There were so many different ways I could go after writing the last
chapter, and I kept going back and forth. You never know, I may write a few
different alterations to the story. We'll see. As for now, thanks for the
reviews and keep them up. Enjoy the chapter... or don't... whatever floats
your boat. Thanks for reading!
_____________
"So now what?" The girls were lying out in Marissa's backyard, tanning.
"What do you mean?" Summer gave a little stretch.
"With Seth," Marissa said patiently.
Summer sighed and shifted again. "Screw it," she muttered, without much conviction.
"You're giving up?"
"I'm not going to mope around and wait for him to get over it. There are tons of fish in the sea, Coop. It's not like I exactly need Cohen."
"Well that's a change of pace from a few days ago."
"Screw it." She sounded more convincing this time. "Honestly, I don't need some rambling, dorky, awkward kid to make me happy."
Summer had been playing these thoughts over in her head all day. She had never been much for serious relationships... it was only high school, and she didn't need a guy like Seth Cohen clinging to her.
Besides, she had tried, hadn't she? What else was she going to do, throw pebbles at his window in the middle of the night? He seemed to be doing just fine without her, and she could follow suit.
Marissa the doubt in her eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew how Summer was, and nobody would be able to convince her of anything besides herself.
Or maybe Seth.
_____________
"I need to get drunk," Seth speculated as he and Ryan walked onto the beach.
"A little early in the morning, don't you think?" Ryan raised an eyebrow and gave one of his ever-so-slight smiles.
Seth propped his surfboard up in the sand, scanning the waves. "I mean it," he said. "I haven't heard from her in over a week."
"Nor have you contacted her," Ryan added.
"I figure that my years of ruthless pursuing are enough to keep me ahead in that respect."
"Good call."
"But alas, who needs it. We have the surf," Seth motioned towards the ocean with a dramatic flourish, "and that's all that we need."
"You should inform broken hearts around the world."
"If everybody had an ocean across the USA, then everybody'd be surfin', like Californ-I-A. You'd see 'em wearin' their baggies. Huarachi sandals, too. A bushy bushy blonde hairdo. Surfin' USA." Seth chanted in a matter of fact tone.
"Dude, what's with you and The Beach Boys lately?"
"You can't go wrong with a classic."
"Though sometimes change is good," Ryan said pointedly.
"Sometimes change is great."
"Sometimes change kicks ass."
Seth was smiling. "Let's hit the waves."
_____________
Seth hadn't been to one of Holly's parties since the night he had met Elizabeth. He felt like he was returning to the scene of the crime.
He knew that he ran the risk of running into both of the girls; or rather, that he probably would. But he felt some need to show both of them that he didn't need them, that he was fine, that he wasn't hiding.
Summer had been thinking the same thing. She had spent a while in front of the mirror that night, wanting to be perfect. Ready to move on, ready to show him what he almost had.
Her confidence disintegrated when he walked into the party.
Nobody looking at her would have noticed. On the outside she was composed, she was social and flirty, she was sarcastic. He had strolled through the doors with Ryan and her insides had felt frozen.
She had immediately grabbed a Screwdriver and gulped it down.
Followed by a shot called a Hot Damn that some guy had given her. And then some.
Seth's eyes found her not long after they arrived. Smiling, drink in hand, talking with a group of people. She met his stare and rolled her eyes. He looked away.
"Come on," Marissa materialized and grabbed his arm. "Time to go meet people."
"Shouldn't you be with Ryan?"
"He's a big kid, Seth." She pulled at his arm again.
"Okay, first of all, you have this look in your eyes like you're trying to help me move on, though I thought you wanted me with Summer. Second of all, we both know that Ryan isn't a big kid, and he's a good sulker. Third, I wouldn't recommend introducing me to anyone. Too much interaction and I'll be dragging you down with me. Dork by association."
"Shut up, Seth. You deserve to have fun, Ryan agrees, and I don't care what anyone thinks."
"If you say so. But if you keep this up, soon you'll be a pro at video games. We'll be spending weekends together at Star Wars conventions. You'll be-"
"Seth."
