Disclaimer- I own nothing.

AN- I was impatient, Danielle was busy. Felicia edited, super thanks. But we still love Dani too. So I love you both.


Summer's feet pushed down smoothly on the brake pedal. Putting the car into park she turned off the ignition.

She had never been to this place before but she figured it was time for a change. Karen's Diner and the local pizzeria smelled too much like oil and grease for her queasy stomach. She couldn't sit in the Von's down the street or the Arcade next to it. The big Bloomingdales reminded her too much of Newport these days and the guy in the video store started giving her shifty eyes a couple of days ago. She needed a new place to be and this was it.

Funny, she thought, that when she actually had a friend here she had always wanted to be at home. Now that she was alone she was always out on the town in some restaurant or shop. Her grandparents never knew where she was but she found beauty in that. Somehow she was defying them even if it was only to go sit in the park and watch the little girls with pigtails and braids play with their dolls in the sand.

This new place she found inspired her. It was up on a cliff, hidden by pine trees and weeping willows. The lake below her stretched out far enough to be breath taking, but small enough to fool her into believing she still held some significance in this world.

Summer wrapped her petite body in a cotton sweatshirt and heavy coat. Settling herself on a large rock she pulled out a book to read. This time it was Emma, a classic Jane Austin novel she had found on her grandfathers book shelf. She had decided to flip through it before she fell in love. She felt almost as though she was part of some worldly secret reading this book. Everyone knew about Pride and Prejudice, even if it was only because of how old and boring it was. But Emma was a secret treasure only for those who really loved it.

The words fluttered through her mind, tangling with her emotions like colors in a sunset. Back at her grandparent's home her books were scattered about her room, worn and dog eared from usage. That was exactly how Summer wanted them to look. Like old friends who had been through hell and back together. Books became her passion; she didn't have time to think while reading them, unlike television where she found her thoughts swimming away. Her books could be found lying open and in small piles everywhere you looked around Summer's small room. They were scattered without a category and read without a care, unlike her school books which sat tucked away in a neat pile on the corner of her desk.

As Emma played with her young nieces and nephews Summer's phone began to vibrate softly in her coat pocket.

Reaching for it she saw it was just Seth calling again and choose to ignore him. But as she was doing so the white letters flashing the name 'Cohen' in her face began to taunt her. When the call was stopped she quickly wiped away the word 'Cohen' and in its place typed 'Seth'.

Seth was a creepy boy who had pined for her all his life. Seth read comics and played video games. Seth cracked jokes and talked to a plastic horse.

Cohen, on the other hand, was the boy who had loved her forever. Cohen was the one who stood on coffee carts and made a fool of himself for her. Cohen loved her.

Seth was no one. Cohen was hers.

And it was just too hard to recognize him as that when she couldn't be with him.

Looking up from her phone to stop the tears threatening to fall, she took notice of her surroundings.

No homes could be seen from her view, except for tiny colored dots in the background. Beneath the trees and atop the cliffs she was secluded from the terrors of the world in this place.

The cliffs were tall and wide. Rocks feel to sharp depths daily from them. She could jump off of and possibly never be found. These cliffs could take away her pain.

Tears burst hot and suddenly from her eyes as she bounded back to her car and drove away from her new found hideaway.

The thought that had just spiraled through her head created a fear and disappointment in her she had never felt before.

She knew she would never come back here or think of this day again.


Joy spread through Seth's body as his phone jiggled on the counter, the caller ID telling him it was from Summer.

"Summer, hey…" Seth began before being loudly interrupted by her screams.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me Anna was back in town Seth Cohen!"

"Whoa, Summer calm down."

"No, you lied to me."

Seth had to control his anger, trying to remember who he was talking to.

"No I did not."

"Yes, you did. I talked to Marissa today and she said Anna is back and you two have been hanging out."

This was very all so unusually typical to Summer. High school and boy drama wrapped into one. It was so contrary to what she had been dealing with lately. Yet it was so similar to the drama that had captivated so many years of her life.

These thoughts clashed so deeply with those that had immersed her yesterday.

She didn't know whether to revel in it, or run away.

"Hung out," chimed Seth, "as in once. And I did not lie to you, if you would have answered any of my calls I made in the last two days you would have known she was back and if you had talked to me in the last week you would have known I talked to her, about you, and about how worried I am about you, but you didn't so don't accuse me of lying."

"Are you going to get back together with her?"

"What!" Seth huffed, agape. "No Summer, but even if I did what would you care, I mean, I'm barley even your boyfriend anymore." The second the words graced Seth's lips, he wanted to take them back.

"You know what Seth? Go be with her!"

"Summer, I didn't mean that," Seth said softly.

"Yeah you did. I can't stop you if you want to be with her," Summer said her voice still angry.

"I don't want to be with her Summer."

"Are you sure, because last time you picked her, and I was just your second choice!" she screamed.

