A/N: This is the last chapter. Ummm… So. The second chapter. Okay, I know Summer doesn't cry, like, often. It was just how I felt I could do it. I dont think this chapter's turned out right. It was sorta a let down to me...
To those of you who are reviewing... Man, you guys are awesome :) Its so weird to think that someone has read this and liked it a little :) So, thank you guys.
Disclaimer: That word is way too long. Anyway. Not mine. None of it. Except for the sucky storyline, I guess.
Chapter Three – Let Me Show You Now"So, Coop, how was the party last night?" Summer was sitting on Marissa's bed while Marissa was modelling potential outfits. It was late Saturday morning, the dance was that night.
"Honestly?" Marissa asked, and Summer nodded. "It was lame," Marissa decided. "Just the boring, same old-same old. And it wasn't one of Holly's best, either."
"When I talked to her, she sounded off her face," Summer bit her lip, "How much did she have?"
"I have no idea. She was snorting, Luke was drinking. They looked pretty happy," Marissa's voice trembled.
"Sit down, Coop," Summer said softly, patting the bedspread beside her. Marissa sat and Summer put an arm around her best friend. "You regretting you and Luke breaking up, sweetie?"
"It's not like I had much choice."
"Does he want you back?"
"I don't know. I guess we'll see tonight," Marissa grinned, and Summer folded her arms over her chest.
"What about Chino?"
"I don't know what's happening with Ryan," Marissa shrugged.
"Do you like him?"
"Yeah. A lot," Marissa admitted. "But Luke is like, safe, for me."
"Maybe not so safe," Summer said, thinking of Holly.
"Huh?"
"Nothing," Summer said quickly, "Hey, um, about last night… what do you think of Seth Cohen?"
"Why?" Marissa asked warily.
"Oh, nothing, I just… Well I ran away from Lydia'sthing and I got home and I broke down and I rang him to get Kirsten's number so I could get her to tell Lydia I was gone and then I started talking to him and he knew I was upset and he told me not to hurt myself – not that I was going to – coz he needed me." She spat out in one breath.
"Whoa. Okay," Marissa nodded.
"And I said I had no one, and he said I had him."
"You have me, Sum," said Marissa, sounding hurt.
"Well – I – I thought – I thought that with your parents, and Luke and Ryan – you didn't have time to care about me." Summer bit her lip and looked at her toes.
"Oh, Sum," Marissa said, wrapping her arms around the other girl. "I always have time for you. And I'll always care about you. I love you, honey."
"Yeah, I – I know, I love ya too Coop – it just seemed like everyone was against me last night."
"Everyone except Seth Cohen." Marissa let go of Summer.
Summer shrugged, "No? I don't know. What do you think I should wear tonight?"
The dance was colour coded – pink, red, and black. Not too original, but that didnt really matter.
"Well, pink makes you look sweet…" Marissa mused, "But red makes you look hot. Which one are you going for?"
Summer grinned, "Red. Definitely."
Summer went home about two hours later. She picked out a dress (red; the top was boobtube, but it had a little halter thing that you tied around your neck, with two silver hoops at the bottom, making it kind of look like a necklace. It certainly wasn't there to hold the dress up, because the top hem cut into Summer's chest it was that tight. The dress clung to her stomach and then ruffled out from the ass to three quarters down her thigh. It was a gorgeous dress and looked even better on her). She picked out a pair of silver spiral Donna Karen heels, a pair of silver hoop earrings, and a red Prada purse. She left her hair down but curled flowing waves all the way through it, and did her make up. She checked herself out in one of her mirrors. Not too bad, she thought, leaving for Coop's house.
Marissa was ready and standing at the end of her driveway, wearing a light pink Chanel dress, holding a silvery grey Dior custom clutch and running a hand nervously through her straightened hair. As soon as Summer pulled up (trying not to flick her eyes over and watch the Cohen house, and failing), Marissa jumped in and they drove to the country club, where Marissa had decided to have the dance.
The girls walked inside and saw it was already full of pink, red, and black. They walked around to find a table and bumped into Seth and Ryan, who were wearing matching suits (black jacket, black pants, white shirt, tie), except Seth's tie was red and Ryan's was black.
As soon as they saw each other, Marissa dragged Ryan off to talk, and Seth and Summer sat down. Summer put her hands, folded, onto the table between them, and cast her eyes downward. "I'm sorry about last night, and, you know, yesterday."
"What do you have to be sorry for?" He asked gently.
"I yelled at you for only looking at me, and I threatened you and called you a freak."
"It's not the first time, so don't worry about it."
She finally looked at him, with a sad and worried look in her eyes, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." He looked away. He didn't want to fall into her eyes again.
"And then," she ploughed on, "I rang you at like late at night crying and I expected you to help me. Cohen… I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry!" he said, gently yet aggressively, looking at her. "I'm always going to help you, Summer. Always. Especially when you're upset."
"I thought I had no one," she said timidly.
"You have me," he repeated the same sentiment as the night before. "Always."
She smiled at him, "Thank you."
"Can I take this opportunity to see how you look, or is that forbidden?"
She smiled again, stood up, turned a circle and sat back down.
"You look… wow."
"Is that a good wow?"
"Every wow is a good wow with you, Summer," he grinned. "You look beautiful. I mean, you always look beautiful, but… more so."
She smiled genuinely, and blushed. Then she cleared her throat, "You look good, too, Cohen," she told him, and he grinned.
"Always do, right?"
"Yeah, keep dreaming," she smirked, then put on a look of fake-confusion, "But I though you were going to wear the pink tie? Or – a pink shirt? Oh, hell, why not go get a pink suit?"
