Chapter Four: Uncomfortable Silences
*****
"So you two are friends?" Lana probed.
"Not exactly. She's completely head-over-heels in love with me, she just doesn't know it yet. I think we're going to skip over the whole friends phrase and get right into the Kama Sutra," Seth replied as he casually perusing the racks.
"If you say so... it seems like she hates your guts."
"No, that's just her way. She had a rough childhood - that's just the way she expresses herself without becoming vulnerable. But you see, I'm slowly chipping away at her, so either she'll come around, or she'll have a rage black out and stick me with a fork."
"Right..." Lana said, stifling the laughter the threatened to billow out.
"What about Clark? I saw some glances there..." Seth suggested.
"We're um... we're a long story. For some reason we could just never work things out, you know? He doesn't trust me. I don't think it's ever going to happen," she responded sadly with a sigh.
"Well, he's an idiot. He'd be lucky to have you."
"Thanks..." Lana blushed slightly. "Oooh, what about this? I think this would look good on you."
"I don't know. I don't think this is really my style," he muttered, running his fingers along the fabric.
"Come on, you're in Kansas now. This might not be hip and trendy in L.A., but it's like gospel here," Lana insisted.
Seth, whimsical as ever, paused for a moment as if having an epiphany. He draped the garment over his arm. Maybe a change of wardrobe would get Summer's attention. It was worth a shot.
Summer's attention was elsewhere as flew thought the racks like a bat out of hell. Too small, too small, too small, perfect. She flung a shirt and sweater in Clark's hands and continued her ravenous frenzy, tearing through clothes, entire aisles, and even other customers. Clark struggled to keep up with her. He had serious doubts about the clothes she was picking for him, but after a lengthy mental debate, he decided to put faith in her fashion sense. She was after all, from California.
Five minutes latter, Summer was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting, for Clark to come out of the fitting room. Inside, Clark made poses in the mirror like a male model and cringed. It just didn't look right on him. Lana and Seth headed toward the fitting room as well, his new outfit in hand. No sooner did they greet Summer did Clark exit hesitantly in his new outfit. Gone was the flannel shirt - usurped by a light blue button-up shirt with collar underneath a grey wool sweater. Rugged blue jeans were replaced with cargo pants.
"I feel weird wearing this." Clark turned his head as he spoke and spotted the clothes Seth had in his hands. Blue jeans and flannel.
It was as if time stood still for those few moments, the four of them in collective symphony of shock and unease. The girls cringed in embarrassment, their cheeks reddening by the second. It was obvious their subconscious desires had materialized in broad daylight, creating an air of awkwardness unmatched in all of recorded history. Seth looked at Clark, slack-jawed. Clark stared at Seth, eyebrows arched. Their clothes matched perfectly.
"I think I'll try something else on..." Clark said anxiously, eager the leave the situation.
Everyone nodded in agreement as he dashed back into the changing room.
"I'm going to um... go over there now," Summer exclaimed meekly, her eyes avoiding Seth's gaze. She quickly sprinted away.
"I'm going to go wait in the car," Lana managed to utter.
Smallville was turning out to be more interesting than he thought, Seth mused. He placed the flannel shirt on top of his sweater and checked himself out in a nearby mirror. He smiled and headed toward the cashier.
When they returned, they found Mr. Sullivan, or Gabe, as he liked to be called, had come home from work that day early. He greeted them warmly and showed them to their rooms. Seth got the guest room downstairs, while Summer was given Chloe's room for the duration of their stay. Clark and Lana helped them unpack as Gabe started on dinner.
Seth's room was very plain. The walls were a shade of vanilla, a queen sized bed with blue covers sat in one corner, a simple oak desk and lamp in the other. A large window provided him with a view the stream that ran across the backyard. This would definitely do, he thought. Clark and Seth quietly began opening up his bags. Clark took out several posters which he helped Seth put up high up on the wall. The 'Ramones' and 'Death Cab for Cutie' he figured were bands, but one of the posters puzzled him. It was a giant black 'R' with a white star underneath it.
"What's this?" he enquired.
"Rockstar. It's a video game company. You know, Max Payne? Midnight Club? Grand Theft Auto?"
"Grand Theft what?"
"Sweet holy Moses... I'm going to blow your mind," Seth replied enthusiastically. He tore into one of his bags and unravelled the cords to his PS2.
"Clark, my friend, I'm going to have you pimpin' hoes and shooting cops in no time. You're not in Kansas anymore."
While Seth was downstairs teaching Clark the finer nuances of runing over pedestrians and beating up hookers with baseball bats, Summer was upstairs trying to deal with the situation. Not only was she spending two months with Seth Cohen, she was spending it in Kansas. To top that, the bedroom she was staying in was filled with bulletin boards and newspaper clippings. All the adornments were yellow, pink, and purple, which did not suit Summer at all. Worst of all were the pictures - framed mug shots of an ugly blonde girl with giant teeth who reminded her very much of Anna Stern from back home. She expressed all her displeasure and irritation with a simple guttural utterance: "Ew."
