Disclaimer: Unfortunately I am not Josh Schwartz (even though indiechick500 kindly asked if I was – haha, quite the compliment so thank you!), so the ownership of The OC is not mine to be meddled with.
A/N: I really did not expect that many awesome reviews about my filler chapter but yet you guys still decided to surprise me! So thank you! Also, I know a few people had mentioned something about a pregnancy and while I tend to like (okay, okay – love) stories with a Seth and Summer baby, I feel that in this story a pregnancy would make a Seth/Summer reunion forced rather than wanted… you know what I mean? So going down that route here…? Probably a negative. But hey – you never know!
Alright – read, enjoy, & review like it's your favorite thing to do in the entire world. :)
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"Neil! Julie! We didn't hear you guys knock or ring the doorbell!" Sandy commented wryly as Dr. Roberts and Julie came into the kitchen.
"That's cause we didn't. Sandy, we're family. We don't need to do that kind unnecessary stuff," Julie replied, beaming, while Sandy mumbled to himself. "Now where are those handsome boys and my beautiful stepdaughter?"
Both Ryan and Seth looked over their shoulders and the couch to see Julie running towards them, as her heels clanked on the floor. Ryan and Seth stood up, pausing their video game, and stumbled back a foot as Julie launched herself at them, throwing her arms around each of their shoulders.
Ever since Marissa died, Julie had fully embraced Marissa's best friends, feeling that keeping close to them made her closer to Marissa. Ryan had been shocked by Julie's sudden fondness of him, Seth, and Summer, while Seth had declared it only a ploy for Julie to make up for her mistakes that she made when Marissa was alive. Seth had stated that Julie probably thought that as a result of her new fondness for her daughter's former best friends, Marissa would forgive her mother, even when she was now rotting six feet below ground.
Summer had slapped him for making this comment. Seth then had decided to embrace Julie's new attachment to the remaining "Core Four." Seth's comment was never brought up again.
"I've missed you boys!" Julie stood back admiring them and then suddenly noticed Summer's absence, "Where's Summer?"
Dr. Roberts came into the living room where Ryan, Seth, and Julie were. "Summer didn't come?"
"Umm… no, sir. She had a lot of work back in LA," Seth answered. "Her jobs keeps her on her toes."
"Well, I'm glad you're not interfering with her work, Seth." Dr. Roberts slapped him on the back as Seth winced slightly, both in pain and in Dr. Roberts unknowingly hurtful words. "You're keeping her in line."
Seth smiled awkwardly back. "Sure am, sir."
Kirsten then came into view, holding a plate of turkey and placing it on the table. "Everything's ready!"
Dr. Roberts and Julie walked back towards the table talking to Sandy and Kirsten as they continued setting more food items on the table.
Ryan grabbed Seth's arm as Seth had started walking towards the table. "Ow. Dude! What?"
"So you're just going to act like everything's just peachy?" Ryan whispered.
"First of all – peachy? That's a bit minty, man. Even for you. And secondly – yes, I am."
"That's gonna blow up in your face. Dr. Roberts is gonna hate you when he finds out you lied to him and hurt his daughter."
Seth held up his hands in defense. "Hey, hey. I didn't hurt Summer. Pretty sure it was the other way around."
"He doesn't know that," Ryan glared. "And you really think he's going to take your side over Summer's?"
"There are no sides, Ryan. Just a dinner. With a very large, delicious turkey. And mashed potatoes. And lots of other yummy goodness. So let's go eat." Seth ignored Ryan's continued glares as he made his way over the table, "Wow, mom, I really thought the cooking skills were just a phase but this looks great!"
Ryan rolled his eyes and walked over to the table as well, sitting down.
"Thanks for your confidence, Seth," Kirsten smiled sarcastically as she sat down. "I knew you'd always support me and my ventures."
"Of course, mom," Seth replied, spooning mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I'm a very supportive son. Every parent should be so lucky."
