Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter--I should have the next one up in a few days. I promise it will have more action than this one. Enjoy! Thanks for the reviews--

Lady in Red

Chapter 8: All Downhill from Here

Months had passed. A lot of things had changed in Orange County. Summer was getting ready for the move to San Diego for the summer. She was definitely stoked. She hadn't seen much of Seth, he hadn't been at the country club lately. This was due to the fact that he was completely whipped by his girlfriend Sarah. The imposter and many other adjectives that shouldn't be mentioned. Summer didn't know the details, but Marissa had told her how Seth came to the party and reunited with his mystery woman. Apparently she knew all the details, which was pretty damn near impossible since she wasn't there. And now she had him wrapped around her finger. They were together all the time; they were Young Newport's "it" couple. Well, it didn't matter to Summer. If he chose the wrong girl, then it wasn't meant to be. Then he didn't really know his lady in red at all.

"Hey, Ryan, can I talk to you maybe?"

"Sure, wassup man?"

"I need to talk to you about Sarah."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"No, not really. She's great. I mean, she's really awesome; she cares and she's beautiful and nice, but lately I've been thinking a lot about Summer."

"Summer, wait, is that the girl who works the front desk at the Balboa?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"She's hot."

"I know. See, the night I met Sarah, I had been on a semi-date with Summer."

"And you're telling me this now, like 3 months after."

"Well, it wasn't a really big deal at the time. We were out getting some ice cream and walking on the beach."

"That sounds like a pretty hardcore date, if you ask me. Why now?"

"I don't know, lately I've been kinda getting a little bored. Whenever I was with Summer, I just felt something different. I saw her at the club the other day, and it sounds really stupid, but I kind of missed her. Maybe not as a girlfriend, but as a friend at least. I've been with Sarah like every day of the last few weeks. I mean, it was all good and great with her, but you can only take too much. And something about the way we met has been bothering me."

"Like what? The fact that you met at a masquerade ball, then proceeded to publicize your search for her?"

"Cute. What if I made the wrong choice? What if Sarah isn't the so-called Lady in Red myth?"

"What are you talking about? It took you all this time to notice that she might not be the right girl?"

"Well, I was caught up in the fantasy. I'd been looking for so long, that I wanted it to be her. I dunno, I guess…I don't know."

"What clued you off on this?"

"Well, you know how we went to Prom last weekend? When we danced, it just didn't feel the same. When we danced at the ball, there was this feeling. It was like home."

"So you think she's a liar."

"Well, I don't know. Why would someone lie about that?"

"I have no idea, man. That's twisted if she is lying."

"Yeah."

"Well, just wait until after the party, then talk to her about it. In the meantime, maybe you should go see Summer. Maybe talking to her will help sort your feelings out." Ryan didn't really like Sarah all that much. She was a manipulative little bitch who always whined and pouted until she got her way. He sure hoped she was an imposter because that would revive his faith in Seth's taste in women.

----

Summer ran out to her car. She was going to be late for her tutoring session.

"Summer!" she twirled around to see Seth Cohen running towards her.

"Well, well. Look who's here, is it Seth Cohen? It's been so long, I hardly recognized you."

"Sorry. Can we talk?"

"Well, I'm late for my tutorial session. I can't keep the kid waiting, this is his last session for this semester."

"Umm, okay. Can we meet later then?"

"Sure. Meet me at Java Jungle on Ocean and Main?"

"Okay, does 6 work for you?"

"Yeah, that's fine, see ya!" Seth watched as she got into her car and waved. It had felt really good to see her smile again. He had made the wrong choice. Lady in red or not, he had to go with his heart, and his heart was pointing him in the direction of Summer Roberts. He didn't really know how to approach the subject, but he was sure that he'd have to do it soon. Girls like Summer didn't wait around forever.

She quickly drove off, wondering what Seth could possibly have to talk to her about. She hadn't seen him in months and now he was trying to step right back into her life. Not this time. She was leaving for her college program soon, and she had no more room for drama in her life.

-----

"So what's up?" Summer sat down with a thud across from him. Seth had been sitting there for an hour already--he had come early to calm his nerves.

"Not much, I just wanted to catch up with you."

"Okay. You couldn't call me?"

"Well, I also wanted to invite you to a party we're having for my birthday this weekend at my place."

"We?"

"Sarah and I."

"Ah, the infamous lady in red. How is she?" Summer had heard all about the bitch from Marissa. He deserved what he got.

"She's great. I'm really glad I finally found her. She's beautiful and really sweet."

Suddenly, Summer did not want to be there. She did not need reminders of their "wonderful" relationship.

"Cool, well I gotta get going, I have a date. But I'll try to make it over to your house on Saturday? Yeah, well I gotta go, I'll see you later?"

"I want you to come Summer. I really do."

"I'll try. I'll see you around."

She rushed out the door. Seth was struck by something about one of her comments, date? She had a date and it wasn't with him. That went well. He figured he should just stick with Sarah. She really did like him, and she wasn't so bad after all. And it was obvious that Summer was no longer an option for him. She had moved on, she was out of his league.

-----

Summer sat at the table while Andy talked about the sets he rode this morning. Normally, this topic of conversation would be of utmost interest to her, but not tonight. How could she think about anything else when she had just met with Seth? He seemed a little subdued and sad even. What was Seth's deal? He left her in the first place. He was the one that would be embarrassed to be with her.

Summer occasionally nodded when Andy's voice would inflect with enthusiasm. He was a really nice guy. She had been seeing him a few weeks now, and it had been going great. Maybe too great. They had so many things in common--actually, they had everything in common. Same music taste, same love of surfing, same distaste for the spoiled brats that were their peers. It was perfect. A match made in heaven? Well, not really. Summer was beginning to get kind of bored. They were starting to dress alike, for god's sake! That was just disgusting. But he was nice, and as long as she could forget about Seth, then everything would go perfectly.