Research
The next day, while Ryan and Lily visit with Seth and Summer and the twins, the thirteen year old manages to sneak out for a 'walk'. With the laptop that Seth let's her borrow sometimes. She isn't exactly sure why she needs a laptop until Seth tells her that the majority of the things that have happened can be found there.
A few hours later she finds herself at the Crabshack; a small diner on the pier, with the laptop and a strawberry smoothie. She turns on the portable computer and when the screen turns on she realizes that working one of these things-especially with the mouse is harder than it looks. She manages to open the internet and get to 'Google' when she realizes that she doesn't have a napkin. She slides out of the booth and collides with a large, hard body. "I'm so sorry," she apologizes quickly, looking up to the face of the boy the body belongs to. He's got dark hair and blue eyes, along with perfect eyebrows, perfect lips and a perfect nose.
"No problem," tall, dark and hansom replies.
She smiles shyly. "I can be such a klutz sometimes."
"Hey it's no big deal," he laughs.
"Kay...cool," she whispers softly, her napkin completely forgotten now.
"I'm Chase." The brunette smiles, sticking his hand in front of him.
"Lily," she smiles, shaking his hand. The contact sends shivers up her spine.
"As in the flower," he grins.
"As in Lillian Atwood. But only my dad is allowed to call me Lillian."
"I'll keep that in mind," he teases. "What's with the laptop? Early start on the school year?"
"What? Oh, no. Um..." she trails off awkwardly and sits back down in the booth in front of the subject in question. "I'm just doing research."
"Oh."
"Yeah, it's no big deal."
"Wait," Chase says, realization dawning on him. "Did you say Atwood? As in Ryan Atwood?"
"Yeah. You know my dad?" she asks, confused. He looks her age, not her fathers...
"Are you kidding?!" he throws himself into the booth across from her. "Everyone knows your dad. He's like a legend."
"Really?"
"Hell yeah!"
Lily smiles. "Do you know Marissa Cooper?"
Chase smirks, leaning back into his seat. "She's even more of a legend than your dad. In fact together they were like a super legend."
"Super legend?"
"Yeah. People talked about them all time-still do. They were in and out of the news sometimes too."
"Wow..." Lily whispers, and it finally makes sense that Seth said she can find it on the internet.
"So you really don't know about them?"
"Well my dad doesn't exactly talk about her, or any of it," she admits.
"Oh."
Another idea pops into her head and she grins. "Hey, how much do you know about them?"
"Uh, everything," he laughs. "That's what's so great about the gossip in this town."
"Okay, cool. How much can you tell me?"
He grins and shrugs casually, leaning forward on his elbows. "How much time do you have?"
About a half an hour and two smoothies later, Chase has finished talking about the Oliver situation. He's already told her about the fire at the model home that was cause by a fight between her dad and Marissa's boyfriend at the time. 'It was just the first of many fights he got into for Marissa Cooper,' Chase had said.
Then it was cotillion, the annual ball held to introduce the young 15 year old women into society. Naturally Marissa was going with Luke, until she showed up with Ryan. A few hours later, after being introduced and given to Ryan, they danced their choreographed waltz. Then Jimmy Cooper (Marissa's dad) got into a fight and naturally Ryan jumped to the rescue. It turns out that Jimmy had been embezzling money from his own clients.
A few weeks later, Marissa OD'd in Tijuana on their 'end of the summer' trip to Mexico. After learning of her parents' divorce and finding out that Luke was cheating on her, she swallowed half a bottle of pain killers and washes it down with Tequila. Ryan found her in an alley-unconscious.
School started up a few days later and with Marisa out of the hospital, she puts together the annual Harbour Kick Off Carnival. At the carnival, Ryan races to the Ferris wheel though he's afraid of heights, and sits with Marissa. Everyone sees their first kiss.
Then there was Oliver; a guy Marissa met while going to therapy after Christmas. Only Ryan had seen him for who he was. Everyone else had fallen for his charm. When the truth finally came out, Ryan and Marissa had already broken up. But when Oliver started to act crazy and held her hostage, Marissa called Ryan who raced to the rich kid's penthouse. It was Ryan who talked him down. Once their statements were taken by police, it was all over the news.
"So what happened?" Lily asks curiously.
"Um, well, that's when your mom comes in. I guess your parents hooked up-the whole 'we used to do this all the time' thing. Then she left and Ryan and Marissa got back together for a while. Her mom got engaged to Newport's richest man-at the time anyway-something Marissa publically despised. And then your mom came back again, pregnant. Your dad wanted to make it work with Marissa, but I mean...who can actually do that you know? He was sixteen." He watches Lily nod sadly. "So they spilt and your dad went back to Chino with your mom. For you."
Yeah, he seems to do that a lot," Lily mumbles. A part of her is proud that he did the right thing-even then. And she's happy that he loved her-even then. But she feels bad for breaking their hearts.
Chase nods awkwardly, taking her silence as permission to continue. "Two months later, Ryan came back-you mom said she had a miscarriage which we all know was an obvious lie. And just when Ryan and Marissa are about to pick things up where they left off, your dad found out she'd been doing the gardener all summer." Only when the word 'doing' is out of his mouth does he realize how insensitive it sounds. "You know, for company any comfort..."
"Seems fair enough," Lily admits.
"Not for your dad," Chase argues softly. "For obvious reasons."
"He was still in love with her."
Chase nods and leans forward, resting his arms on the table. "They tried to be friend, you know? He got a girlfriend-some boring redhead. And Marissa also got a girlfriend-"
"Whoa what?!" Lily almost screams out of shock.
"Oh yeah," Chase laughs. "It was big news then too."
