Chapter 33: Arrangements

"Still no sign of her, man." Seth was waiting for Ryan on his way out of Chemistry class.

"Seth, don't tell me you were hiding in the bathroom just so you wouldn't see her."

"Come on, Ryan, give me some faith, will you? Of course I wasn't!"

"But you weren't eager to find her also."

"Well, that…"

"Ok. I see. So let's find her."

"Where's Marissa?"

"She had to be dismissed from class. Some meeting. They are doing this party next month and they have to start organizing it."

"Right. Boring!"

"Tell me about it. Now, pay attention. See if you find her." Ryan ordered his best friend.

"Ok."

'Ok, now what?' Brandi thought to herself as soon as she got out of class. She calmly headed to her locker and placed her books inside it. She gathered some courage before closing it and heading towards the cafeteria. She thought of skipping lunch that day, but she was feeling really hungry, because she didn't have breakfast, she was feeling so nervous in the morning that she just had a glass of orange juice.

Ryan and Seth continued walking through the halls of Harbor High. They had been to the library and to Brandi's locker, but hadn't found her yet.

"Maybe she didn't come today." Seth said.

"Maybe. But why wouldn't she come?" Ryan asked.

"Maybe because she already married Colin, the New York stud. What's the point of high school once you're happily married?"

"Seth, don't be stupid."

"Well, Ryan, I think there's a great possibility of it happening and…" suddenly, Seth stopped talking. She stood just a few feet away from him. And she looked great. She was wearing a baby pink sweater, black capris and black high heel sandals. Her make-up was perfect and her hair, impeccable. What was he gonna say to her now that she was heading his way?

"So, Cohen, engaged yet?" Summer stopped in front of the two of them, crossed her arms around her breasts and tapped her right foot. She wasn't the girl Seth was hoping to see, but he knew he'd come across Summer eventually during that day.

"Excuse me?"

"With that New York bitch. Engaged already? You were so in love with her, remember you told me last night?"

"Summer, I really…" Seth started but got interrupted by Summer.

"You know what, Cohen? You don't have to say anything. That's fine. And you know why? Because I don't care about you anymore. You're totally out off my life, and this time is for good, so… Forget it. I don't wanna know." Summer turned around and disappeared just like that.

"You told Summer how you feel about Brandi?" Ryan asked incredulous.

"Well, actually…"

"You must really like this girl, Seth. You told Summer about her!" Ryan was surprised.

"Well, you see…" Seth started but then he spotted the girl that he was secretly hoping to bump into, but was also trying to avoid. There she was, waiting in line to pay for her double burger, fries and diet orange soda. A smile showed up on Seth's face. Yes. He was certain now. That was the girl he loved. He loved that girl wearing that green 'The Strokes' baby-look t-shirt, jeans skirt and a matching pair of green Adidas. Her perfectly long and curly auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail. Brandi smiled as the cashier handed her her change and she headed outside to get a table.

"There's your chance. Now go." Ryan said after also noticing Brandi in the room.

Ryan turned around and left. When Seth turned to Ryan and saw no one standing beside him, he took a deep breath and headed to where Brandi was sitting.

"Can I have some fries?" Seth asked before sitting in front of Brandi.

"Oh." Brandi's heart skipped a bit when she heard his voice and she felt the butterflies on her stomach when he sat in front of her "Sure." she took a timid look at him and looked down at her lunch.

"So…" Seth had no idea how he was gonna start this conversation "How's everything?"

"Fine."

"Ok. So we're going monosyllabic here. Great." Seth was really nervous and that was starting to show off.

They both sat there, in an awkward silence. Brandi's appetite suddenly disappeared. She was just sipping her soda.

Seth didn't know what to do, so he just knocked on the table and did strange things with his mouth, which he later on thanked God Brandi was looking down so she missed them.

"So… What are you doing after school?" Seth asked her.

"Hanging out with Colin."

"Right. Naturally. Sure. Of course. It makes sense." Seth nodded and then whispered, thinking Brandi wouldn't hear the next part "Since you're together."

"It makes sense since we're together?" Brandi looked up for the first time. She was frowning.

"What?" Seth played dumb.

"Did you just say 'it makes sense since you're together'?"

"No!" Seth rolled his eyes "Of course not! Why would I say such a thing? I mean… why would I? You're not a couple. Not that I know of, anyway. I mean, you never told me you were a couple. You're not a couple. You're not. Right?" Seth asked pretending to be cool about it.

"Yes." Brandi said.

"Yes, you're a couple?" Seth could feel his heart beating on his throat.

"No." Brandi tried to be calm "I meant, yes, you're right."

"Oh. Ok. So not a couple?" Seth asked again.

"No. Not a couple." Brandi shook his head. What was going on?

"Good." Seth rubbed one hand on another "Just to be sure."

"Why?" Brandi looked up again and stared into his big brown eyes. She realized she could spend the rest of her day, or better yet, the rest of her life, just looking inside those big brown eyes of Seth. And that was when she stopped to take a better look at him that day. His curly black hair was messy, but for Seth, it was always perfectly messy. He was wearing his typical black pants and a green t-shirt with a white long-sleeve one underneath it. She just loved his sense of fashion. 'Just perfect', she thought to herself.

"Why what?"

"Why you wanna be sure?"

"Oh… Because."

"Because why?"

"Oh, Brandi, just… I don't know. I wanted to do something this afternoon and I wondered what you two were up to and if I could join you."

"Colin is leaving today."

"Leaving?" Seth frowned. 'How can he be leaving if they got married?' Seth thought.

"Yeah."

"Like, leaving leaving? Back to New York, leaving?"

"Yes. Why are you weird today, Seth?"

"Ok. We have to talk." Seth totally ignored Brandi's question.

"Ok." Brandi frowned. He was really weird that day "Is it about… Never mind."

"What? What were you gonna ask me? Why did you stop?"

"It's nothing."

"No. Go ahead. Ask me. Please, ask me."

"Does… Summer have anything to do with what you wanna say to me?"

"Summer?"

"Yes." Brandi bit her bottom lip.

"Summer? Why would Summer have anything to do with what I wanna say to you?"

"I don't know. Summer always has something to do with everything you say, so I thought…"

"Not anymore." Seth let it out without really wanting to.

"Not anymore?" Brandi asked, but Seth said nothing "What do you mean not anymore?"

"Listen, I'll explain everything to you. But I don't wanna do it here. What time does Colin leave?"

"He's gotta a plane to catch at 6:15 p.m."

"Ok. Do you think I can show up at your house tonight so we can talk?"

Brandi stopped for a second. He wanted to go to her house? What for? But she was actually excited to have him at her house. She didn't know why, she just was. She wasn't gonna let it show, though.

"Yeah. Ok." now Brandi played cool.

"Good." Seth was almost getting up to say goodbye when he realized he had forgotten to ask her for one thing "Your address! You never gave it to me." Seth took a paper and a pen out of his pocket.

"Oh. That's right." Brandi wrote it down.

"So… around 8?"

"8 is fine."

"Good." Seth got up and kissed Brandi on the cheek. She blushed a little. Seth didn't pick up on that "See you tonight then." he waved her goodbye and disappeared.

Brandi was left on the table with a shy smile on her face. Seth was meeting her tonight. At her house. And she couldn't wait for it.