An earlier time I realized I was about to finish several stories at once. And now again I have realized that once again I have several stories getting close to their endings. There's actually five of them so that would mean half of my on- going stories being finished. It is this one and
-When I returned
-Shake it out
-What goes around comes around
-You are the best thing (that's ever been mine)
Then, as for the five left it will show how much is left of them. I sort of promised my mum not to put so much of my life into fanfiction as I have. And then that's it.
Thanks to Ally R. Swan for reviewing.
This chapter is told from Seth's point of view.
Maybe if I had been badly hurt, like Ryan of sorts then dad would be looking at me right now…
"Are you okay?"
With every day Ryan would be trying to walk more and more without using crutches. And for some reason mum wouldn't let me stay home alone. So when dad asked Ryan if he wanted or needed to go somewhere and buy food instead of ordering takeaway while mum was at work it was only for me to come along.
I would rather have stayed home playing video games but instead I was right outside the crab shack and concentrating on walking slowly. While Ryan limped so much that every time he took a step on his prosthetic leg I thought he'd fall with each of them and my dad holding his hands out to catch Ryan if he fell…
At least if I had hurt myself any worse than broken my arm maybe dad would be looking out for me the ways he looked out for Ryan.
"I'm fine… Just let me…"
And as a matter of fact Ryan didn't even like it- he kept saying he was okay and I could see in the way his eyes looked whenever one of us tried to help him. And therefore I let my parents do it.
I wasn't jealous… But they were my parents and I wanted them to care about me too…
…After what had happened when Summer came over I knew I couldn't say anything though..
And as of now Ryan's friends would come over- I never even had any friends to invite over..
"Seth? Can you open the door?"
Without as much as a nod I opened the door to the crab shack and held it open for first Ryan and then my dad…
I would have walked straight after them and checked the menu. The thing was just that at the moment the door closed behind me I heard some voices from by the table furthest into the building that I recognized.
Hoping that I heard them wrong I turned only slightly so I could see them in the corner of my eye. Just so I could see who they were.
And wasn't I right from the start?
Just as I looked towards them I saw one of them looking at me and I quickly turned my head and then pulled my hood up.
It's okay Seth. I tried to think to myself. They won't even dare to do anything to you while your dad is still here. They're too afraid of getting in trouble with their parents..
"Ryan?" We suddenly heard a voice from someone we hadn't seen at first. "I can't believe it… Where have you been man?"
Ryan, I and dad turned to see who it was and a blonde guy I didn't recognize stood up from where he'd been sitting. Ryan smiled, slowly took one careful step and then hugged the boy.
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you for ages and…" The boy looked at me and then at dad. "who are they?"
"You were always known for being polite." Ryan told his friend. "Guys…" He turned to us. "This is Donnie. And Donnie, this is Sandy and Seth and…" He hesitated. "It's a long story… It's a very long story… It's a very long story. Now tell me. What's going on at school?"
I would have tried to talk to them but they were just about as much turned away they could be without completely turning their backs at me.
And I wouldn't have known what to say anyway.
I looked to the menu that hung over the checkout stand and tried to figure what to order…
"Dad? Can we get…"
I hadn't even finished the question when dad too found someone.
"Sandy?"
"Jimmy."
When dad too found his best friend I sat down by the table nearest the checkout stand. I barely even knew how much I pouted. But it just wasn't fair. Luke was here with all his friends- Luke was a bully, and so were all of his friends except for Summer.
I'd never done anything wrong…
I'd never done anything to them, yet something clenched in my stomach and I wanted to run far, far away.
I'd never done anything wrong yet Summer Roberts didn't seem to know I existed. And still they all thought I'd killed one of them.
Lord know what they would do to me if they even knew I was here.
"Dad?"
In fear of what they would I just wanted to leave, Jimmy was here (even though Marissa never would be again. But still I tried to catch his attention…
I looked around, suddenly realizing dad wasn't standing by my dad anymore. Ryan was still talking to Donnie… who on earth was I going to turn to?...
"Dad?" I found him with Jimmy right outside the doors. The look in Jimmy's eyes was burning when he looked at me and I could easily guess why they had gone outside not to be in the same room as me anymore. "Can we just go? I have a headache."
I just came up with the quickest and best lie that would work…
"Are you okay." Dad pushed the hood backwards and off my head and then felt my forehead… "You look a bit pale…. I don't think you're warm."
"I'm fine." I pulled the hood back on. "I just have a headache and I want to go back home."
I could see on Jimmy what he wanted to say and that he knew exactly what I wanted to get away from…
"Well… I'm going…"
Dad followed him and kept going. I couldn't hear what he and Jimmy said anymore and neither could I Donnie or Ryan that stood nearby. I glanced towards Luke and his friends, pulling my hood back up and realized that if they would do anything to me I would be on my own…
Well, I usually was on my own but no earlier times they would be as angry as they were with me right now…
Maybe they wouldn't be though. Maybe they had too realized what had happened wasn't my fault…
Maybe this could be cool. Luke and his….
"Well hello." I
I hadn't even finished one whole sentence before I heard the voice behind my back. And when I turned around I found Luke and his whole group of friends standing behind him- all of them. Nordlund, Chip, Holly and Summer….
"Hey." I let my hood fall back and hid my shaking hands behind my back. "What do you want?"
