Patience

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"So... are you and Seth ok?" Marissa asked as she sat on the pool chair beside Summer.

"I don't know." Summer took a sip from her iced tea.

"But... you guys are talking, right?"

"Yes, we are. But it's weird. Every time we talk, it doesn't seem like us anymore, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know... we used to talk more openly and now..." Summer took a moment to think about it "I don't know, it's like he has something else in his mind and isn't really concentrated on the conversation. I don't think he loves me anymore."

"Oh, Summer, don't be stupid." Marissa tilted her head back on the chair.

"Coop, I'm serious. It's like I'm talking to no one. That is when there is a conversation, because mostly, like, today, we just sat there and ate lunch. I think he wished he was somewhere else."

"Summer, I don't think Seth will ever get over you. And I think you know it, too, you're just too mad because of what happened this summer."

"That's not it. I'm... almost forgiving him for that trip. I myself had to ask him to have lunch with me today at school."

"Really?" Marissa looked at her.

"Yes. He's not really taking charge of anything right now. He's just... I don't know... not noticing me."

"Don't you think that maybe that's his way of making you notice him? He knows how much you like attention."

"Maybe..." Summer bit her bottom lip "Maybe that's it! Maybe he's pretending not to pay attention to me, so I'll pay attention to him not paying attention to me!"

"Ok, that was confusing, but I got you, and I guess that's really it." Marissa giggled.

"What an idiot!" Summer exclaimed.

"Summer, it's not that. The poor guy has been totally in love with you since what? Kindergarden? And he just didn't have a clue about how to get you back. It's just his plan of action."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Summer took another sip from her drink "Thanks, Coop."

"Not a problem."

Both girls lay there, with their eyes closed and their heads turned towards the sun, so they could get a nice tan.

"I'm coming up with a plan. I'll tell you about it once I'm finished with all the details." Summer informed Marissa, who just frowned.

.

"So, you said she was coming over, right?" Seth was pacing back and forth in the TV room.

"Yes." Ryan answered without taking his eyes off the Playstation game he was playing.

"Then why hasn't she come over yet?"

"Seth, I didn't say come over today, please, or Seth will die. I just said, come over anytime you want, or something like that."

"So, that just means she doesn't wanna come over today."

"Probably." Ryan shrugged.

"Yeah... I mean, maybe she's got a family issue to deal with and she can't come over or something. Maybe that's it. Right?" he asked Ryan, but didn't get a response "Right, Ryan?" he insisted.

"What, man?" Ryan asked, still eyeing the TV.

"Oh, forget it." Seth said and left, going to his bedroom.

.

Seth entered his bedroom and turned on the computer. He didn't know what he was doing, or why he had turned the computer on, so he decided to Google Brandi.

A lot of Brandi Jackson's were found, but one link caught his eye. It was from Hibbing High, a New York High School. He enter the link.

The link contained two pictures, and in one of them, there was Brandi. She looked different. Her hair was shorter and darker, but Seth could still recognize her. Under the photo, it said: Margaret Hart, Tara Cornell andBrandi Jackson during their Metropolitan Museum of Arts school tour (2001).

Seth grinned. He didn't know why, but looking at that picture of Brandi with two of her friends from New York made him feel good. Somehow, knowing the faces of two friends of hers made him feel like he knew her better. And that's what he wanted. To know more about her, know everything there was to know about her. She was still a stranger to him and he didn't like that feeling. He also didn't know why he didn't like that feeling, why getting to know Brandi was such a big deal, but he didn't care. He just enjoyed looking at that picture.

Sitting near the computer, there was Captain Oats, his play horse. Seth picked him up.

"See this girl right here?" Seth pointed to Brandi in the picture with his right hand while holding Captain Oats with his left one "Well, she's gonna be our friend. Yep. You better get used to her face, because I promise you you're gonna see a lot of her in this house. I'm sure you're gonna like her. She's from New York, you know? And you know what they have in New York? Those big horses in Central Park. Maybe we could all go there and find you a girlfriend. What do you say to that, Captain Oats?" Seth was going to continue, but was interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

He searched for it in his pocket and answered it, without checking the caller ID first.

"Hello?"

"Cohen?" the female voice asked from the other end.

"Hey, Summer. What's up?" he asked, placing Captain Oats where he was and standing up.

"I'm fine. Listen, Marissa and I were thinking of going to the Crab Shack later for dinner. Would you and Ryan like to come?"

"Oh, the Crab Shack? Sure, why not? So, we're double dating?" he grinned and paced around the room.

"No, we are not!" Summer answered immediately "It takes two couples to double date, and there's only gonna be one there."

"That's true for now, anyway."

"Cohen, just shut up and be there by 7."

"Ok, ok. See you at 7."

He hung up and looked at his wristwatch. It was almost 6pm. It was time to get ready for dinner.

Before going downstairs, he looked at his computer screen once again. Brandi's picture was still there. He just looked at it with a serious look on his face and closed the browser, turning his computer off and heading downstairs to inform Ryan about their dinner.