𝐏𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓? They were so good that Cora Finley was now giggling and staring at Isabel Conklin with hearty eyes. Cora wasn't exactly sure what possessed her to drink so much alcohol, she never really enjoyed it due to her being a lightweight and not being able to drink that much. But for some reason, the girl thought it would be a good idea to have 4 margaritas. No one in the group truly even cared and that hurt Cora more than the alcohol that slide down her throat. She quickly downed her 5th margarita and belly stumbled in the sand and fell onto Cora's lap. The two girls made eye contact and if it weren't for Felix, they probably would have kissed. Felix understood Cora's boundaries and knew he shouldn't have intervened in her romantic life, but he also knew the amount of regret she would have if she were to kiss Belly in front of everyone in Cousins.

"I think we should get some water for you girls and head back up," Theo said as he grabbed the drunken girl's hands and led them up the beach, following the rest of the group

"Why," Belly whined as she stumbled into Cora and Cora protectively wrapped Belly into her arms, making sure the shorter girl didn't fall.

"Because you've had too much to drink and we don't need you doing anything you'll regret. Especially when Cora isn't on good terms with our group, we don't need anything else fucked up," Theo spoke softly as he brushed his hands through Cora and Belly's hair, calming the now upset girls down

"Okay," belly mumbled as she leaned her head against Cora's shoulder and tried to stay awake in her drunken state

________________

Rosilvia was someone who always praised themselves. That's why she always assured herself that she was great at everything. Especially when it came to drink making. That girl really could make drinks and it was evident as she added the finishing touches to her margarita glass. She had already finished pierces and just glancing at it made her want to smile. She hated that she had to leave them soon. As the time they'd known each other grew, she realized that Pierce was the sweetest person she had ever met. Although she forced herself to see a flaw in them. If their shirt was just a tad bit wrinkled, Rosilvia would glare at it and say something about it. How it didn't look good on them and made it seem like she was joking when she would leave them if they kept having things like that. She wasn't and when Pierce Salvatore found out the truth about Rosilvia Creswell, they would be crushed. And that made Rosilvia want to smile but cry at the same time.

"Ro, hey, are you okay?" Pierce's sweet and caring voice broke her out of her thoughts, already wanting to cry at the thought of hurting the one person who truly cared for her, who wasn't in the squad that was

"Yeah, here's your drink, I'll be down to the beach in a minute," Rosilvia forced a smile onto her face as she felt her chest enclosing slightly. She couldn't hurt them, but she had to.

"Alright," Pierce smiled brightly as they bent down and placed a kiss on the girl's forehead, brushing their hand through her hair before walking away

Rosilvia felt her chest cracking inside her as she turned back around to face the counter, grabbing the margarita mixture and pouring it into her glass. She didn't know why she was so upset over them. She knew the minute she got into a relationship with them that she would have to break them. But as it got closer to the time she planned on doing it, she realized how much she didn't want to. And that alone basically destroyed the young brunette. Her tough exterior was breaking slowly as Amelie Dubois walked into the kitchen.

"Don't hurt them, Rosie. I know that you want to but you can't," Amelie told the girl as she placed her bottle of water on the counter. And those words were the ones to make Ro crack, tears slowly falling down her cheeks

"God I'm so fucking pathetic, I'm upset over some person. I'm Rosilvia Creswell, I don't let people hurt me," She sobbed as she took a seat in a nearby chair and put her face in her hands

"Hunny, it's okay to be upset over them. I see how you look at them and how they look at you, you two are truly made for each other, don't let something you've done in the past destroy you or them," Amelie reassured as she bent down in front of ro and wrapped her in a hug

Ro fell into Amelie's grasp, her sobs and cries stopping. Although the breathing and hiccuping that comes after crying were there and it made Ro feel even more pathetic than before. How could she, Rosilvia Creswell, let someone hurt her so bad that she was crying? Especially when it came to someone she was in love with. Love was a stretch but she was in fact in love with Pierce Salvatore and that was going to break her.

"Fuck, I'm going to ruin my makeup"

_______________

"Hey, sorry I took so long, I made a mess in the kitchen and had to clean it up before Amelie came in and saw it," Ro lied as she sat down in the chair next to Pierce, who had a bright smile on their face. Their girl was finally there.

"Ro, you need to teach me your ways because these margs are amazing," Pierce took a long sip after he finished the sentence. They truly were amazing.

"Margs?" Ro giggled slightly at the attempt to shorten margaritas into something

"Yeah, you know short for margaritas, oh shit now I know what you mean," they joined in on the laughing, realizing how stupid they sounded

"I never really say it but I'm grateful to have you in my life," Ro smiled at her boyfriend, trying to ignore the voice in her head shouting at her to get rid of them

"I'm grateful for you too," They smiled as Ro placed her head in their shoulder and let her eyes shut.

She trusted them and that was enough for them.

_______________

Mattheo Fox wasn't one who fell into love easily. That was until Nicole Richardson entered his life. They had only known each other for a few weeks but it felt like so much more for both of them. Nicole felt the same way for Theo as Theo did for her. It was a weird feeling for both of them, both of them never having that feeling before. It was like they were floating and could just be themselves. Not the person their parents want them to be or the person they force themselves to be. They could just be them. Nic and Theo. Theo and Nic. Sweetheart and Dove. Dove and my love.

