Author's Note: This is a Seth/Summer fan fic and its AU I suppose, because in this story Seth picks Summer during the Christmas party. This is about afterwards, when they date. This is how I could see them together, where things don't usually go as planned and they are a little offbeat together. Seth wants to take things slow though and what will Summer's reaction be? The last scene of what I believe will be a two-part story is greatly influenced by a scene from 'Sex And The City' but everything else is original. So think of it as a homage. Hee.
Blind FaithBy Heather [TinySweetHeart]
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Chapter One: Dead Romance
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The swollen moon split the dark sky like a silver seam and white electric stars dusted the horizon. The ocean fractured and moved along the coast, dark and ceaseless. They could hear the tides brushing along the black sand and the soft stirring of the wind. Seth and Summer walked along the boardwalk, each licking at an ice cream in their hand. It was their third date exactly, and two weeks since Seth had made his decision to be with Summer. It wasn't really a decision anyway, he'd known all along. It was just a matter of emotions and not hurting Anna's feelings, which hadn't really been prevented and she still wasn't speaking to him. But that was ok with Seth now, because he had Summer and if Anna would be the type of friend to not even allow him to talk to her about his girlfriend then what kind of friend was she in the first place?
There wasn't anyone around this area, although there were a few couples back at where they'd bought the ice cream. It was the only shop that would sell ice cream this late at night and at this time of year, so it was pretty popular on Fridays and Saturdays. "Good ice cream," Seth said contently, eating his snack sloppily. He was dressed in jeans and a zip up red hoodie over a white tee shirt, one hand shoved in his sweatshirt pocket.
Summer nodded and nibbled neatly at her ice cream cone. She was wearing a vintage denim mini skirt and a long sleeved white shirt with sneakers. There was no way she'd drip on this outfit, especially white. "Mmm hmm. Cookie dough is the shizznit," she mumbled absently as she held it far out and risked licks.
Seth paused from eating to look over at her, the girl near him scattered in orange smudges from the overhead streetlamps. "Wait, back up the thought train. Did you just say... 'shizznit'?" he questioned in mock horror and cocked an eyebrow.
Summer looked over, blinking as if just waking from a cookie dough haze, and bit her full bottom lip apologetically. "Ugh, yea, sorry. It just slipped, its still in my brain from all those times I hung out with Holly and the gang. But it won't happen again, because, hello, that is so last season," she retorted and then went back to her cone.
Seth glanced at her a little longer then necessary, she looked so beautiful in the outcropping moonlight. Really natural, with half her hair pulled up in a messy bun and the rest collapsing in loose wavy strands down her back. And, wow, when had she grown so short? O right, no heels. He forced himself to turn away finally, back to his ice cream and remark with a shrug and a slight smirk, "That's ok. We are broken up now though."
She averted her onyx gaze back to him, creased with a faint smile. "Oh, really? Well, we were never going out anyway, remember, just dating? Plus, you left your tee shirt at my house and I'm keeping it if you ditch me," she teased lightly. The shirt in question had been left at her house after Seth had spilt soda on it and she'd made him change into one of her dad's shirts before throwing his in the wash. Secretly, she liked that dopey novelty tee; she kept it on her chair in her room and always hesitated to give it back. It smelt of detergent and his too-strong cologne. Weird she even noticed these things; normally she never was that attached to well, anything, not even a boy and certainly not a boy's shirt.
Seth grinned at her openly now, those half moon dimples at his cheeks. His dark curls careened into his warm moss eyes and she wanted to run her hand through his hair, kiss each of those dimples. "Oh, you are a diabolical little one aren't you? I see how it is; you purposely took my shirt so I couldn't break up with you. Curse you, Summer. Curse you and your evil genius," he said, a sly wink in his throat.
