Seth Cohen regarded the shining brown eyes that stared back into his. There was no judgment in those eyes, no flashes of contempt. And those ears were always ready to listen.
"Guess it's just you and me tonight," Seth sighed.
Captain Oats said nothing, as usual, patiently waiting for the long-winded story that was sure to follow. And Seth didn't want to be the one to disappoint his faithful companion.
"So I've told you about Alex, right? She's a pretty amazing girl. Smart. Pretty. And we even like the same music. What could be better, right? But I blew it, buddy. I ran off at the mouth one too many times about Summer. Just what in the hell is wrong with me, huh? She's made it perfectly clear that she wants Zach. Zach with his just so hair and his impeccable manners. I mean, the guy is sickeningly perfect. He's like some…some freak robot or something. I'll bet he's never even had a zit in his life. I, on the other hand, have these really large pores around my nose that I just can't seem to get rid of. Anyway, the point is, I had a really good thing going with Alex and tonight was supposed to be great. A little dinner, a concert with one of my favourite bands, ringing in the new year with her in my arms. But no, I had to start yammering about Summer and Alex pushed me out the door. Literally. Pushed me. She's really strong too, have I mentioned that? Yeah, so, looks like I'm stuck at home tonight with my parents for company. I don't even have Ryan because he's out with Lindsay. How unfair is that? But hey, maybe he'll do something to piss her off too and he'll be home any minute." He paused, mulling that over. "Nah, that's totally uncalled for, even for me. He deserves to have a happy, angst-free night. All the power to him."
He hadn't even bothered to take off his jacket yet, though he'd at least loosened his tie. Sprawled on his bed with the Captain placed on his chest, he contemplated calling Alex. Maybe an apology would help to smooth things over.
The phone rang shrilly and he jerked, knocking the unsuspecting horse onto his side. Could that be Alex calling him? Well, wonders never ceased. He grabbed the receiver before the first ring had even ended.
"Hello?"
No one replied but he could hear breathing. Nice. A crank call. But he tried one more time. "Hello?"
"Sorry…I…I was going to hang up. I shouldn't have called you."
He frowned at the sound of the unexpected, familiar voice. Way unexpected. "Summer? Is that you?"
"Yeah."
"Are you okay? You sound…weird."
"Yeah. No. I…a guy got in my car, I guess at the gas station. And he made me drive…well, anyway, he took the car. And he took my purse. And I'm really…" She paused, as if trying to get herself under control. "I'm really scared, Seth. Can you come get me?"
She sounded frightened and he didn't blame her. He was just as scared for her. Swinging his legs over the bed, he gripped the receiver tightly. "God, Summer, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay. Just…just come get me."
"Okay." He tried to clear his mind so he could think logically. "Where are you?"
"On Main Street."
"Main and what?"
"I don't know." She sounded frustrated. Agitated. "I'm not at an intersection. But, uh, I can see a McDonald's further down."
"Good. Okay. I know where that is. Why don't you wait for me there?"
"No. I'm all dressed up and people will stare at me. I'm just…no. There's a bus stop right here so I'll wait on this bench."
He was on his feet now. Had already slipped back into his shoes. "Okay, then, stay there. I'm leaving right now. Are you calling from your cell?"
"Yes."
"And you still have my cell number, right?"
"Yeah. Just hurry, okay? It's kind of creepy out here."
"I will. I'll be there in, like, ten minutes. Don't worry."
"Okay." Her voice sounded small but relieved.
"Just hang in there. I'll be there soon."
He hung up, almost reluctantly, feeling as if he was somehow abandoning her by severing the phone connection. But he had no choice, of course. Pocketing his cell phone, he made a mad dash down the stairs. He practically skidded into the kitchen, where he found his parents pulling back from what had obviously been a lip lock. Normally, he would have cracked some sort of joke or just rolled his eyes in disgust, depending on how tired he was, but right now he was on a mission.
"Mom, I need your car."
Kirsten reacted with confusion. "What? But you just got home."
Seth was already reaching for the keys on the hook. "I know but I have to go. No time to explain." He spoke so quickly, the words were practically jumbling together.
Sandy held up a hand as he came closer to his son. "Slow down for a second. I'm not saying you can't go out but tell us what the big emergency is."
"It's Summer. She's in trouble and needs me to pick her up. Can I go now?"
Concern started to colour his father's features. "No, not yet. Tell me what's going on."
Exasperated, Seth's arms seemed to start flailing of their own accord. "I don't have time for this, Dad. I told her I'd come right away."
"Make time, Seth. Because that's the only way you're leaving."
"Okay, fine. She just called me and said a guy stole her car. It sounds like he maybe snuck into the car while she was at the gas station and made her drive somewhere, I don't know, then he took her purse and took off with the car. She's sitting at some bus stop on Main Street, probably scared out of her mind because God knows I am, and she needs me to pick her up. That's all I know."
Kirsten crossed her arms, looking horrified. "My God. Poor Summer." She shared a glance with her husband.
