𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒¹ - steven conklin

1. new romantics

.୨ৎ  ꒰ new romantics ꒱ ୨ৎ.

"if you don't give me that shoe, jeremiah fisher, i swear to god i'm gonna throw you the other" willow almost tripped over while running down the stairs.

"language, girl!" susannah's voice echoed from the kitchen. "and, please, jeremiah, give your sister her shoe!"

jeremiah, standing on the couch holding willow's pink converse as if it was a trophy, snorted.

"fine, fine. you're such a party pooper"

a car honked in the driveway as soon as jeremiah gave her the shoe. everything stopped. the summer was about to begin.

"they're here!" susannah was excited.

"the last who gets on the porch is a fat potato" willow started running towards the hallway, one shoe on and the other in her right hand.

jeremiah arrived first anyway, he was way faster than her. the two blondies were standing on the porch, with a giant smiles on their faces.

jere looked at willow's shoe in her hand and he quickly took it and throw it in the hedge near the porch. she chuckled softly.

The conklin got out of the car. "oh my..." laurel walked towards jeremiah.

"long time no see," jere said.

belly and willow hugged. "girl, you are gorgeous" she got rid of her glasses and she was done with braces. she was glowing.

"girl, you are gorgeous," belly said and willow pirouetted, showing off her new herself. She died her hair even blonder, got her nose pierced, and start caring more about her style. she felt reborn.

"guess who came all grown up" jere hugged tight belly and now it was steven and willow turn.

"hi steven"

"hello little monster" he squeezed her in a sweet hug and she felt at home.

since they were little, there was a special connection between them, an invisible string that made their bond stronger than the others.

steven felt the responsibility to protect her no matter what, and growing up nothing changed.

conrad appeared on the porch and steven went straight to him. they were bros or something like that.

"this summer is going to be different" jeremiah put an arm around her shoulders and one around belly's and they both nodded. there was something different in the air, and it was telling them that jeremiah was right.

"guys, i, i don't know about you, but i think it's..." steven nervously checked a non-existent watch on his wrist. "it's time for a bellow flop!"

willow and belly tried to escape, but the guys caught them. steven loaded her best friend on his shoulder and the fisher brothers raised belly, holding her by the wrists and ankles.

"steven, i'm wearing a skirt! i don't want everybody to see my ass!"

"c'mon, don't play precious!" willow heard him laugh and couldn't help but laugh with him.

a couple of seconds later, belly and willow got thrown into the fresh, crystalline water of the pool, and willow's nostrils filled with water because she couldn't stop laughing. her feet hit the bottom, she gave herself a push and came out of the water.

"i hurt my ankle" she got closer to the edge and steven reached out an arm to help her get out, but smiling she dragged him into the water.

"little asshole" he screamed when he reached the surface, his dark hair stuck to his forehead and the shirt wrapped around his toned arms. willow looked into his eyes, the most beautiful she had ever seen: dark like the night, bright like the stars. Laughing, he approached willow and rushed over her shoulders to push her underwater, but it didn't matter, she was already holding her breath.

⭑○◦

"did you know my dad is coming up for the fourth?"

colorful beach towels on one shoulder, covered in tanning oil, belly, jere and willow were walking towards the beach for the first swim of the year. the sun was slowly setting and the beach was getting emptier and emptier.

"cool, ours too," jere said.

"don't you think it's weird?"

"not really, i love your dad"

"yeah, but they've been divorced for what, a year and a half?"

"that's cool about laurel, she doesn't give a shit about that" willow said.

"well she doesn't give a shit about a lot of stuff." belly sighed. "did you know that my dad has a girlfriend already?"

"what about your mom, is she dating anybody?" jere seemed truly interested.

"laurel? didn't think it was your type, golden retriever" willow responded.

belly chuckles "my mom won't date anybody else now that she's finally free and unconfined, as she says. i think she's just in a midlife crisis. my dad too, now he has a beard!"

"a beard?"

"yeah, he thinks it makes him look younger and cooler"

"well, does it?" I fake a naughty tone, making both laugh.

"sort of"

they stopped as their feet got into the warm sand. the sky was changing its color, from a bright light blue to a soft pink with some orange. it's wonderful, it felt surreal to be back again.

"i missed that so much"

"wanna race?"

"oh, no, no, jere i can't, your legs are too long now and..." willow started running towards the water, letting her towel fall on the sand. "gotcha" she shouted before diving into the cold water.