"Adi looks really happy out there," Nicole points out as she placed her hand on top of Theo's, their fingers intertwined

"Yeah, yeah she does," A small smile appeared on his face as he looked out into the ocean and saw how his sister was laughing with Fran, Connie, and Jere. She was happy for the first time in a while.

"You seem to really love and care for her, I can't say the same about my siblings," Nicole laughed at the last part of her statement

"Yeah, I do" he said before adding, "I know she can take care of herself but I just feel like the one time I'm not there something will happen and I will never forgive myself if it does. I need her just as much as she needs me,"

"That's understandable, I take care of my siblings because my mom doesn't but from afar because I know if I were to get close, one of them would tell my mom and I can't deal with that shit right now," Nicole picked at the skin around her nails as she spoke, never telling anyone how her mom was or how her siblings were

"You know, I've never told someone that, it feels weird finally admitting how crappy my family is," Nicole let out a depressed laugh as a small tear slipped from her eye and Theo went to wipe it

"Are you okay?" Theo asked, knowing how much it helped when someone asked that

"No, but I will be," Nicole smiled as she leaned over and placed her head on Theo's shoulder, letting her eyes drift shut for a few moments

Theo was finally at peace, and finally happy. Happy for real this time.

_______________

The sound of waves crashing against rocks and sand is what brought peace to Adina Fox. Adi wasn't happy often, definitely not in the last few weeks, but being out here in a quiet and peaceful environment helped her. Being with Jeremiah Fisher helped her. It wasn't often Adi let people into her life, knowing they would leave the minute she lost her cool. But Jeremiah wasn't like that. She felt like he would always be there for her no matter what. That he would never do anything to hurt her. Now she wasn't sure about the last part entirely but she was sure about one thing, Jeremiah Fisher was her comfort. Other people brought her comfort as well, both of them being within feet and yards of her but they didn't bring the comfort Jeremiah did. Jeremiah brought that carefree comfort and feeling while Theo and Fran brought the caring comfort.

"Angel, what are you doing?" Jere laughed slightly as he glanced over at Adi, seeing how her gaze was now focused on nothing in particular

"Just thinking about life, how it got a lot better the minute I met you, how I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now, wait did you call me angel?" Adi's eyes had widened after the realization of him calling her angel, she was anything but an angel

"Uh yeah," Jeremiah replied bluntly, lying down on his board and following Conrad and Fran out to catch a few waves before heading in

"I'm not an angel, if anything I'm the devil or satan," Adi excused, trying to hide her blushing as she followed beside Jeremiah, looking out into the distance to see if she saw a wave

"I disagree, no one could match your level of beauty or angelic qualities," Jeremiah looked over at Adi in aww, his smile bright and his face slightly pink

"Hmm no," Adi finally said before swimming out to catch a wave, seeing fran going after the same wave

"I'll beat you Frannie," Adi yelled to the girl, causing Fran to flinch slightly, but just big enough for Adi to frown

"Okay bet," Fran yelled back as she sped up and got to the wave, seconds before Adi did

"Shit," Adi laughed as she splashed the water and saw the boys coming to her side, all three of them watching Fran get a good tube ride and coming out with a bright smile

If only she was knew what would be happening in a few weeks

________________

Surfing had always been something Francesca Dubois and Conrad Fisher enjoyed. The best friends started surfing together at the young age of 5 and 6, although they had interest in it from day one. It started with slow beginning steps but within a year, the two had been riding waves and doing tricks. It surprised Fran by how much she loved the water when one of the worst days of her life happened to be at the beach. But the love for it just to strong. She started going to the beach weekly, spending weekends at the beach and surfing for hours on end. She wants surprised as she got older that the love for the ocean kept growing.

"Fran, look there's a wave," Conrad pointed out, pointing out into the distance as Fran started swimming over to it

"I'll beat you Frannie," Fran heard Adi yell from a few yards away, causing the girl to flinch ever so slightly. She still wasn't used to yelling.

"Okay bet" She yelled back, making sure she sped up in order to get to the wave quick enough

And turns out luck was in Frans hands as she got to the wave just a few seconds before Adi did. Fran laughed to herself as she pushed herself up on the board and got into the wave. She made sure to change her balance on the board every few seconds, knowing that it she didn't she would end up in the water. It took her 1.6 seconds to get through the wave, which was actually one of her faster times for a bigger wave. She came out of the wave with a loud cheer, seeing that Adi, Conrad, and Jeremiah were also cheering her on. Adi swam over to the girl and wrapped her in a hug before pushing her into the water. Fran fell under the water and for a slight second she started to panic, feeling someone grab her. As she was pulled up to the surface, she realized it was Conrad who had grabbed her.

"sorry I panicked," Fran laughed slightly, trying to hide her fear. She was used to being in water and in the ocean so why was she so scared

"It's fine, I've got you," Conrad reassured as Adi and Jere went to catch other waves

"I just wasn't expecting it so I got scared," Fran laughed at how pathetic it sounded, she had practically lived in the water so why was she so scared over being pushed in it

"That's okay, your allowed to be scared, I still am," Conrad replied, referring to the time Jeremiah had shoved him off a cliff and he fell down into the water, which had ultimately made him panic at the sudden shove and fall.

