ITS NICE TO HAVE A FRIEND; seth cohen

nine

crush, mandy moore

a bell rings as the door to my local sweet shop opens and closes, and i see sandy cohen walk in and stand behind me in line.

"hey, sandy."

"lucy, good to see you! how's that project with seth coming?"

"we're almost done, we just have to rehearse a few times through. it's due on monday so we'll have to get that done sometime this weekend. thank god for all of those extensions she gave the class."

"why don't you come over tomorrow?" he asks. "we can open the grill and barbecue, you two can work, and when you're done, the two of you and ryan can swim and eat good old hamburgers." he adds, "it can be the first time in the cohen household that you eat something other than takeout."

"that sounds great! thanks for the invitation," i smile and walk out of the store after paying for my things. that's very nice of sandy, but swimming with seth and ryan and seth is going to be so awkward.

when i get home, i immediately call summer and marissa.

"can you guys help me pick out a bathing suit?" i ask into the phone.

"we're on our way," summer replies.

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"so what is this for anyway?" marissa asks, sitting on my bed.

"i got invited over to the cohens and i don't know what to wear," i pull all of my bathing suits out from my closet and throw them on the bed next to her.

"are you trying to seduce ryan?" summer asks.

i can't help but laugh, "no..."

"oh my god. you like seth cohen! i knew it!" she yells

i stammer, "what? no-"

"i KNEW something was up when you asked him to cotillion!" she teases.

"look, it's not like this is going to go anywhere," i sigh, knowing my friends won't drop the topic easily.

"why not?" marissa asks.

"because... because he's my friend and he'd never go for me anyway and-"

"says who?" summer puts her hands on her hips.

"come on, look at how he looks at me versus how he looks at you. not that i'm jealous... i'm not, it's just that... i'm not exactly at the top of his list," i say.

"that's why you have to show up there tomorrow looking like jessica alba," she replies.

"i don't think he even knows who that is," i mutter.

"summer's right. you need to make an impression. show him what he's been missing out on," marissa adds.

"but if it doesn't work..." i begin, uncertain.

"then at least you tried and he'll be the one losing a great girl. and who knows? maybe he'll surprise you," summer says reassuringly.