Thanks for all the reviews kiddos! Keep them coming, it helps.
Oh yeah, and I don't own anything... not even Seth. Dang.
____________
Seth sat on his skateboard in his room, holding his wallet. He wheeled back and forth across his room, slowly, his mind in a million places. He didn't even notice Ryan leaning in his doorway, his typical look of nonchalance on his face.
"Having fun?"
Seth didn't look up, but he did stop the skateboard. "Yeah, thrills."
"You've been off in la-la land all day," Ryan sighed, "Speak up."
"About what?" Seth used his bare feet to resume the motion of the skateboard.
"Just let me know when you want to spill your guts," Ryan shook his head and wandered out of the room.
Seth sighed. He decided to suck it up. After the beach he had been in this brooding state, and his mind kept going in circles. He opened up his wallet, smoothing out Summer's number.
'Don't be a pansy,' he thought to himself, dialing the number on his cell. He felt like a sixth grader.
"Hello?"
"Summer... hey. It's Seth."
"Seth?" She sounded a little confused.
"Yeah, you know, Seth Cohen."
Silence.
"The random boy that you kissed on the beach today?" He offered up, feeling increasingly stupid with each passing second.
"Yeah, I know. Um, why were you calling again?"
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to, you know, go do... something."
"Like what?"
"Oh you know, fly to France, climb Everest, whatever you want."
"Actually Seth, I'm kind of busy."
"Oh, well, okay then. Maybe some other time, because you know, I had fun today. With you, I mean." Why couldn't he form normal sentences? He felt like the Rainman.
"Yeah, I'm like, really busy," she said with a sigh.
"Oh."
"Well, I'll see you around."
"Right. Bye Summer."
Click.
He felt like a complete moron. He mentally kicked himself and chewed on his lip. The kiss seemed like it had never happened, like it was some random hallucination of his. It had obviously been some act of pity, and he naively assumed that it meant something.
Because it sure had felt like something. It wasn't just a peck, it was a kiss. Quite a kiss. And he had kissed her back, and she had let it all happen. Seth's stomach was flipping over. Humiliated once again. It felt like the story of his life.
On instinct, he pulled out Elizabeth's number and examined it. He turned the scrap of paper over once, as though looking for some answers. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and dialed with the other. Carpe diem.
"Hello?"
"Elizabeth, it's Seth."
"Seth Cohen! It's about time," she said in a friendly voice.
He smiled, feeling better. "So, I was just wondering what you were up to tomorrow."
"Well, first I'm going to lunch with you, then we're going to hang out."
"Funny, you know, 'cause I was thinking the same thing."
"It's settled then. Meet me at The Dock at noon?"
"You're the boss," he replied.
"Good boy," she laughed, "I'll see you then."
Seth hung up and stared at the phone. It was like some alternate universe. Breaking into a smile, he hopped off of his board and strolled into the next room, where Ryan was reading.
"Guess who's got a date..." he sang softly, inspecting his fingernails casually.
"I'll be damned," Ryan smiled, looking up.
__________
"How do I look?" Seth asked, standing in the pool house.
Ryan gave him the once over. "I personally wouldn't date you, but I can't speak for this Elizabeth girl."
"Yeah, I was thinking I should wear something nicer, in case we decide to head for Vegas and elope," Seth shrugged, looking down at his clothes. He was dressed like he was every other day.
"I'm sure you'll be okay," assured. Ryan. He was excited for Seth. He was finally moving on, and with quite a catch, too.
Seth had just arrived at the restaurant when he saw Elizabeth. She wore a bright red halter top, blue jean capris, and red flip flops. Seth stood to greet her.
"You look absolutely... you look beautiful," he shot her a grin.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she hugged him and sat down. He followed her lead.
They managed some small talk before the food came. Seth noticed her smiles, how they weren't condescending or sarcastic. Elizabeth didn't make him feel like a dork every time he spoke, something that he had gotten used to when talking to girls. Especially Summer.
"You know Seth, I just don't see how you're single," she said.
"Ah yes," he nodded, "You're about the only girl in Newport who wonders why."
"I'll be they all want you, deep down," she said. She looked behind him. "I'll be right back."
She walked past him, touching his shoulder lightly as she did so. After a few minutes of pushing his chicken around his plate, he turned around. Elizabeth was leaning over a table, talking to some guy that Seth recognized from the water polo team. He watched as the guy entered her number in his cell phone, then kissed her on the hand. She giggled and turned towards Seth, who quickly returned to his plate.
"That's Jake," she explained, sitting down.
"Okay."
"We met at Holly's party," she continued, "he's really sweet."
Seth wondered why she was telling him this. "That's cool."
"But anyway, back to you. And me."
Seth looked up, interested.
"My dad is throwing a party at our house tomorrow. You know, to show off to all of the neighbors. Be my date?"
"Definitely," Seth nodded. "Um, want to go for a walk on the beach?"
"Let's go."
As they sat on the sand, messing with it and making little piles, Elizabeth slid her hand into his. They leaned against the seawall, and just sat there for a while. Seth closed his eyes. He was a romantic at heart, and this girl, this scenario... it was all right.
After a while they left, Seth promising to see her the next night. She responded with a kiss on the cheek and a smile.
For once, Seth felt good about himself.
_____________
Okay guys, that's it! I know it doesn't seem like there's anything very wrong with Elizabeth, but just wait until the next chapter. Ooh, suspense. Yeah, I thought this chapter was kind of boring, but it leads in to the rest of the story. Please let me know what you think, and thanks to those that reviewed!
