DAY 4 – Part 1: ROOMIES

MORNING – COHENS' HOUSE

Seth was sleeping on the couch with the TV on. Ryan saw him and turn it off.

"Mhm...no, I was looking...", Seth mumbled.

"With what? Your third eye hidden behind your hair?"

"No, that is temporary out of order due to a terrible hangover head ache."

"How much have you drunk?"

"Well, I think a whole beer, but, you know, for me it's like a ten shots of tequila."

Ryan laughed while heading to the kitchen. Seth followed him.

"Coffee?", Ryan asked while pouring a cup.

"It's not gonna work."

"The coffee machine? It seems fine to me."

"No, I mean, it's not gonna work with me your old trick to prepare breakfast when you want to be forgiven."

"So...no coffee?"

"Wait, even if I won't forgive you, it doesn't mean I have to starve."

"Ok...- Ryan filled another cup and handled it to Seth – So, what happened last night?"

"This is not gonna work either."

"Pardon?"

"You know, taking advantages of the fact that I love to talk about myself won't make you regain points with me."

"All right", Ryan took a sip of coffee.

"I think Summer broke up with me."

"You think or you're sure?"

"Mhm, I don't know, I can't remember. I just know that she left slamming the door...or did she?"

"I guess the reason of your fight was-

"Really clever! You should have gone to detective school. I hope you're happy now."

"Come on, you know it's not true and this is making me feel even worse."

"You should have thought about it before kissing my girlfriend- Seth put down the cup and turned around – I think I'm gonna go back to bed now."

"Seth, if I may give you a word of advice as a friend...don't let go everything for a nonsense, because you're just gonna hurt more. We can keep on apologizing as much as you want, but if on the other side there is a wall, what else could we do?"

"Yeah, that could be true if only you hadn't forgotten a small detail, Ryan, and that is that since Thursday we're not friends/brothers/the invincible squad/the arm and the brain like we used to be, but we're just simple roomies. You know, like those kids who go to college and don't even know the names of their roommates?That's what we are now."

"All right – Ryan said with disappointment – You've been very clear."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm not going to school today, so you can use my car if you want."

"Wait, you don't wanna talk to me, but you borrow me your car?"

"You know that I've never given a crap about cars, but if you wanna walk..."

"No, that's ok...Thanks."


LUNCH TIME – SCHOOL CAFE'

Ryan was sitting at a table reading a newspaper, when Marissa came closer to him.

"Hey Ryan!"

"Hi!"

"What are you reading?"

"They say that the electromagnetic levels have increased in these days, it could indicate an upcoming earthquake."

"Every year they come out with the story of the "Big One", but it never happens. They use it when they don't have anything else to write."

"Good to hear it."

"Yeah, anyway, tell me about Seth, I haven't see him today at History."

"He's at home", Ryan replied in a detached way.

"I guess things between the two of you are still messed up."

"Yeah...today he told me we're nothing but roomies anymore."

"Well, at least he talked to you!"

Summer arrived and sat at the table with them.

"Hey! Have you read about the earthquake?"

"And since when do you read the newspaper?", Marissa mocked her.

Summer smirked. "Anyway, Zach told me. Where is Seth?I can't find him around today."

"He's at home – Ryan intervened – How could you break up with him after what we have done?"

"You guys broke up?", Marissa asked surprised.

"No! Who told you so? I didn't break up with him, we just had a fight and I decided to come home in order not to make things worst."

"Well, in that case, you're gonna need to explain it to him, because he believes you two are over", Ryan stated.

"Oh, what a mess!", Summer exclaimed with sadness.

"Look, guys – Marissa started speaking - what I'm seeing from the outside is that everyone is misinterpreting what the other one does and from a meaningless thing you got out a huge mess."

"So, doctor, what do you think we should do?", Summer asked.

"Just one thing: you should both go to Seth and apologize."

"You think we didn't try? - Summer insisted – He's the one who's not listening to us!"

"Then, you will have to force him to do it."


EVENING – COHENS' HOUSE

Seth was talking on the phone with Sandy.

"Really, it has been raining for two days? Here there's a wonderful sun!", Seth said, founding it a bit funny.

"And how about there? Everything ok?", Sandy asked.

"Yeah, the house is still intact, if that's what you mean"

In that moment the doorbell rung.

"Ryan! Door!", Seth yelled, before focusing back on the phone.

After no response, the doorbell rung again.

"Ryan! Could you please go open it, I'm on the phone! - Seth yelled again – All right, dad, I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Ok."

"Don't worry and say hi to mum."

Seth hanged up and headed for the door. The doorbell rung again.

"I'm coming!", Seth arrived at the door and opened it just to see Summer outside.

"Hi Cohen, can I come in? Good!", Summer stepped and started walking through the living room.

"What...what are you doing here? Didn't you break up with me?", Seth asked with confusion.

"No, Seth! I didn't. You misunderstood. Where is Ryan?"

"Oh, thanks for the consideration. I think he's in the pool house, or maybe outside, I don't know."

"Come with me", Summer dragged Seth for an arm, until they reached the pool house where Ryan was reading a book with his headphones on.

"Here you are – Seth exclaimed – I've been calling you for an hour before!"

Ryan took off the headphones. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

At that point, after getting in, Summer closed the door behind her back.

"What are you doing?", Seth asked perplexed.

"So, now that we're all here, I don't care if the sky is falling, but we're gonna resolve this thing for good."

"Actually, right now I have to – Seth tried to excuse himself. In that moment the ground began to move.

"Oh my god! - Summer yelled.

"It's the earthquake, everybody get down!", Ryan screamed.

The shake intensified quickly: objects started to fall, glasses broke, a part of the ceiling crashed down, dust and debris lifted up in the air. Then, the shake stopped in a surreal silence.