Shuffles
Chapter One: Summer's Gift
-August 12th, 1995-
The bold, bright letters read, "You're invited to... Summer Roberts' birthday party!!!" Seth reread the card. He couldn't believe it! Summer Roberts was the girl of his dreams. And he was invited to her birthday, which was.... He checked the card again. Tomorrow night!
He saw Summer, who was handing out the invitations at that very moment. He hurried over to her. She was giving one to her best friend, and Seth's neighbor, Marissa Cooper. "Hi, Summer," he said.
"Hi, um... Scott," she said quickly, then went back to talking to Marissa.
"His name is Seth," Marissa told her.
"So? As if it matters. Anyways, as I was saying-" she began, but Seth cut her off.
"Uh, sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say thanks for inviting me to your party." He held up the invitation, as if proving to her that she gave him one.
"Yeah, whatever. My mom said I had to give one to everyone in the class. You don't have to come, you know," she said. "Unless you bring a present, then I guess I wouldn't mind if you came."
Seth was too excited to say anything. He hurried back to his desk and sat there in a daze for the rest of the day. He was going to Summer's party.
-August 13th, 1995-
The day of Summer's party, Seth dressed up in his nicest blue jeans and his best button-up plaid shirt. He wanted to look perfect for Summer. He gripped her present tightly. To make sure it was wrapped perfectly, he had his mom do it, so the corners weren't puffy and there was enough paper.
He looked at the brightly colored wrapping on the box. He hoped she liked the present. He didn't know what eight-year-old girls liked, but he thought that a teddy bear would be nice. It was dark blue, and had the cutest face he'd ever seen on a teddy bear. He really hoped she would like it.
He heard a knock on the door. He knew it must be Marissa. Her parents couldn't drop her off at the party, but since Seth was going, Mr. Cooper had asked Seth's mom if she could bring Marissa, too.
"Hi, Jimmy. Hi, Marissa, come on in. Seth's in the living room, if you want to go play until it's time to go," he heard his mom say from the door. She continued talking to Mr. Cooper, while Marissa came into the living room.
"Hi, Seth," she greeted, sitting next to him on the couch.
"Hi," he said nervously. Her arrival meant that they were going to be leaving soon. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Summer. He hoped he looked okay, and that his present was good enough.
"What did you get her?" Marissa asked, pointing at Seth's present.
"I'm not supposed to tell anybody what I got her," Seth said. His mom told him that it was best not to tell anyone what the present was, in case they told and ruined the surprise.
Marissa shrugged. "Okay. I got her some board games. Girl Talk, Mall Madness, and a Ouija board."
"Cool," Seth said, still nervous.
"Seth, Marissa! Ready to go?" his mom called from the door. Mr. Cooper must have left. Seth wasn't ready. Marissa jumped up and hurried to the front door. "Seth!" his mom called again. He slowly followed Marissa to the door.
His mom drove them there, and dropped them off at the driveway, some five minutes later. She drove away, and there was no going back. Seth had to go inside with Marissa. "Come on, Seth," Marissa said. She was already at the door, ringing the bell. Mrs. Roberts answered it, and Seth hurried up to meet Marissa.
"Hello, Marissa. And who might this handsome young man be?" she asked, referring to Seth.
"Hi, Mrs. Roberts. This is Seth Cohen," she introduced.
"Well hello, Seth," she greeted. Seth returned the greeting.
She led them to the living room, where most of the other kids were already waiting. Summer ran up to them. "Marissa!"
"Hi, Summer," Seth said.
"Scott," she said.
"Seth," he corrected.
She ignored him, and instead said, "Ooh, presents!" She took Marissa's three packages, and Seth's small one, and put them on a table with the rest of the gifts. She came back and dragged Marissa off to see something that her parents had already given her.
Seth sat down on a couch, alone. He didn't have to wait long, because soon the cake was brought out, and they sang "Happy Birthday" to Summer. Seth sang the loudest, and Summer gave him a dirty look. They ate cake and ice cream, and before Seth knew it, it was time for presents.
She opened a few, including Marissa's, before she got to Seth's. "Ooh," her father said as she opened it. He was videotaping the event. "Who's it from, sweetie?"
"I don't know," she said, and ripped it open eagerly.
"What'd you get?" her dad asked.
"A teddy bear," she said, showing the camera. She tossed it into the pile with the other stuff, excited to get to another present.
"What do you say, Summer?" her step-mom chimed in.
"Thank you to whoever got me that," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
Seth was hurt.
-August 14th, 2004-
It was the day after Summer Roberts' 17th birthday. Yesterday, she had thrown her usual party, a big blow out with alcohol, and drugs, and sex. Summer only drank - she wasn't into drugs. But she was getting tired of the parties she had. Sure, she was a party girl, but that got old, sometimes.