The bulletin boards were covered with giant depictions of Britney and 'N Sync. Large throw pillows and a thick comforter went on the bed. Most of Chloe's knickknacks were hidden in drawers - stuffed bears, bunnies, and Summer's favourite, a brown fluffy squirrel named Goldy commandeered the vacated spaces. Lana smiled at this. Summer put up all the things she loved - not afraid to hide anything. It made her wonder about whether she truly had feelings for Seth or if it was just part of Seth's wild imagination.
"So what are the guys up to," Summer asked as they put her clothes away in the closet.
"I think they're playing video games downstairs," replied Lana.
"Oh. Good. That means Cohen will be out of my hair for awhile. He gets really wrapped up in his video games."
"Why don't you two get along? I don't get it... he seems like a nice guy to me."
"Oh, he is nice..." Summer began, pausing for a moment, realizing the truth of her words. "But he's also a bit of a perv," she continued, regaining her composure. "You don't understand. He's been in love with me forever. He like - watches me. And I only know of the times when I catch him. He probably stares at me all the time - it gives me the willies."
"Well... maybe he's just looking out for you. Or maybe looking at you makes him feel closer to you - there's nothing weird about that," Lana explained after a long pause.
"Maybe in Kansas that's considered sweet, but in Orange County, that's totally stalking. I don't enjoy guys watching me silently from afar - that's just plain creepy."
Lana dismissed her comments after some thought. They started putting some of Chloe's clothes in boxes to bring to Lana's room where she had room for it under her bed. As they entered, Summer briefly spotted a picture of a young Lana in a ballerina outfit with her aunt.
"Aw, is that you and your mom? My mom was a ballerina too..." she reminisced.
"Uh, no, that's my aunt. My mother died when I was little," she replied solemnly.
"Oh. I'm sorry. My mom died too a few years back too. I guess we have that in common. I lost mine to cancer..."
"That must have been horrible for you."
"Yeah it was. It was slow. We just watched her slip more and more away each day until she..." she sighed and shivered. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Summer declared, a tear appearing at the edge of her eye, staring ever deeply at the picture.
Lana recognized the rare change of disposition, she wasn't as stuck up as she seemed, she noted.
"Your mom, when she died, was it quick? Was it painless?" Summer asked quietly.
"Well... she was sort of... crushed by giant meteor."
"Oh."
They looked at each other awkwardly.
*****
"So you two are friends?" Lana probed.
"Not exactly. She's completely head-over-heels in love with me, she just doesn't know it yet. I think we're going to skip over the whole friends phrase and get right into the Kama Sutra," Seth replied as he casually perusing the racks.
"If you say so... it seems like she hates your guts."
"No, that's just her way. She had a rough childhood - that's just the way she expresses herself without becoming vulnerable. But you see, I'm slowly chipping away at her, so either she'll come around, or she'll have a rage black out and stick me with a fork."
"Right..." Lana said, stifling the laughter the threatened to billow out.
"What about Clark? I saw some glances there..." Seth suggested.
"We're um... we're a long story. For some reason we could just never work things out, you know? He doesn't trust me. I don't think it's ever going to happen," she responded sadly with a sigh.
"Well, he's an idiot. He'd be lucky to have you."
"Thanks..." Lana blushed slightly. "Oooh, what about this? I think this would look good on you."
"I don't know. I don't think this is really my style," he muttered, running his fingers along the fabric.
"Come on, you're in Kansas now. This might not be hip and trendy in L.A., but it's like gospel here," Lana insisted.
Seth, whimsical as ever, paused for a moment as if having an epiphany. He draped the garment over his arm. Maybe a change of wardrobe would get Summer's attention. It was worth a shot.
Summer's attention was elsewhere as flew thought the racks like a bat out of hell. Too small, too small, too small, perfect. She flung a shirt and sweater in Clark's hands and continued her ravenous frenzy, tearing through clothes, entire aisles, and even other customers. Clark struggled to keep up with her. He had serious doubts about the clothes she was picking for him, but after a lengthy mental debate, he decided to put faith in her fashion sense. She was after all, from California.
Five minutes latter, Summer was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting, for Clark to come out of the fitting room. Inside, Clark made poses in the mirror like a male model and cringed. It just didn't look right on him. Lana and Seth headed toward the fitting room as well, his new outfit in hand. No sooner did they greet Summer did Clark exit hesitantly in his new outfit. Gone was the flannel shirt - usurped by a light blue button-up shirt with collar underneath a grey wool sweater. Rugged blue jeans were replaced with cargo pants.
"I feel weird wearing this." Clark turned his head as he spoke and spotted the clothes Seth had in his hands. Blue jeans and flannel.
