Wincy

This video is a prime example of the issues with this fanbase:

Key components of romantic compatibility:

Shared values and goals: Having similar beliefs, morals, and ambitions for the future, such as where to live or whether to have children.

Communication: Being able to express yourself freely, actively listen to your partner, resolve conflicts constructively, and compromise.

Mutual acceptance: Acknowledging and accepting each other's flaws and shortcomings without causing intentional harm.

Friendship and connection: Enjoying each other's company, sharing a sense of humor, and feeling like a team.

Emotional stability: Having a similar level of emotional intensity and feeling safe and valued when sharing your feelings.

Capacity for growth: The ability to build on a foundation together and adapt to each other's lives over time.

It's actually hilarious how Belly and Conrad's relationship doesn't actually check any of these boxes. I know some people might include the last point, but having to revert back into a younger version of yourself is not growth. It's regression. There's also the point on friendship, in which Belly and Conrad have never felt like genuine friends. In most cases, Belly pedestalizes Conrad in the same way a small child would pedestalize an adult or older child/teenager. On the contrary, we have this:

Signs of romantic incompatibility:

Disrespectful or dismissive communication.

Frequent, unresolved arguments.

A feeling that you can't be your authentic self.

A constant sense of imbalance in the relationship.

One partner consistently feels overwhelmed or misunderstood.

If I were to compare the two posters, the re-edited photo on the left shows Jeremiah not paying attention to Conrad but looking at Belly. In the original poster, Conrad isn't even looking at Belly, the love of his life, but is angrily looking at Jeremiah.

Before I go any further, I'm not a queer person, so you can take my statements with a grain of salt. With that being said, I don't like how Jeremiah's bisexuality is treated more like a character flaw rather than part of his identity.

The only bisexual character in the show is portrayed as irresponsible and trouble making by hooking up with other people. The only bisexual character is also portrayed as one who lacks sexual discipline by hooking up with a sorority girl.

While Jeremiah's sexuality isn't his only character trait, that is still an identifier for his character. We don't see many moments where his sexuality is mentioned or treated as a casual thing, and when it is, it's usually weaponized by they narrative and the shows fanbase.

It's been a while since I've delved into season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty, so I'll be analyzing episodes 5-6 of season 2 and pinpoint certain things about Belly and Conrad's relationship dynamic:

Conrad is disingenuous:

There are some occasions where Conrad can be disingenuous at times. For instance, in episode 5 of season 2, Jeremiah has a flashback where Conrad visited him while Jeremiah was looking through their mother's medical bills. The conversation starts off as small talk until Conrad gets to the point:

Conrad: You and I never really talked about what happened with Belly.

Conrad: Jere, what happened last summer was fucked up. I didn't even know that you two have kissed until after.

Conrad: I was just hoping that you could-

Jeremiah: What? Give you my blessing?

Jeremiah: I can't believe you came here like this.

Jeremiah: You know what, just do what you want. You always do anyways.

Conrad: Jere, I wanna be with her. And I really think that's what she wants too, but she's afraid of hurting you Jere.

Jeremiah: Oh, is that right.

Conrad: Yeah. It's tearing her up that you haven't responded to her text since last summer.

Jeremiah: Yeah, well, I've been busy.

Conrad: Jere, I don't want you to hate us, but I think about her all the time. And it hurts. My chest physically hurts, to not be able to tell her how I'm in love with her.

Jeremiah: When your brother tells you something like that, there's only one right answer. Even if it doesn't feel right at all.

Jeremiah: I'm not going to be the one to keep you guys apart. So go for it.

Conrad: Thank you.

The reason I claim this moment to be disingenuous from Conrad's perspective is mainly for two reasons. For one, he told Jeremiah that he didn't know Belly kissed him first, which is true. However, once Belly told him this, his immediate reaction was to dismiss Jeremiah's feelings.

Second, during this conversation, even when Conrad was asking for Jeremiah's blessing, he mainly brought up Belly's guilt, not his. This reveals that Conrad wanted to speak to Jeremiah because he realized that he couldn't fully date Belly the way he wanted to, without resolving things with him. Not because he himself considered Jeremiah's feelings, but because he couldn't fully have Belly. It took Conrad not getting what he wanted when he wanted it to consider his Jeremiah's feelings.

Conrad withholds information:

In episode 6, Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah decided to host a party at the summer house before it's sold by Aunt Julia. When Conrad and Jeremiah started arguing outside, it's revealed that Belly never knew about Jeremiah's blessing. Belly is upset by this, which causes her to go to the beach, alone and drunk, while Conrad follows her:

Conrad: Belly! Belly come back inside. I'm not dragging your dead body if you drown out there.

