Prologue!
Somewhere in Europe
Susanne sat calmly next to her Aunt on the Metro, passing through some beautiful French countryside. She sat calmly thinking about how great her summer had been so far and ignoring the fact that this was her last week in Europe. She had seen Greece, Italy and France and was going to spend her last remaining days in England. Spending time in villa's villages and country sides, sipping coffee and writing in her journal all day, then spending all night holding her own against the Europeans in the many discos she had stumbled into, drawn by the house music or the voice of a crooning stud muffled by a driving guitar riff.
She turned off her Discman stopping Christina Aguilera from telling her just how dirty she was for the millionth time this trip and began to flip through her CDs looking for something else to occupy her. She half expected to hear Seth grunting and screaming at his Playstation when the music stopped but all she heard was the steady breathing of the sleeping women next to her and the gentle hum of the train. She never thought she would miss that loser, but she did. He was her brother; even if he was an obsessive annoying pain in her well-tanned ass.
Flipping through her CDs she passed the Cure, the Kink, and the Ramones, pausing wondering if she missed her brother enough to listen to the CDs she had stolen from him, but she decided against it. Next, she came to Joni Mitchell and B B King and thought of her mother.
This trip hadn't been her mother's idea. However, bringing Aunt Hailey had been her mother's idea. Susanne wasn't sure though who was supposed to be the chaperone. Mom had probably just wanted a stress free summer, and having Hailey out of the country would defiantly accomplish that.
She realized she posed a hard question to her parents, being a 14- year-old sophomore wasn't easy for her either though. They had been the ones who chose to skip her a grade, so they should be capable of dealing with all the social repercussions of that decision. But they weren't and they were not about to start disciplining her, as long as she continued to excel. And excel she did, and would continue to do as long as it kept her parents off her back and from enforcing a curfew. Not that they had ever caught her doing anything she wasn't supposed to really, but she was sure they had a hint of the bad girl she was starting to become.
Flipping some more passing up the pop and rock that was currently hip and such standards as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones she ran across exactly what she needed right now, The Doors LA Women. She missed her dad most of all. She had made Hailey stop by Jim Morrison's grave in Pere Lachaise to get a picture and write poetry because she knew her daddy would have loved to have been there with her. Even if her dad wouldn't admit it to her she could tell he had been a true child of the sixties. He was just born in the wrong part of the country; he should have been on those California beaches in his childhood, learning the power of those waves he loved so much.
She was such a daddy's girl she knew; she could never forget that, Seth was always reminding her. He was such a momma's boy though, but obviously she had no room to talk about over attachment to parents. She couldn't help it; her dad was who she wanted to be, smart self assured, arrogant and infinitely sympathetic.
She turned again and looked at her sleeping Aunt. She had been nothing but trouble on this whole trip. She called grandpa three days into it crying for more money because she was dumb enough to drink all hers away. This women was trouble, brilliant but trouble, and the scary thing was that even at 15 she saw herself headed in that direction.
Back in Newport
Seth exhausted said good night to his dad and headed to bed. On the way, he passed his sister's room. She had been gone for almost two months now, but would be back in just a week. He was both dreading and anticipating her return. Her being two years younger than him and yet light years ahead of him socially was hard on him.
She had only been at Harbor for a year and yet she already had more friends than he could count; not that more then two or three of her friends ever came to the house. She was a puzzle that sister of his, out all night drinking and grinding with the upper-classmen or locking herself away with Jake, or Jessica, two kids she had been friends with since they were all in pre-school, listening to classic rock and just talking.
Seth let himself in to her room and giggled to himself, like he always did when he entered her room. Suz's room wasn't the bright pink it had been just a year ago, but a dark purple. Her bed was covered in matching satin duvet with antique gold accents. Her desk was a dark mahogany that matched the four-post bed and end tables. She had large pillows strewn in one corner where he often caught her writing or listening to music. If it wasn't for the impressive collection of cabbage patch and PJ sparkles dolls on the shelves all over her room and the poster of Justin Timberlake over her bed this would look more like the room of a Moroccan Princess than a 14 year old girl from Newport.
Seth turned and walked back out of her room. Idly thinking that if his parents hadn't already told Ryan about Suz that he probably should before Ryan starts to think he was hiding his sister from him. Not that any of this really mattered he is leaving with Dawn in the morning.
That upset Seth more than he wanted to think about. He knew that Ryan had his own family and that he should be happy for him that his mother was back and they were gonna start a new life. He just really didn't want Ryan to leave. Ryan was the first guy who had ever really taken the time to get to know him, and not just immediately labeled him a loser.
He was also worried for Ryan though. Dawn had made a big scene tonight at Casino night. She obviously was not over her alcoholism; but than again do people actually get over alcoholism? You'd think I'd have more experience with drunks being part of Newport he thought as he slid under the covers. He just wouldn't let Ryan slip to far away from him. They were friends and he didn't plan to give that up.
Besides Ryan was way head over heels for Marissa and so he was sure convincing Ryan to come up here wouldn't be to difficult when all he had to offer was an Imax movie and Play station when she lived next door. He couldn't blame the guy though; he knew like no one else what it was like to want what he couldn't have.
Before Seth faded into a blissful dream filled with Tahiti, Summer, and long kisses he made a mental note, next time he gets the chance he'd tell Ryan all about his annoying little sister.
