Dear Journal, it's the night before the debutante ball, and I'm beyond nervous. Like I think I might throw up, that's how freaked out I am.

It also doesn't help that I found out Jeremiah and Belly kissed almost two weeks ago. Yeah, had to act cool when that bomb was dropped.

He said they aren't dating but are taking it slow, so the hope I had that maybe he liked me has crashed and burned. It's not like I have a massive crush on him.

But with the flirting, my naive ass thought it meant something. I was wrong, as always. Guess the universe just wants me to be miserable.

And even though this means I'll forever be in the friend zone, at least I have another friend and potential friends. To top it all off, Lindsey had a shitty night the other day.

Some drama went down and her "friends" (using the term loosely) ditched her. After they went skinny dipping, luckily, they were decent enough to leave her things.

But they took Belly's and Taylor's (the girls she was with.) stuff, Lindsey's beyond pissed at Nicole and Gigi. I have a feeling she's going to call them out tomorrow night.

I can't say that I blame her, besides all of that, I just want this night to be perfect for her. I've been practicing nonstop on my dancing, and I'm kind of excited for our parents to watch.

Anyway, it's midnight and I'll need all the sleep I can get. So wish me luck.

Matt set his journal aside, making sure the right alarm was set, and drifted off to sleep. Morning came and he got dressed, there would be no distractions today.

He had to eat breakfast, go with his dad to pick up his tux, and coast for the rest of the day. Before heading to the country club, and rehearsing the group dance.

Matt went downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a box of cinnamon toast crunch, milk, and a bowel. His dad sipping on his usual coffee. "Ready for tonight kiddo?" He asked.

"Yeah, a little nervous though." The teen answered honestly.

Daniel waved him off, "You'll do great Matt, you've been practicing for months."

Matt gave him a small smile, "Thanks Dad."

The older man took a sip of his coffee, "Alright, finish your cereal and we can go pick up your tux."

Matt hummed in acknowledgement and finished his breakfast, then the two of them drove to the tux rental place. They picked up his outfit and took it back to the house.

He went up to his room, hearing a familiar ring tone, Lindsey was FaceTiming him. He answered, "Hey bestie."

Lindsey smiled, "Hey bestie, say hi to Abuela." The girl panned the phone over to the woman who gasped excitedly.

"Matthew! ¿Cómo estás mi querido?" She asked.

"Hola abuela, estoy bien. ¿Cómo estás?" Matt answered.

She smiled, "Good. That's good. Would you and your parents like to join us for dinner tomorrow night?"

Matt rubbed the back of his neck, "I'll have to ask them first, but I'd love to Abuela."

She clapped her hands together, "Está bien, dile a tu mamá y a tu papá que les dije hola."

"Por supuesto, hasta luego abuela." Lindsey panned the phone back to her and walked away. Matt assumed she was heading to her room.

"Did you get your tux yet? Cause I've got my dress, and I look freaking amazing." She said, marveling at her dress off camera.

Matt nodded his head, "Yeah I did, I've gotta take it to the club soon, rehearse with the guys a little, and then we're right as rain."

"Sweet, I'm honestly really excited for tonight, screw Nicole and Gigi! I'm gonna have a good time tonight!" The girl exclaimed.

"Hell yeah you are! We're both gonna have a lot of fun!" Both teens laughed.

Lindsey bid him farewell, "I've gotta go, but I'll see you tonight. Bye Matt."

"Bye Linds, see you soon." Matt hung up the phone and decided to watch something, maybe he'd check out that new Netflix series.
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Jeremiah helped Belly pack the last few things in the trunk, noticing how she was nervous. "Don't be nervous. We're gonna be the best waltzers out there."

Belly shook her head, "No, it's... it's not that." She replied.

"What? You nervous about seeing the girls?" Just thinking about what Nicole and Gigi did boiled Jeremiah's blood.

Belly explained, "No, I mean, everyone must know what happened by now. They all probably hate me."

"Want me to come with? I could be your hairstylist/bodyguard." Jeremiah, always the protector, Belly loved the sweet gesture.

Belly shook her head a giggle on the tip of her tongue, "No, you can't be in the green room. It's girl's-only."

The boy encouraged, "Listen, Belly, you've got this all right?"

He continued, "I'll be right by your side the whole night. And if anybody gives you shit I will..."

Belly was amused, "You'll do what?"

