EVA WAS COOKING PANCAKES WHILE LISTENING ONE OF HER FAVORITE SONG. She sang softly as she was cooking and Jeremiah's hand on her shoulders made her jump.

"God, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry." he laughed and looked at her outfit. "Isn't that my hoodie?" he asked.

"Uh... yeah. Sorry. I forgot to give it back so I kept it. I can give it back to you if you-"

"No, no, it's okay." Jeremiah smiled. "It looks good on you. You can keep it."

     He then noticed the song which was playing and he laughed.

"Still listening to Bon Jovi?"

"Always listening to Bon Jovi." she corrected him. "Everyone should appreciate Bon Jovi and their art."

      The chorus started and he grabbed her hand to spin her.

"Ooh, ooh, I was dancing with the Queen of New Orleans." he started to sing and she laughed.

      He placed his hands on her hips and she giggled as she let him guide her.

"Ooh, ooh, I was dancing in the streets of New Orleans!" they sang together. "Ooh, ooh, dancing cheek to cheek in New Orleans!"

      She put her arms around his neck and they turned together, still laughing.

"Ooh, ooh, it was almost like a dream!"

"What are you doing?"

      They jumped and pulled away when they saw Conrad at the entrance to the kitchen who was staring at them with a frown.

"We were just dancing." replied his brother.

"Okay." the boy said suspiciously as he sat down.

"Um, do you want pancakes?" Eva asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sure."

"Here." she said, slipping him a plate before starting to cook again.

"Thanks, Ev."

      The mothers soon arrived, along with Steven and Louis.

"It smells good!" Louis exclaimed.

"Not like you." replied his sister, wrinkling her nose. "Jeez, when was your last shower?"

"I went to the pool yesterday, it's the same." said the boy.

"You are disgusting." Eva said.

"Go take your shower, Lou." Caroline told him, rolling her eyes.

"Morning, everyone!" suddenly exclaimed Belly, entering the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" everyone yelled, and Eva noticed that Conrad was the only one to stay quiet.

      Everyone came to hug Belly and she smiled. Since they were babies, they celebrated Belly's birthday at Cousins, like the twins' birthday which took place a few weeks later, on the Fourth of July. It was always a special day and when they were little, their older brother Jimmy used to tell them that the fireworks were in their honor.

     They quickly decided to open the presents because Belly wasn't hungry. They all sat down in the living room and Belly took a seat on the sofa to open her mother's present.

"It's a first edition." Laurel said when Belly saw the book. "I got it from a rare book dealer."

"Thanks, mom."

"Turn to the bookmarked page. It's your favorite poem." the Concklin told Susannah.

"Oh yeah!" Belly exclaimed, reading the page. "I remember Susannah teaching us to recite this. 'For whatever we lose...'"

"'Like a you or a me, it's always ourselves we find in the sea.'" everyone said together.

"Thank you. I love it." Belly smiled.

"You're welcome."

"Okay. Open mine, Belly." Suz said, giving her the gift.

"Oh wow. They're gorgeous. Thank you, Susannah." Belly chuckled while Jeremiah and Eva were trying to see what it was.

"My mom gave me these pearls for my sweet sixteen." Suzie told her, putting the pearls on her. "I gave Eva the bracelet for her birthday. It's your turn now."

"We match!" smiled the brunette showing her her wrist.

      The two girls laughed as they clapped hands and Belly thanked Susannah again. Caroline was next to give her the present. It was the book 'We all looked up' by Tommy Wallach.

"Oh, I heard about this book! I wanted to read it, thank you!"

"You're welcome." smiled Caro.

"My turn." Louis said, giving her his present.

"Thanks."

      She opened the gift and found a scented candle. She sniffed it and smiled.

"Thank you."

"Okay, here's mine." Eva laughed handing her a very large gift.

"She moved the whole house to do this." Louis mocked.

"Shut up, I'm an artist. You can't understand." his sister retorted.

      Belly laughed as she opened the present. She gasped when she saw a huge painting with a large drawing of the two of them in the middle of the canva, which Eva had made using a photo taken last summer, and all around the drawing were several small objects or photos that recalled particular memories that they had lived together since their meeting.

"Oh my God." Belly said in shock. "This is amazing. It must have taken you so long!"

"Two months." the girl confessed. "But I like the result."

"This is really pretty, Evy." Susannah congratulated. "Are you still planning to applied for an art college?"

"I would like to." the brunette nodded.

"That's great. You have talent."

"You really do." Belly smiled and hugged her best friend. "Thank you so much, I love it."

      Eva smiled and Jeremiah put a hand on her back, smiling at her.

"Oh! I'm next!" he exclaimed, holding his gift to the youngest girl.

"Thank you." she laughed.

