HAUNTED
୨⎯ chapter seven ⎯୧

Bianca woke up with a heavy arm wrapped around her body and a soft breeze blowing onto her.

bianca peeled her eyelids open slowly letting them get used to the bright light. when her eyesight finally adjusted everything became clear as daylight. steven's arm was around her, his head was tilted the other way. bianca had her arm around his torso and her leg was tangled with his leg.

bianca shot her head up and looked around in horror. steven groaned and turned to his side at the sudden movement. "steven," bianca hissed at the eighteen year old boy but he wouldn't budge. bianca put her free hand that was holding her up and put it on his cheek. she moved her head from side to side but he still wouldn't wake up. "steven!"

"five more minutes." he grumbled and dropped his arm down to her body holding her tight. bianca sighed deeply and pushed his arms off from her. "so grumpy."

"bianca? bianca, honey?" lena called.

"bianca?!" susannah called as well coming behind lena. lena laughed at susannah and shook her head. bianca shot her head over to the back doors sliding open.

"shit." bianca breathed out and glanced at steven. "i'm sorry." steven frowned his eyebrows and opened up his eyes. bianca pushed him off the edge and threw the towels on top of him hiding him. steven dropped his a loud groan but bianca covered it off with a cough.

"bianca? did you sleep outside?" lena asked spotting her daughter. bianca threw her legs at the edge of the chair and gave her mom a sorry smile.

"yeah, sorry. i just couldn't sleep and thought fresh air was going to help me." bianca said and let out a nervous chuckle. "guess it did."

bianca looked over at susannah who was looking at the pile of towles and then back at bianca. "that's okay, just come inside for breakfast." lena said and bianca nodded her head smiling softly. lena headed back inside but susannah stayed outside.

"morning, susannah." bianca said innocently giving the blonde hair woman her best smile. susannah smiled back and slowly walked over to her. "how-how did you sleep? you look beautiful by the way. a true angel." her eyes widen when susannah stood directly in front of the pile of towel and susannah reached to pick them up. "wait!"

it was too late. "hello there steven." susannah smiled without having to pick up the towels. bianca groaned and dropped her head down to her hand. susannah laughed and backed away.

"hi, susannah." he said but his voice was muffled with all the towels on him.

"hurry, the food is going to get cold." susannah said walking over to the sliding doors but before she went inside she spared them another glance. "don't worry, i won't tell."

bianca looked through her fingers and saw susannah wink and disappearing through the doors.

"that went well." steven said taking off all the towels.

bianca looked over her shoulder and burst out into laughter. "oh my gosh." bianca laughed embarrassingly dropping her head onto her hand and shaking her head. steven stood up and let out a loud breathed laugh alongside with her.

"i've never been more embarrassed in my life. god what might she be thinking?" steven said laughing. he picked up all the towels and draped them over the chair.

"hopefully nothing." bianca said standing up and looking at steven who laugh died down and his grin dropped slowly.

"yeah." steven breathed out and bianca hated the way that she was able to hear a hint of disappointment in his tone of voice.

"wait," bianca's eyes then widen and she gasped, "it's belly's birthday!"

└─── · 。゚☆ *.☽ .* ☆゚. ───┘

"happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear belly, happy birthday to you." bianca sang softly with a mini cake in her hands with sixteen candles on it. with a white cake with rainbow sprinkles all around it and in the middle with red frosting it read, happy birthday belly and a red open heart.

bianca and belly made this tradition when it was bianca's first summer at the beach house. belly and bianca grew really close during the few weeks and soon they saw each other as sisters. two days before belly's birthday, belly told bianca that she was going to turn 9. a big number for two eight year olds because they were close to being two digit number.

a day before belly's ninth birthday, bianca forced her mom to take her to the grocery store for a supirse for belly. bianca bought belly a mini cake with rainbow sprinkles and it read, happy birthday belly with a red open heart. bianca made sure to wake up early in the morning, grab the cake and wake up belly with the birthday song and the candles lit up.

it was the best birthday gift belly conklin could ever ask. to wake up with the song by her sister. bianca and belly would spend eating the mini cake and not head downstairs until they were done. it was their small tradition and no one knew about. no one was ever going to take it away from them. it was their thing.

"oh bianca." belly whispered pouting out her lips. she thought that bianca had forgotten since she didn't get woken up by the angelic voice that bianca has. belly would cry but she had mascara on and it wasn't waterproof. who are we kidding, that didn't stop her either.

"happy sweet sixteen my belle." bianca said and held the cake in front of belly. "make a wish."

belly closed her eyes and smiled as she blew out the candles. belly grabbed the cake and settled it down on the bed before throwing her arms around bianca. the curly hair girl wrapped her arms around belly and rocked them back and forth.

"do you want to know what my wish was on my ninth birthday?" belly whispered.

"conrad?" bianca asked. she knew about the crush that belly had on conrad and she would always tease her about conrad to belly. everyone knew, well the adults, but bianca knows also that belly was destined to be a fisher. she wasn't. she saw them as her older brothers. it'll be weird if she dated her one of her 'brother's.

