"Oo, save me some of that pineapple," Summer pouted. She was eating
breakfast with Seth, Ryan and Anna at one of the tables that lined the
exterior of Harbor. It was funny, she thought, how comfortable she felt
around Anna now. It was difficult for her to trust a girl, and the
separation between herself and Marissa was tough on her. Anna was
different, though. Summer watched as Anna offered Ryan a cinnamon roll,
and noted her frequent smile. Summer was an expert at judging flirtations,
and she could already tell that Miss Anna Stern was a sucker for Ryan
Atwood's baby blue eyes. She stifled a smile and turned back to Seth. He
had been watching them too, and she could read in his expression that he
had come to the same conclusions as she had.
"Attention, ladies and gentleman." The four teenagers quieted at the sound to the school's crystal-clear public address system. "The winter dance nominations have been tallied. These names come from the nomination forms submitted in mid-December, prior to winter break. For winter queen, the nominees are Marissa Cooper, Candace Merky, and Summer Roberts."
Seth let out a whoop and kissed Summer excitedly. She stiffened in his arms, and he pulled back, concerned. "You ok?" he asked.
She settled back down into her seat and looked around the table at Seth, Ryan and Anna. "I don't know if I can do this," she admitted. Did she really want to participate in another popularity contest?
Surprisingly, Ryan spoke up. "I think you'd be great," he said quietly. Summer studied him, confused.
"I thought you'd be pulling for Marissa," she spoke softly. It still stung to say her name, especially when Summer had no idea why Marissa was acting so cruelly towards her.
"Yeah," Ryan glanced down as the three teenagers studied him. "I went over to her mom's house last night - Mr. Cooper told me that she's staying there now - to break up with her. But before I could say anything, she dumped me. Told me that Chino didn't go with Chanel."
Seth grimaced. "Harsh."
Ryan stood, preparing to go to class. "I guess." He looked over at Anna. "Wanna walk to history together?"
Anna grinned. "Sure. See you guys later."
After the two had left, Seth twisted to face Summer.
"So, should I call you Queen Summer now?" he joked.
"If I'm the Queen," she murmured, "Wouldn't that make you the court jester?"
"I think not, my lady." He moved towards her until their faces were inches apart.
"Oh, I think so, sugar." She smiled and leaned in to his kiss. They had probably kissed several thousand times in the last few days, but Summer still had that sensation of melting and coming together every time their lips met. She slid her hands up around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair as his palms pressed against her back, drawing her closer. When they broke apart, he leaned her forehead on his and gave her a small smirk.
"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "If you'll be my date to the dance, you can be promoted from jester to king."
"Done and done." He reached across the table and grabbed the last chunk of pineapple from breakfast. Summer leaned forward and took the fruit into her mouth, savoring the taste of his skin that mixed with the citrus.
"I knew it." Seth looked pleased. "I knew that one day you'd be eating out of my hand."
Summer grinned and whacked him playfully with her purse. Together, they cleaned off the table before heading off to class, his arm looped around her casually.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Summer knocked on Dr. Hawkins' door. She'd been working with him since September on her independent study project - an undertaking that she'd managed to keep under wraps, despite the always-active Newport gossip scene.
Dr. Hawkins opened the door and welcomed her. She always found his presence soothing - perhaps because he bore an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus. She settled in to her usual chair by his desk while he reached into a file and handed her a thick envelope.
"Open it," he urged her, a smile on his face. Before she'd presented her study proposal, he was ashamed to admit that he'd written Summer Roberts off as another Newport twit. But after working with her for the last few months, he was forced to concede that she was one of the brightest, most original minds he'd ever had the honor of teaching. Her project - an analysis of formulas of risk and the effect on investment possibilities - had captivated his attention. She had a true passion for the subject and a endless curiousity. If she kept up her current work, he mused, she could have the makings of a great economist.
Summer eased open the thick envelope and skimmed the letter on top. Her hand flew to her chest. "Ohmigod!" she gasped. "I won the fellowship?" She stood and threw her arms around Dr. Hawkins in a brief hug, and then began to jump up and down.
Dr. Hawkins was pleased with her excitement. The Sebastian Fellowship was awarded to a promising new scholar in the field of economics. Not only did it offer major inroads for future research, it also practically guaranteed acceptance into any economics program in the country. He had been encouraging Summer to look into Harvard, and she'd always doubted herself as an applicant. He hoped that this would finally provide her with the confidence she needed to apply.
"Thank you so much," she said gratefully. "This fellowship is something I wanted so badly."
"I know." Dr. Hawkins smiled at the girl. "You earned it."
Summer bit down on her lower lip and settled back into her seat. "You know," she remarked. "My dad won this fellowship when he was my age."
