THE FISHER SUMMER home was her favorite place in the world. It was different from her home back in San Antonio. She could smell the Atlantic Ocean outside the car window, blowing into her face.

Abigail Parker stuck her head out the window of her brother's truck, screaming along to an old KISS cd he'd brought along.

Their mother was singing along with them, tripping over the words. Diane Parker was a beautiful woman, as told to Abigail by her many nurses and doctors and classmates over the years.

Diane used her thighs as drums. Clay tapped the steering wheel with his thumbs. Parker Karaoke was one of Abigail's favorite parts of summer. No matter if it was a four minute ride or a twelve hour one, the rule was to play music. She adored it.

"I WAS MADE FOR LOVING YOU BABY," Clay yelled, bobbing his head back and forth. They stopped at a light and he pretended to play an air guitar. "YOU WERE MADE FOR LOVING MEE—"

   "Never try out for American Idol," Abigail laughed. She played with her finger splints, little metal rings around her fingers. They were cool, and helped with her lupus. "It hurts my ears to hear you try and hit that note."

  Clay scoffed. "I am a talented singer, Miss Abby. You just don't see my vision." Diane ruffled her eldest son's hair. "Oh come on, Ma. Not you too."

  "Sorry, baby. But your sister has an excellent point. Never try out for a singing show. That ain't your speciality." Clay pouted, focusing his attention back on the road.

The comforting familiarity of Main Street comforted the aching in her bones. She was back home. No more worries about doctors poking at her, no more pitiful stares, no more sickness.

She was free from the restraints that was San Antonio.

  Pulling into the familiar drive way of the Fisher summer home made her smile. Abigail instantly tucked her phone in the back—pocket of her shorts. She practically jumped out of the front seat as Clay parked the car. She could see the Conklins and the Fishers embracing.

  Abigail had waited a whole year for this. (And also spring break. She hoped a lot during spring break.)

  Belly Conklin ran toward her the minute her door opened. The youngest Conklin wrapped her in a bear hug, vibrating with excitement. "Abby!" Belly was her little sister. She was her favorite person in the entire world. She was sweet and caring and genuine. "I'm so happy your here. I was going to go insane. They were gonna try and throw me in the pool again."

  "Oh, Bels," Abigail said, her hand on Belly's cheek. It was soft underneath Abigail's finger tips. "I'll be here to protect you."

   "Belly, stop hogging Abby!" Jeremiah Fisher yelled. Belly let go of Abigail, letting Jeremiah tackle her in true Jeremiah fashion. Jeremiah Fisher was definitely her best friend. She couldn't imagine going through anything without him. "Hi, Miss Parker."

  Abigail laughed. "Why hello there, Mr Fisher. How are you doin'?" He was only an inch or two taller than her, but he always stood on his tippy toes to avoid being her height. He enjoyed terrorizing Abigail.

  "I'm doing good." Jeremiah let go. He spun her around, taking in her healthy glow. "You look great, Abby. Look at you, all healthy and summery."

  Abigail had spend the last two months working on getting healthier. Ever since The Incident, she wanted to train her body to get back to normal. That meant regular exercise and lots and lots of healthy eating. Her mother had also insisted on doing yoga. She was starting to hate yoga.

  Steven Conklin and Conrad Fisher hung back, waiting for Jeremiah to stop. One thing about Jeremiah and Belly was that Abigail trusted them more than anything. She could tell them her secrets, her fears, anything really.

  Jeremiah stopped spinning her, grinning at her before going to greet Clay with Belly.

  Steven Conklin pressed his lips together and hugged her, his hand on the back of her head. He pulled her in tight. "I keep thinking you died, Parker. Don't scare me like that again." Right, Steven was present during The Incident. "I'll drag you out of hell if I have to."

  Abigail pulled away, hands on his shoulder. "Steven Conklin, I wouldn't be in Hell. I'm an angel. And two, I'm still right here. Gracin' the summer house with my presence." Steven rolled his eyes but smiled at her.

  Then it was just her and Conrad.

  Conrad Fisher and his handsome frown. Conrad Fisher and his idiotic sounding laugh. Conrad Fisher and the faint scent of cigarettes. Her best friend. Her other half.

  "Hi," she said, breathlessly.

   "Hi," he said back, stoic but his eyes told her a different story. They were still the warm eyes she saw during Christmas, and every summer since their kiss when they were ten.

