The Summer I Turned Pretty

Belly sleeps in Cam’s hoodie and wears it around the house the next day despite the temperature. She realizes that the number she gave Cam the night before was the house number. Not wanting to miss Cam’s call, Belly stays close to the house, lying on a beach chair by the pool. When the phone does ring, she runs to answer it, but it is Mr. Fisher. The two share an awkward conversation in which Mr. Fisher informs Belly that he will not be visiting this weekend after all. When she hangs up, she thinks that it is strange that Mr. Fisher has not yet been to Cousins once this summer.

Belly goes back to her beach chair and falls asleep. She wakes up after some time to Jeremiah pouring Kool-Aid on her stomach. Jeremiah convinces Belly to hang out with him before he has to go to work, which she agrees to, on the condition that she gets to drive. Belly and Jeremiah race go-karts, and Jeremiah acts jealous when the cart attendant flirts with Belly.

Laurel tells Belly that someone named Cam called for her while she was out. Belly is frustrated that Laurel did not ask for his number because he said he would call back another time. Belly refuses to tell Laurel any more information about who Cam is, and Laurel quickly drops the subject, which also annoys Belly.

Belly tells Laurel that Mr. Fisher called and that he will not be coming to the beach house this weekend. Belly asks where Susannah is, and Laurel says she does not feel well and is taking a nap. Belly asks what is wrong with Susannah and can tell that Laurel is lying when she says that Susannah has a summer cold. Belly thinks about how much time Susannah has been spending in her room and how she seems sad.

After a few calls, Belly invites Cam over to play video games and swim when she knows no one else will be home because she does not want anyone to meet him yet. Belly greets Cam at the door wearing his sweatshirt and tells him she plans to keep it if she can beat him in a swimming race. Cam agrees, and Belly ends up winning the sweatshirt. Later on, as Cam gets ready to leave, he invites Belly to a party at a local guy Kinsey’s house the next night. Belly immediately agrees.

At breakfast, Belly mentions the party, and Conrad tells Belly she is not allowed to “go to some meth addict’s party” (136). Belly tells Conrad and Jeremiah that Cam would not be friends with someone who did drugs because he is straight-edge, which only fuels their teasing. Jeremiah and Conrad then decide that they will also go to the party, promising not to bother Belly on her “big date” (137). Belly begs them not to go, but they refuse, which makes Belly wonder if they could be jealous of Cam because they have feelings for her.

As Belly arrives downstairs to wait for Cam, Conrad starts commenting on the makeup and perfume Belly is wearing. Now insecure, she rubs it off. When Belly and Cam arrive at the party, Belly almost does not want to get out of the car because she loves how it feels to have someone listen to what she has to say.

Cam and Belly settle into the party, then Belly hears Jeremiah singing on a makeshift karaoke stage. Jeremiah spots Belly and dedicates his next song to her. He also teases Cam for saying his name is “Cam Cameron” (146). Belly feels embarrassed by Cam at this moment and angry at Jeremiah and Conrad for making her feel this way. Jeremiah begins singing “Summer Lovin’” from Grease, and Belly is mortified but feels better when she sees Cam laughing. Belly and Cam go to another room to talk, and Belly senses Conrad watching her as they leave. As she and Cam talk, Belly thinks about how much easier it is to talk to Cam than to Conrad.

As she’s thinking this, she hears Conrad’s angry voice from outside. They run to the deck and see Conrad about to fight with another partygoer. Belly asks Jeremiah what is going on, and Jeremiah says that Conrad is just drunk. Cam tries to convince Belly to leave, but she refuses. Sensing that Conrad is looking for a fight, Belly walks in between them and tells Conrad they need to leave. Conrad tells her to go away, and the guy tells Conrad to “listen to his girlfriend” (150), which only makes Conrad angrier. Eventually, Jeremiah intervenes and whispers something in Conrad’s ear, which makes him back down.

Belly decides to drive home with Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly and Conrad wait in the car for Jeremiah, and Belly suddenly feels Conrad playing with her hair. Belly tenses up but does not want him to stop. Belly watches Conrad in the back seat as he closes his eyes and begins to say something to her. Before he can finish, Jeremiah comes back to the car. The tense moment between Conrad and Belly breaks, and Jeremiah, sensing that he has interrupted something, drives them home.

Belly looks for proof from Conrad that something has changed between them, but Conrad treats Belly the same. When Cam calls Belly, he does not mention the party and invites her to go to the drive-in.

Belly is excited but worried that this invitation might mean she will need to kiss Cam. Belly thinks about how she has only kissed one boy before, and “that hadn’t been for real” (156). During the movie, Cam is engrossed and, at the end, asks if Belly is ready to go home. Belly feels disappointed even though she still does not know if she wants to kiss him.

They drive home in silence, and Cam parks outside the beach house. Before Belly can get out of the car, Cam tells her he remembered her after all these years because he thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Belly does not believe him at first, thinking he is setting her up for a joke. Cam then kisses her, and she wishes this had been her first kiss.

Inside, Belly hears Susannah and Laurel arguing, which is a rare occurrence. Belly thinks back to the only time she had seen them fight, a few summers earlier when they were out shopping. Belly admired a purple chiffon dress, and Susannah encouraged her to try it on. When Belly did, Susannah said that Belly had to have the dress. Laurel refused, saying that it was too expensive, and that Belly did not have anywhere to wear it. The two women fought because Laurel refused to let Susannah buy the dress for Belly. When Belly got home at the end of the summer, she found the dress wrapped in paper and packed in her suitcase. She assumed it was a gift from Susannah, who must have bought it for her without her mother knowing.

