BACK TO YOU

twenty. steven's speech

▬▬ "HEY, BABY, I just got here." Lennox mumbled, holding her phone between her shoulder and her ear as she pulled the visor down, using the small mirror as she wiped around her lips to make sure her lip gloss hadn't smudged.

"Cuttin' it close." His chuckle carried through the phone, bringing a smile to her lips.

"Yeah, but I like to make an entrance." She hummed, pushing the visor back into place. "I wish you could've come with me."

"I, uh, I still got a few classes."

"I know but Steven would've loved it." She leaned back into her seat as a sigh fell past his lips. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I just meant that..."

"I know, baby." He mumbled, but she could hear it in his voice. The unmistakable grief that had lingered on his every word since losing Susannah, maybe even before then, that gripped him so hard that most days it was a struggle to breathe. "Um, I'll let you go. Don't want you to miss it."

"Yeah, okay." She nodded as her hand tightened around the steering wheel.

"I love you."

Those three words brought the smallest of smiles to her face as she let her eyes fall closed. It was three words, but it made her chest feel a little lighter and the ever present sadness run to the farthest corners of her chest. "I love you, too."

He hummed in response and she could practically see the small smile that tugged at his lips, the same smile that always tugged at his lips when she uttered those three little words. She reluctantly hung up, a smile still on her lips as she thought back to the last few days of summer, some of her happiest days despite the news they had gotten.

She was back in the summer house, a smile on her lips as she looked up at the boy that meant everything to her. She was sitting on the bar stool, her elbows on the top of the island as Conrad leaned towards her from where he stood on the other side of the island.

"What's with that look?" He asked, titling his head slightly.

"What look?" She asked, an innocent air to her words.

"That look," he mumbled, brushing his nose against hers. "It's a little distracting."

"Then it's working." She grinned, stretching forward and pressing her lips against his, he hummed a little as his eyes closed, his mouth moving against hers. The two only pulled apart when someone cleared their throat and they turned to see Susannah standing in the doorway, a smile tugging at her lips. "Suze..." Lennox mumbled, her cheeks pink.

"I thought we were supposed to be cleaning." The blonde mused, thought it was anything but scolding.

"Yeah, Conrad, stop distracting me." Lennox narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the boy, a playful bite to her words and his eyes grew wide as his jaw fell open slightly, but his smile didn't fade.

"Me?"

"Get your son, Suze, he is out of control." Lennox mumbled, using a paper towel to wipe down the counter top and Susannah laughed, her eyes crinkling around the edges.

"Lennox," Conrad chuckled, shaking his head in slight disbelief before looking over at his mom. "She started it."

"I would do no such thing."

"That's what guilty people say." The boy hummed, giving his girlfriend a look of challenge.

"You leave my angel alone." Susannah quipped as she crossed the room, then she wrapped her arms around the girl.

"What?" Conrad chuckled as Lennox leaned into the woman.

"Yeah, Connie. Behave." Lennox stuck her tongue out at him, but all he could do was smile.

"You two." Susannah mused, mostly to herself, her smile wide. She took a step back, letting her arms fall to her sides. "Tell you what, there's only a couple days left of summer. Why don't you go out, do something fun?"

"Laurel told us to..."

Lennox trailed off when the blonde simply shook her head, "Go, I'll handle it."

The couple shared a look, their smiles wide. "Wanna go surfing?" The boy asked. "You haven't gone out all summer."

"Yes, please." Lennox nodded and he cheered, mostly to himself as he did a small fist pump, making the small movement of raising his fist before he pulled his elbow backwards in celebration.

"Aw, baby, you're adorable." The girl mused.

"Shut up." He muttered, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Okay, now go." Susannah ushered them. "Before Laurel notices."

"Thanks, mom." Conrad rounded the counter, lightly kissing her cheek.

"Later, Suze." Lennox hugged the woman, before latching onto Conrad's hand and disappearing up the stairs, but he pulled her to a stop before the reached the top landing, his hands moving to her waist as he pressed her back against the wall. "Connie-"

He silenced her with a kiss, and she hummed, smiling against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched up onto her toes. "I love you." He brushed his nose against her, watching as her smile widened and her eyes softened... watching as she melted before his very eyes.

And, damn, it was a beautiful sight.

"I love you." She peaked his lips, watching as his smile tugged up a little more and his eyes lightened... she wasn't the only one that was easy to melt.

She shook her head, shaking the daydream away before she opened her car door and stepped out, her sundress fluttering around her thighs on the warm breeze as her converse slapped against the pavement. She rushed towards the school, making her way towards the gymnasium and just as she pushed the doors open, Steven's name was called and the boy made his way onto the stage, standing behind the podium.

Lennox closed the door as softly as possible, making her way to the side of the chairs. And she smiled when Steven spotted her, his smile growing as she waved like she was lunatic. He covered his laugh and looked out at the crowd as he prepared to give his speech, and with a breath he started.

"They say that everything happens for a reason. Now, who they are, exactly, is unclear. Maybe a theologian coined it." A few people chuckled. "Or, I don't know, whoever configured the simulation we're clearly living in. Maybe it was Rihanna." Lennox smiled as scattred laughter filtered through the room. "No, no, Rihanna can do no wrong. It was definitely not her.

