Palm Trees and Power Lines
Chapter 3: Head Up
Summary: Sort-of future fic. Summer breaks Seth's heart and all he could think to do was leave… but will she find him again, and will he want her back if she does?
Rating: PG-13… you never know. Right now it's not bad… but future chapters… yeah
Disclaimer: I own nada… not "The O.C." or the actors… and unfortunately Sugarcult owns the song
A/N: Thanks so much for the great reviews! And to answer the one question, about where I got the title: The title is the name of the new Sugarcult CD "Palm Trees and Power Lines" I chose this because, for one, each chapter has a song from this CD in it (well most of them, a few other songs will slip in here and there :))… and the title of each chapter is that song. Second of all, it represents what's happening…sort of. Seth goes from the palm trees of Newport, to the power lines of Philadelphia. Get it? Okay, and to the person who said "the fact that seth rejected summer irks me" how would you feel if someone cheated on you with your sibling…or even anyone close to you for that matter? Do you think you would welcome them with open arms? But, I get where you're coming from…them not being together and all…. Okay well, on to the story… Review!
Summer laid, curled up, in the corner of her bed. It had been two weeks since Seth had left, and he still wouldn't answer his cell phone when she called. She had tried to get hold of him every day so far, and it was starting to seem useless. He wouldn't answer her calls, and if by some chance he did, it was always followed by a loud beeping in her ear. She couldn't bear it anymore. She loved him… and she screwed everything up.
Suddenly the phone ring, and her heart jumped. Maybe Seth was returning one of her calls. Maybe he was coming back home. Quickly she rolled across her bed and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" she answered, hoping with every ounce in her body that it was Seth.
"Sum?" came Marissa's voice from the other end. Summer sighed. "Summer, you need to get out of that house. Have you even moved in two weeks?"
"I rolled across the bed to get my phone," she joked, but the sad tone in her voice made the joke seem less funny. "What do you want?"
"You have such a way with words, Summer," Marissa replied. "Okay, you and I are going to South Coast Plaza…NOW. You need some comfort clothes."
"I don't feel like doing anything," she said, back to her monotone, lonely voice. "I want to talk to Seth."
"Summer, just give him time to cool down. Walking in on you with his brother isn't something that he can just get over. I can barely look at my mom anymore. And that was over a year ago that she and Luke…yeah, you know," she tried to help, but it really wasn't working too well.
"Thanks Coop," Summer stated, still monotone. "Now I know that Seth will never forgive me."
"That's not what I meant. Besides, it's a little different situation. All I'm saying is he needs time," she tried, one last time. "Please, let's just get you out of that house."
"No, that's okay," she said, picking up the picture of her and Seth from her night stand. "I gotta go. Bye." She finished and hung up, without waiting for a reply. Then began, to herself, "Why did I screw up so much? Why?"
Placing the picture back in its place, she decided really should get a shower…and maybe eat some food. Considering it had been a while since she had done either. For the past week she had lived off of random little bags of food she found around her room; some stale tortilla chips, a few pieces of chocolate, and the water from her bathroom sink. What a meal, huh? Even though she knew the rest of her week would be reduced to lying around and moping over Seth, she still felt a little hungry…and a lot crusty.
* * * *
Seth picked up his cell phone for the about the millionth time since he had left two weeks ago.
"Summer," he mumbled. "What does she want? God doesn't she understand that I don't want to talk to her?"
He flipped it shut, hanging up on her before it could ring any more. He had been in Pittsburgh for two weeks, visiting Anna, and he found that it wasn't the best place for him to get over Summer. He was still very much in love with her, despite all the desperate attempts at forgetting her.
