CRUEL SUMMER

26: The Last Night

THEY KNEW they were going to loose the house, there was no changing that. However, they could change their attitudes on the situation. The group all wanted their last memories of the house to be magical, just like Susannah had always made it. And following in Susannah's footsteps, they were going to throw a party.

The group had parted, all seperate lyk getting ready for the party except Via and Conrad, who were sat downstairs in the kitchen.

He blurted out, "Do you remember the times we used to help mom cook? She'd make it look so easy but, when we tried, it went to shit."

"Are we reminiscing on the time when you burnt the whole fucking pizza?" Via chuckled slightly, "Because I remember that so clearly. You started crying-"

"I did not cry." Conrad chuckled, before pausing, "Maybe I did cry, but it was a few tears and I was, like, ten."

"And hungry." Via added, smiling.

Conrad sighed, before asking, "I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday." He paused, almost as though he was thinking what to say or how to say it. He breathed, "In the, uh, screening room-"

Via interrupted quickly, "I, uh... Aren't we going to the store to get alcohol? We should get going. I'll ask Jere if he's coming with us."

"Yeah, uh, okay." Conrad replied uncertainly, frowning at the girl in concern as she quickly walked out of the kitchen.

Via breathed in for five seconds, then exhaled for five seconds, before sliding the back doors open to meet with Jeremiah... and Belly. They were splashing around in the pool, not noticing her entrance at all. They were attempting to dunk each other into the water, climbing onto each other playfully. Via just watched for a moment.

Unable to stand the sight for any longer, the girl decided to walk back inside- but she seemed to be uncontrollably storming her way through the kitchen.

Conrad watched her re-enter the kitchen, as he questioned curiously, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Did you ask him?"

Via was still processing what she had just seen, as she continued walking out of the kitchen, "Yeah." She replied, yet she didn't even comprehend what Conrad had asked her.

Conrad rolled his eyes, yet he was concerned for his sister, "You didn't ask him, did you?"

"I'm not going to the store anymore, Connie." Via explained as she walked up the stairs, raising her voice so Conrad could hear her from the kitchen, "I need to get ready."

'Get ready' was code to tell Evie what she had seen and by, the look on Evie's face when Via opened her bedroom door, the girl already knew. Via walked into the sight of Evie peering out the window, looking down at the pool and pulling judgmental faces at Belly and Jere's shouts.

Evie turned around as Via closed the door behind her, "Ollie, look out of the fucking window-"

"I know." Via sighed, as she perched on the edge of her bed. She stressed, brushing her hand through her blonde hair, "I don't know what to do."

Evie paced up and down the length of Via's room, "I know I said there's nothing going on but that. I just fucking witnessed flirting. I thought Belly was... Ollie?"

Evie stopped pacing when she saw Via plant her head in her hands in defeat. The girl saw Via's shoulders shaking as she silently cried into her hands, causing Evie to sit down next to her immediately.

"Hey." Evie hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head, and removing Via's hands away from her wet face. Evie spoke softly, "I'm gonna be honest with you, okay?"