Disclaimer: The OC belongs to a very rich man, and seeing as I am not rich, nor a man, I cannot claim it as mine.

Them
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"When you're too in love to let it go, but if you never try you'll never know just what you're worth" –Coldplay

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I, personally, have always liked Summer.

Well, more or less.

Ever since the day she walked into Seth's room and picked me up off his shelf, I've had a thing for that girl. Maybe it's because I see how happy she makes Seth. Or maybe it's because Seth tells me that Princess Sparkle is just my type. Either way, I really like her.

I especially prefer her to that Anna girl. Sure, she was pretty, but I could tell she wasn't the one. At Thanksgiving, when Seth practically locked her in our bedroom (he told me later, once everyone was gone, that he was busy with Summer in the pool house), we had a heart to heart. She entertained me with stories of Pittsburgh, and how different Newport was than where she was from.

She talked about Seth, and how much she liked him. She told me a tale or two about Seth, and how she was originally just helping him get over Summer. She never expected to fall for him.

At that point, I liked Anna. We were cool, hanging out while Seth was downstairs scoring with Summer. But then, when Seth came back, she got this 'too-cool-for-Captain-Oats' attitude. Suddenly, she was cracking jokes about me left and right. So what if I don't have opposable thumbs? I could kick her butt in Jenga any day, and she knew it.

But I must say that I'm pretty impressed with Seth. In all the years that I've sat on his shelf, never have I seen another person (other than Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, the maid, and that new guy, Ryan) enter his room. His room is like his fortress of solitude, very few people are allowed in. In the span of maybe a week, there were two new, very pretty girls in there. Three, if you count the time Marissa came up from hanging in the pool house with Ryan to tell him they were ordering pizza.

When did my owner become such a chick magnet?

More importantly, why haven't I been scoring off his new 'stud' status? I mean, come on, a stud and a stallion? It can't get any better, baby.

While most people often think about me in a negative way (that's right, I saw the way Ryan stared at me when Seth introduced us) Summer insisted I was cute.

Summer showed me a lot of respect. I don't get that too often. Sometimes, when the maid comes into Seth's room while he's away at school, I don't even get cleaned properly. She just runs the duster over me, as if I'm nothing. I have needs! I need to be groomed, and I need to be loved. A little physical contact is all I'm asking for. She would always pet me, and hold me while she hung out with Seth. She always smelt so good, like strawberries, or something.

Of course, she wasn't perfect. But who is?

She used to make fun of Seth's music, saying it sucked. Personally, I like Seth's music. He once told me that the other kids didn't really appreciate it all that much, either. But that's just them. Who cares about them, anyway?

Seth never card about any of them before. He never needed anyone but me to have a good time. Then, Ryan moved in, and Summer came into the picture. When Seth first told me things were happening with Summer, I was so excited. Over the years, I had heard story after story about that girl. When I found out that I might actually get to meet her, well, it was like meeting the president...or Seabiscuit.

But then, I started to really resent her. I mean, Seth spent so much time with her that he barely had any time to spend with me. She was taking my best friend away. One minute, I was Seth's only friend. The next minute, I was behind Summer, Ryan, Marissa, Luke and even Zach. I can understand that he needs some human companionship...but Zach? The dude stole his chick!

I couldn't help but feel that this all started when Summer and Seth hit it off. I found myself wishing that Summer would go back to ignoring him, the way she did before.

One day, when Seth was downstairs getting drinks, Summer and I had a really nice chat. She talked, I mostly offered up the sympathetic "neigh" every now and then. While we talked, she let me in on an important secret about her and Seth:

She really, really, really liked him.

She told me about Princess Sparkle, and how she could totally see us in the midst of a torrid love affair one day. But, I was under strict orders not to tell Seth that. That was fine with me. I liked having a secret with Summer. I grew fond of her after that. Her intentions were good; she seemed cool enough for a guy like Seth.

Plus, I saw the way Seth acted after his first date with her. He was so giddy, so completely thrilled about life. He smiled all the time. Instead of talking to me about Summer, he went out and talked directly to her.

How can you hate someone after they do that?

How can you hate someone after they make your best friend in the world amazingly happy?

Seth is a great guy. I've known him since he was seven, and I've watched him grow before my eyes. He went from a lonely, neurotic kid to a lonely, neurotic teenager. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was no longer a teenager. In many ways, he was a man. And he wasn't too lonely anymore, either. People started to see what I've always seen, and his popularity skyrocketed.