"It's a good-luck charm to help you pass your driving test." he told her when she saw the little accessory.

"Perfect! Thank you."

"Think fast, Belly!" Steven yelled.

      He tossed the present to her and everyone laughed at Belly's shocked face. She shook her head, amused, and opened the package. It was a hoodie from the Princeton's college.

"Wow, Steven, I can't believe you actually spent money on me."

"Relax. I just didn't want you stealing mine next year when I get in."

"I didn't know you were still considering Princeton." Laulel said.

"You know, I think I'm gonna apply for some scholarships and Dad thinks I can get some financial aid. I- I don't know, I'll see if I get in."

"Okay, um..." Laurel started.

"Conrad, uh, do you want to give Belly your present?" Susannah asked to change the topic.

      Everyone turned to look at him but he didn't move.

"Sorry, I forgot."

      Eva frowned. How could he have forgotten? They celebrated it every year, and Conrad was always the first to wish it to Belly.

"Oh, uh... that's cool. I wasn't really expecting anything anyway, so..." the girl said, but Eva could tell she was sad.

      There was an awkward silence and Conrad got up.

"I gotta go. I promised Cleveland that I'd show him some knots today, so... Happy birthday, Belly." he said, walking away.

      Jeremiah and Eva exchanged a look, not knowing what to say, and the boy tried to make Belly smile.

"Hey. Why don't we take my car and practice driving before we have to pick up Taylor from the bus station?"

"Sure."

      Everyone went back to their activities and Belly and Jer took the boy's car to pick up Belly's best friend.

"Wanna come with us, Eva?" Jeremiah asked her.

     She smiled and nodded, following them to the car.

☆

"Twenty bucks she calls you 'Jeremy' again." Belly said while they were waiting at the bus station.

"I don't- I think she learned from last time." the boy answered.

"You think? That's how she flirts with you."

     Eva forced a smile. She really liked Taylor and she knew she didn't really want to date Jeremiah, it was more of a game for her, but it was still annoying her.

"Here she comes!" Jeremiah exclaimed when the blonde girl got off the bus.

     The two girls screamed, hugging each other, and Eva smiled. She was missing Gaby.

"Belly, you little tart."

"What?"

"You finally took my advice. This outfit is snatched."

"Oh my God, Taylor."

"Isn't Belly looking like a snack?" the blonde asked the two others.

"Always." Jeremiah laughed while Eva smiled.

"Eva, you hot bitch." Taylor said approaching her to hug her. "You didn't tell me you were even hotter than last summer."

"Thanks... I guess?" Eva answered, hugging her back.

"Here, let me get your bag." Jeremiah told Taylor.

"Thank you. You're such a gentleman, Jeremy."

"Of course."

"Uh, it's Jeremiah, not Jeremy." Belly said.

"I like Jeremy better."

"Uh, should we head home?" he asked.

"Oh, actually, can we make a stop first?" Taylor asked.

☆

     A few minutes later, the three girls were sharing a big donut.

"I would literally eat this every day if I could." Taylor said in relief.

"Me too."

"Okay." the girl said giving her friend a gift. "Open your present."

     Belly opened the bag and showed a beautiful purple bikini.

"I think it'll look so hot on you." Taylor added.

"It's really pretty." Eva nodded.

"Do you like it?"

"Belly would never wear that." Jeremiah chuckled and Eva nudged him.

"Actually, I really like it." Belly told him. "Thank you, Taylor."

"You're welcome. Okay, so, what's the plan for tonight? Where's the party?"

"Well, Susannah always plans a big lobster dinner."

"Boring. No. It's your sixteenth birthday. We have to go out." Taylor replied.

"No, no, no, these dinners are really, really fun. And Susannah had the idea to make it Midsommar themed, so she got flower crowds especially made for us and everything."

"Don't you think you should spend your birthday with people your own age?" Taylor asked.

"I am. You and Eva are here."

"Hello? Am I invisible?" Jeremiah intervened and Eva giggled.

"And I guess Steven."

"Cam's coming too."

"Yay! I'm so excited to meet the guy who finally got you to take your eyes off of you know who."

"Taylor." Belly said.

"What?"

"I have an idea." Jeremiah said, breaking up the silence. "We can go to Nicole's big blowout at her place tonight. Maybe after dinner."

"Yes! Who's Nicole?"

"She's my big sister for the deb ball." Belly smiled. "She's super nice and just super cool and fun and-"

"I'm like melting right now." Taylor cut her off. "Can we go back home? I want to change into my bikini and jump in the pool."

"Sure."

     They got up from the picnic table and Jeremiah opened the door for Taylor and Eva while Belly went to throw the donut package in the trash.

"Thank you." the brunette told him.

"Anytime you need." he smiled back.

— acting like a couple but not being a couple, this is jeremiah and eva