Susanne sat calmly next to her Aunt on the Metro, passing through some beautiful French countryside. She sat calmly thinking about how great her summer had been so far and ignoring the fact that this was her last week in Europe. She had seen Greece, Italy and France and was going to spend her last remaining days in England. Spending time in villa's villages and country sides, sipping coffee and writing in her journal all day, then spending all night holding her own against the Europeans in the many discos she had stumbled into, drawn by the house music or the voice of a crooning stud muffled by a driving guitar riff.
She turned off her Discman stopping Christina Aguilera from telling her just how dirty she was for the millionth time this trip and began to flip through her CDs looking for something else to occupy her. She half expected to hear Seth grunting and screaming at his Playstation when the music stopped but all she heard was the steady breathing of the sleeping women next to her and the gentle hum of the train. She never thought she would miss that loser, but she did. He was her brother; even if he was an obsessive annoying pain in her well-tanned ass.
Flipping through her CDs she passed the Cure, the Kink, and the Ramones, pausing wondering if she missed her brother enough to listen to the CDs she had stolen from him, but she decided against it. Next, she came to Joni Mitchell and B B King and thought of her mother.
This trip hadn't been her mother's idea. However, bringing Aunt Hailey had been her mother's idea. Susanne wasn't sure though who was supposed to be the chaperone. Mom had probably just wanted a stress free summer, and having Hailey out of the country would defiantly accomplish that.
She realized she posed a hard question to her parents, being a 14- year-old sophomore wasn't easy for her either though. They had been the ones who chose to skip her a grade, so they should be capable of dealing with all the social repercussions of that decision. But they weren't and they were not about to start disciplining her, as long as she continued to excel. And excel she did, and would continue to do as long as it kept her parents off her back and from enforcing a curfew. Not that they had ever caught her doing anything she wasn't supposed to really, but she was sure they had a hint of the bad girl she was starting to become.
Flipping some more passing up the pop and rock that was currently hip and such standards as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones she ran across exactly what she needed right now, The Doors LA Women. She missed her dad most of all. She had made Hailey stop by Jim Morrison's grave in Pere Lachaise to get a picture and write poetry because she knew her daddy would have loved to have been there with her. Even if her dad wouldn't admit it to her she could tell he had been a true child of the sixties. He was just born in the wrong part of the country; he should have been on those California beaches in his childhood, learning the power of those waves he loved so much.
She was such a daddy's girl she knew; she could never forget that, Seth was always reminding her. He was such a momma's boy though, but obviously she had no room to talk about over attachment to parents. She couldn't help it; her dad was who she wanted to be, smart self assured, arrogant and infinitely sympathetic.
She turned again and looked at her sleeping Aunt. She had been nothing but trouble on this whole trip. She called grandpa three days into it crying for more money because she was dumb enough to drink all hers away. This women was trouble, brilliant but trouble, and the scary thing was that even at 15 she saw herself headed in that direction.
Back in Newport
Seth exhausted said good night to his dad and headed to bed. On the way, he passed his sister's room. She had been gone for almost two months now, but would be back in just a week. He was both dreading and anticipating her return. Her being two years younger than him and yet light years ahead of him socially was hard on him.
She had only been at Harbor for a year and yet she already had more friends than he could count; not that more then two or three of her friends ever came to the house. She was a puzzle that sister of his, out all night drinking and grinding with the upper-classmen or locking herself away with Jake, or Jessica, two kids she had been friends with since they were all in pre-school, listening to classic rock and just talking.
Seth let himself in to her room and giggled to himself, like he always did when he entered her room. Suz's room wasn't the bright pink it had been just a year ago, but a dark purple. Her bed was covered in matching satin duvet with antique gold accents. Her desk was a dark mahogany that matched the four-post bed and end tables. She had large pillows strewn in one corner where he often caught her writing or listening to music. If it wasn't for the impressive collection of cabbage patch and PJ sparkles dolls on the shelves all over her room and the poster of Justin Timberlake over her bed this would look more like the room of a Moroccan Princess than a 14 year old girl from Newport.
Seth turned and walked back out of her room. Idly thinking that if his parents hadn't already told Ryan about Suz that he probably should before Ryan starts to think he was hiding his sister from him. Not that any of this really mattered he is leaving with Dawn in the morning.
That upset Seth more than he wanted to think about. He knew that Ryan had his own family and that he should be happy for him that his mother was back and they were gonna start a new life. He just really didn't want Ryan to leave. Ryan was the first guy who had ever really taken the time to get to know him, and not just immediately labeled him a loser.
He was also worried for Ryan though. Dawn had made a big scene tonight at Casino night. She obviously was not over her alcoholism; but than again do people actually get over alcoholism? You'd think I'd have more experience with drunks being part of Newport he thought as he slid under the covers. He just wouldn't let Ryan slip to far away from him. They were friends and he didn't plan to give that up.
Besides Ryan was way head over heels for Marissa and so he was sure convincing Ryan to come up here wouldn't be to difficult when all he had to offer was an Imax movie and Play station when she lived next door. He couldn't blame the guy though; he knew like no one else what it was like to want what he couldn't have.
Before Seth faded into a blissful dream filled with Tahiti, Summer, and long kisses he made a mental note, next time he gets the chance he'd tell Ryan all about his annoying little sister.