Author's note: First off, I am soooo glad that you guys like my story, you
have no idea how much that helps me keep writing. Secondly, I need
something from you guys. Could you all send good thoughts to my drama
class and also to me because tonight they are announcing awards for this
local drama competition and if we get either first, second or third place,
then we get to go to State competition. Thank you, and now here's the
chapter!
"A woman who'll wait for the third time around, head in the clouds, feet on the ground She's girl he's glad he's found, she's his shipoopi." ---Shipoopi, The Music Man
The weeks went by slowly, but it was finally August. Summer school was over and Summer was able to do whatever she wanted, unfortunately she wasn't up for much.
"God!" Summer exclaimed walking into the kitchen wearing a pair of pink pajama pants and a muscle shirt. "Why does it have to be so hot?"
"Summer, this is Missouri in August. What did you expect?"
"But, it's only nine and it's already eighty six degree's. That's not normal. Are you sure that this isn't hell?"
"Well, I guess it's to hot for you to go hang out with a friend, huh."
"Why? Who called?"
"I did." Marissa said walking into the room.
"Oh my god! Coop? What are you doing here?"
"My mom's in Italy and so dad told me that I can come here with Ryan to visit you as long as I call him twice a day and I have to come back by Friday."
"First off: Ryan's here? And secondly: Friday? That's so short."
"I know, and about the Ryan thing my dad trusts him, and he knows that if I do anything that's suspicious Ryan's going to call him. Okay?"
"Okay. So where is Ryan now?"
"He's out in the car."
"Well, you two catch up; I've got to get to work. Hopefully I'll see you later Marissa." Meg said swinging her purse over her shoulder
"You too Meg."
"I'll tell Ryan to come on in."
"So, how long have you been planning this?" Summer asked as she led Marissa into the living room.
"Since last month. I figured that Springfield would be a lot calmer than Tijuana. But this isn't about me. Let me take a look at you! You've gotten so big!"
"I know! I feel like a beached whale."
"You look beautiful." The girls heard Ryan shut the front door and they turned and looked at him.
"Does he know?" Summer whispered.
"Yeah. But don't worry. He understands." Marissa whispered back and then said, "Come sit down with us. "
"Yeah come join us." Summer said trying to stand up.
"You stay there." Ryan said, "I'll come to you."
"Thank you so much."
"So, how far along are you now?" Marissa asked.
"Almost twenty-seven weeks."
That afternoon, after learning all of the gossip that she had missed, Summer decided to take Marissa and Ryan on a tour of Springfield. They went to get ice cream, they saw a movie for two dollars, and then they went to the mall.
"So, this is the mall?" Marissa asked as they walked through the food court doors.
"Yep. They've got some semi-cool stores here. I mean there's no Urban Outfitters, or a Paul Frank store, but they've got a Hot Topic and a Spencer's so that makes up for it." Summer told her.
"Summer?" Counterman asked sitting at a table with his girlfriend Niki, Gwen, and Kristi.
"Hey you guys!" Summer exclaimed, "Ryan, Marissa, these are some of my friends: Gwen, Counterman, Kristi and Counterman's girlfriend Niki."
"Hi." Ryan and Marissa said
"So, Summer, what are you up to tonight?" Kristi asked.
"Probably just hanging out at my place with Ryan and Marissa. Why?"
"Well, Anne's having a party as a way to say goodbye to everyone before she leaves for College."
"That's right. She's leaving."
"Yeah, she's taking off Sunday. So, what do you say?" Counterman asked
"I don't know, I mean..."
"She'll be there." Marissa said stepping forward "Besides Ryan and I would both like to meet some of your new friends. "
"Summer, come on." Kristi said looking at her with her big blue eyes and pouty lips.
"Okay. I'll go."
A couple hours later Summer sat talking to Niki and Counterman, while Marissa and Ryan chatted with Anne Marie.