"God I forgot about that, it feels like so long ago we were all so happy," Fran said as she laid her head on Conrad's shoulder, wanting to feel the comfort he provided her

"yeah, let's head back into shore and go back to the house," Conrad told her as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her board back to them, fran taking it into the arm that was linked around Conrad

The new found terror of the ocean was only going to get worse and Fran had no idea.

__________________

Hazel wasn't entirely sure on why they picked up a new found habit of drinking but they had and it scared them. It wasn't like they hadn't drank anything before but now they were constantly drinking and it would be a lie if they said they weren't scared of it. They could tell how disappointed everyone was in them and that made them even more scared. They had never done well with disappointment and them drinking because they were hurt by Felix wasn't helping them. That's why they had sworn off of drinking, they could drink occasionally but they wouldn't be drinking unless at a party or event. And if no one else was drinking, they also wouldn't be drinking. Taylor had mentioned that maybe only drinking at events and parties would be better for them, which made Hazel come to a realization that Taylor was right. Drinking when everyone else was okay but if no one else was, it made them look bad. And they didn't want to upset anyone or have a bad reputation.

"I love this song," Taylor stated as she downed the rest of her drink and grabbed hazels hand and pulled them to the dance floor

"What is it?" Hazel asked, not recognizing the song

"Shut up and dance! Which is what we are going to do right now," Taylor let out a drunken giggle, stumbling just slightly

"I think you need water," Hazel told Taylor as they removed Taylor's arms from them as walked to grab her some water, knowing her being drunk in front of drone of parents wasn't going to do anyone any good

"Thanks sunshine," Taylor giggled again as she grabbed the bottle from Hazel and took about 5 long sips of it, already feeling less dehydrated.

"Of course love," Hazel mumbled as the song got louder, causing Taylor to fling the water bottle to the side and grab their hands, twirling them around and dancing

"Maybe we should sit down" Hazel told Taylor, seeing how unstable she was on her feet as they danced, both of them jumping up and down and twirling each other around in the grass

"I'm good," Taylor replied, keeping the pair dancing for another 30 minutes

If only Hazel noticed the pair of eyes on them from meters away.

_________________

Matthew Kent was one of those people that fell in love instantly. Xe didn't exactly know why but the minute they met Steven Conklin, he knew, they knew that this was it. This was xyr love and they weren't going to forget them. And Matt didn't forget him. Steven Conklin was someone you couldn't forget and Matt Kent knew that. The minute they became friends on a beach, he already was in love. It didn't matter the age, they were in love and it was very evident as they stared up into the boys eyes. Although Steven was oblivious, everyone knew that, but it still hurt Matt. And thats why xe chose to ignore their feelings and just move on with life. With or without Steven Conklin.

"Heya Sunshine," Stevens's loud and obnoxious voice came within hearing distance of Matt and he wanted to bang their head against a wall. He hadn't talked to Steven since the time he had a panic attack over work and xe weren't exactly prepared to either.

"Hello Steven," The tightness in Matts throat made it hard for him to talk, which anyone could tell as they looked over and saw how much tension was within the pair of teens.

"Steven? No Stevey or Ven? What about moonlight?" Steven asked, getting closed to Matt

"Yeah Steven," Matt said before walking away, they couldn't handle him right now

"Hey, now did I do something because you've been off for days." Steven ran over and grabbed Matt's forearm, the two teens making eye contact immediately after

"No, I just can't do this right now, I'm tired and I just don't have time to mess around right now," Matt excused before once again running away. This time running to Harveens side and practically begging her to hide him

_________________

"Shay, I know you were uncomfortable but ditching them to come up here is really stupid, they can still come up here," Harveen said as she sat down on her bed, seeing Shayla going through her closet

"Hmm see I love you babes, but these clothes aren't fitting your style or personality, it's making you seem like you just want to hide in the corner while everyone else hangs out," Shayla said in the nicest way possible. She couldn't just say Harveens clothes weren't cute, because some of them were but these truly didn't fit her style at all

"Love, my clothes are fine," Harveen tried to hide her grimace but it was hard as she saw what Shayla pulled out for her to wear, "I'm not wearing that"

"Yes you are," Shayla replied, sending the girl to the bathroom to change into a simple dark blue dress

"I look stupid" Harveen groaned as she came back into her room a few minutes later, revealing the beautiful blue dress and her beautiful self. Even if Harveen didn't see it, Shayla did

"No you don't, I think you look beautiful, now let's go show off your dress," Shayla grabbed Harveens hand before she could protest and pulled her downstairs and back to the party.

_________________

Caleb wasn't so sure on when he got back to decent terms with Felix. They had been fighting a few days prior and now they were able to have a conversation without getting in an argument and causing havoc around them. He still wasn't on good terms with Cora, and for good reason. How could she act like that and say that to him? After he had finally felt like someone cared and after he had been there for her for years? He wasn't able to even think of her without wanting to get sick. Once again he had trusted someone and they had hurt him.

