A/N: I know this chapter may be a little annoying, kind of cliff hangerish,
but I promise lots of drama and lots of Seth/Summer quirkiness in the next
few chapters.
Chapter 12: Tommorrow
Seth looked around Summer's apartment as Charlotte drummed her fingers on his knee, for the millionth time. Summer had come out of her bedroom, announcing she was in desperate need of a shower, and if he wouldn't mind watching Charlotte while she bathed, and of course, being the weakling he was, he obliged.
Not that he minded. He loved watching Charlotte. With every growing second, the tiny girl entranced him more. Every thing she did was so similar to Summer, it was unbelievable that someone could mimic someone else so well.
Suddenly, breaking his train of thought, Summer finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing a bright blue robe, brushing her long, damp brown hair carefully.
"Mommy," Charlotte rang out in a demanding shrill, "I'm hungry."
Summer sighed deeply, letting her tired eyes close for a second, throwing her brush back into the bathroom and storming off to the kitchen. Charlotte flew off the couch, following her mother, grabbing the banana Summer held out for her. Charlotte sat down on the floor by Seth's legs, munching away, carelessly throwing the peel to her side.
Seth laughed, picking up the banana peel and walking over to Summer, who had sat down at the kitchen table, placing her head on the table, letting her eye close once more.
"Summer," Seth asked, as he placed the peel in the garbage can he spotted, "When's the last time you took a break?"
Summer popped her eyes open, watching Seth as he slowly leaned against the counter, next to her.
"Do coffee breaks count?" She asked, forcing herself to keep her eyes open.
"What do you say, we . . ." Seth began, his voice quivering with a nervous stumble, " . . .leave Charlotte with my mom and grab some dinner. Just us."
Summer stared back at the boy who's heart she had broken nearly two years ago, letting the corners of her mouth twist up into a half hearted smile.
"Let me just, um, get dressed." Summer jumped up, all of a sudden feeling very naked in front of Seth. He watched her, an amused expression on his face.
"Well, knowing you," Seth laughed, scooping up Charlotte into his arms, who had finished her snack, "That might take a while. So, why don't I take Charlotte over to my house now?"
Summer nodded, patting Charlotte's head.
"Charlotte, you're going to spend tonight with Aunt Kirsten!" Summer smiled, making her way to the bedroom. She had no time to spare.
Charlotte smiled, giddily at first, but then frowned, "But Aunt Ki-i- rsten's [she always had trouble pronouncing her name] food tastes funny. And I'm still hungry."
Seth stared at the tiny girl, rolling over with laughter.
"Why don't we pick up some McDonald's on the way over then?" Seth asked the tiny girl who nodded in agreement.
"Bye Mommy!" Charlotte screamed, urging Seth to leave.
"Bye Charlie, I love you!" Summer screamed from the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
"You don't like Kirsten's food. You really are my child." Seth muttered to himself, happily, but loud enough for Summer to run back out the bedroom as he opened the apartment door.
"Seth!" Summer gasped. She didn't want to ruin things. She wanted to have one night of pretending as if everything was normal. She didn't want to break his heart again, or hers.
"What?" Seth looked at her, in surprise.
"Um," Summer stammered, loosening her neck up. "Don't let Charlie eat too much ketchup." Her eyes strained to make as if this was really what she planned to say. "She has a nervous stomach."
"Like her mother?" Seth laughed, leaving the apartment, Charlotte laughing along, even though she wasn't paying attention to what the adults had been saying.
"Yeah." Summer rubbed her stomach, which was aching from all the lies she had been spinning for the past two years. "Like her mother."
She turned back to the bedroom, in search of something that was actually decent to wear. She shoved a bunch of clothes from her closet to the side, looking at some of her older dresses, along with things she had thrown back there, that reminded her of Seth. Now that the wound of leaving him, was closing slowly, it didn't hurt as much to look back at these things. She touched the arm of the denim jacket she had worn at the night she went to Kirsten, slowly moving her arm to a shoebox, where she kept all the notes Seth had written to her during class in high school.
She sighed, letting her eyes fall upon an old skirt. It was short, but not as short as she used to wear, and she lifted it off it's hanger, deciding it was perfect.
********
Kirsten knocked on the pool house door, something she had insistently taught herself to do, after the many times she had walked in on things that she would - much - rather not see.
"Come in." Ryan called. Kirsten opened the door, sighing in relief that Marissa and Ryan weren't disheveled, but simply talking.
"Hey." They both chimed at once, laughing at each other.
"Hey, um, Marissa, your mother was just here."
