REBEL SUN ╱ CONRAD FISHER
꒷꒦ · ˚.‧ . written by ella . . . © -lostgardens
chapter 006 ━━━━ ❛ rebel celebration ❜

"I can't believe—" The sound of his phone beeping cut Jeremiah off from what he was going to say. "Oh," he muttered, pulling out his phone from his shorts pocket. "It's Belly." With a bright, Jeremiah smile, he lifted the device for Amber, who walked beside him, to see, and then he looked at it for a moment. "Ah, dinner's ready," he told her with the same smile, pocketing his phone. "Time to celebrate your birthday, Pearly."

"How exciting!" Amber replied with nothing short of sarcasm.

"Oh, come on. It won't be that bad." He put his arm over her shoulder as they turned to go back to the house. "I'm sure the moms will make sure everyone, including Conrad, is on their best behavior," he reassured, not missing how she rolled her eyes at the sound of his brother's name as she leaned closer to him.

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she placed her right hand on his left shoulder as they continued to walk towards the house. "I guess," she mumbled, watching her feet push through the deep sand with each step she took.

The walk back to the beach house was silent between the two. The only noise to fill the salt-infused air was the crashing waves wetting the sand, the soft breeze blowing through their hair ever-so-slightly, and the laughter and cheers of people sitting on their porches and enjoying the approaching summer night. Amber remembered times like those—when they all would just sit on the back deck, relishing in the breeze and warm air.

She missed times like those.

When they finally reached the house, they walked across the deck to the back door. Setting their shoes down on the ground and then standing up straight to face one another, Jeremiah gave Amber another soft smile. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Amber nodded, inhaling deeply. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You never know with you, Am," he replied, twisting the knob of the door. He pushed it open, letting her enter the house first before he followed, closing the door behind him.

The smell of the food filled the air, making Amber's stomach growl loudly. She and Jeremiah looked at one another, both thinking the same thing, and then they laughed, continuing into the dining room, where they assumed everyone else was.

They assumed correctly. Everyone was there, sitting at the table and chatting while they no doubt waited on Amber and Jeremiah to join them. Everyone except for Conrad, who seemed to be nowhere in sight. Was he even in the house? Or was he off somewhere, brooding, which was something he seemed to be doing often, and missing a dinner he said he'd be at? Where was he?

Nope. It didn't matter. It did not matter where he was. That was what Amber was repeating in her head as she and Jeremiah walked closer to the table, offering the ones who actually showed up smiles. Susannah sat at the head of the table, while the seat directly across from her remained empty. Belly sat next to Aiden, who sat next to Laurel, and across from them was Steven, sitting next to two empty seats.

"There's the birthday girl," Susannah beamed, the smile and expression on her face showcasing nothing but pure and absolute joy. It warmed something in Amber's heart as she watched the woman stand from her seat and walk over to her. Susannah's arms wrapped around her in a tight, almost motherly hug. "Happy belated, my sweet girl," she whispered into the girl's hair before she pulled back. She then placed her hands on Amber's face as she studied her lovingly.

"Thank you, Susannah. This truly means a lot," Amber replied, returning the smile, gratitude swirling in her eyes as she fought back tears. It did truly mean a lot to her, more than Susannah or anyone else could possibly know.

Susannah brushed her thumbs against the girl's cheeks a couple of times before she stepped away, and Amber turned to Laurel. "Thank you, too, Laurel. I'm so grateful to have both of you," Amber added, her eyes falling between both mother-like women.

"Anything for our Pearly," the dark-haired woman said with a sweet smile. Amber didn't even let her small smile flicker at the nickname. Everyone was quiet for a moment before Laurel threw up her hands, gesturing to the food in the center of the table. "Let's eat and get this celebration started!"

"Conrad's not here," Belly interjected as Amber and Jeremiah took their seats and Susannah retook hers. The blonde girl sat across from her best friend, and Jeremiah sat between her and Steven, just like the night before. There was only one empty seat left.