Dr. Hawkins nodded slowly. He reached out and touched Summer's arm carefully. "Summer." He spoke deliberately, and she looked up at him. "You should be very proud of yourself. I'm proud of you." Summer blinked quickly and wiped her eyes. "Thank you. For everything." She picked up her bag and hurried out of the office. She leaned her head against a wall and breathed deeply. She'd waited so long to hear those words. If only her father had been the one to say them.
"Attention, ladies and gentleman." The four teenagers quieted at the sound to the school's crystal-clear public address system. "The winter dance nominations have been tallied. These names come from the nomination forms submitted in mid-December, prior to winter break. For winter queen, the nominees are Marissa Cooper, Candace Merky, and Summer Roberts."
Seth let out a whoop and kissed Summer excitedly. She stiffened in his arms, and he pulled back, concerned. "You ok?" he asked.
She settled back down into her seat and looked around the table at Seth, Ryan and Anna. "I don't know if I can do this," she admitted. Did she really want to participate in another popularity contest?
Surprisingly, Ryan spoke up. "I think you'd be great," he said quietly. Summer studied him, confused.
"I thought you'd be pulling for Marissa," she spoke softly. It still stung to say her name, especially when Summer had no idea why Marissa was acting so cruelly towards her.
"Yeah," Ryan glanced down as the three teenagers studied him. "I went over to her mom's house last night - Mr. Cooper told me that she's staying there now - to break up with her. But before I could say anything, she dumped me. Told me that Chino didn't go with Chanel."
Seth grimaced. "Harsh."
Ryan stood, preparing to go to class. "I guess." He looked over at Anna. "Wanna walk to history together?"
Anna grinned. "Sure. See you guys later."
After the two had left, Seth twisted to face Summer.
"So, should I call you Queen Summer now?" he joked.
"If I'm the Queen," she murmured, "Wouldn't that make you the court jester?"
"I think not, my lady." He moved towards her until their faces were inches apart.
"Oh, I think so, sugar." She smiled and leaned in to his kiss. They had probably kissed several thousand times in the last few days, but Summer still had that sensation of melting and coming together every time their lips met. She slid her hands up around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair as his palms pressed against her back, drawing her closer. When they broke apart, he leaned her forehead on his and gave her a small smirk.
"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "If you'll be my date to the dance, you can be promoted from jester to king."
"Done and done." He reached across the table and grabbed the last chunk of pineapple from breakfast. Summer leaned forward and took the fruit into her mouth, savoring the taste of his skin that mixed with the citrus.
"I knew it." Seth looked pleased. "I knew that one day you'd be eating out of my hand."
Summer grinned and whacked him playfully with her purse. Together, they cleaned off the table before heading off to class, his arm looped around her casually.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Summer knocked on Dr. Hawkins' door. She'd been working with him since September on her independent study project - an undertaking that she'd managed to keep under wraps, despite the always-active Newport gossip scene.
Dr. Hawkins opened the door and welcomed her. She always found his presence soothing - perhaps because he bore an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus. She settled in to her usual chair by his desk while he reached into a file and handed her a thick envelope.
"Open it," he urged her, a smile on his face. Before she'd presented her study proposal, he was ashamed to admit that he'd written Summer Roberts off as another Newport twit. But after working with her for the last few months, he was forced to concede that she was one of the brightest, most original minds he'd ever had the honor of teaching. Her project - an analysis of formulas of risk and the effect on investment possibilities - had captivated his attention. She had a true passion for the subject and a endless curiousity. If she kept up her current work, he mused, she could have the makings of a great economist.
Summer eased open the thick envelope and skimmed the letter on top. Her hand flew to her chest. "Ohmigod!" she gasped. "I won the fellowship?" She stood and threw her arms around Dr. Hawkins in a brief hug, and then began to jump up and down.
Dr. Hawkins was pleased with her excitement. The Sebastian Fellowship was awarded to a promising new scholar in the field of economics. Not only did it offer major inroads for future research, it also practically guaranteed acceptance into any economics program in the country. He had been encouraging Summer to look into Harvard, and she'd always doubted herself as an applicant. He hoped that this would finally provide her with the confidence she needed to apply.
"Thank you so much," she said gratefully. "This fellowship is something I wanted so badly."
"I know." Dr. Hawkins smiled at the girl. "You earned it."
Summer bit down on her lower lip and settled back into her seat. "You know," she remarked. "My dad won this fellowship when he was my age."
Dr. Hawkins nodded slowly. He reached out and touched Summer's arm carefully. "Summer." He spoke deliberately, and she looked up at him. "You should be very proud of yourself. I'm proud of you." Summer blinked quickly and wiped her eyes. "Thank you. For everything." She picked up her bag and hurried out of the office. She leaned her head against a wall and breathed deeply. She'd waited so long to hear those words. If only her father had been the one to say them.