She was glad to just be lying on her bed, cuddling with her favorite stuffed animal. She looked at the plush object in her arms. Shuffles. That was his name, Shuffles. She remembered getting him for her eighth birthday party, but she didn't recall from whom. He was the cutest stuffed bear she'd ever seen, and she told all of her secrets to him, all of her fears. Even now she did that. He was the only one who could listen and not give her bad advice, or laugh at her, or make her feel guilty.
A few years back, she had watched the videotape of that party, trying to figure out who gave her the present. It didn't show anyone giving her the present, just her putting it on the table with the rest of the gifts.
Maybe she should check again, maybe she missed something. It was her favorite thing now, and her most prized possession. She needed to know who had given it to her.
Downstairs in the entertainment room, she found the old tape on the movie shelf. She hurried back upstairs, the tape in one hand, Shuffles in the other. Once in her room, she pushed the cassette into her VCR.
The tape started, and there were lots of kids yelling and playing. After a while, the camera moved to the piles of presents as Summer set four packages down. Three were wrapped in the same pink wrapping paper. The fourth was smaller and was wrapped in blue.
She fast-forwarded until the little Summer was unwrapping the gifts. She pushed play again, when her younger version began to open the three pink presents. They were board games. Summer remembered that those were from Marissa, because she still had them, and every once in a while, they'd still play one of them.
Next came the blue gift. It was Shuffles. Wait... she had set that present down with Marissa's. And she knew that Marissa hadn't gotten her the bear. Frowning in curiosity, she rewound the tape. Near the beginning, the screen showed Marissa walking in with a boy. She couldn't see his face though; his back was to the camera. He must be the one who had bought her the teddy bear.
She watched the tape in its entirety. The boy was hardly seen again, because the camcorder had mostly been situated on Summer. When he was seen, his face was never visible; he was always turned away, had someone in front of him, or something else to veil his appearance.
She ejected the tape and dialed Marissa's number. After two rings, Mr. Cooper answered. "Hi, Mr. Cooper. Is Marissa around?"
Jimmy got his daughter for Summer, and Marissa soon picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Coop. It's me. Do you remember my eighth birthday party?"
"Um...." she thought.
"The one where you got me the Ouija board and those other games," Summer reminded her.
"Oh, right. Yeah, I remember bits and pieces."
"Do you remember who got me Shuffles?" Summer asked.
"No, I've told you that."
"Do you remember who you came to my party with?"
"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?" Marissa replied.
"Just answer," Summer told her eagerly.
"Seth Cohen." Summer's jaw dropped. That freak that was obsessed with her had given her the best gift she'd ever received. The only gift she still used ever single day had been given to her by Seth Cohen.
Chapter One: Summer's Gift
-August 12th, 1995-
The bold, bright letters read, "You're invited to... Summer Roberts' birthday party!!!" Seth reread the card. He couldn't believe it! Summer Roberts was the girl of his dreams. And he was invited to her birthday, which was.... He checked the card again. Tomorrow night!
He saw Summer, who was handing out the invitations at that very moment. He hurried over to her. She was giving one to her best friend, and Seth's neighbor, Marissa Cooper. "Hi, Summer," he said.
"Hi, um... Scott," she said quickly, then went back to talking to Marissa.
"His name is Seth," Marissa told her.
"So? As if it matters. Anyways, as I was saying-" she began, but Seth cut her off.
"Uh, sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say thanks for inviting me to your party." He held up the invitation, as if proving to her that she gave him one.
"Yeah, whatever. My mom said I had to give one to everyone in the class. You don't have to come, you know," she said. "Unless you bring a present, then I guess I wouldn't mind if you came."
Seth was too excited to say anything. He hurried back to his desk and sat there in a daze for the rest of the day. He was going to Summer's party.
-August 13th, 1995-
The day of Summer's party, Seth dressed up in his nicest blue jeans and his best button-up plaid shirt. He wanted to look perfect for Summer. He gripped her present tightly. To make sure it was wrapped perfectly, he had his mom do it, so the corners weren't puffy and there was enough paper.
He looked at the brightly colored wrapping on the box. He hoped she liked the present. He didn't know what eight-year-old girls liked, but he thought that a teddy bear would be nice. It was dark blue, and had the cutest face he'd ever seen on a teddy bear. He really hoped she would like it.
He heard a knock on the door. He knew it must be Marissa. Her parents couldn't drop her off at the party, but since Seth was going, Mr. Cooper had asked Seth's mom if she could bring Marissa, too.
"Hi, Jimmy. Hi, Marissa, come on in. Seth's in the living room, if you want to go play until it's time to go," he heard his mom say from the door. She continued talking to Mr. Cooper, while Marissa came into the living room.
"Hi, Seth," she greeted, sitting next to him on the couch.
"Hi," he said nervously. Her arrival meant that they were going to be leaving soon. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Summer. He hoped he looked okay, and that his present was good enough.
"What did you get her?" Marissa asked, pointing at Seth's present.
"I'm not supposed to tell anybody what I got her," Seth said. His mom told him that it was best not to tell anyone what the present was, in case they told and ruined the surprise.
