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"They say... that everything happens for a reason. Now, who "they" are, exactly, is unclear. Maybe a theologian coined it." Steven says as he gives his speech. The crowd laughs as Steven smiles. Taylor, Belly, Dakota, and Liz all sat by each other with their parents on their side.

"Or, I don't know, whoever configured the simulation we're clearly living in. Maybe it was Rihanna." Dakota chuckles as Liz smiles lightly.

"No, no, Rihanna can do no wrong. It was definitely not her." He shakes his head. "But we've heard it time and time again. It's supposed to convince us, you know, that everything had to happen exactly so, in order to teach us something about ourselves, in order for us to grow and meet our destiny."

He chuckles, "I think that's BS. I'm sorry, Mom, sorry." He says immediately. "You know, breakups don't always lead to breakthroughs. Sometimes a girl dumps you after an awesome summer, and it sucks. And you learn nothing from it." Liz's face falls as she listens. Dakota looks over at her.

"But you eventually force yourself to move on anyways. But then the unthinkable happens, and you realize it's pointless to think of life that way."

______________________________________

"Liz."

She stops as she passes Laurel's writing room. She walks back and sees Susannah sitting on the couch.

"Hey, I never see you in here." She smiles

"Laurel assigned me this room to clean. It's the easiest, since I don't think she set foot in here once to do any writing this summer." She chuckles

"Don't you hire cleaners anyway ?"

"Shh." Susannah says as she lifts her finger to her lips. Liz smiles as she sits next to her. Susannah watches as she plays with her bracelet.

"I love that bracelet on you." She says as she reaches for it. "Connie told me everything that happened with the two of you."

Liz looks down, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." She shakes her head

"It's not how I wanted the summer to end. Especially not..." She trails off. "I just feel like I'm losing everyone."

"You're not. It just takes time. You'll find your way back to each other eventually. And this place is always here for you."

"Yeah, but you've made every summer here so magical, Susannah. I mean, what happens," She stops, "what happens..."

"Liz, you love this place the same way I do. If anyone can keep the magic going here, it's you. You're my special girl." She says as tears fill her eyes. Liz smiles sadly. Susannah starts to stand. "I need to call the cleaners."

As Susannah starts to walk away, Liz grabs her wrist. "Promise me you'll never leave me."

"Never." Susannah says as she runs her fingers through Liz's hair.

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"Because everything just happens. You know, good things, bad things, all in ways that you'd never expect. All in ways that are so completely out of your control that they could just drive you insane." Steven says. "There are times where it feels like the world is happening to you, but remember that you are also happening to the world. So don't wait. Make what you want happen. Because tomorrow isn't promised, so you better make fucking sure that you are living today." He finishes.

Dakota stands up as he claps with the crowd following him. "That's my boy."

"Whoo !" Belly cheers as she claps.

Liz claps at she looks over at Megan who smiles back at her.

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Dakota, Belly, Taylor, and Liz are all standing outside waiting for Steven.

"He's so extra. Although he did earn it with that speech. It was good." Taylor says

"Yeah. That speech kind of pierced my soul." Belly says. Dakota laughs immediately with Taylor

"Don't laugh." Belly chuckles as Liz smiles

"No, no, I'm sorry." Taylor says

"No, I feel like I've been in this nightmare ever since Susannah died. Maybe it's time to wake up." Liz looks down as Taylor's phone chimes.

"Oh, I gotta go find Milo. He needs my help putting together a look for tonight."

"Oh. Cool. Um, do you want to come over after and help me with mine ?" Belly says

"No fucking way. Are you coming ?" Taylor says

"Yeah. Yes."

"Really ?"

"Yeah. And I'm... I'm gonna sign up for varsity volleyball camp, too."

"Yes ! Oh, my God ! Babe, this party is gonna be insane. Like, you are going to die when you see Milo play." Taylor says

"Uh, no, yeah. I mean, you literally might, 'cause, whew, man, I could smell him from the podium." Steven says as he walks up

"Really ?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm sorry, excuse me. My man doesn't have that Korean gene that makes you have no body odor." Taylor says as she gestures to Steven

"Okay, all right, come on, Belly. Mom and Dad are meeting us at the restaurant.

"Okay, great. Bye." Taylor says as she walks away

"Bye." Belly says as she and Steven walk away.

Dakota looks over at Liz who looks around. "You going to the party ?"

Liz turns to him, "No, probably not."

She turns away again. He sighs, "Why haven't you talked to River ?"

Liz's breath hitches as she looks down. "I don't know. Haven't had much time."

Dakota scoffs, "We should probably go. Mom's gonna be looking for us."

"Liz," He says, but she keeps walking. He huffs before he follows her.

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"Yo, this is dope. I'm going viral on TikTok." Steven says

"Is that a good thing ?" John says

"What, millions of people around the world watching my speech on a loop ? Yes, Dad, that is a very good thing." Everyone at the table chuckles. "I gotta forward this to Con and Jere, man."

Liz clears her throat as she reaches for her drink.

"Thank you so much." Megan says as the waiter sets the check on the table.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, could I get a box for all this ?" Dakota asks. The waiter nods with a smile. "Yeah. Thank you, man."

"Thank you." Laurel says as she's handed a fortune cookie.

Belly rips hers open, "Happiness is an activity."

"Um, okay." Laurel says as the table laughs

"Okay, well, "Everyone agrees you are the best." Steven says

"It doesn't say that." Dakota says "No."

"It's so random. Yeah, it literally says it right here. It literally says it right here. You want to see it ?"