I never really noticed that Seth was unpopular. He would confess to me that he was an outcast, and that he was a huge loser who everyone heckled at school. But how could I truly believe him? To me, Seth was God. He had everything. He had cool parents, a huge room, and great taste (though I really had nothing to compare any of it to). And, he had the big selling point: opposable thumbs.

That must be what attracted Summer to him. The thumbs. That's why I couldn't get Seth's hot aunt, Hailey. I just didn't have the thumbs.

No, it must be more than that. There's no way that, time and time again, Summer would keep coming back for Seth if it was just because of the thumbs. I mean, that Zach guy had thumbs. And she still chose Seth.

I can't figure out why the hell she wouldn't just give up and move on with her life. Maybe it's because I'm just a horse. That must be it.

Seth has hurt her so many times in the past. And in the end, they wind up back together, until he screws things up again.

He hurt her really bad with the whole Anna thing. That's what Seth told me, and you know it was bad if Seth admitted to being wrong about something. Anna just didn't cut it for me. Since I've known Seth for about eleven years now, I feel that I know him pretty well. I have very high standards when it comes to girls he's allowed to date. None of them can measure up. I mean, this might sound a little...whatever, but Seth is an amazing guy. He's smart and funny and totally cool. He's, like, my role model in a way. And not just any girl will do.

When Ryan left, Seth was really upset. He poured his heart out to me. I felt horrible for him, the way only the plastic pet horse of a full-grown guy could. I warned him that making spontaneous decisions without thinking them through would have terrible consequences. I warned him that Summer wouldn't be pleased, and he'd be setting himself up for a big fall when he returned. But he didn't listen. Did he ever listen?

I didn't see Summer much during those three months that Seth was gone. I only saw her three times. The first was right after he left, when she came in and found the note. She cried for a bit, and then got really angry. For a while there, I was afraid she was going to throw me!

The second time, probably around the middle of the summer, she came when nobody was home. She played some of his music, read a comic book, and talked to me. She told me about this new guy, Zach, and how he was nothing compared to Seth. It hurt because I knew his leaving really crushed her. She rifled through his closet, pulled out one of his blue polo shirts, and left with it. She winked at me as she shut the door and left.

The third time she came, I was sure it was the last time I'd ever see her again. She came with a box of Seth's stuff, and dumped it all out on his bed. She said, "Here's your shit Cohen. I'm divesting myself from you, once and for all." The comment was more for herself than me, and for a moment, I felt like I was invading her privacy by sitting on the shelf. But what could I do? It's not like I could gallop away or anything. She picked me up off the shelf, and sat on Seth's bed with me. She didn't really say anything important, just that she was sorry, but she didn't think we could be friends anymore. She said it was Seth's fault, said that he was a stupid ass and from that day forward, she would never love another guy again. She said that guys (the human ones, anyway) were the root of all evil, and they couldn't be trusted. I didn't really mind her talking about Seth that way. He truly was a stupid ass for leaving. He really hurt her. If she never spoke to him again, he would have deserved it. Once she placed me carefully back on my shelf and left, I looked at the bed and the stuff Summer had just dropped off.

The shirt wasn't there.

Don't get me wrong, I still love Seth (I'm using love in a very heterosexual manner, by the way) but he can be a real blockhead sometimes. It's just that I sometimes wonder if maybe he was abducted by aliens and they made him take off. I mean, he's spent almost half his life being madly in love with Summer, and once he finally got her, he just cast her aside and sailed away.

Either he's incredibly deep and complex, or an absolute idiot. My money's on the latter.

It was a very lonely summer indeed. I missed Seth a lot. When he finally came back, we spent a lot of time together. It was fun and all, but I couldn't help but feel it was only because he didn't have an alternative. I'm sure that if Summer wanted to spend time with him, he wouldn't be cooped up in his room playing video games with me. Then again, given the chance, I'd much rather hang with Princess Sparkle. So maybe I can forgive him.

There were flashes, after he returned, where I saw the old Seth. Not the popular Seth, the one dating the prom queen. Not the crazy jackass Seth that sails away and leaves that prom queen, as well as his poor mother, absolutely hysterical. I saw the old Seth. The one that was sad and lonely. The one whom had only his trusty horse, yours truly, to keep him company. The one who was pining after Summer Roberts with every fiber of his being, but could never work up the courage to talk to her.

