ILLICIT BLUES.
06.   ╱ Jealousy

MUSIC SOFTLY PLAYED ON THE BACKGROUND, MARIGOLD AND LILA HUMMING ALONG. Their feet swayed in the air above their backs, one foot crossed over the other. They moved them in sync without even realizing it. Both of them were scrolling through their phones, either texting their boyfriend or looking through Pinterest, you can probably guess who was doing what.

The both of them suddenly flinched at the sound of the door being flung open, revealing an excited Belly.

"Marigold, you won't believe . . ." she slowly trailed off, noticing that the girl had company over. "Oh, I didn't know Lila was still over. I can come back later."

"Bels, it's fine. What were going to say?" Marigold asked, not noticing the glare Belly was currently giving the girl beside her. Lila almost cowered back by the girl's heavy gaze, awkwardly clearing her throat and moving her attention back to her phone to avoid the girl.

"Cam asked me out," she finally said, her gaze tearing from Lila and back to Marigold.

"Oh," she whispered softly. "That's───that's amazing, Bels."

Marigold cursed herself for her tone, she hadn't meant for it to come out so shaken, but the lump in her throat was making it difficult. Lila noticed she was having trouble so she gently slipped her hand into Marigold's, squeezing her hand to bring her a little comfort. What Marigold hadn't noticed was the darkened gaze from the Conklin girl, landing on the motion.

"I better go, Jordan's waiting for me," Lila excuses herself, grabbing her shoes before leaving the room───not before sending a wink in Marigold's direction which made her cheeks redden.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come help me pick out an outfit," Belly questioned after a short moment of silence between the two of them.

"Of course!" Marigold had hoped that came of excited, because she was anything but that. They both made their way to Belly's room, where they instantly began searching through her drawers and closet.

Belly held up a bright, pastel yellow top to her chest with curious eyes.

"Too bright," Marigold replied.

Belly then held up a baggy, black band tee, sleeves falling down to her elbows, and little rips on the collar and sleeves.

"Too punk?" The girl replied, almost confused on her own thoughts of the shirt.

"Hey, girls," Susannah greeted as she walked into the room, smiling at both of them. "What's going on in here?"

"I'm going on a date," Belly exclaimed with excitement, receiving the same amount of energy back from Susannah.

"Oh my gosh, Belly! That's wonderful!" Susannah exclaim, pulling the girl into a hug───glancing over the shorter girl's shoulder to take a peek over at her daughter who played with her fingers awkwardly. Susannah almost sighed at the sight but quickly refrained for the excitement from Belly.

Susannah had then decided to join them in helping Belly choose an outfit, soon after landing on a cute cropped tank top and pair of shorts. Belly had asked if Marigold wanted to do her makeup, which is how the two of them ended up where they are now, both cris-crossed, across from each other on the bed.

The Conklin girl appeared to be in a complete daze, she would shiver every time Marigold'a finger grazed her cheek which made the girl wonder if they were cold. She stared into the Fisher's eyes, but it felt like she was staring at her soul with how heavy her gaze was. She let her eyes trail down to Marigold's lips, which made the girl nervous.

Belly was absolutely mesmerized, but she wasn't sure why. She wasn't sure why every aspect of the girl suddenly became the only book she ever wanted to read. She wasn't sure why the laughs that slipped from her mouth were the only song she wanted to listen to. She wasn't sure where these sudden thoughts were coming from.

Marigold stared at the girl curiously, wanting to know what she was thinking, was she noticing the red marks from where she chewed on her lip?

   "Belly?" Marigold questioned. She moved her hand under the Conklin girl's chin, making her look at her. Belly felt her heart speed up before the girl was moving her chin toward Susannah, to give her the attention, who had a questionable look.

   "What?" Belly muttered a breathy question. Marigold was still a little confused what was happening. And why she was acting the way she was.

   "I asked what you guys were doing? Where is he taking you?" Susannah asked, fighting a smile, staring at the breathy and confused girl. Marigold stared at her mom with confusion as well, why is everyone acting weird today?