Summer wrenched her gaze ahead of her, glancing towards the stretching line of streetlights, shimmering orange smearing into black. She felt like a moth, being drawn to their hollow glow. "No. Not really. I could care less about you, that shirt is comfy though," she deadpanned and licked at her cone, knowing without looking the mock hurt expression he'd give her.
The boy faltered purposely, stumbling along the wooden planks, and then said in a fake wounded tone, "That was cold, Summer. Real cold." He shook his head, his face serious. Then just as quickly as before, his demeanor changed to curiosity and amusement. He glanced at her, his hazel and gold eyes wide with hope, and he questioned, "... And uh, it's comfy? As in you wear it? While sleeping? Preferably while going commando and having fantasy dreams of yours truly?"
Summer tried to stifle a laugh but it slipped out of her petal lips and she looked down at her ice cream, rolling her eyes at it like it could somehow relate to her. "Comfy as in it makes a nice pillow. Dork," she snorted.
Seth looked away down the boardwalk, smiling goofily. "O right, right," he replied. There was a drift of silence that passed between them self-consciously. Seth stared down at his ice cream before asking, "So, cookie dough is the shizznit huh? Can I have a bite?"
The girl's nose crinkled and she glanced at him and his confused expression. "Ew! I hate sharing food, its so disgusting," she blurted, shaking her head slightly.
Seth's bewilderment remained and he stated sarcastically, "But you're fine to make-out, just not share a food item." Summer could be so strange sometimes, she had a lot of quirks, but they were all starting to grow on him. Now even when she said "ew" he thought it was adorable. Ok, so maybe there was something wrong in his head but, well, so what?
Summer rolled her shoulders nonchalantly and swung her denim hand purse out in front of her distractedly. "That's different. Don't make me explain it. Because then kissing might gross me out too and that would mean no play for you, buddy," she told him with a slight smile.
Seth knitted his brow together as if giving it thought and scratched his chin. He relinquished, "Hmmm, I see your point. And your point is valid so I will concede to you. But this battle of wits will resume I tell you!" He raised a finger in the air exaggeratedly, getting a little off track. Which was not unusual, and Summer never seemed to mind. It felt good to be able to say whatever was on the top of his brain to her and not worry about her thinking he was an idiot. Maybe a geek, but not an idiot anyway.
Summer laughed and it echoed along the quiet walkway. "You're so weird," she replied. The moon splashed against her face in pale ashen and creased along her cheekbones in a merging of shadow and light.
Seth smiled as much to himself and replied shortly, "I know." Then he looked over at her again and her ice cream. "How about if I let you have a lick of mine?" he tried again to bargain.
Summer rolled her tongue over her ice cream and the cold seeped into her taste buds. "Ew, perv," she replied back flatly, hiding her smile behind her cone.
The boy gave her a dull look and responded, "You know what I meant, Summer."
She nodded and said, still not looking at him, "I know and that was me switching topics because, hello, vanilla? It's so... bland. Who gets vanilla ice cream except eighty-year-old grandmas, and even they usually like to fancy it up with like toppings or something." She glanced over at him then through the corner of her eyes to see his aghast face and almost ruptured with giggles.
He blinked his long eyelashes and spluttered mock sternly, "Ok, you can insult my tee shirts. You can insult my choices in music. You can even insult my handsome good looks. But my favorite ice cream? That's crossing the line, missy."
Summer smiled over at him endearingly and raised her eyebrows. "Wow, didn't mean to offend. I had no idea ice cream was such an orgasmic experience for you," she said.
Seth still had his hand wedged in his pocket and met her gaze, giving a lopsided grin. "Well when you've gone without a girlfriend for, oh, sixteen long lonely years, ice cream does tend to become a highlight of your life," he admitted with a sigh.
Summer's mahogany eyes swelled expressively and she replied jokingly, "That's sad."
Seth looked at his ice cream again and began eating it. "I know," he responded.
Summer held her cone up to him and finally surrendered, "Ok, you can have some of my ice cream. But only because I take pity on you and want you to convert to the yummyness that is cookie dough."
