Cruel Summer, Jeremiah Fisher

seven

Watching the trees fly past as we headed to Cousins, tensions were high in the car. Jere and I kept stealing glances at each other while Belly awkwardly sat in the back seat.

I could tell that he wasn't happy with the situation as he white-knuckled the steering wheel.

I couldn't say I was much happier.

To me, it seemed as if Belly had put herself on a high pedestal, thinking that she was doing us some huge favor by coming along, when really we could have done it ourselves just fine.

My eyes slid over to the center of the car when Belly's arm reached between us to turn on the radio, "Did-uhh, we're you gonna say something?" she asked when Jeremiah cleared his throat.

He looked bored, "Nope."

If we were friends still, I would have felt bad for Belly in the situation, but she put herself in the position to lose both of our friendships.

"Okay," she muttered and slid back in her seat.

Within the awkward silence, Belly's phone started ringing, and I glanced back to see her hang up on Steven, "Was that Steven? Why didn't you answer?" I couldn't help but ask.

She looked surprised that I was acknowledging her, "Uh, I-I'll call him back later.... Hey, how have you been since-" Belly asked Jere and I peeked over at him.

"I'm okay," he cut her off but I knew that he wasn't telling the truth. He was struggling and he wished that he still had Belly to talk to since they had been friends forever.

Belly continued, "Because you know I'm here... if you ever need to talk,"

It was respectable that she was trying I guess, but she was a few months too late.

Jere looked out the window then over at me, "You know, I went to Cousins during the Spring with my mom once... it's kind of weird being there when it's not summer."

"Yeah," I muttered thinking about when we were all still happy and met there during Christmas. When Susannah was still alive.

Grabbing Jeremiah's hand that wasn't driving, I held onto him for a while before he asked Belly, "Will you try calling Conrad again?"

She nodded and we all listened to the phone ring before the voicemail line came on, "No answer," Belly announced, "We actually haven't talked since the funeral."

My stomach dropped at the reminder of Susannah's funeral and the events that happened afterwards and Jere held my hand a little tighter, "What really happened to you guys?" he asked.

I didn't know the whole truth either since Belly and I never talked after that day, "He never told you anything?" she asked referring to Con.

Jeremiah looked forward, "We don't talk about you."

Damn.

When a loud bang jolted through the car, I jumped up in my seat, "What the fuck was that?"

"I think the tire popped," Jere muttered as the car rolled to a stop, "Great. Great. Great," he repeated stepping out of the car.

Standing in the middle of some corn field in 100000 degree heat, I ran my hands down my face and groaned as we all stared at the deflated tire.

Jere placed a reassuring hand on my back and started to call someone, "Who are you calling?" Belly asked.

"Uh, triple A, because in case you didn't realize, the tire is done for," he sassed back.

"Well we can just change it ourselves," Belly claimed walking around the car, "It's not that hard. My mom taught me before I took my drivers test."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah I was there too remember. But it's like a million degrees can't we just leave it to the experts."