Chapter 5- Seth
Anna stepped into the hallway to call Summer the moment Seth began tossing and turning in his sleep.
"Anna?" Seth's voice was full of surprise when she entered the room.
"Seth," Anna smiled affectionately. After a pause she asked, "Any chance you could go to sleep for like fifteen minutes? 'Cause Summer's going to be pissed that she wasn't the first thing you woke up to."
Seth smiled weakly.
"Right. Babbling. Let me get a doctor for you. Page your family," Anna turned to leave.
"Wait. Anna I'm glad you're here..."
"But?" Anna finished for him. "Talk to Summer about this, Seth. I'm tired of repeating myself, and everything isn't about you."
"You're in my hospital room. How is it not about me?" Seth looked petulant. Anna laughed.
"Let me go get a doctor."
Seth's room was crowded with doctors and nurses and the Cohen's by the time Summer arrived.
"Seth!" she called out and to Anna it seemed that the crowd parted for the girl.
Anna watched Summer climb onto the bed next to Seth, embrace him, and begin to sob.
Seth patted his girlfriend awkwardly. Anna caught his eyes, smiled, nodded, reassured him that she was okay watching Seth and Summer together. It seemed to be what Seth sought.
"You're a good friend," Ryan whispered in Anna's ear.
"Bygones," she whispered back, transfixed by Seth and Summer.
It was almost like Anna was seeing them for the first time. She saw Seth whisper something soothing in Summer's ear, and it didn't hurt. Not a twinge. Summer looked at Seth, and though Anna couldn't see Summer's face Seth's reaction was pure love.
Ryan took her hand in his and she gave him a gently squeeze. Anna tore herself away from Summer and Seth's tender scene. She studied Ryan's profile. She kissed his cheek, just to say 'I'm okay. Thanks for caring. I really am over Seth, so if you're still interested...'
Anna returned her gaze to Summer and Seth. Watching her friends kiss was a lot less painful than it had been two months ago, a lot less than it might have been two days ago. Her friends were in love and Anna was truly, honestly, happy for them.
The doctors and nurses had left, and Kirsten and Sandy had excused themselves to finish hospital paperwork. The four teenagers were alone.
Summer had settled herself in Seth's bed, head on his shoulder. Their arms were twined around each other tightly. Summer's make-up was streaked with tears, but Anna had ever seen her friend so happy.
Any jealousy Anna had left in her had been wiped away when Ryan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Anna put her head on Ryan's chest, a very good place to be.
"So, Anna, how long are you in town for?" Seth asks conversationally, but everyone in the room knows it's a loaded question.
Ryan pulls Anna tighter to him. Any closer and she'll be in his lap, which might be an interesting reason to stay.
"I owe my parents a few days," Anna reminds her friends. "After that... I could be convinced to stay."
There. Now the ball is in Ryan's court. As much as she hopes he'll ask her to stay, Anna will live if he says nothing. She'll go back to Pittsburgh and tell her friends about this insanely long day. They'll feed her ice cream, and console her, and mock her for falling so hard, so fast.
"Anna? Where do you go when you aren't here?" Ryan interrupts her worst-possible scenario.
"Sorry. I wandered. What did I miss?"
"Not much," Summer's tone was teasing, "Ryan begging, pleading with you to stay."
"I missed that? Really? I-" Ryan interupted Anna with a tender kiss.
Newport. Okay. Everyone deserves a chance to fall in love, even Anna. If she gets to be the girl who falls for Ryan Atwood, well then she's just exceptionally lucky.
Anna stepped into the hallway to call Summer the moment Seth began tossing and turning in his sleep.
"Anna?" Seth's voice was full of surprise when she entered the room.
"Seth," Anna smiled affectionately. After a pause she asked, "Any chance you could go to sleep for like fifteen minutes? 'Cause Summer's going to be pissed that she wasn't the first thing you woke up to."
Seth smiled weakly.
"Right. Babbling. Let me get a doctor for you. Page your family," Anna turned to leave.
"Wait. Anna I'm glad you're here..."
"But?" Anna finished for him. "Talk to Summer about this, Seth. I'm tired of repeating myself, and everything isn't about you."
"You're in my hospital room. How is it not about me?" Seth looked petulant. Anna laughed.
"Let me go get a doctor."
Seth's room was crowded with doctors and nurses and the Cohen's by the time Summer arrived.
"Seth!" she called out and to Anna it seemed that the crowd parted for the girl.
Anna watched Summer climb onto the bed next to Seth, embrace him, and begin to sob.
Seth patted his girlfriend awkwardly. Anna caught his eyes, smiled, nodded, reassured him that she was okay watching Seth and Summer together. It seemed to be what Seth sought.
"You're a good friend," Ryan whispered in Anna's ear.
"Bygones," she whispered back, transfixed by Seth and Summer.
It was almost like Anna was seeing them for the first time. She saw Seth whisper something soothing in Summer's ear, and it didn't hurt. Not a twinge. Summer looked at Seth, and though Anna couldn't see Summer's face Seth's reaction was pure love.
Ryan took her hand in his and she gave him a gently squeeze. Anna tore herself away from Summer and Seth's tender scene. She studied Ryan's profile. She kissed his cheek, just to say 'I'm okay. Thanks for caring. I really am over Seth, so if you're still interested...'
Anna returned her gaze to Summer and Seth. Watching her friends kiss was a lot less painful than it had been two months ago, a lot less than it might have been two days ago. Her friends were in love and Anna was truly, honestly, happy for them.
The doctors and nurses had left, and Kirsten and Sandy had excused themselves to finish hospital paperwork. The four teenagers were alone.
Summer had settled herself in Seth's bed, head on his shoulder. Their arms were twined around each other tightly. Summer's make-up was streaked with tears, but Anna had ever seen her friend so happy.
Any jealousy Anna had left in her had been wiped away when Ryan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Anna put her head on Ryan's chest, a very good place to be.
"So, Anna, how long are you in town for?" Seth asks conversationally, but everyone in the room knows it's a loaded question.
Ryan pulls Anna tighter to him. Any closer and she'll be in his lap, which might be an interesting reason to stay.
"I owe my parents a few days," Anna reminds her friends. "After that... I could be convinced to stay."
There. Now the ball is in Ryan's court. As much as she hopes he'll ask her to stay, Anna will live if he says nothing. She'll go back to Pittsburgh and tell her friends about this insanely long day. They'll feed her ice cream, and console her, and mock her for falling so hard, so fast.
"Anna? Where do you go when you aren't here?" Ryan interrupts her worst-possible scenario.
"Sorry. I wandered. What did I miss?"
"Not much," Summer's tone was teasing, "Ryan begging, pleading with you to stay."
"I missed that? Really? I-" Ryan interupted Anna with a tender kiss.
Newport. Okay. Everyone deserves a chance to fall in love, even Anna. If she gets to be the girl who falls for Ryan Atwood, well then she's just exceptionally lucky.