The boy looked over and smiled widely. "And see, it does pay in the end to be such a loser. There is hope for all the AV and sailing kids. They too will one day share ice cream with a Homecoming Queen. Wow, that's so inspirational I think I might jump up in the air and kick my feet together like in 'The Breakfast Club'," he rambled without taking the cone from her yet.
Summer gave him a dismayed, blank glare and interjected wearily, "Right, Molly Ringwald. Just eat the ice cream already."
Seth was about to interrupt to explain in great length how that was not indeed Molly Ringwald, but the guy who played the rebel kid. But her dark look stopped him and he figured he had plenty of time to explain to her all things 80's, when they had their movie rent night, which he eventually was sure they would. He stopped walking to lean over and take a bite out of her ice cream. Then looked up, nodding approvingly. "Hey, that's not too bad actually," he acknowledged.
Summer gaped down at her scope and then back up at him. "You took a huge chunk out! That's like my favorite part, I was saving that piece of cookie dough, ok," she whined, pouting her lush petal lips.
Seth craned one eyebrow and couldn't help but laugh faintly. "I'm sorry? Maybe you should have warned me first or something... Hey, who's treating ice cream like an orgasmic experience now?" he retorted.
She folded her arms under her chest and stuck her chin out higher. "Well, I'm allowed, because I'm a girl," she sniffed.
Seth nodded and strode up to her side, the miles of shivering waves parting behind him. "Right you are," he responded briefly.
There was a short pause before Summer questioned, her voice pleased, "So, you really like cookie dough huh?"
Seth nodded, glancing up at the sky with its slippery white moon. It had always looked like a puddle to him, crater ripples erupting on the metal surface. "Yea, not bad," he remarked.
Summer found more happiness in his answer then she thought she would, after all, it was just ice cream. She smiled ahead and replied, "See, I'm rubbing off on you slowly but surely." Maybe he wasn't the only one who had something to add to this. Because he was smart and funny and charming and endearing. But it felt nice to know there were some things he could experience from her, like chick flicks and hip-hop and cookie dough ice cream. Because even as stupid and trivial as all those things sounded, it felt good to think he was opening up a little because of her, because she knew she was because of him.
Seth shrugged and grinned. "I wouldn't trade it for sweet old vanilla but still, it has its perks," he said.
She looked over at him now and responded with a sarcastic smile, "You're a man of tradition, Cohen, I admire that."
The boy's eyebrows arched and he replied, "Thanks. If I didn't know any better I'd say that was a compliment."
Summer's petal lips spread up at the corners and she laughed softly. "Right, if you didn't know any better," she shot back before looking ahead again. A salty damp breeze seeped up over them, crawling over her tan skin and pricking her nerves. "Wow, now I'm really cold. Why did we get ice cream at nine at night anyway?" she suddenly questioned, folding her arms again and rubbing at her upper arms for warmth. At the nearest trash bin she threw out the rest of her cone and Seth had already finished his.
Seth glanced over at the girl wirily and commented with a smirk, "Because you're boring and I needed something to entertain myself with."
Summer reached a hand over to playfully swat his chest and she chortled, mock upset, even with the smile dancing at her lips, "I'm boring! I'm not the one who rambled about his hair for twenty minutes."
Seth gave her a stare of indignant and pretended to huff, "Hey! Wondering if my hair is too long is a good topic of conversation; it's not my fault you didn't participate in my ramble." Then he smiled and unzipped the hoodie sweatshirt. Seth stopped her with a hand over her forearm. He slid the warm fleece lining over her shoulders and then tentatively grazed his fingers across her neck, taking all her hair so that it was out of the sweatshirt collar and falling in trembling locks down her back.
Summer looked over at him in astonishment and said bluntly, "Seth, take back your sweatshirt and drop the gentleman crap. Because we both know you're gonna get cold."
