And that's how I ended up here, stranded on the back lawn of the
Cohen's pool house, Summer sighed to no one in particular as Marissa opened
the glass door.
"Coming?" Marissa half begged, half smiled back at Summer. Summer's feet were frozen to the ground. Her mind flashed a million thoughts. Did her hair look ok? She had ripped it out of it's ponytail on the way over, smoothing down every strand. Was this shirt TOO tight? Summer laughed to herself. As if that's possible. She looked back at Marissa's face, pausing before she nodded and gulping down all her insecurities as she followed Marissa into the Cohen's pool house.
"The things I do for you!" Summer snapped.
"I love you." Marissa playfully snapped back and they briefly savored the moment.
*************************************************
Marissa meant it, too. Throughout all of the drama of this past summer, Summer was there for her. Even when all of Marissa's other friends ditched her, Summer stood by her. And now, with Ryan, Summer was here for her. Although, Marissa knew, that wasn't the only reason Summer was here, at the Cohen's. Marissa's smirk returned once again, beaming from ear to ear, as she and Summer went for the living room. Marissa casually admired the pool house décor, thinking back about their car ride here. It was so strange for her to be driving to the Cohen's, when she once lived right next door.
As a rush of thoughts flowed her head in the car, Summer had been applying lip gloss. Since when has Summer Roberts been so insecure over how glossy her lips were? Oh, that's right. Since Seth Cohen made himself visible on Summer's radar. Marissa conveniently had left out the fact that Seth would be there tonight, but she knew Summer already figured he would be, by the way she was furiously biting her lips.
And this exact reason was why Summer had bickered with her about coming into the poolhouse outside. Marissa replayed the conversation that had happened a few minutes ago in her head.
"So what am I supposed to do? You and Chino will be all over each other. And as much as I love that you will be happy, the ick factor of seeing you slobber is on a highly nauseating level." Summer winced as they made their way to the pool house.
"I don't speak Summer." Marissa said in a frustrated tone, trying to figure out what the hell Summer was saying.
"I think that a simple EW would sum it up." Summer said in return.
"Oh," Marissa paused, knowing what's next. "Well, you can just hang out with Seth." Now that it was out in the open, Marissa realized they were already at the door.
"Ew!" Summer's voice rang out from behind her.
But, she had convinced, ok, begged, Summer to come in and here they were. Marissa couldn't wait to see Ryan.
Summer couldn't wait to see Seth. No, no, no. She couldn't wait to see Seth's expression when she came. Of course, he would be mystified. What normal boy wouldn't? Summer's attempts of trying to hide her feelings were not at all working. You just can't hide things from yourself. Summer's feet froze again.
"Summer?" Marissa asked, approaching her.
"I'm not so sure about this." Summer said, the whine in her tone returning. "I mean, hanging out all alone with that dork is not what I would call a good time Coop." The truth was she was scared. Scared that she, Summer Roberts, might actually like Seth Cohen. Summer's self doubt was written across her face in flashing colors, and Marissa squeezed Summer's arm.
"Why?" Marissa tried her best to prevent that grin from sneaking up again.
"What are you suggesting?" Summer pulled her arm away from Marissa's grasp.
"He's not that bad, Summer."
"Yeah, and neither is my hair." She patted her frizzy head.
"Your hair," Marissa smoothed out a bump in Summer's part, "is fine."
"Well, I'm not fine with this. I'm sorry, Coop, I just can't baby-sit Cohen every time you and Chino want to get your groove on. You know, I'm sure if you just bought him some Pokemon cards or something, that would do the trick." Summer placed her hands on her hips. "That will amuse him for hours!"
Marissa yanked Summer's arm with growing impatience, "Come on!"
Summer stood her ground, frowning. "What do you mean, 'he's not that bad'?"
"You know what I mean." Marissa smiled, rocking back and forth.
"Ew, Coop," She whispered, realizing they were only a room away from the boys. "I mean, look at the boy!" She walked on ahead, trying to avoid talking about Seth and found herself freezing again. Marissa caught up with her, her eyes perking up at the sight of Ryan sitting on the couch, watching the TV screen.
"Hey!" Marissa called, breaking the trance Ryan had on the screen, but not Seth's. Seth was on the floor, controller in hand, playing a video game, an intense look on his face.
"Hey." Ryan got up and went over to them.
Summer's heart had literally stopped when she saw him. Her words echoed in her brain. Look at the boy. And she was looking at him. At his arched back, his curly chocolate brown hair, his oh-so-kissable lips.She shook her head, forcing her thoughts to disappear. It never worked. And right now, she didn't seem to mind.
