Knots
Disclaimer: Me no own O.C. Me like O.C. Me like Adam Brody. Me like very much. ;-)
A/N: Sort of around the start of "The Heights". Gives the whole season a new spin, but this is a one-shot. Use your imgination. The beginning is mostly "The Pilot" and "The Model Home" but you can tell when it switches over to the start of "The Heights". Enjoy, Ryanna shippers, enjoy.
Ryan comes to this place and he thinks he's already got it figured out. Everyone has a code that he can crack in one look at them. He sees Marissa and thinks that she's unhappy, naive, possibly some substance abuse. A goody-goody, too. He can tell Sandy isn't like Trey's multiple lawyers. He actually cares. Why else would he have taken him home. He knows Kirsten's cautious and protective, and deep down he enjoys when she protects him too. Luke's just superficial, maybe a good guy underneath, but he doesn't care about what's underneath for now. He wants to sock him now. Seth's a loner, he doesn't like being a loner either. But he's friendly, desperate for company. Ryan will gladly be that company. Summer's bitchy up front, but there's got to be more there. Seth isn't all for looks, she must have something that he likes.
Newport is a long piece of string that's knotted, and he untangled it in a snap.
Then she comes and suddenly, it's got knots everywhere and he can't undo them. She's not the "regular Newport chick" Trey and his friends talked about getting when they wanted to go out and have sex.
She's blonde, short, thin, cute. But not skanky, so the takes away his "Hot Yet Slutty" category. It's obvious she's all emo, punk, Urban Outfitters. A female version of Seth, but instead of being ignored, people pay attention. And it doesn't seem like she cares. At least, he thinks that.
As they stare at each other it's clear that they are trying to figure the other out. He'd seen her before, but now it's in school. And everything's different.
"Hi, Anna. I'm Ryan, from--" he begins, but she interuppts.
"Cotillion, I know. How was your summer?"
They begin to walk together, both to the same classroom.
"Complicated. Yours?"
"Sailing. How's Seth?"
Ryan shrugs. "Good, still stuck on Summer,"
Anna laughs. "I'll help him out,"
Ryan keeps walking as she goes into her classroom. He had never had a conversation just flow with a girl like that. She's complicated, he can't figure her out. And maybe she can't figure him out either. But it is his mission to get to know her. Newport will be a simple string again. Maybe he'll have made a friend. Or more.
He doesn't like knots.