Chapter 7:
At about four pm the girls decided it was probably time to leave the Cohen's. They wouldn't want to wear out their welcome.
"Anna," Summer called as the two girls walked to their respective cars. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"
"Um, sure," Anna agreed. "Meet me at the chili place by the pier?"
"Okay."
It took Anna awhile to find a parking spot in crowded downtown Newport. By the time she made it to the restaurant Summer had seated herself in the booth closest to the door and ordered both of the girls a drink.
"What's up?" Anna asked sliding in across from Summer.
"So. You and Ryan," Summer stated.
"Yeah."
"Where the hell did *that* come from?" Summer questioned. "I mean, it's traumatic watching you guys. It's almost like looking at the ingredients of Slim Jims, some things you shouldn't look at too closely."
"Summer? Are you really comparing my romantic secret love affair to Slim Jims?" Anna wondered. "It's just strange, this whole you and Ryan thing came out of nowhere. Like, you guys were sort-of friends and now you're all deeply in love. Seth and I missed a major step."
"If it's any consolation Summer, we kinda missed it too," Anna assured. "So what exactly did happen?" Summer asked, "Seth didn't give me any details, so spill! What, where, when, how?" Anna laughed.
"Seth didn't have any details to give," she explained. "As long as I hadn't cheated on him, he figured the rest wasn't a big deal."
"So like a boy," Summer complained. "Details are important!... So, Anna?"
"Okay, the night of the Oliver thing, I broke up with Seth. I was pretty upset, so instead of going home I went down to the beach for awhile.
Ryan came down awhile later. He was obviously traumatized and we got to talking..." Anna played with her straw. "We bonded, and then Ryan insisted upon walking me to my car. We kissed, and, stuff...
After that we started spending a lot of time together. We were both single, and the person we spent the most time with-"
"Seth," Summer filled in.
"Seth was busy. So Ryan and I got really close. There were, are, all these sparks. I couldn't not be near him, touch him. So Ryan and I being lovers was kind of part of us being friends. Does that make sense?" Anna asked.
"Not really."
"Hmm. Okay. How can I put this? It's like, I can't imagine being just friends with Ryan. For me, part of being friends with Ryan is being with him."
"Got it now," Summer told Anna.
"Good. So Ryan and I were sort of secretly hanging out. But then Theresa came to town."
"Oh," Summer could see the problem.
"I mean, our relationship was a secret, because obviously we didn't want to hurt Seth, or anyone else. So Theresa sees Ryan without Marissa and why shouldn't she go for him?" Anna asked logically.
"Ryan shouldn't have gone for her though," Summer protested.
"Ideally, no. But Ryan and I were a secret. We were just friends," At Summer's look Anna added, "with benefits, but still, just friends. The feelings were there, but neither of us was admitting that."
"Stupid," Summer input helpfully.
"Well yeah, in retrospect. Anyway, I was already hurt by you and Seth getting together," Summer opened her mouth to apologize. Anna cut her off, "Bygones. It's just, watching you guys together hurt. Then I found out about Ryan kissing Theresa, which, ouch. I've never ever hurt like that, which kinda clued me into the fact that I'm in love with Ryan."
"I'm familiar with that sort of experience," Summer and Anna exchanged a smile. For all of their differences the two girls were a lot alike. It was no wonder Seth hadn't been sure who he'd wanted. "But I have to admit Anna, it never occurred to me to run halfway across the country."
"I just..." Anna started, stopped, and tried again. "Ryan was avoiding me. You and Seth were... distracted. I didn't want to be friendless in Newport, and that weekend in Pittsburgh convinced me that I wouldn't be friendless there," Anna sighed. "I didn't exactly think things through."
"Clearly. You should have just cornered Ryan," Summer pointed out.
"The thought did occur to me Summer. But, what was I supposed to do? Atttack Ryan in a hallway at school? That would have gone so well," Anna observed sarcastically. "So instead I said nothing. Ryan found out I was leaving, he said nothing. So I said goodbye to everyone."
"And then Ryan raced to the airport to plead with you to stay," Summer finished.
"No. That was Seth. Ryan just drove," Anna corrected.
"and declared his undying love for you in the middle of the airport," Summer continued.
"Technically he just grabbed me and dragged me out of the airport," Anna insisted.
"Work with me Stern! It was a very romantic night for both of you," Summer concluded.
"It was amazing," Anna acknowledged.
