I sat at my bay window all night, unable to sleep with my mind rushing the way it was. Thoughts of how I would balance writing my novel on top of everything else this summer, how mom would react to my decision, and thoughts of the moment between Conrad and I in the car. Steven laughed when I walked down the stairs in the morning, "do you need some of Jere's hangover smoothie too, Flo?"

"What?" I ask him, my voice groggy. I'd finally fallen asleep a few hours ago, on my bay window with my back hunched over in an awkward position.

"Florence didn't drink last night, you idiot." Jeremiah slaps Steven over the head. He eyes me up and down, biting back laughter. I know I probably look ridiculous; I hadn't bothered to fix the bun on my head, which was lopsided with strands falling out. Nor had I changed out of PJs like everybody else. I wore an oversized Cousins T-shirt with a pair of black sweats splattered with paint from when I helped Isla paint her room. "You look great."

"Shut up," I mutter, moving over to the coffee pot. It was empty, causing my heart to drop, a tired sigh escaping past my lips. Belly walks in as I'm making coffee, still wearing her dress and zip-up hoodie from yesterday.

"Good morning," Jeremiah greets her, flipping an egg on the pan.

"Belly, where have you been?" Mom asks, concerned as Belly stands beside her, "and is that a bruise?"

"Um, I-I bumped into someone."

"You bumped into someone?" I ask her, pressing the button on the coffee pot. It whirs to life, coffee slowly pouring out of it.

"It doesn't look that bad," Conrad says. He's on the couch in the other room, hunched over with Jeremiah's hangover smoothie in his hand. I'm honestly shocked he stopped drinking long enough to have a hangover.

"You haven't even looked at it," I argue, lifting the coffee pot as beeps and pouring it into my cup. The steam floating out of the cup hits my face, the scent instantly making me feel more awake.

Conrad and I share a look, an awkward silence falling over the once-bustling kitchen, "Um, cereal?" Jeremiah asks Belly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Belly leans her hands on the table, "hit me."

"Flo?" Jeremiah holds the box of Lucky Charms up.

Before I can answer his question, Susannah gasps, "Oh, my god!" She exclaims. Conrad groans at her loud tone, but his mom doesn't seem to notice as she rushes into the kitchen, grinning bigger than I've ever seen before, "Belly and Florence are going to be debutantes."

Belly shoots her head over in my direction, just as mine shoots over to her, "Wait?" She asks me, "I thought you were too busy writing."

"I didn't want to spend my entire summer in my room," I shrug, moving over to bump my shoulder against hers, "and I wanna spend some time with my little sister."

Squealing, Susannah rushes between Belly and me to pull us in for a hug, "You two are going to have so much fun."

"I'm sorry. Like, Belly and Flo?" Steven asks, scoffing as if Belly and I being debs is the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. For her, it doesn't sound odd; Belly's always been a dreamer. I could picture her twirling around in a poofy dress, with an adorable smile on her face. I, on the other hand, would look ridiculous, "Like my sisters? Like, those things right there? Are going to be debs?"

"Shut up, cretin," Belly glares as Susannah pulls away from our hug.

"There's so much to do," Susannah says. I can already see her mapping everything out in her head now, "just you wait. There is, uh... there's the tea, the auction, the ball, of course, the rehearsal. I got to write this all down."

"Here," Jere nudges my arm as his mom searches for a paper. In his hands is a bowl of cereal.

I reach up to mess with his curls, shooting him a thankful smile as his mom gasps, "we need to go shopping."

Belly giggles while I sigh. I hate shopping, not because I don't find it fun, but because it's so expensive. Even if I'm getting back at mom by doing this, I don't want her to have to spend any money on it, "This sounds... expensive." Mom says, thinking the same way as me.

"Oh, don't worry, Laur." Susannah waves her off as Belly, and I move to sit at the table, both eating our cereal, "it's on me. It was my idea, after all, and we still need to style you for your book party, so...."