  He walked closer and she hugged him. She had to stand on her tippy toes. No matter how many times she grew, Conrad was always going to be taller. His hand rested on her lower back, the other on her head. It was gripping her head, bunching her hair into his fist.

  They stayed like this, unmoving. It was just Abigail and Conrad. Conrad and Abigail. His touch was warm against her always cold skin. His touch was like the summer sun coming down from the sky and personally hugged her.

  Then he let go.

  And it was no longer warm again.

  Susannah Fisher was next on her list of people to greet. Her touch was gentle. She brushed blonde from Abigail face and smiled. "Oh, Abigail. You look so strong." Coming from Susannah, someone who understood what she was going through, made Abigail smile right back at her. "It was so scary, hearing what happened in April. But you overcame that. You're a Parker, and your a strong woman."

   Laurel Conklin laughed, putting her hand on Susannah's shoulder. "As much as I love your words of wisdom, Beck, I think we should let them all into the house. I don't think Diane would want to stay out in this heat any longer."

  As if to prove a point, Diane Parker pretended to lean on Clay, fanning herself with her phone. Her mother always the actress.

  Jeremiah and Steve shared a look before grinning. Jeremiah stepped forward, this mischievous smile on his face. Abigail knew exactly what was coming.

  Poor Belly.

  Steven looked at his wrist, tapping it thoughtfully. "Do you know what time it is?"

  Instantly, Belly froze. She looked at Abigail, grabbing her hands. "Help me," she whispered, nothing but playfulness in her tone.

   "It's time for a—"

  "BELLY FLOP!"

  Jeremiah grabbed Belly by her arms, while Steven grabbed her by the feet. She kicked and screamed and laughed. All around her, the teenagers of the Fisher summer home followed and laughed. Clay stayed behind with the moms, helping move suitcases in. Lame ass.

  Conrad gave her a look. His face was so serous, nothing like the Conrad she'd seen during Christmas. She grabbed his hand, like she was a little kid leading him around the playground. She smiled at him with her teeth.

  Conrad only gave her a weak smile back.

  They jogged after Steven, Jeremiah, and Belly. The boys were getting ready to toss Belly into the pool. Belly landed in with a splash, her hair sticking to her cheeks. Abigail sensed she was the next victim and made sure to toss her phone to the side.

Soon enough, Abigail felt Steven's hands on her shoulders. He grinned at her. "Boo." She felt herself hit the water, meeting Belly's hands with her own.

  "So funny," Abigail said, grabbing Jeremiah's hand and pulling him in. She felt him hit the water beside her, dunking her in. "Oh, you asshole!" She teased, pushing him back down.

  Conrad got pulled in, his bangs sticking to his forehead. He spit some water out as Belly laughed in victory. He pushed his bangs up, only for them to flop back down onto his forehead.

  Abigail pulled herself out of the pool, her bikini top sticking to her chest. She helped Jeremiah out, pulling him up beside her. His curls had begun to dry. They were like little ringlets of sundrops on his pretty little head.

  "We gotta go get ready for dinner," Steven said, looking down at the group.

  "Do we now?" Abigail asked, standing up. Her hair was dripping wet down her back. Jeremiah rested his chin on her shoulder, smelling like chlorine and strawberries.

   "Well, Abigail, it's almost dinner," Steven clarified, tossing her a towel. She dried her hair, shaking out. "Plus my mom would murder us if we weren't ready for it."

    Abigail nodded her head, her wet hair tossing droplets of water everywhere. "Your mother is a saint. I love her more than you, Steven."

   "Your mom is pretty hot," Jeremiah teased, his chin moving along her shoulder.

Abigail nearly punched him in the face for that comment, but all she could do was laugh at Jeremiah's comment.

   And if Abigail noticed Conrad giving her a look, she pretended she didn't. He was being weird, and she wasn't going to deal with it right now.

STEVEN, I SWEAR to God, if you look at that phone one more time, I'm putting it in the screen basket." Laurel said, moving her fork around as she spoke. Diane snapped her fingers in agreement. Steven groaned.

"It's just, we want to see your beautiful faces," Susannah said, trying to ease the tension. Abigail loved that about Susannah Fisher. No matter the situation, she could ease the tension just like that.

Diane took a long sip of red wine. It was her third one of the night. Clay and Abigail shared a look.

"Can dinner be a screen-free zone? You know, like the olden days."

