The Fourth of July in Cousins is all about traditions. Susannah decks out the whole house, the dads come up for the weekend, the boys steam clams. And every year, without fail, Tasha didn't have anyone to kiss underneath the fireworks. She'd gotten close, once, a boy she'd met in Cousins only a couple hours before fireworks illuminated the darkening sky. That was until she found him with another girl, seconds before Conrad lit a match. She always considered it to be her first real heartbreak, even though she never really knew him like the pretty girls in the movies got to know the boy they just happened to glance at while on vacation.

          But, Natasha Conklin never glorified or romanticized heartbreak. She didn't know whether she'd been kissed or cut, loved or butchered, but either way she never really cared. Not enough to let herself be emotionally manipulated and choked by nauseating love. And she believed in the kind of love that didn't demand her to prove her worth or sit in anxiety, playing with the ends of her hair or with the chain adorning her neck. She craved something natural, simple. Where she didn't have to constantly remind the boy how to treat her right. Because love shouldn't be exhausting, or draining, or sickening.

          She sat with Jeremiah and Belly on the dining room table, eating a breakfast that consisted of milk, cereal, and a variety of juices that Susannah bought from the grocery store before the Conklins arrived in Cousins. Tasha scooped some chocolate puffs into a bowl, pouring oatmilk over them and stirring it with a spoon until there was not a single dry puff. Her light blue bodycon dress clung almost scandalously against her thighs, and in between bites her hands went down to adjust it from riding up. Conrad made his appearance in the kitchen, talking to Jeremiah about wanting to wash the clams for their traditional Fourth of July clam bake. He walked out into the backyard, just as Steven and Susannah walked in, Susannah carrying a messy paintbrush.

          "Are we done with the portrait yet? Steven asked as he opened the refrigerator door, looking for something to eat. "Yeah, for today. But you do look good in a dress shirt, Steven." Susannah ran the paintbrush under water from the sink tap, drying them off on a dish towel. "Uh, which makes me think. If Belly doesn't hurry up and ask Cam to that ball, you should take her."

          Steven spun around in disgust, Belly quickly turning away from her conversation with Jeremiah. "No, no, yeah. I'm already going with Shayla." Laurel walked into the kitchen, joining the conversation. " Shayla's coming today with Nicole and Gigi, so you'll meet her."

          "Well, Tasha's already been taken care of." Susannah smiled, remembering how easily Conrad had agreed to take her to the ball. Natasha shook her hair, disagreeing. "Actually, I'm still looking into other options. Just in case Conrad changes his mind." She added the last part quickly. Susannah nodded. "Oh, and don't forget, Ms. Covington's first dance rehearsal is tomorrow, so, uh, tick-tock." She added this with a grin.

          "Hey Mom, are you wearing makeup?" Tasha looked at her mother closely, noticing the bright red lipstick painting her lips and the slight glimmer in the corners of her eyes. Gasps came from around the kitchen, comments being made about the strange appearance. "So what? We're having a party." Laurel shrugged it off, going back to folding blue, star patterned napkins for the clam bake. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with John coming to the clam bake?" Susannah teased.

          Steven scoffed. "You know, I still don't understand why you invited Dad's girlfriend." Laurel rolled her eyes, preparing herself to explain. "Her name is Victoria, and your father wanted us all to meet her." She paused, quickly remembering to add, "Oh, Tasha, I need you to make up the guest bed."

          "Wait, Dad and Victoria are staying here?" She dropped her spoon, swallowing her cereal and widening her eyes at her mother. "In the room next to mine?" And when Laurel nodded she groaned, dreading the weekend before it had even started. She finished the last of the milk in her bowl, putting the dirty dishes in the sink before hurrying up the stairs to straighten up the guest room, just as Conrad came into the house from where he had been in the backyard.

          Natasha had been in the guest room for less than five minutes when she heard the door open, revealing none other than Conrad Fisher, who watched her from where he leaned on the door frame. She pretended not to notice, continuing her task of folding the bedsheets and fitting them around the mattress. "You have to fold the bottom sheet at a 45 degree angle if you want tight corners." Tasha looked up at him, her hair messily falling over her eyes before she straightened up, tucking it behind her ears hastily.

          "If you've got such a problem with the way I'm folding it, help me." She raised her eyebrows as if challenging him, stepping away from the bed and gesturing to the corner, still untucked. Conrad scoffed blithely, walking over and stooping down to the level of the bed. "You've got to pull this down. Like this, come here."

          Natasha bent down next to him, slipping her fingers under the mattress that Conrad held up, grabbing the bedsheets in the process, creasing them lightly just as he had shown her. She watched as the muscles in his arms flexed as he kept the mattress from falling on their heads, his eyes trained on her hands. Veins protrude against his skin, and Tasha couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since she had last touched him, sensually or not.

          "Don't you think it's weird that my dad is staying here with Victoria?" Tasha broke the silence once Conrad put the mattress back down, smoothing out the sheets with his hands.

          "Well, I'm sure they're not going to have loud sex." Conrad chuckled at his own comment, earning a look of disgust from Tasha. "That's foul. I did not need to think about that. Thanks a lot." She ran her own hands over the bed, her gold chain-linked bracelets clashing with one another, eliciting soft chimes. "Ugh. And why is my mom letting him bring his bitchy girlfriend anyway."