Conrad: Cowm out of the water, Belly.

Belly: Leave me alone.

Conrad: I can't

Belly: No, what are you-

Belly: No, hey, hey! Hey put me down!

Conrad: You're drunk Belly.

Belly: Just put me down!

Conrad: I'm not gonna put you down.

Belly: Conrad let go!

Conrad: Belly.

Conrad: Come on. Let me help you come on.

Belly: Just go, okay.

Conrad: I'm not leaving you, Belly.

Belly: But you already did. Why didn't you tell me you went to Jeremiah about us?

Belly: Why? Why!

Conrad: I don't know.

Belly: If I had known you'd done that, that you care that much about me, and about us, If I had known I would've fought for you.

Conrad: What do you mean?

Belly: Fought for us! I would've fought for us. I mean at prom, at the funeral.

Belly: I would've been there for you for everything.

Conrad: I thought you knew! I thought you knew.

Conrad: From the moment we kissed on the beach, I thought you knew.

Belly: Why? Why would you throw it all away?

Belly: I thought that we loved each other.

Conrad: We did.

Belly: I guess I'm not enough.

This scene shows that Conrad didn't tell her about any of this because he automatically assumed that Belly knew that he would do anything for her. The show writes this scene as if Conrad has a long history of defending and fighting for Belly when we've haven't actually seen that. In the scene where Conrad asks for Jeremiah's blessing, he claims that it is physically painful for him not to tell Belly how he feels. Jeremiah's blessing gave him the opportunity to do that, and instead, he wasted it on sex and outings.

This scene also unintentionally makes Conrad look bad because when Belly asked for clarification on Jeremiah's feelings, Conrad lied by saying that Jere's fine, when he begrudgingly gave Conrad his blessing, indicating that he in fact wasn't fine.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that Belly says that she would've fought harder for their relationship, but how much fighting can one teenage girl take? In the show, we're shown that Belly has made some exceptions for Conrad, even at her own expense. Sure, Susanna's illness may have caused Belly to be more empathetic towards Conrad at the time, but Conrad wasn't in a position to emotionally care for Belly in the way that a boyfriend should.

1. Invading someone's space.

2. Crossing multiple boundaries.

3. Sabotaging them.

The moment is finally here. After I finished analyzing season 1 of Belly and Conrad's relationship, I'm currently watching season 2. This post will contain points from episodes 1-4. Here we go:

Conrad is dismissive of others:

In the first episode of season 2, the audience is introduced to a flashback from Belly's perspective after her and Conrad share their first kiss on the beach. While the couple were frolicking back to the beach house, the realization hits Belly. She realized that she kissed Conrad without properly ending things with Jeremiah. Once this is brought to Conrad's attention, this is how he responds:

Conrad: You want to be with me?

Belly: Being with you is all I've ever wanted.

Conrad: Okay, it's great. Be with me then.

Belly:*laughs*What?

Conrad: Is that funny?

Belly: No, I'm sorry. It's just weird. I mean everyone in our house knows that I've had a crush on you since-

Conrad: Wait,wait,wait,wait, you have a crush on me?

Belly: Shut up.

Conrad: You're weird for me Belly.

Belly: I don't want to hurt Jere.

Conrad: Me either. Like, I'll talk to him. He might not even be that upset.

Conrad: You know. It's Jere he never takes anything too seriously. It's not like how it is with us.

Belly: Uh, I'll talk to him first. I owe him that.

Conrad: Okay.

In this conversation, Belly and Conrad had very different reactions. While Belly was happy about finally being with her first love, she still didn't forget about Jeremiah and how this situation might affect him. On the other hand, Conrad's initial reaction was to be dismissive while downplaying his brother's feelings. Someone having a more laid-back personality doesn't eradicate their emotions, nor does it equate to accepting everything.

After Belly broke the news to Jeremiah, she didn't expect Jeremiah to be as mad as he was. Belly was overwhelmed because this was the first time she was feeling Jeremiah's anger directed towards her. Belly wasn't just shocked. She was hurt.

Belly: I feel awful. He was so angry at us, and he had every right to be, honestly.

Conrad: It's going to be okay, Belly. I promise.

Belly: How?

Belly: I think maybe we should hit pause.

Conrad: What? No.

Belly: I don't want to make things harder for you than they already are.

Conrad: You're not. I promise.

Belly: The most important thing right now is that you and Jeremiah are there for each other and there for Susanna. And us being together would make that impossible.

Conrad: Belly, come on.