"I do actually."

"You want to see it ?" Steven says as he quickly turns it back and forth. "Look, I don't know what you want from me. It says it right there."

"Bullshit." Dakota chuckles

"I know we keep telling you. We're so proud of you. You're gonna have the time of your life at Princeton. Right, Laur ?" John says

"Yeah, I loved college. That's where I met Susannah." She nods.

The table goes quiet as Megan sits up. "So, how are things going with your book ?"

"My publisher is hounding me to do this meet and greet event with booksellers. I said no."

"Why ?"

"Because it's not necessary."

Dakota sensing the tension, taps the table, "Okay, uh, well, it's time for us to go get ready for the party."

Steven nods, "Mom, mwah. Dad, mwah. Thank you for lunch."

He and Dakota stand as Belly puts her napkin on the table, "I'm gonna go with him. Uh, it was delicious. Thank you."

"Love you, mom." Dakota says as he pushes his chair in

"All right, have fun, kids." She says

Belly taps Liz, "You coming ?" She says quietly

Liz's mouth open slightly as she looks for an answer. She turns to Megan who nods as she waves her away.

"Yeah." Liz nods as she stands up. Belly smiles as they follow Steven.

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Liz laid back on Belly's bed as she and Taylor were getting ready.

"I am so excited that you guys are finally here this summer. Can we do, like, everything that we never got to do together ? Like parties, pool, mall ?" Taylor rambles as Liz sits up. "We have to get you a fake I.D." She says to Belly

"Let's start by figuring out what I'm gonna wear tonight." Belly chuckles

"Uh, okay."

"Susannah's earrings ?" Belly says as she turns to Liz

The girl nods, "They're perfect."

"Okay." Taylor says as she walks to Belly's closet. "Since my man is playing tonight, I'm gonna need you to be the super-hot friend standing next to his super-hot girlfriend."

"Yeah, let's get super-hot." Belly nods

"I love it when you agree with me." She says as Belly chuckles

"Um, I'm thinking this." Taylor says as she pulls out a blue dress

"That's what you call super-hot ?" Belly grimaces. Liz laughs as Taylor looks up at the ceiling.

"This looks so good on you."

"No, no, I've got to have something better."

"Uh, okay." Taylor says as she steps away from the closet.

"Liz, you're coming right ?"

"Uh, no. I didn't really plan on it."

"Come on. You have to." Taylor whines, "I can't remember the last time we went to a party together and actually had fun."

"That's because there hasn't been a party that we've been to that hasn't been a complete disaster." Belly looks back

"Please Liz." Taylor tries

Liz sighs as she looks at Taylor. She then turns to Belly who has a gentle smile on her face. She looks down before she throws her hands up.

"Fine, okay."

"Yes !" Taylor smiles, "I really hope you packed something super hot to wear."

"Probably not." Liz chuckles as she goes through her suitcase. As she's pulling things out, she comes across a shirt from Conrad. It was a dark blue shirt, that has Cousins Rowing going across it.

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Liz was sitting on her bed struggling with her homework. College was killing her and then it being online for the first year was even worse. She was ready to give up when her phone started ringing. Her heart started racing as she picked up.

"Hey."

"Hey." Conrad says

"I, uh, didn't expect to hear from you."

"Yeah, is it okay that I'm, that I'm calling ? I shouldn't have called. This was dumb. I'm sorry."

"No, no, no, no, it's okay." Liz says frantically, "Um... we're still friends, right ?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're friends, yeah."

"Yeah, and, um, friends can talk on the phone.

"Yeah, yeah. Nothing weird about friends talking on the phone."

Liz's face scrunches up as the line goes silent. "Uh, so how's... how's college life ?"

"Um, it's cool, it's cool. My roommate snores even louder than you do. Which..." He jokes

"Oh, come on. I don't snore."

"Yes, you do. You a thousand percent do. I've heard you through the walls for years." He chuckles, "Only when you're really tired, though." He says

"How's school for you ?"

Liz groans, "Boring. Painful. I mean, like, no, no, who invented statistics, and why do they torture innocent college students with it ?"

"It can't be that bad." Conrad chuckles

"No, oh, it's-it's bad. It's-it's really bad. I mean, I can't keep up with all the equations."

"Well, you know, the first thing you gotta do is determine if it's a statistical question or not." He says

"Lizzie, have you seen my speaker ? The one I scammed grandma into getting me ?

"Dakota, I'm on the phone."

"Well, tell River to go to bed." He scoffs

"Hi, Dakota." Conrad says in a teasing voice. Dakota's face drops.

"Yo, Conrad." He says hesitantly

Liz can hear Conrad laughing over the phone, "It's not in here. Go away."

Dakota raises his hands as he backs away and walks back down the hall.

"Sorry about that. Okay, um... what were you saying about the questions again ?"

"Um, so if it's not a statistical question..."

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"Okay, if you want to wear the T-shirt, you know, we should at least crop it." Taylor says

Liz blinks as she puts the shirt back in her suitcase, "It was Conrad's." She mutters

Taylor and Liz look at each other as Liz sighs, "You know, every time I think of him I still get this,
like, pain in my chest."

"Oh, I know. It sucks, but eventually you're gonna have to let him go." Belly says

"Yeah, I just wish I knew how." Liz says quietly as she keeps looking through her clothes.

"It's like my meemaw always used to say, the best way to get over a man is to get under a new one." Taylor says as Belly laughs. Liz chuckles as she shakes her head.

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