Chapter 26: Fighting Back Old Feelings

As Brandi turned around slowly, she couldn't believe the real Colin Geller was right there behind her. As she directly stared at Colin's eyes, she was disturbed. Disturbed because now that Colin was back, right there in front of her, suddenly all her feelings for him were there again. Colin was exactly as she remembered. The boy she once loved so much, the one that was so great to her, the one that made her feel so good… She didn't know what to do with all those old feelings.

"Colin!" she exclaimed in a more exciting tone of voice and literally jumped, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her high as he turned her round, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so happy to see you, girl." Colin said as he put her back on the ground.

"Oh, Col, I'm so happy to see you, too." Brandi said with one of her hands caressing his cheek. She broke her eye contact with Colin when she heard Seth's coughing.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I have this thing down my throat and…" Seth made up a lame excuse for his coughing, which neither Colin nor Brandi believed.

"I'm guessing you're Seth." Colin looked him up and down. Brandi shot a surprised look at Colin, which he missed.

"How do you…" Brandi started, but got cut off by Colin's look. Just by his look, he didn't have to say anything else to Brandi. Colin knew her too well. He knew her better than her brother did. And just by the few conversations they had about Seth, Colin could tell the boy standing in front of him was the one Brandi was pretty much always talking about.

"Yes, I'm Seth. Seth Cohen. And you are?" Seth showed off his hand to the tall guy.

"Colin Geller." introduced himself the guy standing at 6'3'', a body pretty much like Seth, but only longer. A lot longer which kind of intimidated Seth. The boy had really light hazel eyes, almost like honey, the hair was pitch black (which Seth thought was probably dyed that color) and messy. He also had a transversal piercing in his left ear and was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a yellow one with long sleeves underneath it and baggy khaki pants.

"Colin Geller? I'm sorry, but Brandi never told me about you." Seth frowned. Colin looked at Brandi, who was looking down a little ashamed. She had talked so much about Seth to Colin and hadn't said a word about Colin to Seth. But it wasn't her fault. She'd known Seth for only a week, and she'd known Colin for years, it was easier talking to Colin.

"Well, you two just met. I'm sure she'll tell you about me once you get to be friends." Colin snapped.

"We are already friends. Actually, we're more…" Brandi interrupted Seth.

"Yes, Colin, we're friends. Seth's nice. You'll see for yourself, now that you're here." a silence fell on the little circle "But I can't believe you're actually here, Col." Brandi tried to change the subject "When did you come? I mean… I talked to you yesterday on the phone, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. And you got caught up on this particular subject…" Brandi blushed and Colin took a look at Seth at that moment, being that the particular subject they talked about over the phone was Seth and Brandi's kiss "That I didn't have the chance to tell you I was coming. Today."

"But… why? Why did you come? Not that I'm complaining…" Brandi was still in shock. Colin being in the O.C. was a huge thing.

"I called you, I think three days ago and you weren't there, so I ended up having a pretty long conversation with your mother, and it was mostly about her worries for you. She said you didn't seem so happy here in Hellifornia…"

"Excuse me… Hellifornia?" Seth asked.

"That's the name Brandi came up with for…" Colin looked around "Well, this place."

"Hm…" Seth looked at Brandi intrigued. Brandi couldn't make eye contact with Seth, so she stared down.

"Anyway…" Colin continued, after being interrupted "So, she said you didn't seem so happy since you've moved in, and asked me, when I had the chance, to come and visit you, that she knew me coming here would make you feel better, and that's what she wanted. To make you feel better, because she was starting to feel bad for dragging you to this city."

"Oh… she shouldn't have asked you to do that. It's too much."

"Bran, you know nothing is too much when it comes to you. You know I'd go to hell and back for you, girl." Colin hugged her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Ok, out-of-the-blue guy." Seth gently pulled Brandi away from Colin's grip "I'm sorry to tell you this, but we were actually gonna go and have something to drink. We have a lot to talk about, you know? Classes, the weather…" Seth stopped and continued through a faked cough "The kiss we shared." Brandi shot Seth a look.

"Oh…" Colin decided to play dumb, pretending he hadn't understand what Seth last said "So, you're going to have something to drink?"

"Yeah, you know? She kinda asked me just two seconds before you interrupted us, so… Who can say no to this beautiful lady, right?" Seth placed his right arm around Brandi's shoulders.

"You're absolutely right. Bran, if you don't mind, I'd like to join you. That way, I'll get to know the county a little more."

"Oh…" Brandi was caught off guard "Well…"

"Actually, man, I don't think that's a good idea, you…"

"Seth, Colin has to join us." Brandi informed and Colin smirked at Seth, who was starting to get pissed at him "He came all the way from New York just to be with me, I can't leave him."

"Great!" Colin took Brandi's wrist, releasing her from Seth's arm and embracing her himself "Then let's go." he turned and started to walk with Brandi by his side and Seth behind them.

"That's just… awesome." Seth said to no one as he was left behind.

"Can you just…" Brandi whispered to Colin when they were a few steps ahead of Seth "Stop being the asshole you're acting here? You're not like that. At all. You better stop, Col. Or else I'll send you right back to New York."

"I was just…" Colin didn't know exactly what to say. He couldn't say he was jealous. Brandi didn't know he still had feelings for her "I was trying to make him feel jealous. That's good, you know? For your relationship or whatever you call it." Brandi bit her upper lip.

"Ok." she didn't want to argue with Colin. She was happy he was there and didn't want to mess up his visit to the O.C. "But that's enough. Stop being an asshole and let Seth know how cool you are. That way, he might get even more jealous."

"Yes, because no one is as cool as I am." Colin smiled and Brandi nodded.

"That's right. You know you are the coolest to me. Now, just show it a bit to Seth, alright? You know he's important to me and I want this to work out."

"What to work out?" Colin asked, worried about the answer.

"I don't know yet. But he might be my only friend here in Hellifornia, so I gotta cherish it, alright?"

"Ok. But I'm doing this for you."

"Ok. That's all I'm asking you. Thanks." Brandi thanked him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Seth saw that scene and looked down. He was feeling so jealous about Colin and Brandi. He didn't know he felt so strongly about her. She was growing on him faster than he could have thought or planned. She was really something. And Seth could see it. He could see it clearly. And he wouldn't let some guy from her past that he had just met take her away from him. That guy had his chance in the past. The present belonged to him.

Seth started to walk faster. He now walked right beside Brandi and Colin. When they got to Brandi's car, Seth smoothly headed to the passenger's seat, leaving Colin with a 'I-Can't-Believe-It' look on his face.

"You don't mind if I take the passenger's seat, right, Colin? I mean, you probably drove around with her thousands of times back in New York, and I still haven't had the pleasure. I think you can grant me that pleasure, right, man?"

It took a moment for Colin to answer.

"Yeah, sure, dude. You go ahead. I'll sit in the back, that's not a problem at all." Colin smiled and entered the car.

Brandi shot Seth a look, who returned it with just a smile and also got inside. Brandi smiled, shook her head and got inside. It was gonna be quite an interesting afternoon.