CRUEL SUMMER

29: Bad Guy

VIA HAD told Evie everything, as they cleaned an empty room in the beach house. Via was a state: her eyes puffy from crying, her nails bitten down to the skin, her hair sticking to her wet cheeks due to her tears. Olivia hadn't felt this bad since... She couldn't bring herself to think of her mother.

Evie convinced Via to join the others in the kitchen, as Aunt Julia and Laurel had come back inside. Via's bloodshot eyes scanned the kitchen for Belly uncontrollably- where was she?

Via was pulled out of her trance by Laurel, asking her a question, "Via, did you hear what your Aunt Julia said?"

Laurel frowned concernedly at the girl, who was looking at her in confusion- Via hadn't heard a word. The girl was even more confused because of the teenagers around her practically jumping for joy.

Julia repeated, "I've decided to pull out of the sale."

Laurel questioned Via again, trying to figure out why her face was blank to any emotion, "Isn't that wonderful, Via?"

Via spoke hoarsely, "Yeah, I guess."

Laurel looked at Skye, Steven, Evie , and her brothers who were all smiling, before remarking, "Don't celebrate yet. We still need to convince your dad to buy the house from Julia."

While everybody waited for Adam to arrive, Via found herself in the kitchen alone. She was stress baking- taking her mind off of the pain that she was truly feeling inside. Via had made a variety of meals already: muffins, fruit bowls, Micky Mouse Pancakes.

"You're stress baking." Laurel said as she entered the kitchen.

"I'm not." Via replied avoiding eye contact as Laurel sat down on a stool opposite her. 

Laurel remarked, "So, you're baking for your dad?"

"No." Via deadpanned, "I'm baking for myself."

Laurel sighed, leaning her elbows on the kitchen table, "Talk to me, Via. What's going on?"

Via turned away from Laurel, pretending to look for something in the cupboards behind her, "Nothing's going on."

Laurel said, "I saw you and Belly fighting on the deck."

Via's eyes burned with tears at the mention of Belly.

"It was an argument." Via's voice broke, "It's fine now."

Laurel hesitated, before guessing, "Was it a friendship argument... or more than that?"

A tear dripped onto the kitchen counter from Via's eye, as the girl just shrugged. She cried quietly to herself, causing her shoulders to shake up and down.

Laurel stayed quiet for a moment, before standing up and walking around the kitchen table to meet with the girl. Laurel hugged her tightly, making Via's cries muffle in her clothing.

Laurel cupped Via's face, as she reassured, "It's okay."

Via sobbed as she shook her head, "No, it's not. I-I'm never going to be special... to her."

Laurel comforted, "Belly loves you, Via. When we leave Cousins after summer, she never stops talking about how much fun she had with you." She paused, "Everything's going to be alright."

"Hello?" Adam's voice became louder as footsteps approached the kitchen. Her dad walked in, scoffing at the food on the table, "What's this? You don't bake."

Via wiped her tears quickly, before sniffing, "I do actually. You're just never here to see it."

Laurel lied, "We figured you be hungry after the long drive. So we made you breakfast... for lunch."