"Seth, I'm leaving!"

"Ok! Good luck with 'Oliver.' "

"Good luck with Summer and Anna."

Seth gave a withering glance and a short-ended laugh and slipped into the kitchen.

Ryan closed the front door behind him and felt the cool California breeze on his skin. It never got cold in California, so there was never really a 'winter' to speak of, but it did get chilly, and it just happened to be one of those nights. He took a back road, trying to avoid all the freeway traffic. Except for the fact that he found more traffic on the back road than he would've thought would be on the highway. He was gonna be so late.

*****

Marissa looked around at all the people at Oliver's party. Most of them were drunk already.

"MARISSA!"

Oliver was at the bar, a drink in his hand. Marissa smiled and sauntered over to him.

"WHERE'S RYAN?"

He was screaming to be heard over all the noise.

"HE SAID HE WAS COMING! HE SHOULD BE HERE IN A COUPLE MINUTES!" she screamed back.

"COOL."

Marissa looked around the room, then at the door, hoping to spot Ryan. 'Where are you Ryan?'

*****

"Wow, there's nothing like beer and puke to ring in the holidays."

The million-dollar facility one of the kids from school's parents had rented was already trashed and people were dropping like flies. Literally. Seth spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Anna.

"Anna!"

His voice was lost over all the people, drowned by the screaming.

"Seth!"

It was Summer. He was so not ready for this. He hadn't planned on choosing on New Year's Eve. Actually, he hadn't really given it any thought, but now that he DID think about it-

"Seth? Seth!"

"Huh? Oh, yea, hi S-summer."

"Are you, uh, here with Anna?" 'Slick move, gotta give her props there,' he thought.

"No, I'm actually.I'm actually here by myself. You?"

"Same." 'Her shy smile, she's trying to get me with the shy smile!' "So.do you wanna dance maybe?" She turned, expecting him to follow, her short dress close to exposing the rest of her backside.

'Good lord.' This would be an interesting night.

But as Seth followed Summer, and Summer grinned at how easily he followed, neither of them saw Anna, much less the tears forming in her eyes, so, naturally, the didn't see her turn and run, flying through the crowd in a flash of blonde. She would never lay eyes on Seth Cohen again.