"Yeah, Andy is just so great. I mean, he's so funny and cute." Niki laughed holding onto his arm, "You know, he may be a democrat, but I think he might just be my soul mate."
"That's great." Summer said smiling, sending 'help-me' looks to Ryan.
"Hey Summer." Ryan said walking over to her.
"Hey Ryan."
"We're going to go track down Wasman. We'll talk to you later?" Niki said letting go of Counterman's arm.
"Yeah. Call me okay?"
"'Kay."
Niki and Counterman walked away and Summer turned to Ryan.
"Thank you so much!" Summer exclaimed, "I love Counterman to pieces, but I cannot stand his girlfriend."
"No problem." He said and then asked, "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay."
Ryan took a seat next to Summer, "And the baby?"
"She's fine."
"It's a she?"
"Yep. I just found out, so don't let Marissa know that you knew before she did, okay?"
"Okay." He was quiet for a moment and then said, "Seth's going to have to know someday."
"I know Ryan. And now just isn't the right time."
"When will the right time be? A year from now? Six years from now? You can't keep it a secret forever."
"I know that Ryan. But like I told Coop, this is his senior year. He needs to have fun. And plus, he's with Anna. I don't think learning that Seth and I slept together while they were just starting to date is going to go over to well with her, do you?"
"They broke up."
"What?" She asked, wondering if she had heard right.
"They broke up a few days ago. All Seth could talk about is you and Anna was getting a little upset."
"So she broke up with him?"
"What makes you think that?" Summer raised an eyebrow and Ryan sighed.
"Yeah." he said, "She broke up with him. Because she was tired of pretending that he wasn't still in love with you."
"He's still in love with me?"
"Yeah. But the ultimate question is; how do you feel about him?"
Summer opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Mackenzie's boyfriend, Alex, standing on the couch making a toast to Anne Marie while holding his cup of beer.
"I have to tell you about when I first met Anne!" He slurred
"Alex!" Anne exclaimed
"It was at her brother's sixth birthday party. She was playing monopoly when I first arrived. She let me join in, and she started slipping me 100's from the bank." Alex continued
"Alex!" she exclaimed again, "Get off the friggin' couch now!"
"You can't talk to me that way! I'm a doctor of toastology" he slurred.
"I can't believe that Anne Marie and I used to play together." Marissa said walking over.
"It's a small world."
"So, what were you two talking about?" Marissa asked sitting down on Ryan's lap.
"Nothing." Summer and Ryan said in unison.
"Mmhmm. So, it looks like this party is beginning to wind down, you guys ready to go?"
"Yeah." Summer said standing up, "I'm going to go say goodbye to Anne okay?"
"Okay."
That night Summer and Marissa laid in bed, talking while Ryan slept on the couch in the living room.
"Oh my god!" Marissa exclaimed sitting up, "I forgot to tell you, guess who's pregnant."
"You mean besides me?"
"Yes."
"I don't know. Who?"
"Holly."
"Holly as in the skank bag who Luke cheated on you with? That's funny. Who's the father?"
"That's the thing. She doesn't know. She took three guys to get tested, and all of them were negative. "
"Are you serious?
"Totally serious."
Summer began to laugh and Marissa laid back down.
"I miss this." She said
"I miss this too." Summer agreed. "I wish we could do it more often."
"I do too."
"Maybe you guys could come back for Spring Break."
"Maybe."
Summer laid her hands on her stomach and then said, "Ooh."
"What's wrong?" Marissa asked sitting up again.
"The baby kicked. Chill."
"It kicked?"
"Yeah. You want to feel?"
"Really?"
"Uh-huh."
Marissa placed her hand on Summer's stomach and waited anxiously to feel it kick again.
"Whoa!" She said pulling her hand back.
"Feels weird doesn't it?"
"Uh, yeah. Does it do that a lot?"
"She's been doing it more lately."
"She? You're having a girl?"
"Yeah. I am."
"Oh my god! Congratulations. Have you thought of any names yet?"
"I've thought of a few."
"What are they?"
