Abby sat in a cold metal chair on the football field at Harbor School. As she looked over the group of peers who were about to go through the same process as she, she couldn't comprehend it. She was here already? It was Graduation day, robe and everything---the whole sha-bang. Her life had flown by and she had no idea how she'd gotten to this place, this huge step in growing up.
Abby tuned out the principal who was direction them all to rise and come receive their diplomas. She just got up as she saw others doing it, almost in a trance. The line advanced forward, she heard the occasional name or two but mostly she was sucked into the spectacle of it all. Soon she noticed how close she'd gotten to the stage and she glanced at the crowd, easily picking out Seth and trying to imagine Michaela was not seated next to him. He waved and smiled at her in the way only Seth could. Like a giddy, sugar-filled six-year-old.
"Abigail Cohen," The principal read and startled, she gained composure and walked up the stairs to receive the piece of paper, such a small piece of paper for such supposed great meaning. Then suddenly time slowed down; in matrix-esque fashion she took the diploma, shook the principals' hand, walked past him, stopped, glanced at the crowd, took a deep slow breath and moved the tassel on her hat to the opposite side.
Cameras flashed, preserving forever the look of surprise, shock and happiness which was spread across her beautifully made-up face at that precise moment in time. Abigail Cohen, graduate of the class of 2010.
"Summer! God, I haven't seen you in forever. How are you?!?" Abby set down her "punch" to greet another guest.
"I've been super, just stayed right here in Newport." She smiled and hugged Abby back. It wasn't as if they were ever best friends, but they had a strange unexplainable connection. It was most likely to do with the fact that she had dated Abby's brother, but Summer wasn't gonna think about that right now. Last night was weird enough alone.
"What are your plans now?" She asked Abby who danced a little in place to the music. Summer was clearly avoiding that last question.
"Well, I'm looking at Harvard if they'll take me but that's still up in the air. Otherwise I applied to some other colleges closer to home, like Berkley and UCLA. I know it's kind of late to not know and all, but it's where I'm at. Hey, I might even take a year off and work or something."
"Sounds great---" Summer replied with no enthusiasm, not even looking at Abby. She was watching Seth with Michaela. "Who is that chick?" She motioned towards them.
"Well that---"Abby started.
"I mean what is that about? Total Goth girl, I mean come on. So unoriginal, but whatever." She stopped talking and just watched them as they conversed about something, neither could hear them as they were at least 300 feet away.
"Yeah, tell me about it. She's Seth's uh---new----friend. I don't really like her but up until now that's been an opinion just held by me."
"Well, she is SO not his type."
"Tell me about it. So how are you on the playing field, so to speak?" Abby prodded hoping it would get her somewhere. Summer ignored her and fussed with her makeup, glancing at her reflection in her hand mirror.
"Well, since you're broth---anyway, congratulations and all. This is a great moment in your life, go enjoy it." She smiled and walked away. Summer Roberts was an egg; Abby Cohen had just cracked her shell.
"Sweetie, I am so happy for you." Anna grinned hugging the girl she felt like a sister to.
"Thanks Anna, it's a great feeling even though, I'm really not sure at all where my life is going. And you know it's kind of a crazy out of control feeling not knowing what is coming up next, what to expect. Whether to have pea soup for supper or get ready for another hurricane, ya know? It's all kind of crazy." Abby rambled.
"Is she---" Anna did imitations of a drunken person to Ryan. He looked at her, stifled an enormous laugh and nodded.
"I'll go get Seth, we'll see about taking care of her." Ryan went to fetch Seth; Anna stayed and listened to Abby yammer.
"Yeah, so my brother, he's dating this crazy Goth chick, which I guess is the reason I don't like her although it's really not that, it's just that I don't like her. I think she's all wrong for him. Plus she's totally mean and weird to me." Abby continued as Seth approached.
"Is that really how you feel?" Seth said defensively.
"Yes, of course it is. I've been trying to tell you that since the beginning. She's no good."
"It's just the liquor talking, Seth." Anna replied helping Abby back to her feet from her chair.
"No, no really it isn't. I'm not that sober---I mean drunk. I've always had distaste for her. I'm only looking out for my brother." She appeared now very tired, almost on the edge of consciousness.
"Let's get her upstairs." Seth assisted Anna and Ryan followed behind. They dragged her up to bed, Ryan watching to avoid Kiersten or Sandy knowing. They shut the door behind and slid down the wall in the hallway. The noise was still loud downstairs, people having a great time while the guest of honor was out cold in bed.