Jeremiah plucked Steven's phone out of his hand, tossing it into the basketball. He fave himself a high five and grinned. "Boom! Nailed it!"

Steven sighed in frustration He looked up at the ceiling. "Okay, okay, okay, we get it, you've been working out." As if to tease Steven some more, Jeremiah flexed his muscles.

"You're just jealous he looks better than you," Belly teased. She took a sip of her lemonade, a proud smirk on her face.

Steven scoffed, putting his fork down. Abigail covered her mouth to hide her laughter. " Uh, no, actually, it's all about the lean look now. Otherwise, you can't wear tailored suits."

Abigail nodded, failing to hide her amusement. "Tailored suits." She'd only seen Steven in a suit once, and it was when he sent her a picture of his homecoming suit. He looked incredibly lovely in a suit, but he rarely had the occasion to wear them.

Diane leaned her elbows on the table. She looked at Conrad, swirling the red wine in her glass around. "So, Conrad, when are you headin' to trainin' camp, baby?"

Abigail watched Conrad look away. She wasn't close so she couldn't see his expression, but she knew it wasn't pleasant. It got quiet in the dining room, the sound of Clay's straw the only sound in the air.

Jeremiah cleared his throat. "He, um, he quit football."

Abigail couldn't pretend to be surprised even if she tried. Conrad had told her over New Years that he didn't like football. He wasn't big on the sport, but hearing it out loud instead of over text felt weird.

Everyone looked at Conrad in shock. Abigail took a long sip of lemonade, hoping this conversation would change topics.

Clay nodded in understanding, while everyone tried to get Conrad to tell them why he quit. He used to play football in high school, just like Conrad did. But he got injured in junior year and quit after that. He hated the sport, especially hating the pressure that came along with the recruitment agents constantly poking at him.

Steven, however, was gobsmacked. He was wide eyed, his expression reminding Abigail of a surprised pussy cat. "Are you kidding me, man? I'd—I'd kill to play college ball."

"He can always change his mind," Susannah interjected.

Conrad glared at her. "I'm not changing my mind."

"Well, if you're not playing football anymore, what are you gonna do all summer?" Laurel asked.

Steven offered that Conrad come join him and Jeremiah at the beach club. The two of them were working there this summer. According to Jeremiah's many texts, he was going to be a life guard while Steven was going to work the snack bar.

Abigail planned on taking long nap by the pool of said club. Just to con Steven to give her free food. Perks of having friends working here now.

Belly looked even more like a surprised pussy cat. Her lips parted, and her eyebrows reached her hairline. "Wait—you guys are working this sumner?"

Jeremiah nodded, explaining his and Steven's summer jobs.

Susannah snapped her fingers in surprise. She pulled a small white envelope out of her dress pocket. It read Isabel Conklin in fancy print. The squiggly cursive made Abigail's head hurt.

"I wrangled Belly an invitation to be a debutante!"

Abigail's jaw hit the floor. She'd been a debutante the previous summer, and she loved it. She loved the fancy dresses, the dancing, and the atmosphere. It was almost like a fairytale come true.

"Is that the thing where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?"

"It's really cool, Bels," Abigail said, leaning on her palm. "Remember how I did it last year? It's so fun. Nothin' 'bout the stupid finding a husband thing. It's all 'bout having a shit ton of pretty boys and girls lookin' at you and thinkin' 'holy shit that girl's stunnin.' I'll be your date!"

Belly leaned her head on Abigail's shoulder, smiling at her. "I'll consider."

Susannah continued her rant, talking about how it was showcasing that a girl was becoming a woman. It reminded Abigail vaguely of the period talk she got from her mother when she was eleven.

"Oh, sorry. I'm sorry. Mature?" Steven snickered. Belly looked like she wanted to throw her knife at Steven. Susannah nodded. "Mature?"

"Why is there a problem, Steven?" Belly grumbled, her grip on her fork tightening.

"A—a couple months ago you had a cat funeral. You made us all wear black." Belly had face—timed Abigail in tears, talking about how Mochi had passed.

Mochi was tied with Belly for her favorite Conklin.

"Shut up, Steven. I saw you crying in your room!" Steven shut up just like that.

The conversation topic changed again, and unfortunately, Abigail become the new topic. She hated being the topic.

"How are you feeling, Abby?" Laurel asked, giving her one of those looks. The looks of concern her own mother gave her sometimes, especially since The Incident.

