Author's Note: Okay, so I've been writing ff for a long time, and have a lot of crap that I don't feel like boring you with. So, I rewrote scenes so you can decide whether or not you like my writing. And added stuff. If you like it, awesome, read more, I have some crappy original story that I will upload, but believe me. The sequel's better. Please review, i Don't care if you hated it or loved it, but let me know what you thought. Really, say anything. Okay, thanks for listening to this boring stuff that only losers like me read. Peace and love...

"Hey. There you are. I need you to introduce me to..."

"Okay, you know what, Summer? No."

"What?"

"You've been using me all night to just meet rich, older guys."

She shook her head dismissively and pivoted onto her right foot.

"That is not true."

He looked up at her with his huge eyes and she sighed and let her weight fall evenly on both feet and uncrossed her arms.

"Okay. Maybe a little."

"Do you have any idea how pathetic it is to sit there and listen to you babble about mergers and acquisitions while some guy just stares at your boobs?"

He was shy again and fingered the chair he was sitting on.

"Which guy was staring at my boobs?"

"Who cares?"

Besides the fact that Cohen had just asked her 'who cares' she was completely taken back. This guy, who was obviously in love with her, was telling her to listen. Her.

"The point is that guy doesn't know you. He doesn't care who you are. In fact, he has no idea that every day of third grade, you shared your lunch with that skinny squirrel who kept getting his nuts stolen by that fat squirrel."

His voice got higher a little on the last word, but she didn't care. She looked up at him, he was really taller than her, and even forgot to blink. He noticed.

"I hated that mean squirrel."

He was obviously still scared to death she was going to walk away from him and be the Summer he had watched since third grade. But right then, he didn't care.

"None of those guys out there were there when you had to read your poem aloud in class, and your hands were shaking because you were nervous and you cared what the other kids thought."

"Poem? What poem?"

He was caught. He turned to look in any other direction but her. He stuttered slightly, and would only speak under his breath.

"I...wish I was a...mermaid."

Her eyes started to sparkle again and the shyest smile crept onto her lips.

"You remember that? God, that was, like...sixth grade."

He shook his head, obviously not believing he was actually doing this. He hadn't told anybody except maybe a song lyric or two. Summer's head dropped a little and he sighed.

"I wish I was a mermaid and..." He sighed harder and shook his head. "was friends with all the fish, a shiny tail and seashells that would..."

Sixth grade came rushing back into her head and how she remembered that no one had cared. No one cared that she had spent the whole night thinking of what she wanted to be and reasons for it. Most were bored anyway because poetry was still poetry. Boring, who cares? And so when Seth Cohen stood in front of her and remembered every word, every feeling of neglection came back into her head, and she wanted him to know how much she appreciated. And she knew what he would want.

Quickly, she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed his lips as carefully as she could. His lips were so soft, and his curls in her fingers were just as soft. His cheeks seemed to heat up and she could tell he was blushing. But he was kissing her back, and suddenly he wasn't Cohen that Luke used to laugh about, and he was someone who cared. He stumbled forward, pushing farther into her mouth, and she felt his hand graze her waist, too shy to fall lower. She didn't want to let go of him, but the feelings that Marissa could come out and see her started to surface. She smoothly pulled away from his delicious lips and realized her eyes were still closed. She snapped them open and was suddenly very aware that he was watching her. Staring at her as if she was a precious stone that he could break.

"My-be my...wish."

She blushed this time and bit her lip. His face was completely hers, his eyes seeming wetter than usual. They were so dark and...endless.

"Hey, there's that investment banker from Woodwind and McDonaugh."

He looked down at the ground, and she suddenly felt like the biggest whore in the world. He was willing to give her anything just because she touched him. She couldn't completely believe it so cut him off before he could say anything.

"Don't worry. I can introduce myself."

She smiled at him, shy again, and lightly touched his hand with her fingers. Then, brushing her hair out of her face, she walked away. And she knew he was watching her ass. As she opened the door to his house, she could hear him mutter behind her: "Best party ever." She grinned farther and fell against the wall beside the glass door. She had kissed him. And she had liked it. She had really liked it. He was so soft and gentle. And he adored her, and that always made her feel better than she usually did. The night before popped into her mind, where Brad had been trying to grind with her and all of Holly's party. He had grabbed a lot lower than Seth would let himself touch and started swinging her hips against his.

"Come on, Roberts, it's a party. Take a load off."

"Brad...hey! Omigod, there's Coop. Sorry, Brad. Later, okay?"

She basically ran away from him to the imaginary Marissa and closed herself into the bathroom. She already had drunken too much. She knew that. And she had to get out of there.

Some thirty year old smiled at her from behind his martini glass. She smiled back, but stayed where she was. What would've Cohen done if he had seen Brad grab her hips, ass, whatever he wanted to? Her mind flew back to the week before when that scary freak had pulled a gun out and Cohen's arms flew in front of her. Without thinking. She made a move to go running back to him and hug him as hard as she could and make him touch her hips, her ass, whatever. Make her feel better. And hopefully him. But she stopped herself. She stole a glance through the glass and saw him trying to keep from grinning. And she smiled. She slowly walked away to Marissa's house, because she already knew Marissa had left. So she went to the Coopers' and lay on Marissa's bed. And for the first time in her life, she day dreamed about Seth.