· I do not own nor did I create any part of The OC whatsoever. None of the characters are my own, and I don't claim affiliation with the show or FOX in any way.
· Dun dun dun. Read on, read on. To the Anna haters, it's not what you expect. And I conquer with you :P
Revelation
"Don't worry, she's not here. Marissa's just waiting for Ryan."
Anna squinted at him, "Seth, I wasn't looking for Summer. I was looking for Ryan." She sighed, calming her tone before turning to Marissa. "Hey, Marissa."
Marissa looked questioningly at Seth before responding. "Anna, so you're Seth's date."
Seth winced as Anna growled lightly under her breath. "Is that such a surprise?"
Marissa returned her bitterness with a sticky sweet, yet sarcastic tone. "Oh, no. Not at all. I'm going to go wait out in the pool house for Ryan. You kids have fun."
Finally. Seth smiled questioningly at Anna.
"Oh, and Seth?"
"Yyyes Marissa?" This was getting old. Fast.
"If you really have hurt her so badly she couldn't even tell me what was going on between the both of you, I will personally see to it that your ass is kicked. Hard."
Seth grimaced, shrugging at Anna. "I don't really know-"
"What she's talking about? Right, Seth. Let's just start the movie and order a pizza."
"Right."
----
"So, you had a good time?" Seth leaned on the side of Anna's black Honda as she sat in the driver's seat.
"I suppose. You know, after the first ten minutes."
He leaned down to be eye level with her and smiled that crooked grin of his. "I'm sorry. You know she's just upset because Summers her best friend. They have that package deal going - one's mad at me and they're both mad at me, yanno? I wouldn't take it personally."
Anna cocked an eyebrow at him. "You done?"
He smirked and leaned in to kiss her cheek quickly. "I'll see ya."
"Bye, Seth."
He waved as her tail lights slowly disappeared, turning to head back inside. Their evening had been slightly less than horrible. After her introduction, Anna had put up a sort of persnickety front, rarely smiling all night. Seth was beginning to think there was no win to this situation… first he had them both and they both wanted him to choose, but now that he'd chosen, Anna was always irritable or resentful around him. She put up a foolproof façade around others, but when they were alone she was anything but the fun loving, goofy girl he'd met four months ago.
"Ugh!"
Seth turned on his heels and looked towards the bushes that lined his side yard.
"Uh, hello?"
"Cohen!"
Seth squinted into the bushes. There was only the dim light from the garage doors, but he could have sworn that voice belonged to Summer Roberts.
"Summer?"
"No, it's Laura Croft! Come here!"
Seth looked to his left, then to his right quickly before stepping into the bushes, peering through the brush.
"Ow!"
"What?"
There was a very loud giggle and he felt her hands climbing up his pant leg slowly as she pulled herself to her knees. "You stepped on my arm."
"You're drunk."
"Shhh. No, I just had a few beers cause I thought - wait, no. I don't know what I thought!" Her laugh was low and it bounced through the yard, sending chills up his spine. He steadied her as she walked toward the garage, his hands a bit shaky as they rested on her hips. The jeans she was wearing rode low and there was a good three, maybe four inches until her jean jacket hung loosely at her navel. The warmth that traveled from her stomach to his fingertips was driving him crazy.
"Cohen, she's no good for you. I mean did you see what she was wearing? Hello, that's like… she's like my Grandmother. Her clothes are, I mean. Ugh."
She wiped her face with her hands roughly, and from the light streaming from the two lanterns hung on either side of the garage, Seth could slowly make out the shadows of her face. There were tiny streams of gray lining her cheeks and his stomach dipped as he saw the pink flesh which surrounded her bloodshot eyes.
"Summer…" His hand came up to touch her forearm but when she felt his fingers touch her, she shivered and quickly pulled away.
"No, don't do that! Don't act like you care, Cohen, because we both know that you're going to run straight back to little miss perfect in the morning. Just don't pretend like it matters… go call your stupid little girlfriend or something."
"Summer, stop… you know I care about you…" She slapped his hands away as he tried to reach for her wrist.
"No you don't! You don't care about me Cohen, just like Troy, and just like Dan, and just like every other guy because you care about her. Just like they cared about all those other girls. You never cared about me, you just wanted me."
He saw the pain in her eyes and the surprise only made his stomach tighten even more. She was right, Summer Roberts could get any guy in Newport, but none of them looked at her and saw 'girlfriend.' Even he knew that if he ever had her, it would be a one-night stand, because Summer Roberts didn't fall in love, and Summer Roberts didn't have just one boyfriend. But he was wrong, and he had hurt her just like any other guy she'd probably ever cared about.
"Summer, I care about you… I mean, I can't deny I don't want you - you're beautiful and you know that, but God I care about you. You're the biggest mystery, and when you let me inside, even just a little bit, I don't think anything makes me happier. You're smart, and you're focused, and you're caring, and you hide it, and that makes me care about you even more, because you show it to me."
Her eyes were cast down and her chest rose and she sniffed loudly.
