Summary: While surprisingly embracing each other during a punk rock concert at the Bait Shop, Seth and Marissa discover their common ground. Meanwhile Ryan and Summer have an interesting chat, in Summer's bedroom.
Story Notes: This is a one-off story that takes place in early season two. It's open ended. I leave the aftermath up to your imagination. Mild romance between Seth/Marissa is applied, but I wrote this with friendship firmly above anything else. Finally, this was originally written in script format, which is not usable for So I went and rewrote it. You may find some of the sentences short and punchy because of this.
Disclaimer: If I owned the O.C. characters they would already be shown on TV in a manner that would please me. IE: Seth and Marissa traveling the roads and diners of America and Sandy and Kirsten having a functional marriage. However I do own Rickey Lee. Who's that you ask? It's the play pal of Marissa's sister Katlin. Just like Katlin she's never seen and rarely heard of. Ok, ok, she's never heard of because she doesn't exist. But if she did, I would own her.
----------------------------------------------------
The lights played off the dim room. There was a sense of energy in the crowd. After all this was a punk rock concert. But not just any punk concert. It was the long awaited return of The Cramps. Toronto's wonderfully weird band had reunited and somehow made their way to a little place in Newport California, The Bait Shop.
Seth was clearly in an awkward position figuratively and literally. Amongst a packed crowd he had no space to roam and worse yet he was there alone. Not a single person could he rope to come with him. Summer never heard of them, per her not getting references before the 80's. Ryan politely opted out, out of fear he wouldn't blend in with the neurotic, angry, punk crowd. "Ah, I believe jacking another car for Trey in Chino would be a more pleasant experience", he had said to Seth days before this night. It wasn't as though they didn't have shared interests or had not wanted to share unshared interests, but there was only so far Ryan was willing to go.
Seth felt a little cramped in his warm, non-air-conditioned corner. It was like he was an ultra-geek amongst a crowd of tattooed, spiked haired, make-up wearing, super punks. Even though the corner had its discomforts it ultimately gave him a sense of safety. It divided him from them and any unpleasanteries having to be exchanged because he was wearing a sweater and slacks instead of a spiked dog collar.
------
Marissa was putting her last dashes of makeup on when Summer came from behind and called out to her.
"Coop, you are insane for going to this thing. I saw a picture and they don't exactly look Newport, or Chino. In other words lower than trailer trash, ewww!"
"I'm sure other kids from school will be there. They're one of the most influential punk bands of their time. So much more avant-garde than the rest."
"Sure if you are on crack!"
"Seth must be going?"
"I don't know. He may have mumbled something to me. I only pay attention to about seventy-five percent of what he says seventy-five percent of the time."
"Hmm, he must be comforted by that."
"Coop, if tried to retain everything he told me I'd be just as smart as him if not smarter. That was never my title and I ain't about to play the leading role."
"What," Marissa asked in a perplexed tone.
Another moment went by where Marissa was confused and feeling estranged by Summer's language.
Tonight Marissa was making a conscious choice not to be defined by what others perceived of her. She was simply going as Marissa. Not social chair, or Ryan's angst ridden half, or binge drinker, or Summer's Coop. Just Marissa.
-----
Seth stood over the bar waiting for the bartender to pour his drink of choice, a diet Pepsi. Out of the corner of his eyes remained in sight of all these people who were nothing like Seth yet exactly like him at the same time. They were the outcasts of Orange County. But he knew he himself was an outcast amongst all those hear tonight. Perhaps it was because he leaned a little heavily on the emo music. Maybe it was the way he dressed. Or perhaps it was because he was too self assuming and nice. While being deprecated and angry, he lacked a certain edge.
"Hey," a female voice said.
"Hey," Seth replied.
Seth motioned indirectly at the female voice, not recognizing it at first.
"You really go for the hard stuff hey?"
Without even realizing it he had directed a quick quip at the voice. In his subconscious he knew it was Marissa and that is why his words came out sharp and witty.
"Excuse me for not taking up for somber, bottle hungry, role models such as your self," Seth said.
"Excuse me! That's a tad harsh don't you think?"