And the look in their eyes- mainly Luke's. I knew that they were still blaming me and would be doing so forever.
"I think…" Luke pulled his sleeves up. "No. I know what you've done. And you haven't been at school so we've got no chance of talking to you about it. And that's too bad isn't it… But now we meet again… So… What have you got to say for yourself?"
I brainstormed, thought about it both one and three times…
At last, as on a reflex felt my shoulders going up and down. Luke started laughing, but it wasn't that funny kind of laugh and it made shivers run down my spine.
"Nothing? Well… I know maybe… sorry? Sorry that you kept bragging about going to Thailand? Sorry that you killed Marissa."
"I didn't kill her…" I had said before I had the time to stop myself. "…what happened wasn't my fault."
"But you're the one who made her go there. She'd never have gone if you hadn't kept bragging about it. You do know that you killed Marissa very well I bet. Don't you?"
I hadn't made the Cooper's come to Khao Lak and I didn't make them go down to the beach and I didn't cause the earthquake that caused the tsunami…
But behind Luke stood Summer, Marissa's best friend. And as I saw the tears in her eyes I felt worse than ever.
Couldn't there just be a way for me to turn back time and make sure we didn't go on that stupid trip?
If I hadn't then the Cooper's wouldn't have either…
"It's just that… Marissa's best friend has some things to say…"
Luke took a step to the side and more or less stared towards Summer. Summer on the other hand looked at me and seemed more insecure than I had ever seen her before…
"You see. I…"
Summer started and my heart was beating so hard I could feel the blood streaming in my ears. I tried to think of anything at all to do or say and at last I took one step backwards and started turning around.
"No, Sum! You said it earlier so why not say it now?"
I tried to figure what to do, but suddenly stood half turned around and before I knew it my feet flew off the floor, Nordlund and Chip held onto my legs and sides on either side while Luke stayed by my head smirking as I struggled and struggled and struggled.
Only ending up where I hung upside down and couldn't even tell what was up and down.
"You know…" I tried. "…You guys really wouldn't hurt me because my dad's right outside and… and Ryan…"
"And Ryan what?" Luke grabbed my hair and held me so I could do nothing else than look at Summer. Still I heard Ryan laugh at something- it couldn't have been more than seconds since we came here but it felt like ages. "Summer's told us right? Cripple, right? From Chino? What's he supposed to do?"
"HEY." I suddenly heard Ryan's voice. "Put him down."
I had to agree with Ryan on that, but it was stupid of me to even hope as Luke let go off me and faced our new…
"Put him down."
No way was Luke giving in that easily and I knew that already.
"What's up dude? Got a problem?"
"You tell me."
For a moment it was quiet while Luke and Ryan just faced each other, then Luke slightly pushed Ryan backwards. Ryan didn't react for another few seconds that seemed to just stand still until he suddenly reached back and then hit Luke in the face so hard Luke lost his balance and stumbled towards a table.
I lost my breath when I fell to the floor as Nordlund and Chip let go of me and then joined Luke in his fight towards Ryan. And as I watched Donnie quickly joined too and faced the other boys on Ryan's side.
And why on earth was I standing frozen and not fighting by Ryan's side myself.
For the moment being I did my best to completely stop Nordlund, he hit me all over until I laid on the floor.
Before I even knew what I was doing I hit my hand up, and instead of using my knuckles I pointed each finger into his eyes.
"AAAH."
Nordlund fell to the side holding his hands over his eyes. I took my moment and got up and tried to get to Ryan again- and I would have if Nordlund hadn't had his legs around my ancles and I tripped in an instant and had me landing straight on my arm when I tried to catch myself.
Maybe when we were in Thailand I had been so filled up with adrenaline I could barely feel the pain right then. Because I for sure knew I had never been in as much pain as I was.
Still… I just had to and lying on the floor I turned to watch them all even though I hurt so much tears were streaming down my cheeks.
"HEY. HEY." Dad suddenly came running. "STOP IT. STOP THAT."
Dad only sent me one quick look, then I watched him as he got straight over to Luke and Ryan where Luke seemed to be the "winner" for right now, while Ryan was lying on the floor and tried to roll away from each of Luke's blows…
Then something changed once Luke had kicked Ryan's leg. I saw it as in slow motion when Luke kicked so far down he must have kicked the prosthetic.
Then he kicked again, higher up this time.
And that was when Ryan didn't hit back…
Swearing and moaning he moved as if he had wanted to roll over or get up, get up and run away from the pain- I couldn't imagine how much that had just hurt him…
And a few seconds later was the moment Luke took his chance, sitting on his knees with one leg on either side of Ryan and holding him still Luke pulled his arm back and then hit, hit harder than I had ever seen him before (and that would say something) right into Ryan's face.
"Welcome to the O. C. bitch!"
I just wanted to choose cla's for the younger versions of Luke and his friends. And also Donnie. And I was thinking Luke looks like Paxton Myler and Donnie like RonaldOMG. Holly by Lilliana Ketchman, Nordlund by Iain Armitage and Chip by Jason Maybaum.
Random fact
Since the last chapter was put up Ally R. Swan have gotten caught up in chapters she hadn't read… loads and loads and loads. Anyway, in one of the reviews she asked if there wouldn't be a scene where Ryan was protecting Seth. And the fun thing was I had just started writing this chapter and I had planned the scene ever since I started the story.