"Coming?" Marissa half begged, half smiled back at Summer. Summer's feet were frozen to the ground. Her mind flashed a million thoughts. Did her hair look ok? She had ripped it out of it's ponytail on the way over, smoothing down every strand. Was this shirt TOO tight? Summer laughed to herself. As if that's possible. She looked back at Marissa's face, pausing before she nodded and gulping down all her insecurities as she followed Marissa into the Cohen's pool house.
"The things I do for you!" Summer snapped.
"I love you." Marissa playfully snapped back and they briefly savored the moment.
*************************************************
Marissa meant it, too. Throughout all of the drama of this past summer, Summer was there for her. Even when all of Marissa's other friends ditched her, Summer stood by her. And now, with Ryan, Summer was here for her. Although, Marissa knew, that wasn't the only reason Summer was here, at the Cohen's. Marissa's smirk returned once again, beaming from ear to ear, as she and Summer went for the living room. Marissa casually admired the pool house décor, thinking back about their car ride here. It was so strange for her to be driving to the Cohen's, when she once lived right next door.
As a rush of thoughts flowed her head in the car, Summer had been applying lip gloss. Since when has Summer Roberts been so insecure over how glossy her lips were? Oh, that's right. Since Seth Cohen made himself visible on Summer's radar. Marissa conveniently had left out the fact that Seth would be there tonight, but she knew Summer already figured he would be, by the way she was furiously biting her lips.
And this exact reason was why Summer had bickered with her about coming into the poolhouse outside. Marissa replayed the conversation that had happened a few minutes ago in her head.
"So what am I supposed to do? You and Chino will be all over each other. And as much as I love that you will be happy, the ick factor of seeing you slobber is on a highly nauseating level." Summer winced as they made their way to the pool house.
"I don't speak Summer." Marissa said in a frustrated tone, trying to figure out what the hell Summer was saying.
"I think that a simple EW would sum it up." Summer said in return.
"Oh," Marissa paused, knowing what's next. "Well, you can just hang out with Seth." Now that it was out in the open, Marissa realized they were already at the door.
"Ew!" Summer's voice rang out from behind her.
But, she had convinced, ok, begged, Summer to come in and here they were. Marissa couldn't wait to see Ryan.
Summer couldn't wait to see Seth. No, no, no. She couldn't wait to see Seth's expression when she came. Of course, he would be mystified. What normal boy wouldn't? Summer's attempts of trying to hide her feelings were not at all working. You just can't hide things from yourself. Summer's feet froze again.
"Summer?" Marissa asked, approaching her.
"I'm not so sure about this." Summer said, the whine in her tone returning. "I mean, hanging out all alone with that dork is not what I would call a good time Coop." The truth was she was scared. Scared that she, Summer Roberts, might actually like Seth Cohen. Summer's self doubt was written across her face in flashing colors, and Marissa squeezed Summer's arm.
"Why?" Marissa tried her best to prevent that grin from sneaking up again.
"What are you suggesting?" Summer pulled her arm away from Marissa's grasp.
"He's not that bad, Summer."
"Yeah, and neither is my hair." She patted her frizzy head.
"Your hair," Marissa smoothed out a bump in Summer's part, "is fine."
"Well, I'm not fine with this. I'm sorry, Coop, I just can't baby-sit Cohen every time you and Chino want to get your groove on. You know, I'm sure if you just bought him some Pokemon cards or something, that would do the trick." Summer placed her hands on her hips. "That will amuse him for hours!"
Marissa yanked Summer's arm with growing impatience, "Come on!"
Summer stood her ground, frowning. "What do you mean, 'he's not that bad'?"
"You know what I mean." Marissa smiled, rocking back and forth.
"Ew, Coop," She whispered, realizing they were only a room away from the boys. "I mean, look at the boy!" She walked on ahead, trying to avoid talking about Seth and found herself freezing again. Marissa caught up with her, her eyes perking up at the sight of Ryan sitting on the couch, watching the TV screen.
"Hey!" Marissa called, breaking the trance Ryan had on the screen, but not Seth's. Seth was on the floor, controller in hand, playing a video game, an intense look on his face.
"Hey." Ryan got up and went over to them.
Summer's heart had literally stopped when she saw him. Her words echoed in her brain. Look at the boy. And she was looking at him. At his arched back, his curly chocolate brown hair, his oh-so-kissable lips.She shook her head, forcing her thoughts to disappear. It never worked. And right now, she didn't seem to mind.