"She knows." Ryan said, bitterly.
"Oh." Kirsten sat down on the couch, next to Marissa. "I was wondering if Julie has been acting strange lately."
"My mom's always strange." Marissa laughed, but then paused seeing the concern on Kirsten's face. "In what way?"
"Has she mentioned Summer at all?" Kirsten asked, trying to recall Julie's words a few minutes ago.
"Actually," Marissa frowned. "She did mention the whole Charlotte thing, but I set her straight. And, she invited Summer over for Christmas dinner to make up for it." Marissa smiled at Ryan, who gave her a skeptical eye, probably wondering why Julie Cooper would do that.
"Yeah, she told me Summer and Charlotte would be coming here."
"Here?" Marissa asked, blinking her eyes widely.
"Caleb and Julie are eating dinner at our house tomorrow. And so are you. Didn't Julie tell you?" Kirsten paused, seeing Marissa's reaction. "Of course she didn't."
"Why on earth would Julie invite Summer over?" Ryan asked, frowning deep in thought.
"To be nice." Marissa stated strongly, trying to convince herself that her mother has changed, although she noticed Julie's overly fake smile lately.
"I don't know about that." Ryan said. "Before, she was trying to start something between us, too."
"What do you mean?" Marissa asked in shock.
"She was the one who told me about Charlotte," Ryan stopped as Kirsten eyed him. "Officially. And then she went on about how you should be honest with me. It was like, she was trying to," Marissa stood up, furious as Ryan spoke. "Manipulate me into getting into a fight with you."
"AND IT WORKED!" Marissa screamed, her voice overridden with anger and disappointment.
"Marissa, calm down." Ryan said, placing his arm around her. "We know your mom hates us being together. I should have figured this all out when she actually hugged me this morning. It was so awkward."
"Tomorrow night is going to be a huge mess." Kirsten broke in. "I can feel it."
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this." Marissa interrupted, grabbing her bag and running out of the pool house towards her own home.
"What did I miss?" Seth's voice rang out, as he walked into the pool house, carrying Charlotte in his arms, who was holding a McDonald's happy meal in her hands.
Ryan and Kirsten stared at him, a bemused look on their faces.
"Ryan, this is Charlotte." Seth placed the girl down on the couch, and she ate happily, kicking her legs.
"I know." Ryan managed to get out. "Summer's daughter."
"Yeah." Seth almost looked at Charlotte all dreamily and then stopped himself.
"Sweetie," Kirsten started, ready to demand to know what happened with Summer, but instead, Seth swiftly broke her words.
"Can you watch her? I'm taking Summer out for some much needed relaxation." He skipped off towards the pool house door.
"Sure." Kirsten smiled, happily, sitting back down next to Charlotte, watching Seth leave.
"Who are you?" Charlotte broke the silence, staring up at Ryan's eyes.
"I guess I'm Uncle Ryan." Ryan said, kneeling in front of the girl. "She looks so much like Summer." He said to Kirsten, who nodded in complete agreement. "And she has Seth's curls." He stopped himself, remembering what Kirsten had told him.
"Coincidence." Kirsten replied.
"Her eyes, sort of like Seth's." Ryan noticed, looking back at Kirsten.
"Ryan," Kirsten began, ready to prove him wrong.
"Come on, Kirsten. Do you really think Summer would have cheated on Seth?" He stared at her, waiting for her response.
"No. But she wouldn't lie to me." Kirsten said, defensively.
"Summer Roberts would do anything to get what she wants." Ryan pointed out, lying back on his old bed.
"You know," Kirsten said, softly, "I never really doubted Summer, until Charlotte began started to grow up, and her features came in." Kirsten looked down at the child with defeat. "She does look a lot like him."
"You should confront Summer. Tell her you know. Then, she'll have to tell Seth, and maybe then can salvage some sort of relationship." Ryan said, knowingly.
"I'll do it tomorrow." Kirsten said, grabbing Charlotte's hand, who immediately latched to her and walked with her out of the pool house. Kirsten said to herself again, I'll do it tomorrow. And she had to do it before Julie Cooper found out.
************
"Mom!" Marissa shrieked, trying to keep down her anger. She shoved her purse into the closet, looking all over for her mother.
"She's not here." Caleb said dryly.
"Where is she?" Marissa asked, looking at him with complete disgust.
"At your little friend's house." Caleb said, smiling evilly.
"What friend?" Marissa asked, bewildered until it dawned on her. Summer. Marissa ran back out the Cooper's mansion and to the pool house, hopefully to catch Seth, who she had noticed walking by her as she ran to her house, before he left again.
