Patience

Caught In The Middle

"So, I guess our lunch went well today." Seth approached Brandi when she was in the parking lot, inside her car, preparing to leave.

"God! Why are you always scaring the shit out of me like that?" Brandi took a deep breath "You gotta stop that, you know?" Brandi looked at him and he was so adorable smiling with his left eye closed because of the sun shinning down on him. She just stared at him.

"What?" Seth noticed she was staring and they were silent for a while.

"Nothing." Brandi looked ahead embarrassed at how ridiculous she was for staring at him like that "I thought you had something on your face, but it was nothing."

"Ok." Seth frowned "So, what are you doing now?"

"Me? I'm going shopping for a new bikini and then I'm gonna hit the beach and lay there for hours and hours until I get the perfect tan." she changed her voice so she'd sound like a superficial girl.

"I see." Seth chuckled "So, you go ahead. I don't wanna ruin your perfect plan for this afternoon."

"Oh, thank you so very much, Mr. Cohen, because the sun today is just peeeeeer-fect for a tan." she rolled her eyes and started the car.

"No, no, wait, seriously, what are you doing?"

"I'm going home, Seth. Ever since I came to this town, that's all I do. School and home. That's my wonderful routine and no one can ever change that."

"Really? Not even a hipster guy?"

"Sorry, not even you." Brandi started to drive off.

"Come on! Just for today!"

"Sorry!" Brandi yelled from the car and waved him goodbye.

"So... she didn't fall for your bullshit either, huh, Cohen?" Summer said as she passed by him.

"What are you talking about?" Seth followed her.

"Well, obviously you're trying to go out with that girl, aren't you? And she just won't fall for your bullshit. I'm starting to like New York girl."

"Oh, Brandi is not like..."

"You can stop right there, Cohen." Summer stopped walking, which forced Seth to do the same "Don't tell me you aren't into her, because you clearly are. And if you think I'm gonna be jealous if, and I wanna make this word clearer, IF she accepts to go out with you, you're totally mistaken." Summer turned around and started to walk again.

Seth frowned. He could totally sense the jealousy tone in Summer's voice. He knew her well. So, his plan was working. But not with the right girl.

He thought quickly. He had to think quickly, because Summer was walking away. Seth didn't want anything with Brandi. Not like Summer was thinking anyway. So... the plan was working, with the wrong girl, but it was working. The important thing was that Summer didn't know Brandi was the wrong girl, so she was falling for the plan.

"Awesome!" Seth said and ran to catch up with Summer.

"Summer, come on, stop." he grabbed her by the wrist and she stopped, not without releasing herself brutally from Seth's grip afterwards "Do you really think I'd want to have anything with a girl now? Summer, you're the only one in my mind right now. Actually, you never left my mind."

"Oh, really?" Summer was melting inside, but she didn't want Seth to realize it "Not even when you were just floating over the Pacific Ocean?" she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Not even then. Not even now. You're the one I've wanted since I was eight years-old, damn it. Did you really think that three months would be enough to change that?"

"I don't know, I..." Summer really didn't know what to say.

"Summer, you have to forgive me. You have to understand why I had to leave this place." Seth covered her right hand with both of his. They looked into each other's eyes deeply for a while.

"I'll never be able to understand it, Cohen." she released herself from his grip again and left, getting into her car and leaving the school.

"Does that mean you're gonna be able to at least forgive me?" he yelled to the car, but got nothing.

Seth just stood there. He was totally confused. He had said he wanted nothing to do with Brandi to Summer. But did he say that just so Summer wouldn't be mad and would accept him back? Because he felt so good around Brandi, and when he wasn't around her, he wanted to be. But then, he loved Summer. He could feel it. It wasn't a lie.

Seth was totally confused. He had to think for a while and to talk. To Ryan.