"Let me get this straight," Ryan shook his dirty blonde hair out of his
eyes and stared at his friend. "Not only did you get Elizabeth's number,
but Summer's number too?"
"You know, you don't have to sound that shocked. Humor me."
"It's just... surprising."
"Thanks, buddy. But let's move off of me. How'd the night go with you and Marissa?" Seth stirred his Fruit Loops with a spoon.
"Fine," Ryan gave a little smile and took a bite of toast. "We're going to the beach today."
"Oh, are you?"
"No, we are."
"We?" Seth raised an eyebrow and pointed a spoon at Ryan, "What is this 'we' you speak so nonchalantly of?"
"Me, you, Marissa, Summer," he said casually.
"Oh, okay," Seth said sarcastically, "No biggie, just the usual. Oh wait, no it isn't!"
"Well, she gave you her number, so she can't hate you too much," Ryan stood up and took a swig of orange juice.
"Comforting. But really, it was kind of, I don't know... weird. Whatever."
"Hurry up," Ryan ignored him, "We're leaving in half an hour."
___________
"We're going to the beach today," Marissa informed Summer.
"We?"
"Us, Ryan, Seth." She purposefully avoided Summer's eyes, wondering how she would react.
"Ugh, Seth Cohen?" Summer spat out the name.
"No, the other Seth that Ryan is living with," she rolled her eyes and smiled. "Don't overreact, Summer."
"I'm not overreacting," she pouted, "I just don't see why he has to tag along."
Marissa grabbed two beach towels and stuffed them into a bag. "Just ignore him then, like you usually do. But he's a sweet guy, it wouldn't kill you to be nice to him every once in a while."
Summer felt herself getting a little defensive, though she knew her friend's words were true. "I'm nice to him," she argued weakly.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. I saved him from that Elizabeth chick last night."
"Saved him? How so?"
"Well, she was drooling all over him, no doubt getting his little hopes up," she sighed, "And I knew that pretty soon she'd wake up and ditch him, so I dragged him away before his heart was broken."
"Funny that you care," Marissa said carefully.
"Whatever." Summer dismissed the conversation, but her mind was still reeling.
_________
"I wish they all could be California girls..." Seth sang goofily as the foursome claimed their spot on the beach. Summer rolled her eyes.
"Damn straight," Ryan agreed, glancing at Marissa, who smiled back.
Summer set her towel on the hot sand and lay down, closing her eyes. Marissa rummaged through the blue cooler. "Anybody want anything?" She asked.
She passed the boys two Dr. Peppers, and Summer waved away her offer with one hand. They sat and chilled for a little while, enjoying the sun and the waves.
"All right kiddos, who's ready to hit the water?" Seth stood up and rubbed his hands together.
"I'm in," Ryan stood up.
"Ditto," Marissa agreed.
Seth had slipped out of his worn t-shirt when he looked down to see Summer staring holes into him. He couldn't read her expression, and she quickly looked away.
"What did I do now?" He asked impatiently.
"Nothing," she said flippantly.
Seth had muscles. She figured that she should have known... after all, he did surf. Still, she had been caught a little off guard. Summer smiled to herself.
"Onward!" Seth cried, leading the way into the breaking waves. Summer watched them for a while, then leaned back and thought. She hadn't gotten very far when she heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Summer." She looked up and saw Elizabeth in a skimpy bikini, smiling.
"Oh, hey," she replied flatly.
"Where's the rest of your party?" Elizabeth asked. Summer frowned. She probably wanted to steal them all away.
"In the water," Summer waved towards the ocean. "Marissa, Ryan, Seth."
"Ahh Chino boy," Elizabeth nodded, "He's really cute. I'd like to talk to him."
Summer looked at her blankly.
"Seth too," Elizabeth continued. "Mind if I wait with you?"
"Free country," Summer mumbled as Elizabeth stretched out on Marissa's towel.
"So is he single?" The girl just couldn't take a hint.
"Which one?"
"Well... either of them," Elizabeth winked at her, and Summer glowered. Before she could think of a snappy remark, the missing three had appeared, looking surprised at Elizabeth's presence.
"Hi boys and Marissa," she cocked her head up at them.
"Hey," Seth managed.
Elizabeth quickly noted the physical closeness between Ryan and Marissa, and the way that he was smiling at her. She turned her attention to Seth.
"Seth Cohen," she smiled, "Come get a drink with me?"
"We have drinks," Summer said, pointing at the cooler.
"Right. I'd like a walk anyway."
"Well, I-" Seth began, but Summer cut him off.