"no," belly laughed but then paused. "that was my second wish." belly said and bianca laughed pulling away from belly. "i wished for a sister and guess what," bianca raised her eyebrow at belly, "it came true."

"you're so cute belly." bianca said sighing happily and hugging belly again. bianca then pulled away and grabbed a box from her cabinet. belly grabbed it with a smile and opened it up. belly's eyes widen as she saw what was inside the small box.

"bianca no you didn't." belly gasped and took out the charm for her charm bracelet. it was of two girls holding each others hand and on the back of those two girls held the initials, b.c & b.w. "soul sisters." she whispered and glanced back at bianca with a wide smile.

bianca helped belly put on the charm bracelet. bianca told belly that she's going to change real quick and they'll be able to go downstairs. belly stayed sitting down on her bed admiring the charm the entire time that bianca was changing.

she put on a jean skirt that reached up to her upper thigh and paired it with a sage green tube top that was more like a t-shirt material but lose on the bottom. she slipped on her high rise converse. she rushed out of the bathroom and put on deodorant and sprayed on perfume.

"okay, let's go." bianca said out of breath.

belly stood up from her bed and hooked their arms together. belly and bianca walked down the stairs happily and entered the im kitchen where everyone was at.

"goodmorning." belly said happily.

"happy birthday." everyone said at the same time almost sounding like a choir performance. belly smiled and laughed, unhooked her arm from bianca and went to go and receive her hugs from everyone.

bianca walked over to the counter and snatched the bacon that steven had on his hand. bianca smiled innocently at him as she took a bite of the bacon. steven scoffed but suppressed a grin that was ready to show on his lips.

"oh, you're gonna love my gift." jeremiah said.

bianca scoffed, "no one can beat my gift."

jeremiah and bianca argued back and forth and who's gift belly was going to like more. and to stop their arguing they all gathered around the living room and started opening up gifts. jeremiah and bianca watching closely.

lena went first. she gifted belly a few pairs of everything: jewelry, clothes and makeup. but what nelly loved the most was a pair of gold hoop earnings. she gave bianca the same pair and she claimed, "it's a special tradition for the sixteen year old girl to be gifted golden hoop earrings in my family."

then leo went. he shyly gave belly his gift to her. belly gasped happily at the gift. jeremiah and bianca trying their best to look at what leo had gotten belly. "she had more of a reaction to mine." bianca said and jeremiah hummed in a mockery tone. leo gifted belly this hoodie that she's been looking for for months.

"he gives me fake rats for my birthday." bianca said and this caused everyone to laugh and leo to get even more shy.

"shut the fuck up bianca no one asked." leo deadpanned moving away from belly and sat back down between the laurel and lena.

then laurel went. she gifted her daughter a collection of poem books that were first edition. "turn to the bookmarked page." laurel said feeling proud of what she got. "it's your favorite poem."

"oh yeah," belly laughed turning to the bookmarked page. "i remember susannah teaching us to recite this. for whatever we lose..."

"like a you or a me." belly, bianca, leo, jeremiah and steven said at the same time. bianca glanced over at conrad who rolled his eyes and looked away. bianca stood up from her spot and sat on the arm chair of conrad's seat and slapped his shoulder.

"it's always ourselves we find in the sea." conrad, susannah, lena and laurel all joined for the last bit. belly smiled fondly and closed the book. "thank you, i love it."

"you're welcome."

"okay, open mine now, belly." susannah said leaning forward and giving belly her gift.

belly opened up the small box. belly's eyes widen and she looked between the box and susannah. "oh, wow. they're gorgeous. thank you, susannah." belly said.

susannah stood up from her seat and sat down next to nelly taking out the peals from the box and helping belly put it on. "my mom gave me these pearls for my sweet sixteen."

bianca's and jeremiah's mouth fell completely. they looked at each other and immediately knew that there was nothing that could beat what susannah gifted belly. "yeah, susannah, you win."

"jeez mom, how am i supposed to compete with that?" jeremiah scoffed playfully but neither-less gave belly his gift.

bianca was originally paying attention to jeremiah and belly but something else caught her eye. conrad pulling something out of his pocket and opening it up. bianca squinted her eyes and looked closely to what it was. it was an infinity necklace, something special between him and belly. but instead of leaving it out and giving to her, he shoved it back into his pocket.

"conrad." bianca whispered to conrad. she was giving him her motherly voice. the one that was filled with both sad and disappointment.

"no, this was stupid." conrad whispered back to her shaking his head and looking down at his hands. bianca sighed deeply and put a soothing hand on his shoulder and dropped her cheek to his head. conrad leaned against her feeling sad and pathetic for himself. "so stupid."

"conrad, uh, do you want to give belly your gift?" susannah asked.

belly smiled widely and bianca a felt bad for belly. every year belly had told bianca that conrad's gift go her is always her favorite one. well second favorite because hers are always first. if only belly knew that there was more than what meets the eye.

