Summer was fidgeting. She never fidgeted. She was meant to be cool, calm and collected, not a fidgety nervous wreck. She drummed her perfectly manicured nails on the end table as she rested the cordless phone between her ear and her shoulder.

Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring…. The answer message clicked on. “Hi, you’ve reached Marissa. Tell me who it is and I’ll call you back.”

“Dammit Coop! Get your ass over her and stop me making a fool of myself.” She hung up with annoyance and chucked the phone onto the other couch. She started at her car keys on the table and wondered for the millionth time that day whether she should go or not. She wished Marissa would hurry up. Although she wasn’t sure whether she actually wanted her to talk her out of it or not. She knew what she had to do, it wasn’t as simple as the fact that she wanted him back. And it wasn’t just pride either, there was a lot of other crap going on. A lot.

* * *

Seth on the hotel steps getting more and more depressed. He had gone over that short conversation with Summer over and over. Actually, it was more Summer yelling at him. She hated him, she never wanted to see him again. That’s how it sounded anyway but it’s highly likely that he was just reading way too much into things. She sounded pissed, that much was obvious. But he couldn’t quite work out whether she genuinely hated him or if she was just upset.

He hurt her, he knew that. What right did her have to expect her to still want him after what he did? None. There was something in her voice that made him think again. She sounded troubled, like she had a lot on her mind. There was a time when she would tell him what was up in her life but that time had ended when he’d sailed away. She had Marissa to talk to, or her dad, or his parents if she really wanted. But she wouldn’t want to talk to him.

“What’s up?”

Seth hadn’t even noticed Natalie standing behind him and it made him jump. “Hi.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you . You seemed miles away.”

“Yeah, I was.”

“Back home?”

“Yeah.”

Seth tried to stop himself but he couldn’t. What was he doing talking to a girl he’d known for a coupe of days? He didn’t want to share with her, he wanted to share with Summer. He wanted to hold Summer and kiss her and tell her he loved her….

Oh, stop. He was just torturing himself, nothing was going to be the same with again. ‘Dammit Cohen, Natalie’s a nice girl. You can talk to her without it meaning anything.’

“Wanna talk about it? Because it’s ok if you don’t” she added quickly, as if she just heard herself say it and thought it sounded too forward.

It didn’t, just for the record. Because Seth wasn’t thinking about what Natalie was saying, he was too busy imagining what Summer was wearing.

“It’s a girl.” He said.

Natalie gave a little giggle and her glossy hair fell over her shoulders. “I’d guessed that much. She dumped you?”

“No, I left.”

Natalie stopped and thought for a moment. “Why? Not that it’s any of my business.”

“Nah, it’s ok. It’s complicated. Someone left, my…” Seth paused, wondering what exactly Ryan was to him. Friend? Best friend? Brother? “my brother.”

“You’re close?”

“Yeah. Well, he’s not really my brother. More like foster brother. Sort of.”

Natalie shook her head. “Don’t bother explaining. I got it. You weren’t kidding when you said things were complicated.”

Seth nodded. “You’re life seems uncomplicated. Nice family, nice house, nice town.”

Nat shrugged. “Yeah, it’s ok. Not nearly as exciting as I’d like though.”

“Excitement is way over rated. Believe me.”

* * *

Marissa glared at Summer. “Think about it” she told her best friend. “Think how he treated you, you can’t just give in, if he wants you back make him work for it.”

“But what if he doesn’t? I still want him. He’s probably sitting on a beach somewhere with a gorgeous blonde and can’t even remember who I am.”

“We’re talking about Seth right? Seth Cohen? The guy who pined after you all through junior high like a little lost puppy?? Do you really believe that?”

Summer sighed. “No. Like any blonde beach babe would be interested in him.”

Marissa laughed and decided not to argue. Summer was doing her trademark ‘mask feelings with humour’ thing and there was not point trying to break through the barrier. It was easier just to agree.

“Do you want him?”

“Yes.” Wow, the truth.

“Do you want to drive to get him? Because the only way you can get what you want is if you stop being so stubbon.”

“Yeah, but… I’ll look like a looser!”

“To who Summer?! No one’s gonna be there, except Seth and people you’re never likely to see again in your life.”

Summer didn’t care. It was that old need she’s always felt to keep up appearances resurfacing again. She knew that Marissa was right. She knew that her heart was right, perhaps not her head. She just needed someone else’s opinion.

‘Hmmm…’ she thought.

“Pardon?”

Whoops, guess she said that out loud.

“I er… have to go” she said hurriedly and grabbed her jacket and car keys, ignoring her friend’s questions and strange looks and left Marissa sitting in her living room.