Soaked-Jeremiah Fisher

Chapter 05|Smelly Cat

Oceana walked down the stairs in a Nike tracksuit. She had the hair on top of her head braided and a bun in.

She heard Steven talking to Jeremiah about his neck while he was on his phone, but Jeremiah brushed him off.

Oceana smiled and slid next to Belly at the table.

"Steven, I swear to god if you look at your phone one more time I'll put it in the phone box," Laurel warned her son. "It's just, we want to see your pretty faces," Susannah joked. "Can dinner be a screen free zone?" asked Laurel. "Like before?"

"Steven," Laurel warned again when Steven did not look up from his phone.

Jeremiah grabbed his phone and threw it on the couch. "Dude, are you kidding me?" asked Steven irritated to his best friend. "Boom, nailed it!" laughed Jeremiah as he flexed his biceps. Oceana couldn't help as she took a quick look. 

"Okay, okay, okay. We get it, you've been working out," Steven sighed as he pulled Jeremiah's arm down. "Oh, you're just jealous that Jere has a better body than you," Oceana spoke up. Her face immediately turned red as soon as she said that. 

"Uh, no. It's about the lean look now," Steven said as he let Oceana's comment go. "Otherwise you can't wear tailored suits anymore." Everyone at the table laughed at Steven's dumb comment. 

"Sure, sure," Jeremiah laughed as he nodded.

"When are you leaving for training camp, man?" asked Steven as he looked at Conrad. Conrad looked up from his food.

"He quit football," Jeremiah answered for Conrad. "Wait, really? You quit?" asked Steven in surprise. 

"Mhm," Conrad nodded. "Are you kidding me, man. I would kill to play in college football," Steven said in disbelief.

"He can always change his mind," Susannah said. "I'm not gonna change my mind," Conrad grumbled. "I'd just sit on the bench all season anyway."

"Well, if you don't play anymore what are you going to do all summer?" asked Laurel. "Oh dude, you can work at the club!" said Steven enthusiastically. "Yeah with me and Jere." "Yeah," Jeremiah nodded. 

"I'm not going to work at the club," Conrad said shaking his head. "Wait, you guys are working this summer?" asked Belly in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm a lifeguard and Steven is going to work at the snack shop," Jeremiah told her. "How did you guys get that job? And by that I mean Steven," Oceana asked teasingly. Steven stuck his tongue out at her. 

"It's easy for you to say that. The only way I get into a Country club is to work there," Steven scoffed. "That's not what I meant," Oceana sighed. "No, I mean fine. You have a horse, a yacht," Steven mentioned. "Steven," Laurel warned. 

"Oh Belly and Oceana, I have a surprise for you," Susannah said as she stood up and handed two envelopes to the two friends. "So this is why you had to stop by the Country club," Laurel said. Susannah nodded. "What, uh, w-what's this?" asked Belly confused as Oceana read the invitation carefully. 

"I have arranged for you two to receive an invitation to be a debutante," Susannah told them enthusiastically. "Is that the thing where girls wear white dresses and have to look fancy?" asked Oceana as she looked up. "Well, it's when a girl comes of age and is introduced to society," Susannah told her. 

Oceana and Belly looked at each other doubtfully.

"I swear it's fun. Girls all over New England come here to Cousins for this."

Oceana hesitated. Since childhood she had been used to this sort of things, she had actually hoped to get rid of it here. But Susannah is so sweet, she couldn't really say no. 

"You will make so many new friends," Susannah encouraged them. "I still can't believe you're holding on to that archaic dream," Laurel said. "No, it used to be for girls to find a husband," Susannah told them.

Oceana nearly choked on her food.

"They teach you leadership skills, how to market yourself, and it's benefit's charity."

"It's not like a barmitzwa, is it?" asked Oceana cautiously. Jeremiah and Steven began to laugh.

"No, honey," Susannah said as she shook her head. "The whole deb scene is bullshit," Jeremiah said before taking a sip of water. "It's for sheep," muttered Conrad. Belly heard it and began to hesitate.

"Yeah," Jeremiah nodded. "No, it's not," Susannah said as she looked at her sons. "It's when a girl has a coming out, it's a formal recognition she's reached maturity."

Steven began to laugh with Jeremiah.

"Oh sorry, mature? Belly? I mean Oce is, but Belly?" asked Steven as he got looks from Susannah and Laurel. "What?" asked Belly irritated to her brother. "I mean, a couple months ago you held a cat funeral. You made us all wear black," Steven reminded her. 

"Shut up Steven, I saw you crying in your room," Oceana teased him. "And pet loss is very hard. I would die without Poppy and Flora."

"Wait, Mochi died? Dang, I'm sorry Bells," Conrad said.

"Belly, Oceana. Don't you want to get all dressed up?" Susannah asked the two best friends. "It's just not Belly's kind of thing. She's our feral little alley cat," Laurel embaressed her daughter as she pinched Belly's cheek. 

The boys started to laugh while Belly her face got red from embaresment. "I'll think about it," Belly replied to Susannah's answer. "I'll do it," Oceana nodded with a big smile. "Ow, great," said Susannah with a big smile. 

The two girls walked upstairs to their room after dinner. "Are you really going?" Belly asked her best friend. "Yeah, why not? It's fun I guess," said Oceana with a smile as she played with her stuffed dog. "I mean, I grew up with this. It can be fun."

Belly opened her mouth to say something but she was interrupted by Jeremiah and Steven singing some song. "Oh my god," muttered Belly. Oceana started to laugh.

She walked to the door and opened it slightly and took a peak.

"You guys sound great!" Oceana yelled sarcastically. "Thanks," Steven said. "It was sarcasm, you sound even worse than those horses when they die in Minecraft," Oceana joked. 

She quickly closed the door before Steven could insult her back. Belly and Oceana laughed until their stomach hurts.