In a moments notice Seth had not only processed what he said to Marissa, but that it was Marissa who was standing next him in this crowd of sweat and heat. He turned in her direction without even showcasing a look of remorse over his words. Rather his look was a typical Seth glance of confusion. He was clearly taken back by Marissa being here. He questioned her tarnished image for even coming here and of course just how well she knew the Cramps to begin with.
"What are you doing here," Seth asked.
"Probably the same thing you are doing here, getting pumped to see the Cramps reunited on stage."
"Ahhh, you know the Cramps?"
"Well yeah. I mean I loved them since the early days, but I also love their stuff on Epitaph. They're amazing. And even better in concert I hear. I just had to be here."
"So your into the punk," Seth asked as he propped up his eyebrows.
Marissa was confused by his words. She knew they had been down this road before and she remembered exactly when.
" Don't you remember when we had this talk in your car? With Ryan?"
Seth was immensely shocked that Marissa remembered such a trivial moment from so long ago. True it had only been a year, but so much drama has passed that such details would have been presumed to go lost in the brain's memory compartment.
"Ahh always just assumed that was a phase to match your teenage angst and anger."
"I'm always angsty. I'm always angry."
Seth shrugged not knowing how to respond to their shared common ground. While he had been friendlier with Marissa, mainly because of Ryan and Summer, he wasn't exactly friend like. He had shot her little quips about her popularity or would stand near her in awe for actually having some advice of sensibility in whatever situation the main four had gotten themselves into. But he rarely had a real conversation with her, one that lasted more than a few lines at least.
Random voices carried over their silence. The least likely of things for Seth to do was apologize to Marissa but he felt an overwhelming urge to break their extended pause. It was a common silence, but being she was the only person remotely close to becoming a corner buddy he opted to enter in some words.
"You know, I'm sorry, about what I said earlier. It's just a little strange seeing you here that's all," Seth said.
"Not as strange as that sweater you are wearing."
"Well it's better then coming here in pumps and a rhinestone mini-shirt."
"It's stylish."
She returned her words almost as though she had to defend herself.
"Sure for the Newport charity fashion show, not a punk rock concert," he quipped back.
"Well I'm sorry, but deadly weapons and bad uses of leather aren't my style."
And the thing was they weren't Seth's style either. It could be argued neither one of them was more stylish than the other. They were both equally out of place in here.
Around Marissa's shoulder came a slightly older man with torn clothes and a mowhak equaling the height of the Ifle Tower, or so it seemed to Marissa. He unintentionally rubbed into Marissa's side pushing her closer to Seth. This had caught Seth's eye and he glanced at the movements of the strange man. A mere second later Seth was drawn in by his mowhak and angry grin.
The man's demeanor prompted Seth to be a temporary super hero to Marissa. Saving her was the least of the things on his mind that day. But this was more than just about her. It was about Ryan, and Summer, and having to answer for why he allowed her to be felt up by a greasy, mowhaked, punker.
"What'd you say we take our toxic drinks and head to the back," Seth said.
Marissa looked down at her cranberry tonic and wished it had a shot of something lethal in it.
A perky blond, distinguished by the purple strip flowing form her ponytail, came out form the counter and saw the look on Marissa's face. It was clear she was looking for more of an escape then anyone here could offer.
"Hey."
"Oh hey," Marissa causal said back.
"Look, I shouldn't do this, but you want a shot of vodka in that?"
"Hmm, oh no I shouldn't. I promised myself this wouldn't be a night about escaping in the toxics."
"Yeah right, it's all about the music. That's what the band says too till they're in the back room shooting up vials of coke. Anyway, suite yourself."
Marissa wasn't sure how to take Alex's boldness; after all she had never seen her in this place before. She couldn't even say she'd seen her around town. The two returned each other a smile. Alex then turned away and Marissa's attention was brought back to Seth.
"Hello, earth to Marissa."
Seth waved his hand in her face.
"Look, I'm all for you flirting with the hot female staff, but…"
"We weren't flirting."
Her mind was brought back to her original conversation with Seth
"Oh, you found a perfect view spot already," Marissa continued.
"Ah, well, yeah, sort of," Seth said trying to cover up the truth.
-----
Pretty in pink was her wardrobe. Summer sat relaxed on her bed in a baby pink yoga outfit. Her moves were necessary to her relieving the tensions of life. Just as she began to breathe deeply and extend her hand around the back of her neck the door opened slightly and a loud knock was heard.