"Marissa, wait." He stood, planted on the same spot.
"What?"
"I don't want to. I don't like these people, you know that. And they don't like me. Which is fine... I just don't want to do this."
Her face changed a little and she nodded. "Sorry, Seth. You know I just want to help."
"It's okay," he smiled a little, "I'll be okay. Thanks."
Seth felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. As though the world was trying to prove him wrong, Elizabeth was standing there. Great.
"Yes?"
"Thought I'd say hello," she shrugged.
Seth suddenly realized that he wasn't burning with anger. He didn't feel horrible, didn't feel neglected, didn't despise her for what she'd done to him.
He had called Summer first, after all. It had always been Summer, and while Elizabeth had screwed him over, it was now more the principle of the thing. He wasn't exactly in the I-Love-Elizabeth club or anything, but it was a relief to realize that he really didn't care.
He said hello and she drifted away, not expecting anything more.
The night ticked on and Seth didn't get wasted as he'd planned. The prospects of throwing up and waking up with a killer hangover weren't likely to make him feel better in any respect.
It was late when he walked into the house from the deck, where he had been keeping Ryan company as he enjoyed a smoke. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, his stomach flipped a little when he saw Summer. She was obviously drunk, holding herself up by clinging to a guy with black hair. She was swaying a little and the guy's hands were beginning to roam. Hate rose up inside of him.
Without thinking, Seth walked over to where the moron was kissing on her neck. He ignored the guy.
"Summer, time to go home," he said firmly, staring into her eyes. He couldn't tell if she heard him or not.
"We're a little busy right now. Move along." Seth forced himself to concentrate, pushing back the will to murder this guy.
"Summer."
Her eyes focused on him. "Seth! Seth the penguin kid." She laughed drunkenly at herself and he managed to catch her before she fell forward.
"I'm taking you home," he told her. The stranger's hand was suddenly around her waist, pulling her towards him. Seth put his arm around her shoulders, attempting to lead her away.
"Whoa buddy." A pair of eyes narrowed at Seth. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Seth glared at him, unflinching, all business. "Find your piece of ass for the night elsewhere. Let go." His last two words were loaded, and the guy slowly released Summer.
"Screw you." He disappeared.
Fully supporting Summer, Seth looked around for Marissa. He knew that he couldn't drag her, trashed, to her own house, and she needed somewhere to stay. He finally spotted her.
"Marissa." She turned and took in the situation with a glance. "Summer needs to stay with you tonight."
She nodded. "Let's go. There's Ryan."
Ryan's blue eyes glanced back and forth between Seth and Marissa, questioning.
"Some asshole couldn't keep his hands off of her," he said bluntly. "And she's not exactly up for taking care of herself."
"Coop... Coop," Summer slurred as Seth started the car. "I think that I for sure drank some uh, you know, drinks."
"No joke." Ryan raised both eyebrows. Seth remained silent.
They pulled into Marissa's driveway and Seth killed the engine. He walked around the car and lifted a passed out Summer, carrying her to the open front door where Marissa was waiting.
"Do you need any help?" Ryan was behind him. Seth shook his head and followed Marissa up the stairs, through the dark house and into her room.
He lowered her down onto the bed gently and took off her shoes. The worry on his face was evident as he pulled a blanket over her. Ryan and Marissa hung back as Seth leaned over and brushed the dark hair off her face, studying her.
He remembered kissing her, feeling the warmth as they absorbed each other. She had put him on cloud nine just by holding his hand. He thought about the jealous flicker that he had seen in her eyes when Elizabeth had approached him on the beach, and how their light-hearted bickering always pleased him and made him want to kiss her.
He remembered the look on her face as she jumped away from him, quickly and adamantly denying the unspoken when Marissa opened the door.
He straightened up suddenly. "We'd better go."
Marissa walked the boys to the front porch.
"Thanks, Seth," she said delicately.
"Yeah."
