Second-hand Emotion   

Chapter 3: Illicit Parking Maneuvers

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own the show or any of the characters in it.

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate and it totally made my day. This chapter just wouldn't come out and so, sorry for the delay. I've actually written parts of future chapters before this one which I found ironic. And now I'm just babbling. Anyway, thanks again for the reviews and on with the story…

Song Featured:

Space – Something Corporate

Seconds linger… or maybe time had unexpectedly lapsed into minutes. The two bodies melded into one another standing in the bathroom took no notice of the monotonous intervals.  They are in a haze, both barely having room to breath, feeling trapped to each other, and yet at the same time ironically comfortable. 

Summer finally pulls back, hands dropping to her sides, her mouth no longer holding Seth's warmth. They both inhale heavily, taking in the air they had been without those last few moments. Instants pass with an enigmatic silence hovering above them. Seth nervously raises his eyes to meet hers, bracing himself for the inevitable look of disgust looming on Summer's face.  He instead finds her biting her lower lip, shooting glances around the bathroom her eyes never resting on one sight for too long.

She feels his gaze searching her, and throws out a caustic, "What are you looking at?"

He chuckles, melting the tension. "I'm not answering that."

Her head flinches back, face set in a bewildered frown. "It's just a question."

With confidence he shakes his head. "It's not just a question. No matter how good the guy's answer is, the girl will twist it up in some morbid fashion until he ends up feeling like a loser."

Summer doesn't even open her mouth to protest. Who could against a proven fact?

The inadmissible questions start to invade her mind and she once again pulls him to her abruptly ending her flow of thoughts.

He vehemently responds, no moment's hesitation. Being rational and trying to pull his mind back from the depths surrounding Summer is a lost cause. He's too weary to process anything but his awe over the fact that he's standing this close to Summer feeling something other than pain- emotionally or physically (getting slapped is always a possibility with Summer).

Her mind slips, the accusations in her head are ringing louder and she presses her mouth even harder against his. A frustrated groan escapes his mouth as he finally regains enough consciousness to pull back. Seth isn't sure what to expect this time, but can't help risking a peek.

Summer's face is flushed, triumphant. Her senses have finally clicked and she's finally proud. With her voice even she throws out a truth of her own, "You're far from forgetting me." Before the door swings shut on her way out, he hears, "But nice try."

Seth is left to wonder about the torrid turn of events in muted silence. His fingers subconsciously make their way across his bottom lip, his brain still heaving itself out of the reaches of Summer's kisses. He realizes forgetting is not an option when a middle-aged woman clunks his head with the door and it is a mere annoyance instead of a hindrance.

He stutters (verbal skills after shocking events just aren't his thing) as she quickly whips her head back to the sign to check if it is in fact the ladies room. When the lady finally picks up that he's in the wrong lavatory she proceeds to glare until he shakily stumbles past her.

The slamming door behind him barely registers as he makes his way out, jingling the bell above the entrance in the process. 

*

 Ryan almost falls off the bar stool, though he does succeed in spraying orange juice everywhere. "She kissed you? Not the other way around?"

Seth finds no humor in the situation. Dryly he replies, "Well, I had to hold a gun to her head but yes, she did."

"Reeally…" He stretches out the syllables causing Seth to doubt whether or not it was sarcasm.

"NO!" Seth isn't sure of what Ryan really means but wants to make it clear that it was fully Summer's choice. "She did it. She practically mauled me." He feels no pang of guilt for the tiny exaggeration.

Ryan throws his hands up to defend himself from Seth's overzealous hand motions. "Sorry, I was just kidding. Chill out, I believe you, not the whole mauling thing, but something to that effect."

Ryan leans back into his chair, causing it to balance on its two back legs. "Just don't get your hopes up Seth. You don't need to be screwed over again."

Seth animatedly nods, wanting to hurry along this conversation. "No hopes, check." He's still remembering the kiss, kisses, to be exact. He has cause for concerns but sixteen years of innocence takes its tow and he's got expectations. She had to feel something, right?