Summer was annoyed and displayed her distaste by slamming a stuffed animal against the door.
"Who ever it is better go home, now! I need to maintain my restful state."
Summer returned to her yoga positioning, crossing her legs and lifting up her arms, the tips of her fingers touching each other.
"Are you always this hostel to your guests," Ryan asked.
Summer was surprised to see that it was Ryan. She couldn't recount one time he was in her house let alone her bedroom.
"Ok, Ryan. This is weird."
"Yeah," Ryan replied.
His body rested on the edge of her entryway. He was calm and without much to say.
"Is there a reason you're here, because seriously my mood has been tampered with and that ain't a pretty thing. By the way have you heard of a thing called a rage black out Ryan?"
"Seth clued me in. I'm not here to induce your anger. I'm here for your advice."
"You think I am wise and therefore worthy of dispensing wisdom?"
"I think you're the authority on Marissa."
"AH, right. You know I don't like to talk about her behind her back."
"Yeah well it's just, she invited me tonight to this thing?"
"The hideous punk concert?"
"I wanted to except her invitation, but I had a study date with Lindsay."
"Ewww! God, that boring bookworm. Marissa talks about her all the time."
"She does?"
"Well, never mind. What's your dilemma Ryan? You dumped Marissa for Lindsay, deal."
"I dumped Marissa because she was sleeping with her mother's pool guy."
"Oh, right, that, well you should know who Marissa is by now. She wasn't going to wait for you all summer and just hope by chance you'd come back to Newport. You left her alone, with Julie Cooper!"
"That's not the point. It's just, it just seems like she's still into me and I'm confused."
"Can't you wax poetic about your will we won't we get together problem with Seth."
"Yeah, but he's at that concert too. Didn't he tell you," Ryan said confused.
"Perhaps."
------
"Ok, this is a bit stuffy," Marissa said.
Marissa shoved her way through the sweat and stickiness of the crowd and was led, following Seth, to an intimate corner. Well, maybe intimate wasn't the best word choice. There was barely enough room for the two of them, but slightly more than if they tried to be amongst the rest of the people here that night. It was rather uncomfortable to say the least.
"So you said this has a good view," Marissa asked.
"Oh yeah the best."
Marissa inched herself above the crowds only to see more hair. The stage was barely visible.
"If you look between the crack's here of that guy with the bald head and his man, I mean girlfriend, it's almost like your in front of the stage."
"Hmm, maybe I should make my way up there now."
"Wait!"
Marissa was shocked by his enthusiasm.
"Well if you want me that badly," Marissa said as she playfully smiled in Seth's direction.
"Seriously, you go up there and you'll be eaten alive. This place is one leather jacket short of a biker gang."
"You're being oddly protective, why? I'm a big girl you know, I can handle myself."
"Or handle being handle?"
"Well what does that mean?"
Well, Seth thought, she had been handled by Ryan, Luke and DJ, all in a public place at one time or another. Maybe she longed for the moment where she could be groped by a toothless, leather clad, something or another. But somehow Seth suspected otherwise and even if she did he wasn't going let it happen.
"You know your only doing this because of Ryan." "He told you to watch out for me didn't he," Marissa asked.
"Ahh no, not really."
"Come on, fess up Cohen."
He found it strange she called him by his last name as Summer usually did, but he let the awkwardness pass and oddly began to embrace it.
Creating a bit of force to make him talk, Marissa playfully punched him in the shoulder.
"Why the hell would I waste my time watching out for you when I didn't even know you were going to be here," Seth said in an annoyed tone.
"So Ryan really didn't talk to you?"
"No. And come on Marissa, I'm nobody's babysitter."
Marissa was a little torn up inside from hearing him tell her the truth. It wasn't as though she wanted Ryan to care, but she kind of wished she had entered into his thoughts. Little did she know he was discussing her right now with her best friend.
Her emotions changed in a seconds notice upon registering Seth's last words.
"Yeah, your the one who needs the babysitter," Marissa said.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"All I know is you're stuck back in this corner fearing for your life provided you step two feet out side your little box."
"Like you don't fear the outside world?"
He had a point, and it struck a nerve, not that she was willing to admit it.
