Title: Please Come to Boston.
Author: Sam
Disclaimer: I don't own Reba McEntire or the OC.
Rating: We'll say PGish.
Summary: Hey ramblin' boy, why don't you settle down? Boston ain't your kind of town. There ain't no gold and there ain't nobody like me. SethSummer songfic oneshot
Author's Notes: I've always loved this song. Always. And so I changed it a little bit...the real song is called 'Please Come to Boston' by Reba McEntire. And the lyric I changed is, "I'm the #1 fan of the man from Tennessee." and I changed it to, "I'm the number one fan of the man from the OC." Hehe.
Author's Notes 2: Later in the story, Sandy and Summer are discussing some current event. Seeing as how it will be set about 3-4 years down the road, I just made something up. But I researched a lot of stuff for this story. So pretty much everything else is correct.
Author's Notes 3: I never expected this to be so long. But it is. So enjoy? Read and review, puhleezeeee. )
--
Spring 2007
Summer Roberts stood in front of her mirror of her large, just off of the campus apartment at Stanford University in northern California. She moved her fingers under her hair to lift it up a little and let out a sigh as she slapped her hands back to her side and let her hair fall. She then moved her hands down a bit to smooth a wrinkle in her already wrinkly brown and crystal sequined bohemian styled skirt. The white tank top that she wore with it was just wild enough to suit her new tastes and just fashionable enough to still be considered 'Summer'. She was surprised at how many kids from Harbor were attending Stanford, and she was also surprised as to how many kids went to schools just like Harbor, complete with the popular blonds that all looked the same and had the same meaningless gossip. There were also more kids like Ryan; poor and there only on their merits and intelligence.
Ryan. There was someone she hadn't thought about in a while. He had done his fair share of moving and changing environments, even in college. He had started in Austin, Texas ('Ew,' Summer had thought) at the University of Texas and realized about a semester in that he did, in fact, miss California. At least, that's what he said. Everyone kind of knew that deep down, he had missed his family and friends a lot more than he thought he anticipated. Ryan had transferred to USC in December. It had been a relief to everyone (especially Kirsten) to have Ryan considerably closer to home for his last semester of freshman year. Los Angeles is a lot closer to Newport than Austin.
Marissa had applied to Stanford and USC, but wound up choosing USC in the end based on the financial aide that they offered. It had been a very sad day when she and Summer realized they wouldn't be going to school together anymore. Mr. Roberts had insisted on paying for Marissa's schooling, seeing as how she was not only his step-daughter, but she had been Summer's best friend for as long as he could remember. Marissa graciously declined, claiming that she already owed Summer's father enough and that USC would eventually turn out to be a good decision. They had both accepted the fact, even though Summer continued to worry about Marissa every day. Then Ryan had decided to transfer there. For the architecture program, of course. Summer shook her head and laughed as she pulled her hair into a pony tail. Its insane how they always wind up together, even in the least likely of situations. That was Ryan and Marissa for you, though. At least she wouldn't have to worry about Marissa by herself anymore.
Getting used to the idea of her father being married to Julie Cooper was something that she never thought she would. All of Newport knew what a conniving and manipulative woman she could be, yet Mr. Roberts had chosen to overlook that. They were actually happy together. Marissa agreed. They came to the conclusion that as long as their parents were happy, they should be as well. And it wasn't as if they had to face them as a couple all of the time. Since Julie had found a moderately nice house after graduation, they took no rush into moving in together. And this gave them time to have a new house built across town. Summer didn't care for the idea when she first heard, but then she realized that she wasn't going to be there during school. It was a fair exchange; her own slight comfort for her father's happiness. By the time they were married, Summer had already found her apartment in Stanford. Even though school wasn't scheduled to start until September, Summer left for Stanford almost as soon as the wedding was over. Seth hadn't left, and neither had Ryan or Marissa. They were both trying to put off the inevitable break up that would happen as soon as Ryan left for Texas.
Summer had always assumed that she and Seth would be that 'power couple'. She always thought that their love would outlast everyone's, and that they would turn into the next Sandy/Kirsten. But that had all come tumbling down after Seth missed his interview at Brown.
It was pretty clear after that day that going to school together at Brown wouldn't be an option anymore. Hey, that was something Summer was willing to deal with. Maybe going to school thousands of miles away wasn't that great of an idea. So she had settled with Stanford. Far enough away from Newport to start a life, but close enough to home to receive full scholarships based on her academics. She rejected Brown University's acceptance letter under the impression that Seth was going to go to Stanford with her. She knew that it was a huge sacrifice, but she loved Seth. And she wanted their relationship to grow.
Then she found an acceptance letter from Boston University in Seth's room one afternoon. She confronted him about it, and at the time, she had been livid. Seth was leaving to go all the way across the country, and he didn't have the decency to tell her? He could have at least let her know, and she could have accepted Brown. And then they would at least be within decent driving distance of each other. Seth claimed that he had just decided that he wanted to go to Boston, and that the reason he didn't tell her was so he could try Boston for a semester. If he didn't like it, he would come home. To Summer. And if he did like it, then she could transfer to Brown. Summer shook her head as she remembered that conversation. She told him that she was tired to focusing her life around his plans. She could see how this was such a good idea in his head, but it was so horrible in the open. Since she was already living in Stanford, California, she decided to give it a try. One semester, and then if they didn't like it they could transfer to Brown. She offered the idea to Seth. One more semester. He had already spent eighteen years in California. What was another six months?
He just couldn't do it, he claimed. And that was that. It was a heartbreaking, yet understanding end to a relationship. He left for Boston and she stayed in California. They talked every once in a while, even though they hadn't talked in a while. And when they did talk, it was about Ryan and Marissa. Or his mom and dad. Never about the decision that they made.
She didn't date as much as she thought she would. She was over the party scene back in high school, and the college one didn't seem too appealing, either. So she just studied, and made a small group of friends to associate with. On the weekends, she would drive home. Occasionally, Ryan would drive home as well. As would Marissa. And they would get together and hang out. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same without Seth.
--
Two hours later, Summer emerged from her Freshman Composition class. She sighed and rested her glasses on top of her head. The paper she had just taken days to write had only received her a high B, when she was absolutely positive it deserved an A. An A- at least. She arrived home in a less than pleasant mood when she checked her messages on her answering machine.
"Summer, it's Daddy. There's been some unusual activity on your card lately and I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay. Daddy loves you."
Summer gave a glance to the $15,00 dollar love seat and couch sitting in the corner she had just bought. She smiled to herself as the machine clicked.
"Sum, it's me. I have a date with Ryan on Friday! He asked me today after Lab...I need to talk to you! So call me when you get this. Bye." Summer giggled out loud. It took almost two and a half months for them to get back together. The machine clicked again.
"Sum. It's Seth. Call."
Summer gasped a bit and shook her head. It was funny that she had just been thinking about him this morning. She half smirked to herself as she dialed his familiar cell phone number.
"Summer?" an out of breath Seth answered after a couple of rings.
"Hey. What's up? I got your message."
"Not a lot. Just done with class. Hey! That's my bag!" Seth laughed playfully, obviously not talking to Summer. She raised an eyebrow. Kirsten had told her that he had moved in with some new friends into an overly large house. The thought of Seth actually fitting in somewhere actually confused her, and she almost wished that she was there to see it.
"Well, that is exciting."
"Sorry, Summer. Here, let me go in here." She started to tap her foot as she heard him close a door. "There. We should have some privacy now."