When he arrived in Pittsburgh, Anna greeted him with open arms. She took him to all the big places, and then they went to dinner...with her friends. That's when it got weird. Around just him, Anna was, well, Anna. He knew her, he could almost finish her sentences he knew her so well. They were exactly alike. But here, she was a totally new person. She dressed like everyone else, listened to their music, and hung out with the 'popular crowd'. She didn't mention anything that she would have back in Newport. Her friends were exactly like all the bitches back home, and the guys were all football jocks. Seth had no idea what happened to his old friend, but she certainly wasn't the same. Now he was sitting at some local diner in the middle of a city he knew next to nothing about.
"Yo Steve!" one of the stupid football jocks called. "You coming?"
Seth turned around all ready irritated by him. "It's Seth, and no, I don't think so. I'll see you guys later. Besides, I think I'm leaving today."
"Going back to Frisco?" he asked. Seth rolled his eyes.
"First of all, I'm from NEWPORT BEACH. Second of all, I'm going to Philadelphia for college," he replied, then under his breath added. "A place you'll never see."
"Oh, yeah," he said, as if he knew what he was talking about. At that moment, Anna decided to come in. To Seth's surprise though, she pulled the "dumb jock" down and into a kiss. "Hey babe."
"Hey- oh! Seth!" she exclaimed. "I- I didn't see you there. This is Jay, my boyfriend."
Seth stood in shock. She hadn't mentioned anything about a boyfriend, not to mention a dumb one. I guess this went to show that people change…or maybe this is how she always was. Seth didn't know, all he knew was that he needed to leave.
"Yeah, hey Anna, can I talk to you?" he asked, taking her arm. "Please?"
"Sure, just a minute Jay," she replied and followed him into another room. "What is it?"
"I, I think I'm going to leave for Philly tonight," he said. "I thought this whole visiting you thing would help me get over Summer…I guess I thought wrong."
"Oh, Seth, don't leave. I'm really sorry about the whole Summer thing but…well I'll try and help you some more with it," she replied. "You'll be okay."
"No…no Anna I won't! I loved- wait- LOVE her. I love her more than anything and she cheated on me with my brother. I can't just get over her! But I thought I could, so what do I do? I come to visit you, because you could always help me with these things. But what do I find instead? I find someone who is just like all the people back home. What happened to you?" he broke down, tears falling freely out of his eyes.
"Seth, I'm so sorry. This is who I was before I met you, and when I came back, I turned into who I was. Please don't go. I'm sorry," she pleaded. "I'll try to act more…Newport-Anna-ish around you. I'm sorry."
Seth wiped the tears from his eyes, he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings, it just came out. "No…no I'm sorry Anna. You didn't do anything wrong…it's just I can't stop thinking about her. I love her so much, but I don't know if I can trust her anymore. I think, going away from everyone I know- in Philly- might help. Thanks for wanting me here… but I really have to get out. I'll visit you later, okay?"
"Yeah… I understand. Call me when you get there?" she asked, opening her arms up for a hug.
"Of course," he replied, hugging her back. "See ya."
"Bye," Anna replied as he started walking out the door. "Oh, yeah, and Seth?"
"Huh?"
"Keep your head up. It'll all work out in the end," she finished, with a smile.
"Thanks," he replied and walked out the door, just after shouting. "That was so clichéd."
Anna laughed and walked out the other door…she really missed those talks they used to have. Now all that was left was her unrequited love, and his love for Summer…wonderful. She didn't care that she was dating the captain of the foot ball team, or that she was back home. All she wanted was to have Seth back, but it didn't look like it would work that way.
* * * *
Seth looked out the window of his car, as he sat by the red light. He had been driving for at least four hours. He didn't know where he was going, what he was going to do, or what he was going to find. All he knew was that he couldn't get his mind off of Summer.
Keep your head up your colors are beautiful
When they say give up you turn up your radio
All the sentimental memories you own
When they say grow up it's just like a funeral
And it feels like it feels like you're lost
And it feels like it feels like you're lost
~Head Up~ Sugarcult
A/N: Okay, not so great of a chapter….but I needed something… just some explaining, and sadness happening. Review por favor? Gracias!