- Summer House

Later that evening, the Fishers and Conklins were all gathered around the table for dinner. Conrad was sat at the head of the table with Gwen sitting next to him. The older fisher boy was staring at his girlfriend in adoration as she laughed with Steven and Jeremiah both of them not noticing that Belly was sat between Susannah and Laurel glaring daggers at the couple in jealously.

" Steven, I swear to god, if you look at that phone one more time, i'm putting it in the screen basket" Laurel warned her son letting out a heavy sigh shooting him a stern look. Susannah smiled as she glanced around the table at the teenagers and added in, " it's just we want to see your beautiful faces. can dinner be a screen-free zone. You know, like the olden days"

Jeremiah chuckled with a shake of his head noticing that Steven was ignoring both of the mothers, " Steven!" He reached over grabbing the oldest Conklin phone from his hand and throwing it into the basket across the room causing Steven to scoff in disbelief throwing his hands in the air and exclaimed, "dude, are you kidding me?!"

"Boom! Nailed it!" Jeremiah flexed his muscles with a smirk on his face turning to face Gwen who laughed nudging the boy who sat back down in his spot between Gwen and Steven as the dark haired Conklin brother rolled his eyes in annoyance shaking his head in amusement and resorted, " Okay, Okay, Okay, we get it, you've been working out"

" Oh, you're just jealous because Jere has a better body than you" Belly tilted her head to the side making fun of her older brother who had an offended look on his face looking around the table and replied, " Uh, no, actually, it's about the lean look now. otherwise, you can't wear tailored suits" Jeremiah nodded his head not believing a word he was saying with a smirk on his lips, " Sure, sure"

"tailored suits." Conrad mimicked to his girlfriend making her smile brightly as he couldn't help but admire her beauty as she was the type of person that walked into the room and lit it up just with a smile and this last month the only thing that really makes him happy is when he's with Gwen you can see just how much the two are in love with one another just by looking at them.

" so when are you leaving for training camp, Man?" Steven curiously questioned Conrad with a small smile causing an awkward silence to appear as Conrad body stiffened as he had quit football suddenly and hasn't told anyone why even his girlfriend who tried to get an answer out of him. Gwen noticed his reaction causing her to grab his hand entwining their fingers together in attempt to comfort him but the action didn't go unnoticed by belly, as it had angered her more than she already is with the couple as she wished she was in Gwen place comforting the boy.

Jeremiah looked around the table awkwardly before answering for his brother, " Uh, he quit football" belly had a look of surprise on her face as she stared at Conrad as he had always loved playing football and even imagined him being a professional player but couldn't understand why he quit causing her to glance at Gwen with a judgmental look on her face.

"Wait, really? You quit?" Steven inquired with a look of confusion on his face as Conrad hummed nodded his head in confirmation avoiding eye contact with everyone as he looked down at his and Gwen joint hands squeezed his hand in her own, " are you kidding me, man? I'd kill to play college football" Susannah who noticed the awkward tension decided to speak up smiling at Conrad and assured him, " He can always change his mind"

"i'm not gonna change my mind." Conrad snapped in annoyance causing Gwen to rub soothing circles on his hand to calm him down, "I was just gonna sit on the bench all season anyways." Laurel nodded her head in acknowledgment and curiously asked, " Well, If you're not playing football anymore, what are gonna do all summer?"

Gwen picked up her glass of water with her free hand taking a sip when Jeremiah had a mischievous look on his face nudging Steven slightly before he snickered under his breath and commented, " probably Gwen" the blonde girl coughed choking on her water at Jere comment sending him a glare as she punched his arm, " Jeremiah, No" Conrad couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he pressed a kiss to her cheek whispering sweet nothings in her ear as belly scrunched her face up in disgust as she couldn't help be that Conrad and Gwen was having sex and secondly she didn't want to know about their sex lives.

"Oh, dude, you can work at the club. Yeah, with me and Jere" Steven suggested as Jeremiah smiled nodding his head in agreement. Conrad scoffed shaking his head in disbelief and replied, " Yeah, I'm not gonna work at the club. I'm gonna spend the summer with my beautiful girlfriend" Gwen squealed loudly as Conrad began pressing kisses on her neck as she tried to push him away playfully Susannah couldn't help but smile as she watched the couple in amusement.

"Wait" Belly trailed off rolling her eyes at Conrad and Gwen as she focused her attention on her brother and Jeremiah, "you guys are working this summer?" Jere smiled brightly nodding his head sharing a look with Steven as the two fist bumped and informed, " Yeah, I'm lifeguarding, and Steven's working at the snack shop" Belly let out a heavy sigh as while her brother and Jeremiah will be working she'll be on her own as there is no way in hell she would be around Conrad and Gwen willingly with them probably making out every two minutes.

"Oh, Belly and Gwen, I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you both" susannah spoke up getting up from the table to grab two white envelope's handing it over to the girls only for Laurel to roll her eyes sending her best friend a look and stated, " So, this is why you had to stop by the Country club" Gwen raised her brows turning to face Conrad with a questioning look to see if he knew what was going on only for him to shrug his shoulders equally confused as his girlfriend.

"What is this?" Gwen curiously asked Susannah as she opened up the envelope as Susannah smiled brightly looking between the two girls and informed, " i wrangled Gwen and belly an invitation each to be a debutante" Belly frown deepened as she looked between her mother and Susannah and questioned, " is that the thing where the girls wear white dresses and curtsy?"