The boy shook his head, shaggy brow locks falling over his ears, and he replied with a smile, "No, I'm not because I'm a man and have lots of chest hair to insulate me."
Summer cringed and wrinkled her brow. "Chest hair! Ew, we are taking you to my waxer tomorrow," she declared in disgust.
Seth just chuckled dryly which increased her frustration and said simply, "That would be what we call a joke, Summer. Anyway, just wear the stupid sweatshirt because if you don't I won't either and then we'll both be looking like fools, walking and shivering. Besides I think rock hard nips look sexy on me." He grinned at her then and winked.
The young woman thawed with laughter and her eyes narrowed with a smile. "You're mistaken on that one, my friend," she remarked. Then she zipped up the sweatshirt and added, "Thanks."
They continued walking now in a matching stride and he bit his sculpted lip. "Welcome," he responded, looking ahead.
They paced further down the boardwalk and the sound of their feet against wood echoed hollow and stark. They didn't talk for a solid minute before Summer came up closer to him, smiling slightly. She ran a hand up his shoulder without looking at him, along the nape of his neck, short chestnut curls swirling around her fingertips. "You're hair isn't too long, I like it like this," she sighed softly. When she pulled back her palm to glance at it, she continued approvingly, "And hey, I don't even get disgusting gel gook all over my hands. Bonus points."
Seth fell into her touch, the heat from her long fingers sliding up to affect his head. He said a little breathless, "Awesome, because I'll take any points I can get with you."
"Amen to that, brother," Summer laughed and it sounded genuine and free. She continued to absently stroke his neck and tousled hair.
His forest eyes flickered with a wistful film and he groaned, "You could really say anything to me right now, like you were dating Luke on the side, and I don't think I'd mind, as long as you kept scratching my head. In that way, I'm like a dog."
He didn't have to look at her to know the smile sliding over her beautiful features. "Really? Because now that you mention it -" she abruptly began.
Seth's eyes were slightly wider now and he countered with a faint grin, "Stop that sentence right there."
Summer's body was colliding gently against his and he could feel the soft curves of her petite body. She went on as if he had never spoke, smiling against his shoulder, "- I've always had this attraction to water polo players with the IQ of a brick and the vocabulary of an eight year old."
Seth halted immediately and grinned deviously. "That's it!" he shouted and then bent down, fluidly lifting Summer over his shoulder, holding onto her slender legs. She released a shocked scream and struggled against him as he walked off the boardwalk, carrying her towards the beach. Soon his shoes were tumbling into shifting sand dunes and the wind was pressing into them, salty and moist. "Take a shower lately, Summer, my dear?" he questioned with a smirk.
Her hair fell in long bands down his back and she screeched angrily, "Seth Cohen! Put me down right now!" She tried to kick him but he had her by the knees.
The ocean was a deep shade of black now and the moon tarnished its surface, a spreading white light. He responded matter-of-factly with a smile, "Can't do that I'm afraid, if I can't have you no one can. And definitely not Luke, the idea makes me wanna hurl."
Summer glared over at him and exclaimed, "Yea, hurl, as in if you don't put me down right now I'm gonna hurl ice cream all over you!" He wasn't sure if she was serious or if it was trick to make him drop her, still he let her go and gently placed her on the sand, feet first.
The girl immediately toppled to her butt, bare tan legs stretched out before her. Breathing in deep breathes to regain herself; she clutched at her stomach and moaned slightly. Ok, so note to self - bad idea to pick someone up after they just had ice cream. He glanced down at her, feeling a wad of guilt in his throat, and replied sincerely, "Sorry, Summer. I didn't mean to... uh, make you nauseas."
Summer glowered up at him hard, her eyes dark pearls, and she still held on to her taut middle. "That's ok but hasn't anyone ever told you not to pick a girl up after she's eaten? Its not fun, ok, grabby hands," she snapped irritated, making it clear it wasn't ok, even if she knew it was a little uncalled for.
