Chapter 3:
For awhile there, Anna had forgotten that it was Seth in a coma. Well, not forgotten exactly, but in the airport it had been about Ryan. Now she stood in the doorway to Seth's hospital room.
Seth. In some ways he would always be her Seth. Her cool, geeky, brave determined, insecure best friend. Laying in the hospital bed he looked peaceful, angelic even. Anna wavered between finding that thought comforting, disturbing, or amusing.
It took her forever to notice Summer holding his hand, laying against the bed. Anna approached the other girl and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Summer?" Anna whispered. Summer sat up and turned to face her.
"Anna," the coldness in Summer's voice was quickly replaced, "Anna!"
Summer fell into Anna's arms and Anna felt the dampness of tears seeping through her sweater. Anna stroked Summer's hair as she cried.
Really, it was no wonder Ryan was freaking out. Anna had only been in town for a few hours and already two people had broken down in her arms.
"I'm so glad you're here," Summer murmured, wiping her tears.
"Me too. Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" Anna offered.
"I do, but I don't want him to wake up alone," Anna followed Summer's glance to the bed where Seth lay unresponsive.
"Ryan's in the hall, I bet he'd watch Seth while you take a break," Anna suggested.
In the hospital cafeteria Anna watched Summer play listlessly with her straw.
"What if he wakes up while I'm gone?"
"I'm sure Ryan will have us paged Summer," Anna pointed out, ever logical. "How are you? I mean, when Seth isn't in a coma, how are you? How are you both?"
Summer's smile was involuntary and Anna could see how much the other girl loved Seth.
"He's so great. I don't know why he puts up with me," Summer shrugged lightly.
"I heard you can be a bit of a bully. He mentioned something about redecorating Marissa's bedroom."
"You heard about that?" Summer seemed surprised.
"E-mail is magic. He also told me how great you were when his grandma was in town. He's completely nuts about you," Anna explained to Summer.
"Thank you," Summer seemed touched.
"Of course," Anna paused, trying to decide whether to ask or not. Finally she decided she would never get another chance like this. "Summer? Are we friends?"
"I don't know," Summer's frankness surprised Anna. "I don't know what to think. You left, said you were over Seth and things were going fine. Suddenly Seth's hurt and you're back-"
"Summer wait," Anna had to interrupt. "The reason I came wasn't because Seth is hurt. It's because when Ryan called he was worried about how you were freaking out, and because Ryan didn't sound like he was doing too well himself. I didn't come for Seth," Anna repeated, "I came for you." "I'm sorry Anna."
And though she sort of expected Summer to try to apologize eventually, Anna hadn't seen it coming, and the apology stung a little.
"Don't be. Really," Anna insisted. "I'm happy for you guys. A little jealous maybe, but I'm happy you're both happy."
"You are?" Summer seemed doubtful.
"I am. You guys are good together, it never would have worked between Seth and I. Besides," Anna added with a half-smile, "I'm starting to see the potential in the other Cohen brother."
Anna could see Summer analyzing what she had just said.
"Ryan? You like Ryan, Anna?" Summer's smile was bright.
"We had a moment at the airport," Anna brushed the subject off. "He's a good guy."
"And not exactly unattractive..." Anna could have sworn Summer winked at her.
For awhile there, Anna had forgotten that it was Seth in a coma. Well, not forgotten exactly, but in the airport it had been about Ryan. Now she stood in the doorway to Seth's hospital room.
Seth. In some ways he would always be her Seth. Her cool, geeky, brave determined, insecure best friend. Laying in the hospital bed he looked peaceful, angelic even. Anna wavered between finding that thought comforting, disturbing, or amusing.
It took her forever to notice Summer holding his hand, laying against the bed. Anna approached the other girl and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Summer?" Anna whispered. Summer sat up and turned to face her.
"Anna," the coldness in Summer's voice was quickly replaced, "Anna!"
Summer fell into Anna's arms and Anna felt the dampness of tears seeping through her sweater. Anna stroked Summer's hair as she cried.
Really, it was no wonder Ryan was freaking out. Anna had only been in town for a few hours and already two people had broken down in her arms.
"I'm so glad you're here," Summer murmured, wiping her tears.
"Me too. Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" Anna offered.
"I do, but I don't want him to wake up alone," Anna followed Summer's glance to the bed where Seth lay unresponsive.
"Ryan's in the hall, I bet he'd watch Seth while you take a break," Anna suggested.
In the hospital cafeteria Anna watched Summer play listlessly with her straw.
"What if he wakes up while I'm gone?"
"I'm sure Ryan will have us paged Summer," Anna pointed out, ever logical. "How are you? I mean, when Seth isn't in a coma, how are you? How are you both?"
Summer's smile was involuntary and Anna could see how much the other girl loved Seth.
"He's so great. I don't know why he puts up with me," Summer shrugged lightly.
"I heard you can be a bit of a bully. He mentioned something about redecorating Marissa's bedroom."
"You heard about that?" Summer seemed surprised.
"E-mail is magic. He also told me how great you were when his grandma was in town. He's completely nuts about you," Anna explained to Summer.
"Thank you," Summer seemed touched.
"Of course," Anna paused, trying to decide whether to ask or not. Finally she decided she would never get another chance like this. "Summer? Are we friends?"
"I don't know," Summer's frankness surprised Anna. "I don't know what to think. You left, said you were over Seth and things were going fine. Suddenly Seth's hurt and you're back-"
"Summer wait," Anna had to interrupt. "The reason I came wasn't because Seth is hurt. It's because when Ryan called he was worried about how you were freaking out, and because Ryan didn't sound like he was doing too well himself. I didn't come for Seth," Anna repeated, "I came for you." "I'm sorry Anna."
And though she sort of expected Summer to try to apologize eventually, Anna hadn't seen it coming, and the apology stung a little.
"Don't be. Really," Anna insisted. "I'm happy for you guys. A little jealous maybe, but I'm happy you're both happy."
"You are?" Summer seemed doubtful.
"I am. You guys are good together, it never would have worked between Seth and I. Besides," Anna added with a half-smile, "I'm starting to see the potential in the other Cohen brother."
Anna could see Summer analyzing what she had just said.
"Ryan? You like Ryan, Anna?" Summer's smile was bright.
"We had a moment at the airport," Anna brushed the subject off. "He's a good guy."
"And not exactly unattractive..." Anna could have sworn Summer winked at her.