Susannah glanced at the back door, perhaps hoping her son would walk in right then. But alas, the door remained shut, and everyone was silent. The woman's eyes fell onto each person, focusing on Amber for the longest, before she placed a bright, typical Susannah smile on her face. "I'm sure he'll show up soon," she told them, sounding as if she didn't even believe her own words. "But for now, we'll just have to start without him... If that's alright with you, Amber."

Amber's eyes met the woman's before they slowly found everyone else. They all seemed to be waiting for an answer. What was she supposed to say—that she was somewhat disappointed that Conrad hadn't kept his word? That this was the second birthday (celebration, in this case) of hers that he was missing, and that fact pegged something in her heart? She couldn't say that. And what would they think if she said that it was fine to start without him? Would they think that she didn't care about him anymore? That him not being there wasn't important to her?

She hated being the one to decide things.

It took her a long moment before she hummed with a nod. "Yeah, that's fine." She paused, breathing out a chuckle. "If he wanted to be here, he would be. We all know how Conrad is about punctuality." This caused looks of pity to be sent her way, and she absolutely hated that.

Why would she say that!? God, she hated herself sometimes.

"Alright." Laurel gave her a tight smile.

And with that, silence fell upon them once more. No one said anything for a long moment as they just stared around the table, wondering when someone was going to speak. Was something going to speak? Amber really wanted someone to say something, and she couldn't trust herself to be the one to do it. Luckily for her and the rest of the awkwardness in the air, Susannah was an angel sent from above.

The woman cleared her throat, her smile still going strong on her face. Amber wondered if her face often hurt from how much she was always smiling. She knew hers would, but that was because it was most of the time fake.

"Amber, I made your favorites," Susannah told her, gesturing at the food in the middle of the table with an elegant hand. "Mushroom pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls, and my special macaroni and cheese, if I remember correctly."

Susannah, you were right on the nose. The awkwardness that had taken over from Amber's words quickly died down as the girl stared at the food in front of her excitedly. Oh, how she'd missed Susannah's cooking. Not to say that her mom's cooking wasn't amazing, because it was, but Susannah added a little something extra to hers. Amber couldn't explain it, but it was just so good.

"You're most definitely remembering correctly," Amber replied with joy. "Thank you again, Susannah."

"You're welcome." Susannah dipped her head. "And for dessert, I've made something extra special," she beamed, shooting a knowing glance over at Laurel. "But we'll get to that when the time comes. For now, as Laurel said, let's eat and get this celebration started."

Everyone began plating their food, though Amber noticed the hesitant look on Belly's face, which made her curious. Why was Belly so concerned with the fact that they were starting without Conrad? Why did it matter—to her or to anyone else? If the boy did not want to be there, then he didn't have to be. Yeah, it pegged something deep down in Amber's heart, but it was his choice. He knew the time and place, and Amber believed that he tried to be as far away as possible so that he didn't get roped in.

A few minutes into dinner, after the chatter of the others, Laurel focused on Amber. "So, Amber, how does it feel to be sixteen?" The woman asked her, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand as she offered a small smile.

Amber took a moment to finish chewing her food as she thought about her answer. Everyone's eyes landed on her, causing her to clear her throat after she swallowed. She opened her mouth to answer as she shrugged her shoulders. An awkward smile broke out on her face. "Like fifteen," she replied, letting out a breathy sound of amusement. She wasn't lying. It did feel just like fifteen; she could just get her license now.

Laurel sat up straight, the smile still somewhat on her face, clearly not getting the answer she thought she would. What was Amber supposed to say? That sixteen was a magical age that she wanted to stay in forever? That just wasn't the truth.

"I can get my license now," the girl continued, waving an offering hand as she tried to make the silence less awkward, "which is cool, I guess." Her eyes caught Laurel's for a moment before moving over to Aiden, who was giving her a knowing look, which she ignored. "But I haven't done that yet," she muttered, a flat smile on her face.

"Well, you still have time," Susannah reminded her, her kind smile returning to her face.

"Yeah," Amber breathed out, her eyes falling to her plate as she pushed around some green beans with her fork.

