folklore; conrad fisher

29: when it all comes out

 We were woken up by Cam Cameron's mother, who seemed furious to see us sleeping outside on the golf field. Cam tried to reason with her, explaining that none of us had a place to stay that night. She crossed her arms and told him to make sure to clean up. I saw her lips form a slight smile as she walked away, happy to see her son having some fun for once.

When we got back to the house, Aunt Julia had already been standing outside, speaking with her realtor. She fiddled with her hands as the Fisher boys went up to her. The realtor seemed nervous, and Aunt Julia sent her off. She sighed at her nephews.

"Oh, I wish you guys had gone home when I asked you to."

Conrad scoffed, "You're not getting us to abandon our house, Julia."

She walked over to us, pulling her sunglasses off with one hand and resting the other on her hip, "It's not your house, Conrad. And it won't be mine for long, either. A buyer has made an offer on the house and I've officially accepted it."

Aunt Julia twiddled with the sunglasses, "I have to go to Boston to finalize the details, but––it's done. The house is sold."

Conrad and Jeremiah looked at each other, stunned. Belly and Steven seemed mortified, while the rest of us couldn't figure out how to react. We looked around aimlessly, searching for clues in that driveway. We refused to give up hope in losing this house for so long, that the reality of it now seemed impossible. But it was. She had sold the house to a family of five.

Aunt Julia forced Conrad and Jeremiah to return their keys to the house. They reluctantly did so. She squeezed through the rest of the group and went back to her car. After a minute sitting in her seat, she finally started it up. Soon enough, she was gone. All that was left was this empty house that we'd have to start saying goodbye to.

We gathered inside, standing around the kitchen island. We'd never felt more crushed as a group. It was tense and devastating.

Steven slumped himself over the counter, "So what? Are we supposed to go home now?"

Conrad nodded, but Belly wouldn't agree, "No!" She said, abruptly.

"Our last memory here can't be this. Everyone miserable and defeated. I mean this place deserves a better goodbye than that."

She told us a story about when Laurel and Susannah came to the beach house years ago, in their youth. It was after Susannah's dad had passed away. Susannah hated how empty the house felt, and the two decided to plan a huge party to bring life back into it. It was one of their best memories there.

"So, I say we throw a party, too!" She said.

Everyone was on board with the idea, even Conrad. We all started planning immediately. First we'd all shower and take a much-needed power nap, and then we'd get to work. Steven and Taylor would make the invites, while Belly and Jeremiah went to buy alcohol and snacks for the party. Cam said he'd go home to get his sister's DJ set and speakers, which left Conrad, Cole and I on party supply duty. Conrad decided that it would be best if we went to the mall in the next town over, as they had multiple different shops that we'd need to go to for the party.

I decided that tonight would be a good last day to have in Cousin's as well. Now that the house was sold, there was no reason for me to stay any longer. I tried my best to help, but it was to no avail. This party would make for one last perfect night to forever remember in this house. Before we left, I told Cole I'd go with him to the train station in the morning. I'd break up with him then, before he got on his train.

Conrad drove us in his Range Rover, with Cole happily taking the backseat. He could be overprotective sometimes, but he never had his guard up around Conrad, which was strange. He was also being a great sport about the whole situation with the house. It made me feel worse for what I knew I had to do tomorrow.