004 Belly and Jules the Debs

"Officers, thank you. It won't happen again, I can promise you that much." Steven, Jeremiah, Belly, Julia and Conrad all stood in the entry way, watching, annoyed, as Laurel talked to the officers by the front door.

"Tell Mr. Fisher the chief wants to set up a tee time when he gets back in town." Julia looked over to Jeremiah as she sat down by Conrad, the blood on her cheek now dry.

"Absolutely. Sorry again for all the trouble. Have a good night, Officers." With that, Laurel let the officers out before shutting the door behind them. As soon as she turned around, Julia could tell that she was mad at all of them.

"How could you guys be so irresponsible?" She questioned with a clenched jaw.

"Mom, it wasn't a big deal. All right? Seriously." Steven stepped forward, trying to reason with their mother but she was not having it one bit. "The cops were just looking to break up the bonfire."

"Not a big deal?" Laurel repeated.

"Yes." Steven agreed.

"I would say getting picked up by the cops for underage drinking is a pretty big deal, Steven." Laurel argued with her oldest child.

Steven sniffled before letting out a quiet scoff, causing everyone else to be curious to why he was laughing in a situation like this. "Were- were you guys, you guys smoking tonight?"

"What?" Laurel shook her head. "Keep your voice down. Susannah's asleep on the couch."

"Well, I wasn't yelling." Steven argued. "Well, you-you-you were."

"Just so you know, Laurel, I-I didn't drink tonight." Jeremiah stepped in, stopping Steven from saying something more stupid. "I was the DD, I swear."

"You're the oldest." Laurel stated, trailing her eyes over to Conrad, completely ignoring what Jeremiah had to say. "What the hell's gotten into you? And when did you leave the hous without telling anybody? And what in the world are you wearing?" She questioned looking over at Belly. She then directed her eyes to Julia. "And since when did you let her? What happened to your cheek?!" Her words caused Jeremiah to quickly look at her bloody cheek, which would soon bruise.

Julia drew her brows together in annoyance. "Nothing. I fell. And, Belly left on her own, I didn't know. Why is this my fault anyway? I'm not responsible for Belly 24/7." Julia sighed before looking down at her lap.

"It's Taylor's. And why and I the only one who's not allowed to go out?" Julia sighed before looking up at Belly.

"You're the biological one, remember?" Julia returned Belly's words from before, causing everyone to look at Julia in hurt.

"What?" Laurel asked in utter confusion.

"Nothing." Was all Belly said before looking down at Julia, who was slouched in her seat next to Conrad.

"It's not that you're not allowed, it's that you should have told us you were going." The mother said, ignoring the previous topic of the sister's arguing. "How did you even get there?"

"I walked." Belly muttered.

"Jesus. You know better than to walk that far down the beach alone late at night." Laurel scolded her youngest daughter.

"Can you stop treating me like a kid?" Belly raised her voice at their mother.

"If you want to be treated like an adult, you need to act like one."

"Then maybe you guys should, too." Conrad finally jumped into the conversation, but the tone of his voice would sure make Laurel angry. He gave Laurel a side eyed glare.

"What does that mean?" She retorted.

Conrad shrugged at her question, the room filled with silence and disappointment after that. "I hope you realize this night could have ended a lot differently if your family wasn't your family."

"We're sorry, Laur." Jeremiah shrugged barely.

Laurel sighed before saying, "Just... go to bed, guys." With that, Belly and Steven walked off first, Jeremiah and Julia following behind. Julia looked over her shoulder, noticing the Conrad and Laurel stayed back to talk, but she shrugged it off in her mind before turning in the kitchen. She sauntered torwards the sink, reaching for a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water.

She heard footsteps behind her before turning around to see who it was. She smiled when she saw Jeremiah walking torwards her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey." She muttered from over her shoulder. He returned the gesture before she slid up on the island counter, sitting on the surface. She took a sip of her water, almost forgetting all about her cut until Jeremiah mentioned it.

"How does it feel?" He asked, pointing up at it.

She shrugged, remembering what had happened. "Oh, it still hurts a little but it's okay."

"Want help cleaning it?" He questioned, tipping his chin in the air torwards it. She smiled softly before putting her water down next to her.

"Sure." With that, she watched as Jeremiah sauntered over into the bathroom, returning with a first aid kit. He open if, grabbing a surgical cleaner and putting some of it on a cotton pad.

He gently pressed it onto her cheekbone. As soon as he did, the pain returned and she winced softly at the pain. He apologized before putting it back on her cheekbone after pulling away.

She sighed before looking up into his eyes. "So, what's this thing with Gigi?"

Jeremiah's smile fell as he registered her words, pulling the cotton pad away from her cheek. "I don't know- It's nothing. I thought... I thought I liked being around her- I did- but it turns out I didn't want to be with her. I wanted to be with someone else." Julia felt her heart ache as he talked about spending his night with someone else. But secretly, he was thinking of her all night. He was thinking about laughing with her and spending the whole night with her.

