CRUEL SUMMER

19: For Sale

THE TWO girls hesitated on the front porch before entering the beach house, as Jeremiah stormed inside to find Conrad. Via knew Jere had found him, since the shouting and arguing had started and the girls could hear it from outside.

"Are you okay?" Belly questioned, "You're doing that breathing thing you do when you're worried. Inhale for five, exhale for five?"

"Steven taught me it surprisingly." Via replied, as she exhaled a breath of worry, "He's actually good at that kind of stuff."

Belly raised her eyebrows in surprise, before shoving her hands into her denim-short pocket. She retrieved a pink, blue, yellow, and green coloured bracelet, and it seemed to be handmade. Belly tied it on Via's wrist, "I made this for you. It's like a..."

"A wedding ring?" Via smirked sarcastically, before smiling wildly, "Thank you, Belles." She lowered her voice, "I love you-"

"Conrad-"

"Jere, the house has been put up for sale!"

Via glanced at Belly, before rushing into the living room, seeing Conrad and Jeremiah arguing. Via scoffed, "You're kidding? You didn't think to tell us?"

Jeremiah added, "So, this is why you haven't been answering any of our calls or texts?"

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Conrad sighed sarcastically, "We're gonna lose this house. Mom's house."

Belly questioned, "Why would your dad sell this house?"

"What is she doing here?" Conrad retorted.

"Belly is with me, she's not here for you." Via defended quickly, as she folded her arms across her chest. 

Conrad sighed, "Dad isn't selling the house. Our Aunt Julia is."

"Susannah's sister?" Belly questioned curiously.

Conrad corrected, "Half-sister. Apparently, the house belonged to the both of them. But when mom... Now Aunt Julia owns the whole thing."

Via deadpanned, "So, just call dad and we can figure something out."

"You think I haven't already done that?" Conrad replied, "He says legally the house is hers."

"Okay, then he'll buy it." Via suggested.

"He doesn't have the money to buy it." Conrad shot back sarcastically, "Between Brown and the medical bills and the-"

"Yeah, I know how much the medical bills cost because I was there." Jeremiah snapped, "How long did you know about this and not tell us?"

Conrad replied, "This was happening so fast, I was gonna tell you after I'd taken care of it."

"This is you taking care of it?" Jeremiah scoffed, "Going AWOL, ditching school, not talking to us-"

"Fuck school! I don't care." Conrad interrupted childishly.

"Connie, you have to go back or you'll fail your class." Jeremiah insisted.

"How are you gonna become a doctor if you fail out of college, Conrad?" Belly blurted out.

Conrad refused to look at her when he replied, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Seriously?" Via scoffed frustratedly, "We went to Brown to fucking check if you had done something stupid. Jeremiah called every single person you know. And Belly and I traveled four hours to help look for you. So don't stand there and tell her she has no idea because she fucking does!"