Caution: This contains spoilers for the new season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” as well as spoilers for the book trilogy as well.
Contrary to what others may say, I think Conrad is the right choice for Belly. Unlike his brother, Conrad’s feelings are genuine. He’s always been someone who pays attention to Belly, and not only makes her feel seen when she’s younger but also remembers things that may not have mattered to others.
Since they were kids, Conrad has always given Belly his attention. When Belly wanted to learn to dance, Steven didn’t want to teach her, and Jeremiah was too distracted by his game to even consider helping Belly, but Conrad did it for her. He stopped mid-game to go and dance with his belly. Something so simple yet so sweet of him to do.
@filmsbyrudbergg oh okay so that’s what ignoring someone looks like😃#thesummeriturnedpretty #tsitp #fypシ #conradfisher #bellyconklin ♬ original sound – ems – ems🤍
In the books, the Fisher boys, as well as Belly and Steven, go to the mall. Belly loses track of time looking at a glass unicorn, she really wanted one, but the small ones were about $12 and she only had $10. When she realized the time, she ran to their meetup spot. Conrad had run off to look for her, and when he got back, he flipped out on her for leaving like that and worrying them. Then Belly revealed that she was gone because she was looking at the glass unicorns in the shop. He softened up and apologized for getting mad. A few weeks later, on her birthday,, she got a glass unicorn from him. But it wasn’t a small one, it was the big one that cost him $20.
@tsummeritp_ I have a feeling we might get that flashback in season 3 cause u see him unpack it #thesummeriturnedpretty #thesummeriturnedprettyedit #lolatung #bellyconklin #christopherbriney #conradfisher #fyp #fypシ #teamconrad #teambelly #bellyandconradareinfinite #tsitpaudio #tsitpbooks ♬ original sound – speed audios <3
And let’s not forget that even though years passed, he remembered that he taught Belly about the concept of infinity and got her a necklace symbolizing all those years in the past and those years to come.
He remembers her favorite candies and how she thinks Swedish fish taste like candles (so real). And how she likes those good muffins for breakfast. He even quit smoking because of her. And stepped up when Jeremiah wasn’t able to at the Deb Ball.
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Even when they’re older, Conrad notices the little things. In the third book, Belly and Conrad are in the car. They pass a fruit stand. Noticing Belly is looking at it, Conrad asks Belly if she wants to turn back, even though they have passed it. When she responds that it’s ok and that they’ve already passed it, he turns around just to get her the peaches. He didn’t need to, but he did because he knew she wanted one and wasn’t going to ask him to turn around for a simple peach from a fruit stand.
In the letter in the third book, Conrad reveals a list of truths that we didn’t know, like that he spent $40 trying to win Belly Junior Mint at the fair to not disappoint her.
@cassiesbooktok We talking about the same conrad? #booktok #bookrecs #bookish #thesummeriturnedpretty #conradfisher #bellyconklin #foryou ♬ never really over – ♡
Jeremiah’s feelings for Belly came out of jealousy and spite. When describing the moment he fell in love with Belly, he goes on to describe how he felt he wanted Belly’s attention and says, “I was jealous. Crazy jealous… of Conrad”. And we know Jeremiah has resentment towards his older brother. He even says how he felt like, no matter what, he wasn’t as good as him.
And that isn’t the only time Jeremiah does something to harm Belly and Conrad out of spite. When he saw that they almost kissed out on the deck, he thought it was a good idea to shoot a firework at them. That could have ended badly, and they could have gotten injured. But to Jeremiah, their safety didn’t matter. It was about being jealous and making sure to ruin any chance Belly and his brother had of being together so he could benefit and end up with Belly.
It’s almost as if he only likes Belly out of spite for Conrad. He knows he can get Belly to like him and be with him, that it will hurt Conrad to lose the girl he loves, and that it will only hurt more if he loses her to his own brother.