The dinner table fell silent—uncomfortably silent—and Amber couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. She couldn't help it, though. It just wasn't the same anymore. Conversations no longer flowed with everyone like they used to; they didn't really have anything to talk about since it'd been two years since most of them had been around her and Aiden. Belly and Steven went to school with them, yes, but they barely talked. Aiden talked to Belly more than Amber did, always flirting with her, even though it always went unrequited. She hoped that it would get better as the days went on—she didn't want their time in Cousins to ever be ruined.

Especially over something like...

The backdoor opened, letting in the sound of the wind and the ocean outside. Then the door closed, and all they could hear were two voices entering the house. All the eyes of the people sitting at the table faced where the voices were as they came closer. It had to be Conrad, right?

Right. Amber's stomach dropped when Conrad and Nicole (that was her name, wasn't it?) turned the corner, chatting away with one another.

"Connie," Susannah cheerfully began, catching her son's attention with a tight smile. Nicole and Conrad focused on the woman, then Conrad's eyes floated over everyone staring at him. Amber slowly turned back around to focus on her plate when his eyes fell on her. "You finally made it."

The boy shifted on his feet uncomfortably, his gaze going from Amber to Laurel to his mom, then to Nicole, and finally back to his mom. "Uh, yeah," he said quietly. He fell silent for a moment, studying the table again as he pushed his hair back and out of his face, which didn't really do much because the wind-tossed strands just fell right back over his forehead. "What exactly have I made it for?" he asked, looking at his mom again.

"Am's birthday dinner," Jeremiah answered, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

Nicole looked at Conrad with wide eyes and an open mouth as he cleared his throat, running a hand through his messy hair again. Amber didn't look at him as she rubbed her hand along her wrist. She hated that she still did that. She wished it would stop. "Oh, right," Conrad muttered. "I—uh, I," he said, clearing his throat once again, his eyes casting over to the blonde girl, only seeing the back of her head.

He'd forgotten, Amber realized. No, she didn't realize. She knew he'd forgotten it, but she hadn't wanted to think about it. He always remembered her birthday for as long as she'd known him. She didn't know which thought was worse. The fact that he forgot, or if he just didn't want to be there?

Sighing, she had to remember that it wasn't her birthday. It was just dinner.

"Amber, right?" asked Nicole, getting Amber's attention. The girl turned to her slowly, humming in response with a small nod of her head. "How old are you now?" The girl had a small smile on her face as she flipped some of her braids behind her back before crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sixteen," Amber answered, giving a thin-lipped smile. It was barely a smile, if she were being honest. Her mood was quickly dampened, and she wished that Conrad wouldn't have come back home at that moment.

Conrad's eyes were on Amber's as he tried to think of something to say. Nicole looked up at him, gently hitting him on the arm. "Conrad, why didn't you tell me you had this tonight? We could've hung out a different night," she told him, unaware of the awkwardness of the moment. "I'm sorry, Amber. If I would've known, then I wouldn't have dragged him along with me."

Of course, she was nice. Amber gave her another tight smile. "It's okay, Nicole. I'm sure Conrad would rather spend his time with you than at this dinner," she said, her eyes glancing over to the boy and then back to Nicole.

"Oh," Nicole muttered, and then breathed out awkwardly with an equally-so smile.

"Cake!" Susannah stood up abruptly. "I made a cake." Her smile didn't fall from her face, though it grew a little tense due to the moment as she placed her hands on her hips. "Nicole, Conrad, why don't you two sit down? You can enjoy the cake with us or get yourself a bite of the food," the woman said, gesturing her hand to the empty chair.

Conrad inhaled, running his hand through his hair again. Amber knew he did that whenever he was nervous or felt uncomfortable, and she was sure he was feeling the latter right then. "Uh, sure. Nicole, I'll get you a chair."

"Great!" Susannah clapped her hands together, ignoring Jeremiah and Steven, who were holding in laughter. Amber looked across the table, and Belly was staring at Conrad with annoyance as he moved to get Nicole a chair. "And I'll get the cake. Laur, will you help me?" The woman sent her best friend a knowing look.

"Yep."

The two women scrambled out of the dining room and into the kitchen, talking with their glances as Amber shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She closed her eyes, rubbing her wrist with her hand as she inhaled and exhaled. She wasn't going to cry. It didn't matter.

