𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐍² , 𝗧𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗣.

love affair, 3

one thing i hate is cheaters and their audacity to lie.

"she's everywhere here." adam said, looking at conrad.

are we forgetting about the part where he cheated on her? 

"she loved you." mom said. "i tried to talk some sense into her. it's no secret i've never been your biggest fan. but she wouldn't listen, because when beck sets her mind on something, that's it."

"she set her mind on you, adam. and on making this house a special place for our kids. do this one thing for her." mom said.

"laurel." adam said, who gave him a look.

"dad. please?" jeremiah asked.

"look, i'm not gonna let them use their trusts. but if i sell the boston house, that could give us enough. you'd both be in school mostly anyway, but we can't afford both houses. is this really what you want?" adam asked.

"yeah." both conrad and jeremiah said. i ran to mom and hugged her as did steven and belly.

-

"i dont need my mom permi.. i need my mom's permission to study." steven said.

"they're not gonna let me transfer to stanford if i don't pass this." conrad said, my eyes widened and my head snapped to look at him.

"stanford?!" i exclaimed. why am i just knowing about this?

he looked at me as steven answered, "yeah, connie got accepted to stanford a week ago." i looked away from conrad and crossed my arms.

"you better do more than just pass." mom said. "does this mean i have to sleep in a sleeping bag tongiht?" she asked.

"welcome to the club, girl," i said. 

"actually, we have the motel room for one more night, you want it?" julia asked.

"heck, yes." she said, i scoffed. 

he made me proof read his eassy 5 times and didn't even bother telling me he got in. but i shouldnt be mad, i mean friends dont tell each other everything, rIgHt?

"alright, come on. its time to start studying, lazy bums." belly said, walking inside the kitchen.

"the floor looks so comfortable." i said as i sat and laid down on the floor.

belly and conrad talked about studying but the only thing which i made out was steven asking, "who invited her again?" to which i chuckled, sleepily.

-

i stayed on my phone, mindlessly scrolling and sometimes opening yale's website. i had made up my mind. i'm going to bring back the academic rose, study my ass off for these two years and get the fuck into yale.

"can somebody pass me the fries?" i asked, staring at my phone. a singular fry hit my face, i glared at steven before eating the fry.

"that's what you get. you haven't been remotely helpful." belly said.

"well what am i supposed to? his studies are above my level." i said and was ignored.

"why is everyone dancing now?" i asked after a while. 

"energy bosoting!" belly yelled, as steven grabbed my hand and bought me to my feet. we danced for hours before falling and sleeping.

my mother once told me -- and it stuck with me -- that susannah was the first person to pick me up after i was born. my father was running late and she was there. even before i was born, susannah had always cherished me, called me her girl when she found out the gender.

she had picked me and said to my mom, "she's a carbon copy of you, laurel." which was true. i looked exactly like my mom when she was a baby.

( by the way, i wrote this part before watching the last episode which i hadn't ever before. )

there's an album, somewhere hidden in my room. the boys -- steven, conrad, and jeremiah -- sitting on the couch, looking at me sleeping while conrad held me. they were so little, it makes me chuckle every time i look at that picture.

they were staring at me as if i was an unreal, never-before-seen creature because i was the first girl between them. 

"say cheese."

"cheeeseee." we said like children as mom took our pick. i was standing on the end, next to steven. we looked at the picture before walking away, talking to each other. steven and conrad were behind us busy in their conversations.

i could feel conrad's gaze on me, occasionally. mom allowed belly and i to go with jeremiah and conrad.

"i think i'm gonna go home." i said as we stood by the cars.

"wait, seriously?" belly asked.

"yeah, i miss my bed. i'm pretty tired." i said, i felt everyone's eyes on me.

"um, good luck." i said to conrad. he only nodded.

i stepped closer and hugged him, before hugging jeremiah. although, i grabbed my coffee cup from the cup holder belly was holding.

we decided on when we can come back to the house in the summer. i sipped on my coffee, when suddenly everything seemed quiet. i looked between them, to see them talking with their eyes and smirking.

"no. no. no." i said, handing my cup to my mom and running away but they followed after.

conrad grabbed me from my torso and steven and jeremiah grabbed my legs while chanting "rose flop!" with belly, they took me to the pool.

"no! i straightened my hair!" i screamed.

"1, 2.. 3!" they yelled and threw me in. i reached my head out of the water, when jeremiah and belly jumped in. then steven and then conrad.

we splashed water on each other, made a circle and i tried drowning steven but he ended up drowning me. almost. we got out, dried ourselves a little before settling in the car. we bid goodbye and drove away, a heavy feeling in my heart for some reason.

"why didn't you go with him?" mom asked me, halfway through the ride.

i sighed and sat up as i was laying down and looked in front of me.

"it's time to let go."