Moving On: Chapter 5: Michael Kors slides or Juicy Couture Flip-Flops?
Disclaimer: The O.C. is not mine, why I put this here I don't know!
A/N: I finally updated! Sorry it took forever, but, well, I have no excuse. Hey, it takes time to think of ideas that haven't already been done! OK, the whole shoes thing is sort of confusing, but I basically made it that Summer's always distracted herself with small unimportant things like shoes so she won't see the bigger problems or pain in her life, like her broken heart over Seth or messed-up relationship with her dad.
Summer drove in her car, a mix CD Marissa made for her playing in the background. "Wonderwall" was nice mellow music, but Summer quickly changed it.
She pulled up and slowly walked up to the building. She looked at her reflection in the glass door. She was doing the whole "Laid-back" look with a brown velour sweat suit and hot pink camisole. Was she trying to hard? Ever since Seth had arrived she'd been worrying about her appearance, even more than usual.
After two floors, she arrived at the door and knocked lightly. Seth opened the door. He smiled that classic smile, dimples and all. Summer just smiled back, a big-ass ear-to-ear smile. After all those years he still made her feel like a 15-year-old high school girl with nothing to care about besides friends and Juicy Couture flip-flops.
"Come in," Seth greeted along with a gesture inside the apartment.
Summer plopped herself down on the fuzzy red couch in the center of the room. "Where's Anna?" she asked with an exhale.
Seth made his way into the kitchen. "Bathroom," he called, "Want anything to drink?"
"Water," Summer called back.
She began to look around the apartment. It was spacious but nothing too luxurious. There were still a few boxes scattered that had obviously not been unpacked. There was a large living room and a small kitchen. The walls seemed a little dingy, but nothing too bad. At least there wasn't an odd smell in the air, like Summer's place when she first came to L.A. Although she often depended on her father, she promised herself she'd get her own place to stay…for a while at least.
Summer heard a door open, and Anna emerged from the bathroom. "Summer, hey!" she said cheerfully.
Summer always wondered how Anna could be so sweet to the girl who basically took her boyfriend, and was a total bitch to her when they fist met. Some people didn't hold grudges. Summer wasn't one of them. She had run into one of her old friends who was trying to make it as a model a few months ago. The girl, Alison or Aly as Summer remembered her, had obviously gotten breast implants and possibly liposuction. Summer didn't have a problem with plastic surgery, not a big one anyway, but it killed her to see girls with potential to be beauties screw themselves up by drinking, cosmetic surgery, drugs, partying, and sleeping with every guy who could get them a job. Alison had told Summer that she was going to make it as an actress, a real glamorous one that takes the occasion Indie role to prove her raw acting ability, like Jennifer Aniston or Halle Berry. A month later Alison caught Summer's eye on the cover of Playboy. It seemed like Summer lost a little bit of hope every day in L.A.
"Seth's just getting water," Summer stated nervously. She felt guilty and almost bad for even mentioning Seth to Anna. It was like she still lived by silly rules saying you couldn't be friends with your ex. Plus, in a way, she felt as if maybe Anna had a little bit of jealousy towards Summer basically because Summer got Seth. Maybe a part of Summer still was a Newport teen that went to Harbor High and only cared about friends and Juicy Couture flip-flops, just with a different name. She was now a L.A. woman who worked at Teen People who only cared about friends and Michael Kors slides.
Anna nodded. She sat down on the black couch and began to twirl her engagement ring around. "You can sit down," she directed to Summer.
Summer obediently sat down on the chair near the couch. A few moments of silence followed. "So, what have you been doing for a living?" Summer asked yearning to have Anna answer with a long explanation that would take up all the time until Seth returned.
"I was a graphic designer but I had to quit to move here with Seth. The things we do for love, right?" Anna joked in a friendly voice.
A few more moments of silence. "I…I wouldn't really know," Summer said bitterly.
Anna paused before her reply. "Oh, I shouldn't have…I'm sorry…" she murmured and began to twirl her ring around again.
Summer quickly shook her head. "No, no, I'm just having a bad day. Work sucks, you know…but I got a free pair of Michael Kors slides," she apologized.
Seth entered the room with water in a bright red plastic cup and two plastic bottles of Coke. "Hey guys, let's get down to business. How stupid did that sound?" he asked, brightening up the room with his wit.
"Scale from one to ten? Seven." Summer answered. She knew it was rhetorical, but didn't care. After all, she had told herself all she cared about were friends and Michael Kors slides.
"So I'm job hunting all week, but you and Seth can get together at look around," Anna suggested and the meeting came to a close.
Summer nodded. "Definitely. I know the good places. Working at a magazine with a bunch of metrosexuals pays off in the end,"
"You're sure you're free on Tuesday morning?" Anna asked Summer.
"Yeah. I'll just say there's an emergency or whatever, I don't even think my job needs me!" Summer explained, picking up the bridal magazine Anna had given to her to pick out some wedding dress choices.
"OK, awesome. So, I'll see you Tuesday at 10:00," Seth finished.
Summer nodded and made her way out of the bedroom. "It's really sweet of you to do this," Seth added sincerely.
Summer plastered on a false smile. "Well, I do what I can," she said, "for friends,"
Summer closed the door behind her and walked down to her car. She quickly unzipped her purse and dialed Marissa's number that she had memorized by heart. "Hello?" answered Marissa.
"Coop, get your purse, we're going shoe shopping," Summer demanded.
"Where?" Marissa asked skeptically.
"Any place that sells Michael Kors,"