It didn't matter until Conrad set Nicole's chair down, right next to Amber's. The girl's eyes peeled open as she looked to her right, seeing Conrad giving her an annoyed look. He was annoyed with her!? She should be the only one annoyed, if anything! Then the boy moved to his own seat as Nicole sheepishly took the one he had placed for her.

Nicole cleared her throat, smiling when her eyes met those of Amber. After the blonde matched her smile, sitting up a little straighter in her seat, they both looked away from each other. Amber huffed out a breath as she rested her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, her eyes catching Jeremiah's, who was looking at her with raised brows. His mouth turned up softly in comfort, and she inhaled through her nose before leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Aw, are you two..." Nicole asked, waving her finger between Jere and Amber.

Amber lifted her head from the boy's shoulder quickly, her face twisted in confusion. She glanced over to Conrad, who had a twinge of annoyance lacing his features, then looked back at Jeremiah, who seemed just as confused as Amber. Then it hit her. "Oh, me and Jere?" she asked with wide eyes, focusing on Nicole again. She was so pretty. Why was she so pretty? Amber breathed out a laugh. "No, Jere and Conrad are like brothers to me," she continued, glancing over at the boy who was very much not like a brother to her and had never been, "so I wouldn't even think of..."

Steven spit out his drink as he tried to contain his snickering. Then he began to uncontrollably cough as Jeremiah swatted his back, trying to help him breathe. Susannah, who was now holding the cake, and Laurel, who was holding the candles and lighter, walked back in at this moment, their faces twisted in confusion as they took in the scene in front of them.

"Steven, are you okay?" Laurel questioned her son, who was still laughing through his coughs.

Steven just lifted up a thumb.

"Oh." Nicole shifted in her seat, her eyes going to Conrad, who was looking at his hands with a stern expression.

Susannah and Laurel rounded the table, coming up behind Amber. The blonde woman lifted the cake over Amber's head, moving to place it on the table in front of the girl. And then Laurel began placing sixteen candles into the cake, while Amber sat there with a blank, almost sad expression on her face.

She could feel Conrad's eyes on her, but she ignored him.

Laurel lit the candles one by one as everyone focused on Amber and the cake. When she was done, she and Susannah made their way to the other side of the table to stand behind Belly and Aiden so that they could see the birthday girl clearly. They both had bright smiles on their faces as Amber looked up at them, bringing one of her own, though less bright, to her face.

"Happy Birth—" Steven sang.

Amber held up a finger, stopping him. "Don't sing, please."

Offense overtook Steven's face as he placed a hand over his heart. "Just me, or everyone?" he asked, wondering if she meant that his voice was so bad that she didn't want to hear him sing for her.

"Everyone," Amber muttered, moving her attention to the moms. She gave them a sorrowful look, trying to muster a small smile. "I'm just not really in the mood for a song," she admitted in a soft tone. "If that's alright."

"Yeah, that's completely fine, sweetie," Susannah assured, her eyes casting over to the woman beside her. "It's your birthday celebration, after all."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that you're not in the mood for a song, Pearly," Jeremiah teased in a whisper as he leaned closer to her ear with a small smirk on his face.

Amber boredly met his blue-eyed gaze, giving him a snarky grin. That just made his smirk widen, and she rolled her eyes, facing forward. The room was silent for a moment as everyone continued to stare at her, waiting for her to blow out the candles, seeing as they weren't going to sing to her upon her request. The candles were slowly melting, and she knew that she needed to blow them out before the wax made its way onto the cake.

But to blow out candles, she needed to make a wish.

She still remembered all of her wishes from the time she started making them. Some of them stayed the same for a few years, and some changed every year.

At ages four and five, she wanted just childish things—to become a princess, to be a popstar.

From ages six to eight, her wishes were for her dad to be around more. That never happened.

From ages nine to eleven, she wanted to be successful in all of her extracurriculars—dancing, singing, swimming, and volleyball. This happened, but it still wasn't enough for her father to come around or show up to her games or competition.