"Promised to buy me lunch," Summer smiled sweetly, "But maybe we'll catch up with you later." She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top and tossed Seth's shirt at him. Surprised, he fumbled to put it on.
Ryan and Marissa exchanged glances. "We'll swim for a bit and catch up with you guys later," Ryan offered, watching Seth.
"...Okay." Seth was still a little lost. Summer had already started walking up the beach, and he jogged to catch up with her.
"That was certainly interesting," he said finally, after they had walked in silence for a few minutes.
"What?" She didn't meet his eyes.
"Back there," he said, exasperated, "It's like you don't want me talking to her."
"Duh."
"Why, exactly?"
"She's bad news, Seth, okay? She invites herself everywhere, she's trying to take over freaking Newport, and that includes you."
"So? I feel like I'm missing something here, Summer."
She stopped walking. They had wandered to a less populated part of the beach, where a few kids played in the sand while their parents looked on.
"Seth," she began, "Since Ryan and Marissa have been acting stupid in love, and not doing anything about it, you and I have been forced to hang out a lot lately, right?"
"'Forced' is such a harsh word, but yes."
"Well, as annoying as you can be sometimes, it's not like I hate you."
"You're not very good at this," Seth dug his toe into the sand.
"What I'm trying to say is that, for some dumb reason, I care about you on some level."
"Oh, I get it. You're madly in love with me and you want to run away together. Gotcha." He nodded, a serious expression on her face.
She smiled despite herself. "I wouldn't go that far."
"How far would you go?" He asked slowly.
She looked at him. At his messy hair and his nervous eyes. She thought about all the times that she had shot him down, that she had seen those eyes look away quickly with embarrassment. The times he had bit his lip and nodded in resignation. And now she was making an effort to be with him, to keep him away from another girl.
Without warning, she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. He was readying himself to respond when she leaned over again and kissed him square on the mouth. He responded immediately, his hand in her dark hair.
They finally pulled away.
"Sorry," Summer said softly.
"Oh no, don't be sorry, I mean that was... you know... wow."
"I meant for the way I always treat you. Consider that my apology."
"Um, apology accepted. Graciously accepted."
"We should be getting back," she said, leading the way.
Seth stood for a minute, unsure of the current situation, then followed.
___________
*Review, please! Give me thoughts, ideas, hate mail, whatever! Thanks!*
"You know, you don't have to sound that shocked. Humor me."
"It's just... surprising."
"Thanks, buddy. But let's move off of me. How'd the night go with you and Marissa?" Seth stirred his Fruit Loops with a spoon.
"Fine," Ryan gave a little smile and took a bite of toast. "We're going to the beach today."
"Oh, are you?"
"No, we are."
"We?" Seth raised an eyebrow and pointed a spoon at Ryan, "What is this 'we' you speak so nonchalantly of?"
"Me, you, Marissa, Summer," he said casually.
"Oh, okay," Seth said sarcastically, "No biggie, just the usual. Oh wait, no it isn't!"
"Well, she gave you her number, so she can't hate you too much," Ryan stood up and took a swig of orange juice.
"Comforting. But really, it was kind of, I don't know... weird. Whatever."
"Hurry up," Ryan ignored him, "We're leaving in half an hour."
___________
"We're going to the beach today," Marissa informed Summer.
"We?"
"Us, Ryan, Seth." She purposefully avoided Summer's eyes, wondering how she would react.
"Ugh, Seth Cohen?" Summer spat out the name.
"No, the other Seth that Ryan is living with," she rolled her eyes and smiled. "Don't overreact, Summer."
"I'm not overreacting," she pouted, "I just don't see why he has to tag along."
Marissa grabbed two beach towels and stuffed them into a bag. "Just ignore him then, like you usually do. But he's a sweet guy, it wouldn't kill you to be nice to him every once in a while."
Summer felt herself getting a little defensive, though she knew her friend's words were true. "I'm nice to him," she argued weakly.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. I saved him from that Elizabeth chick last night."
"Saved him? How so?"
"Well, she was drooling all over him, no doubt getting his little hopes up," she sighed, "And I knew that pretty soon she'd wake up and ditch him, so I dragged him away before his heart was broken."
"Funny that you care," Marissa said carefully.
"Whatever." Summer dismissed the conversation, but her mind was still reeling.
_________
"I wish they all could be California girls..." Seth sang goofily as the foursome claimed their spot on the beach. Summer rolled her eyes.
"Damn straight," Ryan agreed, glancing at Marissa, who smiled back.