_____________
My next chapter is going to depend a lot on reviews I think, so try and help me out. Thanks for reading, hope you're entertained!
I'm hating the hiatus with a fiery passion. Argh.
_____________
"So now what?" The girls were lying out in Marissa's backyard, tanning.
"What do you mean?" Summer gave a little stretch.
"With Seth," Marissa said patiently.
Summer sighed and shifted again. "Screw it," she muttered, without much conviction.
"You're giving up?"
"I'm not going to mope around and wait for him to get over it. There are tons of fish in the sea, Coop. It's not like I exactly need Cohen."
"Well that's a change of pace from a few days ago."
"Screw it." She sounded more convincing this time. "Honestly, I don't need some rambling, dorky, awkward kid to make me happy."
Summer had been playing these thoughts over in her head all day. She had never been much for serious relationships... it was only high school, and she didn't need a guy like Seth Cohen clinging to her.
Besides, she had tried, hadn't she? What else was she going to do, throw pebbles at his window in the middle of the night? He seemed to be doing just fine without her, and she could follow suit.
Marissa the doubt in her eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew how Summer was, and nobody would be able to convince her of anything besides herself.
Or maybe Seth.
_____________
"I need to get drunk," Seth speculated as he and Ryan walked onto the beach.
"A little early in the morning, don't you think?" Ryan raised an eyebrow and gave one of his ever-so-slight smiles.
Seth propped his surfboard up in the sand, scanning the waves. "I mean it," he said. "I haven't heard from her in over a week."
"Nor have you contacted her," Ryan added.
"I figure that my years of ruthless pursuing are enough to keep me ahead in that respect."
"Good call."
"But alas, who needs it. We have the surf," Seth motioned towards the ocean with a dramatic flourish, "and that's all that we need."
"You should inform broken hearts around the world."
"If everybody had an ocean across the USA, then everybody'd be surfin', like Californ-I-A. You'd see 'em wearin' their baggies. Huarachi sandals, too. A bushy bushy blonde hairdo. Surfin' USA." Seth chanted in a matter of fact tone.
"Dude, what's with you and The Beach Boys lately?"
"You can't go wrong with a classic."
"Though sometimes change is good," Ryan said pointedly.
"Sometimes change is great."
"Sometimes change kicks ass."
Seth was smiling. "Let's hit the waves."
_____________
Seth hadn't been to one of Holly's parties since the night he had met Elizabeth. He felt like he was returning to the scene of the crime.
He knew that he ran the risk of running into both of the girls; or rather, that he probably would. But he felt some need to show both of them that he didn't need them, that he was fine, that he wasn't hiding.
Summer had been thinking the same thing. She had spent a while in front of the mirror that night, wanting to be perfect. Ready to move on, ready to show him what he almost had.
Her confidence disintegrated when he walked into the party.
Nobody looking at her would have noticed. On the outside she was composed, she was social and flirty, she was sarcastic. He had strolled through the doors with Ryan and her insides had felt frozen.
She had immediately grabbed a Screwdriver and gulped it down.
Followed by a shot called a Hot Damn that some guy had given her. And then some.
Seth's eyes found her not long after they arrived. Smiling, drink in hand, talking with a group of people. She met his stare and rolled her eyes. He looked away.
"Come on," Marissa materialized and grabbed his arm. "Time to go meet people."
"Shouldn't you be with Ryan?"
"He's a big kid, Seth." She pulled at his arm again.
"Okay, first of all, you have this look in your eyes like you're trying to help me move on, though I thought you wanted me with Summer. Second of all, we both know that Ryan isn't a big kid, and he's a good sulker. Third, I wouldn't recommend introducing me to anyone. Too much interaction and I'll be dragging you down with me. Dork by association."
"Shut up, Seth. You deserve to have fun, Ryan agrees, and I don't care what anyone thinks."
"If you say so. But if you keep this up, soon you'll be a pro at video games. We'll be spending weekends together at Star Wars conventions. You'll be-"
"Seth."
"Marissa, wait." He stood, planted on the same spot.
