Conrad pov
(TW: direct mentions of rape)
When Steven pulls up next to Cam Cameron's car, Belly and the boy were about to kiss but she pulled back when she heard our vehicle.
I look at the passenger seat to see my brother's jaw locked for a second before a playful grin takes place on his face instead. Interesting.
Steven and Jere start making kissing noises and actions as Cam gets out of the car and heads towards the food and drinks van.
Belly gets out too and comes to open our car door, "what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
She's practically yelling. Definitely mad.
"Uh, just catching the end of our favourite movie," Steven and I laugh as Jeremiah grins. I feel Bethany slap my arm to tell me to stop.
"You have no right! You have to go!" Belly yells again.
"Oh, Belly, relax. We were just joking around," Jeremiah tells her.
"Steven, if you don't leave, I swear to God I will send everyone in this car your Dramione fanfic," Belly narrows her eyes at her brother who suddenly stops laughing whilst me and Jere begin to laugh harder, even Beth can't fight the smile on her face at that.
"You wouldn't," Steven tries.
"So it's true?!" Beth asks Steven.
"Oh, he spent an entire chapter talking about Draco's wand," Belly continues.
"You know, don't be embarrassed, man," Jeremiah pats Steven on the shoulder. "Draco's hot." Steven tells us to drop it.
Belly closes the door and looks at me, "please leave."
Personally, I'm enjoying this.
"Yeah guys, cmon, let's go now," Bethany says.
I look at her and see sympathy in her eyes. I don't know why, Belly has honestly been quite a bitch to her but that's Beth for you, she's a good person through and through. Probably too good sometimes.
"Alright, let's go guys," I remove my eyes from Bethany's side profile to the boys in the front.
"What? Why," they both whine.
"Steven, drive the car," Belly yells again.
"Okay, okay, fine," Steven gives in, driving away.
•
On the way back to the beach house from the drive-in, we decided to go to McDonald's as Bethany had previously suggested.
We ordered our food and ate in the car park playing put a finger down, per Jere's request.
"Okay, starting easy," Jeremiah said. "Put a finger down if you have a body count of two or more."
Only Jere puts a finger down.
"What?!" he exclaims. "Okay, put a finger down if you have had sex."
Everyone puts a finger down this time.
"Ooh, damn Beth, do share," Jere grins.
"Boyfriend at a party," she shrugs but something seems off.
"I'm surprised it's only one," Jere winks.
"You calling me a slut? 'Cause that would be hypocritical," she teases, seemingly happy for a slight change in conversation.
"No, no, it's just, I mean...look at you, how could anyone not want you babes," Jere smiles at her.
I know they are best friends but I still feel a pit of jealousy in my stomach.
Bethany just shrugs again, "I wasn't ready."
There's something wrong. Something about the way she said it, the way her hand had shook slightly as she put her finger down in the first place, the way she's avoiding eye contact with me right now, the way she's biting her lip and bouncing her leg. Something happened. She wasn't ready, that's why there's only been one guy. But was she ready when it happened with him? Or am I overthinking things here? Possibly, but something in my gut tells me I'm right.
Noticing her discomfort too, Steven changes the subject, "i'm sorry, can we talk about the fact Con has only been with one girl? Who?"
"My ex, Aubrey," I say shortly. I don't want to talk about my ex girlfriend in front of the girl i've loved since I was a kid.
"Why did you guys break up," Steven asks, curious.
"She said I changed," I shrug.
"That's so cliché," Steven scoffs.
It's true though? I did change. I got a reality check, my mum's dying. Besides, she had changed too. I guess we both outgrew each other.
"Doesn't matter, I was gonna break up with her anyway," I tell them, mostly wanting Beth to know i'm not heartbroken or hung up on my ex or anything.
"Can we talk about Steven's too, who bro?" Jeremiah smirks.
"Shayla," the boy blushes, he actually blushes. It's kind of sweet actually.
We all play a few more rounds, joking and laughing, but apart from playing the game by putting a finger down, Bethany didn't say much more after that, she didn't even touch the rest of her food. And she loves McDonalds.
•
We get home and all go up to our rooms after getting ready for bed. But I find I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about Beth today.
Really not wanting to ruin Belly's firsts. Like her first date or first possible make out session. In the car with the whole body count talk. Then the unusual silence after that.
I grab my phone:
Me: you awake?
It only takes a minute before her childhood nickname of mine is popping up on the screen.
BumbleBee is typing.
BumbleBee: yea, you?
Me: friends reference?
BumbleBee: always
Friends is her absolute favourite show, she's only watched it a million times. I'm sure she knows every episode by heart, she's made me endure watching it to the point I think i've rewatched it at least three times. She's currently referring to the episode where Chandler and Monica are in bed and she asks if he's still awake and he replies 'yea, you?' and she says something like 'you do know i'm the one who just asked right?'.
She's deflecting. She knows I know somethings up.
Me: come over
BumbleBee: why?
Me: because i'm asking u
Me: please
She doesn't reply but she opens the message so I know she's seen it. A few seconds later there is a quiet, almost timid, knock on my door.
"Come in."
"Hey," she closes the door behind herself, standing there. "What's up?"
"Come here," I pat the spot on the bed beside me where i'm sitting up against the headboard.
