Title: The Lonely Summer.

Summary: This story is about the summer between season's one and two. It is the story of how Summer met Zach and how that relationship started. I am not exactly sure if a Summer/Zach background story has been done before, but this is my version of it. This story has Summer/Zach, obviously, and some Seth/Summer. It is my first O.C. Fan-fiction, so wish me luck. Enjoy.

Chapter One

The Fourth of July

Summer Roberts staggered over to the end of the beach and let her toes get soaked by freezing water. The events of the past few hours were still spinning through her head.

One month ago, Seth Cohen, Summer's boyfriend, the first guy she had ever been in love with, had skipped town, leaving her nothing but a vague note with a lame apology. She had no clue where he had gone. He had not told anybody, and he had not contacted anybody. At least, he had not contacted anybody until today.

It was the fourth of July, a day to celebrate, and ever since Seth had left, Summer had done nothing but hide out in her room, mope, and wait to hear from him. Her best friend Marissa Cooper, who had also suffered from recent heartbreak, had decided on another approach, alcohol. And, tonight, Marissa was going to a party on the beach where people would watch the fireworks and booze it up. Summer knew that Marissa could get in serious trouble if left alone, as her friend had a history of problems when it came to alcohol. So, despite her own pain, she had decided to be the good best friend and go to the party. And as she sat there for hours, trying to stop Marissa from doing something stupid, she had watched what seemed like millions of couples sitting curled up on blankets, cuddling and cooing at each other. It made her want to vomit. That was when her phone had rung.

"Saved by the bell." She said. She looked at the screen, and she did not recognize the number. That probably meant a telemarketer, but listening to a telemarketer would be better than watching couples making kissy-faces at each other.

"Whatever you're selling, I want to hear all about it." she said.

"Summer?"

Summer sat up straight and her heart rate sped up a little, "Cohen?"

There was a pause on the other end. Finally, he spoke, "Yeah, it's me."

"Well, where are you, are you coming home, I have so much I want to say." The words were flooding out of her mouth so fast they were almost incomprehensible, but Seth understood them. He knew Summer really, really well.

"No, Summer, I'm not coming home. I just wanted you to know that I'm safe."

"Safe, safe! Are you kidding, that's all you have to say! Where are you?"

"I'm all right."

"Come on, Cohen, cut this crap, and come home."

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Just turn that boat of yours around and head back in the direction you came from."

"Actually, I, I sold the boat." Seth said.

Summer felt her heart lurch, "You sold the boat you named after me?" she asked. She could feel the tears forming.

"I had to. I needed … look, I just wanted everybody to know I was all right."

Summer sighed. "You're not all right Cohen, all right means home … all right means here with me."

"Summer, I love you, but … Newport was never my home."

A tear slid down her cheek. "What about me. What about home being with the people you love?"

"I do love you-"

"Don't, Cohen, don't say it if you don't mean it."

"I do."

"Then prove it. Come home. Be with me. Please." At this point, it was a full on tear fest. Her eyes were stinging a little, but she did not really care.

"Could you … could you tell my parents I'm safe."

"I am not going to be your messenger girl Cohen. Is that the only reason you called, so I could pass something on the mommy and Daddy for you?"

"I wish you could understand."

"I do understand. I understand that while I have spent every second crying in my room and waiting for you to come home, and missing you, and not giving up hope that I'd see you again, you were gallivanting across the high seas, selling The Summer Breeze, and settling down in a new home that was far, far away from me."

"I'm sorry."

Summer clicked her phone closed. Her eyes were stinging terribly, and her vision was blurry, but she did not care. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Marissa looked at her with concerned eyes. Summer threw her arms around her best friend and sobbed. Finally, she looked up.

"I am not going to let Seth Cohen ruin my summer." There was a venom in her voice when she said Seth's name that did not go unnoticed by Marissa. "This is a party, and I am going to have fun." She used her hands to lift herself up from the sand and she headed out into the crowd. She started dancing until she was too dizzy to think and she chugged whatever was handed to her, not bothering to ask what was in it. Those hours flew by, until Summer felt the uncontrollable need to vomit. She ran out to the edge of the beach, and threw up. She felt tears streaming down her face, but she could not seem to remember why she was crying. Everything was fuzzy in her head. So, she just started walking until she had reached the end of the beach. And there she stood, visions of that day colliding together in her head until they made no sense.

"Hey!" she heard a voice behind her call, "Are you okay?"

She did not turn. She did not want to talk to anybody. But the boy, whoever he was, jogged up beside her, "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"I'm sorry, how is that your business?" she asked harshly. The boy seemed taken aback.

"Well, you're over here all on your own, you have tears on your cheeks, and judging by your surroundings, I'd say you've been vomiting."

"What are you, a detective or something?"

"No, I just thought you might need some help."

"Well, I don't. And if I did, what would give you the right to give it to me."

"I was just trying to be nice. I wasn't trying to offend you, really."

"Well, don't be. People who are nice are only nice until you like them, and then they disappear on stupid boats and don't say goodbye. I've had enough nice in my life thank you very much." Then she threw up again. The boy stepped back a little.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? You know, all the guys in all of Harbor would kill to be my man-toy. Okay, I'm hot, and rich, and let's face it, that's all guys really care about anyway, it's not like any of that love crap is a real factor, so what do you think makes you so special that I would let you drag me back to your cave."

"I wasn't hitting on you, I was just trying to help." She looked at him skeptically, "I swear."

"Oh, well, I can help myself." She started heading back towards the party, but she could not seem to locate where the noise was coming from. Her head was spinning, and nothing was in the right place. She stumbled a couple times, and then tripped.

"Okay, that's it." the boy said, picking her up by placing his arms under her underarms. "I'm getting you home. Where do you live?"

"Like I'm telling you." She spat.

He rolled his eyes, "Fine, my place it is." He said as he carried her over towards his car. This chick was definitely going to be a handful, he thought, but it was the right thing to do and he knew it. He helped her into the backseat, buckled her in, and drove towards his home.

Summer felt her eyes getting heavy, and finally, she listened to them, falling asleep to the sound of tires on the road.