The summer everything changed | CF

31~Round 2

    It was so beautiful out the weather was hot, some may say too hot for the AC to be out. I didn't pack much for warm weather other than my bathing suit, so I opened my closet browsing to see what was there. There was a cute black romper that looked flowy enough to be a short dress. I knew that was one of the things I picked up with Susannah when we went deb shopping but I never wore it. But for right now it was perfect. I didn't do my eyeliner that I have been doing for months because I was sure it would melt off from the heat. Then I threw my converse on and rushed downstairs after hearing the doorbell ring.

"What's going on?" I asked as I came down the stairs to see Belly and the boys talking.

"The realtor just got here." Belly filled me in and my eyes widened a bit. "Maybe Skye has some information that could help us." She looked back at the boys.

"They seem like they're pretty in this with their mom." I add.

"Well maybe we can get a moment alone with her." Belly suggests again.

"Them." Conrad slightly reminds Belly.

"Right thanks."

"Well good luck because Olivia is right, they inseparable." Jeremiah sighs looking between us.

"I don't fucking know." Conrad walks towards the kitchen and I follow shortly behind him. I stand between him and Steven at the table. Now we were all in the kitchen. Me in the same room with most of the people I have been avoiding.

"It's so hot. It's like 2,000 degrees in here." Taylor says fanning herself with her hands. Her hair was in two cute Dutch braids and I wish I could do that to my hair.

"Aunt Julia says the AC is broken." Belly announces making me look at Conrad for a moment then back down at my hands.

"Oh what no way?" Steven says clearly sarcastically, that or a really bad lie. He's definitely a bad liar.

Julia walks into the room and says. "Today's open house has been canceled." A grin grew on my face as I slyly winked at Taylor. She was staring at me and Steven, and my hand. She smiled figuring out what we had done. "So I need all of you out of the house while I get the AC guy here." She grabs a cup out of the cabinet. "Also uh who's the AC guy."

"Uh do I need to look one up for you?" Skye immediately stands with their mother.

"No it's okay, I'm sure Susannah has her preferred technician and four back up's." She looks through all the drawers none of us helping her find Susannah's book. "Look right here." She pulls out the binder we all knew was there. I should have hid that damn binder.

"Great now we don't have to lie and say there's black mold to the buyers. Let's go to the beach." Jeremiah suggested to all of us and I shook my head.

"I'm not leaving." Conrad says immediately.

"Come on Conrad. We've won this round. Let's just get out of here."

"The mall has AC." Taylor says fanning herself with her hand again. It was truly agonizing being in a hot room.

"Cool. Have fun." Conrad says bluntly. "I didn't ditch finals to leave this house for the taking to buy it."

"Conrad," Julia says throwing a paper down. "I'm trying—straining to keep my shit together. You've already ruined my day, the least you can do is get out of my hair for a few hours."

"You think you're the only one—"

"What about the boardwalk?" Belly suggests cutting Conrad off completely. Probably for his own good though.

"Yeah, the boardwalk that's a great idea." Jeremiah agreed.

"I'm down." Steven says.

"Yeah me too." Taylor says and everyone looks at me and Conrad.

"Yeah fine."

"Hey you should come with us Skye." Belly says getting their attention.

"That sounds very state fair. I think I should just stay with you?" Julia nods.

"Well I'm only going if you go. I hate the boardwalk." I knew that would get under Julia's nails. Skye looked at their mom and Julia nodded towards the group of us. She looked annoyed by my comment like she really didn't want me here.

"Guess I'm coming with you guys." I spun on my toes and Conrad walked beside me towards the door.

"You love the boardwalk, that was a huge lie." He whispered, I looked over at him and said.

"It worked didn't it?" He smiled.

"I like this side of you, it's different." My love for the boardwalk has changed since I was younger but not enough for me to not enjoy being there. I still liked it but once you get older there's not as many things to do.

The car ride there was pretty quiet but not nearly as awkward as u thought it would be concerning all the circumstances. We started walking around and it was just as hot outside as it was inside the house. I loved the heat don't get me wrong but it wasn't the best experience to be on the boardwalk when it was so hot.

    "How is this any less hot than it would be inside?" Taylor complained about exactly what I was thinking.

    "Because you have the magical sea breeze to cool you down." Steven exaggerated and I shook my head.

    "Cool breeze, my ass." She mumbled, I agreed I'd rather have been by the pool or the beach. "I want some ice cream, natures air conditioning." I turned to her.

    "That actually sounds really good right now." I agreed, I looked at Conrad who had been on his phone for a while now. Just staring at it.

    "You know, I'm kind of a natural introvert, so I can't tell if this place is horrifying or if it's just, like, my lizard brain in action." Skye spoke up and I could slightly understand that I used to be the same way before my give a fuck ran out.

"It's fun I promise." Belly tells them.

"Fun?" Jeremiah spoke. "Because I seem to remember last time we were here, you were crying." I looked at Jeremiah knowing where this was going.

"Belly and Ollie were twelve and Conrad beat them both at shoot your shot. Their penalty was they ride the tower of terror." In my defense that ride was quite literally terrifying as a twelve year old. But just the memory made me a little scared of the silly ride again.

"You were so scared you threw up." Conrad bumped me with his shoulder and I rolled my eyes back at him.

"I was twelve and it was scary." Belly and I held hand so tightly that day. So tightly because we were still bound together and there was nothing we couldn't face together.

"Susannah always forced mom to take us kids." Belly explained and I laughed.

"Mom hated it."

"But Susannah loved it so much she'd come for her." Belly added and I nodded. That was very true Susannah said it would give us good memes but now that I think about it, I only ever had strange memories from here.

"You know what else my mom loved?" Conrad asked and I knew where this was going. "The beach house." Conrad had a way of making people feel guilty without being too blunt about it.

"My mom isn't evil Conrad." Skye said to him and I felt differently about that statement. "And your mom wasn't a saint." My head quickly snapped in their direction. No way they just said that. Belly cleared her throat and said.

"Skye have you ever played shoot your shot?" Drawing my attention away from Skye.

"No and I'm fine keeping it that way." Skye awkwardly laughed it off.

"Well do you want to watch me beat Conrad's ass?" I asked looking over at Conrad with a daring look. "Round 2, loser rides the tower of terror?"

"Oh god not another great boardwalk showdown." Steven protested.

"Why it's fun?" I laughed. "Don't you want to have fun Stevie?" I looked at Conrad and he nodded.

"You're on."