Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own and am not affiliated with the OC.

Author's Note: Well, here it is. The last chapter of Lady in Red. I want to thank everyone who has been reading, and especially those who have been leaving me reviews and telling me how the story has been going. Your kind words were truly inspiring. I'm glad you've liked the story so far, and hopefully you will enjoy this final chapter as well. Sit back and enjoy the last chapter. Thanks for reading.

Lady in Red

Chapter 10: if I could find you now, things would get better

Seth spent the whole night driving around and now he ended up at the beach. He needed to clear up his mind and get it around all of the events of the last day. He kissed Summer and it felt amazing. However, having her run out on him didn't feel so amazing, and neither did finding out that he had been played by Anna and Sarah. Who did that? Honestly, he was so confused at this moment--the only thing consoling him was the bottle of vodka sitting next to him on the sand. That and the hope that he would get to see Summer once more before she left for San Diego. She had once told him that she made it out to the beach once every morning to surf or just sit around and think. He hoped that she'd do the same today. He looked out towards Ocean Ave, to all of the places they'd been. The places she had shown him. He had been a fool. He traced his fingers over the mask that he had worn at the Fire ball. How had he been so stupid? How did he not realize that she was the one? Summer had been his Lady in Red all along, and he had been too blind to even notice. His pride had gotten in the way of letting him have the best thing that could ever happen to him. And now he had let her go.

He waited for hours past the sunrise, but she never came. He dejectedly returned to his car and waited for a few more minutes. He listened to the cd she gave him for his birthday as the sun rose over the façade of buildings on Ocean.

There's a place on Ocean Avenue, where I used to sit and talk with you. We were both 16 and it felt so right. Sleeping all day, staying up all night. There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street, we would walk on the beach in our bare feet. We were both 18 and it felt so right. Sleeping all day, staying up all night.

Seth wasn't a crier, but if there was any moment in his life where he felt the need most, it was now. But he didn't. In some ways, he felt it justified. He was getting exactly what he deserved for being such an asshole all his life. He had become a product of his environment--a Newport asshole. And he still was one. He could've changed all of that, but he was more like all the others he had grown to hate then he thought.

If I could find you now, things would get better. We could leave this town and run forever. I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together. Let your waves crash down on me and take me away…

He placed his head on the steering wheel to protect his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. She wasn't here. He was all alone.

He drove back to her house, and asked for her there, but she had already gone the previous night. According to her stepmother, she couldn't wait to leave. And so his opportunity passed. Sure, San Diego was like an two hour drive away but he couldn't go there. What would he do? What would he say? If she didn't take him back at the club with all the Newpsies and their clones watching, then what hope did he have to get her back down there? Not much hope at all. It would probably just be best to give up now, while he had some semblance of being ahead in the game.

---

Summer sat in her dorm room, reading. Her suitemate walked in and shook her head.

"Studying again?"

"Yep." She hardly looked up fro, her book.

"Come on, take a break--it's summer, you can't spend all your time hanging out in your room, studying. Let's go get some food. They're having a thing at Price Center, like giving away free food. Come with--"

"I don't really feel much like eating right now."

"Come on, since you've gotten here, you've only been like strapped to your bed by an invisible force field. It's time to change the scenery. You gotta eat sometime, and this way you won't be alone. You can't stay in here and mope around all summer."

"I can try."

"Hey, the more you go out, the more guys you'll meet, the faster you'll get over this guy, Stan, was it?"

"Seth, and the thing is, I don't really want to get over him."

"Summer, come on. There are a lot of hot guys here. Just come out and give them a chance."

"Oh, all right. I guess I could use something to drink," Summer sighed, exasperated.

"That's the spirit. Get dressed, and I'll be in the lounge waiting."

Summer had been in SD for two weeks now. She had been moping around the whole time. She tried to make the experience the best possible, but it was hard. She didn't know what she was expecting though. Her life had never been anything special, so why was she expecting some contrived movie ending? She wanted him to come and sweep her into his arms and kiss her, rescue her from her emotions and pain. But he didn't do either of the above. Not a call, an email or anything. She had talked to Marissa, but even Marissa hadn't seen him lately. Seems he had disappeared, and taken her heart with him.

She pulled on a skirt and a tank top and made a small effort to look presentable. Maybe it was time to move on. Maybe it was time to forget Seth Cohen existed, since it seemed like he had already done the same to her.