Seth winced, feeling terrible. He scratched the back of his shaggy head and said, "I, uh, don't exactly know the rules of flirting. Sorry, Summer." God, why did he always have to screw stuff up? Come on, man, the idea was to sweep her off her feet, not literally.
Summer still glared up at him through spiraled strands of dark hair. Her voice was a little warmer though as she huffed, "I said its ok. Come on, help me to the boardwalk at least, Hercules." Then she reached a hand up, coated in specks of sand, and he helped her to her feet. She dusted off her jean skirt groggily and then let him hold her hand as they walked towards the boardwalk again, she still sulking.
He chanced a glance at her irritated, white sand flecked face. "You mad at me?" he asked, his brow ridged.
She turned away from him, kicking a thin spray of grit up with her sneakers. "Shut up," she responded, unreadable.
Seth took this as a yes and watched her back worriedly. "I said I was sorry -" he began.
Summer shook her head, running fingers through her main of wind-blown sand scattered hair. "No, I mean shut up. Like shut up, stop being so nice and polite and perfect already. I said it was ok so believe me, if I was pissed you'd know it," she said and her voice was less harsh now, a little melted around the edges.
Seth looked down at her fingers interlocked with his and nodded his head. "Ok, I believe you. Hell, I've seen examples of you pissed," he commented with a smile.
Summer finally glanced back over her shoulder at him, her rose glass lips set in a faint smile. "O no, no, Cohen. Trust me, Tijuana, the Thanksgiving incident? Those weren't even close to what I'm like when I'm really angry," she bragged with a raised eyebrow.
The boy arched his own eyebrows in return and questioned with an amused tone, "Is that a threat?"
She laughed and nodded. "I believe so," she responded, blinking long eyelashes over flushed cheekbones innocently.
Seth shrugged, pulling her a little closer reflexively so she bumped into him slightly. "I'll take my chances. But, could you maybe at least warn me when you feel a rage blackout coming on? So I can run?" he added.
Summer grinned and responded, "Deal."
They were scuffing over asphalt now, having headed in the direction of the parking lot. They slid into his Rover and he drove along the twisting streets of town, debating music and generally laughing all the way to Summer's house. Then they went up her long driveway and he parked in front of the large, dark mansion. He got out and went to open her door; only she'd opened it herself with a roll of her eyes before taking his hand in hers. They walked up to her door slowly, distractedly, fingers draped together.
Summer pushed the other hand into his red hoodie pocket. "This sweatshirt really is warm; I think I'll keep it along with your shirt. Slowly I'll build up a wardrobe of your clothing, you'll see," she commented.
Seth narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and smirked. "Hmmm, yes, a noble pursuit. How exactly will you get my pants though? Because, I mean, I wear my pants all the time. Unless of course we were to somehow become nude... Now how would that happen?" he mused jokingly.
They arrived at her porch now and Summer stayed on the top step, turning over to meet his eyes at an even level. "Big flirt," she remarked flatly with a smile.
The boy shrugged and nodded. "I know, that's what all the ladies I've been dating have said," he sighed.
Summer laughed and raised an eyebrow. She inquired, amused, "Really? All of them?"
Seth glanced around her porch, at the wind chimes scattering in the air and the black glass windows. "Yea, well, I gotta spread the 'Seth love' around. Plus, you're dating Luke so I gotta do something on the nights you two go out to watch homoerotic wrestling matches," he replied.
Summer shook her head, strands of midnight tumbling down her shoulders. "This is true. Luke does like his homoerotic wrestling matches," she relinquished, smiling.
Seth's eyes finally traced back to Summer and he knew she could see there were wafts of yearning splashing in him. Because suddenly the space between them seemed painful and he really wanted to just touch her. Funny, how you could go your whole life without touching someone and then suddenly, you felt like you couldn't live another minute without feeling them. Funny, in a non 'haha' way. Seth grinned to swallow down all his wants and responded, "I thought so. He looks like a fan of man thongs."