"I don't want her Summer, I never wanted her, you know that. You weren't my second choice. I don't care about Anna. I'm not ever going to want to be with her."

"Why not? She's perfect for you!"

"No she's not Summer!"

"Why?!"

"Because I love you! You Summer, and that's never going to change, no matter how badly you want it to!"

"I have to go," she cried.

"No, Summer, don't hang up."

But it was too late.

Seth slammed his phone shut and stomped his way down the stairs and into the living room. There, Ryan and Marissa sat.

"You had to go and open your big mouth didn't you," he told Marissa.

"What are you talking about Seth?"

"You told Summer about Anna!" he said, his voice rising steadily.

"It came up in conversation. Plus she has a right to know."

"Yeah, from me, that way she wouldn't think I was hiding it from her!"

"Seth, she didn't do anything wrong," Ryan broke in.

"She wasn't answering your calls Seth," Marissa said, now standing along with Ryan.

"And now she never will! This wasn't any of your business Marissa!"

"Hey! She's my friend too!"

"Really? I didn't see you trying to keep her here; I didn't see you holding her when she cried for hours and hours after her dad died!"

"She always had you!"

"Yeah, and now thanks to you she doesn't."

"Seth!" shouted Ryan, "What is your problem?"

"You know what; nothing, just leave me alone."

Seth made his way back up to his room, slamming his door hard and falling back on the bed. Warm tears dripped from his eyes as someone rapped on the door.

"I said leave me alone!" he yelled, trying to cover up his scratchy throat.

The knocker defied his plea and came into the room anyway.

"Anna," he crooned, "what are you doing here?"

"I heard what you said to Marissa."

Seth sighed before covering his face with his hands.

"Are you really that mad?"

"No," Seth said solemnly.

Anna's mouth hung open in thought as she waited for him to continue.

"I'm scared," he finished.

"For Summer?"

Seth slowly nodded. "So much Anna, you don't even understand."

"Maybe you just need to let her go," Anna stated.

"What?!" said a disbelieved Seth.

"She's spiraling downward Seth. The last thing you need is to be taken down with her."

"Is that what you were taught growing up? Leave the people you love when they need you the most," Seth asked, standing angrily.

"Seth she's just a high school girlfriend."

"Just. Really? You think what Summer and I have is just a high school fling?"

"Face the facts Seth. Almost zero percent of high school sweethearts grow old together. You don't need to ruin your life for a girl who doesn't hold the cards to your future."

"Okay, Anna. Let's say we don't grow old together. I love her now. And now is what matters. Now she is alone, now she is having an extremely hard time getting back on her feet, now she needs me."

Anna just stared at Seth solemnly.

"Plus," Seth continued. "I couldn't even imagine giving up on her."

"Maybe she already made that choice for you."

Quizzically, Seth looked at Anna for a moment.

"Do you have some motive as to why you want me to abandon her?"

Anna took a long moment of silence before answering.

"Even if I did, it wouldn't matter would it?"

Seth sighed before speaking. "No."

"In my opinion, there isn't a whole lot you can do if she won't let you," Anna said.

"That's the thing about love Anna. That doesn't matter, I still have to try."

"I know," she huffed.

For different reasons tonight both of their tempers were short, and neither was making a point of hiding it.

"Listen Anna," Seth began. "I'm sorry if you still have resentment towards me, and I'm sorry I ever hurt you."

"No your not," she said sadly. "Because then you wouldn't be with Summer."

"I didn't say I was sorry for how things turned out, and I said I was sorry I had hurt you to get things that way."

"You know I always thought you deserved so much better than Summer Roberts."

"I didn't."

"I know. And that's why you're like this now. Worrying your big goofy heart out for her and being all neurotic."

"Small price to pay."

"I guess it's a good kind of neurotic."

"Thanks."

"There is a flight out to Pittsburg tomorrow and I think I'm gonna take it."

Seth just nodded, waving to her as she walked out of the door.

"And Seth," she said as she stepped into the hallway. "I can only hope for someone who would care as much for me as you do for Summer."

He smiled as she left. For an instant the thought crossed his mind that if Anna was in the same situation as Summer, he probably wouldn't care as much. For the simple reason that she wasn't Summer.

There were so many times in the past that Seth had wished he let go of Anna and chosen Summer the second she made it clear she would let him. That way they could have spent more time together, had less drama.

But that was all in the past and now Seth had a new dilemma on his hands. One he wasn't about to give up on him.

If he got one thing out of tonight, it was that he loved Summer probably more than he thought, and he wasn't about to lose her, or have her lose herself.

Fresh tears flowed from his eyes.


PLEASE review, I have editing to do on the next chapter, and I'm back in school, so the more reviews, the faster the update, if anyone even wants an update.

Yeah, I know brining Anna back doesn't seem like the most plot moving thing, but it helped me out a little.