"Well, there's Sasha, and Sidnie spelled with an I and an ie..."
Marissa laid back down and turned to face Summer and for the rest of the night they tried to come up with baby names.
"A woman who'll wait for the third time around, head in the clouds, feet on the ground She's girl he's glad he's found, she's his shipoopi." ---Shipoopi, The Music Man
The weeks went by slowly, but it was finally August. Summer school was over and Summer was able to do whatever she wanted, unfortunately she wasn't up for much.
"God!" Summer exclaimed walking into the kitchen wearing a pair of pink pajama pants and a muscle shirt. "Why does it have to be so hot?"
"Summer, this is Missouri in August. What did you expect?"
"But, it's only nine and it's already eighty six degree's. That's not normal. Are you sure that this isn't hell?"
"Well, I guess it's to hot for you to go hang out with a friend, huh."
"Why? Who called?"
"I did." Marissa said walking into the room.
"Oh my god! Coop? What are you doing here?"
"My mom's in Italy and so dad told me that I can come here with Ryan to visit you as long as I call him twice a day and I have to come back by Friday."
"First off: Ryan's here? And secondly: Friday? That's so short."
"I know, and about the Ryan thing my dad trusts him, and he knows that if I do anything that's suspicious Ryan's going to call him. Okay?"
"Okay. So where is Ryan now?"
"He's out in the car."
"Well, you two catch up; I've got to get to work. Hopefully I'll see you later Marissa." Meg said swinging her purse over her shoulder
"You too Meg."
"I'll tell Ryan to come on in."
"So, how long have you been planning this?" Summer asked as she led Marissa into the living room.
"Since last month. I figured that Springfield would be a lot calmer than Tijuana. But this isn't about me. Let me take a look at you! You've gotten so big!"
"I know! I feel like a beached whale."
"You look beautiful." The girls heard Ryan shut the front door and they turned and looked at him.
"Does he know?" Summer whispered.
"Yeah. But don't worry. He understands." Marissa whispered back and then said, "Come sit down with us. "
"Yeah come join us." Summer said trying to stand up.
"You stay there." Ryan said, "I'll come to you."
"Thank you so much."
"So, how far along are you now?" Marissa asked.
"Almost twenty-seven weeks."
That afternoon, after learning all of the gossip that she had missed, Summer decided to take Marissa and Ryan on a tour of Springfield. They went to get ice cream, they saw a movie for two dollars, and then they went to the mall.
"So, this is the mall?" Marissa asked as they walked through the food court doors.
"Yep. They've got some semi-cool stores here. I mean there's no Urban Outfitters, or a Paul Frank store, but they've got a Hot Topic and a Spencer's so that makes up for it." Summer told her.
"Summer?" Counterman asked sitting at a table with his girlfriend Niki, Gwen, and Kristi.
"Hey you guys!" Summer exclaimed, "Ryan, Marissa, these are some of my friends: Gwen, Counterman, Kristi and Counterman's girlfriend Niki."
"Hi." Ryan and Marissa said
"So, Summer, what are you up to tonight?" Kristi asked.
"Probably just hanging out at my place with Ryan and Marissa. Why?"
"Well, Anne's having a party as a way to say goodbye to everyone before she leaves for College."
"That's right. She's leaving."
"Yeah, she's taking off Sunday. So, what do you say?" Counterman asked
"I don't know, I mean..."
"She'll be there." Marissa said stepping forward "Besides Ryan and I would both like to meet some of your new friends. "
"Summer, come on." Kristi said looking at her with her big blue eyes and pouty lips.
"Okay. I'll go."
A couple hours later Summer sat talking to Niki and Counterman, while Marissa and Ryan chatted with Anne Marie.
"Yeah, Andy is just so great. I mean, he's so funny and cute." Niki laughed holding onto his arm, "You know, he may be a democrat, but I think he might just be my soul mate."
"That's great." Summer said smiling, sending 'help-me' looks to Ryan.
