The New Beginning
Chapter One: The Plan
"Look man, it's foolproof."
Ryan tossed a small handful of cereal into his mouth, both eyebrows raising at the idea that any plan that Seth devised was "foolproof". Taking a swig of orange juice, Seth shrugged, and continued on.
"Okay, maybe not quite foolproof, but brilliant all the same." He paused, leaning on the counter. "We can leave right after school today, bringing our respective ladies with us, and be in San Diego in a couple of hours."
"I dunno." Ryan said, frowning thoughtfully.
"Dude, that will give us-" Seth hesitated, counting on his fingers. "-two whole days away from this crazy concept of a Cohen and Cooper union."
"What about your parents?"
"I'll take care of that hurdle. You and Marissa are together again, right? What better opportunity to express this than by taking her away from Newport for the weekend? You have nothing to lose."
"Fine." Ryan said, sighing. "But this had better not become another Los Angeles."
"I promise you, I will keep the strippers and self-absorbed teen drama stars at bay."
"Strippers? What place does that have with breakfast?"
Sandy Cohen had entered from the living room, cup of coffee in hand. Both bushy eyebrows had been drawn up at the inquired word, his face stuck between amusement and serious consideration of the topic at hand.
"Everything." Seth said matter-of-factly. "Dad, we're going to San Diego for the weekend."
"What's in San Diego?"
"Well, it's more what's not in San Diego. And that would be what I like to call the Coophen Factor."
"The Coopwhatnow?" Ryan inquired, clearly puzzled.
"Hell, if we're dodging that, I'm coming to San Diego with you guys." Sandy said, working on his coffee. "When were you planning on leaving?"
Ryan opened his mouth to speak, only to have his words come right out of Seth instead.
"Right after school. We'll be back on Sunday. If that's okay?"
"I think we should ask your mother."
"Don't ask me anything." Kirsten said, half hopping into the room as she rubbed the top of her foot.
"What are you doing, woman who birthed me?"
Kirsten shot Seth a look that was intended to make him hold his tongue. All it elicited from the teenager was a shrug.
"Mom's fine, you know. These shoes are driving me crazy. What kind of working woman wears these?"
"You, apparently." Ryan said, his seldom present wit rearing up. "Looked like Yogalates to me."
"Great. You've definitely been hanging around Seth too long."
"Brothers, mother." Seth said, grinning.
"Yogalates." Sandy said, smiling and shaking his head at the concept. "Now that's a union up to par with the Coophen Factor."
"The Coopwhatnow?" Kirsten inquired.
"That's what I said." Ryan commented.
"Cooper, Cohen, never mind. The boys want to go to San Diego for the weekend." Sandy explained, taking a sip of his coffee.
"What's in San Diego?"
"A decisive lack of Julie Cooper." Ryan commented.
"Decisive, that's a big word for you." Seth said, furrowing his brow and nodding.
"Thanks. Been sleeping with a thesaurus." Ryan explained.
"Relationship seems a little one-sided to me." Seth shot back.
Kirsten stopped rubbing her foot and leaned on the island, glancing back and forth between both boys. They had been in high spirits lately, which was good. She had been happy that Ryan and Marissa got back together. One didn't seem to function as well in the absence of the other.
"Well, if it could get me away from Julie, I might have to come with you."
"Mom, please, there isn't enough Merlot in all of Southern California to get you away from it. You think San Diego would work?"
All Kirsten could do was shrug, glancing over at her husband.
"I don't see a problem with it."
"Sweet." Seth said, clenching his fist tightly. "San Diego, here we come."
If Ryan had to heave one more overly heavy bag into the back of the Cohen's car, he wouldn't have a spine to hold his body upright. He had just finished loading both girls luggage into the SUV, and it seemed as though they had packed for the Apocalypse as opposed to a weekend away. Then again, with the upcoming wedding, the End of the World might not be far off.
"Excellent work Ryan. That's why you're the brawn." Seth came from the front door, clapping.
"Yeah yeah." Ryan said, slamming down the cargo door. "Are they ready?"
"I hope. They had to do that whole "two-girl urination" thing. The concept still escapes me."
"So, we can expect to get down there by Sunday?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Listen Coop, you're just nervous."
"Maybe, but after everything that happened, can it still be the same?"
"Probably not." Summer said, staring into the bathroom mirror and rubbing her thumb across her chin. "But it can't hurt to try, can it?"
"It's just that I don't want to get this second chance, and mess it up again. Maybe I should take it slow this time?"
"Well, can you take it slow down there?"
"Oh, yeah, we should get going."
"Finally." Seth exclaimed, exasperated.
"Shut it Cohen."
"As you wish my ever so witty and pretty girlfriend, though you know you'd be completely bored without my repartee."
"You mean completely content. Maybe even overjoyed."
Seth just made a face, opening the drivers door as Marissa and Ryan climbed in the back. Summer hesitated for a moment before jumping into the passenger seat, her eyes narrower at her boyfriend.
"Why are you driving. If I remember correctly, it was your fault we were so late getting to Tijuana."
"Oh please, if somebody hadn't grabbed the wheel like a crazed orangutan."
"What do monkeys have to do with this?" Summer shot back.
"I don't know really. I just like to say it. Orangutan."
"Yogalates." Ryan said calmly from the back, smirking as a sputtered laugh escaped Seth.
"Yeah, let's just hope this goes a little better than that trip." Marissa said, smiling in spite of herself.
"Hey not everything went bad going to Mexico." Ryan said, referring to the night they spent in Paradise Motel.
"That's true." Marissa replied, leaning over toward him. "But I expect this to go a lot better anyway."
The couple kissed chastely, Marissa sliding across the back seat to get closer to him. The next few weren't quite as innocent, and Seth cleared his throat to point that fact out.
"Look, just don't fog up the windows. A brother's gotta drive here."
Marissa simply made a face at him, snuggling up against Ryan and closing her eyes. Ryan sat there as Seth and Summer continued their banter from the front seat, pulling out of the cul de sac and beginning the adventure to San Diego. Before too long, he too closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
"I think they're both out." Summer said, having turned around in her seat to look back at the two teenagers. "They look so cute together. To think, a year ago she didn't even know Ryan."
"Pretty crazy huh?"
"Coop and Chino; Who would have guessed it?"
"Well, Luke did, for one. Why do you think he had the entire Water Polo team on a collision course with us?"
"I'll bet I know who won that fight."
Seth laughed mockingly, making a face at his girlfriend, before turning his attention back on the road. He merged onto The Five. Interstate Highway 5 had been labeled with "the" for as long as Seth could remember. In fact, many things in California were similar. The Orange County, as ridiculous as it sounded, was a prime example.
"I'm a lover, not a fighter. And I'll have you know I took quite a good punch. And Ryan laid Luke clean out. Good times."
"It all seems like so long ago."
"Yep. Since then we've had a psychotic gun toting stalker, one love triangle, one love rhombus, and more high class fistfights than ever in Newport History."
"What are you getting at Cohen?" Summer asked, glancing over at him.
"Just that since Ryan got her, this place pretty much rocks." He said, glancing in the rearview mirror toward the city they had left behind.
Author's Note: My second run at an OC Fic. This one takes place after The Proposal, right after Ryan and Marissa get back together, but before the Theresa drama. A little getaway for the two couples. Let me know what you think of the first chapter. I'm hoping I got the characters down good.