"So what if I have problems adjusting to society," Marissa asked rhetorically.
"Society, in general loves you, you're not even in the same realm as me."
"Oh yeah, did you overdose last year? Did your father steal money from half the town, your mom run around on her husband who owns all of Newport? People don't know me Seth. They barely like me. They put up with me because of my social class and standing. They mess with me they mess with Caleb Nichol. But Lords knows, in private, they talk about me ever second they get. Gossip is cash in this town."
A sorrowful look came to his face. Instantly he was left feeling sorry for even suggesting that Marissa was better off than him.
"It seems we've weathered a lot," Seth said.
Marissa was tired and unfocused on the sounds and sights around her simply because her mind had turned to all that ran her down this year and last.
Her head lifted off from the ground and meet with Seth who was still reeling from the tension of the moment. It was almost as though they were in agreement about their shared angst and drama. There was a solid common ground now formed between them.
"Hey this is supposed to be about an amazing band, an amazing time. How often do we get a legitimate punk band to come to Newport," Seth asked.
Marissa tone slightly changed.
"Well there was that one time Simple Plan came, but, ah yeah, not so much punk."
Seth laughed and Marissa followed in motion. Whatever tension was felt between them, whatever roles they felt they had to play, were dropped. There was a distinctive change and suddenly they were ready to embrace whatever was before them, in terms of tonight and this concert. Their energy was renewed through their ability to understand each other.
-----
Still moments away from the band entering the stage random music came out from the speakers.
"The power is out in the heart of man..." "...Is it a dream is a lie, I think I'll let you decide."
Marissa was faced towards the stage grasping for a glimpse of a roadie or stagehand. Her attention was shifted when she picked up the musical sounds placed before her. Seth too was drawn into the music, but it was foreign to him and this caused a distance between him and the song.
"I absolutely love this. The Arcade Fire is amazing. God, I wish they would come to Newport," Marissa said.
Seth was pleasantly surprised she was so keen on the music, and, further more, more knowledgeable about it than he is.
"Yeah it's pretty cool, if you like an early Talking Heads rip off," Seth replied.
"What are you talking about? If anything David Byrne's influence is so minimal compared to other U.S. and British punk bands of that era. And do you not hear the heavy Australian vibes? I'll have to burn you a copy, make you a good mix of some real music, not that mopey emo stuff."
Again, Seth was shocked, but he was left with no emotion that would make him spew out something witty or worse yet cocky in Marissa's direction. There was almost a sense of joy in him that he had someone to talk to about his interests, something Summer wasn't at all useful for.
"I may be a bit bold and forthright, but what do you say we take these fun times and move up front? It looks like the show is about to start," Seth surprisingly asked Marissa.
"You really think we should? I mean what about all those guys in spiked collars and girls with no hair on their heads, they could be dangerous, deadly even. My God, they are nothing like us, therefore we must fear them."
Marissa tone was clearly sarcastic, and Seth had picked it up, but, almost amused by it, he choose to shrug it off.
Without saying a single word his hand moved in the direction of her own. Not using force he tugged on it, prompting her to follow in whichever direction he was going. But alarmed by the situation, Marissa remained still.
"Come on," Seth shouted.
Seth called out to her and reentered her hand this time fully interlocking and pulling her with him without any choice of her own. Past the few seconds of reasonable tension, Marissa smiled, allowing Seth to guide her to the front of the stage.
There was a rush of energy, almost a synergy that was connecting the two of them together at that moment. The crowd had grown louder in anticipation for the band's entrance. For a moment Seth and Marissa remained silent, fixed on each other's movements and the oddly electrifying release of their hands. But before they were given a moment to analyze, or perhaps just ponder it, one by one The Cramps entered on to the stage. Their eyes had now shifted on the band. Their voices were high, screaming with a force from their lungs.
Perhaps those around them were snickering at the sweater clad emo kid and the ultra fashion queen waving their hands in the air and laughing in moments of pure joy. Or just maybe they were staring them down, questioning, silently in their minds, every spastic dance move. If they were, Marissa and Seth would have remained unphased by it through the entire concert, as their eyes, their bodies, their emotions were placed in the music, the power of the evening, and each other. Perhaps the last was unintentional, perhaps not. They would never really know unless they took a pause to examine the situation, but amongst the noise and heat there wasn't a clear moment to do such a rational thing.
