Chapter Thirteen
"Where the hell are they?" Seth murmured impatiently, pacing around his vehicle. After waiting for a good 45 minutes, Seth's eyes were burning with anger and tension.
"Who you waiting for, Cohen?" Seth jumped, but was soothed by Summer's surprising voice emmerge.
"Oh, um," Seth couldn't conjure up the words, seeing that Summer was standing right in front of him, he gulped, "Mar…"
Summer nodded her head, understandingly, "Marissa and Ryan?" She finished with a grin, looking at Seth, who was at loss for words. Summer knew she intimidated him, and that turned her on.
"Yeah," Seth said hesitantly, looking down on the ground, slightly blushing. "Sorry. I'm kind of speechless…" Seth apologized, searching for sympathy in Summer's voice.
"Why?" Summer shot back boldly. "Because I'm here? A few minutes ago you were powerful and angry, now you're like a little rodent in a huge field. How do I scare you?" Seth looked straight at Summer- her ferocious 'look' had suddenly softened, and immediately he thought that there WASN'T anything to be afraid of, and yet there was so much more to be terrified of.
"How don't you scare me?" Seth replied, feeling a little stupid admitting all this to Summer Roberts- the brunette princess of the school.
"Am I that intimidating?" Summer asked, not trying to sound frightening at all.
"Honestly," Seth tried to seem honest- he figured girls liked that. "When you're not scaring me enough to crap my pants silly, Summer, you're biatchy and you scare me more. There's no 'good' time to hit on you."
Summer laughed, thinking that what he said was humorous- not true in a way, "No 'good' time to hit on me? How so? You've never tried to hit on me." Summer stated.
"You've never let me." Seth looked straight into her dark eyes, looking at the beautiful person she was showing him, afraid that in a minute she would return to her real snotty Summer.
"That is so not true, Cohen," Summer said, hardly believing herself. "I'm always open to men. You're just," Summer paused thinking of the right way to tell Seth, without harming his fragile self-esteem. "You're just not quite what I'm looking for." Summer said, knowing in her heart, she yearned more then anything to gaze into his eyes, to touch & caress his dark hair, to hold his neck while kissing passionately…
"Fair enough, Summer." Seth looked hurt, and he was obviously unaware of the fact that Summer felt completely different inside. "You're my dream princess- I'm just not your prince charming." Seth turned his already low head, and decided to hover in the sanctuary of his car. He left Summer, smiling graciously behind him- she knew that despite what she had said, she was ready.
"Seth, you freaking idiot!" Summer ran to turn him around, and when he did, she grabbed his neck and started to kiss him- kiss him for all the times she wanted to so bad. Seth just stood there, Summer wrapped around his neck. He was barely reacting to her experienced and demanding movements of the tongue, but he managed to give Summer (somehow) the best kiss of her life. Then it occurred to Seth- Summer, his GODDESS, was wrapped around his neck, kissing him, and HE was just too awed to do anything. He then turned Summer around, so she would lean on his car. Seth, almost laying on Summer, started to kiss her, with all his power. He had wanted this so bad.
"Umm… hope we're not interrupting anything…" Marissa watched the scene uncertainly, but smiling all the same. She knew that both Seth and Summer were waiting for this for a looong time. She watched, as Summer, slightly embarassed, pulled out from under Seth, and smiled at Marissa.
"Yes, Coop. Actually, you are." Summer said, obviously joking. "Seth… would you mind giving me a ride? I feel like hanging out, at your house." Summer asked seductively.
"Yeah… uh, sure." Seth said, opening the front door for Summer, so that Ryan and Marissa could have enough room in the back.
Like Seth predicted, the minute Ryan and Marissa were left almost alone, unbothered, they would undoubtedly make-out. Ryan now, comfortably on top of Marissa, pushed his toungue gently, in her beautiful mouth. Marissa then, teased his tongue, with her own, while massaging his lower back with her fragile fingers. Ryan took the role of caressing Marissa's sides with his muscular, strong hands, tickling her blissfully.
Summer, hearing the soft moans of Marissa and Ryan in the back seat, demanded, "Stop the car Cohen." Seth obediently turned into the nearest parking lot, and parked as hastily as he could. Summer, shifting in her seat, turned to Seth, and started to imitate Marissa and Ryan, passionately making out in the back. She put her hand on Seth's shoulder, slowly pushing herself closer to him. She inserted her tongue, into Seth's mouth, which caught him by surprise, but he quickly started to tickle her toungue with his. And so it was, Marissa and Ryan passionately kissing in the back seats, and Seth and Summer making out in the front. Seth slowly started to pull Summer away, "Maybe we should get home. My mom will be wondering where we are." Seth suggested.
"Momma's boy," Summer grunted, grumpy after being deprived of more making out. "Ah, but you're right." Summer finally admitted, trying to ignore Marissa and Ryan still shifting, locked lips, around the seats. "Do you guys MIND getting off eachother for like, 5 minutes? You'll have the poolhouse all to yourselves, wouldn't be surprised if some hanky-panky went on." Summer commented, making Marissa blush slightly. Marissa obediently pulled away, a little hesitantly, after seeing Ryan felt a little embarassed too. Neither expected nobody to hear them, however they didn't expect it to be so loud as to bother someone.
"We'll be at home, soon, Summer." Seth assured her.