"Ok. So what's up? I have some homework I have to get done, so make it quick." She stopped and realized how rude she sounded. "If you can."
"Well, ok. I don't know how to say this, because I'm not very good at this kind of stuff. Obviously. But I want you to seriously consider transferring here."
"To Boston? Really, Cohen?" she asked sarcastically.
"Please come to Boston. It's so pretty in the springtime. I'm actually living with a bunch of guys from my math class. It's so much fun. I don't have to worry about anything. I mean, I'm living on my own! I'm not living off of a trust fund, and all the money my parents sends goes into the bank! I'm getting a job, I'm going to school. And there are seasons, Summer! Actual seasons. Not all the time humidity, not all the time sun. It rains, it lightening's, it thunders, it's cloudy, it's warm, its cool, its cold, it's hot, and it snows. Snow! I haven't ever actually gotten to play in the snow like I did a couple of weeks ago. Remember what Anna said about seasons?"
Summer's mouth pursed into a rue. Of course she remembered Anna. The only girl that Summer had actually ever been jealous of. "Yeah."
"Please come here. We have plenty of extra bedrooms. You could stay there, or you could stay with me if you're uncomfortable. There is so much going on out here. The city is crazy. I love it. Please, Summer."
He said, "Please come to Boston for the springtime.
I'm stayin' here with some friends And they've got lots of room. You can sell your paintings on the sidewalk By a cafe where I hope to be workin' soon. Please come to Boston." I said, "No, boy would you come home to me?" "Seth, I can't. I can't just up and leave. I have actually made a life here. I like my friends, I like my classes. I like California." She felt tears welling in her throat. "I can't. I enjoy being so close to my family. I like being close to your family. I like having the security of that. Can't you understand that?"
"Yeah, I can. But can't you understand that every once in a while, you have to take a risk and do something that you're scared to do? I was scared too, but I did it. And I couldn't be happier than I am now. I'm free of the Newport scene. I'm free of the rich kids. I'm my own person now. And I love you, Summer. I want you to be free, too."
"No, Seth. No," Summer spat, anger seeping through her teeth. She took a shaky breath to calm herself. "I can't. Why don't you come home?"
"Home is where you make it, darling." The Taking Back Sunday lyric that she had loved so much before now rang true.
"Seth! Oh. My. God. Please don't call me and ask me to CHANGE MY LIFE for you. I won't do it any longer!" The tears were spilling down her cheeks. "You get in a rut, you get tired of shit, and you run away! You always do! You ran from me, you ran from your Brown interview, and now you've run from Newport. Again! I refuse to mold my life around whatever it is you are doing!"
"I'm not trying to mold your life. I'm trying to make you see that you belong here. I only want what's best for you, and what's best for you is here. I wouldn't ask you to come if any little part of me thought you wouldn't love it."
"Quit rambling, Cohen. Boston isn't where you belong! There is nothing for you there that's not in California. You're going to come back eventually. You have to. Your parents miss you. Ryan misses you. I miss you." The tears were falling freely now. "Don't try to make me run away from what I love. You don't have real friends there. You have real friends here."
"No, Summer. I don't."
"You don't have everything there."
"Well, tell me Summer!" Seth was angry now. "Tell me what is not here that I can only get in Cali?"
"In Boston," Summer sobbed, "there isn't anyone like me."
I said, "Hey ramblin' boy. Why don't you settle down?
Boston ain't your kind of town.
There ain't no gold,
And there ain't nobody like me.
I'm the number one fan of the man
From the OC."
Seth was obviously stunned by her comment. "You're..you...you're right. You're right Summer. There is no one in Boston like you."
--
Fall 2007
Six months passed by at an incredible speed. Summer vacation came and went. Everyone came home, except for Seth. He stayed in Boston for the summer. Ryan, Sandy and Kirsten had gone up to visit him for a little while, but he didn't grace Newport with his presence. Summer pretended as if she didn't care. Because by then, the phone calls and conversations had stopped entirely.
Ryan and Marissa were back together, and with a vengance. They were really dedicated to making it work. And they were succeeding. After years and years of trust issues, they finally actually believed in each other. 'What a first,' Summer thought only half bitterly.
School had finally started again, and they day before she was supposed to head back to Stanford, she received a call from Kirsten. Her eyebrow raised as she saw the caller ID.
"Sweetie," Kirsten had started, "I was cleaning the other day and I found a bunch of your clothes. I was wondering if you wanted them. I mean, I can throw them out, but I thought you might want them."
Summer had thought she would never see the old tank tops and shorts again. She grinned as she held the things up to her that she had grown out of. Not physically, but she had matured. Short shorts and miniskirts weren't exactly Summer's choice outfit anymore. Kirsten watched her from the door way and smiled proudly. Even though Summer had only been gone about a year, she was already maturing into a beautiful woman. Before Summer saw that Kirsten was watching her, she went back into the kitchen.
As Summer was about to leave the Cohen house, Kirsten stopped her.
"Now, I know that you and Seth don't talk much anymore." It was obvious that Kirsten had no idea how to start this conversation. "But I thought you may have talked to Ryan or someone about Seth's moving."
Summer stopped in her tracks. No one had said anything to her about moving. "What?"
"Oh, I guess not." Kirsten seemed disappointed. "Seth moved from Boston at the end of the Summer. I am still not really sure as to why. He claims that he just got tired of it, but I don't know. That doesn't seem like Seth."
"Is he coming back?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"No, I'm afraid not," Kirsten smiled softly. "He's at Denver University."
Her thoughts spun as she drove back to Stanford. He had moved across country again? Why would he move on the drop of a hat like that if everything was so great in Boston? Every time she came up with a new question, she would be tempted to call him, but restrained herself. She had already called Ryan and Marissa and grilled them for everything that they knew, which wasn't a whole lot more than she did. Ryan didn't seem to think that he was in any trouble, so that relieved her a little bit. At least he wasn't on the run from the law, or a group of scary mafia men.
'But he better watch his ass if he ever comes back to Newport,' she thought angrily. 'Because he has one little brunette who will kick his ass.'
--
Winter 2009
School went along exactly as planned. Summer was doing incredibly well at her major, which she decided to declare 'international relations'. Ryan and Marissa were doing well too. Everyone's lives were going like they wanted. She had even talked to Seth a little bit, who was extremely excited that his comic book was actually going somewhere without the help of anyone else. He was making it on his own. She was so happy for him, but mostly relieved at the idea that he went to Denver for the comic book and not because he had found trouble in Boston.
She had dated a whole series of guys that were exactly the same. They were all funny, smart, nice, kind, charming...and boring. But it wasn't like she had time for a relationship anyway's. School was very demanding, and she was a firm believer in the phrase, 'Work now, play later'.
Summer was pittering around her apartment one Sunday afternoon when her phone rang.
"Hello?" she asked, picking up and examining a picture frame with a picture of her dad.
"Hi," came Seth's relaxed reply. "How goes the relations with the internationals?"
"Well, actually. I'm acing everything."
"Makes sense. You don't have a social life anymore."
Summer tried her hardest to kill the smile she felt coming. "How would you know anything about my social life, Cohen?"
"You wouldn't believe all the things I know about you, Summer," he teased. "I think that you should come stay with me over winter break."
"Huh. I wasn't expecting that one." Summer readjusted a picture on the wall. "I thought you were done with the trying to force me to come across country."
"Summer, my dear. 'Across the country' is quite the overstatement. It's a two hour flight. Stanford to Denver. You could stay with me and it would be fun."
"Fun is right. Don't you live in a tiny cabin in the middle nowhere? What exactly are you planning on doing for fun?"
