it. Her brother had looked at her as he had turned the music up. From the backseat, belly saw as her mother jumped up from the loud music.

"Steven Jonathan Conklin."

Laurel called her son out as Belly quickly put the music down. Whenever Laurel called either one of her children by their full names, it meant she was mad. From her backpack that was laying at her feet, Belly grabbed a book, and started to read it.

"Sorry, Mom, but she is as quiet as a mouse. I had to try to get her to talk," Steven said as Laurel looked at her daughter.

"Are you sick, Belly? Usually you are singing along to everything on the radio. I haven't heard you once," Laurel said.

"When is Cleveland coming to Cousins?" Belly asked, not moving her eyes away from the book.

Cleveland Castillo was the fiancé of Laurel Park. They have had a very short relationship before they had gotten engaged. Laurel hadn't yet told Susannah or anyone really. Even her ex-husband was in the dark about this relationship. And she didn't want to tell anyone just yet.

"Listen, Belly, I will tell everyone when I am ready. Right now, Cleveland is just a friend, okay?" Laurel said as Belly rolled her eyes.

The car had stopped in front of a huge house. Belly had smiled and Steven presses down four times on the horn. Usually, Belly did it, and she did it only twice. But summer was different.

"Mom, who is that?" Conrad asked as he had come down.

Conrad Fisher was the eldest son of Adam Fisher and Susannah Fisher. He was the son who played football. He was the son who had just finished high school. And he was the son who got accepted to study pre-med at Brown University.

It was Conrad and Jeremiah. They were brothers who were a year apart. Susannah loved the bond that her sons had shared and she loved that they were close. Conrad looked out of the window with his mother following him as both looked confused at the car.

"That's the Conklins," Susannah said.

Conrad pulled the door open as he saw how Steven and Laurel were outside of the car. Laurel immediately went over to hug Conrad while Steven went over to Susannah. Conrad had looked around as he saw how Steven came towards him.

"Hey, man," Steven said.

"Hey, where's your sister? And what was with that hoot?" Conrad asked.

"She's in the car, and a completely different person. Hey, Tasmanian Devil," Steven said trying to get his sister's attention.

Belly exhaled. She hated when her brother called her names. Belly opened the door as she got out of the car when she saw as Jeremiah came jumping outside.

"Steve-o!" he yelled as they bro hugged.

Belly closed the car door as she saw how Conrad came towards her. She had smiled at him. She didn't know what to tell him. But he was indeed the first person to say something.

"You look different," Conrad said as Belly smiled.

"Well... No glasses, no braces," Belly said, simply shrugging her shoulders.

"It's not that. It's good to see you, Belly," Conrad said, hugging Belly.

He was careful with the way he had hugged Belly, like she was about to break. He was going crazy at the gym, Belly could tell that. Conrad wasn't buff, but he was indeed built well, with a bit of muscle. Belly felt comfortable in his arms. She pulled away as she smiled at Conrad. Conrad looked at Belly riffling her hair as she tried to stop him.