"I'm doin' fine," Abigail said, staring at her drink. She really hated talking about her lupus. Her chronic condition was all she was. She hated it. So much. "I have this new medication and I'm doing yoga and all this other stuff. In other words, I'm perfectly fine."

Susannah gave her a knowing look. While Susannah's cancer was terminal, and Abigail's lupus wasn't, they had an understanding for each other. She gave her a soft smile. "We were worried, my lovely child of joy. I know April wasn't your month because of the surgery, but summer is your season."

The mere mention of the word of surgery sent an uncomfortable shiver down Abigail's spine. She chewed on her bottom lip. "It is definitely my season, yeah."

The Parker family shifted in their seats. April was definitely their least favorite month of the year now. Even the Conklins looked sick.

"Well," Clay said, clapping his hands together. "Let's get this dinner cleaned up. Jeremiah, pass me the pitcher of lemonade."

God, how she loved her idiotic big brother.

HEY, ABBY," STEVEN called, hanging out the bathroom door. He was wearing nothing but a bath towel. She'd seen him shirtless a billion times and every single time she covered her eyes instantly. She was a woman of honor, after all. "Would you wanna join us to the bonfire tonight?"

"Bonfire?" She asked, leaning on the wall beside him. Abigail hasn't heard of a party on the first night in about two summers. "I dunno, Steven. I'm not much of a party girl."

"Liar!" Jeremiah shouted from in the shower. "You're the biggest party girl I know! You were begging for us to take you to parties when you came up for Christmas."

"Fine, I'm going with you guys! Gimme a little."

Abigail gave Steven a smile and turned to entire her room. It was exactly how she left it last summer.  Clay left her suitcases on the chest in front of her bed. Her little matching stuffed animal with Belly and Jeremiah rested on her dresser, with it's little satin bow on it's neck.

   She lay down on her bed, taking in the coconut fabric softener the maids used. Her favorite smell in the world. Abigail was sick of hospital disinfectant and Clorox. Despite the lingering feeling of an IV in her arm, Abigail felt relaxed.

  Her phone beeped on her lap, and she picked it up with a smile. Aurelia St James had texted her. She was friend of theirs, having been making an appearance at Cousin's Beach for the last couple summers. She was also Steven's ex girlfriend. (Long Story)

She had a summer house right down the street with her family. It was a three story with pink and blue panels. It was Abigail's favorite house other than the Fisher one. Aurelia's beach house looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

  Abigal happily opened Aurelia's messages.

Abby?
Where are you guys?
I have gifts!
From college tours!
Please, hurry up!!

aurelia we r here
just checking in with the fishers and conklins
dont worry ur pretty little head

I'm not worried!!!
😁

its ok my sweet girl
tell jamie i said hi

She says hi back!
She wants to know if you're coming to the bonfire.

i am!!!!
im going with the fishers and steven

Steven's going to be there?

yeah yk hes a party boy

I know.
I'm going with Jamie.
I'll see you there.
I'll bring your gifts tomorrow then!

ok baby
r u sure ur ok with steven being there right

I have to go help Jamie and my mother.
See you later, Abby! 🙂

  Aurelia was always using proper grammar and it terrified Abigail.  No one used proper grammar through texts, unless, of course, you were Laurel, or Susannah, or Clay when he wanted to bother her. But Aurelia followed grammar rules to a T. Maybe it was her private school upbringing or something? Either way, it made Abigail laugh every time they texted.

  She placed her phone onto her bed, sitting up. She had about twenty minutes to get ready. Grabbing the most comfortable summer dress she owned, Abigail began to collect all her other things. Makeup, hair clips, and jewelry cluttered her hands as she bolted to the shower.

  The hot water rolled off her skin, helping her tensed muscles relax. Her hands ached a little. As she rubbed her scalp, she could feel how difficult it was to remove shampoo from her hair. Abigail groaned in frustration. Her finger splints rested on the counter staring back at her with a mocking glint.

  She tugged on a towel, drying herself quickly. Abigail pulled on her dress. She began applying her mascara, lips parted just a bit. Once finished with that, she hurried to do her hair. The dryer was in her hand, blowing more hot hair toward her head. All she really needed was her hair just a bit dry. No too much to where it could possibly poof up, but not too wet that it could stained her dress.