"Oh, we're, uh, going to the drive in," Belly says, regaining her breath slowly.

   "It's almost time," Belly stood up while Marigold tossed her a lipstick from where she now lied on her stomach. "Here, fix your lipstick, it got a little messed up."

Belly moved over to the mirror, began applying the lipstick and adjusting her hair. Marigold tried not to stare at the girl, noting the way she bit her lip in focus, and quickly glanced over to her mother, who's head was tilted and she rose a brow at her daughter knowingly. The younger Fisher shifted in her position onto her back where she stared at the ceiling, feeling intimidated under her mother's stare.

  "You look really cute," Susannah broke the silence. "You are gonna have so much fun tonight."

   "We're just going to see a movie," Belly declared, but her lips curved up into a big grin.

   "You look nice, Hun," Laurel said, taking a seat while lifting up Marigold's head to place it in her lap, running her fingers through the girl's hair which made her sigh in content.

   "I can't believe crop tops are back," Susannah laughed. "Remember when I thought I was such hot shit in that baby tee I wore freshman year?"

   "Are you not driving with us?" Laurel asked after Belly said bye to the two Fisher girls.

   "Didn't Belly tell you? She has a date," Susannah explains with excitement bubbling out of her. Marigold sighed.

   "Sorry, mom," Belly sheepishly laughs and Marigold glances up to the older woman, feeling slightly a little sympathetic for her. "Well, his name is Cam."

   "Yeah, his mom works at the club," Susannah declares. "Really nice boy, very smart."

   "Like, Harvard smart," Belly happily said, her smile big.

The younger Fisher wanted to leave this room before she puked. Or worse, cried.

Once again, dramatic.

   "It's fine," the older woman shrugged, letting out a forced laugh. "Of course you can go. I've dragged you to enough of these boo parties over the years. Have a great date."

Belly began to make her way to the door before Laurel stopped her. "Do we need to take about consent before you go?"

   "Mom," the girl warned and Marigold laughed from under the older woman. The Fisher girl smiled at the both of the mothers before excusing her self and walking back to her room.

The book party was never anything special, it consisted of cheap champagne, rich folks, and boredom. Marigold hated going, but she always did for Laurel, even when she wanted to shoot herself in the head repeatedly with a nail gun by the end of the night. Most of the time she would end up blackout drunk, and Belly would care for her the whole ride home───Belly wasn't here.

She is on a date.

Yet, Marigold still drowned herself in champagne.

"Jesus, Goldilocks", Jeremiah cursed under his breath, noticing his sister with a bottle of champagne. "How much of this have you had?"

"A sip, two sips, a bottle." Marigold shrugs, a soft giggle rising from her lips. "What difference does it make?"

"Great, another one," Jeremiah said, laying their oldest brother next to her, who seemed a bit drunk as well. "God, this thing sucks ass."

"Tell me about it," Marigold says, leaning her head on her oldest brother's shoulder. Steven came over, sliding in between Jere and Marigold, sighing before going on his phone.

"You know, this shit is so boring. Can we go somewhere?" Conrad questions, breaking the silence.

"Yeah? Where?" Steven scoffs as Jeremiah chuckles.

"We could go into town. I don't know, buy some weed from that guy with the Raindbow Dash tattoo?" Jeremiah offered suddenly.

"Nah, he got arrested last summer," Conrad declared. Marigold lifted the bottle to her lips, letting the liquid glide down her throat with a burning sensation. Jeremiah cursed at Conrad's statement.

"We could go to the drive-in," Steven said slowly, and Marigold suddenly felt sick.

"Gross, dude. No, I don't want to watch Belly hooking up with some kid in the back of the minivan," Jeremiah said. The younger girl felt a bile raise in her throat.

"Yo, actually . . ." Conrad trailed off, leaning above Marigold's head to look at Steven. "Let's go to the drive-in."