Belly: I can't do that to him.

Conrad: I hate that.

Belly: Yeah, me too.

Conrad: Um, this was always yours. *Hands Belly the infinity necklace* No matter what happens, we'll still be infinite.

Another contrast between Belly and Conrad is that Belly understands her wrongs and feels genuine remorse. Her initial reaction after this event was to take the mature route by hitting pause of her and Conrad's relationship. She even acknowledged that dating Conrad will only cause a riff between both brothers.

In this scene, Conrad lacks empathy towards his brother and doesn't consider how the riff in their relationship would also affect their terminally ill mother. The next thing I'm about to mention traces back to season 1 and season 2.

Conrad weaponizes symbolism:

In the very same scene, Conrad pulls out the infinity necklace, telling Belly that they'll always have a connection. On a surface level, this seems like a sweet gesture. However, Conrad normally uses this necklace as a way to either apologize to Belly or to real her back into their relationship. Conrad did the same thing in episode 6 of season 1, only for Belly to reject him.

The concept of infinity is meant to represent something eternal. A symbol of love in a relationship should never be used as a tool to manipulate your partner into forgiveness or unity.

Conrad is unappreciative:

Throughout the second episode of season 2, Belly and Jeremiah start speaking to each other again, after they both find out that Conrad is missing.

After going to Conrad's college and contacting his peers, Jeremiah and Belly finally figured out where Conrad was. He was at the old summer house.

After finally meeting up with Conrad, he explains to Jeremiah that they're going to lose the summer house. Jeremiah is annoyed at Conrad for his refusal to answer his calls and text messages. Jeremiah and Belly also speak on how Conrad can't abandon his studies. This is how their interaction went:

Jeremiah: How long did you know about this and not tell me?

Conrad: Jere, this was all happening so fast. I was going to tell you after I'd taken care of it.

Jeremiah: And this is how you're taking care of it. Going awol, ditching school, not talking to-

Conrad: Fuck school! I don't care.

Jeremiah: Connie, you have to go back or you'll fail your class.

Belly: How are you going to become a doctor if you fail out of college Conrad?

Conrad: You have no idea what you're talking about.

Jeremiah: Seriously? We went to Brown to check on your ass.

Jeremiah: You know, I didn't think you'd pull this shit again, but you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself.

Throughout this interaction, Conrad has not apologized to Jeremiah for not contacting him. He has not taken accountability for having his brother and ex-girlfriend worry about him, and he makes this situation much worse due to his hero complex.

In this scene, he was also disrespectful towards Belly by insulting her intelligence. This happened months after Belly and Conrad broke up. Therefore, she wasn't obligated to check on him.

Conrad is emotionally unavailable:

In episode 3 of season 2, there's a flashback where Belly, Taylor, and Steven are taking prom photos with their dates for Susanna. When Susanna asked to see the corsage, it's revealed that Conrad forgot Belly's corsage. Belly forgives Conrad for this, and continues to go to prom.

At prom, Belly and Conrad are sitting at the table watching others dance. Steven tells Conrad to dance with Belly, his girlfriend. During their dance, Conrad barely looks at Belly. He looks emotionally absent and mentally drained. This is how their conversation went during their dance:

Belly: I'm glad you're here.

Conrad: Me, too.

Conrad: You wanna go somewhere?

Belly: Um, wait after prom doesn't start until midnight.

Conrad: Right, I mean just you and me. Do you want to go somewhere where we can just talk?

Belly: No, let's not go anywhere. Let's just stay here for a while.

Conrad: Alright.

Conrad: I might go back to school tonight. I have an exam on Monday and everything.

Conrad: Is it alright if I don't go to the after prom? I'll still drop you off.

Belly: I thought you were, um. I thought you were spending the night.

Conrad: Belly if I stay, I'm just going to ruin the rest of the night for you. I don't want to do that.

Belly: Did I, did I do something?

Conrad: Belly, can we please just go outside and talk?

After Belly and Conrad exit the school dance, their conversation escalated to their infamous break up:

Conrad: I'm sorry.

Belly: I know this is hard with everything going on, but please don't shut me out.

Conrad: I feel like I just keep disappointing you.

Belly: You haven't, and you aren't.

Conrad: I have. I have. All I've done today was disappoint you. You don't deserve that.

Belly: Then stop acting like this, and come back inside, please.

Conrad: I can't. I just can’t.

Belly: Fine. Then, if you won't say it, I will.

Conrad: Say what?

Belly: That we're over? I mean we are aren't we?

Conrad: Belly.

Belly: Don't. Don't say anything.