   The dress she wore hugged at her waist and chest. Abigail wasn't much for showy dresses but for this to be the most perfect summer yet. Of course she was going all out. A week ago, Diane had taken her clothes shopping while Clay was packing his stuff for college. Her mother had insisted Abigail buy pretty summer dresses incase she goes out with anyone. 'To dazzle someone,' her mother had said.

   Maybe Abigail could dazzle someone this summer.

   She picked up the bathroom, making sure not to leave a mess. Just as she opened the door, her brother stared back at her. His dark brown eyes took one glance at the dress she wore and she knew he was judging.

   "Abigail Michelle Parker," he began, hands on his hips. "Where are you goin' dressed like that?"

   "Bonfire."

   "With who?"

    "Conrad, Jere, and Steven."

    Clay paused, tapping his chin in thought. "Okay, fine. But don't do anythin' stupid, Abby." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Clay gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before he went into the bathroom.

   "You're not comin'?" She asked, pausing at the stairs.

   "Gonna take a nap," he yelled through the bathroom door. "Love you."

    "Love you too," Abigail yelled back, practically tripping over her feet as she sprinted down the steps. The Fishers and a singular Conklin were there, waiting for her.

    No sign of Belly anywhere.

   "Is Belly not comin'?" She asked, looking around. Steven shook his head. He appeared annoyed at the thought of Belly coming.

    "She's still too young to be going to this type of thing," Steven said as they made their way to the car. "My mom would kill me if Belly ended up in the same area as underage drinkers. You would never see me again."

    Jeremiah laughed. "We would see you again, but, dude, you'd be lying dead in the water."

   The seating arrangements for this car ride were amusing. Steven and Jeremiah in the front, Abigail and Conrad in the back. Conrad was silent, looking out the window. He was quiet, which was not like him.

   Abigail had known the Fishers since she was five years old. Diane had known them since college, but never could hang out in person with them up until a certain Cousin's Beach trip. Abigail knew everyone's habits. She knew Jeremiah and Steven did duets in the bathroom together, she knew Belly face—timed Taylor every night, and she knew Susannah, Laurel, and her mother ate weed gummies to help with Susannah's cancer.

   One time she asked if she could have some, and Laurel almost died of a heart attack. She started giving a lecture about drugs, which was ironic because her pupils were dilated beyond count.

   The car ride was filled with jokes and laughter. That was until Steven asked about how she was feeling.

  See, Abigail was used to all of these questions. She had gotten her lupus diagnosis when she was nine. Everyone back home knew. They knew her as the sick girl of Keystone. People walked on egg shells around her, making sure to never upset her too much. It made her feel like she was some doll that could shatter at any given moment.

"I feel fine, Steven. Nice and strong." He looked at her through the rear view mirror, giving her a skeptical look. "Steven, trust me. I feel like I could go a couple rounds with the mechanical bull at my favorite dive bar back home."

"Abby, you fell off of it last year," Conrad said. He gave her a gentle look full of amusement.

"Yeah, after it got dialed to eleven. I am a trooper, darlin'." A laugh from Jeremiah, a snicker from Steven, and a blank stare from Conrad. What the fuck was going on with him?

Steven parked the car, practically flying out the front seat. He was far too excited for this. Abigail took her time.

"Shall we, m'lady?" Jeremiah teased, sticking his arm out. Abigail couldn't bite back her laugh as she took his arm.

"We shall."

Loud music crashed into her ears. A fire was lit in the middle of the party. She could feel it from where she and Jeremiah stood. She felt the stares of new faces and the welcome smiles of old ones.

Some sand fell into her sneakers, burying itself in between her toes. Abigail moved her feet around. Jeremiah handed her a beer. He had popped the tab and everything for her. She took a long sip. The bitter tasting drink burned as it went down her throat. She wasn't much of a drinker, but hey, what the hell.

Jeremiah excused himself to go talk to some friends. Abigail hung back, taking off her shoes. The sand felt a lot better when it wasn't in her socks. She walked toward the water. It was always nice to be near the water on the first night back.

"Where did you get your beer? I couldn't find the cooler," a boy asked. He was her height, probably taller with beautiful tan skin and dark brown eyes. His were adorable.

"My friend handed it to me," Abigail admitted, giving the boy an embarrassed smile. He reciprocated it.

   "I'm Daniel, by the way."

    "Abigail."

   Daniel looked at the ocean, digging his hands into his pockets. "Is this your first summer here too?" Oh, a newcomer!