"Okay." Summer said with a grin. Instead of carrying through with her wonderful talent of speaking, she sat completely still, looking outside the window. Although she seemingly stared outside, her mind was far beyond that. She was doing some extensive thinking.
How is this going to work, with Seth? I mean, he's not my 'type'. He's Cohen. Dork-o Cohen. Not that he isn't adorable in every single way, or that I'm afraid of my popularity being menaced. I love him. At least I think I do. But, it just doesn't seem right. It doesn't quite 'click'. I mean, he's an amazing kisser- where the HELL did he get so much experience… does he like make out with his comic books, or what? – But even though, it just didn't click, like it should. I can't explain it. The butterflies are there. The horniness is, definitely, there. The love is there. But the "feeling"… It's just not. Summer, turned to look at the man she had just recently kissed. She stared at his immaculate lips that seemed to be calling for her. She, however, resisted this temptation to think more about this issue. I can't do this. I can't do this at all. Summer urged herself impatiently, trying to convince herself that he wasn't the one. As much as her mind tried to forfeit her love, her heart knew clearly she wanted to touch his body, kiss those lips, whisper I-love-yous into his ears. Summer regained confidence, What the hell am I saying? Seth is the one. I can't deny it no matter what I do. I just can't. The feelings there… I'm just so superficially blind that I can't see it. I'm just so feeling-impaired, that I can't see its obviousness. I'm so deaf, I can't hear him calling my name- triggering that feeling constantly. I'm just… I'm just Summer. Summer silently said with disgust, finally realising why this "feeling" hadn't kicked her in the face quite yet. But now, she gave herself this rude awakening, that not only left her face throbbing with pain, from this unexplicable feeling, but left her metaphorically speaking, on the ground bleeding, all alone.
"Sum, is everything okay?" Marissa called from the back seat, noticing her friend in the front seat, depressingly quiet.
"Yeah. Fine." Summer said, entranced, in a quiet, almost silent yelp.
"You don't seem fine, Summer." Marissa asked, trying to catch her friend's gaze. However, Summer kept staring outside the window, every once in a while noticing the California sun, in the midst of her thought.
"Well I am." Summer turned to her, and fake smiled, so Marissa- the I'm-so-happy-with-Ryan – would stop questionning her. Summer, didn't particularly enjoy being alone, drowned in her thoughts, but it cleared many things up for her. She would rather be alone to bleed, then have to tell someone about it. Atleast now, when she wasn't at all sure about her own emotions, let alone to reveal her uncertainty to someone else.
"Whatever you say, Sum. But I know something's bugging you." Marissa decided not to press Summer, realising it wasn't some scrawny crisis, like what to wear tomorrow. Marissa, however, felt obliged to figure out what Summer was so out-of-it for.
Seth soon, after the longest possible carride ever, dancing through unbearable traffic, reached the Cohen residence. "We're here." Seth said in a sing-song voice. Everybody stepped out of the car, pacing after Ryan, inside the house.
"What took you guys so long?" Kirsten shot out from the kitchen, and asked concerned.
"Sorry, mum. Kilometre long traffic, certain people having certain detentions," Seth coughed, realising he had snitched. "And well, a small stop."
"A stop to where?" Kirsten asked curiously. Summer looked at Seth, wondering how he would get out of it.
"Potty." Seth sat unsurely, looking at his friends who were grinning nervously.
"Right…" Kirsten then asked, leaving with a small wave.
"That was so close Cohen," Summer snapped, as soon as Kirsten was out of the way. "Close, but entirely hot."
"Just raising the tension, babe." Seth said seductively to Summer. Summer, once more faked a smile, but inside uncomfortable emotions were stirring. She loved Seth- but she wasn't ready to MAKE love TO Seth. There was a tiny difference. She looked at Seth, who was still staring at her, hoping she would make a seductive comment right back. She wasn't ready for that yet- she made a huge step, as to admitting her feelings. There were limits, this girl had to follow. Her dignity was at stake.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Summer asked, with a sence of paranoya.
"Oh, nothing." They all chanted in unison, not fretting to cease the looks they were giving Summer. Summer pretended not to notice, and she closed her eyes to the awkwardness.
"So…" Summer said, half asking and half expecting an evening plan. She shrugged, waiting for a response. She knew Ryan and Marissa would go to the poolhouse, searching desperately for independence, yet depending on eachother so mercilessly. She knew what was expected of her. She had to go up to Seth's room, make-out some more, despite the fact that she didn't have that urge anymore, and perhaps go far, far beyond just the innocent kissing. Summer, in order to get out of this, looked at her watch, "Damn. It's so late. My dad's gunna wonder where I am…" Summer lied. Marissa knew, and before Summer could slip away, she grabbed her arm.
"Sum, we need to talk." Marissa urged carefully, so that Ryan and Seth would continue living their entirely oblivious lives. Summer however, released herself from Marissa's strong touch.
"No, we don't need to talk. Go f uck Ryan." Summer snapped ice coldly, completely out of any particular mood. She left the door, slammed it, leaving Marissa, Ryan and even Seth, completely oblivious.
"What? Am I bad kisser or something?" Seth self-centered, tried to evolve Summer's true crisis, around something meaningless. Marissa and Ryan both shot him a glare, telling him to shut-up while they thought everything through. Seth, obviously clueless, decided to venture in his room, where he could also, think things through, on his own.