Clandestine
Chapter Four: Dreamed
Summer jumped away from Seth at a breakneck speed. It was literally like she was face-to-face with him one second, five feet away the next. Ryan and Marissa didn't seem to notice. "Lemonade," Marissa announced. Seth was too busy trying to figure out what happened to notice, and Summer was trying to act busy, checking her manicured nails with feigned interest.
"Lemonade?" Marissa repeated, though more inquisitive.
"Yum," Summer muttered, sitting down in one of the chairs heavily. She used her hand to flip her hair behind her shoulder and continued to inspect her fingernails.
"Seth, buddy, you okay?" Ryan asked, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Huh, what?" Seth snapped his head up. He looked at Ryan, who was looking at him. He shifted his gaze to Marissa, who had stopped in the middle of setting the tray on the table to look at him. His eyes wandered to Summer, who was still examining her nails. His cheeks flushed a very tender pink color. He sat down across from Summer and sat stiffly with his hands clasped between his knees.
Ryan and Marissa observed this, but didn't say anything. Marissa distributed glasses and filled them full of the sweet, fruity drink that she and Ryan had attempted to make. Seth nervously took a sip.
Good, but a little too much sugar. Marissa raised her eyebrows in silent confusion. She motioned for Ryan to sit, and she followed suit.
"So... how're things?" she asked to no one in particular.
Seth continued to stare at his glass, occasionally taking shaky sips. Summer continued to stare at her nails, occasionally moving her hand closer to her face as if a fingernail needs a close inspection. Ryan finally broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Things are good," he nodded. "Summer, how have you been?"
"Fine," she said, dividedly.
"Right. Seth?" Ryan continued.
"I've been okay," he said, taking a large gulp of his lemonade.
Marissa stared at Ryan. He nodded softly. She sighed. "Okay. Summer, Seth, we know something's going on. And these awkward silences are driving me insane, so please tell us what it is."
Summer finally looked up, glaring at Marissa. "Excuse me, Coop? Something going on. Between me," she started, and jerked a thumb in the direction of Seth, "and him? I don't think so."
"I... didn't say it was between you and Seth," she said carefully. "I just said that we knew something was going on."
"Implying it was between us," Summer said. She was grasping at air, here. Come on, Cohen, she thought, help me out.
"Nothing's going on," Seth said.
Ryan and Marissa looked at each other again. "Ahem," Marissa said. "If you say so." Seth and Summer both looked up at each other at the same time. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds before looking down, once again.
* * *
"'Cause I am barely breathing/ and I can't find the air/ I don't know who I'm kidding/ imagining you care." Seth sighed and switched off the radio. The perfect song for the end of the perfect day. Sarcasm. Such a wonderful thing.
Marissa and Summer had both left soon after the lemonade break, although Marissa and Ryan did wash the glasses and pitcher. Seth had gone into the kitchen to see what they were up to, and they were flirting - flicking water and soap suds at each other, he laughing and she giggling. Seth had turned on a dime, heading up to his bedroom.
He couldn't stand to see them flirt when the girl of his dreams was playing with him like this. He knew she felt something. But she didn't want to admit it to anyone; not to Seth, not to Ryan and Marissa, and definitely not to herself.
Now, he was flopped on his bed, his blanket and sheet tangled in a disarrayed mess on the floor. He was on his stomach with his head under his pillow. His knee jutted up into his stomach, and his other leg was bent into a semi-painful position in the other direction. He had put on thick flannel pajamas as well, and it was a hot day, and it was hot in his room. He didn't care. He didn't mind being uncomfortable right now. Summer had taken care of that earlier, his feeling uncomfortable, at the poolside table.
Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. Seth often muttered in his sleep, and this nap was no different. He was sweating from his pajamas and the pillow over his head, and swashing around. Brow furrowed, Seth muttered in his sleep. He muttered nonsense words, unordered and muddled up.
Seth dreamed.
Summer ran into Seth. She grabbed the front of his shirt and closed her eyes. His hands shot out to her arms, to stop her. They looked at each other. Summer's eyes were wide. He could feel her warm breath on his face. He looked into her eyes. She was going to kiss him. He was going to kiss her.
She leaned into him, kissing him softly. Her lips were amazing, like the essence of all perfection. He kissed back, bringing it from a soft kiss to a hard one. It soon quickened, becoming more passionate. Seth felt Summer's hand slide up his chest and fall to rest on his shoulder, pulling him closer to her.
The kiss broke, and he looked into her eyes. They showed compassion and something not quite unlike she had found her one and only, her soul mate.
Seth awoke with a jolt, sweat drenching his body. His breath was even a bit ragged. There was no way he could sleep right now. He wiped his forehead with his flannel sleeve before pulling off both pieces of his sleepwear. He sat there, clammy, in nothing but his boxers, debating on whether he should do what he was contemplating or not.
He nodded softly, and scrambled for a phone. He punched in Summer's number, and held it up to his ear.
