He'll Be Back
Chapter Thirteen
"Give it another week," Marissa said picking up her burger and taking a bite.
"I already have," Summer said looking at her plate.
"When are you meeting Seth?"
" I told him I would pick him up at nine," Summer answered looking at her watch, "It's seven thirty now."
"We could buy a… you know… test."
"I want to finish eating first," Summer said with tears in her eyes.
They paid the bill and left. Summer drove to Irvine a town nearby. She turned off the engine and looked at Marissa with pleading eyes.
"Summer I'm coming too, they won't know who it's for." They got out of the car and Summer armed the BMW. The horn tooted and the girls entered the CVS.
"You know it's ironic that they put the contraceptives and the pregnancy tests right next to each other." Summer said overwhelmed. She grabbed a test quickly and walked to the front register. The clerk looked at Summer and Marissa and then down at the test. He rang it through and both girls blushed.
"So that comes to $21.82," the clerk said his voice cracking.
"Shit that is expensive," Marissa said looking in her wallet.
"Don't worry. I'll pay for it." Summer said forking over a fifty.
She got the change and held the bag in front of her with a look of disgust on her face.
Summer sat on her bed looking at Marissa. "What are the instructions?"
"You pee on this absorbent end and then cap it and wait 5 minutes to read results from this window."
"Fine give it to me," Summer said snatching it from Marissa's hand. She walked to the bathroom and then back in to her room. "Are you coming?"
"You want me in the bathroom as you pee?"
"Please," Summer begged.
Marissa got off the bed and walked down the hall with her friend. When Summer finished and the cap was safely on. She washed her hands and then returned with Marissa to her room. "Has it been five minutes yet?" Summer asked pacing the room.
"Not even three," Marissa said looking up from a magazine.
"How the hell can you be so calm?" Summer yelled, "Oh shit, Cohen." Summer found a pair of cork wedges with red plastic straps in her closet.
"Who's house are you guys going to?" Marissa asked as Summer slipped them on to her feet.
"Mara Cole's beach house. She is going to be a junior." Summer grabbed a red Coach clutch. Summer went for the door and Marissa stopped her.
"Aren't you forgetting about something?"
"No," Summer said grabbing the white test off her desk. "We'll read it in the car, I'm going to be late." Marissa rolled her eyes and followed Summer to her car.
"Hand it over, Summer,"
"What does it say," Summer said turning on to Seth's street.
"There are two lines,"
"That's negative right?"
"I don't know where is the box?"
"Shit, I think I left it in my room." Summer pulled into the Cohen's driveway.
"Well then check when you get home. For now have a good time." Marissa said as she got out of the car.
"I'm calling him to come out," Summer told Marissa. Summer then leaned over and put the test in the glove box and dialed Seth's number on her cell as Marissa disappeared inside.
"I'm waiting…" Summer said and hung up. A minute late Seth appeared at her car.
"You almost made us tardy to the party."
"Cohen it is called being fashionably late." Seth leaned in to kiss her but she pulled her head away and reversed down the driveway.
"Whoa, someone has their panties in a twist." Summer sped up and drove towards the coast. She pulled on to a street that had six or seven cars parked on each side. The cars were of various makes and models. None were American. They were at the right address. Summer checked her make up in the rearview mirror and then looked at Seth.
"Ready?" She asked placing a peck on his cheek.
"Sure," Seth said totally unprepared for parting with Summer. He got out and waited as she walked to the sidewalk. She was wearing cropped jeans that ended mid-calf and a red t-shirt under a green track jacket. Seth looked well matched with her. He wore jeans and a striped blue and white polo shirt. Summer pushed open the door and pulled Seth by the hand inside.
Newport high school parties differed from the formal soirees in almost every imaginable way. First, was the beer. Beer was never present at a penguin event. Second, was the music. Upon entering, the muffled beat became a floor-vibrating rap that shook Seth to the core. He hated hip-hop and rap. The third difference was public drug use. Everyone at the "balls" did their coke either in a bathroom stall or at home before attending. Seth looked at the coffee table and saw girls doing lines. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
Seth held onto Summer's hand for dear life as she pulled him to the kitchen. "Hey Mara," Summer said to a blonde girl with a pink tube top on.
"Summer, long time no see," the girl giggled and slurred.
Summer offered her a hug and then turned back to Seth. "Mara, this is my boyfriend Seth, Seth this is Mara Cole."
"Here have a beer," Mara said as an introduction handing Seth a Corona.
"Thanks," Seth said searching for a bottle opener.
"Here," Summer said pulling the bottle from his hands and hitting it on the counter with her palm so that the top flew off.
"Way to emasculate me." Seth teased, then he took a long drink from his beer.
"You want one?" Mara asked hold a beer to Summer as she worked her way back into the living room.
"Thank you," Summer said taking the beer and popping the top. With her free hand she lead Seth to the deck where a keg sat in a chair. A boy of fifteen sat with a stack of red cups and a book reading. "Dillon," Summer called searching through her purse for money. "How much for two cups?"
"Five bucks," the boy said holding them out to her as she handed over the money.
"Dude, where should I put this?" Seth asked swinging his empty bottle in the air. Dillon point to a trash barrel in the corner and Seth made his way to it through the people that began to exit the house as Summer filled the cups. Summer found him as the people made their way off onto the beach. She handed him his cup and sipped slowly from her own as Seth drained his. "Here you can have this," Summer said handing over her cup to Seth who promptly finished that as well.
"I'm going to go get more," Seth said sounding a little off.
Summer sat on a couch in the game room watching a group play pool. "Hey, Summer," Mara called from the doorway. "You wanna come smoke?"
"Hold on let me track down my charge," Summer joked.
"Okay, come up to Dillon's bathroom when you find him."
Summer stood up and went out to the deck again. "Seth come on," she said pulling the cup he was chugging away from his mouth, " How many have you had?"
"This many," Seth said examining his newly empty hand. He held up four fingers and Summer sighed as he waved them in her face, "times two." He shouted.
"Great," she moaned pulling him by the elbow into the house and up the stairs. "Come on drunky up the stairs, that's it," she coached.
Summer opened the bathroom and Mara and a couple of girls sat on the toilet and counters. "Where can I put him," Summer asked.
"The bathtub should be dry," Mara said as she packed a bowl. Summer led Seth to the tub and sat him down.
"Cohen, you are going to sit here for a few minutes while I get messed up. Okay?" Seth nodded and watched curiously as Mara lit the bowl. When it was Summer's turn she coughed hard and passed the glass piece quickly to the next person.
"You are being most efficient," Seth said from the tub prompting the girls to crack up. Summer stay in the bathroom until she was so blazed that she couldn't stop smiling if her life depended on it.
"Come on Seth time to go home," Summer said raising from the bathroom floor.
"Oh, my first name, I must be getting lucky tonight," Seth called climbing out of the tub. The girls laughed and waved as they exited. Summer led Seth to her car and fastened her seatbelt.
"Seth, buckle up," Summer said pulling slowly away from the house. Summer drove down the streets of Newport and finally rolled into her driveway. A few lights were on in the house so she parked out side the garage not wanting to risk waking her father. Summer opened the door to Seth's side and helped him up and to the front door to her house. She fumbled and found her key. She unlocked the door and hurriedly ushered Seth into her room. He lay on her bed drunk as a skunk and Summer flopped next to him. She started to kiss him and in their intoxicated states their passion grew. Summer fell asleep soon afterwards and Seth passed out from a combination of the alcohol and exhaustion. He woke up the next morning with a ridged cardboard box in his back.