Safe With You || Seth Cohen

||28||

I walked downstairs after getting ready for school. Things felt different than last year. Last year I'd been with Seth. This year we were broken up.

I walked into the kitchen to see plastic covered all the furniture still. Kirsten and Sandy stood with a construction worker.

"Morning." I greeted.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Kirsten asked me with a smile. "Um it was weird to be back in my old bed." I told her as Seth and Ryan walked in.

"Uh, hey." Seth told me and I looked over at him. "Hey." I said then looked away.

I noticed Sandy and Kirsten shared a look at the awkward interaction.

"Ready for your first day of school?" Kirsten finally asked, breaking the silence.

"No." Seth said quickly.

"There's bagels." Sandy told us. "And coffee." Kirsten added.

I immediately grabbed a bagel. It was one thing we hadn't had in Chino.

"Love some thanks." The construction man said, taking a bagel and pouring a cup of coffee.

"And then there's Archie." Sandy told us.

"Yeah, will you explain this whole remodeling thing to me again?" Seth asked Sandy.

"Your mother got bored this summer."

"Your father was complaining that he didn't have a place for his surfing memorabilia."

"Oh, so it's my fault."

"We'll be out of the kitchen by dinner." Archie stated.

"How about the rest of the house?"

The phone rang then.

"Sandy."

"Honey, I'm mid smear."

Archie grabbed the phone and handed it to Kirsten.

"Hello, hello. Hmm, hung up."

"I hate it when they do that." Archie muttered. It seemed like he was making himself right at home.

"I called the school so you're registered. You just have to go by the office and fill out some paperwork. Sandy's gonna go in case there are any problems." Kirsten told us.

"I thought you were gonna take them."

"I have a meeting."

"I have a meeting."

"Hey, if it's too much trouble, we could just stay home."

The phone rang again. "I have to go." Kirsten said, whole Archie handed the phone to Sandy, who answered it.

"I'm so glad you three are home." Kirsten said kissing us all on the cheek. I smiled at her.

"He's where? You don't know? Alright I'll find him, thank you."

"I have to go." Kirsten said again, and Sandy said the same.

"You want me to take them?" Archie asked.

~~~

The three of us lurched as Archie's truck stopped in front of the school. We were riding in the back of the truck.

Ryan and Seth hopped out, and Seth held out a hand to help me, but I ignored him and jumped out too.

"Not an auspicous way to start the school year." Seth muttered, looking sort of hurt I'd ignored him. What did he think, that everything was going to be the way it was?