Sandy snorted as Kirsten smirked. Julie then spoke up in response. "We're looking forward to having you for a supportive son too." She then grabbed Dr. Roberts's hand on the table, smiling at him. "We've both never had a son before."
Seth stuffed his face full of turkey and mashed potatoes to avoid replying to Julie's comment.
"Can anyone pass the salt? The potatoes taste a little plain. Need to spice things up." Ryan smirked, knowing his choice of words were to take a jab at Seth's attempt at postponing the inevitable, as he looked over at Seth's effort at a deadly glare.
Oh yeah, this dinner was gonna go over just swimmingly.
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"So, Seth," Dr. Roberts finished swallowing and began to start conversation with his assumed future son-in-law. "How's the internship working out? Summer said you got a promotion or something. You're working on a real case?"
Seth stopped chewing for a second. Seth had only gotten the promotion on Thursday night, right before he and Summer started in on their big fight that caused her to break up with him on Saturday. When did Summer have time to call her father and tell him all about Seth's life? And since she had time to mention details about Seth's life, did she mention hitting a little rough patch with him? Were her father and her still that close that Summer would confide in him? Would Dr. Roberts know what was bothering Summer so much?
As much as Seth hoped he would, so he could finally have some lucid answers, he also hoped he wouldn't.
"Umm…" Seth swallowed. "Summer called you?"
"Yes, yes. Friday afternoon. Why?"
"Oh, no reason really," Seth looked over to Ryan and Ryan shook his head sternly, but discreetly, trying to stop Seth from causing any more problems, but Seth ignored Ryan's actions. "It's just… has Summer mentioned anything else to you?"
"Like what?" Dr. Roberts put down his fork and knife on the table and stared at Seth questionably.
"You know, this turkey is great, Kirsten," Ryan interrupted.
"Oh thanks, Ryan. All it really took was -"
This time it was Seth to interrupt. "Like thoughts, feelings, anything of that sort?"
"What are you getting at, son?" Sandy asked.
By now everyone was eyeing Seth intently while Seth's mind finally caught up with his heart. Seth was now realizing that he couldn't ignore this break up because it wasn't just some fleeting, meaningless thing. Summer had moved out. She wasn't coming back. Seth was going to be arriving to an empty apartment that night with all of Summer's belongings missing. And Seth needed to fix this because he couldn't live without Summer and every time he thought about his future for the past two days, he had been trying to imagine someone else's life or that what had had happened Saturday morning wasn't real, but rather an impossibly hellish nightmare.
Coming to Newport was probably his stupidest idea. No – scratch that. Coming to Newport a day early than he was asked to was probably his stupidest idea. Newport Beach did stupid things to him. It made him think that he was still a careless high schooler who didn't have to worry about anything except getting good grades and winning the heart of his longtime crush.
Reality was starting to hit Seth like a lifeless body hit water. And he soon realized he was sinking to rock bottom.
Seth wasn't in high school anymore. He had a job with serious responsibilities. And he had an apartment that he had to pay rent on, by himself now because the girl he had planned on marrying broke up with him the day before.
His future was shattered.
And Seth was suddenly starting to knock himself out of his daydream and back into the world of reality.
"Well, you know, its just Summer hasn't really been herself lately. And I didn't know what to do about it. You know? She was just acting weird."
"Seth, what happened to being peachy?" Ryan mumbled to Seth.
"I'm forgoing peachy and going for your minty," Seth replied casually, speaking in a clear and calm voice.
Julie interrupted Ryan and Seth's exchange. "Weird how, Seth?"
"Weird how," Seth laughed to himself sardonically. "Well, weird like randomly saying oh-I-love-you-but-I-can't-be-with-you-anymore-so-I'm-just-going-to-pack-up-and-move-out-while-you-go-to-Newport-and-act-like-everything's-just-Goddamn-peachy. That kind of weird." Seth shoved another forkful of mashed potatoes forcibly into his mouth.
Ryan looked down at his plate and grunted. So much for being subtle.