Oh yeah, and I don't own anything... not even Seth. Dang.
____________
Seth sat on his skateboard in his room, holding his wallet. He wheeled back and forth across his room, slowly, his mind in a million places. He didn't even notice Ryan leaning in his doorway, his typical look of nonchalance on his face.
"Having fun?"
Seth didn't look up, but he did stop the skateboard. "Yeah, thrills."
"You've been off in la-la land all day," Ryan sighed, "Speak up."
"About what?" Seth used his bare feet to resume the motion of the skateboard.
"Just let me know when you want to spill your guts," Ryan shook his head and wandered out of the room.
Seth sighed. He decided to suck it up. After the beach he had been in this brooding state, and his mind kept going in circles. He opened up his wallet, smoothing out Summer's number.
'Don't be a pansy,' he thought to himself, dialing the number on his cell. He felt like a sixth grader.
"Hello?"
"Summer... hey. It's Seth."
"Seth?" She sounded a little confused.
"Yeah, you know, Seth Cohen."
Silence.
"The random boy that you kissed on the beach today?" He offered up, feeling increasingly stupid with each passing second.
"Yeah, I know. Um, why were you calling again?"
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to, you know, go do... something."
"Like what?"
"Oh you know, fly to France, climb Everest, whatever you want."
"Actually Seth, I'm kind of busy."
"Oh, well, okay then. Maybe some other time, because you know, I had fun today. With you, I mean." Why couldn't he form normal sentences? He felt like the Rainman.
"Yeah, I'm like, really busy," she said with a sigh.
"Oh."
"Well, I'll see you around."
"Right. Bye Summer."
Click.
He felt like a complete moron. He mentally kicked himself and chewed on his lip. The kiss seemed like it had never happened, like it was some random hallucination of his. It had obviously been some act of pity, and he naively assumed that it meant something.
Because it sure had felt like something. It wasn't just a peck, it was a kiss. Quite a kiss. And he had kissed her back, and she had let it all happen. Seth's stomach was flipping over. Humiliated once again. It felt like the story of his life.
On instinct, he pulled out Elizabeth's number and examined it. He turned the scrap of paper over once, as though looking for some answers. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and dialed with the other. Carpe diem.
"Hello?"
"Elizabeth, it's Seth."
"Seth Cohen! It's about time," she said in a friendly voice.
He smiled, feeling better. "So, I was just wondering what you were up to tomorrow."
"Well, first I'm going to lunch with you, then we're going to hang out."
"Funny, you know, 'cause I was thinking the same thing."
"It's settled then. Meet me at The Dock at noon?"
"You're the boss," he replied.
"Good boy," she laughed, "I'll see you then."
Seth hung up and stared at the phone. It was like some alternate universe. Breaking into a smile, he hopped off of his board and strolled into the next room, where Ryan was reading.
"Guess who's got a date..." he sang softly, inspecting his fingernails casually.
"I'll be damned," Ryan smiled, looking up.
__________
"How do I look?" Seth asked, standing in the pool house.
Ryan gave him the once over. "I personally wouldn't date you, but I can't speak for this Elizabeth girl."
"Yeah, I was thinking I should wear something nicer, in case we decide to head for Vegas and elope," Seth shrugged, looking down at his clothes. He was dressed like he was every other day.
"I'm sure you'll be okay," assured. Ryan. He was excited for Seth. He was finally moving on, and with quite a catch, too.
Seth had just arrived at the restaurant when he saw Elizabeth. She wore a bright red halter top, blue jean capris, and red flip flops. Seth stood to greet her.
"You look absolutely... you look beautiful," he shot her a grin.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she hugged him and sat down. He followed her lead.
They managed some small talk before the food came. Seth noticed her smiles, how they weren't condescending or sarcastic. Elizabeth didn't make him feel like a dork every time he spoke, something that he had gotten used to when talking to girls. Especially Summer.
"You know Seth, I just don't see how you're single," she said.
"Ah yes," he nodded, "You're about the only girl in Newport who wonders why."
"I'll be they all want you, deep down," she said. She looked behind him. "I'll be right back."
She walked past him, touching his shoulder lightly as she did so. After a few minutes of pushing his chicken around his plate, he turned around. Elizabeth was leaning over a table, talking to some guy that Seth recognized from the water polo team. He watched as the guy entered her number in his cell phone, then kissed her on the hand. She giggled and turned towards Seth, who quickly returned to his plate.
"That's Jake," she explained, sitting down.
"Okay."
"We met at Holly's party," she continued, "he's really sweet."
Seth wondered why she was telling him this. "That's cool."
"But anyway, back to you. And me."
Seth looked up, interested.
"My dad is throwing a party at our house tomorrow. You know, to show off to all of the neighbors. Be my date?"
"Definitely," Seth nodded. "Um, want to go for a walk on the beach?"
"Let's go."
As they sat on the sand, messing with it and making little piles, Elizabeth slid her hand into his. They leaned against the seawall, and just sat there for a while. Seth closed his eyes. He was a romantic at heart, and this girl, this scenario... it was all right.
After a while they left, Seth promising to see her the next night. She responded with a kiss on the cheek and a smile.
For once, Seth felt good about himself.
_____________
Okay guys, that's it! I know it doesn't seem like there's anything very wrong with Elizabeth, but just wait until the next chapter. Ooh, suspense. Yeah, I thought this chapter was kind of boring, but it leads in to the rest of the story. Please let me know what you think, and thanks to those that reviewed!