"I'll have you know that its not a tiny cabin. It's like, the size of a lodge. And I have to have somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. All the snow and trees help me to concentrate. There's no noise of the city. There aren't cars and stupid water polo teams to make me not think. And that's really important when you're writing a best selling comic book. And going to school."
"Well you didn't clarify what we're going to do while I'm there." She paused. "If I come, that is."
"Snow. I would love to see you play in the snow. Skiing, snowboarding, building snowmen."
"Is there anything that we can do that doesn't require playing in the freezing outdoors?"
"Well, I have cable. And XboX. And Playstation. 1,2, and 3. Movies. I have the 'Garden State'," Seth bribed. "I know how you love a little Zach Braff. And I love Natalie. And we all love some New Jersey love."
"I do love Sam and Largeman." Summer couldn't believe that Seth was using her favorite movie to persuade her to Colorado.
"So come. We can yell stuff down into the canyon. Echo-o-o-o-o," he giggled, imitating an echo. Summer couldn't help but laugh at his antics. Some things never did change.
"I saw in a movie once where this couple yelled 'I love you' deep into a really deep canyon and they didn't hear an echo. Then later that night, the girl was lying awake and she heard it really softly."
"We could try it. I don't see why." The conversation had just taken a serious turn. And neither one was sure as to why.
Summer stopped and stared at a spot on the wall. The electricity emitting between the two even over the phone was almost too much for her to take. "Yeah."
"So will you come?"
This snapped Summer out of her thoughts and she looked at the calendar she had pinned to the wall just over her telephone. Would she even have time to go visit Seth? Even though it was a break from actual schooling, she still had internships. She still had papers to write, cases and documents to study and books to read. She glanced at the week before and after Christmas. The only time that she would have to visit would be Christmas Eve day though two days after Christmas. And that was the time she wanted to spend with her family.
"Seth, I don't think I can," she said softly. "I only have a couple of days off and I'mspending that with my family."
"No! Come here."
"I can't. I can't. I can't. Why don't you come to Newport on Christmas Eve?"
"I am. I am coming Christmas Eve and leaving Christmas night. I have a deadline to meet with the comic book. I can barely come those days."
"I really want to come to Colorado. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, sure. Sure."
"Seth, don't do this. I haven't seen you in forever. I am really looking forward to seeing you at Christmas."
"Okay. I don't really care. I'm not mad. I just wanted to have someone here to talk to for a while. No big deal."
"I'm not the only person you can talk to. Surely Ryan or someone can come out there. Right?"
"Ryan is always with Marissa. And personally, I can't put up with a sex crazed couple right now. I just wanted to see if you could come. Because I miss you, and there's no one like you here."
Summer couldn't think of anything to say.
"So bye, Summer."
And with that, he was gone.
He said, "Please come to Denver to watch the snow fall.
We'll move up into the mountains so far that we can't be found.
And throw 'I love you' echos down the canyon.
And lie awake at night until they come back around.
Please come to Denver."
I just said, "No, boy. Won't you come home to me?"
I said, "Hey, ramblin' boy. Why don't you settle down?
Denver ain't your kind of town.
There ain't no gold, and there ain't nobody like me.
I'm the number one fan of the man from the OC." --
Christmas break was fun, but entirely too short. Ryan and Marissa came home for the duration of the break, and Summer came midway through. Seth arrived a couple of hours before Summer. For the first time since freshman year, the fantastic four was reunited and in the Cohen house for the holidays. Even if it was only for Christmas Eve. The house was bustling with Chrismukkah cheer.
Kirsten was so excited to have all of her children home that it was nonstop joy for the entire day. There was no arguing and no awkward tensions. Just Chrismukkah joy. ("Ryan not punching people? There's a Chrismukkah miracle all in itself!" Seth had joked).
When it started getting late, everyone began to gather around the tree to open presents. Ryan sat in the comfy chair with Marissa draped lazily across his lap. He played with her hair and whispered something into her ear. Whatever it was, Marissa found it to be to her delight, for she planted a kiss on his cheek. He blushed and smiled as she buried her head onto his chest. Summer smiled wistfully as she took a seat on the couch across from them.
Seth came in and plopped next to her, and she could not tell if he was aware of how close they were when he put his arm behind her on the top of the couch. He continued to ramble on to his mother and father about some new comic book festival in Denver, and he wasn't even paying attention to Summer. She suddenly had the urge to lean back into the crook of his arm like the old days. She must have looked like she was planning something, because by that time, Marissa had taken notice and lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at her best friend. Summer gave her a clueless, yet slightly guilty glance as she cast her eyes away. Marissa chuckled, and now Ryan's curiosity was sparked.
"What's so funny?" he whispered into her ear. She giggled again when his breath tickled her skin and made the hair on her neck stand. She didn't say anything, but he caught where her eyes were looking.
He smiled knowingly over to Summer, who almost seemed to be in a bit of a panic. She mouthed, 'No!' to the couple across from her. Ryan put a hand to his ear as if he could not hear what she was saying. Summer gave him an exasperated look as she repeated herself, and this time used a hand motion as well. Seth must have noticed her from the corner of her eye, because he suddenly stopped his conversation to look down at Summer. She immediately stopped what she was doing and tried to be as casual as possible, despite the deer-in-the-headlights look and deep flush on her cheeks. Ryan and Marissa each burst into laughter upon this, and now everyone was confused.
"I'm not even going to ask," Sandy grinned widely. He had missed all of these kids more than he thought he had. The quiet was nice, and the lack of drama was great. But he couldn't help but love the atmosphere whenever they were around.
"Who's ready for presents?" Kirsten asked, clapping her hands together. She was met with a chorus of 'Me!'s, and 'I am's. "Seth, would you like to pass out the gifts?"
Seth pretended to look incredibly put out, but everyone could see the joy and excitement dancing in his eyes. There was just something about Chrismukkah that brought out the best in everyone.
"Sandy, Kirsten," Summer started, "thank you so much for letting me and Coop stay here while the 'rents are out of town. It's really great that you let us celebrate Christmas eve with your family."
"Yeah," Marissa piped up. "Thank you so much."
"That is no problem. You girls know that you're welcome here any time you want," Kirsten smiled sweetly. Summer couldn't help but smile as well. Kirsten was such a giving person.
"When are they getting back?" Sandy asked.
"The flight from Paris to New York landed about three hours ago. Their flight was supposed to leave about half an hour after that..." Summer began.
"...but there was a lot of snow in New York, and the flight got delayed about three hours," Marissa finished.
"So they should be getting here early morning." Kirsten stated. The girls nodded happily.
"To Sandy, love Kirsten. Huh." Seth walked over to hand his father the small box.
"Why, thank you, sweetheart!" Sandy exclaimed, admiring the beautiful wrapping. "I know I am going to love it."
"Well, that's not all of your present," Kirsten mumbled suggestively, planting a kiss on his lips. Sandy smiled knowingly and pulled his wife closer, much to the pure disgust of Seth.
"Oh! Oh no! Oh my God! You are parents! I am child! And as child, I know that parents stop having sex after birth of said child. It's
law," Seth whined, tossing Ryan a bigger box.
Kirsten tried to hide the grin on her lips. "Seth, we're people. Not robots. We can have sex."
"Mom, don't say sex. And you guys don't do that. Please, let me keep that thought."
Soon, the presents were all passed out and Seth took his seat back next to Summer. Obviously, his placement earlier was not a fluke, for he sat in the exact same place. Summer handled it a tad more professionally now, but she still felt her heart rate rise each time he would accidentally brush her arm or leg.