Belly hears Susannah tell Laurel that she cannot manage her life for her, and Belly interjects to ask what is wrong. Susannah assures her that they are not fighting, but Laurel walks away. Belly can see in her mother’s tight shoulders that she is upset, but she does not follow her because she assumes that her mother wants to be left alone.

Susannah asks Belly to tell her about her date with Cam. Belly tells her about the date and expresses gratitude for being able to talk to Susannah about this kind of thing. Susannah tells her she could also talk to her mother about it, but Belly disagrees and says her mother would not care. Susannah tells Belly that Laurel cares about everything she does and is her biggest fan. She encourages Belly not to shut her mother out of her life.

August arrives and Belly reflects that the summer goes by quicker when she has someone like Cam. This August, Mr. Fisher also does not come for his usual first week of August visit, and Susannah explains that he cannot get away from work. After Susannah goes to bed, Conrad lets Belly know that his parents are divorcing.

Belly, shocked to hear this news, tells Conrad and Jeremiah that she thought Susannah and Mr. Fisher were in love. Jeremiah tells her that they used to be in love, but something happened. Conrad says that it is because their dad is “a dick” (166), which causes Belly to realize that Conrad no longer idolizes his father. Jeremiah’s voice cracks as he tells her about the subtle signs of his father moving out of their house. Belly thinks this news makes Conrad’s attitude and Susannah’s sadness all summer more sense.

The next morning, Laurel tells Belly they miss her at the house because she spends so much time with Cam. Susannah asks Belly if she will invite Cam over for dinner tomorrow, and Belly reluctantly agrees.

Susannah cooks a vegetarian meal for Cam, and at dinner, he explains that he is “morally opposed to eating animals” (168). Jeremiah asks if Cam is okay kissing Belly because she eats meat, and Cam says he does not mind and pulls Belly in for a quick kiss. Jeremiah gags, and Laurel says that Belly is allowed to kiss, “but that’s it” (169). Belly, embarrassed, tries to convince Cam to eat on the porch with her, but he says everyone is just joking, so she stays.

Cam and Belly take a walk on the beach after dinner, and Belly says she is glad he came for dinner. He tells her that it did not seem like she was that glad to have him at dinner, and she kisses him to convince him that she is. Cam asks which of the boys—Jeremiah or Conrad—was her first kiss. Belly asks how he knew one of the boys was her first kiss, and he says she told him her first kiss was at the beach when she was 13. Belly asks him to guess, and Cam guesses Conrad, but she tells him he is wrong and that it was Jeremiah.

In a flashback chapter, Belly recalls a scene from the summer Taylor visited Cousins Beach when she hosts a game of “Truth or Dare” with the boys. During Steven’s turn, he asks Taylor who in the room she would kiss. Taylor responds that she would kiss Belly. Jeremiah, upset that Taylor didn’t say him, says that Taylor did not answer for real, and Taylor responds that Belly is “turning hot before your very eyes” (176). Taylor then asks Jeremiah to pick truth or dare; he chooses dare. Taylor dares him to kiss someone in the room, assuming he will choose her.

Jeremiah leans over to Belly and kisses her on the lips. Belly pushes him off after a few seconds, and everyone stares at each other. Belly cannot believe that Jeremiah stole her first kiss like that and sees that Taylor is jealous. After their kiss, Steven gets up to leave, and so does Belly, who is surprised to find that Taylor does not follow her out.

In the hallway, Conrad teases her about kissing Jeremiah, and she tells him that he is too obsessed with himself to notice anyone else. Conrad tells her he notices everything, including her, and Belly storms off to her room. Belly pretends to be asleep when Taylor enters the room an hour later. Taylor tells Belly that she forgives her, and despite wanting to respond, Belly continues to pretend to sleep.

Belly awakes the next morning to find Taylor already gone two mornings in a row. Belly decides that she will watch the sunrise, so she quickly dresses and heads to the beach. When she arrives, she is shocked to see Taylor on the beach kissing Steven. Furious, Belly yells at them.

Taylor follows Belly and begs her not to be mad, apologizing and explaining that she has always had a crush on Steven. Taylor tells Belly that she wants “things to stay the same with us forever” (185), to which Belly responds that they cannot, and that Taylor broke her promise to treat Jeremiah kindly. Belly tells Taylor that she is acting “slutty” (186) while thinking she would trade places with Taylor if she could.

Later on, Jeremiah and Belly play cards. Jeremiah tells her he wishes she had never brought Taylor, and Belly agrees. After that summer, Belly explains that her friendship with Taylor changed and that they were no longer as close as they once were.

Back in the present, Belly hears Conrad come into the house at three in the morning. Belly makes her way to Conrad’s room to tell him to turn down his music. Belly looks around his room, realizing it has been a long time since she was inside it. She sees a framed picture showing Conrad in his football uniform. Belly asks why he quit playing; Conrad asks Belly why she stopped dancing.

Belly thinks about the reason: it was around the time her parents divorced, and it became too much for Laurel to drop her off at practice twice a week. She also thinks about how her chest had started to develop, and it was embarrassing to wear the leotard. She tells Conrad that at least she can dance, and he reminds her that he taught her to dance in the first place.

He gets off the bed and grabs her hand, twirling her around and holding her waist. As he flops back on the bed, Belly thinks that she does not understand Conrad’s mood swings and exits the room, asking him to please keep his music down. He responds using her old nickname, Bells, and Belly thinks about how “he made it so hard not to love him” (191).

In chapter 30, Belly recalls the summer she was 11, and Conrad taught her how to dance. One night as everyone was sitting in the living room listening to CDs, Belly asks Steven to dance with her. When he refuses, Susannah tells Conrad to dance with Belly. Conrad takes her by the hand and teaches her a few dance moves, explaining that Susannah taught them how to dance. Belly pretends to be confused so that Conrad will continue dancing with her.