She hesitates for a split second before she walks over and sits down beside me with her back against the headboard too.
"Beth-"
"Don't read too much into things, Connie," she says, her voice tired like she's also been fighting with sleep. Of course she knows exactly what I wanted to talk about, she knows me too well sometimes just as I do her.
"Am I though? Reading too much into things? Or am I right?" I watch her reaction as I speak.
She doesn't respond to any of my questions but she starts fiddling with the bobble around her wrist. I'm right. I wish I wasn't.
"Fuck, B. You can't-you can't just keep everything inside." I'm such a fucking hypocrite but I'm right, and I do plan on telling her eventually I think. I need to tell someone. The secret is weighing down on me too much. It's too hard. But this is about Beth and helping take some of the weight off her shoulders. "Have you told anyone?"
She shakes her head.
Fucking fuckity fuck. It's getting really hard to control my anger now. Not at Beth of course, never at her, but at him. This Nathan guy. He did that to her and now she has just lived with that pain in silence, just going about her day like her own boyfriend didn't steal what wasn't his to take without permission.
I look down at her when I hear that her breathing has sped up and see she's trying not to cry, closing her eyes and biting her lip.
"B?" And with that, she breaks.
Bethany Anna Turner breaks down into quiet tears and I don't hesitate even a second to wrap her up in my arms like I will never let go. I hold her as tightly as possible without hurting her to bring her as much comfort as I can.
"Tell me." Even though I already know, that I've already figured it out, I want her to tell me. I want the words to leave her mouth, for her to talk about it, so she can feel that weight lift off her shoulders, even if it will kill me to hear. She shakes her head against my chest. I tighten my arms at the action as my heart breaks for my girl. "You are the strongest person I know, Bethany, but you don't have to be strong all the time. Not with me. And you don't have to do it alone. I won't let you go through anything alone ever again, I promise you."
Her voice is almost inaudible but I'm close enough to hear her, "he spiked my drink then took me upstairs. I still said no but he didn't care. I couldn't tell mum, she wouldn't care, she'd make it my fault somehow. I couldn't tell Ellie, she decided not to go to that party, she'd feel so guilty if I told her that happened at the one party she didn't come with me to. And I didn't want to burden you or Jere or Steven with it."
She talks slowly, trying to get her words out without crying again, and I just sit and hold her and listen patiently until she's done.
"You wouldn't have," I tell her. "You could never be a burden."
She shrugs, "I'm fine now anyway. I'm over it."
I don't buy it. Of course I don't believe her, you don't just get over something like that. But I don't want to push her about it now, she's talked about it enough for tonight. From now on, I'll spend the rest of my days making sure she is always comfortable with me. That she knows I'm always here for her, that my arms will always be a safe place for her.
Before either of us can say anything further anyway, we're interrupted.
"Your an asshole, all of you," Belly storms into my room, her eyes flickering fast between me and Beth who still had her head in my chest. She makes no effort to move and I don't push her to. I think she's pretending to be asleep. I don't think she wants Belly to see her cry because she doesn't want to have to come up with an excuse.
I'm so fucking mad at Belly. Just because she can't take a joke about us going to the drive-in she had to interrupt a really fucking important conversation. Without even fucking knocking, I could've been changing. She has no respect. Yes, maybe it was a dick move for us to crash her date but it's the kind of thing we do, Belly wasn't complaining when we crashed Steven's date to the drive-in one time.
"Please, do come in," I say sarcastically.
"Oh, sorry for interrupting your moment," she says sarcastically, looking hurt as if we've done something wrong to her, "but this is just like what you did earlier."
No, Belly, it's not. We interrupted you on a date with a boy as a joke. You interrupted looking for an argument after one of the most important people in my life just admitted to being raped. Not the fucking same, you self-centred child. Beth must feel my body tense because she cuddles closer into my chest causing me to relax a little, knowing she's safe in my arms. She's here, with me, so that means everything is okay.
"All I wanted was to go to a drive-in with a guy that I think is-is cute and sweet, and...and you guys had to come and ruin it," she says and comes all the way inside and closes the door.
"And us showing up for, like, two minutes ruined that, really?" I ask, fed up with her. "Grow up, Belly."
"Why couldn't you let me have this one thing?" she keeps going. "Admit it, you knew what you were doing."
"What?" I ask in confusion. "What was I doing?"
"Reminding me that you existed." She steps further into the room, "you cared where I was, who I was with."
Her words remind me of when I found out Beth was busy after their shopping trip and I couldn't help but need to know where she was and what she was doing and who with to the point where I asked my mother. That's desperation. But Belly? She can do whatever the hell she wants and with whoever the hell she wants.
"No, I didn't. Do what you want, I don't care," I tell her simply.
"Yes you do," she pushes. "Stop lying."
"I'm not lying. It wasn't even my idea to go, it was Jere and Steven who wanted to. I would've much rather gone straight to get food," I explain honestly.
"Fine, whatever. Forget it," she slams the door on her way out.
I sigh before looking back down at the red hair sprawled across my chest, "I think this calls for a Friends marathon."
And that's what we did. We watched her comfort show until she fell asleep in my bed, in my arms.
•
AN: poor beth :((