The girl cringed and wrinkled her nose. "Ok, ew. That's going too far," she laughed.
Seth nodded and raised his shoulders humbly. "I try. Now you'll have something to remember me by," he retorted.
Summer attempted to glare at him even if it was less then hard and said, her arms propped on her hips, "Luke. In a man thong. I don't even want that mental image, thank you."
The boy arched his brows and chuckled, reaching his arms out to finally relieve his need to hold her, his hands resting on her tapered waist, just above where her hands were. "You can always picture me in one..." he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows comically.
Summer felt him pulling in closer, the air singing and inciting with electricity around her. "Pervert," she laughed with a roll of her glistening eyes.
Seth nodded in resignation and responded with a mocking sigh, "I know, that's what all the ladies I've been dating have said."
Summer cocked an eyebrow and fit her dark exotic eyes on his. "Right. On behalf of all us 'ladies', thanks for scarring us for life, jackass," she replied roughly.
His face was really close now and his moss eyes flickered over her face, grinning his dimpled lopsided smile. "I do what I can," he responded simply.
She felt his lips brush against hers innocently and she commented with the hint of a laugh, "We really should break up."
Her breath swelled in warm tufts over his peach skin and he stared at her full, naked lips. "I know huh," he said and finally kissed her, smiles merging into one another. Summer parted her mouth and their tongues swirled and melded. Seth reflexively pulled her closer, his hands now stroking at the hollow of her back. She tasted of the ocean and ice cream and he could have stayed like this forever, everything around them sinking away into a vast dark sky.
When they finally parted, Summer caught her breath again and kept her face close to his, chocolate eyes grazing over his dazed features. "You wanna come in? I mean, we can break up later," she whispered with a smile.
Seth tried to blink away the wistful glaze in his green eyes and averted his stare from her lips. No need to tempt himself. "I really... should be going," he responded hesitantly.
Summer laughed like he was kidding and put a hand to the back of his head, running fingertips along the fringe of curls there. "Yea, right. Your willpower isn't that strong, Cohen," she said, grinning.
There faces once again teetered closer and he pushed his lips to hers, telling himself he'd always been a weak man anyway. There was a brief sensation of tongue and teeth before they pulled apart again. Summer continued trailing a finger along the back of his neck and her eyes were closed, dreamy and winded.
His lips were still close to hers when he whispered, "Good night, Summer." Then he dropped his arms from her and walked down the stairs, a few steps into her parking lot.
Summer's eyelids whirled open and she looked angry and confused, her eyebrows knitted. "Ok, what the Hell is that!" she snapped loudly.
Seth turned around to gaze at her with questioning eyes and his lips parted slightly. "Wha..." he began to say.
She cut him off, fully irritated now. Puddles of moonlight dripped in silver jetties around them and against his skin and he looked so handsome, which just annoyed her more. "Is this some messed up mind game? Is it that you don't find me attractive? Because if that's it then you can just tell me right now and we can move on already instead of this twisted little thing you've been putting me through," she spat.
Seth threw his hands up as if to defend himself and looked towards her, standing on the porch, arms crossed. "Summer, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! How can anyone not find you attractive? You're hot," he countered exasperatedly.
That still didn't soften the scowl on her face and she questioned, "Are you, like... gay?"
The boy's eyes exploded wide with shock and he spluttered, "Gay! What, because I don't want to rush right into bed!"
Summer shrugged and responded pointedly as if it was obvious, "Well... yea."
He arched an eyebrow and reasoned, "Summer, I've liked you since the sixth grade. Is that not proof enough?"
The girl rolled her shoulders again. "I don't know. Lots of people like me, gay men included. They say I have nice cheekbones," she retorted, glaring at him.
Seth sighed to himself and returned, "That you do. But I'm straight, Summer. Completely, fully functioning, hetero male." And she better be happy with that answer because that was probably the most level, calm response you could get from a teenage boy after calling him gay.
