Lover // the fisher brothers

011

Eleanor 🎀

"Oh, my God," I mutter under my breath as realization hits me like a ton of bricks. That's the girl Conrad is kissing at the bonfire. And over there, that's the girl Steven is with. Ugh. I plaster on a polite smile and make my way over to table two, where Belly and the others are seated.

"Hi," I greet them with forced cheeriness as I take my seat.

"Hey," they all reply in unison, their voices cordial but tinged with tension. The girl Steven is with leans in to help Belly cover up her bruise from the other night, a small act of kindness amidst the awkwardness.

I settle into my seat, trying to ignore the uncomfortable atmosphere as I focus on the conversation around me. Despite the underlying tension, I am determined to make the best of the situation and enjoy the debutante tea with my friends.

Conrad 🏈

I'm outside with my mom, reluctantly sitting for my portrait session. "So... how's Nicole?" my mom asks, attempting to strike up a conversation.

"Mom, can we not do this?" I plead, feeling a pang of frustration. "Like, no. Uh, uh, you asked me to come sit for this portrait, and I'm here, and I'm sitting, and I'm more than happy to be here, but can we not make this, like, a bonding experience, please?" I question, hoping to avoid any uncomfortable discussions.

"Well, excuse me for trying to connect with my son before he leaves for a year," my mom replies with a gentle smile. "Ellie looked really nice in her new dress," she adds, changing the subject.

I sit back and sigh, feeling a mixture of guilt and annoyance. "Look, if you want to spend your summer moping around, I can't stop you, but... no more sleeping till 2:00, no more day drinking. I want you doing something productive. You're getting a job," she declares, her tone firm as she looks at me expectantly.

"Sure," I mutter, resigned to the fact that I'm not doing much else with my summer anyway.

"Great," my mom says with a hint of satisfaction. "Now sit still," she instructs, signaling the start of the portrait session. I settle back into my chair, mentally preparing myself for the ordeal ahead.

Eleanor 🎀

Marisa's words hang in the air, echoing the surprise and disbelief shared by the group. "I told my mom the only way I would do this is if I could bring my girlfriend, 'cause I thought it would be a deal killer, but the club has been surprisingly chill about the whole thing," she reveals, her tone filled with astonishment.

"I'm honestly shocked," Dara admits, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. Shayla leans in to whisper something into Steven's ear, sparking a ripple of curiosity among the group.

"Literally, Dara, I was expecting a conversion camp to spring out of the bushes," Marisa remarks with a wry smile. "No. Lesbians and debutantes are, like, a completely juxtaposing idea."

"Opposites," Gigi interjects, nodding in agreement with Marisa's observation.

"Yeah, but Cousins likes to pretend to be woke," Nicole adds, her voice tinged with cynicism. "Trust me. My family deals with it constantly."

"The things we do for college applications," Marisa quips, eliciting a chuckle from Shayla.

"Don't worry, Marisa. You'll get in everywhere," Shayla reassures her with a supportive smile.

"Where are you applying?" I venture to ask, eager to redirect the conversation.

"You know, the usual. Every Ivy minus Cornell," Marisa replies casually.

"Ithaca is so bleak," Gigi comments, shaking her head.

"What about you?" Marisa redirects the question towards me, prompting me to shift uncomfortably in my seat.

"Oh, Ellie and Belly are only sophomores. Right?" Nicole chimes in, redirecting the attention away from me. "I think that's what Conrad told me," she adds, her tone casual yet curious.

"Yeah, w-we'll be juniors in the fall," Belly confirms, her voice steady despite the awkwardness of the conversation.

"So, is this your first summer here in Cousins?" Dara inquires, attempting to steer the conversation towards a more neutral topic.

"No, we've been coming here our entire lives," I reply, grateful for the change in subject.

"Yeah, they're like family friends with Conrad and Jeremiah," Nicole chimes in, offering a bit of context.

"Ellie, are you and Jeremiah, like, a-a thing, or are you gonna take him to the ball?" Gigi questions, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Oh, my God, back off, Geeg," Nicole snaps, coming to my defense.

"It was a question," Gigi defends herself.

"They're, like, basically related, okay? You have nothing to worry about," Nicole reassures her.

"I'm not worried," Gigi insists, her tone defensive.

"Yeah, sure," Shayla mutters under her breath, her skepticism evident.

"Keep telling yourself that, babe," Marisa adds with a knowing smile.

"Gigi has had this thing for Jeremiah... Ever since he got abs?" Shayla teases, earning a playful eye roll from Nicole. "Relax, I'm not into Jeremiah Fisher."

"Yeah, and you're noticing his abs?" Gigi teases back, raising an eyebrow.

"She's too busy eye-fucking the waiter," Marisa chimes in, causing Belly and me to exchange a glance of shared disbelief.

"Dude, that's their brother," Shayla points out, her voice laced with amusement.

"So, what's it like to live with Jeremiah and Conrad?" Dara redirects the conversation once again, but before I can respond, Paige, the event organizer, begins speaking.

"Hello, debutantes," Paige greets us warmly, bringing the focus back to the purpose of our gathering. She goes on to deliver a speech about the significance of debbing, but my attention is drawn elsewhere as I notice a flask being passed around the table. When it reaches Belly and me, we politely decline, opting not to partake in the impromptu drinking session.

"Women who you can learn from and who can inspire you," Paige continues, her words carrying a sense of reverence for the tradition. "Debs, at each table is a big sister who will guide you through the season. So, please introduce yourselves."

"Hey, little sis," Nicole greets me with a warm smile.

"Hey," I reply, grateful for her friendly gesture.

"Honestly, my parents made me do it last year because, you know, like, all women in my family have done it. But my big sis was great, and I actually ended up having a lot of fun. So just don't be nervous," Nicole reassures me, her words offering a glimmer of comfort amidst the uncertainty of the debutante season.

Xoxo

Word count: 1,085 words