Disclaimer: The O.C belongs to Josh Schwartz.

Hey guys, here's the next chapter! This is where everything starts to fall apart. Sounds like fun huh? Huge thanks to newportz-princess for beta-ing this for me! I know fixing all my mistakes must take forever :D

Ryan had been early to pick up Anna; she'd come out in a pink beret style hat with a striped shirt and purple jeans. He knew Summer would never approve of it, but it was very Anna. In fact Summer hadn't approved of a lot since she found out Ryan was going with Anna. His calls went unreturned, his IMs' unread. He couldn't help but wonder what he'd done that was so awful.

But whatever, he was at kick off and he planned to enjoy himself. After three rides on the Tilt-O-Whirl he felt sufficiently sick.

"Candy floss?" asked Anna as she took a bite of her corn dog.

"I do not understand how someone so small eats so much. Especially after going on that," he said, shaking his head.

"Maybe I'm just not a big girl like you, huh?" she teased, laughing a little. "Who's that?" Anna signalled with her head to a boy in surf shorts and an Abercrombie shirt - Seth. But he saw why Anna was interested now, hooked onto his arm was Summer.

"Excuse me a sec..." he said, leaving Anna.

"What about-"

"I'll be right back," Ryan said, cutting her off before walking over and pulling Summer by the arm away from Seth and behind the Ferris wheel ticket booth.

"What the hell-" began Summer before Ryan interrupted.

"What are you doing here with him?"

"Same as you're doing with Anna, it's a date," said Summer shrugging.

"You can't stand Seth. You think he's up his own-"

"Well that's the past," she said cutting across him. "And besides, since my best friend ditched me, I didn't have much choice."

"Ditched you? I'm sorry, what about you with Chip? One rule for you and a different one for me then I guess?" Ryan asked rhetorically in an angrily tone.

"I am not doing this now Ryan, just...grow up," Summer said before walking back to Seth and kissing him on the cheek.

"Lovers quarrel?" asked Anna's voice from behind Ryan.

"I...Kind of," he said, sighing a little.

"It's okay, I get it. You and her, your just..."

"Complicated?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure. But it's sweet," she said before glancing around to look at Summer, then pulling Ryan up into a fierce kiss. Ryan was a little taken aback but responded enthusiastically, a little out of breath, as they broke apart.

"What was-"

"Summer was looking," said Anna with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I...thanks," he said with a slight smile.

After two Ferris wheel rides and a few more on the Tilt-O-Whirl, Ryan was getting pretty hungry.

"You want some more food?" he asked, getting his wallet out of his jeans' back pocket.

"Nah I'm okay...but you can go get some, I'll wait here," said Anna with a smile, looking up at the lights on the Ferris wheel.

Ryan made his way over to the fried snickers stand, next to which stood a large truck.

"Uhh...one please..." he requested, getting out two dollar bills. He then heard a voice from behind the truck.

"Seth! We can't here!"

Ryan knew straight away it was Summer. "We can't okay! We'll get caught. Look okay, go get that hot dog you wanted and I'll meet you back at the car, we've still got Holly's after party."

Ryan waited until Seth walked out from behind the truck before dashing behind it to see Summer buttoning her shirt.

"I cannot believe you," said Ryan, just staring at her.

Summer jumped at his voice.

"Ryan...I...were you spying or something?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"That's besides the point."

"No Ryan, it's not okay. Besides since when did I run my life by your standards? I'd be locked in my room away from all guys if I did."

"What the hell? Excuse me for looking out for you," he said defensively while walking over to her.

"But you're not Ryan are you? You won't let anybody come near me, even Seth!" she said, beginning to raise her voice.

"Even Seth?" shouted Ryan. "Seth's the worst of the lot of them! You know all too well what he wants!"

"Maybe I want it too!" she said, squaring up to him. "Ever think of that?"

"What, like how you wanted it with Chip?"

Before he could think of what he'd said, he felt a sharp pain in his cheek as Summer's hand cascaded into his cheek in a cold slap.

Summer immediately raised her hand to her mouth. She hadn't meant to...

"Ryan I'm so sorry," she said as she grabbed hold of his face on either side, hot tears running down her face as she kissed the growing red patch on his cheek repeatedly before looking up at him. It felt like an hour but the gaze lasted only a second before their lips connected in a kiss that didn't last long enough.

As soon as they broke apart, Summer collapsed into his chest.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"I don't know," he said quietly, one hand absent-mindedly stroking her hair. "I don't know..." Ryan repeated.