Summer, #1
The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han
Contents
chapter thirty - one
Overview
Belly spends an idyllic day at the beach with Cam, but returning home she finds him absorbed into the boys’ world, leaving her sidelined. In the kitchen, Conrad confronts Belly and their simmering tension erupts into hurtful barbs. The exchange destabilizes Belly’s long-held crush and complicates her relationship with Cam.
Summary
Belly spends the day in the ocean with Cam, sharing a carefree rhythm of waves, sun, and a playful picnic. They tease over Fruit Roll-Ups, and Belly sends Cam to fetch drinks, feeling comfortably connected and claimed by the house and the day.
Cam disappears for forty-five minutes, and Belly returns to find him playing video games with Conrad and Jeremiah. Feeling abruptly sidelined from their enduring “club,” Belly’s good mood sours. She asks after the mothers, then heads for the kitchen to take care of herself.
Conrad follows. Belly pointedly ignores him until he presses, asking why she’s mad. His nearness and familiar nickname rattle her, stirring old feelings that conflict with her momentum with Cam. When Belly tells him to go smoke, Conrad agrees, then fires back a cruel jab about her looking in the mirror.
Stung and humiliated, Belly walks away as Conrad’s regret shows too late. She claims the next turn on the game, wondering if this is how old crushes end—quietly, after a single cutting moment—while her confidence in both Conrad and her day with Cam wavers.
Who Appears
- Belly (Isabel Conklin)Narrator; enjoys a beach day with Cam, feels excluded, clashes painfully with Conrad.
- Conrad FisherFollows Belly to the kitchen; mixed signals escalate to a hurtful remark he instantly regrets.
- CamBelly’s date; shares a playful day, then gets absorbed into gaming with the boys, neglecting her.
- Jeremiah FisherJokes during gaming; his camaraderie with Conrad highlights Belly’s outsider feeling.