"Okay, ready? Go!" Sandy boomed, and the frantic tearing of paper (Seth being the most frantic) began.
About half an hour later, everyone sat in what remained of the Christmas presents. Everyone was admiring their new gifts. Seth had received a brand new snowboard, along with lots of snow clothes. Sandy had claimed it to be hell trying to find snow clothes in sunny California. Seth was excited, too, to see a brand new Archos system with his name on it. 200 gigs of memory. Huge colored screen. Perfect size for music and movies while traveling. Ryan had folded all of his new clothes into a neat pile at his feet, with his DVD's and video games (including a brand new Playstation 4, which Seth was clearly jealous of) sitting in his lap. Kirsten admired her stunning diamond necklace, and Sandy couldn't help but gawk at the $9,000 diamond encrusted Cartier watch that Kirsten had to have ordered from France. Ryan had taken a note from Sandy and bought Marissa a diamond and white gold necklace that fit perfectly around her neck. Marissa and Summer cooed and awed over the gorgeous piece of jewelry, and Seth could tell that Ryan was very pleased with himself.
"Good job, man. Seems like a hit," Seth laughed. "And thanks for the gift. I really appreciated a Playstation 4 game that I can use without my Playstation 4 console." Ryan burst out laughing as he hinted the sarcasm in Seth's voice.
"Dude, I swear I thought they got that for you." Apparently, Ryan's laughter was not rubbing off on Seth, though a smile was creeping onto his face. "I saw the corner of the box one afternoon while I was driving your mom's car to get the oil changed, but I had no idea what it was. And then about a week later I was shopping back in LA with Marissa and I saw a display box of a PS4 and I knew that box was what I saw. So I immediately assumed that it was for you and I bought a game that I thought you would like."
Seth looked at the game. It was a zombie game. It was a very, very cool looking zombie game. With very, very real looking zombies.
"Yes. If I did have a PS4, I would in fact love this game."
"I'm sorry, man. I'll make it up to you. You want the receipt? Because I have it in my wallet." Seth stopped Ryan before he could reach into his pocket.
"No, it's cool. I'll eventually get one back in Denver. And this game is too bad-ass to take back."
Ryan shot Seth another apologetic smile as Marissa came back around to where her boyfriend was sitting and began to bombard him with thank you kisses. Seth shook his head, laughed and began to look to see where Summer had went. She was engaged in a conversation with Sandy, and they both seemed to be very serious.
"Mind if I join?" Seth asked, resuming his earlier position on the couch with his arm behind Summer. Sandy looked up at him and smiled.
"Sure! I was just discussing with Summer here about the situation in Malaysia." Seeing Seth's confused look, he added, "You know, earlier this week?"
"Oh! Yes. Very tragic," Seth nodded solemnly.
Summer began to laugh. "No, Cohen! We're talking about the resignation of the Prime Minister! And how it was probably the best thing to happen to that country in years!"
"Summer is very educated about her current events! We're all proud," Sandy beamed at the younger girl, who couldn't help but look delighted.
"Well, I would hope so. She is going into international affairs, you know," Seth chuckled as he put a hand on her waist to pull her closer. Summer gasped, and just as quick as the moment had began, he released her and began his own conversation with his father. Summer sat silently and barely paid any attention to Seth's ramble about some new action movie. She had enough on her mind to ponder.
Now that drifter's word goes round and round,
And I doubt if it's ever gonna stop.
But of all the dreams he's lost or found,
And all that I ain't got.
He still needs to lean to
Somebody he can sing to.
--
Once the festivities died down early into Christmas morning, everyone retreated to bed. Much to Kirsten's displeasure, Ryan and Marissa slept together in the pool house. Summer took the upstairs guest bedroom and Seth took his.
Summer was in the familiar bathroom, changing into her yellow pajama bottoms. She took in the designs on the walls, the flowers and the light blues. She glanced out the window and into the cold night. You could see the ocean from the bathroom. She was always amazed at how each house in Newport had an equally amazing, yet totally different view of the ocean. She really missed the Cohen house. She missed having the ocean at her fingertips, no matter where you were. She missed having everyone within walking distance of each other. She missed the Fantastic Four taking each other for granted. She missed the nights like they had tonight. Everyone sitting around, joking, playing, and laughing. No fights, no tears. No drama, no whores, no blasts from the pasts, and no guns.
And for the first time in the soon-to-be four years since graduation, Summer actually missed her relationship with Seth.
Her mind wandered to the summer nights after graduation whenever she, Seth, Ryan and Marissa would hang out in the pool house and play video games and watch movies. Actually, the boys would play video games, and the girls would feign interest for a little bit. After it became clear that the concept of the game was over their heads, they branched off to discuss other important things, like shopping or shoes. Sometimes, Kirsten brought them snacks. So they would all munch happily, the boys would continue to be boys, and the girls would be girls. Summer sometimes wondered if any 2 couples had such functional relationships together. After hours and hours of the night would pass, Ryan would begin dropping hints that he was getting tired. So he would walk Marissa home and Seth would pretend to walk Summer home, but actually they would sneak up to his bedroom and lay together on his bed in the dark. The moon would filter through the window, and they would talk about their future together. Not just college, but the future. Their family. Their house. Their little wiener dog that they would name Poppy. Sometimes, they would even approach the subject of children, even though Seth's sense of humor would eventually come through and come up with some goofy name for a child. Then they would laugh and the conversation would take a new turn.
Those were the fun days. That was when things were good.
She brushed her teeth and started down the hallway when she saw Seth coming from the staircase. They stopped and both said nothing for a moment, and they both tried to speak at the same time.
"Hey Seth."
"Hey Summer."
They started to laugh.
"So you're leaving tomorrow night?" Summer asked after a moment.
Seth nodded. "Yeah. I have to have this new comic done by New Years."
"Very cool."
"Yes."
An awkward silence settled on the two.
"Oh! I never got to give you your present. Wait right here!" Summer demanded as she darted in the direction of her room. Before Seth had a chance to protest, she was back out of her room, lugging a huge box that was almost bigger than she was. Seth walked over to her and took the box from her, seeing as how she was struggling to stay upright. The box was in fact, very heavy and he sat on the floor to open it. She sat on her knees across from him to watch.
"What is it?" Seth asked excitedly, tearing off the paper. Summer didn't respond, she just watched him with a look of absolute satisfaction on her face. He finished unwrapping the gift and sat back with a look of pure astonishment. A brand new, unopened, deluxe edition Playstation 4 sat at his feet. The look on his face was absolutely priceless; Summer wished more than anything that she had brought her camera to catch that look forever. His mouth was still open, and he took turns from looking at the system, to Summer, to the system, to Summer.
"I...I just...I don't...how did you...why did you...when did you...what?" Seth's questions all came quickly and jumbled together. Summer giggled.
"Well, see, here's what had happened. Your mom and dad found one, and they bought it as soon as they found it. That was like, a month ago. They really wanted two, but everyone says that they were lucky to find one."
"Psh, yeah," Seth agreed. Summer gave him a look. "Keep going."
"Anyways, they wanted to give it to you and Ryan. It was really hard to decide who they were going to give it to. And with how much your dad was working, he left it up to your mom to figure out. So she decided to give it to you, and then get Ryan that Cartier watch that she had imported."
"The one that Mom gave to Dad!" Seth cried. Summer shushed him.