Jeremiah smiled, "I'll be like, 'Yo, that's not cool at all'."

She hummed before laughing, "Mm-hmm."

He pulled her close, taking a hold of her hand and twirling her, "I'll grab your hand, and we'll dance away from everybody."

He laid a gentle kiss upon her lips, saying goodbye and to drive safe, then heading back inside. The butterflies didn't last long when Steven jumped out of his car.

"What the freak? Are you kidding me? You and Jeremiah?" He exclaimed.

Great, the last thing she needed was a famous Steven freak out. "It just happened." She said.

"W.. When? What, just now?" 'Here we go.'

"Like, a.. a week ago." She answered.

He pretended to gag, god was he dramatic as hell, "Oh, oh my god, and you guys were, like, wh... like, what, like, sneaking around, keeping it a secret from me this whole time?"

Belly raised her voice, "This has nothing to do with you, Steven."

"Oh, my god, are you guys, like, a couple?" He questioned.

Her eyes widened, "No! No, I don't, I don't know. We just... we.. we just kissed a few times."

"Just a f... wait, wait, wait, wait. So.. So what about Conrad?" She really didn't want to have this conversation right now.

Belly tilted her head, wearing an annoyed expression, "What about him?"

"Uh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you've been, like, goo-goo gaga over him since you were ten." Steven pointed out.

"Well, I'm not ten anymore." She stated.

Steven scoffed, "Yeah, not far from it."

Now that made her laugh, "Really? Because Shayla's my age, which makes her a kid, too, and that makes you a dirtbag."

She argued further, making her point, "Oh, and you know who else is my age? Taylor. You hypocrite."

Steven waved his invisible white flag, "Yeah, okay, okay, okay. Okay, I get it. I just don't want things to get all screwed up."

"All right, come on, they're like our family, Belly. This affects, like, more than just you." She had to admit, he had a fair point.

But Belly stood her ground, "I know. But you don't get a say in who I date. I get to pick, and I pick Jeremiah. You're just gonna have to trust me."

With that, she walked to the driver's side door, climbed in, and drove away. She didn't need her brother telling her who she can and can't kiss.

He's not the relationship police, considering how he almost screwed up his own by hooking up with her best friend.
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Steven walked into the house, finding Jeremiah in the living room, snooping through the door to the drawing room looking at his mom's paintings.

"Hey." He said, startling the other boy.

Jeremiah turned around, "Yo, what's up?"

The brunet could tell he was angry, but didn't know what about. "You couldn't bother to tell me you were hooking up with my sister?"

Jeremiah's eyes widened, "She told you?"

Steven's nostrils flared, "No, I saw you guys kissing."

Jeremiah chuckled nervously, "Y.. You're not gonna beat me up, are you?"

The raven haired boy crossed his arms, "Oh, I'm really thinking about it."

Jeremiah remained calm, "Listen, Steven, I.. I really like her."

"Dude, you like a lot of people." Steven pointed out.

Jeremiah got defensive, "Have you seen me hooking up with any guy or girl this summer?"

"Yes, dude, I saw you making out with that guy at Nicole's party." The teen almost forgot about that. But that was beside the point.

"Okay, but that was, like, a month ago. Listen, Steven, I would never do anything to ever hurt her. I swear. Come on, it's Belly." He replied.

Steven sighed, "Well, you still should've told me."

Jeremiah agreed with him, "I should have. I'm sorry."

Steven grimaced, "God, just, don't do that stuff in front of me." To which Jeremiah laughed.
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Lindsey made sure her hair was perfect, not a single strand out of place, definitely not bothering. To make eye contact with Nicole or Gigi. Or else she would say something she'd later regret.

But if they were to say anything to her, she'd give them a piece of her mind. She wasn't some shy little girl who'd run to mommy or daddy when people were being mean to her.

She touched up on her makeup, triple checking if everything was blended, the last touch was her abuela's emerald necklace. Her mother gave it to her for her quinceanera.

Lindsey promised she would guard it with her life, she clasped it behind her neck, admiring herself in the mirror. Tonight would be perfect.

The teen looked beside her, Shayla sitting next to her, "Girl, you look amazing." She complimented.

Shayla turned to her, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Thank you darling, you look stunning as well."

Lindsey blushed, "Thanks, I wonder how Matt's doing, he's probably freaking out."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. He most likely wants this night to be all about you. Which is incredibly sweet of him." She wasn't wrong, Matt was a stage five worrier.

