payment page
Summary
Chapter Thirty-Six
Belly’s sixteenth birthday takes place in the final weeks of the summer. She has spent every birthday of her life at the house on Cousins Beach with her family and the Fishers. The morning she turns sixteen, Belly wakes up to discover that Susannah baked her a cake. Susannah also gives her a strand of pearls that she herself had received when she turned sixteen. Jeremiah gives Belly a charm in the shape of a key. However, Conrad does not have a gift, claiming that he forgot it was her birthday. This surprises Belly because he had always remembered in years past.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
On Belly’s twelfth birthday, Susannah gives her a silver charm bracelet. Belly deduces that it was purchased at a store that sells expensive items. The bracelet includes five charms: a conch shell, a bathing suit, a sandcastle, a pair of sunglasses, and a horseshoe. Susannah says the horseshoe represents luck, “for how lucky we are to have you in our lives.” Belly loves the gift, even though she senses that Laurel believes it is too extravagant.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Belly rushes up to her bedroom to add the new charm from Jeremiah to her bracelet. He tells her that he picked a key because she will be driving soon. Both Belly and Susannah are impressed with the gift. Conrad rises abruptly, announces he must get ready for work, and leaves the room. Laurel starts to hand out birthday cake to cover for the silence brought on by his sudden exit. Susannah decides not to have a piece of cake, claiming that she isn’t hungry.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Conrad brings Nicole, the girl he’s dating, to the house for a visit. After watching the couple for a few minutes, Belly invites Cam over. The four teens decide to watch a movie but debate whether to watch Titanic or Reservoir Dogs. When Conrad sees that Belly wants to watch Titanic, he voices his support for that movie. After turning on the film, the group sits stiffly, watching in near silence. Halfway through the movie, Conrad and Nicole leave the room so Cam and Belly are alone. Cam and Belly briefly argue about Nicole and then continue to watch the film. When the other couple returns, Belly snuggles closer to Cam. Conrad tells them he is taking Nicole home, and they depart. Cam accuses Belly of inviting him over to make Conrad jealous. He asks if she still likes Conrad, and she denies still having feelings for him.
Chapter Forty
Belly enjoys a movie night with Susannah, Laurel, and Jeremiah. However, Susannah falls asleep in the middle of the film, and her son carries her up to her bedroom. Later, Jeremiah and Belly sit and watch TV together. He asks her about Cam and admits that he doesn’t think Cam is right for her. After taking a deep breath, Jeremiah reveals that he’s interested in Belly romantically. At that moment, she realizes Conrad is the only boy for her. Disappointed, Jeremiah cautions Belly that his brother will end up hurting her.
Analysis
The charms on the bracelet Belly receives as a birthday present represent how she spends her summers each year. The different charms reflect her experiences at Cousins Beach. Four of the silver charms (a conch shell, a bathing suit, a sandcastle, and a pair of sunglasses) symbolize the beach itself, the sand, water, and activities that Belly and the others enjoy while staying at Cousins Beach. The fifth charm symbolizes her ties to the Fisher family. The horseshoe symbolizes luck because the Fishers are “lucky” to have Belly. In addition, the bracelet itself is a gift from Susannah who is like a second mother to Belly. The most recent charm, a small key, comes from Jeremiah and expresses his affection for Belly. His birthday gift shows how well he knows her and how much they’ve already shared since the “key” reflects their driving lesson. Just as Jeremiah would easily fit into Belly’s life, his key fits her bracelet. The charm also represents Jeremiah wishing he had the “key” to unlock Belly’s heart. The charm bracelet becomes symbolic of all their summers at the beach, and this summer in particular.
Cam and Belly’s relationship has potential, but despite what Belly says, her actions show her lack of interest in Cam. She fails to invite him to her birthday celebration, even after considering it. Instead, she invites him to hang out a couple of days later, and only after Conrad brings Nicole to the summer house, showing her true motivation is not attraction to Cam, but jealousy of Nicole. Cam becomes a means to an end for Belly, instead of someone she appreciates on his own, which is the same kind of treatment Belly disliked from her friend Taylor. Another sign of the growing distance between them is the debate over which movie to watch. Belly prefers to watch a romantic movie, Titanic, while Cam is interested in the crime film Reservoir Dogs. This disagreement suggests they are not on the same page. When Cam asks Belly if she wants to keep in touch after the summer ends, she hesitates before answering. Although Belly makes a valiant effort to create a relationship with Cam, her preoccupation with Conrad.
Jeremiah’s revelation that he has feelings for Belly is the spark that helps her accept that she hasn’t gotten over Conrad. She has spent weeks in denial about her crush. She has told herself and the other characters that she no longer has feelings for him and that he means nothing to her. She has denied her true emotions to her mother, her boyfriend Cam, and even herself. However, when confronted with the reality of how Jeremiah feels, she finally faces her own emotions. Trying to entirely deny her crush would mean lying to Jeremiah and possibly giving him false hope. Belly doesn’t want to hurt him because he’s her best friend and she does care about him. So when Jeremiah asks if she is truly over Conrad, Belly stammers out “I don’t know” in reply. Jeremiah’s confession about his feelings forces Belly to finally face up to the truth about her own unresolved feelings for Conrad.