"Shut up! I will explain! So she had everything planned. You the PS4, Ryan the watch, and your mom was going to order your dad this really nice surfboard. And then about a week and a half before Christmas, your mom gets a call from wherever it was that she ordered the surfboard, and they said that because of a bunch of fires they had been having that surfboard production had been cut nearly in half. And they promised that they could get her the board, but it may not have been till after Christmas. So your mom flipped out. She had no idea what to do! Fortunately, I saved they day."
"Ok, so now I'm intrigued. I want to see why this turned out the way it did." He and Summer were both sitting cross legged in the hallway.
"I was shopping about a week ago with some girls from school when I saw that PS thing. The girls started talking about how cool they were, and I instantly remembered what your mom was saying about the whole dilemma. So of course, I grabbed it. And I called your mom as soon as I got home. She was so relieved! So she decided to give Ryan the Playstation, Sandy the watch, and then Sandy picked you up the Archos because he didn't want you to feel depraved...he was so surprised whenever he found out that she was giving the thing to Ryan!"
"Duh. Games are so my thing."
"Like, totally duh. I like, know," Summer mimicked, and Seth laughed out loud as he pulled Summer into a hug.
"Thank you very, very much. I love it so much that you wouldn't even believe. Thank you." Summer could smell his mother's laundry detergent on his white shirt.
"You're very welcome. I am glad you liked it." She stood up to go back to her room when Seth reached out a hand.
"No, stop. I picked something up for you in Denver. Hang on." He held a finger up and jogged to his bedroom. Summer waited a few minutes and was beginning to think he was just joking when she he emerged from the room holding an envelope and a medium sized, shiny box. She felt excitement in her stomach. He handed her the box. "This is in case this doesn't go over as well as I planned," Seth chuckled nervously as he tucked the envelope under his arm. Summer raised an eyebrow but continued to open the box.
"SETH! IT'S PRADA!" Summer exclaimed, ripping the purse from its box. The gorgeous black material on the messenger bag made her practically dance. The bag was always beautiful, but Summer wouldn't have ever bought it. In the past year or so, Summer had grown out of charging her father's card as much as she had when she first moved out. She was becoming more focused on how to spend money instead of spending it like it's free. Of course, with the Playstation, a little splurging was necessary.
"You like it?" Seth grinned.
"Like it? I love it!" Summer cried, throwing her arms around Seth's neck. He smiled as he watched her prance around with the new purse.
"Well, that's not all," he said, presenting her with the tan envelope. "I really hope you like it."
"Cohen, you didn't have to get me anything else! This purse was plenty, believe me. It was probably about $950, wasn't it?"
Seth nodded casually. "Beautiful girls deserve beautiful things."
Summer blushed as she carefully opened the envelope. She pulled out a bunch of papers and she gave a confused look to Seth.
"What's this?"
He stepped behind her so he was looking over her shoulder with her. To point to the papers, his arm went under hers and sent chills down her spine. He rested his chin on the top of her head, and she felt his voice reverberating through his chest. "This is information on the constellation that contains the star I bought you."
Summer gasped and felt tears coming to her eyes. Buying her a star? What a sweet and wonderful idea! No one had ever been so thoughtful to her before that. Usually, when a boy wanted to buy Summer a 'sentimental gift', it was usually a purse. Or a sweater. Or a jacket. Or some material thing that spoke more with its price tag than itself. Of course, Summer loved the labels, but she loved this more than she had ever loved any gift before.
Seth continued to talk. "I read this in 'A Walk to Remember', and I never thought I would ever actually use it. But I researched it for a bit, and I made sure as to what I was buying. Your star is in the constellation 'Andromeda'. Andromeda means 'ruler of men' in Greek. She was a beautiful princess with a rotten mother. Or stepmother, in this case." He brushed his lips into her ear to whisper the last part, and the chills that went up and down her spine were enough to send goose bumps to every inch of her body.
"And her evil step mother boasted that she was more beautiful than anyone. So all of the other gods got so mad at her that they sent monsters to ravage the kingdom. And Andromeda, being the loving, giving, caring, sweet, beautiful, kind, and wonderful person that she is, she sacrificed herself for the monsters." By this time, Seth's arms interlocked around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She held the papers and willed her hands not to shake. He was practically kissing her ear while telling her the story of Andromeda.
"So they tied Andromeda to a cliff where the monsters were attacking and they left her to die. And she was willing to do that, because she was so amazingly awesome. But fortunately for her, the kind of awkward, not so handsome, a little more clumsy, prince Perseus happened to fly by on his horse, whose name was Pegasus. That is Captain Oats' name translated in Greek, in case you were wondering." They both giggled at the mention of the plastic horse. She turned in his arms to look at him, practically desperate to see the look on his face while he told the story.
"And so Captain Oats and Perseus were just flying along when they saw this gorgeous girl tied to a cliff. And they stopped and helped her. Perseus killed the monsters and freed Andromeda, and the two instantly fell in love. Then they went back to the palace stables, where Princess Sparkle happened to be waiting for Andromeda's return. So Oats and Sparkle hit it off as well, and everyone lived happily ever after." Seth's face was centimeters from Summer. Both breathed shortly and quickly, each excited and nervous.
"What was Princess Sparkles' Greek name?" Summer asked, feeling Seth's breath roll across her lips.
"I think it was Anezka. That means gentle."
She leaned closer and their lips finally met. Four years of lust and longing all boiled down to this one instant. His hands were on her back and hers on his chest. He pulled away and kissed her again, heavier this time. After a few seconds, he pulled away from her once again and pulled her into a deep hug.
"I miss you so much, Summer." She could swear that she heard sobbing in his voice.
'Well, that does it for me!' Summer thought as she let her own tears fall.
"You don't know how much I miss you. There's no one like you anywhere in the world. I could be around a thousand people all at the
same time and be alone." He held Summer at an arm's length to look at her in the eye. She saw that he was, in fact, crying. The tears had made rivers down his cheekbones, and his eyes and nose were red. "I love you, Summer. I can't live without you. I went sixteen years without you, and it was so hard. I went another 9 months without you after Oregon, and I regret every second that I hurt you. And now I've gone four years without you, and I can't take it anymore. I can't take not being with you, Summer."
Summer cried silently and wiped away his tears with her fingers. "I love you, too. I love you so much, Seth. There's no one like you anywhere, either."
"Then be with me, Summer. Come back to Denver with me."
The conversation always seemed to find its way back to this point. Any other time, Summer would have been infuriated and began to scream. But she was just too tired. And for once, she actually considered.
"Seth, honey. I'm graduating in five months. I will be done from school in five months. I will have a degree from Stanford in five months. I can't go to Denver right now," she sobbed, hugging him closer and running her hands through his thick curly hair. The same hair that she had pulled from anger so many times before. The same hair that made her smile whenever she saw Jewish kids.
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Seth whimpered, pressing kisses onto her bare shoulder as he buried his face into it. "No, no, no. I can't do this. No, no, please don't do this."
"Why can't you come to Stanford?" she asked. He shook his head.
"It's this book. The publishers are in Denver. They want me to finish school there and be within driving distance for all of the meetings and stuff. Just one more year." He looked up to see her face. "There's nothing we can do, is there?"
Summer shook her head sadly. "No, baby. There's not."
Seth sighed deeply as he pulled her back against his chest. "Okay. I'll wait for you."
