The ride back to the Fishers house was full of laughter and fun between the five in Jeremiah's car, Betty having to fight every fiber of her being to not go in the car with Steven and Conrad. She knew there was a line that she had crossed and she needed to get herself under control considering the fact that she had a boyfriend. She loved Jack, she was happy they were together. He was a good guy, and when they were together he made her feel like a good person. He made her feel smart and pretty and appreciated and she never had to doubt his feelings or question what was going on. And still she couldn't help but get sucked into the Conrad storm.

They stopped outside of the house, Betty squeezed into Cams side due to the narrow back seat. Betty pushed out of the car, Cam holding the door open for her and then closing it behind her. They all hurried towards the house, Conrad being the last one out and picking up the giraffe that Belly had won and now dropped.  Steven was inside first, the gasp that left his lips only multiplying as everyone saw the shocking scene inside the house.

It was empty.

And not empty like no one was there or stuff was packed...it was all gone. Every bit of furniture, every bit of life that made it the Fisher home...it was all gone. Betty realized now just how much they had fucked up going out all day, how they couldn't even enjoy one day and then she remembered how bad this really was,  her head lifting and her eyes going to Jeremiah who looked like someone had just punched him right in the gut. Conrad entered last, his face going slack and any hint of joy or positivity flying out of his body instantly. She watched the exact moment his heart ripped in two, the girl unsure of what to do in this moment.

Her head turned to Jeremiah as he darted out of the room, sprinting up the stairs. Betty crouched down,  dropping her face into her hands as she realized how huge of a mistake they had made.  She knew this was a major loss in their fight, and all the fun they had had would now be soured forever by this revelation.

"Everything's gone." Jeremiah said when he came back down the stairs, the revelation loaded as he told his brother. Everything meant everything ...including Susannah's things.  Betty looked up at Conrad from where she was crouched, the look on his face indescribable. She had never seen anything like it...he was losing and he knew it. It was hopeless. The sound of the door closing drew all of their attention and Betty shot up, knowing it was about to go down.  Julia entered the home, Betty standing near the doorway that Conrad was  walking towards.

"What the fuck Julia?" He exclaimed, all of them joining him in the entryway to the kitchen. Betty fell back, standing by Steven as the woman began to explain herself.

"I'm sorry. This must be such a shock. I-I spoke to your father this afternoon, and he and I decided that it would be best not to drag this out any longer than necessary." Betty felt a pit drop in her stomach as she thought of Conrad father, knowing the mention of him wouldn't help anything out.

"I don't give a shit what the two of you decided on. You had no right to touch anything  in this house. Those were her things!" Conrad's voice was raising and the louder it got the more painful it sounded. Steven step forwards to try and calm Conrad, his and going to  his arm as he spoke.

"Just breathe, man. Okay?"  Conrad shut Steven down quickly, Betty taking a few steps forwards as things started to escalate.

"Stop."  Conrad shook him off, his head shaking as Julia spoke.

"Everything in storage. I made sure that everyone was very careful with every single thing. I'm just doing what I have to do to sell this house." There was sense behind Julia's words, but the stance that they all took was that she was a villain here.

"Bullshit. You could have said something. You could have warned us. All you want to do is fight our mom constantly—"

"Okay enough!" Julia cut Conrad off, trying to  get a word in. "You're not the only one that's hurting here. And I'm not the one you should be angry with. Your mother could've warned you that this was going to happen. She just wanted to make me the bad guy, as usual."

"I'm so sorry that she was too busy dying to make your life a little easier. You know, it sucks that our grandfather loved her more than you, but I'm not surprised." Conrad finished, Betty's eyes widening as she listened to the hurtful words that came from his lips. Jeremiah tried to stop his as he made his way past but Conrad threw his arm off, Betty following after Conrad like it was instinctual.

"Conrad calm down." She said as he hurried off the porch and into the driveway, a worried look on her face as she realized how defeated she felt. She was sure he felt it too.