"Then why did you have to pick her, Cohen? What does she have that I don't? I mean I was really trying to be mature about everything, and I convinced myself I didn't care, I really did, but I do… and you know I hate talking about this stuff, but I want you, so bad, and I know you want me too, and then you rejected me for her? Why her?"
His heart was beating so fast he could hear it, thumping against his chest, and she looked so vulnerable, so beautiful, all he wanted to do was hold her and make it okay, and at that very moment he realized that his heart was breaking, because anything he said or did wouldn't fix anything at all, because either way, he had to break someone's heart, and either way, his heart was going to be broken.
"God, I don't know! I mean, I thought it would be okay, I though everything would go back to normal if I just PICKED one of you, just to make you two stop fighting, stop competing over me. I care about both of you, I really do, but I knew if I picked her…"
Her eyes were so pitiful and lonely he didn't really remember anything at that second. All he knew was that he was screwed. Either way, either girl, he was completely screwed.
"… What?"
"If I picked her, it wouldn't hurt me as much. If you decided you didn't want me anymore, or you couldn't go through with being in a solid relationship with me, that would kill me, Summer. I couldn't stand being hurt by you like that, or not being able to talk to you anymore, or tease you. With Anna, she's a friend, and I know that even if things don't work out it will be okay because I just wouldn't get that feeling if I broke up with her at this point, I wouldn't be crushed."
She let out a breath of air quickly, her head shaking fast from side to side.
"Fuck you, Cohen! You're such a damn girl! You did hurt me… did you ever stop to think about that? You were so afraid of being hurt you didn't care that you were hurting me, or leading her on. Fuck you."
She passed him slowly and he could see her back shaking as she walked to her car, her arms crossed over her stomach.
His head hurt and his heart was in his throat. All he could do was watch her drive away.
Was this God's idea of karma for leading two girls on? Was it so horrible to have feelings for two completely different people? He was so proud of himself for finally deciding, finally putting an end to all the games, but he never really did. He was right back where he started, and he was even more tied up in them both. Anna was his sure thing; that comfort level that he'd always hoped for in a girl. She made him smile, and she understood him, every last bit of him. He thought she was obvious, no one would be surprised if they were together, no one would point or ask questions, it would just be them. Like it should be for a girl and a guy in high school.
But then he thought about Summer. God, even thinking about her threw him off course. She physically and mentally just knocked him completely out of balance, without so much as noticing, and definitely without trying. It was something about her, the pain that was buried so deep inside of her, or the fact that he was the one she let get to it, cure it. He wanted to know everything about her, inside and out, and that scared him. It scared him more than words can say and more than he knew.
Or maybe he did know, because honestly, he had known all along. His heart only had room for one of them. Now he just realized he shouldn't have been ignoring it.
· Dun dun dun. Read on, read on. To the Anna haters, it's not what you expect. And I conquer with you :P
Revelation
"Don't worry, she's not here. Marissa's just waiting for Ryan."
Anna squinted at him, "Seth, I wasn't looking for Summer. I was looking for Ryan." She sighed, calming her tone before turning to Marissa. "Hey, Marissa."
Marissa looked questioningly at Seth before responding. "Anna, so you're Seth's date."
Seth winced as Anna growled lightly under her breath. "Is that such a surprise?"
Marissa returned her bitterness with a sticky sweet, yet sarcastic tone. "Oh, no. Not at all. I'm going to go wait out in the pool house for Ryan. You kids have fun."
Finally. Seth smiled questioningly at Anna.
"Oh, and Seth?"
"Yyyes Marissa?" This was getting old. Fast.
"If you really have hurt her so badly she couldn't even tell me what was going on between the both of you, I will personally see to it that your ass is kicked. Hard."
Seth grimaced, shrugging at Anna. "I don't really know-"
"What she's talking about? Right, Seth. Let's just start the movie and order a pizza."
"Right."
----
"So, you had a good time?" Seth leaned on the side of Anna's black Honda as she sat in the driver's seat.
"I suppose. You know, after the first ten minutes."
He leaned down to be eye level with her and smiled that crooked grin of his. "I'm sorry. You know she's just upset because Summers her best friend. They have that package deal going - one's mad at me and they're both mad at me, yanno? I wouldn't take it personally."
Anna cocked an eyebrow at him. "You done?"
He smirked and leaned in to kiss her cheek quickly. "I'll see ya."
"Bye, Seth."
He waved as her tail lights slowly disappeared, turning to head back inside. Their evening had been slightly less than horrible. After her introduction, Anna had put up a sort of persnickety front, rarely smiling all night. Seth was beginning to think there was no win to this situation… first he had them both and they both wanted him to choose, but now that he'd chosen, Anna was always irritable or resentful around him. She put up a foolproof façade around others, but when they were alone she was anything but the fun loving, goofy girl he'd met four months ago.
"Ugh!"
Seth turned on his heels and looked towards the bushes that lined his side yard.
"Uh, hello?"
"Cohen!"
Seth squinted into the bushes. There was only the dim light from the garage doors, but he could have sworn that voice belonged to Summer Roberts.
"Summer?"
"No, it's Laura Croft! Come here!"
Seth looked to his left, then to his right quickly before stepping into the bushes, peering through the brush.
