CRUEL SUMMER

2: The Feral Alley Cat

OLIVIA WONDERED if it was all real- her crush on Belly. She had always doubted her feelings when it came to liking girls. She felt as though she was lying to herself; maybe she liked her for the attention? Though the more she wondered about it, the more she realised how real it actually was. Olivia just couldn't accept it- she couldn't accept herself.

Laurel insisted, "Steven, I swear to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket."

"It's just that we want to see your beautiful faces." Susannah added, taking a sip of her wine, "Can dinner be a screen-free zone. You know, like the olden days."

Jeremiah grabbed the phone from Steven, before throwing it in a basket in the corner of the room. Jere cheered, "Boom! Nailed it."

"Dude, are you kidding me?" Steven complained, "Okay, okay, we get it, you've been working out."

Belly scoffed, "You're just jealous because Jere has a better body than you."

"Uh, no, it's actually all about the lean look now." Steven argued, "Otherwise, you can't wear tailored suits."

Conrad mocked, "Tailored suits."

Steven looked at him, "When are you leaving for training camp, man?"

Via answered for the boy, "He quit football."

"Wait- really?" Steven questioned, "You quit? Are you kidding me, man? I'd kill to play college ball."

"He can always change his mind." Susannah explained.

"I'm not gonna change my mind." Conrad retorted, "I was just gonna sit on the bench all season anyways."

Laurel questioned, "Well, if you're not playing football, what are you gonna do all summer?"

Jere suggested, "Oh, dude, you could work at the club."

"Yeah, with me and Jere." Steven added.

Via frowned, throwing a piece of sweetcorn at Jere, "Oi! I never got that invite."

"Too bad, Ollie." Jere teased sarcastically, as the girl itched her face with her middle finger.

"Wait, you guys are working this summer?" Belly questioned curiously.

Jere nodded, "Yeah, I'm lifeguarding and Steven's working at the snack shop."

"Oh, Via and Belly." Susannah shot up to grab two envelopes for the girls, "I have a surprise for you!"

Laurel scoffed sarcastically, "So, this is why you had to stop by the country club."

"What is that?" Stephen asked curiously.

Via opened the card, sarcastically shaking it, "Where's the money?"

"Very funny." Susannah shook her head, holding back a smile. She continued, "I'm serious, Vi, read it."

Via lowered her eye-line to the card, squinting at the letters which jumbled up on the page. They moved due to her mind, of course- the girl was badly dyslexic. Olivia tried to make the words out, before looking at Belly, "What does it say?"

Conrad sighed, "You need to atleast try to read it, Ollie."

Olivia just passed her invitation to Conrad, who was slouched in his chair next to her. Conrad read it quickly in his head, before scoffing, "Debutantes?"

Susannah buzzed with excitement, "Yeah, I wrangled the girls an invitation to be debutantes!"

"Is that where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?" Belly questioned curiously.

Susannah nodded, "It's when a girl comes of age, and is presented to society. It's a coming out, it's a formal recognition she's reached maturity. I know it sounds silly, but I swear it'll be really fun for you girls."

Via questioned, "We're going...together?"

Jere and Steven chuckled to themselves at the girl's cluelessness, before Jere explained, "You go with your chosen boy."

Via hesitated, "Oh... right, yeah."

"That's gonna be hard for Belly. I mean, come on. I'm sorry. Belly? Mature?" Steven retorted, as he laughed loudly, "A couple of months ago you made us have a cat funeral. You made us all wear black."

"Shut up, Steven." Belly snapped, "I saw you crying in your room."

"Wait, Mochi died?" Jere questioned, "I'm sorry, Belles."

Olivia already knew about Mochi, she knew how upset Belly was. They had FaceTimed all night- Olivia trying her very best to comfort her.

"I don't think it's Belly's kind of thing." Laurel explained, "She's like our feral alley cat."

Jere chuckled, " Alley cat."

"The whole deb scene is bullshit." Conrad added, "It's for sheep."

Belly glared at the boys, before smiling at Susannah, "I'll think about it."

"She'll think about it." Susannah raised her wine glass in joy, before looking at her own daughter, "Via, how do you feel about getting all dressed up?"

"Uh, I don't know, it's not really..." Via paused, as she saw the sadness in her mom's expressions. She didn't want to crush her mom's dream. The girl sighed, "Actually, I'll do it. Why not?"

Susannah grinned, "That's my girl."

The more time that went on that day, the more Olivia regretted her decision of saying yes. She would have to find herself a boy to be her date, which caused her so much worry she couldn't even concentrate. And what she hated the most was the fact she couldn't hide her feelings from her brother- Conrad. He had this special ability to sense his younger sisters emotions with just one singular look- one glance and the boy knew everything.

Conrad sat beside his sister by the pool, both of their feet dangling in the water. The older boy looked at her, "What's up?"

"The sky." Olivia smirked, as she glanced at her brother, who didn't even smile at the joke.

"I'm serious, Ollie." Conrad continued, as he reached in his pocket to receive a lighter. He exhaled smoke, "I know something's wrong."

Via shrugged, "Maybe you're too high to notice that I'm fine. You know, smoking pot changed the way your brain processes information."

"So does your cell phone." Conrad retorted, looking at the phone in the girls lap, "Who were you texting?"

"I was trying to text Evie." Via replied, "The time difference isn't helping."

Conrad sighed, "You could... talk to me... whatever you were going to text her."

"You wouldn't understand." Via shook her head stubbornly, as she watched Belly walk out of the door and towards the pool. She waved at the girl, before jumping in. Olivia adjusted her position, looking nervously at the girl yet she couldn't help but admire her.

Conrad lowered his voice, "I understand."

Via nudged him quickly, causing him to smirk to himself, as Belly came up from under the water. Belly exclaimed, "Weren't you the one who said smoking's dumb, and that real athletes don't put shit in their bodies."

"I said a lot of stuff." Conrad replied, "And I'm not an athlete anymore, so..."

Belly continued, "Well, I still think you should quit."

"What will you give me if I do?" Conrad questioned, his eyes scanning Belly as Via's eyes flickered between them. She frowned, her blood boiling in pure anger.

Conrad took off his jumper, placing his joint to the side of him. Via took this opportunity to secretly grab his joint, placing it in her own pocket, before standing up quickly.

Belly questioned, "Wait- Where are you going?"

"Uh, the shower."  Via lied quickly, walking inside before Conrad noticed his joint was gone.