Summer set her towel on the hot sand and lay down, closing her eyes. Marissa rummaged through the blue cooler. "Anybody want anything?" She asked.
She passed the boys two Dr. Peppers, and Summer waved away her offer with one hand. They sat and chilled for a little while, enjoying the sun and the waves.
"All right kiddos, who's ready to hit the water?" Seth stood up and rubbed his hands together.
"I'm in," Ryan stood up.
"Ditto," Marissa agreed.
Seth had slipped out of his worn t-shirt when he looked down to see Summer staring holes into him. He couldn't read her expression, and she quickly looked away.
"What did I do now?" He asked impatiently.
"Nothing," she said flippantly.
Seth had muscles. She figured that she should have known... after all, he did surf. Still, she had been caught a little off guard. Summer smiled to herself.
"Onward!" Seth cried, leading the way into the breaking waves. Summer watched them for a while, then leaned back and thought. She hadn't gotten very far when she heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Summer." She looked up and saw Elizabeth in a skimpy bikini, smiling.
"Oh, hey," she replied flatly.
"Where's the rest of your party?" Elizabeth asked. Summer frowned. She probably wanted to steal them all away.
"In the water," Summer waved towards the ocean. "Marissa, Ryan, Seth."
"Ahh Chino boy," Elizabeth nodded, "He's really cute. I'd like to talk to him."
Summer looked at her blankly.
"Seth too," Elizabeth continued. "Mind if I wait with you?"
"Free country," Summer mumbled as Elizabeth stretched out on Marissa's towel.
"So is he single?" The girl just couldn't take a hint.
"Which one?"
"Well... either of them," Elizabeth winked at her, and Summer glowered. Before she could think of a snappy remark, the missing three had appeared, looking surprised at Elizabeth's presence.
"Hi boys and Marissa," she cocked her head up at them.
"Hey," Seth managed.
Elizabeth quickly noted the physical closeness between Ryan and Marissa, and the way that he was smiling at her. She turned her attention to Seth.
"Seth Cohen," she smiled, "Come get a drink with me?"
"We have drinks," Summer said, pointing at the cooler.
"Right. I'd like a walk anyway."
"Well, I-" Seth began, but Summer cut him off.
"Promised to buy me lunch," Summer smiled sweetly, "But maybe we'll catch up with you later." She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top and tossed Seth's shirt at him. Surprised, he fumbled to put it on.
Ryan and Marissa exchanged glances. "We'll swim for a bit and catch up with you guys later," Ryan offered, watching Seth.
"...Okay." Seth was still a little lost. Summer had already started walking up the beach, and he jogged to catch up with her.
"That was certainly interesting," he said finally, after they had walked in silence for a few minutes.
"What?" She didn't meet his eyes.
"Back there," he said, exasperated, "It's like you don't want me talking to her."
"Duh."
"Why, exactly?"
"She's bad news, Seth, okay? She invites herself everywhere, she's trying to take over freaking Newport, and that includes you."
"So? I feel like I'm missing something here, Summer."
She stopped walking. They had wandered to a less populated part of the beach, where a few kids played in the sand while their parents looked on.
"Seth," she began, "Since Ryan and Marissa have been acting stupid in love, and not doing anything about it, you and I have been forced to hang out a lot lately, right?"
"'Forced' is such a harsh word, but yes."
"Well, as annoying as you can be sometimes, it's not like I hate you."
"You're not very good at this," Seth dug his toe into the sand.
"What I'm trying to say is that, for some dumb reason, I care about you on some level."
"Oh, I get it. You're madly in love with me and you want to run away together. Gotcha." He nodded, a serious expression on her face.
She smiled despite herself. "I wouldn't go that far."
"How far would you go?" He asked slowly.
She looked at him. At his messy hair and his nervous eyes. She thought about all the times that she had shot him down, that she had seen those eyes look away quickly with embarrassment. The times he had bit his lip and nodded in resignation. And now she was making an effort to be with him, to keep him away from another girl.
Without warning, she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. He was readying himself to respond when she leaned over again and kissed him square on the mouth. He responded immediately, his hand in her dark hair.
They finally pulled away.
"Sorry," Summer said softly.
"Oh no, don't be sorry, I mean that was... you know... wow."
"I meant for the way I always treat you. Consider that my apology."
"Um, apology accepted. Graciously accepted."
"We should be getting back," she said, leading the way.
Seth stood for a minute, unsure of the current situation, then followed.
___________
*Review, please! Give me thoughts, ideas, hate mail, whatever! Thanks!*