Summer, #1
The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han
Contents
chapter forty - six
Overview
Conrad calls Belly late at night from the road and arrives outside her house after driving from Boston. Belly secretly slips out to meet him, and Conrad asks if she will still come with him. She says yes, affirming their commitment and setting their next step beyond summer.
Summary
Near midnight, Belly receives an unexpected call from Conrad, who is already driving to her house from Boston. Stunned and half-asleep, she tells him to park down the street so she can meet him after her mother falls asleep.
Belly watches from her window until she sees Conrad’s car. She waits through her mother’s nightly reading routine, then quietly checks that her mother is asleep. With Steven still out, Belly slips downstairs past the glowing Christmas tree and hurries into the cold without a coat.
At the corner, Belly pauses to take in Conrad’s winter-worn appearance before getting into the car. Conrad notices she’s cold and gives her his fleece, which smells like him and not cigarettes, signaling he has quit smoking.
As Conrad starts the engine, Belly marvels that he is truly there. Conrad shyly asks if she is still coming with him. Belly answers yes without hesitation, believing everything that has happened between them has led to this decision.
Who Appears
- Belly (Isabel Conklin)Narrator; sneaks out at night to meet Conrad and commits to go with him.
- Conrad FisherDrives overnight from Boston to see Belly; gives her his fleece and asks her to come with him.
- Laurel (Belly’s mother)Asleep in her room; her routine forces Belly to wait before sneaking out.
- Steven ConklinNot home; his absence makes Belly’s late-night escape easier.