'Breathe, Summer,' she demanded to herself. 'Breathe, or you're going to break down. Breathe, or you're going to go to Denver with him. You can't! You've worked so hard to get what you want! You've busted your ass for these dreams and you're not going to let them go. Not even for Seth Cohen. Not when you've come this far. Just breathe. Take it one breath at a time. Don't break down yet. Wait till you get to your room to break down. Just breathe. In. Out. In. Out. In. Don't think about how you're going to miss him. In. Out. In. Don't think about how this hug is going to have to last you a year. In. Out. In. Don't think about the way he makes you feel like you're perfect. In. Out. In. Just wait till you're in your room. Not much longer. In. Out. In.'
Seth's voice broke the silence. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
"I didn't think you were leaving till tomorrow night." Summer's voice was raw with her emotions.
"I didn't think I was. But my flight leaves at noon. I have to be back in town by 6 for a meeting at 7."
'Okay, break down to begin in 3...2...1..'
"Awe, baby, come here," Seth rubbed her back as her body racked with sobs. Her crying was loud and heartbroken, and Seth started to cry again, too. "We had fun tonight, though. Didn't we?" He looked down at her, and she nodded.
"Yeah, we did." When he pulled her back, he caught a glance of his watch. It was already 4 o'clock. He had to be at the airport in six hours. He needed at least eight hours of sleep before the meeting began. So much for that. "Summer, honey, we need to get to bed."
She nodded once more and he lead her down the hallway towards the guest room.
When they stopped in front of the door, she pulled him back down for another kiss. She could taste their tears, and that made it that much more special. "Cohen?" she asked his retreating figure.
He stopped and turned around to see what Summer would say. He was surprised that she looked so small in the doorway, her purse on one shoulder and the papers in the other. "Yeah?"
"Can I sleep with you? In your room?"
Seth nodded soundly, a tiny smile playing on his lips. He held out his hands to her, and as soon as she got close enough to grab them, he turned around and led her down the hall. Both of his hands were in both of hers, with his hands behind his back. Summer flopped onto the bed as soon as they got into the room, and Seth followed suite as soon as he was done turning off the lights.
Seth wrapped his arms around her from behind so her back was pressing into his chest. He listened to her sobbing turn into steady breathing, and he knew that she was asleep. He held her close for the longest time before he reached back and grabbed the blankets. He pulled them over himself and the sleeping princess next to him. He carefully rearranged himself beside her, his arms under and across her, holding her tight and holding her hands. He breathed in her scent, which was still Strawberries and Champagne. He reveled in the moment, trying to convince himself that this wasn't the last. 'Never forget this,' he told himself. 'If you forget anything else in the whole world, never forget this.'
And before he knew it, he was asleep.
--
He said, "Please come to LA to live forever.
A California life alone is just too hard to build.
I live in a house that looks out over the ocean.
And there's some stars that fell from the sky.
Livin' up on the hill.
Please come to LA."
I just said, "No. Boy, won't you come home to me?"
Late Summer / Early Autumn 2010
Five years ago, if anyone would have told Summer Roberts that she would be living in London by the year 2010, she wouldn't have called them crazy. Her, living in England? Hello? That was crazy talk. But there she was. Living in London, persuing her dream of international relations between the US and England. Work was long and strenuous, but Summer wouldn't have it any other way. Living across the ocean was scary, but it was a rush. London had so much to offer that she had never experienced before. She was loved, envied, sought after, and most of all, she was respected for something other than her looks. People saw her as 'Summer Roberts: US
Representative', and not 'Summer Roberts: Newport Beach Party Girl'.
They had offered her jobs back in California, seeing as how her stay in England was only supposed to be one month. She had gotten a job right after graduation, and there had been talks of her leaving for London as soon as June 1st. So on June 13th, she was stepping foot off of her plane and into London. It had been scary at first, but she loved England.
Her father had supported her decision 100, as had Julie. Kirsten and Sandy were worried, of course, but they knew her dreams and they knew what she was capable of. They knew she would excel across seas. Marissa and Ryan had gotten engaged right after graduation, and they were excited to see Summer making it. Ryan was back at the Newport group, designing state-of-the-art houses and affordable apartments at the same time. Marissa had taken an adolescent psychology class her sophomore year that made her decide that she wanted to help teenagers with their problems ("Seeing as how I had so many, I'm sure I could help," she claimed.). She was back at Harbor, counseling the students in their futures and personal lives.
Telling Seth had been the hardest. After Christmas Eve, talking normally with him was so hard. He wanted for them to be together so much, and she wanted it, too. But there were pressing issues at hand. There were things that she had to take care of. She kept telling herself that she had worked too hard to let it all go.
She told him she was staying a month. They were only sending her for a month. That was in June.
"That means you'll be back by July, right?" Seth had asked her.
At the time, she had said yes without even thinking about it. One month in a foreign country was enough. Any more than that would just be a burden.
That was four and a half months ago.
She knew that she had probably blown it with Seth. She knew that he was ready to get married and ready to start a life. And just because she wasn't ready did mean that he was going to sit around for the rest of his life and wait for when she was. When he left for the summer, she didn't wait for him. How should she expect him to wait for her?
They had talked once since July, and that was when she told him she wasn't coming home for a while. He had taken the news better than she had expected him to. He was very calm and collect, to say the least. Calm and collect was never Seth Cohen. He told her that if she was leaving California, there was no reason for him to go back. So he would just stay in Denver. And that had been that.
All of the time and effort he had put into the comic book were well worth it. The book itself was making millions. The action figures, TV shows, movies and memorabilia were making even more. Every tear, every bead of sweat that was put into that comic was being repaid ten-fold, at least. Or hundred-fold. Or thousand-fold. Seth was willing to even bet million-fold. Tens of million-fold. Seth would never have to worry about money ever again, and he had done it on his own accord. That was enough to make him happy. He didn't need Summer in his life anymore.
Summer strolled back to her apartment complex, the trendy new Knightsbridge London. It was by far, one of the nicest apartments in London. It was located in a high class part of town near a group of expensive stores. Summer had just completed a shopping trip to Burberry to pick up a purse for Marissa, Kirsten and herself. That was one thing that Marissa had been excited for; the European fashions. Summer was supposed to report back the latest trends, even though California wasn't too far behind. When they found out that Summer was so close to the Burberry store, though, both Marissa and Kirsten dropped hints as to how much they adored the label. Summer couldn't help but humor her best friend and surrogate mother.
She opened the door and flopped onto the plush, oversized couch. She couldn't go to sleep, because she had so much work to do. 'But it's so late, and you're so tired,' her body argued. Without opening her eyes, she reached a hand over to press play on her answering machine.
"Ms. Roberts, this is Matthew Harold phoning in regards to our meeting on Monday afternoon. If you could please return my call, I would be much obliged. I believe you have my card, and you can reach me at either number at any time of day or night. Thank you."
Summer sighed. Matthew Harold was the first person to tell Summer about the job opportunities for her in California. What stuck out to her most, though, was the APRU. It stood for 'Association of Pacific Rim Universities', and it was a committee dedicated to international relations between Universities and Preparatory Schools touching the Pacific Ocean. She could go to any college in California, including Stanford or USC. And the Preparatory Schools included Harbor.
She had spent every free second since her meeting with Matthew the past Monday considering going back to Newport. She wouldn't be as associated with the school as one would think. She would attend a three day meeting in Singapore every six weeks. She would then come back to school and discuss what was talked about in the meeting. She would then get ideas and input from Harbor and go back to Singapore to discuss further. And that's how it would go. Summer was excited that such a plan had just fallen into her lap. It was like God wanted her to be back in Newport.
But did she want to give up everything she had worked for?
Would she really be giving anything up?