Conrad: Belly, don't leave it like this.

Belly: You, you're the one leaving it like this.

Conrad: Belly wait.

Belly: Stop.

Conrad: Wait!

At the end of this scene. Belly runs into Steven. It doesn't take long for Steven to realize what just happened after seeing his sister in tears. He immediately hugs and consoles her. When Steven and Belly look up, Conrad is already driving away in his car. Another key detail in this scene is after Conrad says, "Wait!" You can see the infinity necklace he pulled out of his pocket, another attempt to weaponize symbolism when things don't work out.

This scene proves that Conrad wasn't ready to be in a serious relationship, not while he was still grieving. It's understandable that Belly felt the need to console and support Conrad during this time. With that being said, it also isn't fair to Belly. In a relationship, both partners' needs are important, not just one. Belly has accepted a lot of things in her and Conrad's relationship at her expense.

The problem here is that this is almost never reciprocated on Conrad's end. During their six month relationship, when has Conrad supported Belly? When has Conrad been there for Belly when she needed him?

No, Conrad taking Belly on dates and outings is not the same as being there for her emotionally. Not only was Conrad emotionally unavailable during their relationship, but he's also tampered with important events for her since season 1. Belly's first date, her 16th birthday, and now her junior prom. All three important events in a teenage girl's life.

Conrad insults Belly:

In the same episode, there's another flashback that takes place after Susanna's funeral. Belly is looking for Conrad to give him a plate of food, and she runs into his ex-girlfriend Aubrey consoling him. Belly runs out of the room while Conrad follows her. This interaction causes a huge scene at Susanna's funeral:

Conrad: Belly wait.

Belly: What do you want. Let go of me.

Conrad: Belly, that was just Aubrey.

Belly: I'm sorry to interrupt your little moment.

Conrad: She was helping me.

Belly: So you'll accept her help, but not mine? Got it. I'm glad to know where I fall in the ranking of ex-girlfriends.

Conrad: Grow up.

Belly: Go to hell!

Conrad: I should've known it'll be like this.

Belly: What do you mean?

Conrad: Forget it.

Belly: No, say it. Tell me.

Conrad: I knew it was a bad idea starting something with you.

Belly: I don't believe you.

Conrad: It was a huge mistake.

Belly: I hate you.

Conrad: Good.

Belly: I don't want to see you again.

In this scene, Conrad not only insulted Belly, but he also insulted their 6-month relationship. Conrad said that he knew it was a bad idea to start something with Belly, which is also contradicting, considering he's the one who encouraged Belly to go against her better judgment by dating him. It's also insulting to have your ex say something like this to you when you've been nothing but supportive during your relationship.

Belly was never Conrad's first option:

As much as the show tries to make it seem like Conrad was always in love with Belly subconsciously, there's many instances that contradict this rhetoric.

In episode 4 of season 2, Belly has a flashback that occurred when she was 13 years old. In her words, Belly describes this incident as her first heartbreak. Conrad asked her to go to the boardwalk, just the two of them. Belly anticipated this event because she's had a crush on Conrad since she was 10 years old. Unfortunately, Belly was in for a rude awakening once she realized the real reason Conrad invited her to the boardwalk:

Belly: Um, it's kind of crowded. Do you want to go sit on the pier instead?

Conrad: I was thinking we could play some ring toss.

Belly: Okay, come with me.

Ring Toss Girl: How many rings?

Belly: We'll take three.

Belly: I like your shorts.

Ring Toss Girl: Thanks.

Conrad: Yeah, they're really nice.

Belly: I thought you said they were too short when I wore the exact same ones two days ago.

Ring Toss Girl: You think they're too short?

Belly: Alright, Con, I'm gonna get a lemonade. Go win me a prize, okay.

*Time pass*

Conrad: How come you never came back.

Belly: The line for the ferris wheel was really long.

Conrad: Andi said this was the best prize they have. *Shows Belly the Junior Mint polar bear*. I thought you might like it.

Belly: I'd rather have had the giraffe, but thanks.

This scene implies that Belly complimented the girl as a test to see how Conrad would react. She realized that Conrad only came to the fair to see the girl he was crushing on. When Conrad failed the test, Belly excused herself and went on her way. Hours later, Conrad gives her the stuffed polar bear to make Belly feel better, but even then, this didn't change Belly's mood.

I know that Belly not being Conrad's crush at this time in their lives isn't that big of a deal, since they were younger teenagers, however, it becomes a problem when the shows narrative wants their audience to believe that Conrad always felt something for her. There wasn't anything inherently romantic in this scene, but rather the opposite. Belly was never Conrad's first choice until the summer she turned pretty, and even then, his behavior in many instances didn't show that.

