A/N: Wow, I think this might be the first time my author's note doesn't take up half a page. I deserve a pat on the back.

Pink Tints

"So, things with DJ are…?" Summer sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Things with DJ are nonexistent. He was avoiding me for a while and I didn't get it. Finally, I learn that my mom paid him to leave me alone. She freaking paid him! And he accepted. So, I'm not talking to him."

"Damn, Coop. That's harsh."

"Yeah." She paused before dropping her fork and leaning back, mimicking Summer's pose. "So, how goes it with Seth?"

"I don't know," Summer answered.

"Are you guys still hooking up?" Marissa asked.

"Well, yeah. But then, there's this whole thing with college. I already know I'm going to UCLA but he's talking about NYU and he's applied to all these colleges in New York. Like, he applied to UCLA and USC with me too but I don't think he wants to go. He's late enough deciding as it is."

"That's tough."

"And, honestly, I don't want to be close to him right now. I mean, if he's just gonna leave then that's gonna be the end of us and I don't wanna be attached if it's just going to be…over."

"But you don't want to actually date him?" Marissa was confused, yet again, by the situation her best friend had managed to land herself in.

"It's…complicated," was the only explanation Summer could give.

"Excuse me ladies," said a waitress as she approached their table. Setting two waters down on the table she said, "These are from those gentlemen over there." She pointed in the direction of a table behind them.

"Thanks," Summer said as she glanced at the table. Dropping some bills on their own table, they got up and walked over to the table. "So water, huh? That's hot," she said, upon approaching the table.

"We thought you'd think so," Seth said as Summer slid into the booth next to him. Marissa took the other side, making herself comfortable next to Ryan.

"We were just talking about you," Marissa said, speaking to Seth.

"Coop," Summer said sharply.

"Oh, I meant that we weren't."

Summer gave Marissa a look clearly complimenting her on her excellent cover up. Marissa shrugged in an apologetic response.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Summer asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Sending water to random tables," Seth answered. She elbowed him for his sarcasm and he said, "Eating."

"Really? So were we."

"Well that's normally what you do at a restaurant." Summer elbowed him again.

She noticed Marissa quietly snickering and Ryan hiding a smile behind his napkin. "What?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing," Marissa said, failing miserably at concealing her smirk.

"Whatever. Coop and I have shopping to do, right Coop?"

"Yeah."

"We'll see you guys later," Summer said as she and Marissa slid simultaneously out of the booth and stood up. Linking her arm through Marissa's, they walked out of the restaurant.

Once the doors swung shut behind them, Ryan spoke. "So, has anything changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you and Summer."

"Me and Summer. Yeah…um, no," Seth said.

"Man, do you even want it to?" Ryan asked.

"Dude, I don't know." Seth let out a sigh. "Like now, we're trying to deal with college and everything. She's going to UCLA and I'm thinking about NYU. I applied to UCLA with her but I just don't know. What if she never wants to be together for real and I give up NYU for that?"

"Have you considered talking to her about it?"

"I dunno. She doesn't like talking about that stuff. It just starts to depress her and she'll change the subject." Seth paused. "I just don't know what to do."

"Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't base a decision like that on someone like her. I mean, what if you're right? Say you guys go to college together and then she ends up meeting some random guy who she decides to date. Then you're left with a blown future and a year of hot sex."

"I guess you're right," Seth said.

"No, you see Summer, my grandma gets to smoke weed all the time. And it's legal."

"Nuh uh," she said as she set her drink down on the coffee table.

"Yuh huh. Pot is medically beneficial," he explained.

"Nuh uh," she said again.

"It is. I swear."

He reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her down to sit on his lap. She giggled as he tickled her, his fingers pinching at her waist. She squirmed her way onto the couch until he was right on top her. "Give," he said in her ear.

She pushed at his hands before finally giving up and squealing, "Okay, I give! I give!" He released his grip on her, falling gently on top of her. She felt his lips leave a soft kiss on her shoulder before he turned his head to face the TV.

Don't think we're not serious
When's it ever not
The love we make is give and it's take
I'm game to play along

"Oh my god, Cohen. What is this crap?" she said as she reached for the channel changer, which was sitting on the coffee table in front of them. She pressed some buttons and soon the VH1 channel that played music all the time was replaced by a Victoria's Secret ad.

"Now this is my kind of TV," Seth said as she ogled the models rolling around on beds and stuff.

"Cohen!" Summer said as she smacked him.

"Ow! What?" Summer didn't answer so he went on. "Gisele is hot."