The APRU paid about four times as much as she was making in England. And her pay in England was nothing to be scoffed at. Living in Newport and making more money than she could ever imagine was almost enough for Summer. But she just wasn't quite sure if that's what she really wanted. So she decided to put off calling Matthew for as long as she could.
She pressed the forward button on her voicemail box.
"Summer, it's Kirsten. Just wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing. I read about your Representative Summit today and I guess that it was yesterday, so I'm just checking. We're all so proud of you, Summer. Love you, sweetheart."
"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg!" Summer cried, throwing a pillow against a wall. That was one of the reasons she didn't want to go back to Newport. She didn't want people to think that she was a quitter. She loved that people were proud of her. She wanted people to be proud of her and what she was doing.
"Hello, Ms. Roberts! This is Sanford Cohen from Partridge, Savage, and Kahn in Newport Beach, California, and I was calling to inquire about the summit that took place yesterday afternoon." Summer grinned widely at Sandy's jokes about his old law firm. "Call us when you can, kiddo. We'd love to hear from you!"
She opened her eyes and sat up a tad bit. She would call Sandy first to put her in a good mood, and then she would call Kirsten and hope that some of her good mood from Sandy draped over to the next conversation. She didn't want anyone to think that she was considering coming home. She was surprised when her phone started to ring, and then she got confused when she didn't recognize the number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Summer. What's up?"
"Oh, hey Seth. How are you? What have you been up to?"
"I'm great, actually. Just got done with post production for the new movie that is coming out next year in March sometime. So I have the next few months off, and I figured that the first on my list of things to do is to catch up with old friends. So I called Marissa, I called Ryan, and now I am calling you. What has been happening in the life of Summer Roberts?"
Summer smiled inwardly and made herself comfortable by pulling a blanket over her legs. "Not a damn thing. We had that peace conference that ended yesterday. It was a lot of fun. I've been pretty busy with that, but I have a feeling that I'm about to get really bored really fast."
"Ah, yes. The threat of boredom will set in quickly."
"So when did you finish everything?"
"Well, we've been done for about a week and a half now. But since then, I've been so freaking busy that I haven't had time for anything else. So this is my first day of nothing. And believe me, the boredom has already begun to settle."
"Tell me about it!" Summer exclaimed. "I went shopping already today and I feel like that's all I'll be able to do. Shop and eat. I'm going to get fat," Summer pouted.
"No, you won't. You guys walk everywhere over there. Just walk somewhere."
"Makes sense."
"And you're in England. Go play cricket. Or rugby. Or polo. Or go foxhunting."
"Just because I'm in England doesn't mean I'm a boy. Or 90 years old."
"Point definitely taken."
There was a pause.
"Hey, I didn't recognize your number. Did you get a new phone?"
"Actually, I did. They made me get a new phone number whenever I moved back to Newport."
Summer stopped what she was doing and she swore that for a second, the world stopped spinning and everything quick existing. Did Seth just say that he was back in Newport? "Excuse me?"
Seth acted as if nothing had happened. "Yeah, back in Newport. You know, after all that time in Denver, I realized I missed the drunk parties. I missed the pointless and petty gossip. I missed hanging out with Marissa, you and Ryan. So I just came back."
"But I'm not there," Summer practically whimpered.
"Well I know that now! Imagine my disappointment when I realized that I would have to go to parties alone, or with Ryan and Marissa."
"So you guys are getting pretty close again?" Anyone who knew Summer could sense the jealousy in her voice. Including Seth.
"Not really. When I said I could go to the parties with Ryan and Marissa or go alone, I usually opt with the alone option. Anything to get me away from Kid Chino and his fiance'."
Summer laughed out loud at this. "That must be sad to see you at parties."
"Yeah, it really is. Sometimes I'll talk to my parents, but they're usually so wrapped up in their own romance that the pitiful only child falls to the side," Seth said sadly. Summer knew that probably wasn't the case at all; in fact, she could see Sandy and Kirsten trying to engage in conversation with Seth while he ran away from them in terror.
"You must seem terribly sad. I wonder why no one acknowledges that you're there."
"Oh, they may not talk to me, but they definitely talk about me. I think that they think its such a tragedy that Caleb's only grandson is gay."
Summer snorted at that remark.
"That's right. Laugh it up, Chuckles. Even 'that boy' from Chino is doing better than I am."
"I seriously doubt that."
"No, really. I am not even joking. Ryan went to USC. I went to Boston, then transferred to Denver University.He graduated with honors. I, on the other hand, graduated with a very low class rank. He works in a very high position at the Newport Group. I work for whoever needs me.He has a very respectable career. I write comic books. He's engaged. I am rumored to be gay."
"Seth, you're not a failure and you're not gay. Just because you're not doing things in the traditional way doesn't mean you're not doing just as well."
"Thanks, Summer. At least I'm successful, right?"
"Right."
"So how did the summit go yesterday? Was peace achieved?"
"Working on it," Summer laughed.
"Working on it? That doesn't sound like you're doing your job."
"Whatever, Cohen."
"So come back to Newport. And get a job here."
Summer sighed. "Seth, I have a job now. I have responsibility. I have people who depend on me. I just can't up and leave to come back to Newport."
"That's not true. You can come back to Newport. And you can get a job here that pays about 10 times as much as what you're making. I know this, Summer. Don't lie. You can come back right now if you want to."
"Seth..."
"No, Summer. Don't 'Seth!' me. A brilliant girl like you would have no problem getting a job here. Just come home. Please?"
"I'm in London, now."
"Don't say that like it's final, Summer. Because it's not final at all. All you're doing is putting off the inevitable. We're meant for each other, Summer. I love you. You love me. I want you here with me. I want to give you the life you deserve."
"I'm independent now, Seth. I can make a life for myself."
"I know you're independent. I was never saying that you're not. I don't know how to say this. I need you here, Summer. I want to give you a family. I want to be the structure in your life that will never leave. I want to wake up next to you. I want to brush my teeth every morning while you're in the bedroom getting ready. I want to kiss you whenever I want to. I want you to yell at me when I screw things up. I want to see you smile when I do dumb things. I want to take care of you when you get sick. I want you to help me be a better person. I want to marry you. I want to start a life with you. I want you to have my children. I want to help you raise those children to be different than Newport. I want you to call me childish when I pick out dumb names. I want you to make me sleep on the couch when I teach our children things. I want you, Summer. I've wanted you forever."
Summer was stunned.
"Summer?"
"I'm here."
"This is too hard, Summer. California isn't the same without you. I can't live here without you. Your memory is etched into every single
part of this town. This state. I need you here."
"Seth..."
"Don't." He spoke with a finality that Summer couldn't argue. "I had Ryan build me this house. It's huge. I think it's bigger than Rhode Island. And the view of everything is great."
Summer missed the California ocean. England had plenty of ocean, sure. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't the rich, thick, warm ocean. It was misty and gray and cold. There was nothing appealing about this uninviting ocean. "Seth, every house there has a great ocean view."
"I know. That's one of the best things about Newport. The view of the ocean, I mean. But up on this hill, the ocean view isn't the view that I was considering to be the best."
Summer raised an eyebrow, even though Seth couldn't see. "What view are you talking about, Seth?"
"Well, when it gets really dark outside, the moon will come up and light up the whole sky. And I can lay out on the balcony in my sweat pants and tshirt and look to the North. And when I do, I see a straggly letter 'A'."