------
"So what are you saying Ryan? Because I'm not here to play match maker."
"So Seth isn't on your mind right now?"
"No and what's your point."
"My point is we should go."
"Go? I don't think so. You couldn't even pay me in Jimmy Cho shoes to go to that concert."
"You know they'll be the last ones standing there. We'll just wait to the concerts over and just meet up with them."
She started to spew over Ryan's final words.
"And then bam,- surprise them with our presence. You're brilliant Ryan!"
"I am," he said bewildered.
Summer jumped out of her bed and ran to her dresser grabbing the water bottle and guzzling down the cold thirst quencher.
"Has anyone told you, you sweat a lot for doing yoga," Ryan asked.
"Unhun, all my man slaves. Seth, Zach, you."
"Me?"
"Kidding! There's only one bitch around these parts."
"Oh, who?"
"Hello, Cohen! Sailed the high seas for heterosexless adventure and ended up living with Luke and his gay dad. That's all I'm saying, if you get my drift."
"Actually I don't."
Ryan positioned his hands in his pants and remained silent. The look on his face said it all. He was bewildered and just plain dumb founded. The reference, it's context, it was all lost to him. He couldn't even attempt to understand Summer.
Summer eyed his movements. She found herself lost in Ryan's silence, waiting for words to dispense from his mouth. When nothing came out she snapped back to reality.
"Hun? Well, it doesn't matter. You know I can't stop thinking about him. God he grades on my last nerves, but still all I want to do is jump his bones and flash him my breasts."
"Well, it sounds like love."
"Are you trying to be funny? Irony and wit is best passed down by Cohen, but never actually used. One can never pull it off properly."
Ryan smiled and then nodded. He positioned himself back by the entryway of the door while he watched Summer huff, puff and then return to her bed. She was clearly wrestling with emotions, but it happened so sudden and without any explanation, leaving Ryan to be perplexed by her.
"I suppose you should change then, if we are still going to go?"
"Oh right, yeah. I'll get pretty for Cohen and be right out."
Ryan was genuinely confused with Summer's behavior. But he was even more clueless about how a boy, such as Seth, could ever fall for and possibly love this girl. He even began to question himself for coming here to talk about Marissa. But it did lead him to make a movement towards something. Out of his need for conversation and second thought he was heading to see Marissa and Summer was on her way to meet with Seth.
What exactly their intentions would be were still unclear. They barely knew what words to exchange and how to act around them. But they had to be there. They had to come to terms with their emotions and lay all the cards on the table. They couldn't run from this or hide behind their respective others.
-----
Just as the cool air returned to the room the temperature began to drop and the high tensions of the crowd were brought back to a level best for when stepping outside the doors of the Bait Shop. Marissa and Seth were still on a natural high. It was almost a perfect feeling, or so it felt at that moment.
"I can feel this rush, it's so exhilarating," Marissa excitedly said.
"Yeah me too. God that has to be one of the best concerts I ever went to."
"Yeah, but what about Death Cab?"
"What aboutem?"
"I read a recent concert listing in the girl's bathroom that said they were coming in the winter."
Her reaction was calm and understated,- very much unintentional.
"What! Death Cab? The Death Cab? God how can this night get any better?"
"Or any worse?"
A female's voice was heard over the bustling crowds.
"Everyone knows that Kelly Clarkson is the new Death Cab," Summer cried out.
"What," Seth said.
Seth turned around to find a smiling Summer in his face.
"Summer? You know Death Cab," Marissa said confused.
"I know it's Cohen's favorite band. I do still retain that seventy-five percent, Coop," Summer said.
Seth looked on clearly uncertain of the reference.
He didn't have a moment to think about Summer's other boy toy Zach or the summer that tore them apart. He was too distracted by her warm body casually nestling into his.
Marissa was a bit surprised that Summer showed herself. She wasn't at all thinking that an appearance by her ex could also come from the opening and closing doors of the Bait Shop. Her thoughts rested on Seth and how she hadn't clued in on just how much of an influence Death Cab had on him before. Marissa thought she had really begun to understand Seth and learn so much about who he was both inside and out, but the truth was she was only beginning to see inside Seth's world; there was only so much to be learned in a nights time.
