Patience

History

"Ok, so I'm putting my new plan in action today."

"New plan?" Ryan asked Seth as they walked through the Harbor High hall.

"Yeah, the one we discussed last night? Hello?"

"Didn't know that was gonna become your new plan. I thought we were just talking."

"Ryan, you have to come up with a plan for everything, man. Only that way you'll know how to do things right."

"Ok." Ryan shook his head in disbelief "So, you forgot everything about that old plan, then?"

"Yes."

"Good. That's good. That one was stupid anyway."

"Yeah... So this new plan, I'm gonna try everything to show Summer how much she loves me without the jealousy thing and I'm also gonna try to be friends with Brandi. Which I think I already am, so I'm half way there."

"Good for you, man."

"What do you have now?" Seth asked his buddy.

"English. You?"

"History. So see you later?"

"Yep. Bye." they shook hands and went their separate ways.

.

"Just so you know, you can have him, ok?"

"What?" Brandi frowned and looked up from her desk at whoever was talking to her.

"Cohen. You can have Cohen. I don't care about him anymore. So, you can have him."

"Uhm... I don't know what to say, other than... Thanks, but, no thanks."

"What? You don't think he's good enough for you? Is that it?"

"No, that's not it, it's just that..." Brandi was about to lie again, and she couldn't face someone when she was lying "I just wanna be friends with him, that's all, and..."

"Why? He's not good-looking enough for you, then? Because if you don't think he is..."

"It's not that, either." Brandi cut her off 'Jeez, what's wrong with these people? This whole thing seems so much like a soup opera plot.'

"Then what is it?"

"I don't wanna get in the middle of you two, because..."

"We're not a couple anymore."

"I know you're not, Seth told me, it's just that..."

"Seth told you we are not a couple anymore?"

"Yes. And can I please talk here? Or are you gonna keep on interrupting me?" Brandi was kinda rude, but she couldn't stand Summer cutting her off every second. Summer didn't say a word, so Brandi carried on "I don't wanna get in the middle of you two because even though you're not a couple anymore, you obviously still have feelings for each other, or else, you wouldn't have come to me giving me your permission to go out with him. You just wouldn't care." Summer was speechless.

"Hey!" Seth saw Brandi sitting at the desk and when he greeted her, Summer, who was standing in front of Brandi, but with her back to Seth, turned around "Oh..." Seth stopped.

"Hey." Brandi said and looked down, opening her book to avoid the awkwardness.

"So..." Seth approached the table "The three of us are having History together?"

"Seems like it." Summer tapped her foot.

"Awesome." Seth nodded, but curled his lips.

"So, I'm gonna sit down." Summer informed the two and headed to where her things were.

"Ok." Seth didn't know what to do, so he just stood there, playing with his hands and looking for a place to sit "I see this class is full this year."

"Yes. History is always so very popular." Brandi told him without eyeing him.

"And... Hm... the only chair available is that one right next to you. Is it ok if I sit there?"

"Oh..." Brandi looked around to see if it was actually true. It was "Of course." she smiled weakly and removed her purse from the chair beside her.

"So..." Seth didn't know how to ask Brandi what he so wanted to know, so he just spit it out "What did Summer want?"

"Nothing really."

"Come on. Summer just doesn't come up to someone out of the blue without an agenda. She was either being mean to you or wanted something. Which one was it?"

"Uhm..." Brandi started and already looked down, because a big fat lie was about to come out of her mouth "She wanted to ask me where in New York I lived, because she was talking to her father last night and she discovered she had an aunt living in New York. Upper East Side, actually."

"Oh, I see." Seth nodded and took the History book out of his bag "And you?"

"Me? What about me?"

"Where in New York are you from? You never mentioned that."

"Oh..." Brandi now faced Seth "I live, I mean, lived in Chelsea."

"Cool. And how was it?" Seth asked and Brandi felt comfortable again. Now they were just being themselves, without any Summer talk.

Summer sat two tables behind them. During the whole time, she couldn't pay attention to the teacher, only to Seth and Brandi sitting there, talking and laughing through out the entire class.

When the bell rang, she quickly collected her stuff and came over to their table.

"Seth, can we have lunch together?" she asked biting her bottom lip.

"Sure!" Seth exclaimed excited and Brandi just gathered her things sadly "Is it ok if..." Seth meant to ask if Brandi could join them, but Summer coughed, so he'd know Summer didn't want her around. He didn't know how to continue the phrase "Is it ok if, uhm, I meet you there? I have to meet Ryan first and then..."

"That's fine. I'll be outside saving us a table."

"Great. I'll meet you in a few minutes."

Brandi got all her stuff and stood up.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Seth, it's fine." Brandi managed, she didn't even know how, to smile "Go have lunch."

"Really?"

"Of course. Summer asked you to have lunch with her. How could you say no to that, right?" Brandi kept the smile on, but Seth sensed it wasn't that fine with her.

"Ok."

"Good." Brandi trailed out of the classroom with Seth beside her.

"But I'll see you later, alright?" he asked.

"Sure. Bye." Brandi said and Seth left her side, walking to the cafeteria. Brandi just observed him. She watched until he disappeared, took a deep breath, and headed to the library.