Chapter Three: Change of Plans
Ryan and Seth walked down to the Bait Shop in the early morning sun, Seth talking aimlessly about how hard it was working so close to Summer and not being able to do anything about it.
"So, now we're all going down to San Diego to try to sell the comic. This is going to suck so badly. On the one hand, I want Summer back. On the other, I don't want to mess up my friendship with Zach." Ryan watched this spew with amusement. Seth was about to yet again become the ending side to the Seth-Summer-Zach love triangle. And quite frankly, Ryan wanted her to pick Seth just so he would shut up about it.
They stopped in front of the mess hall of the cool kids in Newport and walked inside. There, they heard AC/DC blasting over the speakers. Looking over at Seth, Ryan smiled at his gaping expression.
"I like her already," he shouted. Then he put his hand out and grabbed Ryan.
"Alex isn't here. I can tell. She hates AC/DC."
Ryan shrugged and went on in. Seth shook his head.
"You are like the epitome of infatuation."
Ryan looked at him. "At least I didn't name my boat after her."
"Good point."
Ryan shook his head laughing and walked down the stairs to the bar, where Amy was dancing around to "You Shook Me All Night Long" all while wiping the counters. However, neither of them knew why she was so happy as she danced, although Ryan had a slight idea. He tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around, thinking it was Alex. When she saw whom it actually was her face brightened and she turned down the music.
"Hey!" she said, her voice muted, yet energetic at all the same time.
"Hey Amy. This is Seth."
She extended her hand and looked at the cute guy at Ryan's side. She decided to actually slap Alex hard across the face.
"Hi there, Amy. I've heard a lot about you." Seth said smiling, then grimacing as Ryan stepped on his foot.
Amy laughed. "Have you, now?" She looked at Ryan with a flirtatious smirk. "Good things, right?"
"Of course. What else could there be?"
Amy grinned at him and looked at Ryan with a softer smile playing on her sweet pink lips. He smiled back. Seth, noticing this, excused himself to go to the stage to play with the microphones, something he did when Alex wasn't around to yell at him about it.
"So… uh.."
Amy laughed. "Are you always this articulate?"
Seth found this a perfect time to jump in. "Actually, Ryan has a hard time talking. Period. So don't blame yourself."
"Ah, well that makes me feel much better."
"Thank you Seth," Ryan looked at him with a bitter smile and then turned back to Amy. "So, how are you?"
"Since yesterday? Pretty good actually. What about you?"
"Good, good."
She nodded and tried to hide her smile as she turned back to cleaning the bar. The song had turned now to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and she was slowly rocking back and forth as she cleaned. It was oddly alluring and Ryan had to take a few deep breaths to get the tempting picture out of her out of his head. It was actually his phone that stirred him out of his dream and he was startled as he looked at the caller ID.
"Who is it?" Seth called from across the room.
Ryan looked up at him, glancing quickly at Amy who was eyeing him. "It was Lindsay."
"Are you going to answer it?"
Instead of answering him, he just shoved the phone back into his pocket and looked at Amy.
She snickered. "Was that your girlfriend?"
"Was being the operative word there," Seth said.
"I love how you feel you have to answer for me."
"It's what I do."
Ryan turned his attention back to Amy. "We broke up about a week ago."
She nodded and smiled with her lips pursed. She turned around quickly and began scrubbing the same spot she had been scrubbing with more vigor. The next few seconds were filled with an unbearable silence, with just the sound of the three breathing and the scrubbing noise on the porcelain counter. Suddenly, the door flew open and in stepped Summer, surprising them all.
"Cohen, I need to talk to you. It's about Zach."
Seth looked at her surprised. "Okay, Summer, do you have this, like, radar for me?"
"No, ass face, your mom told me where you were."
Amy looked at Ryan and tried to hide a smile. He just shook his head. Then, Summer noticed the new girl standing behind the counter and cocked her head at Ryan.
"Who are you?" she said, her voice a soft, sweet one, unlike the one she had used with Seth a few moments before.
Amy stuck out her hand. "I'm Amy."
Summer returned the handshake. "I'm Summer."
It was then that both Seth and Ryan noticed the similarities between the two. They looked as if they could be sisters, save the different colors of the hair and the styles of clothing. Ryan and Seth glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows at the same time, a common trait shared between them.
Summer dropped Amy's hand and turned back to Seth. "So, Cohen, we really need to talk to Zach about this whole trip to San Diego. I mean, I wouldn't want it to become-"
"Confusing," he answered for her. She nodded. "Exactly. I mean, it would be really-"
"Awkward."
"Yeah. So will you…"
"I'll go with you."
"Great," Summer said, smiling as she walked out of the door, Seth close at her heels. As the door closed, they left Amy and Ryan standing there in the silence. The CD had gone off five minutes before and Amy went over to take it out of the player.
"They were obviously together."
"They really should be. They're kind of made for each other. I think Zach and Alex were just their bypasses so they could find out who they really wanted to be with."
"Of course, Alex still hasn't figured that out."
They both laughed lightly, slightly throwing off the tense mood that was in the room.
"So," Amy began, after the laughter had died off, "have you ever had a "bypass", as you say?"
Ryan looked at her, marveling at how she could look so innocent, yet so enticing all at the same time. "No, I haven't. I've always kind of jumped into a relationship and plummeted head first down into it."
Amy nodded. "I'm guessing that you've never actually had a girl who was a friend, huh?"
"Not really."
"Well, maybe that's what you need."
"Huh?" Ryan looked at her, disappointed and startled.
"Tonight, there's going to be another Killers concert. We should go. Seth and Summer and, I'm guessing Zach, could come. And, maybe Alex will be there long enough to introduce me to Marissa."
Ryan shook his head. "That's still hard for me to wrap my head around. I mean I dated her for months and she was never…. oh"
Amy was looking at him with a small smirk. "You definitely need a break from girls."
"But you're a girl."
"I realize that. And maybe, if you and I hang out as friends, you'll be able to get over your "plummeted" relationships."
Ryan had to smile at her. "Okay, if you really think that's going to help."
"I do. Trust me."