From ages twelve to fourteen, she wished for Conrad to notice her as more than a family friend or little sister-type. At fourteen, this one came true, and she couldn't have been happier. Until she wasn't, and everything went to shit.

At age fifteen, she didn't want to see her next birthday.

Now, at sixteen... She didn't know what she wanted. There was nothing to wish for.

Her little girl dreams were never going to come true in reality, her father was never going to be around like he should (and that was his choice), Conrad was no more than a family friend again—less than a friend than anything, really—and her success in the things she was good at and loved with her whole heart were no longer passions of hers due to the actions of others.

"Make a wish," Susannah prompted with a smile.

Amber inhaled deeply, running her hands along her legs. She met the eyes of everyone as they stared at her, waiting for her to blow out the candles and seal the fate of the year to come, but no words came from her mouth.

She hadn't wished for anything when her mother baked a cake for her and topped it with candles, despite telling her that she had. And now? A wish didn't come to mind, and she knew it wouldn't. She couldn't lie again. To her mom, it was one thing. She had done that so she didn't have to see the sad look on her mother's face. She'd seen it too much in her lifetime.

"I have nothing to wish for," Amber told them, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Susannah's excitement died a little, but then she brought it back fully to not let the children see. She was Susannah; she was always happy. She was the sunshine of the world. "That's okay," she reassured, smiling even bigger.

Amber inhaled and exhaled once as she focused on her cake, then looked up at Susannah again, seeing the woman give her a go-ahead nod, the smile never leaving her lips. Then Amber focused on the cake again and leaned forward, blowing out each candle. No wish was made, but the candles were out. And she sat there, feeling unaccomplished.

After that, Susannah handed the girl a large cake knife. "You do the honors," she told her, nodding to the cake as Amber hesitantly took the knife.

The girl cut the first slice of cake, seeing that it was a red velvet cake with buttercream icing, which had been decorated with light green, pink, and yellow flowers and had "Happy 16th, Amber" written on it, and placed it on a plate. Then so on and so forth, she continued to do that until everyone had a piece on their plates. She set the knife down on the cake tray and pushed the whole thing forward.

Everyone ate in silence, with only Nicole speaking up to tell Susannah that the cake was delicious, which the rest agreed with in hums and small nods. Amber could feel Conrad's, who was only picking at bits of his dessert, eyes on her, and she ignored him.

Then, once they were done, Susannah gently clasped her hands together, focusing on the birthday girl, who was in the middle of taking a sip of her drink. "Are you ready for your presents?" she asked brightly.

Amber cleared her throat uncomfortably, trying not to choke as she set the cup back down. "You didn't have to get me anything," she replied sheepishly.

"We all got you something," Laurel added with a small smile.

Conrad ran a hand through his hair before dropping it on the table. "I didn't," he admitted, sounding actually kind of regretful. "I would've, but..."

"You forgot?" Jere raised his brows accusingly.

Conrad narrowed his gaze ever-so-slightly at his brother as Amber shifted in her seat, not looking at either boy as she focused on her plate and rubbed her wrist. "Yeah," he responded, his tone slightly snarky, with a short nod as he raised his brows.

Jeremiah rolled his eyes, and Amber offered Conrad a barely there half-smile. "It's alright." And the table went quiet again as she just stared at the boy, having a question for him but not knowing if she should ask it. It would make things awkward, but she wanted to know. "Uhm, this is random," she began, "but do you still have my charm bracelet?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nicole look at her and then Conrad with knitted brows. "Maybe that... could be my gift?"

The green-eyed boy's mouth opened and closed, then he sat up straighter and took in a deep breath as he glanced at the girl beside him. He focused back on Amber. "Uh..." He cleared his throat. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, so I didn't really keep up with it," he answered, killing any hope she had of seeing the bracelet again. "It might be in my room somewhere; I don't know."

Amber's heart sank. He didn't really keep up with it? She truly wasn't that important? Maybe it was a good thing. Having that bracelet back would only keep her stuck in the past, and she needed to move on. She put a smile on her face, cracking her knuckles under the table. "That's alright. I was just curious."

