❪ # THIRTEEN ❫ ⋆⑅˚₊
SEASON ONE, EPISODE FIVE: summer catch

2020 — AGE: 16, senior year

TABITHA WAS SAT on her bed looking on life360 as Conrad's icon got closer and closer to her house. She hadn't really spoken to him all summer, as he was busy with the preparations for the debutant ball.

Soon enough, she heard the doorbell ring and she bolted the door to greet him. When she opened the door, he immediately hugged her. "I missed you," He whispered in her ear.

"I missed you more."

"This summer had me thinking," He began as she dragged him up to her room. "I mean... I just couldn't stop think about you."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," She was hoping he was finally going to say the words she's so desperately wanted him to say for years.

He cleared his throat, leg bouncing, cracking his knuckles. "I really like you, Tabby. And if by any chance you like me too, I want to take you on a date. A real one."

She smiled. A big, real smile. The smile Conrad loves. He happy he's the reason for the beautiful smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd really like that."

He released a breath that he was holding in and leaned in to kiss her. Thankfully, she kissed him back.

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TABITHA STOOD ALONE in the practice room. She saw the Belly was also alone, having not asking anyone to the ball yet.

        "Hey, Belly!" Tabitha said, approaching the girl.

        "Hey," She said, awkwardly. Thankfully, Shayla and Steven made their way over too. Turning to Shayla, she brings ti apologize. "I'm so sorry I was such a mess yesterday. I... I really hope I didn't screw things up that bad."

        "It's okay," She smiles back, looking up at the girls brother. "We're good."

        "Yeah. But you were a Tasmanian devil, though," Steven spoke up.

        "Be nice. We've all been there."

        "Oh yeah," Tabitha finally spoke. "First time I got drunk I ran around Con's house half naked." She explained earning a slight chuckle from the group.

        The dance instructor got introduced to the crowd as Tabitha checked Conrad's location. Still at the beach house.

        Ms. Covington tells the crowd to join their partner. But, since Conrad is a no-show, she's alone.

        Shayla and Steven wander off and Belly and Tabitha stand awkwardly.

        "So what happened to asking Cam?" Tabitha asked.

        "Six margaritas kind of ruined that," Belly chuckled.

        "I actually counted seven," Tabitha joked.

        "So where's Conrad?" Belly questioned.

        "We actually got into a bit of a fight last night," Tabitha answered and Belly looked down at her shoes. 'She couldn't have known. She wouldn't be talking to me if she did.' "Guess that means he won't show up for me." She laughed, sadness shown in her face.

        "I'm sorry to hear that," Belly mumbled.

        "It's fine. I'll be your partner for today."

        "Really?"

        "Yeah. Of course. I mean, Connie's not here either anyway."

"Hey, could you tell Tabs I'll be there as soon as I can?"

Jeremiah sighed and nodded his head before leaving the house. Stomach in knots with the information he has kept.

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BACK AT THE house, Conrad finally woke up. Only, with a feeling he's forgetting something.

        He checked his phone, seeing a text from Belly. "Good morning ☀️" He signed, his heart hurting while looking at the picture of him a Tabitha as his locked screen.

He walked to Belly's room, calling out her name. Just wanting to clear the air. Realizing she wasn't there, he went down stairs to make coffee.

"Morning," He says to Jeremiah.

"Morning," His brother replies. "Seriously." Jeremiah complained as Conrad takes all the coffee.

"You can have it."

"Thanks..."

"Hey, where's Belly? And everyone else?" Conrad asks.

"Belly, Steven, and your girlfriend are at the club. Doing the whole deb thing. Did you forget? Aren't you Tabby's boyfriend and her date?"

"Ah shit. Right. My mind must have blanked. And she wasn't here to wake me up like she usually is." He rubbed his face, disappointed in himself.

"So I gotta go to the club. But, what's with the worse mood than usual," Jeremiah questions. Wanting to get the truth out of him. At least before he told Tabitha what happened.

"Well, you did almost blow me up last night."

"I said I was sorry. I didn't know you guys were out there," Jeremiah, tried, to playfully roll his eyes but it came across more irritated. "What were you guys doing out there, anyway?"

Conrad looked up at Jeremiah then looked back down at the coffee pot. "I don't know. Just talking,"

"About...?"

"Don't you have a pool to vacuum?"

"Don't you have a girlfriend to escort?"

Conrad's stomach drops at the mention of his girlfriend once again, already feeling extremely guilty. "What's with all the Tabitha talk?"

"Nothing... I gotta go. I'm already late."

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BELLY AND TABITHA chuckled as they danced. That laughter was soon over once Belly stepped on Tabitha's feet.