It was as if time stood still for those few moments, the four of them in collective symphony of shock and unease. The girls cringed in embarrassment, their cheeks reddening by the second. It was obvious their subconscious desires had materialized in broad daylight, creating an air of awkwardness unmatched in all of recorded history. Seth looked at Clark, slack-jawed. Clark stared at Seth, eyebrows arched. Their clothes matched perfectly.
"I think I'll try something else on..." Clark said anxiously, eager the leave the situation.
Everyone nodded in agreement as he dashed back into the changing room.
"I'm going to um... go over there now," Summer exclaimed meekly, her eyes avoiding Seth's gaze. She quickly sprinted away.
"I'm going to go wait in the car," Lana managed to utter.
Smallville was turning out to be more interesting than he thought, Seth mused. He placed the flannel shirt on top of his sweater and checked himself out in a nearby mirror. He smiled and headed toward the cashier.
When they returned, they found Mr. Sullivan, or Gabe, as he liked to be called, had come home from work that day early. He greeted them warmly and showed them to their rooms. Seth got the guest room downstairs, while Summer was given Chloe's room for the duration of their stay. Clark and Lana helped them unpack as Gabe started on dinner.
Seth's room was very plain. The walls were a shade of vanilla, a queen sized bed with blue covers sat in one corner, a simple oak desk and lamp in the other. A large window provided him with a view the stream that ran across the backyard. This would definitely do, he thought. Clark and Seth quietly began opening up his bags. Clark took out several posters which he helped Seth put up high up on the wall. The 'Ramones' and 'Death Cab for Cutie' he figured were bands, but one of the posters puzzled him. It was a giant black 'R' with a white star underneath it.
"What's this?" he enquired.
"Rockstar. It's a video game company. You know, Max Payne? Midnight Club? Grand Theft Auto?"
"Grand Theft what?"
"Sweet holy Moses... I'm going to blow your mind," Seth replied enthusiastically. He tore into one of his bags and unravelled the cords to his PS2.
"Clark, my friend, I'm going to have you pimpin' hoes and shooting cops in no time. You're not in Kansas anymore."
While Seth was downstairs teaching Clark the finer nuances of runing over pedestrians and beating up hookers with baseball bats, Summer was upstairs trying to deal with the situation. Not only was she spending two months with Seth Cohen, she was spending it in Kansas. To top that, the bedroom she was staying in was filled with bulletin boards and newspaper clippings. All the adornments were yellow, pink, and purple, which did not suit Summer at all. Worst of all were the pictures - framed mug shots of an ugly blonde girl with giant teeth who reminded her very much of Anna Stern from back home. She expressed all her displeasure and irritation with a simple guttural utterance: "Ew."
The bulletin boards were covered with giant depictions of Britney and 'N Sync. Large throw pillows and a thick comforter went on the bed. Most of Chloe's knickknacks were hidden in drawers - stuffed bears, bunnies, and Summer's favourite, a brown fluffy squirrel named Goldy commandeered the vacated spaces. Lana smiled at this. Summer put up all the things she loved - not afraid to hide anything. It made her wonder about whether she truly had feelings for Seth or if it was just part of Seth's wild imagination.
"So what are the guys up to," Summer asked as they put her clothes away in the closet.
"I think they're playing video games downstairs," replied Lana.
"Oh. Good. That means Cohen will be out of my hair for awhile. He gets really wrapped up in his video games."
"Why don't you two get along? I don't get it... he seems like a nice guy to me."
"Oh, he is nice..." Summer began, pausing for a moment, realizing the truth of her words. "But he's also a bit of a perv," she continued, regaining her composure. "You don't understand. He's been in love with me forever. He like - watches me. And I only know of the times when I catch him. He probably stares at me all the time - it gives me the willies."
"Well... maybe he's just looking out for you. Or maybe looking at you makes him feel closer to you - there's nothing weird about that," Lana explained after a long pause.
"Maybe in Kansas that's considered sweet, but in Orange County, that's totally stalking. I don't enjoy guys watching me silently from afar - that's just plain creepy."
Lana dismissed her comments after some thought. They started putting some of Chloe's clothes in boxes to bring to Lana's room where she had room for it under her bed. As they entered, Summer briefly spotted a picture of a young Lana in a ballerina outfit with her aunt.
"Aw, is that you and your mom? My mom was a ballerina too..." she reminisced.
"Uh, no, that's my aunt. My mother died when I was little," she replied solemnly.
"Oh. I'm sorry. My mom died too a few years back too. I guess we have that in common. I lost mine to cancer..."
"That must have been horrible for you."
"Yeah it was. It was slow. We just watched her slip more and more away each day until she..." she sighed and shivered. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone," Summer declared, a tear appearing at the edge of her eye, staring ever deeply at the picture.
Lana recognized the rare change of disposition, she wasn't as stuck up as she seemed, she noted.
"Your mom, when she died, was it quick? Was it painless?" Summer asked quietly.
"Well... she was sort of... crushed by giant meteor."
"Oh."
They looked at each other awkwardly.