The table fell silent for a short second as everyone stared at Amber. Then Susannah reminded them of the presents, and everyone pushed out their seats and stood from the table, leaving the birthday girl, Nicole, and Conrad sitting there in their awkward quietness. Or maybe it was just awkward for Amber. She felt like crawling in her skin and disappearing, but she had to face it. Him. The girl who was sitting next to him. The smiles and gifts she was about to receive. All of it. She had to face all of it.

Once everyone returned, now holding bags and boxes, Amber offered a small yet sweet smile as she curled her arms closer to her body. She watched as they all sat down, pulled their seats back into the table, and set the gifts they had for her on the table. She had no clue what they could've gotten her. It could be anything. Something simple, something related to her interest (or past interest), or something they just thought she'd like. She didn't know why she was stressed about it. They were just presents for her birthday. And the ones gifting things to her hadn't been there to celebrate, so they were celebrating now. It was normal, but her gut still churned painfully.

Jeremiah pushed the powder blue bag in front of him toward Amber with his usual charming grin on his tan face. "Open mine first, Pearly."

Amber didn't see it, but Conrad rolled his eyes.

She grabbed the bag and immediately dug into it. Pulling something wrapped in white tissue paper, she moved the bag to the side and studied whatever Jere had gotten for her. Still, she had no clue what it was. It was quite an odd shape. Glancing at the boy beside her, she gave him a confused look, and he nodded for her to rip the paper off. Letting out a breath, she tore off the tissue paper, placing it back in the blue gift bag. Then she focused on the thing in her hands. It was a miniature Ferris wheel on a wooden stand. Well, not miniature like a little figurine, but small enough to be considered miniature compared to a real Ferris wheel.

Jeremiah leaned closer, pointing to the gift. "It's a Ferris wheel for pictures," he told her. "I thought you'd like it to display memories from this summer. Or from past summers or really any time." He paused, meeting Amber's gaze. "Or you could put pictures of me in it," he suggested, his tone a little more teasing and quieter as a smirk turned to the corners of his lips. Then his voice went back to its normal volume. "The pictures go on the sides of each cart."

"Thanks, Jere," Amber replied with a smile.

Next to give her a gift was Aiden. He slid a box across the table to his sister. She opened it and found inside a crystal ball. The image displayed in the clear globe-looking object was the Gemini constellation—her sign. She thanked her brother and then moved onto Belly's present for her, which was in a medium-sized, sparkly purple bag.

It was quite heavy, which made her curious. Taking out what was in it, Amber held onto one singular book and a three-book box set. Belly had gotten her Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter and The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black. They were books that she'd been meaning to pick up from the local bookstore back home, but she just hadn't found the time. Her gratitude was sent her best friend's way, and she got a smile and "You're welcome" in return.

Steven rushed to give her his bag next. He had his usual sweet smile on his somewhat baby face due to his soft features as Amber pulled out two more books. She guessed Belly and Steven had more in common than their parents. The two books—that she would be adding to her to-be-read list—that Steven had gotten her were You're History: The Twelve Strangest Women in Music by Lesley Crow and Mythology: An Illustrated Journey into Our Imagined Worlds by Christopher Dell. She was really surprised that Steven had gotten her two nonfiction books, but she was appreciative nonetheless.

Susannah was up next, and the mother of her ex handed a small box to Steven, who then handed it to Jeremiah, who finally passed it to the girl it was for. She opened the box, and her eyes caught onto a cameo locket with an angel on it. Behind the angel, the color was light blue, and the angel was sitting with her chin resting in her hand. "Oh, it's beautiful, Susannah," Amber gaped, staring down at the locket before she met the woman's gleaming eyes.

"It was mine when I was younger and a deb," the sweet woman admitted, her bright smile shining on her face as she placed her elbows on the table. "I thought you might like to have it."

"Thank you," Amber replied, feeling a small peg at the heart at the reminder of being a deb. But she didn't let the gratefulness fall off her face, and she looked back down at the locket, rubbing her thumb over it. Once she looked back up and had closed the necklace box, she saw Laurel offering a closed-lipped grin that softened her expression.

