"Wow." Seth's eyes darted to the ground and then back to Summer's face.
"Wow."
"Yeah." Summer smiled slightly. "I know, I wasn't expecting it either, and I know you just wanted to be friends, but I-"
"Oh, no," Seth stammered. "I mean, yes, I do want to be friends. I mean, I always want to be friends with you, it's just that I don't want to be your friend like I'm friends with Anna, I mean, Anna's great, she's Anna, and we have a lot in common, you know, the comic books and the music and the sailing and-"
"Then let's go." Summer interjected. "Sailing, I mean."
"Anime and-" Seth realized that Summer has spoken. "You want to go sailing? With me? Now?"
"Can we?" Summer tilted her head to one side. Suddenly the front lawn of the Cohen's house felt too exposed, too open.
Seth glanced back at his house. Aunt Hailey was going to notice his absence soon, and he really didn't want to get locked in the poolhouse again. "Sure," he agreed. He motioned for Summer to follow him, and they slipped around the side of the house to the Range Rover.
Seth held open the passenger door for Summer, and her body brushed against his as she slipped into the car. Yup, he thought, same chemistry. Same full-body-tingling-makes-me-feel-alive-electricity as always. When she had hugged him before, he had been worried about her - worried that her parents had left her alone again, worried that one of those chest-shaving water polo jerks had tried something, worried about anything and everything that had the potential to hurt her.
He gently shut her door and walked to the driver's side. Through the window he saw Summer leaning over to open the door for him. She unlocked the door and pushed on the passenger handle, slipping forward a little as their eyes met. She blushed, recognizing how ridiculous she must look, and straightened up.
"Thanks," he murmured.
"No problem." Summer pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and peered out the window at the party. "Are you sure you don't mind going to the docks? Seems like you're having a big party here."
"Um, not quite," Seth turned the key in the ignition slowly and began to back down the driveway. "It's my Aunt Hailey's party. A party by Seth Cohen would pretty much be me, Ryan, Marissa and maybe a drop-in appearance by Captain Oats."
"And me." Summer touched his arm gently. "I mean, if you wanted me to be there."
"Summer," Seth thanked Jesus and Moses for the red light on Glendale Lane. He turned to look at her. "There has never been, nor will there ever be, a time when I wouldn't want you with me."
They held each other's gaze for a moment. The light turned green, and Seth gave a silent thanks to his father for insisting that they live near the waterfront as he tried to focus on driving. Seth drove down the two remaining blocks, becoming more and more aware of Summer's presence by the second. She needed him. She had said it. This was real - it was finally happening the way he had always imagined.
"Yeah." Summer smiled slightly. "I know, I wasn't expecting it either, and I know you just wanted to be friends, but I-"
"Oh, no," Seth stammered. "I mean, yes, I do want to be friends. I mean, I always want to be friends with you, it's just that I don't want to be your friend like I'm friends with Anna, I mean, Anna's great, she's Anna, and we have a lot in common, you know, the comic books and the music and the sailing and-"
"Then let's go." Summer interjected. "Sailing, I mean."
"Anime and-" Seth realized that Summer has spoken. "You want to go sailing? With me? Now?"
"Can we?" Summer tilted her head to one side. Suddenly the front lawn of the Cohen's house felt too exposed, too open.
Seth glanced back at his house. Aunt Hailey was going to notice his absence soon, and he really didn't want to get locked in the poolhouse again. "Sure," he agreed. He motioned for Summer to follow him, and they slipped around the side of the house to the Range Rover.
Seth held open the passenger door for Summer, and her body brushed against his as she slipped into the car. Yup, he thought, same chemistry. Same full-body-tingling-makes-me-feel-alive-electricity as always. When she had hugged him before, he had been worried about her - worried that her parents had left her alone again, worried that one of those chest-shaving water polo jerks had tried something, worried about anything and everything that had the potential to hurt her.
He gently shut her door and walked to the driver's side. Through the window he saw Summer leaning over to open the door for him. She unlocked the door and pushed on the passenger handle, slipping forward a little as their eyes met. She blushed, recognizing how ridiculous she must look, and straightened up.
"Thanks," he murmured.
"No problem." Summer pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and peered out the window at the party. "Are you sure you don't mind going to the docks? Seems like you're having a big party here."
"Um, not quite," Seth turned the key in the ignition slowly and began to back down the driveway. "It's my Aunt Hailey's party. A party by Seth Cohen would pretty much be me, Ryan, Marissa and maybe a drop-in appearance by Captain Oats."
"And me." Summer touched his arm gently. "I mean, if you wanted me to be there."
"Summer," Seth thanked Jesus and Moses for the red light on Glendale Lane. He turned to look at her. "There has never been, nor will there ever be, a time when I wouldn't want you with me."
They held each other's gaze for a moment. The light turned green, and Seth gave a silent thanks to his father for insisting that they live near the waterfront as he tried to focus on driving. Seth drove down the two remaining blocks, becoming more and more aware of Summer's presence by the second. She needed him. She had said it. This was real - it was finally happening the way he had always imagined.