They had only been at the party a few minutes, and Ryan and Marisa were
already making out in a corner. Seth wondered bitterly why they even
bothered leaving the pool house.
The scene was typical, and Seth was getting a few odd glances, so he decided to head for the deck. He had nothing better to do. He had been out there for half an hour when Summer found him.
"You do realize that you're a complete jackass, right?"
Her hands went to her hips, and Seth nodded immediately. "I am not just a complete jackass, I am THE complete jackass. There has never been... uh.. a more jackass-ier guy than me. You know what? I'm scum. Scum am I."
She gave him a look. "You're also kind of an idiot."
"The most idiotic jackass of all time. Ever," he affirmed.
"And I really should never talk to you again."
"And I wouldn't blame you," he continued. "But, uh, that would kind of suck on my part. Not that I don't deserve it. Because I suck."
"Right." She stared at him, and he shifted uneasily.
The silence was getting to him, and she didn't seem in any big hurry to break it. Seth squirmed.
"So."
More silence.
"Is there, ah, anything I can do to make it up to you? Anything at all. Dinner? Movies? A little pool house entertainment?" He knew that he was pushing his luck, but Seth wasn't known for his ability to keep his head during a rambling session.
"That will definitely NOT be necessary."
"Tell me what I can do, then." His voice got a little softer, and he ducked his head to meet her eyes, which suddenly darted away. "I'm really sorry, Summer. I didn't mean to hurt you."
She suddenly tensed. "I never said you HURT me, Cohen. God. We were just... kissing." She shook her head with a little scoff and turned to walk back into the house.
"Ah, denial," Seth said in a knowing voice.
"You are like, the last person on earth who should be telling me how I feel, okay? Okay." She turned back to face him.
"Yes ma'am.. because right now I'm sensing hatred." Her eyes narrowed. "Yep, definitely hatred. I'm... going to shut up now."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Come on, you can do better than that." He sent her a little smile.
"What?"
"We've established that I'm a jackass, scum, an idiot, and that I suck, and you're still pretty mad, and rightfully so, so just, uh, let it out. Let me have it. I can take it."
"How about the fact that you're a self-absorbed, cocky moron who thinks he's a LOT more clever than he actually is, who acts like he can get away with anything, and who puts on this anti-Newport front even though he's just as spoiled and egotistic as everyone else? We could go into the fact that just because you're a great kisser you think you can apologize and I'm going to jump you or something. You're the one who reads comic books and has nothing better to do than sit out on the stupid deck, and somehow you're the one that makes me feel like shit."
"I'm a great kisser?" Seth couldn't help but throw it in there.
"Ugh!" Summer rolled her eyes, frustrated.
"Wait wait," Seth wiped the smile off of his face. "Honestly, the last thing I want to do is make you feel bad. I don't want her, okay? Just you." It was one of those rare occasions that Seth couldn't think of anything to say, so he just shrugged.
"Right... now you turn all sensitive." She had made it to the door before she whirled around, walked back over to him, and kissed him. Before Seth had gained his composure she was inside.
"Wow, deja vu," he muttered.
_______________
"Another kiss and run, Ryan. What am I supposed to do with that?"
Ryan extracted the knife from Seth's waving hands and spread peanut butter on his own bread. "First off, no sharp objects."
"Hah. Hah. I'm serious."
"Well," Ryan tossed the knife in the kitchen sink. "She obviously still likes you."
"She called me, like, four thousand crappy things."
"Right before she kissed you," Ryan interjected, shaking his head a little bit.
"So what do I do now?!" His arms were flailing again.
"Suck up?"
"I've been doing that for years!"
"Right, but now she's noticing you," Ryan said patiently, taking a bite of his sandwich.
Seth considered this, then smiled. He grabbed his keys and bounded off, leaving his untouched sandwich on a plate. Ryan rolled his eyes and grabbed it, taking a bite.
_______________
Seth stumbled into the house a few hours later, his arms slung with bags. Ryan took a look at the bags, studied his friend's face, then the bags again.
"As much as I appreciate the non-helping, I think helping would be a lot better," Seth said, holding his right arm out. Ryan took the bags, his look skeptical.
"Is there any particular reason why you bought out Hollister?"
Seth pretended to ignore him, tossing the bags on his bed.
"A new summer wardrobe?" He asked with a smirk.
"Okay, so the Summer puns? Getting old."
"I never pegged you as the type to sell out for a girl," Ryan said casually, watching for a reaction.
Seth let out an overly loud laugh. "Ryan. This is not selling out. This... this is simply a temporary step to..."
"To get Summer," Ryan finished.
