TITLE: Into the Mystic
AUTHOR: chessqueen
DISCLAIMER: The O.C. and its characters belong to Josh Schwartz and a whole lot of people at Fox Television I don't know. No copyright infringement is intended.
RATING: PG-13 for a very brief sexual reference.
PAIRINGS: Summer/Seth/Anna
SPOILERS: Every episode up to and including The Heights
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place after The Heights, thus the stuff on Caleb's boat did not happen though there may be some freaky similarities. Go figure.
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The California Pizza Kitchen at Newport Pier was a favorite among tourists and locals alike. It was so crowded that even though it was a late Tuesday afternoon, Anna Stern found it difficult at times to hear over the din of the place. All around, people were talking, laughing, and eating. She could also hear the incessant sound of the wait staff laying glass plates down on metal tabletops and eating utensils brushing against the plates.
"We should go sailing over spring break," she said as she wiped her hands on her napkin.
"That sounds great," Seth Cohen began. He was bent over the table, sprinkling Parmesan cheese on his pizza. Anna wrinkled her nose. The smell of tomato sauce and cheese suffocatingly filled the air. The food was good though, she thought as she took another bite of her vegetarian pizza. And though it was not wholly cheap, it was cheaper than some of the other restaurants on the pier. "But I don't know if my parents will let me go. I don't think my mom would be comfortable with me sailing alone down the California coast."
"You wont be alone, homes, I'll be there too. Besides, I did sail to Tahiti this past summer so I know what I'm doing."
"Just the kind of woman I'm looking for," Seth said then took a bite of his barbeque chicken pizza.
You could have fooled me, Anna thought as she snuck a quick peek at him. As usual he was dressed casually, today it was a red and blue striped polo shirt and jeans, yesterday it had been jeans and a black t-shirt. He was cute, but not in a conventional way, not like that blonde himbo, Luke Ward. No, Seth was different. He had the most amazing blue eyes and the curliest dark hair she'd ever seen. In fact, she'd liked him instantly upon meeting him at cotillion practice over the summer. Unfortunately, Anna was trapped in the dreaded "friend zone." She was the buddy, the gal pal, the girl Seth freely talked to about other girls. It didn't help that he was crazy, madly, obsessively, in love with this whiny, shallow, self-absorbed girl named Summer Roberts. Anna hated her. Even if she didn't have feelings for Seth, Anna would still hate her because women like Summer were manipulative, vain, vapid, narcissistic, often cruel, and cliquey - in a word, Summer Roberts was your run of the mill "sheep." Of course Anna saw herself as more of an individual, a person who was not a slave to trends. For example, today she was dressed in a long western-style denim skirt, a white tank top, laced-up black Doc Martens, and dangling silver bauble earrings, not because the outfit was trendy, it wasn't, but because she liked it.
"Guess what!" Anna said leaning forward, her silver bauble earrings catching the sunlight.
"What? You're trying to hypnotize me with those earrings."
"Very funny," Anna said sarcastically. "Seriously, you're going to absolutely love me once you hear this. What is the hottest ticket in town this weekend?"
Seth began playing with his straw as he thought about it. "The Bennifer wedding?"
"The Bennifer wedding?" Anna said a confused look on her face. "C'mon Cohen, think LA Civic Center."
A beatific smile suddenly appeared on his face. "The comic book convention."
"Yep," Anna said beaming. "My dad was able to snag us two tickets."
"Awesome," Seth said raising his hand in a high five; Anna swatted it away. "Well done grasshopper."
"Frank Miller is going to be there." Frank Miller was the writer/artist behind the Batman graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again and the creator of the character Elektra in the Daredevil comics. "This must be a masturbatory wet dream for you."
"Perdone me por favor?"
"C'mon Cohen, I know you do it," Anna said in a low breathy voice. "You can tell me. Whom do you think about?" She had intended to sound coquettish, but immediately regretted asking the question. She knew exactly whom Seth thought about when he walked the dog so to speak and she certainly didn't want to think about him thinking about that harpy.
"You're a modern woman Ms. Stern. I'm sure you practice the art of self-love. Whom do you think about?"
Anna blushed. She couldn't very well say 'you' or could she? No, Anna thought as she brushed away an imaginary speck of dirt off her skirt. "A woman never tells," she said mockingly demure, lowering her eyes.
"I like a woman of mystery," Seth said then cleared his throat. "Now on to other things. We've got to up the ante on this Summer thing." For the past two weeks, Anna had been "pretending" to have a thing for Seth in order to make Summer jealous. But it wasn't just a game to her. Of course, Seth was totally oblivious to this. "The dance is a month away and I am determined to have Summer on her knees begging me to accompany her." Reflexively, Anna rolled her eyes. She was so damn sick of hearing about Summer Roberts. Summer this and Summer that, Seth went on and on and on about the witch. "Don't give me that look," he said catching her in the act. "By the way, what's with everyone and these looks? You have a look, Ryan definitely has a look, even my parents have looks. Me, no look."
"Cohen focus," Anna said picking up a napkin and throwing it across the table at him.
"I really think I'm starting to grow on her."
"But, does like a fungus, something you want to go around bragging about."
"If I had a look, which I don't, and looks could kill, you'd be so dead right now."
Anna sighed. "I guess I could kiss you again."
"Granted that was a stellar move, but I don't want to wear that tactic out. Besides, we really need to bring our A game?"
"We could have sex on the biology lab table. Is that A game enough for you?"
"Oh, Anna, you are so funny," Seth said then laughed wryly. "My life is going down the crapper, yet you're making jokes."
"You know Cohen, there are other fish in the sea, birds in the bush, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera," Anna said looking pointedly at him.
"But there's only one Summer Roberts."