Marissa shrugged. "Okay. I got her some board games. Girl Talk, Mall Madness, and a Ouija board."
"Cool," Seth said, still nervous.
"Seth, Marissa! Ready to go?" his mom called from the door. Mr. Cooper must have left. Seth wasn't ready. Marissa jumped up and hurried to the front door. "Seth!" his mom called again. He slowly followed Marissa to the door.
His mom drove them there, and dropped them off at the driveway, some five minutes later. She drove away, and there was no going back. Seth had to go inside with Marissa. "Come on, Seth," Marissa said. She was already at the door, ringing the bell. Mrs. Roberts answered it, and Seth hurried up to meet Marissa.
"Hello, Marissa. And who might this handsome young man be?" she asked, referring to Seth.
"Hi, Mrs. Roberts. This is Seth Cohen," she introduced.
"Well hello, Seth," she greeted. Seth returned the greeting.
She led them to the living room, where most of the other kids were already waiting. Summer ran up to them. "Marissa!"
"Hi, Summer," Seth said.
"Scott," she said.
"Seth," he corrected.
She ignored him, and instead said, "Ooh, presents!" She took Marissa's three packages, and Seth's small one, and put them on a table with the rest of the gifts. She came back and dragged Marissa off to see something that her parents had already given her.
Seth sat down on a couch, alone. He didn't have to wait long, because soon the cake was brought out, and they sang "Happy Birthday" to Summer. Seth sang the loudest, and Summer gave him a dirty look. They ate cake and ice cream, and before Seth knew it, it was time for presents.
She opened a few, including Marissa's, before she got to Seth's. "Ooh," her father said as she opened it. He was videotaping the event. "Who's it from, sweetie?"
"I don't know," she said, and ripped it open eagerly.
"What'd you get?" her dad asked.
"A teddy bear," she said, showing the camera. She tossed it into the pile with the other stuff, excited to get to another present.
"What do you say, Summer?" her step-mom chimed in.
"Thank you to whoever got me that," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
Seth was hurt.
-August 14th, 2004-
It was the day after Summer Roberts' 17th birthday. Yesterday, she had thrown her usual party, a big blow out with alcohol, and drugs, and sex. Summer only drank - she wasn't into drugs. But she was getting tired of the parties she had. Sure, she was a party girl, but that got old, sometimes.
She was glad to just be lying on her bed, cuddling with her favorite stuffed animal. She looked at the plush object in her arms. Shuffles. That was his name, Shuffles. She remembered getting him for her eighth birthday party, but she didn't recall from whom. He was the cutest stuffed bear she'd ever seen, and she told all of her secrets to him, all of her fears. Even now she did that. He was the only one who could listen and not give her bad advice, or laugh at her, or make her feel guilty.
A few years back, she had watched the videotape of that party, trying to figure out who gave her the present. It didn't show anyone giving her the present, just her putting it on the table with the rest of the gifts.
Maybe she should check again, maybe she missed something. It was her favorite thing now, and her most prized possession. She needed to know who had given it to her.
Downstairs in the entertainment room, she found the old tape on the movie shelf. She hurried back upstairs, the tape in one hand, Shuffles in the other. Once in her room, she pushed the cassette into her VCR.
The tape started, and there were lots of kids yelling and playing. After a while, the camera moved to the piles of presents as Summer set four packages down. Three were wrapped in the same pink wrapping paper. The fourth was smaller and was wrapped in blue.
She fast-forwarded until the little Summer was unwrapping the gifts. She pushed play again, when her younger version began to open the three pink presents. They were board games. Summer remembered that those were from Marissa, because she still had them, and every once in a while, they'd still play one of them.
Next came the blue gift. It was Shuffles. Wait... she had set that present down with Marissa's. And she knew that Marissa hadn't gotten her the bear. Frowning in curiosity, she rewound the tape. Near the beginning, the screen showed Marissa walking in with a boy. She couldn't see his face though; his back was to the camera. He must be the one who had bought her the teddy bear.
She watched the tape in its entirety. The boy was hardly seen again, because the camcorder had mostly been situated on Summer. When he was seen, his face was never visible; he was always turned away, had someone in front of him, or something else to veil his appearance.
She ejected the tape and dialed Marissa's number. After two rings, Mr. Cooper answered. "Hi, Mr. Cooper. Is Marissa around?"
Jimmy got his daughter for Summer, and Marissa soon picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Coop. It's me. Do you remember my eighth birthday party?"
"Um...." she thought.
"The one where you got me the Ouija board and those other games," Summer reminded her.
"Oh, right. Yeah, I remember bits and pieces."
"Do you remember who got me Shuffles?" Summer asked.
"No, I've told you that."
"Do you remember who you came to my party with?"
"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?" Marissa replied.
"Just answer," Summer told her eagerly.
"Seth Cohen." Summer's jaw dropped. That freak that was obsessed with her had given her the best gift she'd ever received. The only gift she still used ever single day had been given to her by Seth Cohen.