I miss that Seth. It's not that I want my buddy to be miserable, but I can't help but notice how his life has changed. He barely has time for me anymore. It makes me worry. If things work out, and he gets the life with Summer like he wants, will there always be shelf space in that life for his friend, Captain Oats?

I know my worries are unfounded. I know that I'm an important part of Seth's life, not to mention a link to his childhood (though he'd probably prefer to forget all about his painful adolescence). I know he cares for me as much as I care for him. I just can't help it. I like to think that Seth will remember that there's a horse on his top shelf that will always be there, no matter what terrible thing he does.

He seemed to remember that this past year, when he needed a good friend to talk to. I was a pivotal 'go-to' guy, kind of like Ryan. Whenever he needed to really just vent and obsess over his relationship with Summer, the two of us were always there. Occasionally, Ryan would shoot me a sarcastic look or two. I'm still not sure whether he was rolling his eyes at Seth or at me. Something about that guy just doesn't sit right with me.

Seth would fill me in on all the things that happened. He told me about Zach, Summer's new boyfriend. I briefly considered telling him what Summer told me about Zach, but didn't. As I said before, I liked having a secret with Summer. Not only was she very beautiful, but she was really cool to have as a friend. Too bad Seth had dragged our relationship down along with theirs.

After the carnival, I got quite an earful. He recounted the way he stood on the hotdog stand, the way Summer declared she would give him his precious chase. Part of me had to hand it to the girl: she knew how to stick up for herself, that was for sure. She didn't take shit from anyone. That night, I found myself wondering if Princess Sparkle was as dominating as Summer was. That would be totally hot, I decided.

I saw how upset he got when Summer and Zach almost went to Italy together. Hell, I had that damned Boyz II Men song stuck in my head for weeks after that little escapade. I hand to give him credit, though. Nobody could say he didn't try to get the love of his life back. He bought back 'The Summer Breeze', even though it was hideously transformed to the ever-so-crude 'Gimme Sex'. He called her and begged her not to go. Even after she hung up, he still called her back just to tell her to have a good trip. He even gave me a cameo on the voicemail message. But, after that, he accepted defeat. He and I ventured downstairs to an empty house, where we were supposed to watch some TV. Things didn't exactly work out that way.

I told Seth to not go outside, but he didn't listen to me. Nobody ever seems to listen when I talk to them. My heart almost stopped when Summer ran into the house. I tried to tell Summer where he was, but she was too swept up in the moment to pay attention to me, I guess. Needless to say, I had front row seats to their make-out session...gross. It wouldn't have been so bad, if I had someone to pass the time with. I decided then that I definitely had to have a word with Summer about when Princess Sparkle and I would have our little rendezvous.

But even after that, Seth fucked things up again. He went away to Miami for a week, leaving me alone in the house with Kirsten. I like Kirsten, she's a cool lady, but I don't think she's very fond of me. Perhaps she thinks that Seth is too old for me, and perhaps she's right. One thing is for sure, though: I'm not going anywhere for a long, long time.

I have been witness to many idiotic things in my time, but Zach and Seth flipping a coin to see who would attend the prom with Summer truly topped the list. When Seth lost, I felt horrible for him. He put on a happy face, but I knew he was displeased by the outcome.

Later that same night, I overhead a conversation between Seth's parents. His grandfather died! I felt even worse for my poor friend. Not only did he have to attend a meeting the night of his prom, but when he got home, he was to find out that Caleb was dead. Only that wasn't how it turned out, either. I've noticed that things rarely go as planned in Orange County.

Seth's dad, Sandy, called him a little while after he found out the news. When Seth rushed home to see how his mom was, Summer was with him. Later, once everything had calmed down, Seth and Summer recounted the dramatic tale, from beginning to end. It was magical, and I was a little shocked when I heard the speech Seth gave to her. I never knew he was such a romantic guy at heart!

The next week, while Seth was getting ready for the funeral, Summer came in. She was accompanied by someone else: a beautiful horse named Princess Sparkle. We really hit it off, though I sure didn't appreciate Summer's comment about a glue factory.

I thought everything would be okay after that.

Even despite Seth and Summer's current relationship, Sparkle and I are going strong. Seth had Summer bring her over a few days later, when they were hanging out. They mostly talked about Marissa, and from what I understood, Marissa killed Ryan's brother, Trey! I was so shocked. Marissa, despite her problems, seemed like a nice enough girl. She wasn't a murderer! They got into a big fight about it. Sparkle and I tried to calm down our respective owners, but they were in a full-on war. We knew by now not to get involved if we valued our limbs. We did, and thus let the fight rage on. I never expected Seth to say the things he did. I didn't blame Summer when she scooped up Princess Sparkle and ran out of the house, crying.