"Florence, are you sure you want to do this? This doesn't seem like you." Mom says, looking over her shoulder at me. From here, I can see her word document is blank. Maybe I wasn't the only one struggling with writer's block, "I mean, what about your novel?"

"It's not," Conrad agrees with mom's statement before I can answer her question, "I thought debutante balls were completely sexist." He quotes my words from last night before finally looking over at me.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm doing this for college applications," I explain. If our moms weren't in the room, I probably would've asked how he knows it's unlike me, considering he hasn't spoken to me in a year, and what was it he said last night... people change? Instead, I bite back the hash words, looking at everyone else in the kitchen, "Plus, who knows, being a deb might just be the inspiration I need for my novel."

"That's my girl," Susannah squeezes my shoulder, "Now, which of you boys is going to be their escorts to the ball?"

"Not me." Conrad is quick to say, "I went last year."

He did? If we'd been friends, he going to the ball would have been something we'd have talked about... I can't help but wonder who he went with? Did I know her? "Yeah, and I swore off balls." Jeremiah declares. Steven chuckles, and Jeremiah adds, "the dances, dude."

"Wow, guys." Belly scoffs, nudging my arm with her elbow, "stop fighting over us. Um, I'm not going with either of them. I am going to find my own date."

"Same," I agree, taking a sip of coffee. I say it so confidently as if I have an easy time finding dates. The sad reality is, I'd probably end up having to force Jeremiah to go with me, threatening him with some embarrassing story from our childhood. It was better him than anyone else, I guess, he's like my little brother, we'd have fun.

"Wikipedia says debutante balls require instruction in morals and social etiquette," Mom reads from her laptop, her tone unsure, "Flo, this just doesn't seem like you or Belly. You hate stuff like this."

Conrad stood from the couch and headed to the back door, "I'm going for a swim," he said to no one in particular, his voice groggy and tired still. He leaves before anyone can reply, headed towards the pool.

"I've never tried it," I shrug, not daring to agree with her that it sounds like the polar opposite of what I'd consider a good time. The sexist traditions were still not something I was into... but mom's not into it. I remind myself, you're doing your own thing. "But what was that thing you told me about writing? I need to immerse myself in new experiences... I'm getting an inside look at a whole new type of society. Think of the inspiration it'll provide." Mom opened her mouth to argue again, but I cut her off, "and you told me I needed to look out for Belly... I'm just doing what you asked."

I got her there. Mom sighs, our conversation from last night still fresh in her mind, "I-"She sighs before turning to Susannah, "no offence Beck, but I don't think the country club is the best place to teach Belly about morals."

As Susannah goes on to talk about how the times have changed and how this year's debutante ball is more inclusive and progressive, my eyes linger out the window to the glistening, sunlit pool before looking over to Conrad. He throws his shirt onto a nearby chair, his back facing me. He's changed a lot over the last two years, he was still lean, but he was not lanky like a teenage boy. Instead, his arms looked stronger, his shoulders broader than I remember them being.

My eyes lingered to his hands, picturing the way he held my face yesterday, his fingers smoothing out the stress lines between my eyebrows. They were so warm and surprisingly soft, "Flo," Jeremiah says my name, breaking my attention away from Conrad.

"Yeah," I hum, suddenly dropping my gaze off Conrad. How long had I been watching him? It seems that our moms and brothers didn't notice, their expressions neutral.

"Mom and Laurel are asking if you're down to go shopping," He explains, chuckling at me, "you kind of spaced out for a minute."

"Sorry," I apologize, my cheeks beginning to feel warm, "just tired. Shopping sounds good," I say to mom and Susannah, nodding my head, "Belly?"

Belly's already looking at me when I look over at her, and for a split second, she looks hurt. Her eyes have fallen, and her ordinarily happy grin washed off her face, "Yeah," She replaces her smile as quickly as it'd dropped, "that sounds great."

We're gonna get some much needed Belly and Florence in the next chapter... the family dynamic in this story is gonna be interesting to say the least. 

Comment your thoughts, predictions and things you want to see happen!