Now that I'm done analyzing season 2 episodes 1-4, let's look at the key points in the bullet list:

Conrad is dismissive of other's feelings.

Conrad weaponizes a symbol that's meant to represent a special bond.

Conrad is unappreciative of those close to him.

Conrad is emotionally unavailable.

Conrad insults Belly.

Belly was never Conrad's first choice.

As a continuation of my previous post, I will be pinpointing and analyzing Belly & Conrad's relationship dynamics based on the season finale of season 1 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. I couldn't end a discussion of season 1 without ending it with one of the biggest flaws in Belly and Conrad's relationship:

Conrad is a habitual gaslighter:

I know this sounds extreme, but I'll explain. In episode 7, Belly agrees to go to the Debutant Ball with Jeremiah, and the majority of the episode consists of preparation for this event.

Jeremiah promises Belly that he'll be there for her. However, towards the end of the episode, Belly is confused and nervous since Jeremiah didn't show up for their dance number. As a result, Conrad stepped in since nobody knew Jeremiah's whereabouts.

Without full context, it would seem that Jeremiah didn't keep his promise and nearly humiliated Belly by leaving her stranded during an important event, but there's one problem with this sentiment. Conrad's actions are what directly caused this.

In episode 6, Jeremiah decided to go to a party with Conrad and Steven, and then he started having a conversation with Conrad asking about their mother, Susanna. Here's how their conversation went:

Jeremiah: So, hey, um. Have you noticed anything weird about mom lately?

Conrad: What? What are you talking about?

Jeremiah: Oh, she's just been sleeping more.

Conrad: Yeah, it's the summertime, Jere. Mom sleeps more when she's on vacation.

Jeremiah: Okay, alright fuck you.

Jeremiah: And congrats on your win today. I know how much you don't like to lose.

Conrad: It's not about winning for me. It's about doing things the right way.

Jeremiah: Okay, sure.

Despite the short interaction, I picked up on quite a few things here. Conrad has not only lied to Jeremiah but also gaslit him. Deflecting someone's concerns that you're fully aware of or know more about while intentionally making the other person second guess themselves is a form of gaslighting.

Conrad isn't unfamiliar with this behavior as he attempted to do the same thing to Belly when she brought up the moment when they almost kissed on the 4th of July.

There's also some irony in Conrad's last statement. He claims that he cares about doing things the right way, but what exactly is right about lying to your brother about your mother's illness.

To add even more context, this isn't the first time Susanna had cancer. Therefore, the possibility of Susanna being sick is nothing Jeremiah hasn't already experienced.

Conrad has a hero complex:

Not only has the show itself confirmed this in the third season, but it's been pretty evident since season 1.

In the season finale, when Conrad is dancing with Belly during the debutant waltz, he tells Belly, "I'm glad it was me." Now, do I believe that Conrad intentionally sabotaged Jeremiah? No, I don't, because nobody expected Jeremiah to leave unannounced.

However, Conrad used this as an opportunity. I would also like to note that a person can have more than one motive. Yes, Conrad danced with Belly since she needed a partner, and he also danced with Belly because he wanted to be in Jeremiah's place.

This is proven by the fact that he realized it was too late to be Belly's date once she agreed to go with Jeremiah. He tried to ask her earlier in episode 6, and Belly hesitantly responded with an "I'll think about it." In the same episode, he also decided to conveniently text Belly about the ball after Steven told him about the possibility of Belly dating Jeremiah.

The problem with Conrad's hero complex is that the narrative only writes him as a hero, at other's expense that were caused by his own actions.

A good differentiation between a hero, and someone with a hero complex is that a hero does heroic acts due to morality and principle whereas someone with a hero complex is usually driven by validation, personal desires, or has a self-serving mindset.

In many instances, Conrad's heroism is driven by validation (friends & family) and personal desires (Belly). He feels the need to be a hero because he needs the validation of knowing he's capable of fixing things.

Not only is having a hero complex inherently unhealthy, but it also causes more issues, intentional or not. You can't be a hero while simultaneously being a detriment.

To conclude my overall thoughts, I'm going to bullet point the main issues from all episodes of season 1:

Belly puts Conrad on a high pedestal.

Conrad ruins or dampens important dates for Belly.

Conrad ignores Belly.

Conrad Two Timed Nicole.

Conrad only puts in efforts when he feels like he's losing Belly.

Conrad has gaslit Belly and those close to him.

Conrad has a hero complex at other characters' detriment.