"What?"
"I don't want to. I don't like these people, you know that. And they don't like me. Which is fine... I just don't want to do this."
Her face changed a little and she nodded. "Sorry, Seth. You know I just want to help."
"It's okay," he smiled a little, "I'll be okay. Thanks."
Seth felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. As though the world was trying to prove him wrong, Elizabeth was standing there. Great.
"Yes?"
"Thought I'd say hello," she shrugged.
Seth suddenly realized that he wasn't burning with anger. He didn't feel horrible, didn't feel neglected, didn't despise her for what she'd done to him.
He had called Summer first, after all. It had always been Summer, and while Elizabeth had screwed him over, it was now more the principle of the thing. He wasn't exactly in the I-Love-Elizabeth club or anything, but it was a relief to realize that he really didn't care.
He said hello and she drifted away, not expecting anything more.
The night ticked on and Seth didn't get wasted as he'd planned. The prospects of throwing up and waking up with a killer hangover weren't likely to make him feel better in any respect.
It was late when he walked into the house from the deck, where he had been keeping Ryan company as he enjoyed a smoke. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, his stomach flipped a little when he saw Summer. She was obviously drunk, holding herself up by clinging to a guy with black hair. She was swaying a little and the guy's hands were beginning to roam. Hate rose up inside of him.
Without thinking, Seth walked over to where the moron was kissing on her neck. He ignored the guy.
"Summer, time to go home," he said firmly, staring into her eyes. He couldn't tell if she heard him or not.
"We're a little busy right now. Move along." Seth forced himself to concentrate, pushing back the will to murder this guy.
"Summer."
Her eyes focused on him. "Seth! Seth the penguin kid." She laughed drunkenly at herself and he managed to catch her before she fell forward.
"I'm taking you home," he told her. The stranger's hand was suddenly around her waist, pulling her towards him. Seth put his arm around her shoulders, attempting to lead her away.
"Whoa buddy." A pair of eyes narrowed at Seth. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Seth glared at him, unflinching, all business. "Find your piece of ass for the night elsewhere. Let go." His last two words were loaded, and the guy slowly released Summer.
"Screw you." He disappeared.
Fully supporting Summer, Seth looked around for Marissa. He knew that he couldn't drag her, trashed, to her own house, and she needed somewhere to stay. He finally spotted her.
"Marissa." She turned and took in the situation with a glance. "Summer needs to stay with you tonight."
She nodded. "Let's go. There's Ryan."
Ryan's blue eyes glanced back and forth between Seth and Marissa, questioning.
"Some asshole couldn't keep his hands off of her," he said bluntly. "And she's not exactly up for taking care of herself."
"Coop... Coop," Summer slurred as Seth started the car. "I think that I for sure drank some uh, you know, drinks."
"No joke." Ryan raised both eyebrows. Seth remained silent.
They pulled into Marissa's driveway and Seth killed the engine. He walked around the car and lifted a passed out Summer, carrying her to the open front door where Marissa was waiting.
"Do you need any help?" Ryan was behind him. Seth shook his head and followed Marissa up the stairs, through the dark house and into her room.
He lowered her down onto the bed gently and took off her shoes. The worry on his face was evident as he pulled a blanket over her. Ryan and Marissa hung back as Seth leaned over and brushed the dark hair off her face, studying her.
He remembered kissing her, feeling the warmth as they absorbed each other. She had put him on cloud nine just by holding his hand. He thought about the jealous flicker that he had seen in her eyes when Elizabeth had approached him on the beach, and how their light-hearted bickering always pleased him and made him want to kiss her.
He remembered the look on her face as she jumped away from him, quickly and adamantly denying the unspoken when Marissa opened the door.
He straightened up suddenly. "We'd better go."
Marissa walked the boys to the front porch.
"Thanks, Seth," she said delicately.
"Yeah."
_____________
My next chapter is going to depend a lot on reviews I think, so try and help me out. Thanks for reading, hope you're entertained!
I'm hating the hiatus with a fiery passion. Argh.