"This one has a nice view, and a real cozy floor plan." The realtor opened the door. It was cozy, Seth could appreciate that. If by cozy you meant cramped, then it was cozy. It was in pretty okay condition and was within his price range. It wasn't the bachelor pad to end all bachelor pads, but in Newport it was amazing to find anything this cheap.
"I'll take it." He exclaimed looking up at her.
"Really?" She seemed surprised.
"Really!" He replied. She handed him a contract and a pen. As he signed his name the only thought he had was how not even a few months ago, he had still never wanted to live in Newport ever again. How just a few summers ago it had been his goal to get out. That was before another Summer came along and changed all that.
----------------------
The distinct aroma of Sandy's spaghetti sauce billowed through the Cohen house. He only made it once or twice every year, so it was a treat whenever it came up.
"Dinner's ready!" Kiersten stood at the bottom of the stairs and yelled up to Abby. Seth, who had until now been laying on the couch reading a magazine, bounded up like a dog who hadn't eaten in several years. Abby quickly told David she would talk to him later, pressed the talk button on the phone and flung it on her bed. She too bounded down the stairs and came as quickly as she could to the table.
Seated, finally they stared at it. It looked no different than actual, normal spaghetti but it was oh so much better.
"Well, dig in guys. I know you want to." Sandy smiled as his children descended upon the food like a swarm of locust.
They ate in silence, just savoring the mixture of spices and tomatoey flavors.
"So, I found an apartment today." Seth commented.
"Why do you want or need an apartment? You have a room here? You can't pay for an apartment you're gonna live in 3 months a year." Sandy was perplexed.
"You're not going back to college, are you Sethy?" Abby snickered, smiling a little.
"No. I'm not. I have my job at the paper and I don't wanna go back."
"He's got Summer now too. That's why he's staying. 'Cause he's in LOVE!!" Abby taunted him playfully.
"Things are getting serious between you two?" Kiersten asked intrigued.
"I don't know. I hope so. I love her, but I don't really think marriage is on her mind right now." Seth replied not locking his eyes with anyone's at the table.
"I'm excited for you, son. You were always such a late bloomer. It's good to see you're catching up." Sandy smiled and nodded.
"That's enough about me. Abby, don't you have some news to share. I've been in your room; I've heard your phone conversations." He laughed.
"As a matter of fact, I do. David and I are back together, as you may or may not have guessed. I honestly, don't know what I was thinking because I love him. I'm also going to be attending Remington College in September."
"You chose, finally!!" Kiersten exclaimed excitedly, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I'm so happy, it's over."
"It wasn't ever you decision, it's over. Oh my word, that's funny. Yeah, because it's been such agony for you."
"It has, my little girl has been so aimless for such a long time. It's a relief that you finally chose. Was that even on your radar though? Weren't you thinking Harvard or UCLA?"
"It has a charm that I now find irresistible."
"That, and David is going there." Seth glared back at her.
"You shouldn't choose your school based on your boyfriend." Sandy looked sternly at her.
"I'm not. He's just a secondary benefit; they have the programs I want. Plus, I WAS going to choose UCLA because of Mike, so really this is better." She set down her fork and wiped her mouth with the napkin which rested on her lap. "Thank you for the food, Dad. It was excellent. I have to go, you know, talk to David." She got up and left the room.
"So, we're losing one and gaining another back, huh?" Sandy replied.
"Will we ever be alone in this house?" Kiersten twisted some spaghetti around her fork and gave Sandy a longing look.
"No, I doubt it. Plus, we're gaining the wrong one back."
"I don't plan on hanging around with you guys. Don't take this the wrong way, since you raise me and all, but you're a bore." Seth interjected. "Honestly, my decision to stay in Newport was based on Summer, not you guys. Geez, parents so self-centered." He rolled his eyes and left the room.
"I'm kind of glad the kids are staying close this year." Kiersten smiled.
"Yeah, me too," Sandy replied. Puddles, the dog, came over and started nipping and yelping at his heals. Kiersten knelt down and he came running to her hands, leaving Sandy alone. He looked relieved.