As you've seen my previous post, I've decided to write a series on why I believe Belly & Conrad's relationship falls flat from both a character and narrative perspective.

Before I get into my main critiques, I'd like to break down the premise of their relationship first. I'd also like to make a disclaimer; I will be strictly discussing the TV series when delving into my points. I will not be using the book series as an example, since they follow different continuities. I will also write each part for each season. Here we go:

The Origin:

Based on the information we're given, in early adolescence, Isabel Conklin developed a crush on Conrad Fisher. A boy she looked up too for most of her life. As the years went by, her crush on Conrad only grew, hoping that one day, her feelings will be reciprocated.

During the summer she turned pretty, Belly noticed a shift in Conrad's behavior, but didn't understand why. Despite her frustrations, her feeling didn't fade. In fact, once it became clear that Conrad returned her feelings, she took the opportunity, as most people would.

I know that this seems like a short summary, but that's due to me describing the foundation of Belly and Conrad's relationship from a surface level. The next points, I'm about to make is based on what the series has shown us, during the rise of their romance.

Belly Idolizes Conrad:

I like to make the distinction between adoration and idealization. Admiration is a form of appreciation and respect, whereas idolization is and an excessive form of admiration, that places a person or thing on a pedestal. This can come in many forms and examples.

There's this one particular scene from the first episode of season 1 where Belly and Conrad are having a conversation in the pool. When Belly decides to go for a late night swim, she notices Conrad sitting at the pool while smoking weed. These are the direct quotes that follow:

Belly: I thought you said smoking pot changes the way you process information.

Conrad: So does your cell-phone.

Belly: You said marijuana messes with white matter.

Conrad: Do you even know what white matter is?

Belly: You said that our brains are still developing and-

Conrad: God, do you memorize everything single thing that I've ever said?

Belly: *Scoffs* Get over yourself. I mean Conrad, you're the one who said that smokings dumb and that athletes don't put shit in their bodies.

Conrad: I said a lot of stuff, and I'm not an athlete anymore so-

Belly: Well, I still think you should quit.

Conrad: What will you give me if I do?

Belly: Nothing I think you should quit for yourself.

Conrad: Hey why are you considering this debutant thing?

Belly: I don't know. It's not like I have anything else going on.

Conrad: But it's not you. Don't let my mom make you her little doll just because she never had a daughter.

Belly: I don't mind it. I mean sometimes I wish I was her daughter.

Conrad: You're better off with Laurel trust me.

While this is a short conversation, this tells me a lot of things. Although Belly was quick to deny it, she does memorize things that Conrad says, even small details. This alone isn't necessarily bad, however, the way Belly bringing up everything little thing Conrad says, while treating them like complete facts with no second thought, is an example of idealization.

Another example is when Belly misconstrued Conrad's words when she snuck off to the bonfire and ran into Conrad and Nicole. After she noticed them, she gets up from the ground and tells Conrad:

Belly: I thought you hated the Red Sox.

Nicole: Who are you?

Belly: Who are you?

Nicole: Nicole. Conrad and I went to the deb ball last summer.

Conrad: It was after you guys left to take Steven to look at colleges.

Belly: You said that deb balls are bullshit and all debs are sheep.

Conrad: I didn't...You're such a brat.

Belly: You're an asshole.

Even in a conversation where Belly is reacting out of jealousy, she still brings up things about Conrad, as if she's his fangirl, not a childhood friend.

Conrad actively sabotaged Belly:

In the second episode of season 1, Conrad is jealous when he realizes that Belly had a drive-in date with Cam Cameron. While the boys are at Laurel's Book signing event, Steven had the idea to go to the same drive-in as Belly and Cam Cameron as a prank:

Steven: We could go to the drive-in.

Jeremiah: Dude, gross. No I don't want to watch Belly hooking up with some kid in the backseat of a mini-van.

Conrad: *ponders* You know what? Let's go to the drive in.

Steven: Wait like really?

Conrad: Yeah, why not?

Steven: Yeah, Yeah.

Conrad: Alright, bro. You're driving.

I like to address that all three boys are responsible for nearly ruining Belly's first date. However, the key difference here is motive. Steven and Jeremiah agreed to this because they thought it would be funny (it wasn't). Conrad agreed because he hated the fact that Belly was paying attention to a guy that wasn't him. After Belly's date ended on a good note, Conrad notices her happy mood and immediately decides to change that:

Conrad: How was your hot date?

Belly: Excuse me?

Conrad: Okay, relax. We were just having a little fun.

Belly: You guys are assholes.

Conrad: Belly, come on.