"If you wanted to be around her so bad then just stay with her." She shrugged, smirking to hide the hurt.

"I don't know, Jules. She's just not my type." Jeremiah sighed.

"Jeez." She sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. "How are you gonna say you like being around her but the second you think of someone else you bail? Don't lead her on like that." Julia was never one to like Gigi, but she knew that no girl deserved that.

"Since when do you care about Gigi of all people?" He grimaced at her, both of them beginning to raise their voices.

"I don't. But, it's just not right of you and to be honest, it's selfish. Don't treat her wrong just because you want something else."

"Why are you being like this?" Jeremiah scoffed, tilting his head in confusion.

"Okay, if I'm right about this, then tell me who'd rather be with." She raised her brows, staring him dead in the eyes.

"No." He quickly responded, causing Julia to sigh deeply, rolling her eyes at the boy. She hopped off of the counter, shoving him aside. He noticed the change in her demeanor, causing him to hold up his hands in confusion.

"What?" He scoffed, confused why she all of the sudden was angry.

"Nothing. I just am mad at you and I'm done with the conversation. I'm not gonna listen to you rant about Gigi then be an ass when I ask you a question." She scoffed, beginning to walk away but he called her name.

"How am I an ass for telling you what I want? I'm not leading her on, I'm being honest." He told her, looking into her eyes. He noticed how hurt she looked.

"If you weren't leading her on then she wouldn't still be trying to talk to you. Just forget it."

"No! Don't forget it. Don't bring something up and then tell me to forget it because I'm not standing for that shit." He walked a few steps torwards her as he stared her in the eyes, his jaw clenched with anger. "Why would you care about who I like so much if you want to just walk away-"

"Because I like you!" Her words got stuck in her throat as she stared up at his ocean blue eyes. He was so shocked that she could tell he couldn't say anything. Tears began forming in her eyes as she thought of what she had just told him, and she hated herself so much for it.

"What?..." His words were so quiet it was also like a whisper.

"Yeah... I always have and- I was always too scared to say anything. How could I have said anything? You've always only see Belly. It's always been Belly. But I've always liked you, not Belly." She sighed. "How couldn't I? You are always there for me through everything and always used to tell me that everyone who tried putting me down wasn't worth it and that I could do so much better. But it's clear that you don't feel the same way, so as I said. Forget it." She turned around, tears immediately filling her eyes. She was hoping that he would stop her, that he would tell her he liked her too, but he never did. He stood there, watching as she walked away and he realized how bad he had messed up. He had always loved her, and yet she's standing in front of him confessing her love and he can't do anything but watch her leave.

***

Julia woke up to the sun shining down directly on her face. She got mad at the thought of being woken up just three hours after she had fallen asleep, her thoughts of Jeremiah still keeping her up.

She groaned, sitting up aggravatingly and dragging her curtains shut. She figured it was either her mother or Susannah who had opened the curtains, and she despised every second of it. Normally, she wouldn't mind the sun at all, but because of everything yesterday, she wasn't in the mood to have any sunshine. Screw that.

She sighed before changing into a purple crop top, jean shorts and white converse. She curled her hair quickly before walking down the stairs, sliding her phone into her back pocket of her shorts.

She heard everyone talking in the kitchen, already hearing Jeremiah's voice. She closed her eyes as she cursed under her breath, knowing she would have to face him eventually.

She walked into the kitchen, sliding onto a island stool next to her mom. She sighed, putting her elbows onto the counter then resting her face in her hands. "Morning, Jules." Laurel smiled as she ran her hand down her daughter's hair.

Jeremiah looked over his shoulder, meeting Julia's eyes before she quickly looked down, trying her best to avoid him if she could.

"How'd you sleep?" Her mother questioned.

"I didn't." She muttered, staring at Jeremiah from across the island counter.

"Why not?" Laurel sat straight. Julia knew how much it upset her mom when any of her kids don't get sleep or enough rest and it would always make her mom instincts kick in.

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't that tired." She shrugged, clearly not wanting to answer anyone's questions until she has properly woken up.

"Hm." Was all Laurel hummed before typing something on her computer. Julia groaned as she dropped her arms on the counter then put her head down on top of them. Her head was throbbing and her cheek still stung. She didn't care for putting a bandaid on it, so she never did.

Jeremiah was standing over the stove, making Conrad a hangover smoothie. Steven was hovering over his shoulder, breathing loudly. Jeremiah cleared his throat before speaking. "Do we really have to physically sit for our portraits? Can't she just, like, look at a picture on her phone or something?" He kept turning his head, trying to see through Steven's head, but finally had enough. "Okay, get out."

"What? Why?" Steven laughed.