When Summer had first come to London, one of the first things she had realized was that she couldn't see her star. She thought that maybe she wasn't looking in the right places, so she took her map and information to the University. The professors had explained to her that from their positioning on the planet, that star would be impossible to see 363 days of the year. So every night, she would stand at her backdoor in hopes that she would see her star somewhere in the distance. "Seth, what does the 'A' stand for?"
"Andromeda."
Summer hung up the phone. She couldn't handle talking to Seth at that point in time. Everything was so different now. Now that he was back in Newport, she knew that she had no real reason to stay in London. Her phone started to ring again and she pressed ignore. She didn't have time to deal with that. She still had the aftermath of that conference to deal with. Recounts, journals, press statements, questionaires, some research to do, some cases to study. Even though this was just enough work to last her a week, the next week was going to be a busy one.
The phone started to ring again, and again she pressed ignore.
"I'll start this in the morning," she said to no one. "It's really late."
--
Exactly thirteen hours later, a fully dressed Summer made her way to the downstairs lobby of her apartment building. She had gotten four hours of sleep the night before, and the whole morning had been spent filling out journals, press statements and questionaires. She had gotten four days worth of work done in eight hours.
'It's crazy, the things the mind will do when it's trying to avoid someone.' she thought sadly.
"Afternoon, Ms. Roberts!" came the familiar perky voice from behind the front desk.
"Morning, Matty," Summer smiled at her friend.
"You got a package this morning, Ms. Roberts," Matty exclaimed, setting the thick envelope onto the counter, along with a small white envelope. "It's something important, along with a telegram."
"Ooh! A telegram! I've never gotten one of those before!" Summer chirped as she began to open the big envelope. "Matty, would you mind reading me my telegram?"
"Not at all, ma'am." He cleared his throat as Summer got her envelope open. "To the Honorable Ms. Summer Roberts. Stop. Two plane tickets enclosed. Stop. London to New York. Stop. New York to Newport. Stop. London leaves at 3:00. Stop. Seth. Stop."
Summer's mouth was suddenly dry. "Thank you, Matty." She tried her best to maintain composure as she took her tickets and envelopes and got onto the elevator. She studied both of the tickets. The telegram didn't lie. The flight from London left in exactly1.5 hours. She gavea glance to her watch. She could make it.
'Are you honestly considering this?' her mind asked.
"I think I would be crazy not to," Summer said out loud. "Okay, talking to myself. Not a good sign."
She walked around the room, tossing only neccesary items into her purse. If she didn't bring lots of luggage, she wouldn't have to wait so long, right? Cell phone, iPod, Archos, wallet, credit cards, keys, perfume. Anything else could be taken care of in Newport.
'Are you really going to do this?' her mind asked again.
"Yeah, I think I am," she smiled. "I'm going back to Newport."
--
Seth nervously paced the floor. Those tickets had been a last resort of sorts. He didn't want to rip her from London, and he would totally understand if she was really pissed off. But he claimed moment of weakness. He couldn't help it.
"Man, would you sit down?" Ryan asked. "You're making me sick."
"Why don't you go cry to Marissa?" Seth asked sarcastically, glancing out the window for more arriving airplanes.
"Because you would let her come!" Ryan admonished. "You only brought me because you knew Summer wouldn't push you out of the way to get to me."
"That is so not..." Seth caught Ryan's glance. "...wrong. Very true, but see Ryan, at this point in our lives we are more like brothers than ever before. And brothers take the hit, so to say. And this is one of those times when I really do appreciate what you do for me."
Ryan nodded. "What time does her plane get in?"
"11:30 pm. Our time. Which would make it...7 am her time. That's not THAT big of jet lag, is it? I mean, eight hours is a lot, but it's not totally bad, right?"
"Seth, you claimed to have the worst jet lag ever when we went to Miami junior year."
"That's me, though, Ryan. That's not Summer. Summer is very unscathed by many natural elements."
"I don't know if jet lag would count as a natural element."
"It could. You don't know now-a-days with everything they're doing. Modern science is amazing."
Ryan had suddenly stopped talking. Not that saying that Ryan was a normal chatterbox, but it wasn't like him to stop in the middle of the conversation. He turned to see Ryan backing away with a smile on his face. Seth raised a confused eyebrow before he turned to see where he was looking.
Summer was walking nervously down the hall, obviously craning her neck for Seth. She looked exactly the same, except grown up. The way she dressed reminded her of a young version of his mother. She looked really professional, and the way she carried herself was different. It was less teenage swagger and more of a sophisticated walk. Her eyes lit up as she saw Ryan waving.
"Oh. My. God," Seth mumbled.
He could see the tears shining in Summer's eyes as soon as she walked up to him. They stood staring at each other for a second before he stepped forward and wrapped her into his arms. They stood in a hug for a little bit, Summer's sniffles breaking through every once in a while. They whispered reassurances into each others' ears, and pretty soon both of them were crying.
Just as Ryan was about to go out to the car by himself, Seth and Summer pulled apart long enough to have an actual conversation.
"I can't stay forever, Seth. I have about a week, and then I have to go back for about two weeks. Just to get stuff in order. Cancel the lease, quit, you know the drill," she smiled weakly.
"And then you're home, right? Forever? With me?"
Summer nodded. "Yeah. I am. Forever."
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
Seth linked an arm around her waist before leaning down to kiss her mouth softly. She giggled and kissed him back, and for a moment, Ryan thought he was going to have to throw a jacket over the couple just to protect them from public indecency charges. They pulled apart and started walking towards the car with Ryan.
"I'm glad you're home, Summer," Ryan smiled. "Marissa is too."
"I'm glad I'm home," Summer yawned. She looked over at Seth. "Jet lag is a bitch."
"Tell me about it!" Seth exclaimed. "My mom is going to be so surprised."
"Your mom is going to be surprised? I was the one with plane tickets in my apartment lobby!"
"Are you saying you're not a fan of the surprise?" Seth waggled his eyebrows and Summer rolled her eyes with a giggle.
"I like the surprise. I love you." She stopped in the middle of the parking lot to kiss Seth.
"I love you too," he mumbled back against her mouth.
"Ahem," Ryan coughed. The pair blushed before following Ryan again.
"Thanks for driving, Ryan. I was really nervous." Seth didn't want to say that the reason he had Ryan drive was in case Summer didn't show up, he would be an emotional wreck.
"Anytime." Everyone piled into the car Ryan had bought from his first check from the Newport group. A 2009 Mercedes Benz. Probably his dream car. Summer sat in the front, Ryan driving and Seth in the back.
"Can I drive?" Seth asked. Ryan laughed. Seth pouted.
"Oh, it's so good to be home."
"It's good to have you home," Seth smiled.
"So Summer, I didn't get it earlier," Ryan changed to subject to avoid a makeout session in his car. "Did you say that you were a fan of the surprise?"
"Yeah, why? Is there something waiting for me at home?" Summer asked suspiciously. Ryan said nothing, and Seth just looked at her.
"Are you saying that being surprised by coming home isn't enough for you? For shame, for shame!" Seth scolded playfully. Summer laughed.
"I guess you're right."
Ryan shook his head and still said absolutely nothing. Hecouldn't believe that he almostruined the surprise of the little wiener dog puppy named Poppy sitting on Summer's bed at Seth's new house.
--
And I said, "Hey ramblin' boy, why don't you settle down?
LA ain't your kind of town.
There ain't no gold, and there ain't nobody like me.
I'm the number one fan of the man from the OC.
I'm the number one fan of the man from the OC.
I'm the number one fan of the man from the OC."
--
End! Finally. Ten years later. Read and review?