"Ow!"
"What?"
There was a very loud giggle and he felt her hands climbing up his pant leg slowly as she pulled herself to her knees. "You stepped on my arm."
"You're drunk."
"Shhh. No, I just had a few beers cause I thought - wait, no. I don't know what I thought!" Her laugh was low and it bounced through the yard, sending chills up his spine. He steadied her as she walked toward the garage, his hands a bit shaky as they rested on her hips. The jeans she was wearing rode low and there was a good three, maybe four inches until her jean jacket hung loosely at her navel. The warmth that traveled from her stomach to his fingertips was driving him crazy.
"Cohen, she's no good for you. I mean did you see what she was wearing? Hello, that's like… she's like my Grandmother. Her clothes are, I mean. Ugh."
She wiped her face with her hands roughly, and from the light streaming from the two lanterns hung on either side of the garage, Seth could slowly make out the shadows of her face. There were tiny streams of gray lining her cheeks and his stomach dipped as he saw the pink flesh which surrounded her bloodshot eyes.
"Summer…" His hand came up to touch her forearm but when she felt his fingers touch her, she shivered and quickly pulled away.
"No, don't do that! Don't act like you care, Cohen, because we both know that you're going to run straight back to little miss perfect in the morning. Just don't pretend like it matters… go call your stupid little girlfriend or something."
"Summer, stop… you know I care about you…" She slapped his hands away as he tried to reach for her wrist.
"No you don't! You don't care about me Cohen, just like Troy, and just like Dan, and just like every other guy because you care about her. Just like they cared about all those other girls. You never cared about me, you just wanted me."
He saw the pain in her eyes and the surprise only made his stomach tighten even more. She was right, Summer Roberts could get any guy in Newport, but none of them looked at her and saw 'girlfriend.' Even he knew that if he ever had her, it would be a one-night stand, because Summer Roberts didn't fall in love, and Summer Roberts didn't have just one boyfriend. But he was wrong, and he had hurt her just like any other guy she'd probably ever cared about.
"Summer, I care about you… I mean, I can't deny I don't want you - you're beautiful and you know that, but God I care about you. You're the biggest mystery, and when you let me inside, even just a little bit, I don't think anything makes me happier. You're smart, and you're focused, and you're caring, and you hide it, and that makes me care about you even more, because you show it to me."
Her eyes were cast down and her chest rose and she sniffed loudly.
"Then why did you have to pick her, Cohen? What does she have that I don't? I mean I was really trying to be mature about everything, and I convinced myself I didn't care, I really did, but I do… and you know I hate talking about this stuff, but I want you, so bad, and I know you want me too, and then you rejected me for her? Why her?"
His heart was beating so fast he could hear it, thumping against his chest, and she looked so vulnerable, so beautiful, all he wanted to do was hold her and make it okay, and at that very moment he realized that his heart was breaking, because anything he said or did wouldn't fix anything at all, because either way, he had to break someone's heart, and either way, his heart was going to be broken.
"God, I don't know! I mean, I thought it would be okay, I though everything would go back to normal if I just PICKED one of you, just to make you two stop fighting, stop competing over me. I care about both of you, I really do, but I knew if I picked her…"
Her eyes were so pitiful and lonely he didn't really remember anything at that second. All he knew was that he was screwed. Either way, either girl, he was completely screwed.
"… What?"
"If I picked her, it wouldn't hurt me as much. If you decided you didn't want me anymore, or you couldn't go through with being in a solid relationship with me, that would kill me, Summer. I couldn't stand being hurt by you like that, or not being able to talk to you anymore, or tease you. With Anna, she's a friend, and I know that even if things don't work out it will be okay because I just wouldn't get that feeling if I broke up with her at this point, I wouldn't be crushed."
She let out a breath of air quickly, her head shaking fast from side to side.
"Fuck you, Cohen! You're such a damn girl! You did hurt me… did you ever stop to think about that? You were so afraid of being hurt you didn't care that you were hurting me, or leading her on. Fuck you."
She passed him slowly and he could see her back shaking as she walked to her car, her arms crossed over her stomach.
His head hurt and his heart was in his throat. All he could do was watch her drive away.
Was this God's idea of karma for leading two girls on? Was it so horrible to have feelings for two completely different people? He was so proud of himself for finally deciding, finally putting an end to all the games, but he never really did. He was right back where he started, and he was even more tied up in them both. Anna was his sure thing; that comfort level that he'd always hoped for in a girl. She made him smile, and she understood him, every last bit of him. He thought she was obvious, no one would be surprised if they were together, no one would point or ask questions, it would just be them. Like it should be for a girl and a guy in high school.
But then he thought about Summer. God, even thinking about her threw him off course. She physically and mentally just knocked him completely out of balance, without so much as noticing, and definitely without trying. It was something about her, the pain that was buried so deep inside of her, or the fact that he was the one she let get to it, cure it. He wanted to know everything about her, inside and out, and that scared him. It scared him more than words can say and more than he knew.
Or maybe he did know, because honestly, he had known all along. His heart only had room for one of them. Now he just realized he shouldn't have been ignoring it.