Uncertainty| Conrad Fisher

S I X .

"I hope you're not upset." Ana said to Susannah, as her and the woman sat outside paining small paintings.

"I'm not, at all, sweetheart." She answered with a soft smile, "but can I ask you why?"

"I just... I don't know. I wouldn't know anyone, Belly doesn't seem to like me, and spending all of your money doesn't seem like an amazing time." She laughed, and Susannah joined in.

"Belly..." she sighed, "shes a sweet girl. The sweetest really. She just, uh, well I'm guessing you know."

"I do, yeah." Ana set her paint brush down and looked to the older woman, "I don't know if you've heard.. or have seen, or noticed I guess. But Conrad and I aren't doing so well. It started a few weeks ago, but it hasn't gotten better."

"I've noticed, and I am so sorry. He has changed so much recently. I wish I understood..." the woman said, finally looking at the young girl girl, "you're not thinking of.. you know?"

"I- I have been, yeah. For a couple of weeks now. And I haven't really been happy in our relationship for some time." She sighed.

Susannah's eyes filled with tears. She loved Ana. She loved her as much as she loved belly. And she knew Conrad loved her too. He would be destroyed if she ended things between them. Especially after she tells them about the cancer coming back.

"Well, no matter what you decide to do... cousins will always be your home now. So, will my house. The boys will always take care of you, dating or not." She smiled.

Ana smiled sadly back at the woman and sighed.

~

Ana was back in her and Conrad's room, just finishing up the small details on her painting before Conrad came in smelling like champagne.

"We're going to go to the drive in.. wanna come?" He asked, not telling her the most important part. They were going to crash belly's first date.

"I'm okay." She said, she wasn't trying to start anything, she wasn't trying to be petty, she just wanted to be with her thoughts.

"Come on, you can't be mad forever." Conrad groaned, sitting next to her.

Ana laughed bitterly, "you haven't even apologized."

"I need to apologize? If you and Jere-"

"Don't bring Jere and I up to disguise whatever other feelings you're having." She cut off, tired of his accusations, "you know that Jere and I are friends. Best friends. We'll only ever be that."

Conrad sighed, he wanted to open up to her. Tell her everything but he was so angry at everyone. He was so angry at the world. He felt like he couldn't.

"I'm going to stay in tonight, think about... us. Paint, maybe even go for a swim. You can go and do whatever you want, with whoever you want... just don't come back here and start a fight with me. Cause I really can't do it anymore." She said, pulling out another blank canvas, and starting a new painting.

Conrad looked at the one she had just finished. It was a tree, in the middle of no where. There were branches breaking off of it, and leaves falling all over the place.

He didn't understand art, not like her or his mom did. But the painting was sad... the tree was lonely and falling apart. It made his chest hurt and his eyes fill up.

But still, without another word, he got up and left the room.

"No Ana?" Steven asked, oblivious to what had been happening between the two

"No, let's go."

~

Ana was in the kitchen, getting a drink before she heard the door open. Conrad came in quickly from the back door while belly came in through the front door.

For some reason Ana was scared to see them both at the same time so she quickly slipped up the stairs, only making it halfway so she could still listen to them if they started talking.

And they did.

"How was your hot date?" Conrad asked.

"Excuse me?" Belly snapped, at the boy.

"Okay, relax. We were just having a little fun." He said, and Ana realized that the drive in movie was actually belly's date.. and Conrad had ruined it.

"You guys are asshokes." She said.

"Belly, come on."

"All I wanted was to go to a drive in with a guy that I think is cute and sweet, and you guys had to come and ruin it." She continued.

"And us showing up for like two minutes ruined that, really? Grow up, Belly."

"Why couldn't you let me have this one thing? Huh? Admit it. You knew what you were doing."

"What? What was I doing?"

"Reminding me that you existed." Ana's heart sank at the girls words.

She knew that belly was only telling the truth. For some reason Conrad wanted her attention. Why? She didnt know. He told her he didnt have feelings for her. So why was he acting this way?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You cared where I was. Who I was with."

"No, I didnt. I don't care." Conrad responded, going slightly quiet.

"Stop lying!"

"Stop being such a baby!"

"Oh and you're such an adult? You spend your Saturday night crashing my first date for fun."

It was quiet for a second. Neither of them saying anything else.

"Why don't you go smoke some more pot?" Belly said.

"Why don't you go look on the mirror some more." He responded.

"Yeah, well why don't you go hangout with your girlfriend."

Ana got up, and started to sneak her way to her room. Tears visibly running down her face, when she finally stood up she bumped into Jeremiah.

"Hey, hey... are you okay?" He asked her.

"I- im fine." She said with a small fake smile.

"Come here." He whispered, pulling her into a hug.

Conrad walked up the stairs, seeing the two hugging as Ana cried into his chest. He knew it had to have been his fault. He was the reason she was crying, but he didnt even want to know. He didnt want to hear how he hurt her once again.

He just snuck by them and made it into his room quietly.