Cruel Summer, Jeremiah Fisher

six

"Belly flop!" I yelled jumping onto my sleeping best friend. It was her 16th birthday, and I promised myself to spend the whole day making sure she was having fun...

and not worrying about Jeremiah.

She groaned and covered her face with a pillow, "Can you give me 10 more minutes?"

I smiled and grabbed her hand, "Nope! Everyone else is up and we have to get you looking all cute for your big day."

"Fine."

I jumped out of her bed and walked over to a dresser. Belly has definitely been dressing up a lot more than usual this summer, and I have a feeling it has to do with Conrad.

"This is perfect, Bells." I held up a cute floral print romper.

She smiled at me and nodded her head, "Okay, you hurry up and get ready, I'll be waiting downstairs." I told her.

Thankfully, things weren't awkward with Jeremiah. It was almost as if nothing happened at all.

I'm not sure if I like it that way.

Belly walked into the kitchen, and everyone wished her a happy birthday, well... everyone except Conrad. I wonder if something happened between them.

"Shall we open gifts?" Susannah asked and we all headed to the living room.

"It's a first edition. I got it from a rare book dealer." Laurel told Belly when she opened her new book. I could tell that belly was trying to be grateful but wasn't too excited. Books were her mom's thing, not hers.

"Thanks, mom."

"Okay, open mine now Belly." Susannah told me what she was giving Belly earlier, and I wasn't surprised when she loved the pearl necklace.

"Oh, I'm next." I stood up and handed Belly the gift I bought her.

I was nervous as she opened the small package, "Oh my gosh," she held up the charm bracelet, "Thank you so much Elle!" 

I shot her a smile. There was one charm on the bracelet that I bought already, a small gold dove that symbolized the first time we came to Cousins together and chased a dove on the beach. 

I didn't have to explain it to her, I know that she knew what it meant.

Jeremiah stood up, "That leads to mine." We planned our gifts for Belly to coordinate.

Belly tore open the package from him and held up a small gold key, "It's a good-luck charm for the bracelet, to help you pass your driving test." Jere told her.

"Think fast, Belly!" Steven said as he threw his gift at her.

Bells smiled when she held up the Princeton jacket he bought her, "Wow, Steven. I can't believe you actually spent money on me."

Things got awkward when Laurel started questioning Steven about his application into Princeton and Conrad said that he forgot to buy Belly a gift. I shot him a death glare because I knew for a fact there was no way her forgot, there must have been some other reasoning.

"Hey, why don't the three of us take my car and practice driving, before we have to pick up Taylor from the bus station?" Jeremiah asked to help lift Belly's spirits.

-

"I can't even lie, I'm kind of scared for my life right now." I said from the backseat with my head poked between Jeremiah and Belly.

Jeremiah laughed, "Slow and steady, you're doing great, Belly."

I flopped back in the seat, "So let me get this straight, you made out with Cam Cameron in his car last night, and you didn't tell me?!"