The Summer I Turned Pretty • Gracie Fisher

The Debutantes

Gracie's pov

I woke up this morning still on the couch but unaccompanied- I assume my mom and Laurel headed upstairs to bed. I looked over at the clock on the wall and it was only 5am. I decided to head upstairs and get a few more hours sleep in the comforts of my own bed.
Today, I knew that, Jere and Steven were off to work at the club, Conrad was doing whatever and the moms were taking Belly and I shopping before this afternoon when we had to get to the club for our very first deb meeting.
I tiptoed upstairs, but before entering my room, I heard lots of noise coming from Belly's room.
"Belly." I called as I crept into her room.
"Hi Gracie." She replied.
"You're up early." I smiled, trying to make conversation as I felt tension: even though she doesn't know what I heard her say about me last night.
"Well obviously. So are you." She glared at me.
"Yea I fell asleep on the couch last night so I was just gonna come up here to get some better rest." I said.
"Cool. By the way, I am doing that deb thing." She declared. I had a feeling she would and now I knew it was definite as I saw the invite had been ticked 'yes'.
"That's amazing! It's gonna be so much fun!" I squealed with excitement.
"Yea I guess." She deadpanned.
"I presume we will probably end up shopping for deb stuff before this afternoon then." I tried to lighten the mood. I guess she is just moody because she is tired from the bonfire.
"Maybe. Um do you mind giving me some privacy?" She hinted for me to leave her bedroom.
"Yes of course I can." I said as I left and climbed into my cosy bed. I get all wrapped up in the sheets that were warm from the sunrise blazing through my window.