"sorry, forgot." conrad said and the whole room fell quiet. "sorry, but, uh, bianca and i have to go." bianca frowned her eyebrows and squinted her eyes looking around the living room and then back at conrad who stood up from his seat. "i promised her i'll help her with surfing classes and we're late now. happy birthday belly."

conrad walked away in a rush leaving bianca behind with all the confused looks. "talk to him?" susannah asked knowing that the only person conrad would ever open up to is bianca.

"yeah, happy birthday belly." bianca said quickly walking over to belly and kissing her cheek before sprinting off to where conrad was at. this boy was going to be the death of her. all of the boys were going to be the death of her one way or another.

└─── · 。゚☆ *.☽ .* ☆゚. ───┘

"i feel so pathetic. seriously. what was going through my mind." conrad scoffed angrily stomping out of the ocean with his surf board in his arm. bianca wasn't surfing but she was laying on the beach with a book in hand letting conrad get rid of all his anger. it didn't seem to work the same way it worked for her.

"you were thinking too much about it, connie. it was cute and she would've loved it. we were joking about susannah making our gifts feel less." bianca said lifting up her sunglasses and leaning up on her elbows.

"an infinity necklace? what am i? some kind of middle schooler who's never had a girlfriend before? jesus fuck, this shit looks like i got it in five below." conrad said continued to ramble on about it. bianca rolled her eyes now knowing that the only way conrad was going to take his anger out was to talk.

"come sit down bigfoot." bianca said patting the empty spot of the blanket.

"i should just throw it inside of the ocean." conrad grumbled.

"do that and you'll actually be pathetic." bianca scoffed watching conrad plop himself next to her. he kept his knees up and his arms were loosely wrapped around his legs. he threw his head back with a loud groan before turning his head over to bianca.

"what's up with you and steven? i heard you guys last night." conrad said.

bianca blushed. now it was her turn to throw her head back with a loud groan. "i don't know. it's so," she thought about the right word to word whatever was happening. "weird and confusing."

"how?" conrad asked wanting to take his mind off his own problems for the mean time. bianca didn't seem to mind but she wished conrad picked a different subject.

"i'm starting to feel things around him?" bianca said in a question tone. more to herself than to conrad. "i don't know. but when i saw him at the bonfire with shayla, something shifted in me." she then laughed, "ironically though, shayla is my big sister for the debutante and my new friend."

"aw little bianca was jealous." conrad teased and bianca sat up. she punched conrad's arm and scoffed loudly. "come on, bianca. admit it. you were jealous that steven was with another girl."

"i wasn't." bianca denied.

"he doesn't like her you know." conrad said and smirked when bianca snapped her over to him. "yeah, he doesn't use her either. shayla and steven are good friends. have been since last summer."

"last summer?" bianca asked and conrad nodded her head. of course last summer she wasn't really paying attention to anyone surrounding her. her mind was set on being with her dad and not with anybody else.

"you can't hide from your feeling." conrad ironically said.

"think about what you just said and then come and talk to me." bianca said with a loud scoff. she knew what conrad said was true but she wasn't about to listen to someone who was doing the same exact thing and not taking his own advice.

"that's different." conrad deadpanned.

"how so? a piece of your heart has always belonged to her. you know it and you always let everyone tell you that you don't have a heart. that your a guy that isn't capable of actually liking someone. your hiding from your own feeling because they're much more stronger than you anticipated. i saw you, conrad. i know you. you have always gotten jealous whenever leo or jeremiah do something to her and she gets happy. but don't you ever notice the way she gets happy around you? you don't because you're hiding your feelings and prefer to tell yourself that you will never be enough, that your cold and don't have the capability to actually like someone after everything that has happened."

conrad stayed silent letting bianca give out her speech. conrad shifted uncomfortably taking it to heart. everything bianca said was true about him. but- "are you saying that about me or about you?" conrad asked slowly.

bianca shrugged her shoulders and glanced down at conrad. a single tear slipped her eye. "i can't like him, conrad. it's not the right time. i'm not ready." bianca whispered out shaking her head. her legs were bend and her elbows were now resting on her knees. she dropped her head to her hands and her palms rubbed her eyes gently.

"how can i have fun when he's dead? how can i have fun knowing what i did while he was suffering. i'm a shitty daughter conrad and i betcha i'll be an even shitter girlfriend if i'm capable of doing something like that." conrad didn't say anything else even though that he knows that the way that his best friend is grieving and blaming herself is wrong. everything she's saying about herself about his death is wrong.

but he didn't say anything knowing that she didn't need that right now. and she didn't need to hear it from him. conrad wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought his towards her. bianca dropped her head to his shoulder.

conrad fisher and bianca wayne, the two teens that were messed up in the head but no one seem to notice, held each other as they looked towards the calming ocean. wondering what they did to deserve this kind of karma.

▌ c. speaks . . . ˚. 𓄼
not edited!
i hope what conrad said isnt
too out of character...

ALSO - next chapter will hold
blaise so be prepared with tissues
because the backstory of why bianca
blames herself and the letter hurts even more.