(A.N.) Hey! Once again thank you so much for the great reviews, they mean a lot to me so thank you! And just for the record,dont worry, I'm not going to kill Summer! So here's chapter 12, lots of emotion in this one but i didnt really like writing it, you'll know why when you've read it!

So please Read and Review! Thanks so much!

xxxxxxx

All In Vain

Summer sighed happily as she entered the empty house. Seth had driven away blissfully unaware of the lie that she had told him. As the door closed quietly behind her Summer paused for a second, just enjoying the quiet, and then ran up the staircase. She threw off her clothes and slipped into her favourite sweatpants, tied her hair into a scruffy ponytail and removed all her jewellery. She hurried downstairs and grabbed a large bag of chips, a huge bar of chocolate and a bottle of her favourite strawberry and banana smoothie and ran back upstairs. Summer settled on her bed, Princess Sparkle in her hand and switched on the T.V.

As The Valley's opening credits played, Summer actually felt relaxed. She didn't have someone breathing down her neck the whole time, be it Marissa or Seth. After Seth had forced Summer to tell Marissa, she'd gone crazy too and teamed up with Seth. It was a sweet gesture, but to Summer, she felt like they'd gone too far with it. Her eyes focused on the screen.

"Jake, I don't know what to do!" April said, beginning to cry. Jake walked back over to her and pulled her up into his arm, their gazes locked and Jake stroked her cheek lovingly.

"I don't care about anything except your happiness April, you know that," he said proudly.

"Really?" she blinked

"Yeah, of course I do." April smiled and the two locked into a warm embrace.

Summer thought of the day she'd told Seth and how he looked genuinely scared. How he'd promised to protect her and had taken her out to dinner that night to cheer her up. She looked at Princess Sparkle, stroking her shiny hair with her little finger. Even though she knew it would never reply, Princess Sparkle was the only person she could tell everything to. She'd tell her about Seth, her worries and her hopes, it was a comfort thing.

"I'm doing the right thing here, aren't I?" she asked the plastic horse.

"WHEEEEE!" April cried as Ryan spun her around. Ryan and April always used the late Friday afternoons to play with each other and April loved it when he carried her in his strong arms and spun her around.

"Okay, I think it might be time to stop this. Are you dizzy?" he asked her as she stood up straight.

"A little…" she blinked before stumbling slightly to the side. Ryan stepped forward and scooped her up.

"You wanna watch some T.V.?" he asked.

"Yeah! Will you carry me please Ryan?" she pleaded. He smiled and tickled her stomach.

"Sure, anything for Princess April," he laughed and they made their way to the T.V. room.

As they entered they saw Seth sat there, watching the T.V. Ryan placed April down beside him before leaving to get his sister a drink.

"Hi Seth. What you watching?" she asked, shuffling closer to him.

"None of your business!" he said, sticking out his tongue. Aprils mouth fell open in shock and she stuck hers out at him.

"April, leave Seth alone, he's grumpy today," Ryan smiled, entering the room and handing April her little plastic cup full of orange juice. She gulped it down and wiped her mouth before snuggling up to Ryan.

"You're right Ryan, Seth's a grumpy pants just because Sum's not here!" she grinned mischievously.

"Fine, I was going to play with you later but I guess I'm booked up," Seth said, turning away from her.

"What? No! Oh Seth I'm really really really sorry! Pretty please play with me and Ryan!" April whimpered. Seth pretended to think about it before nodding and she grinned widely.

Kirsten walked through to the room and smiled as she saw April wedged between her brothers who were taking it in turns to tickle her. There was nothing she liked better than to see her kids getting along, although it was very rare for them to fight.

"Hey guys," Kirsten smiled. The boys waved and said hi but April bounded towards her Mom, jumping forward to hug her.

"Hi Mommy! I missed you so much today!" April said, leaning into her.

"Aw, I missed you too honey. You wanna help me make dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah! You didn't cook did you Mommy?" April asked. Seth laughed at his sister's wariness of their mother's cooking.

"No I didn't cook," Kirsten pouted, going into the kitchen, April running after her.

"So, you going out with Summer tonight? Marissa and I were going to see a movie, you can come if you like," Ryan asked Seth.

"She's having dinner with her Dad tonight so I doubt it," Seth replied.

"Call her and see if she'd like to come," Ryan suggested.

"Yeah, good idea." Seth got up and picked up the phone lying on the coffee table. He paused and shook his head.

"Actually I might go round, surprise her, say hey to her Dad?" Seth said to Ryan, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, she'd like that."

Seth sat outside Summer's house in his car having just pulled up. He frowned in seeing only Summer's car outside the house and not her Dad's.

"It must be in the garage," Seth thought. He reached over and picked up the bunch of lilies he'd gotten her before climbing out of the car and walking up to the door, pressing the doorbell.

Summer laid on her bed and cursed out loud in hearing the doorbell. She looked at her reflection and wiped away some tears that were forming in her eyes from the sad episode she was watching. She hurried down the stairs.

"If it's a sales person I'm gonna kick their…" Summer opened the door and saw Seth standing there.

"ass…" she finished her sentence.

"Hello to you too," Seth said smiling.

"Uh, hey Cohen."

"Hi, have you been crying?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, I was watching The Valley, sad episode…" she muttered, wiping her eyes.