"But we've heard it time and time again. It's supposed to convince us, you know, that everything had to happen exactly so, in order to teach us something about ourselves, in order for us to grow and meet our destiny." He let out a soft chuckle. "I think that's BS. I'm sorry, Mom, sorry." He added quickly, getting more scattered laughs. "You know, breakups don't always lead to breakthroughs.

"Sometimes a girl dumps you after an awesome summer, and it sucks. And you learn nothing from it, but you eventually force yourself to move on anyways. But then the unthinkable happens, and you realize it's pointless to think of life that way."

Lennox could help it as her mind drifted back to Susuannah...

Lennox was in her room, packing her bag, smiling to herself as she folded up one of Conrad's hoodies before shoving it into her bag. There was a knock on the opened door and the girl looked up to see Susannah in the doorway.

"Suze," She smiled, she always did when she saw the woman.

"How was surfing?" The blonde asked as she sat on the edge of the girl's bed - pushing the clothes to the side.

"It was great." She smiled. "Um, I was a little rusty, not gonna lie. But it was fun, I wish I had spent more time out there. And with Conrad." She mumbled, reaching up and holding the silver sun pendant that hung around her neck.

"I love that necklace on you." The blonde mused, and the girl smiled. "Connie told me everything that happened between you two last summer."

Lennox chuckled lightly, "Yeah, again, I'm sorry for the sneaking around and-"

"Don't be." The blonde shook her head. "I'm just glad you two finally came to your senses, and that you're not sneaking around."

"Yeah, me too."

"I knew you would find your way back to each other eventually. I always knew that you two were... written in the stars."

"I don't know about that." Lennox shook her head a little, but the blonde just smiled. "Hey, Suze, can I ask you a question?" She asked as she moved, sitting next to the women.

"Of course, Angel." She nodded, reaching up to tuck the girl's hand behind her ear.

"You knew about my dad being in town," Lennox fiddled with her necklace, it had become an anxious habit since Conrad had placed the chain around her neck. Susannah nodded, a sad smile crossing her lips. "And you knew he was selling the house before I did..." again the blonde nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Susannah took a breath, "I was going to but when you got here, you already seemed like you were going through so much, and I didn't want to make it worse. I'm sorry, Angel."

"No, it's fine. I get it, I think."

"I thought that I could protect you from it a little longer. I wanted this summer to be... perfect, for a lot of reasons."

"And it was." Lennox nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "It was rough for a while, but it was perfect. Even with..." she trailed off, the words clogging her throat as she looked up at the woman. She hadn't been able to say it, everytime she tried, her throat would close up and she couldn't breath. "And I did think that I was losing you guys-"

"You are never losing us." Susannah cut her off, placing her hand on her cheek. "You always have this place to come back to."

"I know, but without you..." she shook her head, she couldn't fathom the thought. The summer house didn't feel right without Susannah. "You made every summer so... so magical. And without..."

"Angel," she cut the girl off, holding back her own tears. "You love this place the same way I do. And you have Belly. If anyone can keep the magic going here, it's you two."

Lennox nodded, her tears trailing down her face. "I don't want to..."

"I know, Angel." Susannah pulled the girl towards her, wrapping her arms around her.

"I love you, mom." She mumbled, her words barely audible and Susannah smiled, unable to hold her tears as she kissed the side of the girl's head.

"I love you, too."

She shook her head, focusing back on the boy that stood on stage.

"Because everything just happens. You know, good things, bad things, all in ways that you'd never expect. All in ways that are so completely out of your control that they could just drive you insane." Lennox smiled, but she agreed. "There are times where it feels like the world is happening to you, but remember that you are also happening to the world. So don't wait. Make what you want happen. Because tomorrow isn't promised, so you better make fսcking sure that you are living today."

Everyone clapped, a few letting out some cheers and Lennox was right there with them, her hands cupped over her mouth, "Yeah! Let's go, Stevie!" Her voice echoed, mingling with the applause but the boy chuckled, nodding his head in her direction as a smile pulled at his lips. It was clear that he was soaking up the praise.

Belly turned in her seat, her eyes landing on the cheering girl and a smile tugged at her lips as she pushed herself to her feet, quickly making her way towards Lennox.

"Hey, Bell." Lennox smiled, but Belly just wrapped her arms around the older girl. Lennox squeezed her, smiling a little as she closed her eyes.

"I'm so glad that you're here." Belly mumbled, tightening her hold on the shorter girl for a moment before she pulled back, a smile on her face. "Come on, we should sit down." She grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the row she had been in previously.

"I'm so happy that you made it." Laurel smiled at the girl, resting her hand on her arm as she sat in the empty seat between her and Belly.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled up at the woman before looking over at John. "What's up, Old man?"

John chuckled, shaking his head a little. "Hi, Lennox." The girl simply smiled and they settled into their chairs as the rest of the ceremony continued.

⚘‎ nova speaks┆and were back! i'm really excited for act two, and so far working on this has been very therapeutic for me...

back in march, we lost my best friend's mom - she was like my mom - to cancer and it was hard for me, it still is. and because of that, i relate very deeply to lennox and being able to write her grieving process has been hard and
i've cried almost every time i sat down to write this

anyways, i'm glad to bring these two back, they really hold a special place in my heart and lennox has been my way to cope and deal and to actually wrap my head around everything that's been going on

so, yeah, thank you all for being patient with me while my focus has been on other things but i'm happy to share more of lennox and Conrad's story