"Seth," Kirsten tried to calm him.
"No, no. I'm fine, really." Seth swallowed and cleared his throat to continue talking. "Its just," Seth swung his elbows up to rest on the table while his hands went in every which way, almost talking for him. "You know… when I go back tonight no one will be there. And all her stuff will be gone," Seth started laughing disdainfully. "Really, that's fine. I'm fine. It's fine." Seth looked down at his plate, shaking his head, chuckling, and grabbing his fork again.
"Summer broke up with you?" Dr. Roberts asked incredulously.
"Well, that's the question of the day, really," Seth looked back up at Dr. Roberts, smiling brightly, but falsely, "Actually it's more like the question of the Goddamn fucking universe -"
"Seth!" Kirsten exclaimed at her son's choice of words.
" – Because one minute we're perfectly fine and then I go to the fucking bathroom and I come back and she's decided to pull out a suitcase and pack up her stuff! Like it's just an everyday thing! That, ah, you know… umm… five-year relationships end every fucking day for no reason!" Seth tilted his head to the side shaking it as his arms flung in the air animatedly.
"Seth, man, think that's enough?" Ryan muttered.
Seth stood up as the rest of the table stared on. "Nope. I don't think that's enough, Ryan. Look at you, with your perfect relationship with Lana – no fights, no arguments, no problems. Everything's just peachy for you!"
"Hey, watch it," Sandy stood up, trying to calm Seth. "This isn't Ryan's fault."
"You're right," Seth resumed laughing again. "It's no one's fault! Not even mine! Actually, I guess it is my fault because I wasn't happy enough. Yeah, that's why she didn't want to be with me anymore. Because I wasn't happy enough. That's ridiculous! Who breaks up an almost five-year relationship because the other person isn't happy fucking go-lucky every second of the day!"
"Seth, that's enough," Sandy grabbed onto Seth's shoulder.
"Yeah, it's easy for you to stay calm," Seth scoffed as he threw his napkin on the table and began to walk away, but stopped abruptly, turning around to continue, "All of you are in perfect relationships while I have to sit through another Goddamn Newport Beach relationship end. You know, that's just swell because after all the time I tried so fucking hard to get out of here and make my life something outside of this bubble it just completely backfires on me and sends me right back to this fucking hellhole that reminds of everything Summer! And you know what sucks the most?" Seth paused for a single nanosecond as everyone just stared at Seth, afraid of what he might say or do next. "What sucks the most is I want everything to remind me of Summer! I want to see her and be reminded of her everywhere around here because I know that as soon as I leave this place tonight, it's all really over. She'll really be gone. We'll really be done. And I just… I can't… I fucking hate Newport!"
And with that, Seth slammed his fist on the table and walked off, up the stairs, slamming his door in his wake as the sound reverberated throughout the entire house.
The whole table sat in silence for a few moments, until all the adults' eyes eventually looked over to Ryan for answers.
"Summer broke up with him yesterday morning," Ryan started in explanation. "I don't really know what happened – he didn't really talk about it. But I think that's why he wanted to come here a day early. So we did." The adults began to nod absentmindedly, taking in everything they just witnessed and heard. "Why did you want us to come anyway?" Ryan asked Kirsten quickly as an afterthought.
Kirsten looked dumbfounded and answered Ryan apathetically, looking like she were staring off into space. "We're moving back to Berkeley in October."
"You're moving, Kiki?" Julie whimpered, realization on both Seth's encounter and the Cohen's news dawning on her.
Kirsten shook her head listlessly as the rest of the table sat back into their bewilderment of the two occurrences and newsbreaks of the dinner.
"Oh… well…" Ryan picked up his fork and brought the turkey on it up his mouth. "This turkey really is great."
Kirsten smiled slightly at Ryan, Julie's face was etched in sadness, and both Sandy and Dr. Roberts were looking towards the stairs, as if to try and figure out what had just happened with Seth.
Nothing like a Newport Beach gathering to stir things up.