Chapter 12: Tommorrow
Seth looked around Summer's apartment as Charlotte drummed her fingers on his knee, for the millionth time. Summer had come out of her bedroom, announcing she was in desperate need of a shower, and if he wouldn't mind watching Charlotte while she bathed, and of course, being the weakling he was, he obliged.
Not that he minded. He loved watching Charlotte. With every growing second, the tiny girl entranced him more. Every thing she did was so similar to Summer, it was unbelievable that someone could mimic someone else so well.
Suddenly, breaking his train of thought, Summer finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing a bright blue robe, brushing her long, damp brown hair carefully.
"Mommy," Charlotte rang out in a demanding shrill, "I'm hungry."
Summer sighed deeply, letting her tired eyes close for a second, throwing her brush back into the bathroom and storming off to the kitchen. Charlotte flew off the couch, following her mother, grabbing the banana Summer held out for her. Charlotte sat down on the floor by Seth's legs, munching away, carelessly throwing the peel to her side.
Seth laughed, picking up the banana peel and walking over to Summer, who had sat down at the kitchen table, placing her head on the table, letting her eye close once more.
"Summer," Seth asked, as he placed the peel in the garbage can he spotted, "When's the last time you took a break?"
Summer popped her eyes open, watching Seth as he slowly leaned against the counter, next to her.
"Do coffee breaks count?" She asked, forcing herself to keep her eyes open.
"What do you say, we . . ." Seth began, his voice quivering with a nervous stumble, " . . .leave Charlotte with my mom and grab some dinner. Just us."
Summer stared back at the boy who's heart she had broken nearly two years ago, letting the corners of her mouth twist up into a half hearted smile.
"Let me just, um, get dressed." Summer jumped up, all of a sudden feeling very naked in front of Seth. He watched her, an amused expression on his face.
"Well, knowing you," Seth laughed, scooping up Charlotte into his arms, who had finished her snack, "That might take a while. So, why don't I take Charlotte over to my house now?"
Summer nodded, patting Charlotte's head.
"Charlotte, you're going to spend tonight with Aunt Kirsten!" Summer smiled, making her way to the bedroom. She had no time to spare.
Charlotte smiled, giddily at first, but then frowned, "But Aunt Ki-i- rsten's [she always had trouble pronouncing her name] food tastes funny. And I'm still hungry."
Seth stared at the tiny girl, rolling over with laughter.
"Why don't we pick up some McDonald's on the way over then?" Seth asked the tiny girl who nodded in agreement.
"Bye Mommy!" Charlotte screamed, urging Seth to leave.
"Bye Charlie, I love you!" Summer screamed from the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
"You don't like Kirsten's food. You really are my child." Seth muttered to himself, happily, but loud enough for Summer to run back out the bedroom as he opened the apartment door.
"Seth!" Summer gasped. She didn't want to ruin things. She wanted to have one night of pretending as if everything was normal. She didn't want to break his heart again, or hers.
"What?" Seth looked at her, in surprise.
"Um," Summer stammered, loosening her neck up. "Don't let Charlie eat too much ketchup." Her eyes strained to make as if this was really what she planned to say. "She has a nervous stomach."
"Like her mother?" Seth laughed, leaving the apartment, Charlotte laughing along, even though she wasn't paying attention to what the adults had been saying.
"Yeah." Summer rubbed her stomach, which was aching from all the lies she had been spinning for the past two years. "Like her mother."
She turned back to the bedroom, in search of something that was actually decent to wear. She shoved a bunch of clothes from her closet to the side, looking at some of her older dresses, along with things she had thrown back there, that reminded her of Seth. Now that the wound of leaving him, was closing slowly, it didn't hurt as much to look back at these things. She touched the arm of the denim jacket she had worn at the night she went to Kirsten, slowly moving her arm to a shoebox, where she kept all the notes Seth had written to her during class in high school.
She sighed, letting her eyes fall upon an old skirt. It was short, but not as short as she used to wear, and she lifted it off it's hanger, deciding it was perfect.
********
Kirsten knocked on the pool house door, something she had insistently taught herself to do, after the many times she had walked in on things that she would - much - rather not see.
"Come in." Ryan called. Kirsten opened the door, sighing in relief that Marissa and Ryan weren't disheveled, but simply talking.
"Hey." They both chimed at once, laughing at each other.
"Hey, um, Marissa, your mother was just here."
"She knows." Ryan said, bitterly.