"It wouldn't hurt you to try something other than a white undershirt," Seth laughed.
"Fashion advice from Seth Cohen. Right," Ryan pulled a pair of pants out of a bag and scrutinized them.
"I can see the judgment in those moody and telling eyes of yours, Atwood."
Ryan shook his head. "Nope, just looking. If it makes you.. or, uh, Summer.. happy, then go for it."
"Well. What's wrong with them?" Seth couldn't help but ask.
"Paint stains?" Ryan turned the pants to display the carefully placed splatters.
"I know, they're terrible," Seth agreed.
Ryan continued rooting through the bags, sending the occasional scoff and remark out for Seth to hear.
Seth shrugged. "Laugh now if you must, fan of the undershirt, but my efforts won't be in vain. It's all in the name of love, my friend."
_______________
Seth drummed his fingers lightly on his knee as he sat on the edge of his bed. He studied his phone, finally dialing.
"Can I help you?" The tone was cool, unaffected.
"Anna... hey."
"Can I help you?" She repeated.
"Anna, I just want to apologize, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't want to hurt anyone, I was in way over my head. I've never had girls actually like me before, and much less two, and I didn't mean to screw everything up."
"Screw what up?"
"Uh.. what?"
"Screw WHAT up, Seth? Did you not mean to ruin our friendship by kissing me, or are you sorry that you messed up what could have been something more?"
Seth resumed the nervous movement of his fingers. "Actually, I mostly... Anna, you're one of my best friends."
He hoped that it didn't sound as lame as he thought that it did.
She made a little clicking sound.
"Anna?"
"What?"
"All I can say is that I'm sorry... and I mean that. Can I just see you?"
"I'll think about it."
Seth figured that he could have done a lot worse. "Okay. Great. Because I miss you, alright?"
"I miss you too, Seth."
A smile broke out over his face. "Really?"
"Of course. Dork. Look... I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay."
"And I'm still mad at you."
"Of course, yes, mad is good. Well, not good, but better than furious, right?"
"Bye Seth."
"Bye."
Seth hung up, feeling a little bit better. Anna was still frustrated, but she was getting over it, and she missed him. A wave of relief washed over him, but it wasn't permanent.
One down, one to go.
_______________
Okay, so I used Hollister as my example just because, but if anybody can think of some ultra-preppy or whatever store that's more appropriate, let me know. Other than that, review please!! I'll write as fast as I can. THANKS for reading!!!!
The scene was typical, and Seth was getting a few odd glances, so he decided to head for the deck. He had nothing better to do. He had been out there for half an hour when Summer found him.
"You do realize that you're a complete jackass, right?"
Her hands went to her hips, and Seth nodded immediately. "I am not just a complete jackass, I am THE complete jackass. There has never been... uh.. a more jackass-ier guy than me. You know what? I'm scum. Scum am I."
She gave him a look. "You're also kind of an idiot."
"The most idiotic jackass of all time. Ever," he affirmed.
"And I really should never talk to you again."
"And I wouldn't blame you," he continued. "But, uh, that would kind of suck on my part. Not that I don't deserve it. Because I suck."
"Right." She stared at him, and he shifted uneasily.
The silence was getting to him, and she didn't seem in any big hurry to break it. Seth squirmed.
"So."
More silence.
"Is there, ah, anything I can do to make it up to you? Anything at all. Dinner? Movies? A little pool house entertainment?" He knew that he was pushing his luck, but Seth wasn't known for his ability to keep his head during a rambling session.
"That will definitely NOT be necessary."
"Tell me what I can do, then." His voice got a little softer, and he ducked his head to meet her eyes, which suddenly darted away. "I'm really sorry, Summer. I didn't mean to hurt you."
She suddenly tensed. "I never said you HURT me, Cohen. God. We were just... kissing." She shook her head with a little scoff and turned to walk back into the house.
"Ah, denial," Seth said in a knowing voice.
"You are like, the last person on earth who should be telling me how I feel, okay? Okay." She turned back to face him.
"Yes ma'am.. because right now I'm sensing hatred." Her eyes narrowed. "Yep, definitely hatred. I'm... going to shut up now."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Come on, you can do better than that." He sent her a little smile.
"What?"
"We've established that I'm a jackass, scum, an idiot, and that I suck, and you're still pretty mad, and rightfully so, so just, uh, let it out. Let me have it. I can take it."
"How about the fact that you're a self-absorbed, cocky moron who thinks he's a LOT more clever than he actually is, who acts like he can get away with anything, and who puts on this anti-Newport front even though he's just as spoiled and egotistic as everyone else? We could go into the fact that just because you're a great kisser you think you can apologize and I'm going to jump you or something. You're the one who reads comic books and has nothing better to do than sit out on the stupid deck, and somehow you're the one that makes me feel like shit."