---

She sat at the table in the cafeteria, chatting with Danny, a guy who was also in her program. She couldn't help but smile at his humor--he was totally big! And plus he was really cute. He had short, brown spiky hair, and gorgeous dimples, just like Seth. Dammit, she wasn't supposed to be thinking about Seth. But she couldn't help it--he always managed to creep into her thoughts.

"Summer? Did you hear me? Don't you think Professor Peters sort of looks like an otter?" He clapped his hands wildly and made otter noises, as she smiled sadly. Who was she kidding. You're not Cohen.

"Yeah, he kind of does." She softly sighed.

"So, Summer, I was wondering, if you know, maybe sometime, you'd like to--"

"Hey! Summer!" She whipped her head around to see Seth running through the crowds of students. He looked terrible, but when he saw her, his face broke out into a smile.

"Seth?" she looked confused, and so did Danny. This guy was totally salting his game. He stopped at their table to catch his breath. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." A lot of the other kids started looking in their direction, and wondering what the commotion was. She turned red momentarily, and put her head in her hands.

"Is this guy bothering you, Sum?"

"No, no it's okay," she looked up at Seth and hissed, "Seth, you're causing a scene."

"I need to talk to you right now."

"Can't this wait until later?"

"I'm sorry, Summer, but I need to get this out now." He jumped up on top of the table, and Summer covered her head with her hands once more. "Let's talk up here."

"Oh my god, no. Why are you doing this?" she looked at him, mortified, but excited at the thought that he had come for her.

"Do I need a reason? I like you, Summer, this much. That's right, I like her and she's an emo geek who reads comic books. But you know what? I don't care about any of that. Because I really, really like you, Summer. Even before I knew that you were the lady in red, I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you Summer." Fresh tears formed around her eyes as she looked up at him. Was this for real?

"Look, while I was with Sarah, I tried to deny it, and I tried to fight it, but I couldn't. You're undeniable. And I'm really sorry for not realizing that it was you all along. I'm sorry that I didn't realize that you're my lady in red." He held out his hand to her, and she didn't hesitate one second. After all, he had her at hello. He helped her up onto the table and pulled her close to him. All the girls in the union swooned at the display of affection. All the boys were mentally taking down notes for future reference.

"So does mean you're not ashamed of me anymore?" He cupped her head in his hands and kissed her forehead, holding her closer. He wished he could erase all of the doubt and pain he had made her feel, but all he could do was just try to treat her right this time around.

"Of course not--I was never really ashamed of you, I guess I was more ashamed of myself for not letting you in--I was stupid and full of pride. I'm so sorry. I know I can't change the past, but I'm going to try to be better for you. I want to be better for you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him in until the heat between them was stifling. She kissed him, and everything around them disappeared.

Music blared from a corner of the quad, and they broke apart, startled. There stood Luke, Ryan and Marissa--with a giant stereo in Luke's arms. Summer's eyes started to tear up again when she heard the familiar strains of Lady in Red echoing through the now silent Price Center. Seth smiled, as Luke gave him a dorky, yet perfect thumbs up.

"Hey, don't cry." Summer looked into Seth's eyes and wondered what he was thinking. Everything was too good to be true. Fairy tale endings didn't happen to girls like her. When did she become Cinderella?

"It's just--this is finally happening. It's finally happening. I've just, I've wanted this for so long…"

"I know, me too."

He held her close, swaying to the music, softly singing with the song that had first brought her into his life. He was finally growing up. Gone were the days of the super partying, not giving a damn about anything but himself, popular, pompous asshole. He had something to care about--someone to care about. He had finally found what he was searching for, and in the most unlikely of places. It was all ironic. He had never ever felt irony before Summer came into his life. Everything had changed. His life was no longer that of a perfect Newport kid--it was perfect in it's non-perfectness, in it's simplicity. Nothing was as complex as it had been. Because now instead of worrying about what to wear or where to go, he could just feel. And that's all he had ever wanted. Just to feel and breathe and touch. He found his simplicity.

He rested his chin on top of her head, and hugged her closer. He never wanted to let go. And he wouldn't. He tilted her chin up and whispered, "I guess a lot can change in half a year, can't it?" She smiled, and he kissed her. And they both knew that they had found what it was that they had been looking for--each other. Everything would be alright in the end.

The End

Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard

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