"Oh my god," Summer said.

"Dude, she's Brazilian. Brazilian chicks are hot."

"Really? What about Californian chicks?" Summer asked.

"I don't know," he said. "They just don't do it for me."

"If you have any hope of getting laid today, you'll take that back right now," she told him.

"Summer, you are a goddess. You're just, like, the most beautiful woman in the world and I wish I had wallpaper with you on it so I could stare at you all day long."

"That's better."

"So, can we have sex now?"

Summer let out an annoyed grunt but other than that she ignored him. They lay there for a few minutes as Summer searched for something decent to watch. Finally, after passing MTV twice, she gave up, shutting off the TV completely and dropping the remote onto the ground.

"I'm tired," she announced to no one in particular. Seth shifted his head so that it was hidden next to her neck. "Let's sleep."

"Let's make out," he said, his voice muffled from his position. She felt his lips as they started to press kisses across her neck. Using his arms to hold himself up, he kissed her fully on the lips this time. His tongue gently pried open her mouth as her hands ran along his back.

"Where's your dad?" he whispered, not taking his lips from hers.

She kissed him again before answering. "Mmm…with some client," she said, using as few words as possible because his free hand was just barely brushing the skin on her thigh, above the hem of her skirt.

Things got heated quickly and they were both startled when they heard the front door swing open. Seth sat up quickly as the lights were flipped on. Summer sat up too and looked out over the couch to see her father standing in the foyer, a surprised expression on his face.

"Seth," he said.

"Daddy, I didn't know you'd be home," Summer said, her cheeks immediately flushing pink as Seth tried to nonchalantly fasten his belt.

"Meeting ended early," he said, as he very obviously stared at Summer's pink strapless bra, which had been flung over the back of the couch. She was quite positive that her cheeks matched its color. She knew Seth's did.

"Um, I should go," Seth said as he slipped his shoes on. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, okay," Summer said.

"Bye Mr. Roberts," Seth said, not making eye contact, as he awkwardly passed him on his way out the door.

Summer's dad walked into the kitchen and Summer followed, hovering in the doorway.

"So, you're serious about him." It was a statement yet it clearly asked for an answer.

"No," she said quietly. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it was a lie. She knew that she loved him and with him, things were as serious as they get. But, using some twisted logic, she thought if she told everyone else they weren't, if she kept telling herself they weren't, that they wouldn't be.

"But you're sleeping with him."

"No," she lied again.

"So he just walks around with his pants undone?" Her father's tone was rising and she could see a pinkish color coming to his cheeks.

"Dad, it's not like that," she said. Her father couldn't know that they were sleeping together because then there was a good chance that his parents would find out. She also couldn't lie and say they were dating because then that also might be leaked to his parents and they know that they're not dating.

"Really? Then what's it like, Summer?"

"God, just leave me the hell alone!" she said as she stormed out of the kitchen. Grabbing her bra off the couch, she went out to her car, slamming the front door. She jumped in her car, starting the engine as one of Seth's stupid CD's came through the speakers. She tossed her bra on the seat next to her; she'd bother with it later, as she headed in the direction of Marissa's house.

Ten minutes later, she pulled up the entirely-too-long driveway to park in front of the Nichol mansion. She rang the doorbell where she was greeted by the queen of the manor herself, Julie Cooper…Nichol…Julie Cooper-Nichol…whatever.

"Hey, Mrs. Cooper. Is Marissa around?"

"Sure, sweetie. She's upstairs," Julie said as she motioned to the staircase.

"Thanks," Summer said as she slipped inside and up the staircase which was also entirely too long.

She knocked lightly before opening the door to find Marissa lying on her bed. "Hey, Coop."

"Hey, Sum," she said as she sat up. Summer sat down beside her. "What's up?"

Sighing, Summer said, "It's the whole thing with Cohen. It's so screwed up."

"Yeah, well I could have told you that before."

"No, that's not what I mean. It's my dad," she said, as she adjusted the strap of her tank top.

"Your dad and Cohen?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah," Summer said, as she picked Marissa's Share Bear up off the bed.

"What about them?"

"Well, Cohen and I were on my couch doing…what we usually do…and my dad walked in."

"On you guys having sex?!" Marissa asked, her eyes widening.

"No! Thank god, we didn't get that far but his pants were undone and my bra was…well it wasn't on me." Summer picked at something on the stuffed animal in her hands.

"So what did he say?"