Chapter Four: Dreamed
Summer jumped away from Seth at a breakneck speed. It was literally like she was face-to-face with him one second, five feet away the next. Ryan and Marissa didn't seem to notice. "Lemonade," Marissa announced. Seth was too busy trying to figure out what happened to notice, and Summer was trying to act busy, checking her manicured nails with feigned interest.
"Lemonade?" Marissa repeated, though more inquisitive.
"Yum," Summer muttered, sitting down in one of the chairs heavily. She used her hand to flip her hair behind her shoulder and continued to inspect her fingernails.
"Seth, buddy, you okay?" Ryan asked, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Huh, what?" Seth snapped his head up. He looked at Ryan, who was looking at him. He shifted his gaze to Marissa, who had stopped in the middle of setting the tray on the table to look at him. His eyes wandered to Summer, who was still examining her nails. His cheeks flushed a very tender pink color. He sat down across from Summer and sat stiffly with his hands clasped between his knees.
Ryan and Marissa observed this, but didn't say anything. Marissa distributed glasses and filled them full of the sweet, fruity drink that she and Ryan had attempted to make. Seth nervously took a sip.
Good, but a little too much sugar. Marissa raised her eyebrows in silent confusion. She motioned for Ryan to sit, and she followed suit.
"So... how're things?" she asked to no one in particular.
Seth continued to stare at his glass, occasionally taking shaky sips. Summer continued to stare at her nails, occasionally moving her hand closer to her face as if a fingernail needs a close inspection. Ryan finally broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Things are good," he nodded. "Summer, how have you been?"
"Fine," she said, dividedly.
"Right. Seth?" Ryan continued.
"I've been okay," he said, taking a large gulp of his lemonade.
Marissa stared at Ryan. He nodded softly. She sighed. "Okay. Summer, Seth, we know something's going on. And these awkward silences are driving me insane, so please tell us what it is."
Summer finally looked up, glaring at Marissa. "Excuse me, Coop? Something going on. Between me," she started, and jerked a thumb in the direction of Seth, "and him? I don't think so."
"I... didn't say it was between you and Seth," she said carefully. "I just said that we knew something was going on."
"Implying it was between us," Summer said. She was grasping at air, here. Come on, Cohen, she thought, help me out.
"Nothing's going on," Seth said.
Ryan and Marissa looked at each other again. "Ahem," Marissa said. "If you say so." Seth and Summer both looked up at each other at the same time. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds before looking down, once again.
* * *
"'Cause I am barely breathing/ and I can't find the air/ I don't know who I'm kidding/ imagining you care." Seth sighed and switched off the radio. The perfect song for the end of the perfect day. Sarcasm. Such a wonderful thing.
Marissa and Summer had both left soon after the lemonade break, although Marissa and Ryan did wash the glasses and pitcher. Seth had gone into the kitchen to see what they were up to, and they were flirting - flicking water and soap suds at each other, he laughing and she giggling. Seth had turned on a dime, heading up to his bedroom.
He couldn't stand to see them flirt when the girl of his dreams was playing with him like this. He knew she felt something. But she didn't want to admit it to anyone; not to Seth, not to Ryan and Marissa, and definitely not to herself.
Now, he was flopped on his bed, his blanket and sheet tangled in a disarrayed mess on the floor. He was on his stomach with his head under his pillow. His knee jutted up into his stomach, and his other leg was bent into a semi-painful position in the other direction. He had put on thick flannel pajamas as well, and it was a hot day, and it was hot in his room. He didn't care. He didn't mind being uncomfortable right now. Summer had taken care of that earlier, his feeling uncomfortable, at the poolside table.
Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. Seth often muttered in his sleep, and this nap was no different. He was sweating from his pajamas and the pillow over his head, and swashing around. Brow furrowed, Seth muttered in his sleep. He muttered nonsense words, unordered and muddled up.
Seth dreamed.
Summer ran into Seth. She grabbed the front of his shirt and closed her eyes. His hands shot out to her arms, to stop her. They looked at each other. Summer's eyes were wide. He could feel her warm breath on his face. He looked into her eyes. She was going to kiss him. He was going to kiss her.
She leaned into him, kissing him softly. Her lips were amazing, like the essence of all perfection. He kissed back, bringing it from a soft kiss to a hard one. It soon quickened, becoming more passionate. Seth felt Summer's hand slide up his chest and fall to rest on his shoulder, pulling him closer to her.
The kiss broke, and he looked into her eyes. They showed compassion and something not quite unlike she had found her one and only, her soul mate.
Seth awoke with a jolt, sweat drenching his body. His breath was even a bit ragged. There was no way he could sleep right now. He wiped his forehead with his flannel sleeve before pulling off both pieces of his sleepwear. He sat there, clammy, in nothing but his boxers, debating on whether he should do what he was contemplating or not.
He nodded softly, and scrambled for a phone. He punched in Summer's number, and held it up to his ear.