"I thought you were having dinner with your dad?" Seth frowned.

"I, I, uh…" Summer stammered. Seth frowned again and walked in the house.

"I guess I'll just go and say hey to him then…" Seth said, turning towards the kitchen.

"Seth, Wait!" Summer cried. Seth turned around and looked at Summer who was biting her lip nervously.

"He's not here…" Summer muttered.

"What?

"He's probably flying over Africa right now," Summer admitted, not looking at Seth who was gripping the lilies tighter.

"Oh my god…" he said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I, I don't know…"

"I think you do Summer. You didn't tell me on purpose didn't you?" Seth yelled angrily as Summer tried to argue but failed.

"How long is he away for?"

"He said he'll be back on Monday…"

"WHAT? Oh my god, I can't believe this Summer!"

"Will you stop yelling at me? I just wanted some time to myself, is that so wrong?" Summer cried.

Seth turned to look into Summer's eyes, trying to search for a reason why she'd lie to him like this. Why would she practically offer herself on a plate to the killer that was lurking around Newport? There was something weird going on.

"For the past two weeks you have been following me everywhere, you never leave me alone. And you told Marissa who does exactly the same. Who are you going to recruit next? My Dad?" Summer cried. Seth shuffled uncomfortably and looked at the floor.

"Oh my god. That's why you wanted to talk to him so bad. You are UNBELIEVABLE!" Summer yelled, tears prickling in her eyes.

"Me? I'm unbelievable? What about you? Staying in a house alone. Just like the other three girls, they were alone! Summer I'm doing this because I care about you!"

"I know that and I'll always remember it but every living moment is just getting possessive and I'm fed up of it Seth."

"So you can take care of yourself huh?" Seth scoffed.

"How dare you! I'm not a weak damsel in distress, I can look after myself and I don't need you Cohen!" Summer screamed, her whole body shaking with rage.

Seth glared at her.

"You know what then? Fine. Have it your way. I'm so past caring. You can't see how much I cared about you and wanted to protect you. You only see you and your pain. How the hell do you think I feel. You don't care who gets hurt just so long as your okay. I'm over this and I'm over your spoilt and brattish behaviour so, I'm just going to leave."

"Don't do me any favours!" Summer called, watching Seth head for the door and thrust it open.

He just got outside and he turned back to face her, his face crimson from all the yelling.

"Oh and Summer, these are for you, I thought you'd had a rough day but now I know you'll never really appreciate anything I do, not anymore," Seth spat. He tossed the lilies onto the floor and slammed the door behind him. Summer stared at the shiny wood door and knelt down to scoop up the lilies. She walked to the kitchen and tossed them into the trash before opening the freezer and taking out a large tub of ice cream and walking back upstairs.

Seth stalked into his house after returning from Summer's. His head was throbbing and adrenaline pumped through his shaking torso. He'd never been this angry, ever. He'd never been this hurt either. All these years, he thought that he'd discovered a new Summer that was completely different to the one in middle school. A sweet, romantic, funny and intelligent girl who Seth loved with every ounce of his being. But she was still the same brattish, spoilt and self absorbed person. That broke his heart.

He stormed into the house, heading straight up to his room, slamming the door behind him furiously. Seth collapsed onto his bed, reaching for his ipod. He turned the volume up and blocked out the rest of the world. Ten minutes later there was a knock at his door. He didn't say anything and a couple of minutes later, April bounded in. Seth sighed and took out his ipod as April stood by his bed, grinning.

"Hi Seth, I came to say hi. Do you wanna play? Lady Oats and Prince Sparky are getting married and I'm gonna have this huge party for them with lots of hay and horsey water and…"

"April SHUT UP!" Seth cried.

April fell deadly silent. She could tell her brother wasn't playing by the serious look on his face. Seth gritted his teeth and looked at the floor.

"Guess that's a no then…" she mumbled, standing perfectly still. Seth shuffled uncomfortably.

"I brought you a cookie, Mom bought the double chocolate one's you like. Here." April held out a cookie in her little hand. Seth took it quickly, mumbling 'thanks'.

"Bye then…" April said and sadly headed for the door. As it shut softly behind her, Seth laid back on his bed.

He shouldn't have shouted at her, she's only a kid. Seth replaced his ipod earphones and turned the music back up. He didn't want to think about April right now.

An hour later, Seth still sat in his darkened room. No phone calls, no text messages, no emails. Nothing from Summer. This was the worst fight they'd ever had. He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, trying not to think about her. But every time he did, all he saw was Summer screaming at him and the pure look of hate that she gave him. His heart was snapped in two and nothing seemed right anymore. The world was bland and colourless. He couldn't eat or drink. He couldn't even think straight. Life without Summer was a dark, desolate and horrible place to be.

Summer was curled up in her big bed, Princess Sparkle clutched in her tight grasp. The Valley was still playing quietly but Summer wasn't watching it. How could she? All she could think about was the fight. The worst one they'd ever had. And it was all her fault. If she'd just told him… But still, she stuck by her point. Even though no matter how much he'd ever hurt her, Summer still loved him, now she wasn't sure. Her heart was in pieces like every time they fought but this time it was shattered. She was shattered. Summer thought back to when she'd lied.

'What harm could it do…?' she'd thought. Too much.