Summer looked completely at a loss now and she let her arms drop to her sides. "Then why don't you want to jump my bones, Cohen!" she exclaimed and there was a hint of vulnerability to her voice.
Seth's eyes darted around and his face staggered. "This is unbelievable! Doesn't anyone believe in romance anymore?" he proclaimed, his tone poignant.
The girl's eyes swelled a little and her petal lips fell open slightly. There was a pause as she sunk into the shadows of the porch. "Oh. Romance?" she questioned softly, feeling like an idiot. Had she really become so cynical the idea of waiting meant a guy wasn't interested? When was the last time a boy had ever been romantic towards her? When was the last time she'd allowed it? When she was younger she dreamed of it, now it was just a work of fiction in her brain. Somewhere along the line of social scenes and upholding a perfect exterior, she'd let romance die, like love.
He met her gaze and admitted, "I just, you know, want to take things slow first off. Because I respect you and I know how your relationships have been in the past and I don't want to be like that with us. I really like you. I waited sixteen years, I can wait a few more weeks."
Summer smiled faintly to herself and walked down the porch stairs to stand in front of him on her driveway. The wind was cooling now and it sent flickers of frost along her bare legs. "That was really sweet. When you put it that way... We can wait however long we need to, I guess," she responded in a hushed tone and then leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him. It was just lips pressing against lips, soft and gentle. When she pulled away, Summer smiled again and added, "I wasn't going to invite you in for sex, you know. I'm not a whore, Cohen."
Seth looked down at her, smiling. "I realize this," he replied briefly.
Summer laughed and held onto the sides of his chest with her hands. "But you being totally kind and adorable really makes me want to," she went on.
He just chuckled and said again, "I realize this." Then he bent his head down to capture her mouth one last time, slip his lips over hers in a rush of warmth before pulling back. "I should leave now before I'm tempted to just pick you up and carry you into your house for wild hetero fun," he finished with an exaggerated sigh.
Summer nodded and offered, "And I'd puke ice cream all over you."
Seth pressed his lips together in a smile and retorted, "Right. How appealing." He winked at her and turned around towards his jeep.
"I'll tell Luke you said hi and let him know you're in fact not gay, he'll be disappointed," she said to his back, smiling.
Seth laughed and shook his head of shaggy hair. He turned his head to call over his shoulder, "And hey, do me another favor and wear my tee shirt when you go to sleep tonight. If I'm not getting any action, I at least want my shirt to get some."
Summer grinned and saluted, making a clicking sound with her tongue. "Will do," she replied and watched him get in his Rover and smile at her before driving away. She stood out in her driveway, dark collapsing sky falling around her, and shoved her hands into the pockets of his hoodie, smiling foolishly in spite of herself.
--
That night it was hard for Summer to get to sleep. The silence was overwhelming, too heavy and solid over her, making her feel shipwrecked and alone. She lay back in bed, the lights dim in her fuchsia room, and tucked back strands of wet hair. Thoughts of Seth were swimming in her head too, even when she was in the shower. Ew, not that way. Just, well, how comfortable everything was with him and how they could talk about everything. And then... what he'd said about romance. That was unbelievable, no one had ever told her something like that. It was sweet and charming and what had she done to get a guy like that? Because she could be way too superficial and cold. She'd stopped believing in stuff like that, love and romance, a long time ago. Her mother left and her father and stepmother were hardly functional. She came to accept that she'd have flings and shallow relationships were she never really got to know the other person. That was easier and so what if they only wanted her for her body? She didn't care; it wasn't like she had much to offer otherwise. And now here was Seth and he was telling her she did and looking at her like she was perfect; funny, smart, beautiful. What was so wrong in believing?
She grabbed up her cordless phone and punched in the numbers she'd learned by heart. It rang for a few moments and then she heard someone pick up. "Hello?" the voice asked, she could hear in the background the sound of a stereo throbbing with some grungy band.
