Chapter 4 – Sunshine and Salads

Summer sat outside basking in the glorious sunshine and picking at a garden salad forlornly lying in front of her next to a tall cup of cappuccino. She was so intently examining what she was eating that she failed to notice Marissa approaching her. Marissa sat down in a heap in the chair oppose Summer. She sighed deeply. Summer looked up from her salad. "What's wrong? Biology test?"

"No." Marissa brushed a stray hair from her eyes. "Ryan."

Summer returned to picking at her salad. "What about him?"

Marissa fiddled with a bracelet on her right arm. "He kind of, sort of, asked me to a charity drinks thing at the Cohen's."

Summer squinted through the sunshine to look at Marissa. "What does that mean?"

Marissa returned the look of her friend. "He said it would be okay if I went."

"Oh." Summer said in a deflated tone.

"Yeah." Marissa agreed.

Summer thought for a moment. "Maybe he was just respecting your relationship with Luke."

Marissa shot her friend a contemptuous look. "This is the same guy who punched Luke in the face."

Summer had momentarily forgotten that. "Oh, yeah."

The two girls sat in thoughtful silence for a moment until Summer said, "It doesn't matter. We'll go shopping after school for two killer dresses and see everyone's eyes pop out at the party. Then meet a pair of high-flying, rich, investment bankers and watch Ryan turn green with envy."

Marissa laughed at the sheer self-confidence of Summer's plan.

"Besides, Ryan won't last five minutes at an Orange County drinks party." Summer declared defiantly.

Marissa liked the scenario Summer had created. "Yeah, he'll probably hide in the back with Seth for the whole thing anyway."

Summer nodded in agreement. Then suddenly a thought struck her. "Seth Cohen?"

Marissa looked up little bit of surprised by the question. "Yeah."

Summer's voice rose ever so slightly in pitch. "The hide-and-seek guy?"

Marissa grew more surprised. "Yeah."

"He's going?" Summer asked.

"It's at his house. Kirsten and Sandy are his parents." Marissa said wondering where this was leading.

Summer's mouth hung open in shock. "Oh. My. God."

Then it dawned on Marissa. "I thought you knew that, right?

Summer shook her head.

Marissa raised her eyebrows. "The same last name didn't tip you off?"

Summer violently shook her head.

"I can't believe you didn't know. You're always desperately trying to get invites to these sorts of things. How could you not know Sandy and Kirsten had a son?"

"I knew they had a son. I didn't know it was Seth Cohen."

Marissa thought about this for a moment then shrugged in agreement. If she didn't live next to the Cohen's she wasn't sure if she would have known that Seth was their son. He wasn't exactly the most social of creatures. Just then she saw Seth walk across a courtyard and into a building. "Speak of the devil."

"What?" Summer inquired.

"Seth." Marissa said matter-of-factly then realizing more explanation was needed she elaborated and pointed in the direction of where Seth had walked. "He just went past."

Summer thought for a second then jumped up from her seat and quickly made her way in the direction of where Seth had gone.

Marissa watched her go, shrugged her shoulders, then grabbed Summer's salad, and began picking at it with a fork.