"Wow..."
"It was just a phase though-an experiment I guess. Ryan knew, her mom knew, even the girl knew. Marissa legitimately like the girl but she wasn't-"
"My dad."
"Exactly." He watches the girl in front of him for a minute and she stays silent, seemingly thinking. "A few months later they got back together around the same time your uncle got out of jail."
"Uncle Seth was in jail?" Lily asks confused. She's sure if he had been to jail that she would know about it.
"As in Cohen? Hell no! Trey," he clarifies. Lily stares at him blankly. "Trey Atwood? Your dad's biological brother? You don't know him?"
Lily shrugs. "Dad doesn't really talk-at all. Case in point."
"Yeah well for good reason," Chase mumbles.
Lily looks at him curiously. His attitude seems to change from upbeat to unrecognizable in seconds. "Why?"
"Try...he uh, he attacked Marissa."
"What?"
"Yeah. He was stoned-apparently- and in love with Marissa."
"Oh my God..."
Chase nods. "When the truth came out and your dad found out, he completely lost it-went on this rampage...he would've killed him. Until Trey got the upper hand. Marissa tried to stop it but Trey was killing him so she shot him. To save your dad."
Lily looks down, guilt washing over her. "That's why he doesn't talk about her," she whispers sadly.
"Not necessarily. Trey lived and took off."
"And..."
"And strangely enough the shooting brought them closer. It was separate schools that messed them up," Chase tells her. "Once word got out that Marissa shot someone-even to save the life of someone she loved-the parents committee at Harbour kicked her out. Then Ryan lost his cool and punched the dean and got himself expelled. Marissa went to public school and Ryan got home schooled. Eventually they were both let back in, but by then the damage was already sort of done."
"Meaning?"
"She got really close to this guy Johnny at Union and-"
"He came between them. Like Oliver."
"Nah. No Johnny was nothing like Oliver. Ryan and Johnny were pretty actually-friends even. Even when Johnny fell in love with her. Your dad just got...insecure, I guess, about Johnny but she chose him-time and time again. And then Johnny died."
"Died?"
"Hell fell off a cliff. He got drunk after Marissa told him she wasn't in love with him. Your dad tried to catch him but it was too late." He looks awkwardly and when he looks back up a tear falls down the beautiful girl's cheek. "Marissa took it really and she blamed herself. It put a huge hole in the RyanMarissa relationship. They broke up, saw other people...the usual."
"Yeah," Lily whispers.
Chase nods and continues. "They were gonna to college together. But then she decided to go sailing with her dad to the Greek Islands. And your dad found out the truth about you. The rest is history."
"Wow."
"See why they were so popular?"
"Definately," she giggles softly. She isn't sure what to do now. She's got what she wanted and a whole lot more...
"So are you gonna tell me why I just told you all that?"
Lily smiles softly. "I think he saw her the other day."
"Really? She's back in town? Wow."
"Yeah. He got all quiet and distant and then I heard him talk to my Uncle Seth and...I've never seen him like that. Ever," she admits. She knows she probably shouldn't be telling a complete strangers all about her dad, but considering he seems to know more about Ryan that she did... "He was never in love with my mom. And if he's still in love with Marissa..."
"I know where she lives-or at least where her mom lives," he offers.
"Really?"
"Definately," Chase laughs. "I can take you."
"yeah, okay. Um, tomorrow though? I have to get home."
"Yeah, sure." He leans back.
"here, I'll give you my address." She reaches forward and writes it on his palm with the pen from her pocket.
"Your number could work too," he smirks. Her gaze meets his and he grins confidently. "you know in case I get lost."
"Lost?" she asks sceptically, a small smile forming on her lips.
He shrugs as she writes her number too. "It happens occasionally."
She giggles softly and turns off the laptop before putting it in her bag. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'll call you," Chase says, grinning widely.
"Kay," she smiles, turning to walk away. She walks out the door, passing a couple of guys on the pier who give her the new-girl-once-over look. Thinking back to Chase, she wonders briefly if that's how it felt when her dad met Marissa-like you've known the person forever...ad the shivers that are still running up and down her spine.
Lily walks through the Atwood front door and walks through the foyer to the kitchen where her dad is pouring a glass of filtered water. "Hey." She places her bag on the counter.
"Hey, I was about to send out a search party," Ryan jokes, glancing behind him to see her smile.
"Yeah, sorry."
"What were you doing?" he asks curiously, putting the water back in the fridge.
"Oh just, you know...I met a friend," she says changing the subject. She's relieved when Ryan doesn't seem that nervous.
"Oh yeah?" He grins.
"Yeah, he's really nice."
"He?" his grin falls into a much more serious frown.
"Dad," she giggles.
"I'm just, you know, making it clear," he excuses casually, though his head is swirling with all sorts of thoughts.
"He's just a friend dad, and I barely know him."
"Good."
Lily glares at him-a glare that Uncle Seth says is identical to her dads.
"What'd you do?"
"Talked," she shrugs. She opens the fridge and pulls out the carton of juice, then walks around o get a glass. "We're hanging out tomorrow."
Ryan nods, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He's always been afraid of this day. Sure she had friend that were boys in school, but that was different. "Okay."
"Dad."
"Hmmm?"
"It's no big deal," she reminds him softly.
"Yeah, sure, I know. What do you want for dinner?"
"Thai," she grins, not missing a beat.
"Thai it is," he laughs, grabbing the phone. He walks by her and ruffles her hair playfully.
"DAD!"
So that one was really short. I just wanted a simple way for Lily to learn about Ryan and Marissa's past. Let me know what you think! The next chapter will have lots of RM in it!!