Changing the subject and the spotlight, he aims a perplexing question to Ryan, "And things with you and Marissa? Has it taken a beautiful turn like a certain story of mine?"

Ryan rolls his eyes at the senseless latter question. The first one, only an explanation the size of a novel would suffice. However, Ryan being the monosyllabic guy he is can sum it up in a sentence, maybe two. "Same old thing, we're just friends."

It is now Seth's turn to roll his eyes. "You're about as delusional right now as I am giddy." As an after thought he adds, "And that's saying plenty."

The chair scratches across the marble floor as Ryan suddenly plunges forward resting his elbows on the counter. "We're pathetic. Sitting here, griping, you could at least be pummeling me at some game, or me just pummeling you without the game."

"Oh so now you have resorted to physical violence?" Seth 'tsks' using his tongue. "I must be really good to drive you to finding other forms of entertainment."

Ryan just stares, no particular emotion set in his face.

Moments pass before Seth gets impatient and waves his hand in front of Ryan's face. "Hello?" Ryan finally comes to and looks around trying to identify his current surrounding. His thoughts as usual, had drifted off next door. Seth looks confused for a whole second before realizing the same thing. They really were getting soft. "That's it." Seth gets off the barstool heading into the living room. "Hurry up, this whole sitting-in-the-quiet-while-brooding was never my thing."

*

Seth parks in the Office Max parking lot, sighing as he closes the car door. School sucks. This coming year would be no exception. He listlessly grabs a shopping cart as he enters the store. Pushing with his elbows, he's hunched over the cart wearily looking around at the cleanliness and order that school/office supplies hold. He carelessly throws a box of black BIC pens over the ten packs of paper and that's when he notices Marissa in the aisle ahead of him. She's studying two types of graph paper with an expression of contemplation he could never pull off with school supplies.

The wheels of his cart unexpectedly squeak from time to time as if to try and surprise him with every next step. Marissa distractedly looks up to see the diversion and smiles when she discovers that it's just Seth. "Hey, long time no see."

She peers around him, eyes confused; no doubt looking for a second person. Seth sees that her eyes have wandered over his shoulder and says, "He's not here. Sorry to disappoint."

She quickly shakes her head, "No, no disappoint, you guys just always seem to be together that's all." Her eyes tell a contradicting story.

He skeptically answers, "Yeah, that's the reason."

Marissa narrows her eyes. "Summer's in the binders' section since you're interested." Notice there isn't an 'if' in the sentence.

Seth smiles, knowing she is surely seething. It isn't his intent, it just happens to work out that way. He walks by, "By the way, I'm going to need a ride to the Star Wars convention this Saturday." He turns back to see her incredulous expression before she starts to smile. 

*

Summer's in front of the section of binders trying to figure out the precise size and color she wants to settle for. There's something about knowing that you're going to be stuck with a decision for a whole year… even if it is just a minor one, in this case, the binders.

Seth leaves behind his shopping cart and quietly sneaks behind her, waiting to be acknowledged. She, however, is oblivious, still in the process of decision. "Wow," he starts, "I didn't know Summer Roberts cared so much about school."

Summer's startled when she hears his voice but it never shows. "Wow," sarcastically mocking him.

 He has no reply and only stands as she takes a couple more binders off the shelves.

"Well," he tries to continue the conversation along, as per usual. "This is… awkward."

"What are you talking about? This feels normal." Summer decides to just buy different colors of each binder instead of settling for the same color. Everyone needs variety… plus it makes the whole walking away thing much quicker. She starts to push the shopping cart down the aisle but almost immediately has to stop when Seth steps in front, hands on its edge. Rolling her eyes, she says "What is this, an intervention?"

"You never change do you?" Seth doesn't sound the least bit fazed. He dismissively shrugs. "You can be as hostile as you want. It doesn't matter; you can't change the fact that you kissed me." His voice gains volume as he reaches the last few words.

She violently lets go, the cart almost colliding into Seth's stomach if his hands hadn't been holding onto it. "Are you insane," she hisses.