"Cay? Are you okay? You just went really pale" Felix asked, his voice wavering in worry as he looked at the boy who had paled and began to stumble slightly

"Uh yeah just a little light headed," Caleb said as he walked shakily past Felix and to the chair by the pool

"Have you eaten today?" Felix asked, noticing that he was shaky and tired

"I had a few bites of breakfast this morning but I was anxious and ended up throwing up after so," Caleb felt ashamed. He knew he should have ate after he threw up but he just didn't and now he was having the effects of it

"Okay, I'm going to run inside and grab your granola bars unless you want something else," Felix told the boy, knowing that the heat would soon make him pass out it he didn't eat something

"Uh yeah the granola bars are fine," Caleb told him, getting nauseous at the thought of being babied and having someone take care of him

Caleb knew he needed someone to take care of him because he was moments from passing out but he still felt terrible about it. Someone shouldn't have to take care of a 17 year old, he should be able to take care of himself. But it was Felix taking care of him and that made Caleb smile.

________________

Cora and belly were drunk and it was evident as they sat upstairs in belly's bedroom. Theo had told them to go up there and while they listened, they grabbed a drink before hand and had downed it within the first 5 minutes of being upstairs. They were drunkenly laughing and talking, letting their bodies be free and while Cora wasn't entirely sure she liked it, she didn't let the thought stay in her mind. Her only focus was Belly. Belly, belly, belly. That's what ran through her mind as belly drunkenly fell on top of the girl and their faces were now just a few inches apart. Cora didn't know why she did what she did, but she leaned forward just slightly.

"Wait are you sure," Belly asked before letting their lips meet, knowing what this would mean for them

"I've been sure since the day I met you," Cora slurred just slightly, still quite tipsy, before leaning in and letting their lips meet

That kiss she shared with Hazel a few weeks prior was nothing compared to this kiss. It was soft and sweet, not rough or fast. It was slow and easy, allowing both girls to realize what was happening and see if they liked it. The kiss lasted for a few seconds, belly's hands finding Cora's face before pulling back, in need of air. Cora's face flushed as she smiled brightly, liking the kiss a lot. Before realizing it, she was leaning back in for a quick kiss before pulling the girl up and dragging them downstairs, feeling the need to party and apologize to those she's done wrong.

__________________

The Dubois siblings found themselves entering the beach house at the same time. Fran needed to change out of the swimsuit she was in and Caleb still didn't feel well so he thought laying down would help. As they entered, they heard an aggressive sound from behind them but ignored it. Multiple people there had been drunk so they wouldn't be surprised if an argument broke out behind them. Caleb looked behind him to see if anything was happening but nothing was there. No one was arguing behind them, meaning the aggressive sound could have just been their imagination or his at least. Fran wasn't the type to have a big imagination or hallucinate something like Caleb was. The two twins separated as they went into their rooms. Fran quickly grabbed a red dress and changed into it, brushing out her hair and fixing her makeup and face paint. She could bear a loud gasp from Caleb's room and out of worry, she rushed to his room, not even bothering to knock as she entered. Caleb was holding an envelope in his hand and another paper in his hand.

"What is that? Did something happen?" Fran asked, her voice full of worry as she quickly walked over to Caleb and saw what was in his hand

"Is he serious? He got us plane tickets to Paris, Paris?" Fran was in shock, she hadn't expected a gift from Felix, and especially a gift so big. She felt tears rise in her eyes at the thought of returning to her home and being able to relax in the place in which she was born.

"I thought he didn't get us anything..." Caleb said with a frown before letting his smile takeover at the thought of being in Paris again

"We need to go thank him," Fran told her brother as she ran back to her room, grabbed hers off of the pillow, and ran downstairs with her brother

As the twins made it downstairs, they heard some sort of banter coming from outside. As they walked outside, a very upset Felix and Hazel. Caleb couldn't hear much of their argument, seeing as they were trying to keep it quiet so no one saw. Although many people had their eyes on the arguing teens. Hazel had tears rolling down her face as she argued with Felix, his face contorted in anger. If Caleb wasn't so in love with the boy, he would say he was scared of him right now. Hazel had flinched multiple times within the time the twins were out there and it made Fran want to punch Felix. He had the right to be mad but after he was the one who started this shit, he has no right to get upset at Hazel or anyone else for the tension within the group. He was the one who went to Cora and started all of this shit. And from what Fran heard, Felix had been playing the victim in a way.

And while Fran was ecstatic about the plane tickets, she wasn't exactly wanting to be friends with Felix at the moment. And the one thing that was worse was Caleb was starting to feel the same way.

__________________

Felix didn't completely understand why he was so mad seeing Hazel drink. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen it before. But them drinking really made him mad, especially now after everything. Felix thought the drinking would stop after their last encounter but seeing as Hazel was now getting drinking with Taylor, they hadn't stopped. Felix didn't know what possessed him as he stormed over to Hazel and pulled them into a corner by the back doors. The action he made scared him as much as it scared Hazel. They obviously had no idea what was happening and seeing Felix so mad made them even more scared.