Truly Seth was in his own world. Marissa kind of enjoyed it, at least for the evening. It was the perfect escape from Newport and high society and those looming thoughts of Ryan. Had it been more, she wouldn't of known for she never stopped to analyze it. It was the last thing on her mind. But just maybe somewhere in her subconscious she was thinking of something else, something more. At the very least she knew she wanted to discover more of who Seth really was.
Before her mind could wander, there was almost a parting of the seas before them. The crowds split into two as people left the club and others stayed behind. In the dividing line walked Ryan. Marissa's head lifted up and all thoughts that flooded her head this evening where lost temporarily. She was now fully focused on his body inching closer and closer to the group. She was unsure of why he was here, why he seemed to have come with Summer. Was he not supposed to be at a study date with Lindsay she thought to herself?
"Ryan, you came," Marissa said as her whole being lit up.
"Yeah, I was coaxed," Ryan said.
"It was a mutual coaxing," Summer replied.
Seth looked over at Ryan and then back to Summer. He sensed a working mind between the two of them and was pleased they both made it here. The reality was he was equally pleased to see Summer - even if perplexed by it - and to see Ryan. But a part of him, as he watched over Marissa smiling and giggling with Ryan, he knew Ryan had came for only one reason and that was Marissa. It almost made him turn inside to know Ryan had such a great influence over him. Why was it that he couldn't come under his own invitation he wondered in his head. It was a twinge of jealousy, a twinge he had felt so many times before when Ryan's attentions and time when to Marissa over him. But there could of been, even if just a mere minute, a moment where Seth watched over Marissa and Ryan, and thought of Marissa. If he had, there was no moment to reflect on it. Summer was resting in his arms. She was certain not to overextend her hands or move in too close as to not give a clear sign of romantic intention. But it still provided a sense of comfort for both of them, whether it was false or not. Still, so many questions remained to be answered.
They remained for Ryan and Marissa too. Marissa held Ryan's hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Sure it was comforting but she was beginning to feel lost. Her mind was now reeling in all the emotions and unresolved feelings of everything that changed the day she found out about Theresa's baby. She knew this moment between them had to be fleeting and she couldn't even pause enough to except it as a brief moment of clarity. She silently sighed in her mind, as Ryan exchanged common words with Summer.
Seth, in the moment of talk, lost a bit of himself, knowing all to well that this moment could of meant nothing. Summer had always played his heart and mind. Why could this be the exception. His eyes drifted to the ground. Sure a part of him deserved it for the way he abandoned her. But she could never understand his own lose, the day Ryan walked out on him for Theresa and the baby. With each second passing, as Summer held on to his arm and rested herself on his shoulder, the metaphorical brick weighing him down was not about to release.
This was another commonality left between Marissa and Seth, and it was going unnoticed in their minds. But something greater was coming to play. A deeper connection perhaps?
Marissa lifted her head roughly an inch off of Ryan's shoulder and unintentionally glanced over at Seth as his eyes peered to the scuffed up black floor.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Seth, who may have seen her tilt in his direction, responded, intentionally or unintentionally, the only way he could. He shifted his face towards her complacent posturing and released a half smile. She returned his grin with one of her own and for a moment their negative thoughts, while still circling in their head, were pushed to the background. At this moment a connection was made.
Faint as it may have been it was the only way they could connect without being obvious to Summer or Ryan. It would of been hard for Summer or Ryan to comprehend what this night had become or what it really meant. Of all the things crossing through their mind it wasn't a pending friendship between Seth and Marissa. They were too self absorbed in their should we shouldn't we drama they shared with Seth and Marissa respectively.
Both Seth and Marissa seemed to be lost in their locked gaze. It had no intentions and it wasn't anything more than what it was, a simple moment of relief and escape from all the tensions and questions circling their head. The world could of imploded. Their lives could of ended at that moment and they would be at the very least be content, if not happy. This whole night was full of natural adjustments and strange surprises. But it all ultimately amounted to enjoying each other's company and living in the moment.
One could be left wondering just how many more moments they'd have together. After all tonight wasn't planned or expected. Really, who could know what was to come? What person could predict their future?