At about four pm the girls decided it was probably time to leave the Cohen's. They wouldn't want to wear out their welcome.
"Anna," Summer called as the two girls walked to their respective cars. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"
"Um, sure," Anna agreed. "Meet me at the chili place by the pier?"
"Okay."
It took Anna awhile to find a parking spot in crowded downtown Newport. By the time she made it to the restaurant Summer had seated herself in the booth closest to the door and ordered both of the girls a drink.
"What's up?" Anna asked sliding in across from Summer.
"So. You and Ryan," Summer stated.
"Yeah."
"Where the hell did *that* come from?" Summer questioned. "I mean, it's traumatic watching you guys. It's almost like looking at the ingredients of Slim Jims, some things you shouldn't look at too closely."
"Summer? Are you really comparing my romantic secret love affair to Slim Jims?" Anna wondered. "It's just strange, this whole you and Ryan thing came out of nowhere. Like, you guys were sort-of friends and now you're all deeply in love. Seth and I missed a major step."
"If it's any consolation Summer, we kinda missed it too," Anna assured. "So what exactly did happen?" Summer asked, "Seth didn't give me any details, so spill! What, where, when, how?" Anna laughed.
"Seth didn't have any details to give," she explained. "As long as I hadn't cheated on him, he figured the rest wasn't a big deal."
"So like a boy," Summer complained. "Details are important!... So, Anna?"
"Okay, the night of the Oliver thing, I broke up with Seth. I was pretty upset, so instead of going home I went down to the beach for awhile.
Ryan came down awhile later. He was obviously traumatized and we got to talking..." Anna played with her straw. "We bonded, and then Ryan insisted upon walking me to my car. We kissed, and, stuff...
After that we started spending a lot of time together. We were both single, and the person we spent the most time with-"
"Seth," Summer filled in.
"Seth was busy. So Ryan and I got really close. There were, are, all these sparks. I couldn't not be near him, touch him. So Ryan and I being lovers was kind of part of us being friends. Does that make sense?" Anna asked.
"Not really."
"Hmm. Okay. How can I put this? It's like, I can't imagine being just friends with Ryan. For me, part of being friends with Ryan is being with him."
"Got it now," Summer told Anna.
"Good. So Ryan and I were sort of secretly hanging out. But then Theresa came to town."
"Oh," Summer could see the problem.
"I mean, our relationship was a secret, because obviously we didn't want to hurt Seth, or anyone else. So Theresa sees Ryan without Marissa and why shouldn't she go for him?" Anna asked logically.
"Ryan shouldn't have gone for her though," Summer protested.
"Ideally, no. But Ryan and I were a secret. We were just friends," At Summer's look Anna added, "with benefits, but still, just friends. The feelings were there, but neither of us was admitting that."
"Stupid," Summer input helpfully.
"Well yeah, in retrospect. Anyway, I was already hurt by you and Seth getting together," Summer opened her mouth to apologize. Anna cut her off, "Bygones. It's just, watching you guys together hurt. Then I found out about Ryan kissing Theresa, which, ouch. I've never ever hurt like that, which kinda clued me into the fact that I'm in love with Ryan."
"I'm familiar with that sort of experience," Summer and Anna exchanged a smile. For all of their differences the two girls were a lot alike. It was no wonder Seth hadn't been sure who he'd wanted. "But I have to admit Anna, it never occurred to me to run halfway across the country."
"I just..." Anna started, stopped, and tried again. "Ryan was avoiding me. You and Seth were... distracted. I didn't want to be friendless in Newport, and that weekend in Pittsburgh convinced me that I wouldn't be friendless there," Anna sighed. "I didn't exactly think things through."
"Clearly. You should have just cornered Ryan," Summer pointed out.
"The thought did occur to me Summer. But, what was I supposed to do? Atttack Ryan in a hallway at school? That would have gone so well," Anna observed sarcastically. "So instead I said nothing. Ryan found out I was leaving, he said nothing. So I said goodbye to everyone."
"And then Ryan raced to the airport to plead with you to stay," Summer finished.
"No. That was Seth. Ryan just drove," Anna corrected.
"and declared his undying love for you in the middle of the airport," Summer continued.
"Technically he just grabbed me and dragged me out of the airport," Anna insisted.
"Work with me Stern! It was a very romantic night for both of you," Summer concluded.
"It was amazing," Anna acknowledged.