"Why are you drinking?" Felix asked, anger evident in his tone

"It's a party? I don't need a babysitter Fe, I am okay just on my own," Hazel told him as they pulled their arm from Felix's grasp

"Last time I checked we are friends and friends are there for each other when one of them makes a stupid and idiotic decision, so I'm not babysitting you, I'm being your friend," Felix had more anger in his tone as he spoke again

"We are hardly friends anymore, the only time you've spoke to me in the last few weeks since the argument, which you were the cause of, is to yell at me and basically call me stupid and how I was making mistakes by being friends with Taylor. Well guess what, Taylor isn't just my friend. She's the person I see myself spending the rest of my life with because she is actually there for me and actually cares about me and not just themself. Seem familiar Felix," Hazel snapped as they tried to walk away before their arm was pulled back and they were spun around to face Felix

"What is they supposed to mean? I've always been there for you, I've been trying to help you while I needed help myself. I've lost everything and all of you have left me. I needed you and you left me," Felix rushed out, instantly feeling guilty for playing the victim when he was the cause of everything

"You needed me? You only needed me when you needed someone there for you! I was always there for you and then one day you don't tell me anything and instead tell coraline fucking Finley? I made sure you trusted me and could come to me whenever needed and then you did this. You hurt me, and now your acting like the victim in this entire situation. Yes, you got hurt and your allowed to be but what you and Cora did was wrong and sickening if I'm being honest with you. Caleb trusted you with that information and then you and Cora used it against him. Both of you hurt us and while not everyone is showing it, they are hurt by your actions. You shouldn't have gone to the one person who has undiagnosed anger issues," Hazel ranted, anger now in their tone as they settled down

"You wouldn't have understood! You would have just comforted me when I didn't need any comforting. I needed someone who understood what it was like and you would have just told me to move one and ignore it!" Felix yelled, causing Hazel to flinch just slightly

"I would have tried to and helped you! I've always been there for you! Even when I needed you to be there for me," Hazel told the boy, knowing that would get him to calm down. He hadn't been there for them at all and now with him knowing that he would realize why they were so hurt by his actions and choices

"I didn't realize....I'm so sorry Hazy, you didn't deserve that, I'm so so sorry," Felix stuttered out, feeling very light on his feet now. He couldn't process anything that he had been told. He never knew they felt that way.

"It's fine, can we just move on from this please, it looks like someone wants to talk to you anyway," Hazel told him, moving from where they previous stood to wrap Felix in a quick hug before walking away, knowing a set of blondes wanted to talk to the black haired boy

_________________

Felix was filled with joy as caleb pulled him upstairs and into his room. He was finally on good terms with Hazel and now Caleb had been smiling brightly at him when he walked back to the pool. Felix wasn't exactly sure why the boy had been so happy but seeing a smile on his face was enough to make Felix comply. As they entered Caleb's room, Felix made sure to take notice of anything out of sorts just in case. His room had been pretty organized, which wasn't a surprise knowing how the boy grew up and how he didn't like messes. He had tons of pictures scattered throughout the room, mostly of him and the girls of the Dubois family. A few of the pictures were of Caleb and Felix, which made a smile appear on Felix's face as he sat down on the boy's bed.

"Dear Cay,

I know this seems a little cliche and awkward but I am awkward so it was only a matter of time before I did something like this. Now I know this is probably the last thing you expected to get on your birthday, I mean I definitely don't know why I'm deciding to be all secretive about this. I'm going to be straight up with you, I really like you and I didn't realize it until I saw you with Carter. I think I was only mad that you kissed me because I was scared. I was scared you would leave me for him and that's why I said those things and acted that way. I couldn't handle not having you in my life and now that I realized I was worth more than that. That I shouldn't live life in fear. I know that I am ready for this. I am ready to have a person who is as nice and loving as you, Caleb Sage Dubois. Who is willing to run miles just to get to me. Who is willing to be there whenever I need them. You are everything I ever imagined, and now that I realize that, I am ready to move forward. Now I know this is probably really awkward so I'm just going to love along and tell you what I got you," Caleb stopped for a minute to take a breathe before returning to the letter, "For years I've heard you and Fran talk about what it would be like to return to Paris and now I finally made that happen. You don't have to accept my gift but just know I will be going if you don't, I'm not wasting these plane tickets. You and Fran will be fully paid for and everything, I made sure everything was booked and you guys will be going 2 weeks after the Deb ball, just know that if one of you backs out or something, I will be taking that ticket and going to Paris. Jokes aside, I truly hope you like this. I'm sorry I made it awkward and didn't hand it to you in person but I felt like this was something you needed to read in private so you could process it before making a rash decision. I know things have been awkward between us but I'm really hoping by the time you get this we are okay and we can move on to much bigger and better things. I really hope you enjoy them,

Much love,Lix" Caleb read as if it wasn't for him, happy tears were sliding down his face as he stood up, walking over to Felix and wrapped him in a tight hug. Everything in that letter meant the world to him and he felt the same exact way. He truly liked Felix and seeing that he felt the same way made everything better

"I..uh yeah," Felix sat in an awkward position, not knowing what to do after hearing the letter. Why did I have to admit I liked him.

"I like you too, like a lot," Caleb told the boy in front of him, wanting their to be something more between them

"Yeah?" Felix felt heat rising in his face as he turned his head up so his eyes met Caleb's

"Yeah," Caleb answered before turning his gaze to Felix's lips

"Is this okay," Caleb asked, making sure Felix knew his intentions and wanting to make sure he was okay with it

Not responding, Felix let his actions speak for him. He leaned forward and let his lips connect with Caleb's and it was like fireworks. The kiss wasn't harsh or intense, it was just soft and sweet. Caleb was very calm and relaxed, not rushing or forcing Felix into anything, which Felix was extremely grateful for since he had no idea what he was doing and wasn't sure if he was doing it right. His mind was racing with dramatic thoughts, thoughts of him not doing it right and messing things up between the duo. Felix had never really kissed anyone before, other than a few times in spin the bottle, so his thoughts were telling him he was doing this wrong and wasn't pleasing Caleb. He knew the thoughts were wrong because if Caleb wasn't satisfied, he would have simply left the boy there alone in his bedroom.