Belly: All I wanted was to go to a drive-in with a guy I think is cute and sweet, and you guys had to come and ruin it.

Conrad: And us showing up for like 2 minutes ruined that? Really? Grow up Belly.

Belly: Why couldn't you let me have this one thing? Huh? Admit it. You knew what you were doing.

Conrad: What? What was I doing?

Belly: Reminding me that you existed.

Conrad: I don't know what you're talking about.

Belly: You cared where I was, and who I was with.

Conrad: I didn't. I don't care.

Belly: Stop lying!

Conrad: Stop being such a baby!

Belly: Oh and you're such an adult! You spent your Saturday night crashing my first date for fun.

Belly: I-forget it. Why don't you go smoke some more pot?

Conrad: Why don't you look in the mirror some more?

Despite Conrad not admitting his feelings, he knew exactly what he was doing. Intentionally sabotaging Belly's date proves that he is aware of her feelings on some level. If this weren't the case, he wouldn't have teased her for memorizing everything he says. He's used to receiving Belly's attention and felt threatened once that same type of attention wasn't being directly applied to him. It also doesn't help that Conrad resorted to immediately diminishing Belly's feelings instead of apologizing.

Conrad Ignores Belly:

In the third episode, it's Belly's 16th birthday. Everyone is excited and congratulates her while each person gives her a gift, except Conrad. Conrad lied about forgetting to buy Belly a birthday gift while hiding his present. Most would argue that he hid his gift out of embarrassment. Even then, he could've made up for this gift in other ways. He could've:

Apologize and spend more time with Belly on her birthday.

Buy a new gift while he was out.

Unfortunately, that's not what happened. Instead, Conrad decided to spend time with Nicole on Belly's birthday, while acting affectionate in front of Belly.

Later in that episode, Belly walks into Conrad's bedroom to find the keys to the family car. When searching through his drawer, Belly found Conrad's present. Belly's thought follows "At least he remembered infinity. Doesn't he know for him, I would've traveled endlessly around those curves." This scene demonstrates that Belly is aware that Conrad lied, and confirms that she would've accepted his gift regardless.

Conrad Two Timed Nicole:

At the end of episode 4, we're first introduced to the moment where Belly and Conrad almost kissed, until Jeremiah set off a firework as a distraction. This would've been a different situation if Conrad and Belly weren't actively seeing other people. I also notice that a lot of fans like to use the fact that Belly and Conrad weren't exclusively dating other people. For those who use this argument, let me ask you something:

Did Nicole know that her and Conrad weren't exclusive?

Did Nicole have a clear distinction on where her and Conrad's relationship stood?

Did Cam Cameron know that him and Belly weren't exclusive?

If your answer is "no." or "I don't know.", then this proves that there's a lack of communication from both Belly and Conrad towards their other love interests. It doesn't matter if Nicole and Cam are only secondary characters, that doesn't diminish the main characters' actions, in fact, that only emphasizes their toxic traits.

With all of that being said, I like to make a clear distinction between Conrad and Belly. Belly had enough self awareness to mutually break up with Cam Cameron when she realized she still harbored feelings for Conrad that she thought would be reciprocated.

In contrast, Conrad didn't put in any effort to break up with Nicole or properly discuss where they stood in their relationship. If Conrad was more honest with Nicole, a lot of things could've been prevented. Which only leads me to my next point.

Conrad causes mixed signals:

To extend my previous argument, this was the dialogue during the firework scene:

Conrad: Belly about the necklace,

Belly: Um, I'm sorry I brought it up.

Conrad: No, no. I, um, I did get it for you.

Belly: Then why didn't you give it to me?

Conrad: I don't know. I got embarrassed, I guess.

Belly: Why?

Conrad: Belly you don't know the effect you have on people.

Belly: Effect on people? I don't know what you're talking about.

Conrad: Yeah, you do.

This scene confirms Conrad's hidden romantic feelings for Belly before they were about to kiss. In episode 5, after Belly dumped Cam, she goes back to the beach house and encounters Conrad. This is the dialogue that follows:

Belly: I broke up with Cam.

Conrad: Why?

Belly: Last night, you and I almost kissed.

Conrad: Did we? I was pretty wasted I don't really remember much.

Belly: Are you serious?

Conrad: Okay we almost kissed. What do you want me to say, I'm sorry?

Belly: Okay sorry?

Conrad: I don't know. Belly I think about you. I do, you know I do. I just can't.

Belly: I'm not waiting for you anymore.