          "Hey. How do you know she's bitchy? What if she's like ... a really nice person or something." Conrad's hand movements slow as he finishes fixing up the last corner of the bed. Tasha laughed in disbelief, responding brashly. "Okay, but what if she is a bitch." Almost immediately she felt the impact of a pillow on the side of her face, gently yet with just enough force to startle her.

          "It's going to be fine, alright?" He threw her a sympathetic, halfhearted smile. "Don't worry about it too much." She nodded slowly, her mind running wildly amongst all the convoluted thoughts. Finally, she decided on something to say.

          "Look, Connie, you don't have to take me to the deb if you don't want to anymore. Especially after what happened between us. I totally get it. No hard feelings. I was kinda going to ask Miles if he was interested anyway because we're kinda a thing, I guess." She said this hesitantly, as if even she didn't truly believe the gravity of her words.

          The boy couldn't respond. Truth be told, Conrad had always dreamed of taking Natasha Conklin to the debutante ball. But, after their fight and Tasha's newfound wonder for Cousins' infamous playboy, he didn't want to seem desperate. Stealing a last glance at the heavenly figure before him, admiring the softness of her expression, her eyes doing a once-over of the bed before she rose to her feet at the sound of a car horn honking rather loudly and her mother calling to her from downstairs.

✿

          The poolside was crowded as the Conklins, Fishers, and debutantes laughed, sang, and conversed with one another. Nicole, Gigi, and Shayla had arrived soon after Tasha's dad and his new girlfriend, Victoria. She was a beautiful woman, not a complete bitch like Tasha had assumed, her demeanor fitting that of the house like a glove.

          Natasha had invited Miles to the clam bake after hearing that Steven had invited the debutantes, and he showed up no later than 10 minutes after she had called. The two sat by the pool, sharing a beach chair, Tasha resting her head on the boy's chest, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent as they gossiped and giggled amongst themselves. Miles peppered soft kisses on her forehead, the girl leaning more and more into his touch. Every so often, Natasha caught herself glancing over at Conrad, who was in the pool with Nicole. They laughed as Nicole pushed herself up against Conrad, terribly close to him.

          "I'm going to go get something to eat. Do you want anything?" Tasha slowly lifted herself up to a sitting position, stretching before standing up completely, leaning back down to place a kiss on Mile's soft, inviting lips. It was practically peculiar how two people could get so close in such a small amount of time. Miles shook his head in a 'no' and Natasha walked off towards the table, shaded by a canopy that the parents had set up earlier.

          "My cousin did it in Chicago and they raised a ton of money for public schools." Victoria was talking to Laurel and John about her own debutante ball just as Tasha picked up a plate, placing bits and pieces of food on it. She mainly kept to herself, listening in only slightly to their conversation. "Hey Natasha, do you mind showing me where I can find the bathroom?" Tasha looked up rather suddenly, nodding before leading Victoria inside.

          It wasn't long before they were laughing together, sharing stories while making pomegranate margaritas from the pomegranates that Victoria had kindly brought for them. Victoria stood by the counter, letting the blender work its magic while Natasha, Belly, and Jeremiah sat around her, watching in amusement. "How'd you learn to make these?" Belly stared at the blender, the fuschia liquid stirring mesmerizingly.

          "So, I actually spent a summer in this desert town in Texas, near the border, called Marfa. And there was a bar there that served these. And I told the bartender that I would not leave until he showed me exactly how he made these." She laughed, taking the blender off of the base and pouring the drink into margarita glasses, their rims coated in sugar, a lime hanging off the side.

          "Can I try a sip?" Natasha looked at Victoria eagerly, her arms already stretching towards one of the glasses. "Are your parents cool with that?" Victoria raised an eyebrow, but when the girl nodded she agreed, picking up two of the glasses before heading outside. Natasha raised the glass to her lips, tasting the alcoholic drink. The sensation was like knives against her throat, but it quickly subsided as the smooth flavor of pomegranate took its place. Her eyes widened in amazement, sunlight reflecting against the soft highlighter on her nose as she nodded her head in approval.

          "That is fucking amazing." She passed it onto Belly and Jeremiah, who chimed into a chorus of agreements.

          "I have an idea." Belly rose from her chair after almost downing the entire glass. "I'm going to need some more pomegranate juice." She opened a cabinet and pulled out a container of fruit punch just as Conrad walked into the kitchen, now completely dried and dressed compared to his pool attire.

          "What are you guys making?" He walked around the counter to where Tasha was sitting, but kept a distance after their awkward conversation from earlier in the day. Belly filled him in, showing off the drink. "Well, you have to use the good blender." He opened another cupboard, pulling out yet another blender as Jeremiah raised his complaints. 

          Natasha took this as her cue to leave, not wanting to keep Miles waiting for longer than he had anticipated. She joined him back out by the pool, greeting him with a kiss to the forehead and handed him a glass of the pomegranate margarita. The debutantes came around to where they sat, inviting them to go down to the beach and Natasha looked at Miles, who gave her a content nod, happily agreeing.