"Cay, are you in-" Carter's voice cut off as he entered the bedroom, "what the fuck"

Caleb immediately separated himself from Felix, hearing the voice and automatically knowing who it was. He couldn't help but panic at the gazes on him. Both Felix and Carter were staring at the boy in both anger and confusion. Felix's look was more hurtful though, the anger that appeared in his eyes as he stared at Caleb hurt more than anything. He looked hurt that Caleb let them break apart just because of Carter Smith. Carter was staring at Caleb with a look of betrayal and confusion. A look that scared Caleb because the minute he was alone with Carter, he knew something bad would happen.

"Carter, did you find them?" Frans voice entered Caleb's ears and he immediately felt sick to his stomach, his sister could not find him with Felix after everything

"Oh are you guys okay?" She asked, seeing as Felix was freakishly pale and Caleb was starting to look greenish

"Perfect, I'm going to go," Felix rushed out as he pushed himself up from Caleb's bed and rushed out of the room, pulling Fran and Theo with him in doing so

The minute the 3 teens left the room, Carter shut the bedroom door and made sure to lock it. Caleb felt his chest tighten as it got hard to breathe, he wanted nothing to do with Carter and it was clear Carter wanted something to do with him. He tried to push the panic behind him as Carter walked back and forth in the room, clicking his tongue and laughing wickedly.

"This is karma for me cheating on you so I forgive you, let's put this behind us," Carter laughed as he walked up to Caleb and leaned down to kiss him

"Stop what are you doing," Caleb asked, confusion written on his face. He didn't understand why Carter forgave him for something like that and why he was trying to kiss him

"You're my boyfriend? I'm going to kiss you," Carter chuckled arrogantly, confidence radiating off of him

"Boyfriend? What are you talking about, we aren't dating? I wouldn't date you after what you did to my sister," Caleb was starting to get annoyed, he could be with Felix right now but instead he was with Carter

"We've been dating for a week now Cay, kind of hurts you don't remember that you asked me out at the party and I said yes," Carter lied, knowing that Caleb was to drunk to even realize what happened at that party

"That couldn't have happened, I like Felix, I've always liked Felix. I wouldn't get with someone like you," Caleb defended, knowing he wouldn't have asked Carter out

"You did, I remember it very clearly. Now are you going to agree with me or not? I know what I'm talking about Caleb, I wasn't the drunk one," Carter said, a darkness filling his voice

"I- Carter I never asked you out," Caleb defended again, this time he was scared. He knew how angry Carter could get and he felt like if he didn't agree something would go wrong

"Yes you did," Carter grunted as he pulled Caleb up and into his arms before adding, "you are my boyfriend and no one is going to change that,"

Caleb was filled with fear as he nodded along, he couldn't let Felix or anyone else get hurt because of him. He knew he had to play along or something bad would happen.

________________

Cora didn't really know how drunk belly was until she saw her roll her ankle on the back steps, falling into Susannah who was carrying a birthday cake. Susannah dropped the cake immediately and fell to the ground, the sound of her body hitting dead concrete making those around grimace and rush to help her. Belly fell to the floor behind Susannah and was clearly upset with herself as she looked at her mom and Cora. Adam Fisher was quick to rush over to help Susannah but she shoved him away, making those around them stare at her in concern.

Theo was quick to rush over to help Susannah up, seeing as she was clearly hurt and needed help. He knew what it was like to not be okay and it was clear Susannah was trying to keep calm. Theo found Adi's eyes as he walked up the back steps, seeing the anger in her eyes, he nodded towards her. She understood what he meant and walked off with anger flowing through her.

Cora rushed to help Belly up, seeing as Laurel was walking off and John was now walking over to the girls up. He put an arm around belly's stomach and to make sure Cora was comfortable, he put an arm around her neck. John helped the girls inside while everyone else stayed behind to clean up the mess. Cora didn't even realize how drunk or tired she was until she was placed under Belly's blankets and immediately began to fall asleep.

Felix stood in complete shock. He couldn't believe what had happened.
He wasn't a fan of drinking and this was the main reason, he couldn't believe belly could be so reckless and irresponsible. Hurting Susannah when she was clearly so frail and weak was such a low blow. And even if she didn't entirely mean to do it, she still did. Felix shook his head before walking off to find Caleb somewhere, knowing the two needed to talk. Felix wasn't sure on why he was so mad earlier that day but he tried to push past that feeling as he walked off, disappointment still filling him.

Hazel was hesitant to help Susannah. They could tell that throughout the summer, Susannah had always been a bit more tired and sickly compared to the others. Hazel knew that she used to have cancer and couldn't help but think it could be back. They pushed the thought aside though, seeing as Susannah would tell everyone if she had it again. Hazel reached forward to help the older woman but stepped back when Theo rushed up and helped her inside. Hazel knew that Theo would be a better help than they would. That's why they stayed behind and tried to help clean up. They wanted to help both parties but knew it could cause problems so cleaning up would be better.