The woman handed Amber a box and said, "I hope you like it." Lifting the lid of the box, the teenager's gaze landed on a patterned porcelain oval-shaped dish with a matching lid. "It's a vintage jewelry holder," Laurel explained. "I guess me and Beck had the same idea to give you something from our youth." She glanced over at her best friend with a smile, who returned it. "I remember finding that and thought I had discovered treasure," she added, reminiscing on her past.

Amber studied the holder she held and wondered why Laurel hadn't saved it for Belly and given it to her for her birthday that was approaching. Not that she wasn't grateful; she was entirely grateful, but she just thought that it would be something she would want to give her daughter. No matter her thoughts, Amber found the eyes of the woman, who was like another mother to her, and offered a smile. "Thank you, Laurel."

The silence that fell over the table was nothing short of awkward. Amber had no more presents to open, and no one had anything to say. She and Conrad shared short glances in each other's direction every so often, but quickly looked away when they caught each other's gaze.

Then Susannah cleared her throat. "Am, Connie, what'd you two do all day while we were gone?" She asked with her usual smile, seeming interested in whatever answers the two would have, like she was expecting a specific reply.

Amber hoped she hadn't expected them to get along while home alone. That was surely not going to happen any time soon. She thought back to what had almost happened, and her face heated, realizing that her and Conrad had been close to getting more than just along. Her eyes met his and lingered as she felt everyone else focusing on them. "Nothing," she said, still staring at Conrad. Then she thinned her lips in a somewhat smile and faced Susannah. "It was a very boring and uneventful day."

"Yeah," Conrad added. "It was very boring and uneventful." He nodded, looking between his mom and Amber with a not-so-convincing expression on his face. Then he smugly smiled at Amber. "All Rebel did was sulk and swim." He looked down at his plate with a shrug, the smugness falling off his face. "And tried to drown herself in the process," he muttered, though it was quite loud enough for everyone to hear. Loud and completely unnecessary.

Amber scowled at him while everyone looked at her with slightly wider eyes, pity and worry filling their gazes. She had not tried to drown herself, actually. Conrad was just dramatic.

He seemed to realize her glaring at him, and he looked up, seeming almost regretful of his words, like he'd just realized what he'd said. "Amb—" he began, throwing up his hands, but she scooted her chair back and stood up before he could even finish. Then she practically stormed towards and up the stairs, leaving her presents behind as she went straight to her room.

God, she hated him!

"Conrad, why would you say that?" Susannah asked with bewilderment in her tone, looking at her son across the table with disapproval. Everyone else stared at the boy as well, all shocked by his words. "You know that Amber is going through a hard time."

"We all go through hard times, Mom," he replied. Then he copied Amber's movements of pushing back her chair and standing up, only he stormed off towards the back door, not the stairs. He opened the door and went outside, shutting the door a little harder than he should've.

Nicole was quick to follow him, and Aiden got up to go check on Amber.

And there were Susannah, Laurel, Belly, Jeremiah, and Steven, alone and sitting at the table of the ruined celebration that was covered in empty plates, leftover food and cake, and each and every one of Amber's presents. Conrad was outside, probably smoking weed and sulking to himself as Nicole tried to get him to open up to her despite him refusing, and Amber was in her room, sitting in angered silence as Aiden tried to cheer her up. Both of them had their minds on a mixture of feelings—annoyance, anger, sadness, regret, and longing—though neither would rather die than admit to any of them. Especially when they were about each other.

Conrad hated how he had hurt her. Amber hated it too.

Happy fucking birthday! They both thought, wanting to scoff and roll their eyes.

━━━━━

━━━━ ella's speaking !
i took such long breaks when writing this chapter, it's crazy 😭 that's why i started it in october of 2023 & only finished it in may of 2024

i've rewritten this book so many times, and i've still never published past chapter five, but here i am, finally!! and if this chapter actually sucks, i'm sorry 😔

make sure to comment and vote!

kisses.

━━━━━━━━━━ rebel sun,
© -LOSTGARDENS, june 2024

word count: 6007   written: 10.25.23-5.19.24   published: 6.21.24