"Oh." Kirsten sat down on the couch, next to Marissa. "I was wondering if Julie has been acting strange lately."
"My mom's always strange." Marissa laughed, but then paused seeing the concern on Kirsten's face. "In what way?"
"Has she mentioned Summer at all?" Kirsten asked, trying to recall Julie's words a few minutes ago.
"Actually," Marissa frowned. "She did mention the whole Charlotte thing, but I set her straight. And, she invited Summer over for Christmas dinner to make up for it." Marissa smiled at Ryan, who gave her a skeptical eye, probably wondering why Julie Cooper would do that.
"Yeah, she told me Summer and Charlotte would be coming here."
"Here?" Marissa asked, blinking her eyes widely.
"Caleb and Julie are eating dinner at our house tomorrow. And so are you. Didn't Julie tell you?" Kirsten paused, seeing Marissa's reaction. "Of course she didn't."
"Why on earth would Julie invite Summer over?" Ryan asked, frowning deep in thought.
"To be nice." Marissa stated strongly, trying to convince herself that her mother has changed, although she noticed Julie's overly fake smile lately.
"I don't know about that." Ryan said. "Before, she was trying to start something between us, too."
"What do you mean?" Marissa asked in shock.
"She was the one who told me about Charlotte," Ryan stopped as Kirsten eyed him. "Officially. And then she went on about how you should be honest with me. It was like, she was trying to," Marissa stood up, furious as Ryan spoke. "Manipulate me into getting into a fight with you."
"AND IT WORKED!" Marissa screamed, her voice overridden with anger and disappointment.
"Marissa, calm down." Ryan said, placing his arm around her. "We know your mom hates us being together. I should have figured this all out when she actually hugged me this morning. It was so awkward."
"Tomorrow night is going to be a huge mess." Kirsten broke in. "I can feel it."
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this." Marissa interrupted, grabbing her bag and running out of the pool house towards her own home.
"What did I miss?" Seth's voice rang out, as he walked into the pool house, carrying Charlotte in his arms, who was holding a McDonald's happy meal in her hands.
Ryan and Kirsten stared at him, a bemused look on their faces.
"Ryan, this is Charlotte." Seth placed the girl down on the couch, and she ate happily, kicking her legs.
"I know." Ryan managed to get out. "Summer's daughter."
"Yeah." Seth almost looked at Charlotte all dreamily and then stopped himself.
"Sweetie," Kirsten started, ready to demand to know what happened with Summer, but instead, Seth swiftly broke her words.
"Can you watch her? I'm taking Summer out for some much needed relaxation." He skipped off towards the pool house door.
"Sure." Kirsten smiled, happily, sitting back down next to Charlotte, watching Seth leave.
"Who are you?" Charlotte broke the silence, staring up at Ryan's eyes.
"I guess I'm Uncle Ryan." Ryan said, kneeling in front of the girl. "She looks so much like Summer." He said to Kirsten, who nodded in complete agreement. "And she has Seth's curls." He stopped himself, remembering what Kirsten had told him.
"Coincidence." Kirsten replied.
"Her eyes, sort of like Seth's." Ryan noticed, looking back at Kirsten.
"Ryan," Kirsten began, ready to prove him wrong.
"Come on, Kirsten. Do you really think Summer would have cheated on Seth?" He stared at her, waiting for her response.
"No. But she wouldn't lie to me." Kirsten said, defensively.
"Summer Roberts would do anything to get what she wants." Ryan pointed out, lying back on his old bed.
"You know," Kirsten said, softly, "I never really doubted Summer, until Charlotte began started to grow up, and her features came in." Kirsten looked down at the child with defeat. "She does look a lot like him."
"You should confront Summer. Tell her you know. Then, she'll have to tell Seth, and maybe then can salvage some sort of relationship." Ryan said, knowingly.
"I'll do it tomorrow." Kirsten said, grabbing Charlotte's hand, who immediately latched to her and walked with her out of the pool house. Kirsten said to herself again, I'll do it tomorrow. And she had to do it before Julie Cooper found out.
************
"Mom!" Marissa shrieked, trying to keep down her anger. She shoved her purse into the closet, looking all over for her mother.
"She's not here." Caleb said dryly.
"Where is she?" Marissa asked, looking at him with complete disgust.
"At your little friend's house." Caleb said, smiling evilly.
"What friend?" Marissa asked, bewildered until it dawned on her. Summer. Marissa ran back out the Cooper's mansion and to the pool house, hopefully to catch Seth, who she had noticed walking by her as she ran to her house, before he left again.