Clandestine
Chapter One: Touched
It was just Seth and Summer at the table. Ryan had just excused himself to the restroom, and soon before, Marissa had hurried to answer the ringing phone. The four had been sharing lunch in Marissa's backyard, and Summer didn't seem too happy about sitting next to Seth. Of course, she thought, it was better than sitting across from him and having to see him staring at her every time she looked up.
"You look nice today," he said nonchalantly.
Summer looked at him. She gave him an obviously fake smile, and made a noise that was somewhere between a disgusted sigh and a mumbling acknowledgement. "Gross," she said, noticing a bit of salad dressing near Seth's mouth. "You've got food on your face, wipe it off."
He wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Gone?"
"No," she complained. He wiped again and gave her a questioning look. "Ugh, give me your napkin," she ordered, grabbing it before he had a chance to hand it to her. She wiped the dressing off quickly, as not to have to touch him too long. Having not realized that her ring and pinky fingers weren't on the napkin, they brushed across his cheek. It sent an odd enjoyment through her fingers. His face was clean-shaven, and the skin that her fingers made contact with was so perfectly smooth.
She almost let her hand linger at his cheek, but caught herself. She threw his napkin down on the table, next to his silverware. "Thanks," he mumbled. He, also, had felt something. It had only been in Seth's wildest dreams that Summer would ever touch him, and here she was, doing just that... though it was kind of embarrassing why.
"Uh huh," she said, trying to sound more disgusted than she actually was. She still thought Seth was a dork, and she still didn't have any feelings, whatsoever, for him, but... his skin was so amazing. She felt stupid for feeling enjoyment from touching someone's face, but at the same time she didn't. It was weird, but there was just something about his skin.
Before either of them could say anything more, Ryan arrived back at the table. "Marissa says she'll be out in a sec," he supplied, reseating himself.
"Good," Summer said, shooting an annoyed glance at Seth. Ryan could tell that something had happened, but he didn't want to push it. Summer, no doubt, would go off. He looked back and forth between them. Summer was stabbing at her salad, looking like she was arguing with herself in her head. Seth, on the other hand, was pushing his salad around on his plate, staring at it.
"Sorry," Marissa said as she neared the table, and pulled her chair closer to the table as she sat down. She, also, could obviously tell something was up. Before she even looked at them, she heard the stabs and screeches of the fork prongs against the glass plates. She gave Ryan a questioning look.
He shrugged, and slightly shook his head. Her guess was as good as his. Marissa gave them all an awkward grin, and picked up her salad fork. They ate in silence for most of the rest of the meal, with a minimality of chatter every so often.
Before long, their luncheon was over, and Ryan and Seth thanked Marissa, and headed for home. Naturally, Ryan inquired Seth about what he had walked in on.
"Nothing," Seth answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing," Seth confirmed. "You know how awkward it gets between me and Summer. That's all it was. I feel more comfortable around her when you're there."
Ryan was unconvinced. Nevertheless, he replied with a simple "okay" and continued walking alongside him without another word. He knew something was going on, but he didn't want to press his luck.
Similarly, the same thing was going on back at Marissa's house, where Summer was about to leave. "So, uh, what happened back there?" Marissa asked.
"Back where?" she replied.
"At the table. What happened with you and Seth?"
"Excuse me?" Summer reeled, slightly taken aback. "Nothing happened. The kid's a freak. You came back to a whole lot of nothing. We didn't even talk. Why would I want to talk to him?"
"Sorry," Marissa said, trying to say it in such a way that Summer wouldn't flip out again.
"You should be," Summer snapped, and stalked to her vehicle. Marissa didn't take it to heart. She knew something had happened, but she wasn't going to push Summer's buttons about it.
While Summer pulled out of Marissa's driveway, she watched Ryan and Seth nearing the Cohen's house, and enter. She shook her head. The touch was nothing. If it had been Ryan's cheek, then it would be a different story. Ryan was hot. Seth was... Seth was just.... Summer shuddered. She thought it better not to think about it. She sped away from the two houses, still shaking her head softly, not even realizing she was doing it.
Meanwhile, Seth was peeking out one of the front windows, watching as Summer pulled away. He had always had feelings for her, but now he thought something might actually be possible. Even though she denied it, he knew that that touch had some effect on her. She just didn't want to believe it.
Ryan, who had gone to the living room, watched Seth as he peered out the window. Now he was positive something had happened. And he knew whatever it was, it was big. Seth told Ryan everything. And if there was something that happened that led to Seth not telling him, it was big.
