Cruel Summer, Jeremiah Fisher

eight

"So this is why you haven't answered any of my calls or texts?" Jere asked interrupting Belly and Conrad's stare down.

Conrad looked back over at him, "Jere, Jere. Did you not hear what I just said? We're gonna lose this house, Mom's house."

I finally spoke up, "You guys can't... why would your dad sell this house?"

"He's not, our aunt Julia is," Conrad shook his head.

"Susannah's sister?" Belly asked

Conrad wouldn't look at her, "Half- sister. Apparently the house belonged to both of them and then when Mom... now aunt Julia owns the whole thing."

I remembered hearing a few things about her during the summers I stayed here, but none of them were necessarily good.

Anyone who was trying to take this house away from Jere and Conrad would get a piece of my mind.

"Okay, we'll just call Dad and figure something out," Jere argued.

"You think I haven't already done that? He says the house is legally hers."

"Okay, then he can buy it," Jere pushed.

Conrad was getting mad again, "He doesn't have the money to buy it! Between Brown, the medical bills, and-"

Jere flung his arms out, "Yeah, I know how much the medical bills cost, because I was there. How long did you know about this and not tell me?"

I honestly get where Jere was coming from, even though I am biased. If something was going on in their family, he had the right to know, and once again Conrad kept a secret from him.

It was almost deja vu from last summer.

Conrad shook his head, "It was all happening so fast, I was gonna tell you after I had taken care of it."

Jere scoffed, "And this is you taking care of it? Running away, ditching school-"

"Fuck school! I don't care," Conrad threw his arms out like a little kid.

Jeremiah pleaded, "Connie, you have to go back or you will fail your class!"

Belly spoke up, "How are you gonna become a doctor if you fail out of college Conrad?"

I winced and awkwardly looked between the two. I'm not sure exactly what happened between them, but it was clear that Conrad wasn't happy with her, and for her own sake, she probably should just stay out of it.

"You have no idea what you are talking about," Con snapped, "and why are you here either?" he pointed at me.

What the fuck did I do?

Jeremiah stepped forward, pissed, "Seriously? We went to Brown to look for your ass. Alright, I didn't think you would pull this shit again, but you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself."

Needing to get out, Jeremiah left the room. Deciding to give him a moment alone, but not wanting to stay in the awkward tension of Belly and Conrad, I went up to my room.

Opening the door, I was hit with a wave of memories seeing my room.

Susannah helping me decorate it to make it my own.

Belly and I staying up late at night talking about anything on our minds.

And just last summer when Jere barged in after we arrived begging me to go swimming.

Running my hand along my dresser, I looked at all of the pictures that were framed on the wall. I smiled at the image of the five of us playing football on the beach the first summer I spent here.