"She needs to see you in the flesh in order to capture your essence. While you're still young and full of hope." Julia lifted her head up with furrowed brows before the three teens all laughed mockingly.

Her words." Laurel defended herself before looking back down at her computer.

"Well, Conrad does not have hope, actually. He's hopeless, but my hangover smoothie- it cures all." Jeremiah insisted as Julia grimaced at the concoction in the pot on the stove. She loved Jeremiah, but she would never be seen drinking whatever it was.

"Can you please just hurry up?" Conrad whined from the living room, his legs sprawled out on the sofa, holding his head in his hands.

"Someone's cranky." Julia commented as she snorted a laugh torwards Conrad. Jeremiah smiled as his back faced everyone, missing the laugh that always came from Julia.

"Just go back to bed, all right?" Jeremiah offered. Steven stepped closer to Jeremiah, thinking he wouldn't notice, but the curly-haired boy did. "All right, seriously, Steven, get out."

"Oh, come on." Steven argued before sighing.

"This is a delicate science, and your heavy breathing is gonna break the yolk." Jeremiah threatened as he pointed the spoon torwards Steven.

"Okay, okay, okay." Steven back off.

"She hasn't painted you since you were little. I think it'd be nice to have these portraits for when you're older." Laurel cut in, looking between the three teens.

"Old. No." Steven shook his head, walking around Laurel and her daughter. "When I'm older, I'm sure there'll be, like, like holograms or something I can watch of myself, you know?"

"No, we don't." Julia shook her head at her older brother before Jeremiah started the blender, stirring Conrad away alarmingly.

"Hey, I think it's sweet. She's doing this for us out of her time, it's not too much to ask, you guys." Julia shrugged, pursing her lips with a smile.

"See, someone here doesn't complain about everything." Laurel smiled torwards her daughter, running her hand down her curled hair again. "Just sit for your portraits. I don't see Conrad complaining."

The four looked over at the hungover boy sprawled out on the sofa, grunting at the loud noise coming from the blender.

"Oh, he will." Julia muttered.

"He'll complain when he's conscious." Jeremiah agreed with the blonde girl, bringing his older brother the hangover smoothie. "Hey. Here." Jeremiah slapped his brother's arm lightly before Conrad took the smoothie concoction.

"Come on, man. Hurry your ass up. All right? I can't be late for my first day of work." Steven called out.

"We won't. We're good." Jeremiah reassured his friend.

"Come on, man." As Jeremiah walked by, Steven smacked him in the butt, earning an excited yelp from Jeremiah. Julia smiled as she shook her head at the interaction.

"Those old country club boomers are gonna tip me so hard, man, they won't know what hit 'em." Steven spoke with a high pitched voice as he covered his groin and jerked his waist forward.

"Steven, I swear." Laurel shook her head in disgust.

"Could you, like not do that near me, please?" Julia shoved her brother's shoulder as he and her best friend laughed. "Seriously." She sighed as she shook her head, coming to realization that he wasn't taking anything she said serious.

"Come on, Laurel. My boy's got to get that bread." Jeremiah defended the oldest Conklin sibling.

"No, he does not." Julia shook her head, grimacing at both Jeremiah and Steven as she put her chin back in the palm of her hand. Steven thanked Jeremiah before Belly walked into the kitchen, tiredness etched in her features. Julia smiled, seeing her sister walk in. She wanted to apologize to her sister and Conrad, she just had to find the right time considering Conrad was still hungover and Belly looked half dead.

"Good morning." Jeremiah chirped.

"Belly, where have you been?" Laurel questioned, knowing her daughter wasn't in he bed this morning. "Is that a bruise?" Her mother questioned as she inspected her daughter's bruise forming next to her eye. She wondered how it was such a coincidence for both of her daughters to get hurt in the same spot, except Julia's cut was on her left cheek.

"We can match now." Julia smirked at her sister as she studied the small bruise forming near her right eye.

"Jeez, Jules. That looks bad." Belly scrunched her face as she looked at her sister's cut.  Jeremiah and Steven both turned their heads torwards Julia, concern etched in their features. "Does it hurt?"

"No, not really. If I smile if hurts." She shrugged her shoulders, knowing it wasn't a big deal.

"Well, I guess you'll just be grumpy all day." Jeremiah smiled at her as he spoke, but she quickly looked down, not wanting to look him in the eyes. Belly noticed the awkward interaction, causing her to frown.

"Um, I-I bumped into someone." Belly finally answered her mother's question.

"You bumped into someone?" Laurel repeated, earning a swift nod from Julia, trying to cover for her little sister.

"Doesn't look that bad." Conrad commented from the sofa, then turned to Julia. "But that does." He pointed groggily at Julia's cut, earning a sigh from her.

"It's really not, guys. I'm fine." She didn't like being worried about so much from her family since they all knew well she was capable of taking care of herself, but it was nice to hear that people cared.