In episode 6, the follow morning, Conrad apologizes to Belly in the kitchen and asked her if he could be her date to the debutant ball. Belly seems confused at first, but hesitantly says "I'll think about it." In the same episode, Belly and Taylor are left stranded at the beach completely nude in the middle of the night after Nicole ditched them and stole their clothes.

Remember when I said that a lot of things could've been avoided if Conrad communicated his feeling and expressed boundaries with Nicole? This was one of the consequences that occurred.

In that text message, Conrad texted Belly "My mom did want me to ask you to the ball, but that's not why I did it. I did it because I wanted to." Let's keep in mind that Conrad didn't break up with Nicole when he sent this message. Nicole was the one who dumped him after this happened.

I want to be very clear. I'm not saying that Nicole isn't responsible for her own actions, I'm saying that this event was a chain reaction from Conrad not asserting boundaries. Nicole did this after she found text messages from Belly's phone with Conrad, which not only made Conrad look bad, but also made Belly look bad to an extent, since Belly lied to Nicole on more than one occasion.

After Belly and Taylor are driven home by Conrad and Jeremiah, Belly is sleeping in the same bed as Taylor until she receives a "U up" text from Conrad. Belly takes it upon herself to meet up with Conrad despite being upset. This is how their conversation went:

Conrad: Hey.

Belly: Stop texting me. It's triggering, bad things happen when you text me.

Conrad: I know, I'm sorry. I feel like I keep doing the wrong things when it comes to you.

Conrad: This is for you. *Hands Belly the infinity necklace* You don't have to keep it or anything. You can throw it in the ocean. Burn it.

Conrad: I just-

Belly: What?

Conrad: I just, I just don't want to loose you.

Belly: It's too late.

Belly is rightfully upset at Conrad because his actions indirectly put her in a bad situation, and he's spent multiple days insinuating his feelings only to take them back not long after.

I know this post is really long, so I'm going to summarize the main issues from Season 1, episodes 1-6 in bullet points:

Belly puts Conrad on a high pedestal.

Conrad ruins or dampens important dates for Belly.

Conrad ignores Belly.

Conrad only puts in effort when he feels like he's loosing Belly, not when he has her.

Conrad lacks proper communication and causes mixed signals.

That beach scene hit the final nail in the coffin of why I could never be team Bonrad, no matter how much the show wants me to.

After Conrad found out about Cabo, his initial reaction was to confront Jeremiah, but Jeremiah was too drunk to have a proper conversation with him.

Then, when Belly went to the beach, she expected Jeremiah to be there, not knowing that he was too drunk to attend, and runs into Conrad.

Conrad decides to tell Belly about Cabo (as if that was his right) and was shocked when Belly assured him that she was aware and remained firm on her decisions.

Conrad's immediate actions that followed only showed his true motives that were buried deep inside. He didn't tell Belly about the Cabo incident because he felt bad for her or thought she had a right to know.

No, he selfishly used that as a tool to win her over and had a completely different reaction once that backfired.

Instead of respecting her choices, he once again overstepped Belly's boundaries to the point where she threatened to scream.

Then he told her that he loved her, as an attempt to win her over. A younger version of Belly would've been over the moon hearing this, but there's three big issues.

1. Belly is not a teenager anymore. She's a young lady:

I noticed that throughout the series, whenever we see Conrad's flashbacks or perceptions of Belly, he's always picturing her as a little girl or a teenager. He doesn't see her as the young woman she is because it doesn't represent a time when Belly loved him unconditionally, even at her own detriment.

2. Belly is about to get married:

Conrad decided to confess his feelings towards Belly THREE DAYS before her wedding and acted shocked when she didn't drop everything for him. Jeremiah and Belly have dated for four years, while Conrad has barely spoken to them during that time frame.

3. Conrad and Belly haven't had a proper relationship in years:

When I say proper relationship, I don't mean a strictly romantic relationship, I also mean a platonic one, too. Once Belly and Conrad broke up, she was devastated, as most people would be.

Even in the second season, Belly's main focus was to help the Fisher brothers retain the summer house. Belly and Conrad's interactions in that time frame mostly revolved around the house and Conrad's grades.

We didn't get any scenes that showed that they could have a healthy relationship as friends. The vast majority of their scenes were cordial, with the exception of the last episode of season 2.

In season 3, they've barely communicated for four years. While four years is a long time, that's not enough to determine whether someone has actually matured enough to be in a serious relationship, especially with their ex who was a teenager at the time.

The problem with the execution of this season regarding Belly and Conrad's relationship is that nothing proves that this couple would work in any realistic scenario. Although I'm aware that this show is fictional, it's set in a semi-realistic setting, not a fantasy with mythical and supernatural creatures.