Sandy raised his arm, palm out and fingers wiggling. "Hand over the keys. I'm driving."
Without a whine or complaint, Seth handed them over, feeling a strange combination of annoyance and relief. His dad would know what to do. He always did.
As they hurried out of the kitchen, his mother's voice called after them. "Call me when you find her."
They moved quickly and were on their way in no time. Seth described the approximate location of where Summer should be. He noticed his father was driving a little faster than usual but not excessively so. Had Seth been behind the wheel, he probably would have been burning rubber. Of course, a dead Seth wrapped around a tree wouldn't be of much help to anyone. Perhaps this had been for the best.
Seth dug out his cell phone and searched the directory for Summer's number. He'd meant to delete it but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Or maybe he just hadn't been able to do it, period. Funny that his number was still programmed into her phone too.
Raising the device to his ear, he expected to hear ringing but instead, it went straight to her voicemail. His eyebrows knitted together as he tried it again. "I'm just getting voicemail," he muttered.
"What's that?" Sandy asked.
Seth spoke a little louder. "It's just going straight to voicemail."
"Maybe she's talking to someone."
"Maybe. I'm sure she wouldn't have turned it off. Dad, what if the guy came back? Maybe she's in trouble. Could you go a little faster, please? You're driving like Mom." He didn't even care when a wounded look was cast in his direction.
"Tell me you did not just compare my driving to your mother's."
"I did. You, Mom and little old ladies. I'm lumping you all into the same category."
"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. I'm going almost twenty over the limit as it is."
Seth threw up his hands in frustration as the car coasted to a stop at the light. "Why are we stopping? You totally could have made it through that yellow light if you'd sped up a little more. Honestly, Dad…"
"Seth!"
He recognized that tone of voice. His father's boundaries of patience ran far and wide but Seth had just inched over that imaginary line. He meekly shut his mouth and resorted to peeking at his father from beneath his lashes.
"I know you're worried about Summer," Sandy continued, his voice considerably lower than the previous bark. "So am I. But trying to save ourselves a couple of minutes and getting into an accident isn't going to help. You know that. So cool it, okay?"
"Okay. Sorry."
"We'll be there soon," Sandy assured him.
Seth tried the phone a couple more times but gave up, resorting to staring out the window instead. Though it seemed to take forever, he could finally see the glowing yellow arches in the distance.
He pointed down the street. "There's the McDonalds. She's around here somewhere."
Sandy eased off the gas and as the car slowed, they both started scanning the sidewalk. "Do you know which side she's on?" he asked.
"No. There! There, I see her, just up ahead."
It was an odd sight to see her sitting at the bus stop with hair upswept and dressed in a silvery creation that flattered her curves. The words 'bus stop' and 'Summer Roberts' just didn't belong in the same phrase.
Seth jumped out before the car had even come to a complete stop. "Summer!" he called out.
She was already on her feet and taking a hesitant step forward. He covered the distance more quickly and gave her a hug, feeling the chill of her skin. She said nothing but rested her head against his shoulder for a moment. "You're freezing," he said. Shrugging out of his jacket, he placed it around her shoulders.
Sandy had joined them now and regarded her with open concern. "Are you all right?"
She blinked, looking surprised to see him. "Mr. Cohen. Yeah, I'm okay."
"Have you called your father yet? The police?"
"No. My father's in Europe with my step-mom. Ski trip. And no, I haven't called the police."
"I'll call them," Sandy offered, already reaching for the phone on his belt.
"Do you have to?"
He paused, hand at his waist. "Yeah, we have to." Though his tone was firm, it was gentle. "We can't just ignore this. You were carjacked, right? That's a federal crime. And if he forced you to drive somewhere, that's kidnapping. Did he…hurt you in any other way?"
"No."
"Okay. Honey, I know how scary this all seems but don't worry. Seth and I are staying right here with you."
As Sandy started making the call, Seth shot a grateful look in his direction. His father's presence was actually comforting. If he'd come by himself, he probably would have started freaking out and that was not the reaction Summer needed right now.
"You want to sit in the car?" he asked. "It's warmer."
She shook her head. "I'm okay with your jacket on. Unless you're cold."
"No, I'm fine. But I'm not the one in a fancy dress. Guess you were going to a party?"
With huge, rounded eyes, she covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh my God! I forgot about Zach. He'll be wondering where I am. Can I use your phone?"
With great willpower, Seth suppressed a sigh. Zach. Of course. He handed over his cell. "What's wrong with yours?"
"Battery died."
"Ahhh." That would explain the voicemail. Though his natural instinct was to eavesdrop, he stepped back while she turned away to make the call. Instead, he hovered by Sandy's side, listening in on his conversation.
"…no, we're just west of that. That's right, across the street from the McDonald's. So how long before someone gets here? All right, we'll be here."
Snapping the phone shut, he gave Seth a bemused look. "You can always count on the arches to be a landmark, even in Newport." He flicked his head in Summer's direction. "How is she doing?"