"Wait, like, really?" Steven ridiculed, confused by the boy's words.

"Yeah. Why not?" Conrad shrugged. Steven laughed before they both stood up.

"Come on, don't ruin this for her," Marigold groaned, grabbing the wrist of her brother.

"It's harmless," Steven said but the girl shook her head.

"I'm not kidding, she was so excited about this. Do not ruin it," Marigold warned, aiming it at Conrad, not paying attention to Steven as he tried to get Jeremiah to come along.

"Fine, we wont," the boy finally concluded, shrugging his shoulders but helped the girl up and over to the car. "We're still gonna find something to do."

"You guys are such assholes," Marigold muttered.

A few minutes later and the four of them were pulling into the drive-in.

They ended up here, no matter the endless amount of times they had promised that they weren't going to. They pull into the spot beside Belly, laughing at how she started closing in on the boy, before they got interrupted. Suddenly, the boy got out of the car, leaving Belly alone. Marigold looked out the window to see her marching towards them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She exclaims, throwing Steven's door open, interrupting his and Jere's kissing noises.

"Oh, just catching the end of our favorite movie," Steven joked. Belly looked around the car, landing on Marigold. She was almost completely out of it but she still stared back at the girl with guilty eyes.

"You have no right! You have to go!" Belly yelled, tearing her gaze from Marigold to her own brother who sat up front.

"Oh, Belly, relax. We were just joking around," Jeremiah declared with a laugh.

"Steven, if you don't leave, I swear to God I will send everyone in this car your Dramione fanfic." The girl threatened, making the smile drop from his lips.

"You wouldn't," he declared through the laughs from the other two boys.

"Oh, he spent an entire chapter talking about Draco's wand," the girl stated and even Marigold found herself cracking the smallest of smiles.

"Oh my God," the boys laugh and shook his shoulders. "You know, don't he embarrassed, man. Draco's hot."

"Drop it. Drop it," Steven turned toward Jeremiah.

"Seriously. Please leave," the girl said, looking in the backseat. What Marigold didn't know was the girl was looking at her, not the eldest Fisher brother, but he was the one to respond.

"Alright, let's go guys," Conrad said, the boys looking back at him likes he's gone mad.

  "Wait, what?" They asked in confusion. "Are you kidding me?"

"Steven, drive the car," Belly demanded.

"You were the one who wanted to come, Conrad," Steven stated in confusion, not understanding the boy's change in behavior but they finally drove off.

"How could you let them do that?" Belly shouted in question as soon as Marigold entered her own bedroom. She wore her pajamas and her hair was wet after just getting out of the shower. You can imagine how confused she was when she walked into her own room, only to get loudly yelled at by the girl.

"I didn't," Marigold stated.

"You didn't stop them," the girl pointed out. It was true, Marigold technically didn't. But that didn't mean she didn't try. She really thought they were being honest when they promised that they weren't going. Guess she should have known better.

"Did the date end badly?" Marigold rose a brow in her direction, drying her hair with a towel.

"No," the girl shrugged.

"Great. Then what's the problem?" The girl shrugged, taking a seat on the bed.

"Are you drunk?" Belly's brows shot up as she looked at Marigold who fell backwards on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Yes. Although, not nearly as much as I was before," Marigold let out a bitter laugh but the Conklin girl didn't seem to find it so funny.

"Can you please take this seriously and stop acting like a child?" The girl shouted and Marigold almost felt herself cowering back.

   "Listen, I told them they shouldn't. I was drunk. I wasn't thinking straight so they convinced me that they weren't going and then suddenly, we were already there. I didn't have a choice on whether to come since I was wasted. They used that to their advantage, alright? And you're the one who left, knowing how I get during these things. I mean, how are you so surprised right now?" Marigold rolls her eyes, her tone very bitter.

"You know, you can be a real bitch sometimes," the Conklin girl stated before leaving the room.

   Leaving Marigold to wallow in her drunken thoughts.