"At first he didn't really say anything. Then Cohen left and he started talking some shit about me and Cohen being serious and then I was like 'no' and he was all 'but you're sleeping with him' and I was like 'no'."

"Did he believe you?"

"Hell no. Are you kidding me? Cohen was on top of me with his pants unzipped, of course he didn't believe me."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," Summer said, setting the bear down on the bed. "I just don't want his parents to find out, you know? They'd freak out and I probably wouldn't be allowed near Seth. They think I'm, like, this sweet, innocent girl and if they found out I was currently using their son for my own dirty pleasures…it wouldn't be good," she finished.

"I agree." Marissa paused before broaching the next subject. "Has he said anything about college?"

"No," Summer said, her voice quickly changing from her solid angry one to a softer tone. "I think I'm gonna go talk to him."

"Alright," Marissa said, touching her arm as she stood up.

"I'll catch up with you later, Coop," she said as she walked towards the door.

"Yeah. Bye," Marissa said.

"Hey," Summer said, as she walked into Seth's room.

"Oh, hey," he said, sitting up. "I was just going to call you."

She sat down on his bed as he reached over and turned the music down. "So," she said.

"So," he mimicked. "What'd your dad say?"

"A lot of unimportant bullshit," she said, waving her hand and not bothering to give the details of the discussion with her father.

"I see." Seth paused looking around the room. "Any chance he'll tell my parents?"

"I hope not."

"Yeah, that's very reassuring," Seth said sarcastically.

"Look, if he says anything, we can just deny it," Summer told him. Seth still looked unsure so Summer leaned across the bed and kissed him. "It'll be okay."

Seth nodded his head slowly before speaking. "Can we talk?"

"Okay," Summer said, hesitant.

"But I want to give you something first," he said as he got off of his bed. He walked over to his desk where he rummaged around for a while before surfacing with a long, velvet box. He came back to the bed and sat down, handing it to her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Merry Chrismukkah," he said in lieu of explanation.

She opened the box and her mouth fell open slightly. "Oh my god," she breathed, staring down at the tiny silver heart with the diamond embedded in the center that hung off a matching silver chain. "Seth, I…I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll wear it," he said, leaning over to kiss her.

"Of course," she whispered as he took the box from her, removing the necklace. She turned her back to him so he could put it on. Bringing the necklace around her throat, his fingers worked the clasp. His face was so close that she could feel his breath, hot on the back of her neck. Finishing the task of fastening the necklace, he let his fingers spread out over her shoulders as he leaned down, kissing the base of her neck. His kisses moved sideways along her neck as she turned herself so that she was facing him. Pressing more kisses across her collarbone, he finished with a kiss to her lips, soft and sweet.

"So you like it?" he asked and she nodded. "Good."

Finally she remembered that he wanted to talk about something. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, about that," he started. "So, I've been thinking about school a lot."

"Yeah," Summer said, not liking the direction in which this conversation was headed.

"And, um, I think I'm going to go. To New York."

"You are," Summer said. Inside, everything had gone black. She felt like each one of her organs was shutting down, starting with her heart. Her stomach had twisted itself into knots and she was positive she was going to throw up. She wanted something solid to hold onto but all she felt was hollow air. Her throat started to close up and she couldn't breathe.

"Summer? Are you okay?" Seth asked, as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she said, trying to disguise her body's physical reaction to this news. "I'm just going to…use the bathroom."

Locking the door behind her, she gripped the counter and concentrated on breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. She couldn't figure out why she was reacting this way. She knew this had been coming. She splashed some water on her face in an attempt to calm herself down.

"Calm down, Summer," she spoke to herself reassuringly. "It's okay."

Finally, when she felt she was composed enough to face Seth again, she went back to his bedroom.

"Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, his face expressing his concern.

"Oh, it was nothing," she said, brushing it off. "It's the air. The changing seasons start to get to me."

"Oh," he said, confused. Obviously, he didn't buy her story.

"So, you're going to New York," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Yeah," he said, slowly, waiting for her to react again.

"Well, that's great. I'm…I'm really happy for you," she forced herself to say.

"Thanks," he said, still hesitant. "You wanna go get something to eat?"

"Sure," she said, plastering on a smile. He looped an arm around her waist as he led them out of the bedroom.

A/N: Hahaha… There just wouldn't be a story without drama! Since it took me so long to get the other chapter out, I got this one up quicker. Appreciate it. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the lyrics I added didn't have a whole lot to do with anything. I really kind of just established an obsession with Jimmy Eat World so, you know.