Seth shrugged one shoulder. "Okay, I guess. Not that we've had a real in-depth conversation." Actually, something did seem off about how she was acting but he couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it was simply her lack of reaction when he'd arrived on the scene. It sounded stupid, but he'd figured she'd jump into his arms or something.
"Who is she calling?"
He didn't bother to hide the grimace. "Zach."
Sandy gave a knowing nod. "Ahhh."
With silence between them now, Seth couldn't help but overhear what Summer was saying, even though her back was turned.
"…don't have to do that. No, they're both here. But, Zach. Okay. Okay, yes. I will. Bye."
"Is he coming?" Seth asked, trying to make his inquiry sound casual.
"Yeah."
Well, Zach was her boyfriend after all. Hang on a second. Seth stiffened as the thought hit him. He couldn't believe the question had escaped him before this. Why had Summer called him first instead of Zach? She had actually forgotten about her boyfriend until Seth had mentioned the party. There had to be some significance to that little fact. Perhaps there was some reasonable explanation but for now, he could revel just a teensy bit in feeling superior. It was probably the one and only time he'd get the upper hand compared to that guy.
"Cohen?"
He glanced down to find Summer holding out his phone with a slightly impatient expression.
"Yeah, sorry." As she tilted her head away from him, he noticed a strange mark on her right temple. "Hey, what is that?"
"What?"
When he gently brushed the round bruise with one finger, she brought her own hand up halfway, then dropped it. "It actually left a mark?" She sounded faintly surprised.
Sandy leaned in for a look. "He held a gun to your head." It was a statement, not a question.
Seth's stomach churned at the thought, though Summer and his father seemed to be taking it in stride. "You didn't tell me that," Seth said quietly.
"Oh. Didn't I?"
She sounded vague and uncaring and again, it struck him as odd.
He shifted his gaze to Sandy, hoping his dad would step in again. He wasn't disappointed.
"Summer, I haven't been barraging you with questions because you'll just have to go over it again with the police. But you have to tell them everything. They'll ask you about weapons anyway. And even a detail you think is insignificant might be important." He rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. "I know talking about what happened will be upsetting but we'll be right here."
"I know. I'm fine. Really."
She turned and walked back to the bench. Seth watched her for a moment, shaking his head slightly. "How can she be fine?" he said under his breath. He was mostly making the comment to himself but his father actually replied, his voice low.
"I'm sure it was a traumatic experience but people deal with these things in different ways. Just because she seems calm doesn't mean she's fine."
"I don't even know what to say to her."
"You're here. That's enough. If she wants to talk, she'll come to you. She did call you, after all."
Seth stuck his hands in his pockets. Shuffled his feet. "But now Zach's coming."
"Well, she called you first. That's gotta count for something."
Seth almost smiled, glad to know he wasn't the only one who had noticed. "So how long before the police get here?"
"There's a patrol car in the area so it should be any minute now."
A minute stretched into ten. Summer remained on the bench, legs crossed demurely and hugging the jacket to herself. As Sandy remembered to call Kirsten, Seth sat down beside his ex-girlfriend. He offered her a blanket from the car but she shook her head. Although he had a hundred questions and longed to put an arm around her, he verbalized nothing and kept his hands in his lap.
"Did I say thank you?" she asked abruptly.
"Um, no. I don't think so."
"Well, thanks. For coming. I don't even know why I called you."
He perked up at the perfect opening that statement provided. "Yeah, about that…"
But their attention was diverted by the flashing blue and red lights of the police cruiser that pulled ahead of the Range Rover, right in front of the bench. Two male officers stepped out and introduced themselves. Just as they began questioning Summer, another car pulled up to the curb. It was becoming a regular parking lot.
Zach, with his hair just so and looking natty in a tux, hopped out of the car and ran over, enveloping Summer in a crushing hug. "Are you all right? God, I can't believe this happened. You're okay?"
Summer accepted the hug initially and then appeared to be trying to wiggle out of it. Or maybe that was just Seth's skewed perspective.
"I'm okay," she said, when finally released from his arms.
Officer Mueller coughed, his pen hovering over his report while his partner, Officer Petoskey, looked on with a bored expression. "Hate to break this up, but can we continue?" Mueller asked.
"Yeah. Sorry."
As Zach stepped aside, his gaze connected with Seth's. He nodded. "Seth."
"Zach."
Seth nodded back. Although he was trying to hang onto that slight upper margin of superiority, he could feel it slipping away. Mr. Perfect Boyfriend was here now. Mr. Dorko Ex-boyfriend's services were no longer required. Out with the old. In with the new. Pretty fitting for New Year's Eve.
A/N: Of course Summer called Seth. I wouldn't have it any other way :-) Hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks to famous99 for patiently indulging me in a discussion of pumping gas in the US versus Canada. I think we were both surprised by what we discovered. And thanks to all the reviewers. I look forward to each comment! Happy Holidays everyone.
