The O.C.
Summary: Ryan's keeping a horrible secret and it's tearing him apart. Sandy and Kirsten are too busy working, Seth's in his own world that revolves around comics and Summer. What happens when the secret is revealed? Will the family come together or be torn apart? Ryan and Seth are fourteen in this fan fiction.
Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C. or any of its characters. I know…I didn't believe it when I heard either, but sadly it's true
Prolong
Walking into the Cohen's kitchen Ryan kept his head down. His heart was filled with fear and he forced himself to take deep long breaths. Nobody knew his secret Ryan was sure, but that didn't stop him from feeling dirty, from feeling like the truth was plastered all over his face.
Two month…it had been two months since his life had turned into a living hell. At first, he was shocked when he woke up in the mornings, walking around during the day, watched the other people around him, and everything still seemed so normal. Too bad for him nothing would ever been normal again.
He tried to keep his head down and tried to pretend like he was his normal self…like nothing was horribly wrong. He was doing well in school, he knew he had to do well. Dr. Kim had warned him he couldn't let his grades slip and he didn't want to let the Cohen's down…they had so much faith in him. He kept trying to fix a smile on his face as he listened to Seth babble, listen to Marissa wine, and listen to Luke talking about sports and girls.
He thought for the most part no body noticed, but lately…Luke seemed to be watching him. Luke kept on asking Ryan if he was okay. That was a stupid question, he thought to himself. He was anything but okay. Everyday he felt like more and more of his world was crumbling.
He sometimes thought about telling the Cohen's, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Sandy was so busy with his work with more and more cases pilling on his desk. Kirsten was busy at the New Port Group, he couldn't bother her, though he was pretty sure he would never be able to tell her anyway. Seth…the thought of telling Seth made Ryan feel physically ill.
No he couldn't tell the Cohen's, and He had told Ryan that if Ryan told anyone that no one would believe him and that He would make sure Ryan got sent back to Juvie. Ryan knew he couldn't go back there, he wouldn't be able to take the Cohen's disappointment.
That left Ryan trying to grin and bare it. But Luke seemed to be getting more and more suspicious. Ever since Seth finally started dating Summer, Ryan and Luke had become really close. It was weird being best friends with a guy who used to hate his guts. Over the past few months though, Ryan had been trying to push Luke away. He knew he couldn't let Luke get too close, he couldn't let Luke find out the secret; the secret that had him scrubbing himself clean for hours every night.
Luke was persistent though and he was making other people worry too. Now Marissa and Summer were asking questions too. Marissa wanted to know why Ryan wouldn't kiss her anymore, and Summer kept asking him why he never wanted to go to the beach anymore.
He didn't know what to say and ever day he felt more and more trapped. Trapped by the secret, the horrible secret he didn't want anyone to know about, the secret that was eating him alive.
Luke's POV
Something was wrong with Ryan and Luke was determined to find out what was going on. He had hated Ryan the first time he had met him. Luke had thought Ryan was nothing but a street thug that had been hitting on his girlfriends. But that was before…that was before Luke had really gotten to know Ryan.
Ryan was the most loyal person Luke had ever met. It had been Ryan who had come swooping to Luke's rescue when he had found out his father was gay. While the people Luke had thought were his friends laughed in his face and thrown him to the curb Ryan, the same person he had treated like dirt, had talked to him had been there for him.
That was why Luke knew he had to help Ryan now. Something was seriously wrong. Luke had gotten to know Ryan, he knew Ryan tried to bottle up his problems and hide them away. That didn't stop Luke from seeing. Luke saw Ryan's blue eyes grow dull over the past couple of months. He had noticed the sweatshirts and the baggy pants. He had noticed the way Ryan had begun to withdraw even more into himself; he had started to avoid Marissa and he barely spoke anymore.
Luke had spoken to Marissa, Seth, and Summer and they had begun to notice how Ryan was changing too. Luke found himself watching Ryan more and more. He had even begun following him around when he could, but Luke couldn't seem to find out what was wrong. Why couldn't he see…what was he missing?