Rating for this chapter: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own anything
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Note: Instead of making them juniors this year, I've decided to make them seniors in '04.
One
Chapter 4: For You to Notice
Late January 2004
Summer lay on the sand, basking in the sun's radiance. It was times like these when she was sooo happy to be living in Southern California, where the high temperature for the day was 79 degrees. Winter was so festive and warm, not cold and dreary. She was reading her copy of Pride and Prejudice, an English assignment, but secretly her favorite novel. She loved how Mr. Darcy was roguish and so unlike his peers. He was special, a little bit of a societal outcast, but Elizabeth saw through the whole exterior to his inner beauty. Mr. Darcy didn't care what people thought about him; he just was, he didn't conform to anyone else's standards. She admired that about him. Summer wished she could find a dark, handsome man like him. She's really much prefer a Ferrari rather than a real horse though. She smiled, caught up in her daydream. A shadow cast its presence over her.
"Coop? You're blocking my light." The figure didn't move. "Coop!" Summer turned to see Seth staring back at her, "Stalker much?"
"Sorry. Um, Marissa's kinda busy with Ryan, so she sent me to messenger the message."
He looked toward the sand and shuffled his feet around. She thought it was still cute how he got flustered around her. In all honesty, she thought he had gotten over this phase. He had been with Anna, which didn't work out (which had nothing to do with her). She thought his confidence would have been boosted, but it was back to square one. After the whole Anna thing was over, Summer really wasn't sure if she really wanted to go after Cohen. It was a new year, the second semester of their senior year of high school. Her popularity was starting to rise again after the whole Chino-Luke, Tijuana, and Oliver debacle. But there was another reason. He was so sweet, but she had a reputation for leaving broken men all over the 949 and 714. Surprising even herself, she actually cared about another human being's feelings. So Summer didn't pursue it, hoping that he would grow the balls to. And Seth was working at it, but not getting anywhere fast.
"So, what's new with you?"
"Um, I finally finished my applications."
"Wow, Cohen, aren't we procrastinating a bit? I finished all of mine by Winter Break."
"Well, aren't we prepared. That's so unlike you to think that seriously about things other than products made by stila and kiehl's."
"Well, unlike others, we learn to better ourselves," she bit down slightly on her thumb, "So, which schools did you apply to?"
"Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, Chapman, Stanford, and the mother of all schools, USC."
"Wow, looks like we applied to pretty much the same places. Except add Duke and Rice to the list for me." A few months back, if you had told her that she, Summer Roberts would be discussing college with Seth Cohen, she would have definitely "Ew"ed. But she kind of felt like she was growing up.
"Awesome," he nervously looked around, "Which one do you want to go to?"
"I think USC. They have a great English department, and a really great International Relations department. And I really want to be involved in like writer for some huge magazine that's like global. Maybe I'll work in London or Milan." She giggled and he melted.
"Yeah, I want to go there for the Film School. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get in under that major, since my last name isn't Spielberg or Gibson or anything, so I applied as an English major. Eventually I'd want to take some media writing classes."
"Really? What kind of things do you write?"
He sheepishly grinned, "Comic books and stories like that."
"Ugg, Cohen, that's soo typical."
"Well you want to write for Teen People or whatever." She shot him a sarcastic look.
He cowered in mock fear. She loved it. He was so endearing for some reason. She couldn't figure it out. She treated him like trash and he still followed her around pining from afar. He loved her.
He loved her. She was so beautiful and perfect, she just didn't know it. As soon as school started up after Winter Break, it had gone back to the ways before Ryan had come to Newport. He hung out with Ryan, but with Anna gone, he had no one else. And now Ryan was always with Marissa. And Summer, she went back to the gaggle of girls that were soon to become Newpsies. There was Luke, but there was no chance in hell of that ever happening. He wanted Summer to realize that she was better than everyone else. That she didn't need to create a façade because she was great just the way she was. But she ignored him at school. And he slowly crawled back into his bat cave.
Her cell phone rang. It was Bridgette, calling to see if she wanted to go to Fashion Island before it closed. She just didn't turn down opportunities to go to Bloomindales.
"Sorry, Cohen, I've got to go. I'll see you around, ok?"
"Hey, listen, we're doing this thing, you know, my family and I, and it's on Satur-"
"Cohen," she pointed at a non-existent watch, "I gotta go, the mall closes in like 3 hours."
"Okay, see ya Summer." She walked away, and he knew, he knew that one day she would ditch the mall for him. She'd ditch anything for him.
I'm starting to fashion an idea in my head
Where I would impress you
With every single word I said
Would come out insightful, or brave, or smooth, or charming
And you'd want to call me…
And I would be there every time
You'd need me
I'd be there every time...
But for now I'll look
So longingly
Waiting...
For you to want me
For you need me
For you to notice me
I'm starting to fashion an idea in my head
Where I would impress you
With every single word I said.
Would come out insightful, or brave, or smooth, or charming
And you'd want to call me..
I would be there every time
You'd need me
I'd be there every time...
But for now I'll look
So longingly
Waiting...
For you to want me
For you need me
For you to notice me
For You to Notice by Dashboard Confessional