Chapter One: Touched
It was just Seth and Summer at the table. Ryan had just excused himself to the restroom, and soon before, Marissa had hurried to answer the ringing phone. The four had been sharing lunch in Marissa's backyard, and Summer didn't seem too happy about sitting next to Seth. Of course, she thought, it was better than sitting across from him and having to see him staring at her every time she looked up.
"You look nice today," he said nonchalantly.
Summer looked at him. She gave him an obviously fake smile, and made a noise that was somewhere between a disgusted sigh and a mumbling acknowledgement. "Gross," she said, noticing a bit of salad dressing near Seth's mouth. "You've got food on your face, wipe it off."
He wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Gone?"
"No," she complained. He wiped again and gave her a questioning look. "Ugh, give me your napkin," she ordered, grabbing it before he had a chance to hand it to her. She wiped the dressing off quickly, as not to have to touch him too long. Having not realized that her ring and pinky fingers weren't on the napkin, they brushed across his cheek. It sent an odd enjoyment through her fingers. His face was clean-shaven, and the skin that her fingers made contact with was so perfectly smooth.
She almost let her hand linger at his cheek, but caught herself. She threw his napkin down on the table, next to his silverware. "Thanks," he mumbled. He, also, had felt something. It had only been in Seth's wildest dreams that Summer would ever touch him, and here she was, doing just that... though it was kind of embarrassing why.
"Uh huh," she said, trying to sound more disgusted than she actually was. She still thought Seth was a dork, and she still didn't have any feelings, whatsoever, for him, but... his skin was so amazing. She felt stupid for feeling enjoyment from touching someone's face, but at the same time she didn't. It was weird, but there was just something about his skin.
Before either of them could say anything more, Ryan arrived back at the table. "Marissa says she'll be out in a sec," he supplied, reseating himself.
"Good," Summer said, shooting an annoyed glance at Seth. Ryan could tell that something had happened, but he didn't want to push it. Summer, no doubt, would go off. He looked back and forth between them. Summer was stabbing at her salad, looking like she was arguing with herself in her head. Seth, on the other hand, was pushing his salad around on his plate, staring at it.
"Sorry," Marissa said as she neared the table, and pulled her chair closer to the table as she sat down. She, also, could obviously tell something was up. Before she even looked at them, she heard the stabs and screeches of the fork prongs against the glass plates. She gave Ryan a questioning look.
He shrugged, and slightly shook his head. Her guess was as good as his. Marissa gave them all an awkward grin, and picked up her salad fork. They ate in silence for most of the rest of the meal, with a minimality of chatter every so often.
Before long, their luncheon was over, and Ryan and Seth thanked Marissa, and headed for home. Naturally, Ryan inquired Seth about what he had walked in on.
"Nothing," Seth answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing," Seth confirmed. "You know how awkward it gets between me and Summer. That's all it was. I feel more comfortable around her when you're there."
Ryan was unconvinced. Nevertheless, he replied with a simple "okay" and continued walking alongside him without another word. He knew something was going on, but he didn't want to press his luck.
Similarly, the same thing was going on back at Marissa's house, where Summer was about to leave. "So, uh, what happened back there?" Marissa asked.
"Back where?" she replied.
"At the table. What happened with you and Seth?"
"Excuse me?" Summer reeled, slightly taken aback. "Nothing happened. The kid's a freak. You came back to a whole lot of nothing. We didn't even talk. Why would I want to talk to him?"
"Sorry," Marissa said, trying to say it in such a way that Summer wouldn't flip out again.
"You should be," Summer snapped, and stalked to her vehicle. Marissa didn't take it to heart. She knew something had happened, but she wasn't going to push Summer's buttons about it.
While Summer pulled out of Marissa's driveway, she watched Ryan and Seth nearing the Cohen's house, and enter. She shook her head. The touch was nothing. If it had been Ryan's cheek, then it would be a different story. Ryan was hot. Seth was... Seth was just.... Summer shuddered. She thought it better not to think about it. She sped away from the two houses, still shaking her head softly, not even realizing she was doing it.
Meanwhile, Seth was peeking out one of the front windows, watching as Summer pulled away. He had always had feelings for her, but now he thought something might actually be possible. Even though she denied it, he knew that that touch had some effect on her. She just didn't want to believe it.
Ryan, who had gone to the living room, watched Seth as he peered out the window. Now he was positive something had happened. And he knew whatever it was, it was big. Seth told Ryan everything. And if there was something that happened that led to Seth not telling him, it was big.