----------------------
Abby sat under a hairdryer at the salon she went to every week. The woman seated next to her was blowing on her nails and humming an overly repetitive song, which she could barely hear over the whir of the blow dryer over her head. It was loud enough that it was faint and annoying, however. After a while, the woman picked up a magazine which Abby would have expected to be Elle or Cosmo or something, but was actually Real Estate Monthly.
Her timer went off and she got up. Her red hair was fluffier than anyone had ever seen before.
"So, my brother is in real estate. What do you do?" Abby asked, for no apparent reason.
"I'm actually a client of a real estate---well a building company and I just read these whenever I see them to get caught up on the lingo. I try to be business savvy and all. It's easy to be duped in this business. Trust me, my "agent" or whatever is married or engaged or something but he's flirting with me all the time, which while flattering is not the best display of moral fiber.
"Well, I was just wondering."
"And I was just answering. I don't even know you, but you're talking to me like I do."
"I'm done talking now, go pay for your treatment and enjoy your real estate magazine somewhere else." Abby stuck her head in her own magazine and ignored her. She went away quickly, in a huff.
Abby was just generally annoyed by rude people, but this woman for some reason had irked her a lot. She shook her head and re-read the article about that sexy Jude Law.
----------------------
"Hey Buddy!" The boy with the curly mop popped his head around the corner.
"Well, this is an unexpected journey for you. What's up?" Ryan looked up from a pile of papers. He'd changed so much since he'd gotten this responsibility.
"I was just in a good mood, and figured I'd stop by and distract you a little bit. See, look! I'm distracting you!!" He waved his hand in the air and smiled.
"Are you on drugs?" He chuckled.
"It's called Summopium, you wanna try some?"
"Maybe it'd be better if you just stuck with it." He nodded trying to ignore him.
"Knock, knock!"
Ryan looked up to realize that Lindsay was standing at the door. She looked unusually pretty, not that she wasn't always, but REALLY pretty.
"Hello, Ms. Gardner." Ryan stood up.
"Oh! I have this thing I have to do, you know that thing---yeah, I'm off to do that." Seth mumbled slipping out the door. Lindsay shut it behind her and turned back to him.
"So, what brings you here?" Ryan asked, straightening his tie.
"This is purely a social visit." She replied. "Who was that?"
"Seth Cohen, he's my brother. Do you want to sit down?" He motioned to a chair. She sat down.
"So, what's on your mind, Lindsay?" He asked coming around to the other side of the desk and standing in front of her.
"I don't know. Just felt compelled to come here. Sometimes I have these weird compulsions which usually tell me something. Do you have anything to tell me? Something critical going on in the project?" She asked. He swallowed hard. "Usually my radar isn't off." She sighed. He lunged forward and bent down to wrap his lips around hers. She stood to meet his kiss, neither quite sure what was going on. They did a complete 180 and Ryan slammed down into the chair. She soon followed, falling on top of him in a sitting position. Their lips clashed in a delicate dance of passion and gentleness.
"I've wanted to do this for so long." He managed to whisper between breaths and kisses.
"Me too." She answered, herself breathless.
The pair went back to kissing, arms wrapping ever tighter around each other. Her eyes fluttered open as her mind had wandered. She sat up straight, still straddling him. "Did you say, Seth COHEN?" She asked confusion in her eyes.
"Yes, I did. Why?"
"And you're related to them? You're Ryan ATWOOD, not Ryan Cohen."
"They more or less adopted me. It's a long story."
"Ugh! It's like kissing my nephew." She got up and began to pace.
"What the hell are you talking about, Lindsay?"
"I never knew my father, but he died a few years ago. I was at his funeral. I knew you looked too familiar to just be attractive and not someone I knew. I met you at the funeral, well sort of. I can't believe I didn't put it together---oh my--"
"Who's your father?" Ryan asked cautiously, with almost a half-idea.
"Caleb Nichol." She replied. "Oh my god!" She ran a hand through her long red locks and inhaled sharply.