"Hey Summer." Ryan said walking over to her.
"Hey Ryan."
"We're going to go track down Wasman. We'll talk to you later?" Niki said letting go of Counterman's arm.
"Yeah. Call me okay?"
"'Kay."
Niki and Counterman walked away and Summer turned to Ryan.
"Thank you so much!" Summer exclaimed, "I love Counterman to pieces, but I cannot stand his girlfriend."
"No problem." He said and then asked, "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay."
Ryan took a seat next to Summer, "And the baby?"
"She's fine."
"It's a she?"
"Yep. I just found out, so don't let Marissa know that you knew before she did, okay?"
"Okay." He was quiet for a moment and then said, "Seth's going to have to know someday."
"I know Ryan. And now just isn't the right time."
"When will the right time be? A year from now? Six years from now? You can't keep it a secret forever."
"I know that Ryan. But like I told Coop, this is his senior year. He needs to have fun. And plus, he's with Anna. I don't think learning that Seth and I slept together while they were just starting to date is going to go over to well with her, do you?"
"They broke up."
"What?" She asked, wondering if she had heard right.
"They broke up a few days ago. All Seth could talk about is you and Anna was getting a little upset."
"So she broke up with him?"
"What makes you think that?" Summer raised an eyebrow and Ryan sighed.
"Yeah." he said, "She broke up with him. Because she was tired of pretending that he wasn't still in love with you."
"He's still in love with me?"
"Yeah. But the ultimate question is; how do you feel about him?"
Summer opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Mackenzie's boyfriend, Alex, standing on the couch making a toast to Anne Marie while holding his cup of beer.
"I have to tell you about when I first met Anne!" He slurred
"Alex!" Anne exclaimed
"It was at her brother's sixth birthday party. She was playing monopoly when I first arrived. She let me join in, and she started slipping me 100's from the bank." Alex continued
"Alex!" she exclaimed again, "Get off the friggin' couch now!"
"You can't talk to me that way! I'm a doctor of toastology" he slurred.
"I can't believe that Anne Marie and I used to play together." Marissa said walking over.
"It's a small world."
"So, what were you two talking about?" Marissa asked sitting down on Ryan's lap.
"Nothing." Summer and Ryan said in unison.
"Mmhmm. So, it looks like this party is beginning to wind down, you guys ready to go?"
"Yeah." Summer said standing up, "I'm going to go say goodbye to Anne okay?"
"Okay."
That night Summer and Marissa laid in bed, talking while Ryan slept on the couch in the living room.
"Oh my god!" Marissa exclaimed sitting up, "I forgot to tell you, guess who's pregnant."
"You mean besides me?"
"Yes."
"I don't know. Who?"
"Holly."
"Holly as in the skank bag who Luke cheated on you with? That's funny. Who's the father?"
"That's the thing. She doesn't know. She took three guys to get tested, and all of them were negative. "
"Are you serious?
"Totally serious."
Summer began to laugh and Marissa laid back down.
"I miss this." She said
"I miss this too." Summer agreed. "I wish we could do it more often."
"I do too."
"Maybe you guys could come back for Spring Break."
"Maybe."
Summer laid her hands on her stomach and then said, "Ooh."
"What's wrong?" Marissa asked sitting up again.
"The baby kicked. Chill."
"It kicked?"
"Yeah. You want to feel?"
"Really?"
"Uh-huh."
Marissa placed her hand on Summer's stomach and waited anxiously to feel it kick again.
"Whoa!" She said pulling her hand back.
"Feels weird doesn't it?"
"Uh, yeah. Does it do that a lot?"
"She's been doing it more lately."
"She? You're having a girl?"
"Yeah. I am."
"Oh my god! Congratulations. Have you thought of any names yet?"
"I've thought of a few."
"What are they?"
"Well, there's Sasha, and Sidnie spelled with an I and an ie..."
Marissa laid back down and turned to face Summer and for the rest of the night they tried to come up with baby names.