   "No," she shook her head. "I've been comin' here for years. It's a family tradition, y'know? Are you likin' Cousins so far?"

    Daniel shifted in his spot. Abigail was an over analyzer, she must confess. She wanted to be a lawyer once she finished high school so body language reading was very important. She noticed how Daniel's brown eyes were solely focused on the water, and how he seemed uncomfortable under her gaze.

   "Well, it's my first time at any sort of beach. It's pretty nice." Daniel's hair blew in front of his face. "The people here are nice."

  She nudged him with her shoulder. "It's amazin' here. You're gonna love it." Daniel pressed his lips together, giving Abigail an awkward smile. "The people here are nice but always watch out for your local drug vendors. I remember last year some body got arrested for smugglin' them into the beach club."

    Daniel looked at her with wide brown eyes. "I'm working there this summer." Oh, um, oopsies.

    "It was last year and I haven't seen that boy since I got here. I'm sure you'll be fine."

   They continued on talking. She learned that he was hear on vacation with his mother, sister, and her sister's fiancé. This was their first summer at Cousin's ever. And Abigail's favorite piece of information about Daniel was his love for early 2000s movies. Her favorite was The Princess Diaries, while his was Legally Blond.

"Belly!" The familiar sound of Jeremiah's voice jolted her from her conversation. Daniel looked up, lips parted in surprise. His eye brows shot up.

"Whose that?"

"Jeremiah. My lovely idiot friend whom is goin' to get my other best friend killed. I'll see you 'round, Daniel!" She waved goodbye, running toward Belly, Jeremiah, and Steven.

In the distance, she saw Aurelia St James, wearing a cute little dress that was definitely borrowed from Jamie, her older sister. "Aurelia St James?!" She hugged her, pulling her in so quickly. "Hi, baby." Aurelia's hands rested above her shoulders.

  "Hi, Abby," Aurelia whispered, face pressed into the nape of her Abigail's . "You look so pretty."

  Abigail pulled away, resting her hands on Aurelia's shoulders. She gave Aurelia a smile. "Oh, my sweet golden sun, you look even prettier than last summer. I know we called durin' break, but you are a model this summer."

  Aurelia's pale cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "Thank you," she managed.

   Belly and Steven were deep in an argument. She pulled away from his arm, tripping into the sand. Everyone turned to look at her. Abigail ran forward. She bent down to help Belly up, only for Belly to push her hand away. An embarrassed blush crept up Belly's neck as she cleaned the sand off her dress.

She marched over to Conrad and Nicole. Nicole was in her group for the debutante ball last summer. She was a really nice girl who had the hots for a certain Fisher boy. She was wearing a Red Sox cap.

"I thought you hated the Red Sox," Belly pointed out, crossing her arms in fron of her chest.

It was common knowledge around the Fisher—Conklin—Parker summer house that Belly had a die hard crush on Conrad. Abigail wasn't jealous though, because she knew Belly could get that boy if she wanted to. She couldn't feel jealous because Conrad and her weren't like that.

"Who are you?"

Nicole blinked, her eyes moving from Abigail to Belly. "Nicole. Conrad and I went to the deb ball together last summer."

Belly scoffed. She turned to Conrad, who was playing with the grains of sand near his shoes. "I thought you said that deb balls are bullshit, and all debs are sheep."

Conrad had said the same thing to her last year. Maybe he was concerned about Belly not enjoying herself?

"I didn't..." He did. She knew he liked Nicole, or whatever they were. Ever since his breakup with his girlfriend back home, he'd been texting Nicole non—stop. Abigail was the first to know about the breakup. He had texted her at around three am, talking about how being alone felt so weird. He was probably stoned out his mind.

"You're such a brat!" Belly yelled.

Conrad scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Well, you're an asshоlе."

The fight was starting to make Abigail feel all sorts of guilty, and she didn't know why. Jeremiah and her exchanged a look.

He stepped forward, trying to break it up. "Belly. You came! Great, we can all hang out, you guys."

Steven shook his head, grabbing Belly's hand. The youngest and oldest Conklin glared at each other. "I'm about to take her home."

"What?" Belly sounded furious.

Steven pulled her away from the group. Everyone in the party was staring at them now. Aurelia was standing beside her older sister, Jamie, who was smoking a joint and was watching this whole interaction with an amused expression. She was Steven's biggest hater ever since him and Aurelia broke up.