"Uh, maybe because, I might just look gay," Seth laughed, and she smiled. "And if I were wearing a pink suit, you definitely wouldn't be sitting with me."
"Yeah, I would. I'd be the one taking pictures."
"Why are you sitting with me?" he asked, his face serious. "Friends ditch you?"
"No," she said stiffly, "They're all over there." she waved her hand in their direction unimportantly, "I'm sitting with you because I like you."
He covered his mouth and said squeakily, "Oh, my God! I think I'm going to faint!" and slumped back in the booth for emphasis.
"Okay, that just was not funny," she said, smiling, as he sat up.
He shrugged. "So… Like me as in how?"
"Well, we're friends, right?"
"Um… No," Seth said, confused. "I would have to say definitely not."
She looked thoughtful and puzzled, "Well… I guess I have no idea then."
"Then, how much do you like me?"
Summer shrugged. "I don't know. You and Coop are the only good people I have in my life – I like you… A lot, I guess. I don't know. I barely know you."
He nodded slowly, "Okayyy."
"Yeah," she said. "Um – do you like me?"
"Summer, I know just about everything about you. If I didn't like you, would I know everything?"
She smiled, "Know-it-all. I don't know. Would you?"
He looked down at his hands, "I've liked you forever."
Her eyes widened, "Like – like that? In that – that way? Why? I'm a bitch."
"No, you're not. Okay, you are. But – okay, this is gonna sound weird – the real, inner Summer, is a beautiful person. And she's the person I see every time I look at you. It's in your eyes, Summer."
"No one else can see her."
"Nope," Seth grinned. "I like to think I'm special."
"Keep dreaming," she said, then reconsidered. "But maybe – maybe you kind of are." The song playing ended. "You want to dance?"
"With you? Here? But – your friends –"
"What friends?" she asked bitterly. "Please?"
"Good lord. Yeah, uh, sure." He looked at her suspiciously, then stood up. So did she, and led him out into a sea of dancing couples. She put her arms up under his arms and held his back, and he put his arms around her. Back At One by Brian McKnight started playing.
Seth heard the opening music and immediately recognised it, as did Summer. He looked at her and she lifted her head to look at him. He pulled her closer, so that they were hugging but swaying to give off the illusion that they were dancing.
It's undeniable that we should be together
It's unbelievable, how I used to say that I'd fall never
"Sum," Seth said quietly, "I don't know how you feel about me so I don't wanna scare you off and I know it's fast but this song… Its how I feel… Like the lyrics… Just listen to them, okay?"
She raised her eyebrows and nodded.
The basis is need to know, if you don't know just how I feel
Then let me show you now that I'm for real
If all the things in time, time will reveal
Summer looked up at Seth again, from under her eyelashes, as he murmured the chorus.
One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl its plain to see
That you're the only one for me
And four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one
She smiled at him hesitantly,"I sort of get it," she murmured.
He leant down a little, and leaned his head down so his forehead was on her hairline. "Listen to this verse."
It's so incredible, the way things work themselves out
And all emotional, once you know what it's all about
And undesirable, for us to be apart
I never would have made it very far
Cause you know you got the keys to my heart…
She raised her head so that their faces were millimetres apart, and this time she sung the chorus to him.
One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, coz its plain to see
That you're the only one for me
And four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one
And finally, their lips basically touching anyway, he kissed her. It was the most amazing kiss she'd ever had, and as it lasted through the next verse, though her head was exploding with feelings, she listened as well.
Say farewell to the dark of night, I see the coming of the sun
I feel like a little child, who's life has just begun
You came and breathed new life into this lonely heart of mine
You threw out the lifeline
Just in the nick of time
As the chorus started again, she pulled away, smiling, grabbed his hand and led him out to a balcony. They passed her 'friends', who were pointing and laughing, or staring in shock and disgust. Summer ignored them, still smiling happily.
As they got outside to the deserted balcony, the song finished. Summer closed the French doors behind them and leant on the edge of the sill. Seth did the same.
"Wow," he said finally. "This is crazy."
She finally turned to him, "You said you didn't know how I feel. Well… Steps one to three should explain it." She paused, and the first part of the chorus filtered through his mind, then she continued, edging closer to him, "Cohen, I – I love you. I don't know how or even why and I know its fast but you – you make me, me. That's how I feel."
He stared at her, speechless, then pulled her body to his, "I love you too, Summer. I always have."
She kissed him, and this time, neither of them pulled away. The chorus of Back At One echoed through each of their brains, although the song had long finished inside, as they kissed, completely lost in each other.
One, you're like a dream come true
Two, just wanna be with you
Three, girl its plain to see
That you're the only one for me
And four, repeat steps one through three
Five, make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one…
Back At One - Brian McKnight
A/N: Ugh. The cheesiness.
Okay, that's it. I was gonna put more at the end of that chapter, but decided not to. I really dont like this chapter... But I dont have the heart to re-do it. Also, I know it seems pretty unrealistic, and it happens pretty fast, but I guess I'm trying to show how Summer has no one she can really trust or whatever but with him, she almost immediately feels she can trust him? I don't know.
Please, please review and tell me how you felt about it. If you hate it, or like it, or have any ideas for me tell me. Thanks… And again thanks for the other reviews...
Oh, also - sorry that there isn't really any drama or anything and it's sort of rushed. It's just all… Yeah. I don't know. This fic was like a little fantasy thing that played out in my head when I was listening to Strange And Beautiful, then the other songs came to me, so, yeah. Sorry. Love to all. . .Adios :) xxxx