He shrugs again, "I don't know, my mind's been pretty foggy ever since you--"

She quickly reaches his side and pulling on his arm, drags him outside before he gets a chance to finish.

*

Several heads turn as they make their way out, with Summer leading. Curious pedestrians can see two figures almost sprinting, outlined in the bask of the sun.

Summer looks around to see complete strangers staring. Her anger overrules the stage fright she's always held with her and she shouts, "Can't you see we're talking here? Does it look like it concerns all of you?"

Seth cups his hand over her mouth, and smiles bashfully. "Sorry, she's grouchy when she forgets to eat. Come along honey, that's a good girl." He walks backward to his dad's car, hand still attached to Summer.

Removing his hand, he opens the passenger side for her. "I think you're less likely to make a scene in here, but I'm never too sure."   

Summer waits until he's entered his side and snaps, "You didn't seem to mind making a scene in the store."

He turns the key halfway and fiddles with the knob trying to find the few decent stations left on the radio. "It bugged you," he turns to face her, amused. "I thought it was a good enough reason."

"You--" She stops, and… smiles. "Cohen, you're such a dork."

He bows graciously, "I aim to please."

Her lips parts, almost allowing a chuckle to be heard; Summer suppresses it in time, and proceeds to divert her eyes to his dashboard not wanting to give him more attention than necessary.

"Yes," he's pleasantly surprised to hear this song: 

Home, is this a quiet place where you should be alone?
Is this where the tortured and the troubled find their own?

She groans, "This must be what hell is like."

He mouths along, ignoring her. "Hey! Give me space so I can breathe. Give me space so I can sleep." Seth lowers the volume a bit and turns to her profile. He's astonished at his nerve and plunges ahead, "So, what now? Food, to mend your grouchiness?" He starts to turn the key but her touch reaches out to stop him.

"Seth, wait," her voice is an even balance between impatience and casualty. He wonders how she pulls that off.

Summer continues interrupting his brain, "I'm not, we're not--" She stops, frustrated at her lack of usual eloquence. The quiet is used to her advantage; she takes the time to think before trying to spew out another explanation.

Seth reads through her pathetic confession and he sits, trying to sort his feelings. His right hand is still grasping the key and he lets go, wiping his palm on the front of his jeans, leaving the denim darker than before. He shouldn't be as dumbfounded as he is; this is, after all, expected.

 Summer is staring at her hands, wringing them in her lap. "The kiss was fun," she mentally corrects herself, 'kisses' but doesn't bother to announce the correction. Summer is sure Seth's thinking of the same thing. "But, that's it. It was just for fun." Wow, that time was well spent for those three concise sentences, she can tell. "We're friends, tentatively, but still, in the whole quasi friends' realm," she rushes the mumbled sentence before the impending silence can come.

Her words are mere details, barely heard by him. Seth's spent much of these past two days feeling numb, throw in the occasional splurge of happiness.

No hopes… check.

He swallows forcing the lump back into his stomach where it joins the others. "Yeah, friends." Clearing his throat, he dutifully shakes her hand.

Her mouth forms into a delicate smile and he tries to imitate, adequately succeeding. "Okay, good, we're settled. Well-" she points back to Office Max, "I'm going to head back."

He curtly nods, fingers drumming upon the steering wheel. The door in keeping with the mood, quietly settles into place as she gets out.

A twinge of guilt steadily fractures her surface as she reaches his side of the car. Looking through the driver's window, Seth's view is straight ahead, unaware of Summer's staring.

Her fingernails lightly tap the reflective surface; apathetic, he turns in her direction, mouth in a straight line. The window rolls down and he subtly winces, the sun directed in his eyes.

Summer leans into the window cupping both sides of Seth's face in her hands, catching Seth off guard. The kiss is impulsive and brief. He doesn't have time to respond before she's gone. "Thanks Cohen, you're not such a bad guy."

He finally snaps out of his stupor. Despite himself, he grins and calls out to her diminishing outline, "We've just had a breakthrough. You've finally figured out what I've always known."

The silence greets him hiding the clandestine smile on Summer's face.

Give me space so you can drown in this with me