"Yeah, we're leaving. Are you kidding me?"

"Okay, Steven, chill out. Come on. Go-go hang out with Shayla or something." Jeremiah always the peace maker.

Steven looked up at the sky, as if begging the clouds above to bury him in rain. "Fine." He gave Belly a look. "But just stay right here and don't talk to anybody."

Belly stuck her middle finger up, glaring at Steven. "Fuck you!" She shouted. The party oo'd and ahh'd around them.

Jeremiah grinned at Belly with his award—winning smile. "Listen, for one, I'm really happy you're here—"

A pretty girl in a short dress called Jeremiah over. His weak spot. He gave the group a quick goodbye and chased after her.

Then Daniel showed up, awkwardly waving at the St James sisters. Jamie patted his back, while Aurelia pressed her lips together in an awkward smile.

"Daniel."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Aren't you a cutie?" She poked his chest, which made him gasp in surprise. "You're new here, I can feel it in my balls."

Aurelia pinched the bridge of her nose. "You don't have balls, Jamie."

"Who knows? Maybe I do."

Daniel met Abigail's eyes, mouthing a confused 'What the FUCK?!' Abigail shrugged, used to the banter between the two sisters practically a welcoming gift.

"Sorry about my vulgar big sister," Aurelia apologized. "It's nice to meet you, Daniel. I'm Aurelia." They exchanged numbers just like that. Jamie put her hand on her chest, looking like a soccer mom.

"Are you summer goers too?" Daniel asked, pocketing his phone.

"And spring and fall and sometimes even winter," Jamie said. "Our parents love it here. They could live here if they didn't work so far upstate."

"Oh, that makes—"

"What's your problem, man?"

Abigail flinched. A bonfire fight? Already? Seriously? She jogged over, seeing Conrad and a boy arguing. It looked like it was going to get ugly. Abigail watched beside Jeremiah, who looked at the two of them with slight panic in his eyes.

The boy was holding Conrad's beer over his head. "It's one beer. It's a party. Relax."

Conrad drunkenly rolled his eyes. "No, give me my beer back. I paid for this."

Look, Abigail didn't want to see this fight. She had heard stories from Jeremiah about Conrad's recent temper, but this was a whole new level. Here he was arguing about a singular beer, with Nicole trapped in the middle of it. It wasn't fair to Nicole at all.

Suddenly, Belly was in front of Conrad trying to break it up. Oh, sweet, stupid Belly Conklin.
The boy went to hit Conrad, but missed and hit Belly. She crumpled down, holding a side of her face.

Abigail went to help her up, and this time, Belly took her hand. Abigail noticed bruising already starting to appear. She huffed.

"Watch where you're throwing punches, asshole," Jamie said, standing toe to toe with the guy. "I sure as hell ain't afriad to rough your ass up."

The sound of sirens filled the air. Everyone started running. Belly took hold of Conrad with Jeremiah, while Daniel and Aurelia sprinted toward the exit of the beach. Abigail followed after them.

"The cops show up a lot or was this a one time thing?" Daniel asked, eyes wide. He was out of breath, putting his hands on his knees.

Aurelia shrugged her shoulders. Abigail put her hand on Jamie's car door, in a poor attempt to catch her breath. "Sometimes, but this was definitely the first time they show up this early." Aurelia and Daniel looked mortified.

"I gotta go," Aurelia said, sitting in the back seat. She looked at Daniel, who was shifting in his spot. "Do you need a ride?" He nodded. Aurelia smiled at him. "Come on."

Abigail quickly said her goodbyes and ran back to the car. She jumped into the backseat with Conrad, who was slouching in his seat. Belly, however, was sober and with it. She wore a hoodie that she definitely wasn't wearing before.

"What's with the hoodie, Bels?" She asked.

"A boy gave it to her," Conrad mumbled, resting his head on Abigail's shoulder. He reeked of alcohol and weed. It made her a little sad, to see one of her best friends spelling like Bourbon Street. "Abby, you smell like coconuts."

His voice was soft and drunken. It almost made her want to rake her fingers through his hair and call him sweet names. But, Conrad was drunk and probably also high out his mind.

   "Were you kids drinking?" A cop asked, shining a flashlight into the car. Oh fuck.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, OFFICERS," Laurel said smiling politely at the female officer at the door. The minute the door closed, Laurel dropped her smile. She looked beyond upset with them all.  "How could you guys be so irresponsible?"