"Um, cereal?" Jeremiah questioned the two girls, turning around.

"Yeah, hit me." Belly shrugged, leaning against the counter next to Julia. Jeremiah's eyes trailed to the blonde girl in question, earing a slight head shake from her.

"Sure." He cleared his throat, trying to drag his eyes away from hers before preparing the dark-haired sister a bowl of cereal.

"Oh, my God!" All of the sudden, everyone turned their head to the living room where they heard excited shouts, only to see Susannah appearing into the room with a large smile. She returned with one of the debutante papers, clearly signed based on the excitement radiating off of the woman. "Belly is gonna be a debutante."

Julia, Belly, and Susannah all laughed for the girl, excited for a change in her path. Julia figured that her sister would accept the offer, but she still wasn't sure if she wanted to herself.

"It's really not that big of a deal." Belly insisted.

Julia looked over at Laurel, hoping she was sharing in on the joy, but the look on her face said otherwise.

"I'm sorry. Like, Belly? Like my sister? Like, that thing right there?" Steven exaggerated, pointing torwards his littlest sister in shock.

"Shut up, cretin." Belly defended, giving him a cold glare.

"Okay, this is-" Susannah began speaking, but Jeremiah quickly cut her off while looking at Julia.

"Wait, what about Jules? Didn't you get an invite?" He questioned, pointing the cereal box at her. She sighed as all eyes turned to her, now she had to explain why she was stalling.

"Yeah, yeah, I did. Actually... I signed the paper. It's still in my room." The girl slowly spoke, earning smiles from everyone except for her mother and Conrad. She was lying. She didn't sign the paper. She didn't even consider saying yes, but she didn't want to dissapoint Susannah.

The older blonde woman shrieked before running over to hug Julia. The younger girl smiled into the hug before two other arms were wrapped around her from behind. She turned to see Jeremiah smiling down at her, his arms closed around her.

"I'm proud of you." He muttered, walking away.

"Thanks, Jere." She smiled softly, leaning against the counter again.

"Okay, this is gonna be so much fun." Susannah began ranting. "Just you wait. There is, uh... there's the tea, the auction, he ball, of course, the rehearsal." As Julia listened to everything she was saying, she realized tell them she joined was probably a bad idea and she should have waited longer. "I got to write this down." As Susannah searched for a pen and paper, she let out a gasp. "We need to go shopping.

Julia widened her eyes to herself, realizing what she got herself into. Jeremiah chuckled at her reaction, but she didn't see him.

"This sounds... expensive." Laurel complained.

"Oh, don't worry, Laur. It's on me." Susannah insisted, waving her best friend down. "It was my idea after all, and we still need to style you for your book party, so..." Belly moved to sit at the table as Susannah sat on the other side of Julia, now both of the moms surrounding her.

"Girls, are you sure you want to do this? It doesn't seem very you." Laurel questioned, turning torwards her two daughters.

"It's not." Conrad commented from the living room, Julia turned her head, remembering his presence.

"Okay. Last time I checked, you took Nicole to one of these things, so zip it." Julia tilted her head at Conrad, earning a sarcastic smile.

"Conrad, could you please be a little more supportive?" Susannah offered. "Now, which one of you is gonna be Belly's escort?" Susannah questioned.

"Not me. I went last year." Conrad quickly answered. Almost too quick.

"Yeah, and I swore off balls." Jeremiah told the group, earning a giddy laugh from Steven. "The dances, dude." Jeremiah corrected, causing Steven to stop laughing.

"Wow, guys. Stop fighting over me." Belly chuckled, which earned a scoff from Julia. "Um, I'm not going with either of you. I am going to find my own date." Julia opened her mouth  with a smile, holding her hand up for Belly to high five.

"Go, Bells." Julia snickered before dropping her smile, looking between the boys. "Now I know who not to ask." She rolled her eyes before going in the fridge and pouring herself a glass of milk. Jeremiah's smile fell as he realized he said that in front of her. He had a whole plan to ask her to take him to the deb ball with a bouquet of large sunflowers which she would have to steal one of Susannah's large vases to fit them in. His dream was crushed.

"Wikipedia says debutante balls require instruction in morals and social etiquette." Laurel's brought Jeremiah out of his thoughts, not even realizing that he was staring Julia's perfect face while she sat back next to her mother and Susannah.

"I'm going for a swim." Conrad muttered as he groggily walked out side. Julia watched as Belly stared at him outside of the window. In Julia's eyes, it would always be Jeremiah, but in Belly's, it would always be Conrad.

They could use some etiquette, yeah." Steven laughed. Julia rolled her eyes before grabbing the pen Susannah was previously using and threw it right at Steven's forehead, earning a yelp from him.

Jeremiah and Julia laughed as the blonde girl held her arms up yelling, "She scores!"