By the way he planned every little detail was one of the many things she loved about him. He was her sunshine and she was his midnight rain.

They complimented each other well, and neither could imagine their lives without the other. Everyone assumed they'd get married as adults, proving them wrong, her and Matt have remained close friends.

She loved Matt like he was her brother, and him like she was his sister, for crying out loud they've been best friends since second grade. Dealing with so many curveballs life through their way.

Turning her head, she noticed Belly talking to Nicole, deciding to listen to them. "I've had a crush on Conrad for, like, my whole life, and he's always just seen me as.. as his little sister."

"And then I thought that, this summer, maybe he could like me back. But the thing is, what he liked was that I liked him." Belly said.

"And I'm sorry I was stupid enough to think that he ever could." She finished. Man, Conrad wasn't as great as she thought.

Nicole nodded her head, "It's not your fault Conrad's a f****boy."

"But you're kind of a f****girl, too. Cam, Conrad, now Jeremiah. You're playing with a lot of hearts, Belly."

Belly sheepishly replied, "Okay, maybe I was being a little f****girl-ish, but I.. I swear to you, Nicole, I am completely over Conrad. Like, so, so over him."

Lindsey did have to admit, she agreed with Nicole, it seemed like Belly was playing with a lot of people's emotions.

She couldn't imagine doing that to anyone. Platonic or romantic relationships. "No one ever really gets over their first love."

'That's true, but you learn to heal and start anew.' Is what her abuelo told her once.

She turned away, checking the time on her phone, it was almost time for the debutantes to present. She gathered herself and stood up, getting ready to walk with other girls.

All of a sudden she felt someone tap her shoulder, turning to see one of the girls she swore to avoid. Nicole, all she could do was roll her eyes internally.

"Linds.." She tried to say but Lindsey cut her off.

She crossed her arms, "Only my friends call me that."

Nicole winced, "I deserve that, and I don't really have any excuse to justify what I did. I was pissed off, but at the wrong people."

Lindsey stared at her in annoyance, "No shit sherlock, save your apology for someone who cares."

The brunette scoffed, "You did it because of a boy. But it's whatever, I don't care, we're not friends. Friends don't do that. Belly and Taylor didn't deserve it either."

"I understand, and I'm sorry Lindsey." After a moment of silence Lindsey spun on her heels and went over to Shayla to hang with her before they had to go.
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Matt fiddled with the cuff links on his suit, wondering, two things, one, he looked damn good. And two how the hell did he get here? To be fair, the situation was of his own making.

He wondered how Lindsey was doing, he hoped she didn't plan some evil scheme. Not to go full on Carrie, that'd be insane to say the least.

Though he wouldn't not follow along if she did plot something, especially since those girls were two faced. And he wasn't very fond of them.

He pocketed the idea of talking to later, he smiled when Jeremiah and Steven showed up, feeling better about having people he knew there. Instead standing in the corner like a wallflower.

The three of them went over the escort dance, Matt swore to the high heavens his nerves wouldn't interfere. Or else he'd crawl into a hole and die if he screwed up and never look Lindsey in the eye again.

"Hey, you guys ready for the escort dance?" The boys looked to see Conrad stepping into the room.

Matt hid his feelings of disdain for the older Fisher brother, he was after all the cause and effect of recent events. So he gave him a curt nod, walking over to his phone to play a game.

Putting in his earbuds. He headed out the room not wanting to intrude on whatever conversation they were gonna have. Peeking around the corner he saw his parents mingling.

His dad looked very suave in his suit, his short hair swooped to the side. And his mom in her sparkly navy dress. She looked absolutely radiant.

He saw them make their way to LIndsey's parents, he smiled, they were good friends, and came together because of their kids. As most adults do.

He snapped a photo, sending it to Lindsey. "Look at the adults socializing." He said.

Seeing the text bubbles pop up, "Awww they're so cute!" She replied.

Matt chuckled, "Are you ready? I've been waiting forever and I'm starving? 😫"

"Same, lucky for us, abeula made some homemade churros and they're at my house." Man, did churros sound delicious.

Soon Jeremiah, Steven, and Conrad came out. It was time to present the girls, all of the boys lined up, he was standing behind Steven.

Listening to Paige as she rattled off names and hobbies. After Steven and Shayla went, his eyes met Lindsey's, she looked gorgeous, she mouthed 'breathe'.