The guy was such a doofus. She loved him so much. Why couldn't he see that? Whenever things were about to calm down and start getting really great, he found a way to wreck everything.

He had never been sporty, never played an instrument. He wasn't good at singing, building, or fixing things. Seth Cohen was a messer-upper. It was his unique, God-given talent.

I must admit, he uses his talents whenever possible.

After Marissa's trial, they had another blow-out. They said terrible things that I am positive they didn't mean, and broke up. They were over forever, according to Seth. They made a pact not to think about each other, not to love each other anymore. They didn't want to do it, but they had to. That's the way Seth described it to me, at least.

But things didn't end there.

It seems to me that their love, for whatever messed up reason, is incredibly strong. Undeniable, as Seth would say. Just when you think it's down for the count, it comes back with the one-two punch that brings you to your knees.

Yes, I've always thought that Summer was the one for Seth.

But hey, what do I know? I'm a plastic horse, the 'pet' of a seventeen-year-old boy. That's kind of weird in itself.

The way I see it, they have their problems, but every relationship does.

Seth told me that they ran into each other at the Bait Shop. He told me that they missed each other, but for some reason, Summer didn't want to break their pact. I couldn't blame her. I mean, how can you just forget what he said to her? He blamed it all on her, said that it was her fault Trey died. How crazy is that? I really like Marissa, but it's her fault Trey died! She pointed the gun, she pulled the trigger, and she's responsible for the outcome. That's the way I see things: black and white. Not literally, of course.

The next morning, Seth filled me in on his latest "grand gesture" to win Summer back. As he packed a bag of black clothes to wear after work, he said he was going to sneak over to her house and get her to forgive him. I didn't think it would work, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that. The guy had so much hope. On his way out, I warned him not to do anything stupid.

But alas, it didn't work. The foolproof plan Seth developed obviously wasn't expecting a fool like Seth to come along. I didn't get too many details this time, but I noticed red marks on Seth's neck. I didn't want to ask, afraid of what I would find out.

That night, as Seth blasted that Boyz II Men song for the millionth time, I concluded that they were over. Seth and Summer would never be together again. I could deal with it, sure. But could Seth? I didn't really think so. But he definitely had to find a way.

Seth and Summer were never getting back together. That's what I figured. But if I've learned anything throughout my life, it's that you shouldn't assume.

Never say never.

Everyone was gone for the night (Sandy was visiting Kirsten at the rehab center and Ryan was asleep in the pool house...he's been sleeping a lot lately). It was just Seth and me in the house, and we were hanging out in his room.

My eyes were getting pretty heavy, and I was just about to fall asleep when I was jolted awake by a knock on the door. We both glanced up just in time to see Summer barge in. Seth jumped off his bed and gave her a puzzled look.

"Hey," she offered uncertainly.

"Hey," he greeted her cheerfully. I could hear the hope in his voice, and I just prayed she wasn't there to make him more miserable that he already was.

"Look, I did some thinking, and..."

"And?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"Cohenless oxygen?" she shifted nervously on her feet and bit her lip before continuing. "It isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"I was never much of a fan, myself. But that's just me, you know, Mr. Super Geek." I didn't really understand why he said that. Maybe it had something to do with the other night, the one he wouldn't talk about. His gaze shifted down to her hands, and I followed it. She was holding his blue polo. "Hey, is that my shirt?"

Summer looked down, almost as if she didn't realize she was holding it. "Oh, yeah, I...kind of nabbed it last summer. I, um, sleep in it sometimes," she said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Are you giving it back? 'Cause you can keep it if you want."

"No. No, I'm returning it." Seth's face fell, and for a split second, I was sure she was there to break his heart all over again. "I mean, why have the shirt when you can have the real thing, right?"

His face lit up when she said that, but he wiped the smile off his smug face before saying, "Aw, Summer, how corny of you. Like really, is this gonna be one of those chick-flick, PBS moments where we hug and everyone learns a valuable lesson about sharing? You know, if you give me a minute I'm sure I could download that tacky Full House music for the background effect." That's Seth: he could always kill a moment.

"Cohen?"

"Yeah?"

"Just shut up."

"'Kay."

He pulled her into a kiss and she dropped the shirt to the floor.

You can't fight fate.

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