𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐍² , 𝗧𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗣.

love fest, 3

i entered an aisle, conrad behind me as i looked through the products before turning around to look at him.

"wait." he stopped, pushing his cart against mine purposely.

"no, there's nothing fun in your cart." i said. "this is a party."

"these plates have glitter on them." he said, picking up a pack of disposable plates.

"you need to get out more, conrad." i said, "did these past months just removed your taste in parties?"

"wait." i said and picked up a boa putting it around his neck and grabbed sunflower glasses putting them on him. i stepped back and laughed.

"this is.. one hundred percent your look, connie baby." i said.

"is it?" he asked, chuckling.

"yeah!" i said as he walked closer and then picked up a tiara putting it on my head. i gave him a look and chuckled.

"it's funny, you know, my mom used to call me connie when i was too in my head." he told me. i nodded and looked down.

"i'm not trying to put everything down. the order is to have fun. so lets have some fun." he chuckled and so did i.

"it's not that. i feel like we should address the elephant in the room. we haven't talked about what happened in the funeral and i never wanted to make it about me. never. and i shouldn't have said that to you i just.. i just feel, connie, that we -" i sighed before getting cut off.

"you don't have to apologize for that day. i... i was having a panic attack." he said after a long break of trying to control his tears. i felt a pang in my chest. "i crumbled. audrey was just the one who found me. i wish it was you." he whispered.

i wish it was me, too.

i nodded, gulping down the lump in my throat before stepping close and hugging him. his arms wrap around me, pulling me close. we pulled away after a long before and then he removed the tiara from my head before running a hand down my hair to fix it.

belly and jeremiah came just when conrad removed his hand. "we are all done, you guys?" belly asked.

"almost, " i said.

"ooh, we should grab some cameras. leave 'em around so everybody can take pictures at the party. we got to get one of all of us together. like susannah made us do every summer." belly said, walking to us an grabbing cameras from the top shelf.

"that's a good idea," i said as conrad picked up the cameras too.

-

i got ready. did a retro style makeup before wearing my outfit, the one that took so long to pick because i wanted to make it exactly how the theme was. i danced around through the house, greeting people and handing them beer.

"oh my goddd." i said, walking towards the debutantes of last year.

"rosee!" they exclaimed and i hugged them. i was surprisingly very energetic tonight, i could feel the adrelaine running through my veins after having a sip or two of conrad's beer. i do have a low tolerance of alcohol.

after getting to know about the latest tea and drama, i walked away because conrad was calling me, "steven's going to take a picture." he said, wrapping an arm around me.

"okay." i said, looking at steven as he got the camera ready. i looked at conrad who was already looking at me and i smiled, the kind of smile that made my eyes close and almost disappear. i heard his soft chuckle before the camera went off.

steven came closer showing us the picture. "it's good. okay, bye, i'm getting a beer." i said, walking away.

"don't drink a lot, rose." conrad called out.

"yeah, yeah." i said.

"group shots!" belly yelled, holding a tray of shots as she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards where conrad and steven were standing.

"if that's gin, i'm killing you." conrad said.

"aw, it's tequila." jeremiah said.

"be ready to handle a drunk rose, everybody." steven said.

"okay, cups up. listen, no matter how much time passes or how far apart we are, we're always gonna love you guys, okay?" jeremiah said.

"aww, jere bear is getting emotional." i said.

"all right, to the last night!" jeremiah yelled as we raised our cups and then drank them in one sip.

-

after having my kiss interrupted with conrad, i watched as my brother fight the wannabe singer, milo, as taylor and belly tried stopping him. conrad and jeremiah went and got steven off of milo after the girls ordered him.

"come on!" steven said and then milo put his hands up in a karate manner.

"what the fuck is this? karate kid?" i asked, laughing at the cringeness.

"you're embarrassing me, right now." taylor said to milo who stopped and sighed.

"come on, taylor, these people are too pedestrian for us anyway." milo said.

"pedestrian?!" i exclaimed. "this motherfuc-" conrad covered my mouth, his arm going around my waist.

"these people are my friends." taylor said.

go, taylor.

"do you even know me? like, at all?" taylor asked.

"babe, what are you talking about? you're my girl." milo said.

"what's my middle name?" taylor asked, being fed up.

"whats mine?" i asked myself against conrad's hand, after realizing i don't remember my middle name.

"beck," conrad answered, quietly.

milo couldn't answer taylor's question. "yeah, i cant do this anymore. it's over." taylor said and walked away.

"it's madison. her middle name is madison." steven said, glaring at milo before leaving and following after taylor.

"that was fun," i said after milo walked away and conrad removed his hand from my mouth.