        "I'm so sorry," Belly said, still holding onto Tabitha's hands.

        "No, it's okay," Tabitha replied with a grunt.

        "Okay. Are you sure you're okay?" Belly double checked, feeling terrible.

        The two went back and forth until Jeremiah appeared next to the two.

        "Hey ladies," Jeremiah says. He turns towards Tabitha, giving her a light smile. "Mind if I have this dance?" He asked, nodding over to Belly.

        "Yes. Actually, she's all yours."

"Oh, Tabby," Jeremiah gets Tabitha's attention. "Conrad said he'd be here soon."

After the quick dance party to 'So Pretty' Tabitha looks over to see Conrad starring at her. She lightly smiles as he waves. He faces sort of falls then he walks in.

        He walks up to her and places his hands on her hips and hugs her. She melts into his touch, ignoring the pair of eyes she feels burning a hole in her neck.

        "I'm so, so sorry, Tabitha," He mumbles in her hair. "I hate that I hurt you. The necklace really was for you, I swear."

        "I believe you," She says, looking up at him. "I slept on it and realized I was overreacting. There's nothing going on between you two and I should've believed you."

        He nods his head, face suddenly getting hot. "Right. Nothing going on."

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AFTER DANCE PRACTICE Conrad makes his way over to Cleveland.

         "Speaking of your dad, how was yesterday?" Cleveland asked.

        "Uh... A shit show," Conrad chuckled.

        "Is that why your mood seems worse than usual?"

        Conrad's eyebrows furrowed. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

        "Is it, um, you know, the girl that you blew me off for during my Good Morning Massachusetts interview?" Cleveland questions the boy.

        "Tabitha?"

        "Kind of? It's also another girl," He admits looking down with a slight frown.

        "Oh really? Do tell,"

        "I don't know. I don't know..." Conrad trails off, not meeting the man's eye.

        "Well... I give good love advice," The man said sitting down and inviting Conrad to sit with him. "No charge."

        "What do you know? You're, like, a hundred, right?"

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"WATCHING JEREMIAH FIGHT with his child nemesis literally never gets old," Shayla says with a chuckle while looking at Tabitha and Nicole.

        "God! That kid is demonic, I swear," Jeremiah says defeated, sitting down in a lounge chair.

        Tabitha sighs and checks her phone. Conrad hadn't spoken to her since dance rehearsal. "Where's your brother been all day? He's not texting me back,"

        "Conrad is too much drama, Tabitha," Nicole interjects. "Haven't you been having problems with him a lot more recently?"

        Tabitha looks down at one of the many pieces of jewelry that she has matching with Conrad. She broken out of her thoughts once Shayla starts speaking again.

        "Frank Ocean is playing the Yarmouth Music Festival!"

        Nicole gasps and sits up in her chair while Tabitha and Jeremiah silently watch the two.

        "Tabby, I can get you can Conrad ticket too," Nicole offers.

        "I would love to, but Conrad isn't really into that kind of stuff and I am here for him," She says with a disappointed glint in her eye.

        "Well actually," Jeremiah interrupts, "Conrad would do anything for you. Include, sweat balls while listen to music he doesn't like."

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"READY TO HEAD back?" Conrad asks Cleveland after an afternoon of fishing.

        "Eh... not until you tell me about your girl drama," He replies.

        Conrad groans and looks down, his faint smile being a replaced with a very obvious frown.

        "There it is again," Cleveland chuckles.

        "Uh, it's just... You know, I mean... We grew up together, and I've only ever thought of her as a little annoying sister. And I've had feelings for Tabitha since I was ten. I mean, my whole life it's only ever been Tabitha. But last night, I almost kissed this other girl. And I lied to Tabitha about. That's what make everything worse. She's all I've known and somehow, another girl managed to wedge her way in my heart. And I feel terrible. I feel sick anytime I think about Tabitha or look at her. And now that I've lied, it'll just be harder to tell her," He had tears threatening to spill out of his eyes at this point.

        "Well, if there's one thing I learned from years of overpriced therapy, it's that you can't be good with someone else until you're good with yourself,"

❪ NOT EDITED ❫
JULES RAMBLES

ੈ✩‧₊˚ authors note:

— SIGHHHH i have so many ideas for this fic and i really wanna finish it so i will but oml everyone in the show's irritating

— also i forgot about tabitha's dad... but just look past that, he'll be in the next chapter trust

— don't forget to vote and comment!! 🫶🏽 don't be a silent reader! if there are any mistakes please tell me about them 🙏🏽 

WORD COUNT:
1612

published:
thursday, july 17th !