"Shit," Summer whimpers. Sandy is already on his way upstairs. Summer sinks onto the couch. "Oh shit."
Marissa puts her hand cautiously on Summer's arm. "Sum.. I know that this.. it seems like you don't want them knowing. But you do, they can help you. They'll get you away from him."
"Sure," Summer says sadly. "Marissa please.. go distract Kirsten and Sandy.. tell them you think you just heard a gun shot.. I don't care. I have to get out of here."
"Summer, are you crazy? Listen Sum. They're going to help you okay? It'll be okay-" Marissa is in the middle of trying to reassure Summer, when Sandy and Kirsten come in, followed closely by Ryan and Seth.
"Summer," Kirsten says, heading over towards Summer. Kirsten sits down beside Summer, placing a careful hand on her back.
"Mrs. Cohen, it really isn't as bad as it looks, I swear he just-"
"Summer. Cut the bullshit," Ryan says.
"Ryan," Sandy says, in a slight warning voice.
"Sandy, look at her. He's.. he's been doing this to her, his own damn daughter, for so long. It is as bad as it looks Kirsten." Ryan is fighting to keep his voice calm.
"Summer, he is right you know," Kirsten says. "You can't pretend like this is okay, that what he's doing to you is fine. Because it isn't."
"I know I just.. he only does it-"
"All the time," Seth cut in.
"No," Summer says desperately, "just when he's drunk."
"Which," Marissa says, tears filling her eyes, "is all the time."
"No, it's not like that, it's not I just-"
"Summer," Sandy says standing up. "I'm going over to your father's. And then I'm calling the police. I'm not going to stand by and watch while your father kills you, I can't do that. Do you know how bad we'd feel? How bad I feel right now, seeing you sit there, beat up like that? Kirsten, you coming?"
Kirsten nods, gives Summer a quick hug and follows Sandy. "Lock the doors," she tells the four. As soon as Kirsten and Sandy are out of earshot, Summer turns angrily to Marissa, Ryan and Seth.
"Why the hell did you do that?" She cries. "I thought," Summer's two steps away from either hitting them or starting to sob, "you guys understood why we wouldn't tell? You said it'd be okay." Summer stands up.
"Summer, I watched assholes beat my mom up for years and years. She went to bed crying every night and in the morning she got up and pretended like it had never happened. It killed me Summer, because I was a kid. I couldn't do anything. The guys all told me if I ever went to the police, they' d beat me up much worse than my mom. And I'm not going to let your dad do this to you, because I can do something about it now. I love you Summer, we all do. We're helping you, we really are."
Summer presses her lips together and hugs Ryan tightly. "Thank you. I'm sorry I just."
"Yeah," Ryan says, surprised. He hugs Summer back.
"You're my best friend Sum," Marissa says, once Ryan and Summer pull away. "If anything ever happened to you.. and I know I could have stopped it, I couldn't live with myself... I'd just go through the rest of my life thinking, what if I would have done something? And I don't want to do the whole what if thing. I don't even want to think about that."
"Coop I-"
"You don't have to say anything," Marissa says gently, hugging Summer.
"Cohen," Summer says, a smile on her face but tears in her eyes, "I don't think I can handle much more of this."
"Never fear, my Summer Breeze. I'll try to tone down the sentimental stuff, so I'll just say this. I love you. I always have, ever sinc I was four years old. And I always will."
"Seth, you ass," Summer says, stepping forward to kiss him. "You said it wouldn't be sentimental."
"I make no promises."
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"I just.." Kirsten shakes her head, flipping the radio on and off. "I just don't understand what kind of man can do that to his own daughter? To Summer. I liked Neil. We had him over for dinner Sandy!" Kirsten exlaims. "The two of you played golf together."
"I know," Sandy says, turning down the road to the Robert's house. Sandy looks angry. No, Kirsten decides, he looks furious. The police are following their car. Sandy hopes that Neil is home so that they can throw his ass in jail, where he'll never be able to get Summer, or anyone else.
There's no cars in the circle driveway. Sandy gets out of the car, followed closely by Kirsten and the two police officer. "Sandy," one of them says, "did you leave the four kids at home?"
Sandy nods.
"Mr. Cohen, you do realize that if Mr. Roberts isn't here, he could have easily gone to your house? Broken in. With your children, his daughter, there alone?"
"I'm calling for backup," the other one says.
"Sandy," Kirsten turns around, stepping towards the Robert's house and then back towards their car. "What if.."
Sandy shook his head. "I'm so stupid," he said, more to himself than Kirsten. "I'm a lawyer, damn it. I know these kinds of things. I've heard the stories before. And it's always dead people. The people telling the stories are their friends, their parents. They never make it."
"We have to go," Kirsten says frantically.
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"Who the hell comes to the door this late at night?" Seth grumbles, Summer behind him cautiously. "Hello?" He calls out. "Who is it?"
"Is my daughter there?" It's Doctor Roberts. He sounds drunk and angry.
"Is this Doctor Roberts?" Seth asks, because although he knows it is, a tiny part of him is hoping the man will say no.
"Who the hell do you think it is? Yes, it's Doctor Roberts. Is my daughter there?"
"No, I'm afraid not sir."
"I know she's there Seth. You're the only people that like her, it's the only place she has to go." At this Ryan's face sets into stone. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Is Summer there?"
"No. I've already told you. She isn't here."
No response. Seth breathes a sigh of relief and puts his arm around Summer. "It's okay, he's gone."
But Seth is wrong. Because moments later there's a shatter of glass, a gun shot and Doctor Roberts is standing in the Cohen's kitchen.