  Steven sighed. He put his hands in front of himself, moving them around a bit. "Mom, it wasn't a big deal. All right? Seriously." He looked around at the group, looking to them for advice. "The cops were just looking to break up the bonfire."

  Laurel scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Not a big deal?"

  "Yes."

  Abigail cringed at Laurel's tone of voice. She always hated her disappointed mom tone. "I would say getting picked up by the cops for underage drinking is a pretty big deal, Steven."

  Steven rolled his eyes. He sniffed around, scoffing. "Wait—were you guys smoking?"

  As much as Laurel and Diane denied it, the kids could always smell the weed from Susannah's medication on their clothes. Laurel was caught off guard by Steven's comment.

  Jeremiah stepped forward, raising his arm for a moment. "Just so you know, Laurel, I-I didn't drink tonight. I was the DD, I swear."

  Laurel turned to Conrad, who was playing with the strings of his hoodie. Abigail sat beside him, looking down at her sneakers. They were still stuffed with sand, no matter how many times she hit them against the wall. "You're the oldest. What the hell's gotten into you?" Then to Belly: "And when did you leave the house without telling anybody? And what in the world are you wearing?"

  Belly looked down. "It's Taylor's. And why am I the only one who's not allowed to go out?"

  Laurel pinched the bridge of her nose. It reminded Abigail of Aurelia's annoyed expression back at the bonfire. "It's not that you're not allowed, it's that you should have told us you were going. How did you even get there?"

  Belly looked away, playing with the hoodie she got from the boy at the bonfire, Cameron. "I walked."

   Abigail was starting to think this was a family issue. This wasn't a group lecture anymore, this was a Belly and Lauren lecture. They were just the audience to a bigger show.

  "You know better than to walk that far down the beach alone late at night."

  "Can you stop treating me like a kid?"

  "If you want to be treated like an adult, you need to act like one." Laurel sounded vaguely like Abigail's father, and it hurt. A lot.

  Conrad shifted beside her, giving Laurel a nasty look. "Then maybe you guys should, too."

  Abigail put her head in her hands, running them down her hair.

  Laurel just stared. "What does that mean?" She shook her head, staring at the Fisher boys sith disappointment glimmering in her eyes. "I hope you realize this night could have ended a lot differently if your family wasn't your family."

  Jeremiah looked incredibly guilty. He played with his fingers. "We're sorry, Laur."

  Laurel sighed. She looked at them, then back at the couch where Susannah lay sleeping. Abigail felt even more guilty. "Just... go to bed, guys."

  As everyone began to file out, Abigail looked at Conrad. If she squinted, she could still see the same Conrad that taught her how to tie her shoes.

  "What is going on with you?" Laurel asked, looking at Conrad.

  "Nothing," was all Conrad said. "Nothing's going on."

  "Nothing?"

   Conrad stood up, stumbling a little. Abigail felt her stomach twist. "Darlin', lemme help you to bed." He turned to look at her, before grabbing her arm.

  "Go to sleep, Abby."

  She pressed her lips together. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his lips parted as if he had trouble breathing. "No, Conrad. Let me help you to bed."

  He stared at her. His grip loosened around her arm. He didn't say a word. Conrad trudged up the stairs.

  "Abby?" Laurel called from the bottom of the stairs. Abigail looked down. "Take care of them for me."

  "Who?"

  Laurel's expression softened some more. "All of them." And that hurt Abigail more than it should've. She nodded her head and chased after a drunken Conrad.

  He was staring in front of the mirror, tugging off his hoodie. He had a couple scratches from the fight. Abigail fought the urge to wipe the dried blood off, and kiss each and every one of them.

"Conrad, I'll get you some water. Just lay down and I'll be back in a sec—" he grabbed her hand, staring at her through his messy brown hair. "Conrad Fisher, you need to lie down."

"Just stay."

And stupidly enough, Abigail Parker did just that.

teehee!!! this one was long but im mostly doing one chapter per episode. abby daniel & aurelia are my sweet babies. jeremiah & abby & belly r my favorite chaos trio and i will do anything and everything for them. i adore them so much.

yes, lupus is a very very scary chronic illness. ive been tested for it a couple times in my life. Abigail is an awareness character. also i love southern belles so shes my little southern girl. Funfact: i actually researched the layout of san antonio texas for this fic. 😞😞