"Cohen," she said back.
She could almost hear the smile crawling over his face and Seth replied, "Summer? Is there a reason you're interrupting your beauty rest for me?" She heard the rustle as he sat up and lowered the dial on his sound system.
"I wasn't asleep."
"Me either. Hey, remind me to let you borrow this CD, its awesome." It was true; Seth was just lying back in bed, the other hand resting behind his head. He was still dressed and listening to music, he had been since he got home.
"O God no. The day I listen to any of your whiny music is the day I become Anna. Then again, you might like that huh?"
"Yup, probably."
"Well glad to see we agree on something. That Anna should be your girlfriend."
There was a long exhausted sigh. "Don't start that again. I already told you, I want you, not Anna. I just didn't want to hurt her feelings because I still wanted to be her friend."
She let it drop, folding one arm over her middle, but still replied, "Mmm hmm. Sure."
"You're the one who dressed up as Wonder Woman, now how could I resist that huh?"
"You couldn't, that was the plan."
"There you go with the plans again, Doctor Evil."
"I feel like watching that movie. I'd probably fall asleep though."
"That was semi-random. I guess I really am rubbing off on you; the Jewfro should be coming in any day now. Be afraid of the Eyebrows though, they're hereditary, and if I have to have them then so do you."
"I like your dad's eyebrows. He looks good with them, mature, wise. Both of which I might remind you, you are not."
"So, the truth comes out. You have the hots for my dad. I should have know, all those longing glances. You want to run your fingers through his eyebrows don't you? I just hope my mom never finds out about your secret rendezvous, it would crush her. She's a big fan of the Eyebrows too."
"That's gross."
"Not as gross as you saying you like those hairy caterpillars my dad calls eyebrows."
"Hey, leave your dad alone. Really, at least he's home most of the time." Why did she have to say that? She didn't mean to say that, he shouldn't feel bad for her. She didn't want pity, not from him.
"Your dad's... not there is he?"
She released her own weary sigh. She decided to tell him but made sure her voice sounded hard, like she didn't care. "No, he's in Milan. Work stuff, he says. He'll be home Monday. My step mom is in rehab. Funny, she's finally getting help. She should after she took all those pills when she found out she gained five pounds. She's really a mess. She thinks my dad's cheating on her and all these business trips are really just covert getaways. I think so too, he cheated on my mom with step-bimbo and like they say, once a cheater, always a cheater. But my dad says she's loosing her mind and he's making them give her all these drugs at the institute to make her sane. Like I said, funny, she's going in to get off pills and they're just putting her on more. She's just high all the time, doesn't know what's going on. They are so fucked up."
"I'm sorry, Summer. I should come over."
"No, no. That would be against the rules."
"What "rules"? By the way, I just made air quotes with my fingers but you can't see them so it was pretty pointless. Yea."
"Good to know. And it's the rules for our Take It Slow plan."
"I would just be hanging out, Summer! Its not like I can't completely control my hormones, you know. I think you'll be safe."
"Yea, but you won't. You come here acting all nice and cute and I'll be liable to seduce you. And no one wants that."
"Well, I do. But, you know, not yet."
"Yea."
"Yea. So..."
"I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"Are you really tired? Or do you just not want to talk about your parents anymore?"
"Both. Night, Seth."
"Good night, Summer."
"I'm wearing your shirt."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
She pushed the end button on her phone and lay back again. The moon parted through her curtains, scattering bands of white along her carpet in undulating patterns. She smoothed out the wrinkles in his stupid novelty tee and looked up at her ceiling. The quiet was still there, the hollowness of this sickening house. But for some reason, she was smiling.
--
End Notes: This is not the end, of course, more to come! Next chapter is where the 'Sex And The City' scene comes in and that's just because I remembered it and I thought the idea would fit well in the next chapter. If they blended my two favorite shows together I'd be so happy! Ha ha.