He took a deep breath, as Paige spoke again. "Lindsey Bryant, daughter of Augustine and Elena Bryant."

He met Lindsey halfway, smiling at her as she looped her arm around his, "Lindsey studies at Brooks Public High School and is an advocate for underprivileged minorities at the Westford foundation."

"She raised six thousand dollars for the National Suicide Prevention Association at this year's Play It Forward." Paige said.

He led Lindsey down the steps to the table her parents along with his were at, she let go of his arm and curtsied, then turned. Letting them both face the other teens.

"It is my honor to introduce this year's Cousins Beach Country Club debutantes."

Everyone applauded, Matt squeezed Lindsey's hand as a way to say good job. His eyes followed as Jeremiah went across the dance floor. He could see the other escorts gathering.

Meaning only one thing, it was time to dance. Leaving Lindsey he joined the other boys. They got into position while Paige started up the music. Jeremiah came back in time.

"And now introducing this year's debutante escorts." As the crowd cheered the music began to play, Matt did what he practiced immensely for.

Soon the dance ended, and Matt had a blast, out of breath by the time the song was over but worth it nonetheless. He ran towards his parents who were grinning from ear to ear.

He hugged them both, Isla kissed the top of his head, and Daniel whispering praises into his ear. "Matt, I don't care what you say, you're a great dancer." Lindsey told him.

"¡Excelente niño!" Augustine exclaimed.

Matt blushed, "Thank you Mr. Bryant." There was a pause where the teens mingled, mainly with their respective families. But once again they had to set up for another dance.

It was a waltz, Lindsey whispered to him, "Remember don't look down, and count that way you stay on beat. We got this."

Matt made sure to repeat the step count, and the dance began once the classical music played. It wasn't long, once it was done Lindsey was beaming. That made him so happy.

A loud commotion interrupted any further joy, everyone whipped their heads towards it, Matt saw Jeremiah and Conrad on the floor. Fighting, as Belly stood there watching.

Susannah rushed over, shouting at them to stop, they scrambled off the ground, "What is going on?" She asked, her boys never fought like that in public.

"We know, Mom. We both know." Conrad replied.

He watched on, confused, what did Conrad mean? Matt had never seen Jeremiah that angry before. But that's where the night ended as all of them left.

The mood of the room shifted, Matt, his parents, Lindsey and her family went out to dinner since they were starving and hors d'oeuvres weren't going to hold the group over.

Matt tried not to think or worry about his friend, he knew if it was serious or he needed to vent he'd text him.

Having dinner with abuelo and abuela was really nice especially since they haven't seen them in a while.

Once Matt got home he was spent, slugging off his suit jacket, thankful that he had to return it the next day.

He flopped onto his bed sighing, only having his eyes closed for a few seconds. When he heard his phone ding, he groaned.

It was most likely Lindsey, the teen grabbed his phone to see who messaged him. It wasn't Lindsey, but Jeremiah. "Hey Matt, are you up?" He asked.

Matt rubbed his eyes, sleep was just beyond his reach. "Yeah, what's up? Are you okay?"

"I found out something about my Mom. And I don't know what to do, or who to talk to." Jeremiah replied.

"What happened, does it have to do with your fight with Conrad?" He watched as the text bubbles appeared and disappeared.

"Sort of. I don't know. She has cancer. Conrad and I begged her to do a trial which she gave into. But I'm still afraid of losing her." Matt's heart sunk into the pit of his stomach.

"I'm so sorry Jere, whatever you need, I'm here. Do you want to meet up tomorrow or Sunday." Matt questioned.

"I'm gonna spend the day with my Mom. If you're not busy on Monday, we could hang out and talk then." Jeremiah suggested.

"Yeah that's totally okay. Monday it is, and I'm sorry to do this but I'm ready to collapse." Matt said, feeling bad about leaving him hanging.

Jeremiah apologized, "No, you're fine, I'm sorry for texting you so late."

Matt waved him off, "It's alright, Jeremiah, text me if you need anything. I'll see you soon. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Matt, see you later." Matt closed his messages and tried closing his eyes once more. His thoughts were swirling.

It took a few hours for him to stop tossing and turning. He hoped everything would be okay. His friend needed him, obviously he'd help him at the drop of a hat.

And Matt would always be there for his friends or family. He was only a phone call away.

As Jane Austen notably said; "It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End Of Act One
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