The summer i turned pretty book 2
We swam over to the deep end, and I treaded water to stay afloat. They made two big splashes, and I swallowed a ton of water because I was smiling, but I didn't care. Then Jeremiah made a running leap and cannonballed in, and Conrad followed right behind him. "Hello," I said, still floating on my back.Ĭonrad dipped his toe in. The thought made me feel unspeakably sad, that this could be the last summer and we'd hardly swum together at all. It had been a summer with hardly any swim time, except for when I swam with Cam or when I swam alone.
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And Jeremiah, we'd only swum in the ocean once or twice. It occurred to me that I hadn't seen Conrad in his trunks all summer, that we hadn't swum in this pool since that first day. They were both wearing their swimming trunks. I guessed they'd run into each other on the stairs. Like in one of those plastic snowballs, one little moment frozen in time. I wished I could stay forever, in this moment. When the tide was low like this, it whispered and gurgled and it sounded like a lullaby. The moon was bright and white, and as I waited for the boys, I floated on my back counting stars and listening to the ocean. The last one of the summer, maybe ever-in this house, anyway. I knew it by heart.Īs soon as I got outside, I dove into the pool. The house was dark, and I made my way outside without turning on the lights. We couldn't leave this house until we had one good moment, for all of us. Meet me in ten minutes." I slid a note under each door and then ran downstairs as quick as I could with my towel streaming behind me like a flag. I changed into my one-piece and wrote two notes, one for Jeremiah and one for Conrad. Until it was time to pack my bathing suit. I stayed in my bedroom, packing up clothes, my shoes, my books. None of us were.Īfter dinner we all went our separate ways to pack. And you're not ready yet," my mother said. That's not something you can achieve in one summer. "Beck, if you want to be as tan as Belly, you'll need more time. I want to be as tan as Belly." She pointed at me with her fork. "If and when I go off slow dancing in the ever after, I don't want to look like I've been stuck in a hospital room my whole life. "Okay." We all said it, even though it was in no way, shape, or form okay. I refuse to put any more poison into my body or spend any more time in hospitals. My doctor says that at this point that's the most I can do. I'm seeing my acupuncturist, I'm taking medicine, I'm still fighting this the best I can. I could tell he didn't want to, but he did it.
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She rustled her hand through Conrad's hair until he finally wore a smile. She held a straight face for four whole seconds before erupting into a fit of giggles. She had the best poker face known to man.
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"Mold won't kill you," Susannah declared, laughing and pushing her hair out of her eyes. My mother picked up Conrad's rib, looked down at it, and then put it down again. With boys it was like that they fought and then it was over. I would say Jere's more of a cherub." He reached out and tousled Jeremiah's hair roughly. The two boys looked at each other from across the table for a second. "I do spoil them," Susannah said, touching Conrad's shoulder, Jeremiah's cheek. My mother suppressed a smile and pushed the potato salad toward me. "I was a neglected child who was fed only old food that nobody else wanted." "Belly was raised on leftovers, weren't you, bean?" "I swear, you spoil these boys, Beck,'' my mother said, and everything felt normal, like any other last night.