Rosilvia wasn't even fazed by the fall. She knew that Susannah needed help but she couldn't find herself actually wanting to help. That's why they stood behind Pierce and tried to hide their laugh. Belly was clearly an idiot drunk and Rosilvia knew she wasn't the only one who thought that. It was obvious as Adi stormed off that she was also mad at Belly for hurting Susannah. Rosilvia couldn't help but laugh out loud at belly's stumble and stupidity. Everyone shot her look that only caused her to laugh more and fall into pierces side. She knew she looked psychotic but that wasn't such a bad thing to her. If she was being honest, she couldn't believe no one else was laughing. Belly was making a fool of herself and she was the only one laughing? It made no sense. Rosilvia decided to ignore everyone and just pulled Pierce with her as they walked back to the beach.

Fran and Caleb didn't see the actual fall, seeing as their mom was hiding them from seeing the cake. Although once the sound of shattering made it to their ears, they were running back to the back of the house. The moment they got there they noticed the shattered glass and cake on the ground, Theo helping Susannah inside, and John helping belly and Cora inside. Caleb's heart broke at the sight of the women he considered a mother limping and hurting. Fran wanted to help but she seemed frozen in place. She had never seen someone else get hurt by another person, excluding her family, and it made her chest close just slightly. She hated when people got hurt, especially Susannah.

Matt felt bad for both sides. They felt bad for belly because of Steven and the fact that he knew belly didn't mean it. Xe felt bad for Susannah because they could tell something was wrong with her and she was now hurt. It wasn't like he was mad at anyone, they understood that it was just a mistake and both sides would be okay eventually. Unlike the others who were clearly choosing sides, most of them mad at Belly for being irresponsible. Matt just felt like he couldn't be mad at anyone seeing as they had known the fishers and Conklin's for years.

Harveen on the other hand wasn't fazed by the situation at all. She didn't really know Susannah or Belly so she didn't exactly feel like she could choose a side. Although she did feel bad for both since they both got hurt and it could have been even worse. They stayed behind everyone else and let the others do what they could to help before helping clean up, seeing as no one else really wanted to. Harveen didn't mind helping, seeing as she was already an outcast, helping the fishers may help with her getting friends and not being alone all summer. If only that happened.

_________________

About 3 hours after the party ended and everyone else went home, Cora found herself walking down the beach to meet up with everyone else. While she was sleeping, she received a text from Theo telling her that the group was meeting up to play football on the beach and having a bonfire. As she walked onto the beach, she heard the song "I ain't worried" playing as Caleb made a long deep pass to Fran, who caught it easily and rolled into the area where they had marked as the end zone. The entire group cheered as they ran around and looked like animals playing football. By the end of it, they were completely covered in sand and wet from the water but it was worth it all. At least that's what Cora thought as she stood in front of the group, ready to talk to them.

"I'm not really sure on how to start this. Um I realized earlier that I needed you guys more than anything and I was the whole reason the group was more distant. I know that the group was already distant but I made everything worse by spreading around something I shouldn't have and for that I apologize. Someone very special to me made me realize that I should cherish those in my life and you guys are my everything. Without all of you, I don't think I would make it through life. What I did was so wrong and I'm so sorry that I created this many problems. Seeing you all so happy tonight made me realize that I was only dragging you guys down by continuing to let this little petty drama go around. That's why I'm apologizing. I've been wanting to apologize for a while but I've never really known how to get all of you in the same room," Cora rushed out before pausing, needing to catch her breath

"Cora-" Theo went to butt in, knowing that the girl was feeling guilty for no reason

"No, let me finish please. Caleb, I'm so so sorry for the way I treated you. I should've never used those things against you. You were my first real friend when I moved to New York and you've always been there for me. I'm so sorry for treating you that way," Cora added on, looking at Caleb and seeing the tears flowing down his face

"Felix, I never should have mentioned it to anyone or told anyone what you told me. You trusted me and I broke that, I understand if you need to distance yourself. I just wish we can move past this and still be friends."

"To everyone else, I'm so sorry for making it seem like everyone had to choose a side and distance themselves. I was the cause of all of this and for that I'm so so sorry. I completely understand if you are still mad, I just needed to get that out. I hope you all have an amazing night," Cora finished before rushing off, needing to be in belly's arms and feel comfort

Hazel was really happy about the apology. They understood why Cora waited so long since the group was never together and making 8 different apologies wasn't exactly that fun. They were glad that they now could move on from the argument and there wouldn't be an argument every 5 seconds. Hazel missed Cora as a friend, especially since she was the first person Hazel really ever liked and was always there for them.

Felix on the other hand was relieved. The entire argument created problems for him and Cora making an apology lifted that weight off of his shoulders. Although the apology to him wasn't exactly needed. He didn't feel like Cora owed him an apology since he was the one who went to her and placed that pressure on her. He was just glad that he was on good terms with both Cora and Caleb and they could all move on.

The apology shocked Adi to be honest. She wasn't expecting Cora to apologize to all of them so quickly, considering she was still creating drama just a few days prior. Adi wasn't exactly sure how long she had a built up anger for Cora, considering she never really had a problem with her, but even with the apology, Adi felt like she couldn't forgive Cora. The way she treated everyone, mostly Caleb, made her realize that Cora had always been slightly rude towards those around her and Adi couldn't hide the anger she had for the Finley girl anymore. While Cora's apology seemed genuine, Adi knew she wouldn't be forgiving her at that moment.