I woke up to see it was 7am. I had only been asleep for an extra two hours but I felt way more awake than earlier. I hopped straight in the shower, brushed my teeth, completed my skincare and some light mascara and concealer, styled my hair and got dressed. I was wearing a cute little summer dress that was a baby blue bodycon dress.
I strolled downstairs and saw that Jere, Steven  and Laurel were all in the kitchen.
"Good morning guys!" I smiled at everyone.
"Hey CiCi!" Jere returned the smile before continuing his conversation with Laurel. "Do we really have to physically sit for our portraits? Can't she just look at a picture on her phone or something?" I assumed he was talking about the paintings my mom was making of all of us kids.
"She needs to see you in the flesh to capture your essence while you're still young and full of hope. Her words." Laurel laughed.
"Get out!" Jere pushed Steven back as he was leaning over Jere's shoulder as he was making eggs. "Well Conrad does not have hope actually. He's hopeless but my hangover smoothie cures it all."
"Can you hurry up?" Conrad called for his smoothie.
"One minute, just go back to bed alright!" Jere replied as he was hustling around the kitchen preparing eggs and blending his specialty: the hangover smoothie. "Okay seriously, Steven, get out!" Jere repeated at Steven who was leaning closer and closer to the eggs in the pan.
"Oh come on! Why can't I observe?" Steven laughed. I laughed along, whether Jere was cooking or preparing any food he got so protective and stressed.
"This is a delicate silence and your heavy breathing is gonna break the yolk!" Jere yelled at Steven.
"About the portraits though: Susannah hasn't painted you since you were little. I think it'd be nice to have these portraits for when you're older." Laurel continued the previous conversation of my mom's paintings.
"Old. No. I'm sure when we're older they'll be like holograms or something I can watch of myself, you know?" Jere dismissed the idea of having to sit for hours whilst being painted. I personally enjoy just sitting there whilst being painted: it's a lovely few hours to either bond with mom, or if she's too focused, I can get lost in my thoughts.
"Just sit for your portraits!" Laurel yelled over the noise of the blender. "I don't hear Conrad complaining."
"He will complain when he's conscious." Jere and Steven laughed. I giggled a bit too.
"Here you go!" Jere passed Conrad the hangover smoothie.
"Thank you." Conrad sat up on the couch to sip his drink. I never liked it when Conrad drunk. I think it's because I've watched my dad drink so much growing up and he's such an asshole. When my dad had alcohol he is such a dick and when he doesn't he is still a dick: there's really no nicer way of putting it.
"Come on man hurry your ass up! I can't be late for my first day at work." Steven called Jere as they needed to leave for the country club.
"We won't, we're good. Let's go!" Jere replied.
"Those old country club boomers are gonna tip me so hard they won't know what hit 'em!" Steven laughed as he did some weird thrusting motion.
"Ooh!" Jere laughed along.
"Steven, I swear." Laurel rolled her eyes. "Belly! Where have you been?"
We all turned to see Belly who had just entered the kitchen. She was wearing a dress, that random hoodie again and she was covered in sweat with knotty hair. I wonder where she went. I almost forgot about how Belly had been treating me ever since she got here. Hopefully it will get better though as it is only the second day and the debutante thing should help us bond better.
"Hi Belly!" I smiled at her.
"Hey." She returned a small smile. At least it was something right?
"Is that a bruise?" Laurel glanced at Belly's cheek. I just noticed too that she has a large red mark around her cheekbone.
"I-I bumped into someone." Belly stuttered. I don't think anyone believed that.
"Doesn't look that bad." Steven shrugged it off. Jere didn't seem bothered either. It was like they knew something I didn't. I really hope they are not keeping secrets from me- I hate being left out and especially as they are my only friends.
"Cereal?" Jere offered Belly.
"Yeah, hit me." Belly accepted the sugary breakfast food.
"Oh my god! Belly and Gracie are gonna be debutantes!" My mom squealed as he walked in the kitchen.
"Congrats guys! CiCi, you're gonna be such a cute little deb!" Jere smiled at me. I love my brothers, they really are my best friends. And Jeremiah has always been so supportive of everything I do and he always knows how to make me feel happy and appreciated even when I'm sad.
"It's really not a big deal." Belly trailed off. I guess she didn't want everyone talking about the deb stuff.
"I'm sorry, like, Belly. Like my sister over there? Like that thing right there?" Steven laughed at his own joke which made me smirk a little bit.
"Shut up, cretin!" Belly fired back at her brother.
"This is gonna be so much fun! Okay, so there's gonna be the tea, the auction, the ball, of course, and the rehearsal. Ooh! And we need to go shopping!" Mom squeaked with excitement which, in turn, made me excited too.
"Uhh, this sounds expensive." Laurel stated.
"Oh don't worry Laur, this is on me." Mom smiled. "And it was my idea after all, and we still need to style you for your book party."
"Belly are you sure you want to do this? It doesn't seem very you." Laurel questioned.
"It's not." Conrad piped up from the couch.
"Conrad could you please be a little more supportive." Mom cut him off.
"Yeah come on Connie, this is exciting!" I squeaked at my brother.
"You think everything is exciting. You're such a ditzy blonde, Gracie." Conrad teased me.
"Hey! Don't talk to your sister like that." Laurel snapped in my defence.
"It's fine Laurel. She doesn't even understand half the names I give her, which proves my point even more actually." Conrad laughed.
"Enough Conrad. Now, who is taking Belly and CiCi to the ball? I suppose Steven could take Gracie and either Con or Jere can take Belly." Mom smiled.
"Not me, I went last year!" Conrad declined.
"Yeah and I swore off balls." Jere agreed.
"I'm not too sure either." Steven muttered giving me a look that I couldn't read. That hurt. I was hoping he would want to take me.
"No problem, I can pick my own date." I tried to play it off and hide my feelings.
"Wow guys. Stop fighting over me." Belly aimed at my brothers. "But I agree with Gracie, I'm gonna find my own date too."
"Wikipedia says debutante balls require instruction in morals and etiquette." Jere read off his phone.
"I'm going for a swim." Conrad jumped off the couch for the first time.
"The girls sure could use some etiquette." Steven laughed.
"No offence Beck but I don't feel like a country club is the best place to teach Belly about morals." Laurel said.
"Laur, times have changed. There's a girl debbing this season and she's bringing her girlfriend as her escort and the club was totally fine with it." Mom convinced.
"How very progressive of them." Laurel deadpanned which made me giggle.
"Well come on girls, let's go shopping!" Mom jumped up getting us to leave the house.