"Were our lives ever this crazy?" Seth asked. "It's like an episode of pre-teen 90210 around her all the time."
"Yes, they were." Ryan laughed and shot a glance at Anna who was smiling. "I don't miss it." He grabbed Anna's hand. "Well, we should be headed out. Congratulate Abs for us." They stood up and Seth waved.
He stayed there for a while remembering his junior and senior year, thinking about really how strange those years had been; and how different they were from his life now; different friends, different place, different girl. What was Abby's deal with Michaela anyway? Maybe she wasn't the greatest girl ever, maybe her eyes didn't sparkle like the ocean, maybe her brown hair wasn't always the shiniest, neatest hair in the world and so what if her clothes weren't all color coordinating and stylish. It was about her personality, it was about how she treated him. It was the fact that she loved him, wasn't it?
The minutes ticked by as he sat there; just contemplating, scrutinizing, critiquing, comparing, and remembering about the past and the present. He looked up, an expression of realization spread across his face.
"Oh, God," He blurted getting up and heading downstairs.
"Well, I'm gonna head home now." Summer smiled looking at his face.
"Okay, thanks for coming. I'll tell Abby you had a good time." He had just gotten down the stairs when she cornered him.
"Yeah, it was good to see you all again. I'd love to hang out with Abby sometime. Here's my new number---you know, if she ever wants to call me to you know---hang out or something. Even if she wants to talk, whatever." She glanced at him coyly and passed him a small business card. It contained her name, address, home and work phone numbers and her title as "beauty consultant."
"Okay, I well. I'm sure she'll want to see you soon. It's not like she has many friends right now anyway and with all this summer free time. Who knows?" He played along. She smiled and her sparkling white teeth lit up her face in contrast to her eyes.
"Bye Cohen."
"Bye Summer."
"Seth, I'm getting kind of bored, honestly. Is this party almost over?" She stood there, her glass full of some unknown alcoholic beverage.
"Well, honestly the party was over a LONG time ago. I was just too wrapped up in the atmosphere of it."
"What?" She looked confused and put a hand on her hip.
"Michaela, I thought we might have had something once, but really all it was, was my loneliness in a place away from home. Don't get me wrong, you are a nice person, but I am not currently planning on pursuing our romantic relationship. You just aren't my type, my sister knew that from the beginning but I've only now just realized it. I'm sorry."
He started blankly at her. She slammed her cup down and stormed out of the room, across the kitchen and on to the pool house. The few sparse guests still there, didn't even notice. A moment or two later she came running back through the house carrying her bags and calling a cab on her cell phone.
"It's better that you said something now. I wouldn't have wanted to waste any more time with you. Goodbye Seth. I was kind of fun while it lasted." She opened the door and slammed it on the way out
"So, rough night, aye?" Sandy hugged his son's shoulder. Apparently he had been privy to the conversations he'd had.
"Yeah, well you know. The life of a bachelor has its disadvantages." He reciprocated the hug. They entered the living room where Kiersten sat, absolutely exhausted.
"Crazy, huh?" Sandy plopped down beside her, kissing her neck and touching her hair. She touched her belly which was now noticeably rounded. "How are you two doing?"
"Well, I don't know. I feel a kick every once and a while, but it seems different. I have some urgent things to take care of at work so I'm not gonna let it worry me."
"Isn't Ryan on top of all that?"
"I can't leave him alone entirely, plus some of our biggest deals are coming in and he doesn't have enough pull to close them like the head of the company." Kiersten sighed. "Where's Abby? I haven't seen her for a while."
"Ah---well, she was a bit tired from all of this so she went up to bed." Seth covered for her. They seemed to buy it.
"Well, all things considered I'd say this went well. Good work, honey." He kissed Kiersten's face. "It's kind of crazy to think that I'll be going through all this again in seventeen years. God, I'll be a gray-haired old man; out of touch with the world, wrapped up in my work. I'll be like Caleb was."
"I don't think you'll quite be Caleb, but I still pity it." Seth laughed.
"I think Abby had a good idea turning in, I will too." Sandy got up and stretched.
"Yep, I'm right behind you." Kiersten struggled up a bit and they both disappeared up the stairs.
Seth sat down on the sofa; the room was quiet and calm. In sharp contrast to this night it was heaven for Seth who enjoyed the solitude and emptiness sometimes. He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out the card. He read it over a few times, trying to figure out what exactly it meant, and then he shoved it back in his pocket. He kept his hand there though feeling the shape and texture of it.