Theo sat in silence for a few minutes after Cora left. He was trying to comprehend everything and take everything into consideration before choosing if he forgave the girl or not. He truly wanted to but he needed to make sure she wouldn't turn on him or his friends again. Theo could tell by the face Adi was wearing that she didn't forgive Cora and he understood that. He knew that Adi was loyal to those around her and knowing that Cora had hurt those that Adi cared about most, he wasn't surprised that Adi didn't forgive the young Finley girl. Theo ultimately decided to forgive the girl but he stayed cautious, knowing that the girl could easily turn on him and his friends.

Matt wasn't exactly so sure what to think of the apology. He loved Cora, he truly did, but they didn't know how to handle the situation. Xe didn't want to create any problems with anyone else so they didn't want to forgive Cora and create problems. Matt looked at everyone before making the ultimate decision to believe Cora's apology and forgive the girl.

Harveen could have cared less about the entire apology. She wasn't affected by the situation, and it really wasn't that important to her. She knew that Cora hurt those around her so she didn't exactly trust the girl but she also knew the girl had been hurt by everyone else too and didn't exactly trust everyone else either. Harveen ultimately decided to stay out of it and just see what happens later on.

Fran decided that she didn't forgive Cora the minute she started talking. She had known Cora for years and the two truly never got along that great. Fran knew she could never really forgive Cora once she started using her brothers trauma against him. Caleb deserved better than that and Fran knew that her being friends with Cora would hurt the boy more than anything. Maybe she was in the wrong but she knew she couldn't be friends with Cora Finley when she hurt her brother.

Caleb was in tears by the end of Cora's apology. He knew he shouldn't forgive the girl, knowing that she hurt him so bad that he almost turned back to drugs and alcohol. But he didn't and that was because of Felix. Caleb knew that Cora didn't mean anything she said, she was just angry and took it out on him. He understood what she meant and he truly wanted to forgive the girl. He did, he just didn't know if he could at that exact moment.

Rosilvia couldn't believe anything she just heard. She couldn't tell if Cora was lying or not, considering the girls emotions looked a lot like Ro's did when she was with men and would tell them that she truly did love them. She thought the apology was insincere and very unnecessary, considering the girl had already caused so many problems. Ro thought it would be better if the girl just left the group but of course, no one else agreed.
_______________

Fran didn't know why but she found herself walking onto the dock, going to stand right next to Conrad. Her birthday had been so chaotic so far and being able to sit on the dock with Conrad made it feel calm. Like everything calmed when he was near her. She didn't exactly know why she felt so comfortable around him but the boy made her feel safe. Which was something not that many people made her feel. Conrad had been by her side for years and now their relationship felt different. It was obvious to everyone else that Fran and Conrad were soulmates from day one but of course, they didn't realize it until they were too late.

"So I think everyone's mad at belly now," Fran mumbled as she glanced up at Conrad, allowing them to make eye contact

"I don't think anyone could ever hate belly, Cora wouldn't allow that," Conrad replied, giving fran a small smile

"I heard Laurel and your mom arguing before I came down, do you think they'll be okay? I don't want your mom or my mom getting hurt by laurels words," Fran told the boy, knowing that Laurel wasn't always the best when it came to others

"I hope so, I don't want you guys to leave early this summer," Conrad mumbled, leaning towards the girl slightly, remembering the summer the Dubois family left early because Laurel yelled and caused an argument between Susannah and Amelie

"We won't," Fran turned her body towards the boy, leaning in slightly before meeting his eyes, making sure what she was going to do was okay

When Conrad nodded, Fran understood and went to go in for a kiss but was stopped by a firework shooting over her head. She flinched and jumped back from the boy, shielding her body and breathing heavy. Conrad was quick to rush forward and wrap the now terrified girl in a hug. Adi felt her heart clench at the sight in front of her. She couldn't believe jeremiah would shoot a firework at them because of her anger. It made her feel terrible inside at seeing fran break down into Conrad's chest, knowing that the sudden crash and pop of the firework right above her made her have a slight flashback and terrible reaction. Adi just wished the boy next to her wouldn't create any more problems because of her and her anger.

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Pierce had been distancing himself from Rosilvia as much as they could. The girl had been stuck to their side all afternoon and they were finally able to get a break. As Pierce walked upstairs, he heard an argument from Susannah's bedroom. In an attempt to ask if she was okay, they rounded the corner only to find Laurel yelling at Susannah about something and Susannah yelling back. The young teen quickly left the hall and went into the bathroom, making sure they could still hear the argument incase things turned for the worst. The argument carried on for a few moments before Laurel said something that changed Pierces summer.

"Who's going to drive you to your appointments? You can't do all of this without him while on your death bed Beck," Laurel yelled, just loud enough for Pierce to hear and start to panic.

Susannah fisher was dying and no one could save her this time.

AUTHORS NOTE

hey everyone.....let's ignore the fact that it's been give or take 4 months and I haven't updated until now.

Please don't kill me for this chapter, it has its sad moments but I also think this is one of the happiest chapters yet so it's something isn't it?

I hope you all enjoyed this and I promise updates will be more frequent! I love you all sm and thank you all for sticking with me throughout this entire book!

Date: 1/17/22
Word count:9582
Love y'all, Liv