"Please don't act like you care right now, Betty. Please. This is probably a relief for you knowing that we won't be next door to fuck up your life anymore." His words aimed to hurt and they did, her lip curling up as he couldn't even look at her.  He took what she'd said to him earlier and used it as ammunition against her, Betty shaking her head as she scoffed. She was tired of the mood swings, the switch back and forth. She didn't know how to prove to him she was on his side so she decided not to say anything, the boy lifting his phone to his ear as the others came out. "Of course, Dad did nothing to stop her."

"Connie what can he do?" Jeremiah said, and he was right. There wasn't really anything Adam  could do. The house wasn't his. It was Julia's.

"Jere! He doesn't care about us!" Conrad yelled to the boy, Betty flinching a bit at his words.  She understand he was hurt and in pain, but he always had to take it out on someone else.  "And this asshole won't even pick up my ...calls. Did you know about this?"

Skye stood on the porch, Conrad shooting towards them with anger as he assumed they'd double crossed them.

"Con—"

I'm—no, I'm serious. I'm serious. Did you know about this?" Conrad said, Skye quick to defend.

"I-I didn't know anything okay? I swear I would have told you." They crossed their arms over their chest, Betty letting out a breath as he continued on.

"Would you have? Really? Because we haven't seen each other in ten years. Would a day at the boardwalk have been enough to make you betray your mom?" He had a small point, but Skye quickly shut it down.

"Listen, I know we don't know each other very well, but I-I wouldn't have sideswiped you like this." Everyone could tell it was the truth, Steven being the one to speak next.

"Connie come on. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know!"  Conrad said, looking the most defeated and defensive he had looked in awhile. It was painful to see, he was supposed to be the one with all the answers and it was sad that everyone expected that of him.

"Okay, we can't just leave. All right? The house isn't sold yet.  We still have a chance." Jeremiah said, trying to instill hope in the group.

"A slim one. I mean, full disclosure, moms realtor is expecting multiple cash offers, all over asking, no contingencies." Skye said, not really helping the situation.

"Thank you, Skye, for that bleak as fuck assessment. Also where are we going to sleep tonight?" Steven said, raising a question that Betty could fully help answer.

"I think there are some sleeping bags in the garage." Belly proposed, Conrad shutting it down quickly.

"I'm not sleeping in this house."

"Okay, I...we don't have to. Alright?" Jeremiah said, Betty's arms crossed over her chest as she considered when to make her contribution.

"Okay, well, hotels are usually all booked up around this time of year." Belly said, everyone looking to her as she said if.

"I feel like I should...go. And I'd totally invite you guys to come stay with me, but it's a pretty small place, so..." Cam said, most of them actually having forgotten he was there.

"Yeah maybe...maybe we should go, too." Taylor said, looking to Steven who she had come with.

"Don't go yet. I know a place we can crash for the night." Jeremiah said, Betty thinking now was as good a time as ever to propose her solution.

"We could uh...we could stay at my house?" Betty said obviously, all of them looking to her as she held out a hand towards her home. No one spoke, the girl rolling her eyes and starting off towards her house. The others followed, the simplest solution having presented itself. Betty walked up the front porch, reaching for the door handle and turning it, being met instantly with the resistance of a locked door. "Fuck."

She reached into her pocket, grabbing for her key ring but it room her about 2 seconds to realize it wasn't there, a sigh leaving the lips of someone behind her as she turned around.

"My keys. They're...inside." She said, her face falling as she remembered leaving them on her bed. She'd been in a hurry that morning,having locked the bottom lock before she walked out. The group shared a look on defeat again before she gestured to Jeremiah, giving  him  a hopeful look. "Time for your plan."

"Can get try and break in?"

"Not unless you wanna get arrested. My moms got some serious security on this place." Betty answered Steven, the boy shaking his head as Jeremiah spoke.

"Let's go then."

________

Kinda a little filler....sorry guys.