Susannah put her hands on my cheeks and said, вЂњBelly, you have my unequivocal blessing. Actually, she said вЂњlovers,вЂќ but that word made me cringe. My mother, who didnвЂ™t normally go in for that kind of thing, said it would be perfect, as long as IвЂ™d had at least a few loves before I settled down. Susannah told me that when I was born, she knew I was destined for one of her boys. And they had the scars to prove it-identical marks on their wrists that looked like hearts. TheyвЂ™d known each other since they were nine-blood sisters, they called each other.

My mother was the only one who called her Beck. Beck was Susannah Fisher, formerly Susannah Beck. There had never been anything to tell, not really.Д¬onrad and Jeremiah were BeckвЂ™s boys. Telling Steven anything would only give him ammunition to make fun of me. вЂњWhat happened with you and Jeremiah? You canвЂ™t say something like that and not explain.вЂќ Her voice had that note of finality that I knew Steven wouldnвЂ™t be able to break through.Д«ecause he was Steven, he tried anyway. вЂњMom, just because two people are good friends, it doesnвЂ™t mean thereвЂ™s anything going on.

I wished I had a tan already to cover it up.

I could feel the flush rising up from my chest. вЂњWHAT? You and Jeremiah?вЂќ Steven looked sickened. вЂњBelly, do you still like Conrad? From the looks of things last summer, I thought there might be something between you and Jeremiah.вЂќ My mother stuck her head in between our two seats. вЂњAre you thinking about Conrad?вЂќ he asked mockingly.ДЇor once the answer was no. Like it had been waiting for me to get there. The wind making my hair feel sticky, the salty sea breeze, all of it felt just right. The air tasted just the same, smelled just the same. I rolled down the window and took it all in. It held a million promises of summer and of what just might be.ДЄs we got closer and closer to the house, I could feel that familiar flutter in my chest. It was like coming home after youвЂ™d been gone a long, long time. Seeing the town again, JimmyвЂ™s Crab Shack, the Putt Putt, all the surf shops. We drove through town slowly, and even though IвЂ™d just teased Steven about it, I didnвЂ™t really mind. It was what bothered him most about our parents being divorced, being the lone guy, without our dad to take his side. We both had terrible voices, and Steven shook his head in his disgusted Steven way. I sang even louder, which woke up my mother, and she started to sing too. вЂњBelly, your voice makes me want to run this car into the ocean.вЂќ He pretended to swerve right. Steven reached over to switch stations, and I slapped his hand away. Tom Petty was singing вЂњFree FallinвЂ™.вЂќ I sang right along with him. I found my favorite station, the one that played everything from pop to oldies to hip-hop. I was as familiar with them as I was with the ones back home, and listening to Q94 made me just really know inside that I was there, at the beach. One of my favorite things about going to the beach was the radio stations. Steven ignored me, and so I started to fiddle with the radio. вЂњThat guy in a wheelchair just lapped us!вЂќ вЂњHey, look,вЂќ I said, pointing out the window. вЂњPeople like you shouldnвЂ™t even be allowed to drive.вЂќ вЂњIf you ever get your license,вЂќ he scoffed. вЂњAnd take your dirty feet off my dashboard.вЂќ вЂњGo faster,вЂќ I urged Steven, poking him in the shoulder. Even when she slept, she looked alert, like at any second she could wake up and direct traffic. Meanwhile, my mother was passed out in the backseat. I sat next to him in the passenger seat with my feet up on the dashboard. My brother, Steven, drove slower than our Granna. WeвЂ™d been driving for about seven thousand years.

Books the summer i turned pretty