Lover // the fisher brothers

005

Eleanor 🎀

"Steven, I swear to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket," my mom declares with a hint of exasperation. We're all gathered around the dinner table in the dining room, with me seated close to my mom and Belly.

"It's just, we want to see your beautiful faces," Susannah adds, echoing my mom's sentiment. "Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days," she suggests, taking a sip of her wine. But Steven remains glued to his phone, unfazed by the request.

"Steven," Jeremiah interjects, his patience wearing thin as he snatches the phone from him and tosses it onto a nearby chair.

"Dude, are you kidding me?" Steven protests, shooting Jeremiah a bemused look.

"Boom! Nailed it," Jeremiah quips, flashing a triumphant grin before retaking his seat.

"Okay, okay, okay, we get it, you've been working out," Steven concedes, rolling his eyes as Jeremiah basks in his small victory.

"Oh, you're just jealous because Jere has a better body than you," I blurt out, unable to resist teasing Steven.

"Actually, it's all about the lean look now," Steven argued, his tone oozing with confidence. "Otherwise, you can't rock those tailored suits."

Conrad's eyes lit up at the mention of tailored suits, a hint of appreciation in his expression.

Steven shifted gears, turning his attention to Conrad. "When are you leaving for training camp, man?" he inquired.

The room fell silent as Jeremiah interjected with unexpected news. "Uh, he quit football," he announced, breaking the tension.

My jaw dropped in disbelief. "Wait, really? You quit?" I exclaimed, my voice tinged with surprise. Conrad simply nodded in confirmation.

"Are you kidding me, man? I'd—I'd kill to play college ball." Steven replies.

Susannah, ever the optimist, offered a glimmer of hope. "He can always change his mind," she suggested.

But Conrad remained firm in his decision. "I'm not gonna change my mind. I was just gonna sit on the bench all season anyways," he confessed, his tone resigned.

Feeling the weight of the moment, I stole a glance at Conrad, silently communicating my concern. He caught my eye but offered no verbal response, leaving me to wonder about the turmoil brewing beneath his calm exterior.

"Well, if you're not playing football anymore, what are you gonna do all summer?" My mom inquired, her curiosity evident.

"Oh, dude, you can work at the club. Yeah, with me and Jere," Steven suggested with a grin.

"I'm not gonna work at the club," Conrad retorted, his tone firm.

The mention of summer jobs piqued Belly's interest. "Wait, you guys are working this summer?" she interjected, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm lifeguarding, and Steven's working at the snack shop," Jeremiah chimed in, giving Steven a fist bump to emphasize their summer plans. The realization hit me: if they're going to be working all summer, we won't get to spend a lot of time with them.

The prospect of a summer filled with work instead of leisure hung in the air, casting a shadow over our usual anticipation for the upcoming season.

"Oh, Ellie, Belly, I almost forgot," Susannah exclaimed as she rose from her seat, retrieving a letter from another table. "I have a surprise for you both," she added, excitement evident in her voice as she handed me and Belly the white envelope.

"So, this is why you had to stop by the country club," my mom remarked. I glanced over at Steven and Jere, who were eager to catch a glimpse of what was inside the letter.

"What, uh, wh-wh-what is that?" Steven stammered, his curiosity piqued.

"I wrangled Belly and Ellie an invitation to be a debutante," Susannah announced with a smile.

"Oh, is that the thing in Gilmore girls when Rory becomes a deb?" I interjected, turning to Susannah. Conrad and I used to watch it together, but things were different now.

"It's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society. I-I know it sounds silly, but I swear it's fun," Susannah explained. "Girls come from all over New England to Cousins just to be a part of it. You'll make so many new friends."

"I cannot believe you are still holding on to this archaic dream," my mom remarked as she rose to fetch some more wine.

"No, it used to be about finding a husband, but now it's about networking. They teach you leadership skills, like how to market yourself, and it benefits charity. It's, um, like a bat mitzvah," Susannah defended.

"It is not like a bat mitzvah," my mom retorted upon her return with a bottle of wine. "There is nothing religious about a debutante ball."

"The whole deb scene is bullshit. It's for sheep," Conrad blurted out, his disdain evident.

"No, it's not," Susannah countered. "It's when a girl has a coming out, it's a formal recognition she's reached maturity."

"Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. Mature?" Steven laughed incredulously.

"Yes," Susannah affirmed.

"Belly? Okay, Ellie is alright. But Belly? A-a couple months ago you had a cat funeral. You made us all wear black," Steven teased.

"Shut up, Steven," I retorted. "I saw you crying in your room."

"Wait, Mochi died? Dang. I'm sorry, Belly," Jeremiah chimed in.

"Ellie. Don't you want to get all dressed up?" Susannah inquired, turning her attention to me.

"It's just not Ellie's kind of thing," my mom remarked, absentmindedly playing with a piece of my hair.

"Yeah, sure I will do it," I replied with a smile, returning Susannah's hopeful gaze.

"That's great, Ellie. What about you, Belly?" Susannah turned to Belly, awaiting her response.

"I'll think about it," Belly replied, her tone contemplative.

The atmosphere was filled with a mix of excitement, skepticism, and nostalgia as we contemplated the prospect of joining the world of debutantes.

Hey, lovelies
I hope you are enjoying this so far because I know I am enjoying writing it.

Word count: 1,002 words