"I'm a great kisser?" Seth couldn't help but throw it in there.
"Ugh!" Summer rolled her eyes, frustrated.
"Wait wait," Seth wiped the smile off of his face. "Honestly, the last thing I want to do is make you feel bad. I don't want her, okay? Just you." It was one of those rare occasions that Seth couldn't think of anything to say, so he just shrugged.
"Right... now you turn all sensitive." She had made it to the door before she whirled around, walked back over to him, and kissed him. Before Seth had gained his composure she was inside.
"Wow, deja vu," he muttered.
_______________
"Another kiss and run, Ryan. What am I supposed to do with that?"
Ryan extracted the knife from Seth's waving hands and spread peanut butter on his own bread. "First off, no sharp objects."
"Hah. Hah. I'm serious."
"Well," Ryan tossed the knife in the kitchen sink. "She obviously still likes you."
"She called me, like, four thousand crappy things."
"Right before she kissed you," Ryan interjected, shaking his head a little bit.
"So what do I do now?!" His arms were flailing again.
"Suck up?"
"I've been doing that for years!"
"Right, but now she's noticing you," Ryan said patiently, taking a bite of his sandwich.
Seth considered this, then smiled. He grabbed his keys and bounded off, leaving his untouched sandwich on a plate. Ryan rolled his eyes and grabbed it, taking a bite.
_______________
Seth stumbled into the house a few hours later, his arms slung with bags. Ryan took a look at the bags, studied his friend's face, then the bags again.
"As much as I appreciate the non-helping, I think helping would be a lot better," Seth said, holding his right arm out. Ryan took the bags, his look skeptical.
"Is there any particular reason why you bought out Hollister?"
Seth pretended to ignore him, tossing the bags on his bed.
"A new summer wardrobe?" He asked with a smirk.
"Okay, so the Summer puns? Getting old."
"I never pegged you as the type to sell out for a girl," Ryan said casually, watching for a reaction.
Seth let out an overly loud laugh. "Ryan. This is not selling out. This... this is simply a temporary step to..."
"To get Summer," Ryan finished.
"It wouldn't hurt you to try something other than a white undershirt," Seth laughed.
"Fashion advice from Seth Cohen. Right," Ryan pulled a pair of pants out of a bag and scrutinized them.
"I can see the judgment in those moody and telling eyes of yours, Atwood."
Ryan shook his head. "Nope, just looking. If it makes you.. or, uh, Summer.. happy, then go for it."
"Well. What's wrong with them?" Seth couldn't help but ask.
"Paint stains?" Ryan turned the pants to display the carefully placed splatters.
"I know, they're terrible," Seth agreed.
Ryan continued rooting through the bags, sending the occasional scoff and remark out for Seth to hear.
Seth shrugged. "Laugh now if you must, fan of the undershirt, but my efforts won't be in vain. It's all in the name of love, my friend."
_______________
Seth drummed his fingers lightly on his knee as he sat on the edge of his bed. He studied his phone, finally dialing.
"Can I help you?" The tone was cool, unaffected.
"Anna... hey."
"Can I help you?" She repeated.
"Anna, I just want to apologize, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't want to hurt anyone, I was in way over my head. I've never had girls actually like me before, and much less two, and I didn't mean to screw everything up."
"Screw what up?"
"Uh.. what?"
"Screw WHAT up, Seth? Did you not mean to ruin our friendship by kissing me, or are you sorry that you messed up what could have been something more?"
Seth resumed the nervous movement of his fingers. "Actually, I mostly... Anna, you're one of my best friends."
He hoped that it didn't sound as lame as he thought that it did.
She made a little clicking sound.
"Anna?"
"What?"
"All I can say is that I'm sorry... and I mean that. Can I just see you?"
"I'll think about it."
Seth figured that he could have done a lot worse. "Okay. Great. Because I miss you, alright?"
"I miss you too, Seth."
A smile broke out over his face. "Really?"
"Of course. Dork. Look... I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay."
"And I'm still mad at you."
"Of course, yes, mad is good. Well, not good, but better than furious, right?"
"Bye Seth."
"Bye."
Seth hung up, feeling a little bit better. Anna was still frustrated, but she was getting over it, and she missed him. A wave of relief washed over him, but it wasn't permanent.
One down, one to go.
_______________
Okay, so I used Hollister as my example just because, but if anybody can think of some ultra-preppy or whatever store that's more appropriate, let me know. Other than that, review please!! I'll write as fast as I can. THANKS for reading!!!!