"it's when a girl comes of age and is presented to society." Susannah explained with a hopeful expression on her face as she wanted the two girls to participate in the debutante, "i know it sounds silly, but i swear it's fun. girls come from all over new england to cousins to be apart of it, you'll make so many new friends. Gwen your aunt Emma told me your mother did something like this when she was your age I think you'll really enjoy it and it'll be perfect to go towards your college application next year"

Gwen smiled looking up at Susannah seeing the happy smile on her face as she looked between Gwen and Belly as she had a hopeful look that the two girls would agree to do this, " it sounds amazing" Gwen told the older women who smile widened as she clapped her hands in excitement. Laurel who took a sip of her wine scoffed in disbelief shaking her head at Susannah and resorted, " I cannot believe you are still holding on to this archaic dream"

"No, it used to be about finding a husband, but now it's about networking." Susannah informed narrowing her eyes at Laurel before turning her attention to both Gwen and Belly, " they teach you leadership skills, like how to market yourself, and it's benefits charity. It's Um, like a bat mitzvah" Laurel scoffed rolling her eyes once again letting out a giggle shaking her head and responded, "it is not like a bat mitzvah. There is nothing religious about a debutante ball"

Conrad furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at his girlfriend the entire time who was listening to his mother with a look of interest on her face. The older fisher boy didn't want his girlfriend to do it as it means he'll have to be her date he already had done it last year for a friend but seeing the look on Gwen face especially when Susannah had said that her mom had done something like this he knew that she was going to say yes.

"the whole deb scene is bullshit" Conrad finally spoke up with an irritated expression on his face before turning to face his girlfriend and told her, " it's for sheep. Trust me, Gwen. I know you and It's not something that you would enjoy" Gwen frowned with a saddened expression on her face as she wanted to do this and hoped that he would be her date especially since this is the summer the two could spend so much time together until he goes on to college with she and Jeremiah still have one more year left in school.

"No, it is not. it's when a girl has a coming out, it's a formal recognition she's reached maturity." Susannah sighed narrowing her eyes at her son as she could see how excited Gwen was until Conrad made that comment. " I'm pretty sure a girl knows when she's reached maturity it's when you finally have boobs" Gwen teasingly commented causing Conrad, Jeremiah and Steven to laugh loudly in amusement with the blonde girl.

"oh sorry. i'm sorry. mature?" Steven laughed with a shake of his head turning his attention to his sister, "belly?" Susannah nodded her head with a bright smile when Jeremiah interrupted Steven glancing to Gwen sitting next to him, " Yeah, I'm not really sure it's Belly's type of thing but it's something Gwen would do. I mean, she's a cheerleader so she already knows how to do dance and the amount of charity events you organized with Paisley at school this is a little like that but the dance is more intimate"

Steven raised his brows staring at Gwen with a smirk on his face as he didn't know she was cheerleader he thought she was hot before but now she's more than what meets the eye only looking away when Conrad wrapped his arm around Gwen sending him a glare for the look he was sending to his girlfriend, " a couple of months ago you had a cat funeral you made us all wear black"

Gwen chuckled looking up at Conrad who smiled in amusement leaning down to give his girlfriend a kiss before Belly cheeks coated in bright pink in embarrassment glaring daggers at her brother and snapped, " shut up, Steven. I saw you crying in your room" Jeremiah looked between the Conklin's siblings with a surprised look on his face and asked, " Wait, Mochi died? Dang. I'm sorry, Bells"

"Don't you girls want to get all dressed up?" Susannah smiled with a dreamingly look on her face hoping the two girls will agree to participate in the debutante ball only for Laurel to let out a sigh as she looked at her daughter with a shake of her head and stated, " it's just not Belly's kind of thing. She's our feral little alley cat" Steven and Jeremiah starting laughing to themselves at what Laurel has said causing Belly to roll her eyes before looking at Susannah and told her, " I'll think about it"

"She'll think about it," Susannah smirked smugly lifting up her glass at Laurel before turning her attention to Gwen and questioned, "What about you Gwen?" Gwen smiled as she leaned in Conrad more seeing the hopeful look on the older women face as she knew she wanted them both to do but even if one of them says yes she would be happy, " I'd love to it sounds like fun"

"Yes! Yes! This is going to be so fun!" Susannah cheered clapping her hands together as Conrad watched his mother and girlfriend with a smile on his face as he knew Gwen would say yes to being debutante and was happy how excited the two of them were but he just didn't want to be an escort but little did he know Gwen wouldn't take no from an answer as she could never think about going with anyone but him.

Suddenly Gwen phone went off causing everyone to turn their attention to the blonde girl as Susannah frowned with an confused look on her face and curiously asked, " what's that sound coming from" Gwen smiled sheepishly with a shrug of her shoulders turning off the alarm on her phone and informed, " Mine. Made it super annoying so I couldn't ignore it" Gwen stood up pressing a kiss to Conrad lips and told him, " I won't be long i gotta you know"

"Yeah" Conrad smiled with an concerned look on her face as he watched her walk out of the room while Laurel frowned in confusion and asked, " what is that all about?" Conrad scoffed with a shake of his head, " it's really none of your...." He began to say only to be cut off by Jeremiah who sighed sadly and informed, " Gwen found out a couple of months ago that she has diabetes. Type 1. It's really bad and life threatening but she has medication to help her"

" I'm so sorry. I had no idea" Laurel spoke as she had no idea that Gwen even had diabetes as she looked so healthy and energetic but the only people that actually knew of Gwen situation is Paisley, her aunt Emma and the fishers. " this wasn't your business to share Jere. It's up to Gwen who knows but you took that choice away from her" Conrad hissed shaking his head standing up following his girlfriend to his bedroom.