Harder To Breathe
AN: There's gonna be cussing, and maybe some drug use. Definitely rated T. I want at least 7 reviews, cuz I'm just coming back. I wanna feel loved. Heheheh.
It's Monday. Seth, Summer, Ryan, and Marissa are hiding out in the Robert's pool house instead of going to school.
"This is fun," Seth commented as Marissa chugged vodka and Summer sipped a shot of rum.
"Where are the damn cigarettes," Marissa slurred, wiping her mouth.
"Marissa, seriously, it's not the end of the world," Ryan said as he tried to take the bottle of vodka from her.
"Easy for you to say. Your mom hasn't been knocked up by god knows who. Fuck it," Marissa snapped.
"I'm gonna go get some food for you guys so you aren't drinking on an empty stomach. Anyone want?" Seth asked.
"Nope. No thanks," Marissa muttered. Ryan signaled that he'd stay with Marissa and try to get her to stop the incessant drinking and angry cussing. They all knew she was just in a bad place. The sort of place that was Ryan's territory for fixing, and no one else's.
"Thanks Cohen," Summer mumbled. "Lemme come with," she offered as she stumbled to her feet.
"Uh...not so sure. Here, lemme just pick you up," Seth said as he pulled Summer into his arms gently. He heard the door bell ring when they made it to the kitchen, but he ignored it.
"Cohen, make me..." Summer's head hit the counter.
"Hey, hey careful," Seth said as he took her into his arms once more.
"Don't...drop me..." Summer said into his ears in that soft drunken voice she'd been using most of the weekend.
"Never," he answered as he placed her on her bed lightly. He kissed her forehead and turned to leave, but Summer called him back.
"Stay with me..." she called. "I love you."
"Don't you want some food?"
"Want food. Need you," she answered.
"Ok. But before you nap, we need to get you into some more comfy clothes." She nodded sleepily and he walked over to her closet to grab her some of her soft, cashmere pajamas. Her eyes were barely open, and her motor skills weren't that great at the moment, so he carefully undressed her and slid her pants and shirt on. Then Seth pulled Summer under the covers.
"Thanks Cohen," Summer murmured into Seth's shoulder as she used her last bit of strength to pull him nearer.
"Any day," said Seth. He kissed her mouth, which turned into a semblance of a smile when he did so. They fell into a calm sleep. One of their last.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
"Ryan, I will stop drinking if you please make whoever is at the door go to hell," Marissa muttered.
"Ok. Promise?" Ryan asked.
"Yes. Definitely. Please make them go away."
"Done," he replied, kissing her cheek before leaving.
He padded through the Roberts house all the way to the front door. He was surprised to look through the eye-hole to see a worried-Jimmy Cooper pacing nervously on the other side. And then it all made sense. Jimmy and Julie...affair...hanging around...God. This was seriously going to damage Marissa. And Summer. And as much as Ryan normally liked Jimmy as a person, today he did not want to face him. But he had to, because he was bothering Marissa in more ways than she even knew.
"Hey Mr. Cooper. Summer's sick, highly contagious, and I'm taking care of her. Oh, and Julie won't be in until later," Ryan said as innocently as possible. Jimmy, being a gifted liar, could usually see right through a lie. But he was too stressed to lately.
"Oh...right...well, let her know I swung by. Nice to see you," Jimmy muttered as he left.
"Right," Ryan called as he walked into the house again. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. He ran back to the pool-house quickly to check on Marissa. She was passed out, a pack of cigarettes torn half open hanging out of her left hand. Ryan sighed in dismay and lifter her into his arms. He carried her up to her room swiftly and then went in search of Seth and Summer. He rapt on Summer's door lightly and stepped in when there was no response. "Hey..." he began. Upon closer investigation, he observed that his two friends were fast asleep. He left the room, went to Marissa's, and got some rest too. His sleep was an uneasy one, though, as he slept with a heavy heart full of a sad secret. One that most definitely would negatively affect his fragile girlfriend.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
5 hours later, the four friends were still asleep. It was noon, and Neil and Julie's custom was to meet up at the house for lunch and have a state of the union. Today, neither looked forward to it.
"Hello Julie," Neil said as he sat down at the table. The maid had prepared a lunch for them. But neither could imagine actually stomaching it.
"Neil," said Julie in return in a voice that sounded strained.
"How was your day," Neil inquired, avoiding eye contact at all costs. He undid his napkin whilst looking at it intently.
"It was," Julie answered evasively. "And yours?"
"Along the same lines, I suspect," was the equally unclear rejoinder. Julie nodded.
"I feel sick, excuse me," Julie muttered as she ran to the bathroom. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
"Take your time," Neil called. The clattering of dishes woke Summer and Seth up.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
"Hey," Seth said when he noticed Summer was also awake.
"Hey Cohen. What time is it?"
"Uh...it's about noon. Hungry?"
"Mmm yeah. Let's go get Ryan and Marissa. Maybe we can all go to lunch," Summer suggested.
"Sounds good."
"Hey...what a I wearing?" Summer asked in confusion.
"Uh...pajamas, I dressed you in 'em so you'd be more comfy," Seth explained.
"That was so sweet Cohen," Summer smiled as she took her boyfriends hand. The two ambled into the hall and knocked on Marissa's door. No response. And then loud laughter.
"What's up guys," Seth said as he and Summer entered.
"Nothing, nothing, sorry, Ry just told me the funniest story," Marissa smiled. That smile had been MIA since Saturday morning.
"Cool. Anyways, we were wondering, do you guys wanna maybe go out, get some pancakes or something from the diner," Summer inquired.
"Definitely. Only I'm thinking more chili fries, and cheese burgers," Marissa smiled.
"Perfect," Ryan said agreeably. Then he frowned. "But you guys...I have to tell you something...I figured out--" Ryan began. But a loud noise from down stairs caused him to stop talking. They all went into high alert and slowly creeped down to the stairs.
"Look, Julie, we just need to talk about what's going on here. Ok?" Neil stated.
"Fine Neil. You first," Julie said.
"I...I have been having an affair, with my ex-wife," Neil said, eyes focused on his plate. Summer's eyes widened.
"You've been seeing... Gloria?" Julie spat in disbelief.
"I...no. My other wife. Michelle," Neil said ashamedly. Summer gasped audibly.
"Well...I suppose I can't judge. I've been seeing Jimmy. And I just found out that I'm pregnant," Julie said. Marissa gasped. Summer looked like she was about to cry.
"Michelle is pregnant too, and I...I was thinking..." Neil trailed off. He seemed to be at a loss.
"How are we ever going to tell the girls," Julie sighed.
"I do not know," Neil said.
"I mean...Jimmy...and now this?" Julie said exasperatedly. The four friends got up slowly and walked down the hall until they reached Summer's room.
"He's...my mom...he's dating my mom? My mom's pregnant? She's been in Newport...and she never...she's..." Summer could barely articulate a thought. Her mind was in a hazy rush. Seth pushed her hair, which was haphazardly pulled into a bun, out of her tear-strewn face. Marissa shut her eyes and tried to stop the tears from poring, but she couldn't. And Ryan wiped them away.
Things went on that way for a long time. The boys wiping tears, and the girls crying them. Could things get any worse?
