Cruel Summer, Jeremiah Fisher

fourteen

After staying on the beach with Jeremiah for a while, I pulled myself together and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before making my way up to the house.

A few stragglers from the party were left, but it seemed like they were making their way out.

With a huff, I looked around at the damage within the house, and decided to head upstairs knowing I couldn't do anything about it at the moment.

Pushing open the door to my room, my eyes travelled along the barren walls and empty floor. Like everything else in the house, all of my belongings in the room were taken by the movers.

The thought of sleeping alone in my empty room made me sick to my stomach, so I snatched up the line sleeping bag on the floor and headed to Belly's room.

"Belly? Are you alright?" I asked, seeing her curled up in her sleeping bag on the floor, sobbing.

She shook her head no, and I quickly walked over to wrap my arms around her as she sobbed, "Everything's going so wrong! I-I didn't know what to do so I called my mom..."

A part of me was relieved that Laurel now knew and would hopefully come to the house. Clearly, things were out of our hands at this point.

After holding Belly for a while, I muttered, "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone."

She nodded reassuringly, and laid down so that I could put my sleeping bag next to hers, slipping into it and falling asleep almost instantly.

-

Hearing someone stomp into the room, I groaned, rubbing my eyes before rolling over to see the culprit.

Laurel stood with her arms crossed, staring at me with a pissed expression, "Elle? What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you and Belly weren't even talking anymore."

After Belly and I's fallout, I kept some contact with Laurel, but obviously not as much as when we were friends. It was weird not talking to her, because she was practically like another mom to me.

I winced and sent her an innocent smile, "Yeah, about that..."

Laurel ignored what I said and moved over to Belly, shaking her shoulder, "Belly, wake up. Wake up!"

Belly finally started to get up, and glanced over at me while I shook my head with wide eyes, "Mom?" she grumbled, "What are you... What are you doing here?"

Laurel scoffed, "You don't remember? You asked me to come. No, actually, you left me a message begging me to come. And then you didn't answer when I called back. I kept trying you all night."

Belly pushed the sleeping bag off of her, "I'm sorry. I... I fell asleep."

Laurel shook her head, starting to pick up Belly's clothes thrown around the room, "Get up, Belly. We're leaving."

"No, no, no, no, we can't," Belly groaned, standing up, "You don't understand."

"No, I don't understand!" Laurel turned around snapping, "You've been lying to me for days."

I awkwardly glanced between the two of them while they argued.

Belly shook her head, "Well, Jeremiah and Conrad, they, they needed my help, and I didn't know how to tell you."

She was obviously VERY pissed, and I felt wrong being there for Belly's scolding, so I stood up and tried to walk away.

"No!" I stopped in place and turned to see Laurel pointing at me, "You stay right there. How could you let this happen?"

My eyes cast down towards to floor, and I flinched at Laurel's mom voice, "Laur, I'm sorry it-"

She cut me off and looked back at Belly, "I really hope last night was worth it, because I am so done with you!."