Closure
It was Saturday afternoon in Newport, California, and a beautiful afternoon, at that. The sun was shining brightly, the breeze flowing through the trees; it was a perfect day to be outside, relaxing in the breeze, or wading in the pool, or reading a book in the shade. But Ryan Atwood didn't notice. He wasn't outside, or even in his pool house. He was in Seth's room.
Sandy and Kirsten Cohen were out, and Seth was downstairs playing videogames. Ryan didn't feel like playing, so Seth told him he could go upstairs to use the computer or look at comics, or whatever. So Ryan considered, and figured he might as well; it sounded better than watching Seth play whatever he was playing, at the moment.
Seth's room was typical of that of a teen, especially compared to the tidiness of Ryan's pool house. It wasn't trashy, but it wasn't near being clean. Papers and books and a few maps were in piles on the desk, old game boxes were jutting out from underneath the unmade bed, and the closet was so packed full of junk that the door didn't shut all the way. Ryan liked it.
He sat down at the computer, swiveling in the chair a little. He decided that he didn't feel like using the thing. He wasn't good with computers, and he had only used one a couple times. They weren't really his thing. Instead, he let himself fall back onto Seth's bed. It was more comfortable that his, but he didn't mind. At least he had a good place to sleep.
He lay there for a while, doing as much of nothing as he would be downstairs. At least he was in peace and quiet, he supposed. Being on the bed wasn't getting him anywhere, so he stood up after ten or fifteen minutes. What to do, what to do? He spotted a shoebox in the door of the closet, one of the things preventing its closure.
The logo on the box was one Ryan didn't recognize, and he figured that they had once contained some sort of loafers or other dress shoes. For some reason, the contents of the box were drawing curiosity in Ryan's mind. He highly doubted that there were still shoes in there, but for some reason, he had an inkling that there was something there. And of course, he let curiosity get the best of him. He decided to open the box.
* * *
Ryan was still contemplating whether or not he should open the shoebox. It had been ten minutes since he had spotted it, but he felt guilty. He felt guilty about getting permission to use the computer, but instead going through his friend's closet. Seth was the only friend Ryan had in Newport - his best friend. This, plus the fact that he had to live with him, made him think twice about going through it. Even if it was only shoes.
He was sitting on the bed, box in his lap, unopened. He shook it gently. Not shoes. He heard things sliding against each other. Maybe letters, or newspaper clippings? It wasn't possible to be sure without opening it. What was the big deal, though? It wasn't like Seth would find out, unless he told him. But still, the guilt would be there.
Seth was good to Ryan, and a good friend. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin that. It was just a shoebox, though. What harm could it really do? He sighed. He was going to open it, he decided, once and for all.
He cautiously and gently lifted the lid. He peeked inside. Pictures. The box was full of them. He took a handful out. He sifted through them. There were a few of the Cohen family, some of Seth with people Ryan hadn't seen before. Relatives, he guessed. There were some from Christmas, some school pictures.
Not all of the school pictures were of Seth, though. For instance, one was of Summer Roberts. He checked the back. There was no writing; no "to Seth" or "Have a great break. Love, Summer" inscribed there. He very highly doubted that she had given it to him. How he had gotten it was beyond Ryan. He shook his head with a small smile, and looked at the other school pictures. He didn't recognize any of the rest of them.
After the school pictures, there were some with nobody Ryan knew. Next were some of Seth as a child. Ryan smiled. Seth looked so happy in all the pictures, surrounded by loving family and all that spiffy stuff.
There was more sifting until, finally, the bottom of the box was only five or six pictures away. There were two of Seth from several Halloweens ago, one of Sandy and Kirsten. Two more were of Seth alone, and there was only one picture left. It surprised Ryan. It was a picture of Seth and Marissa, taken maybe a few years ago.
* * *
Ryan looked at the picture in awe. He hadn't thought Seth and Marissa ever socialized that much, let alone be friendly enough to have a picture taken together. They were both grinning insanely, and it was obvious that it wasn't just some random picture that had been taken, just happening to have them both in it.
He studied the picture. He recognized the background. It was outside, near the pool. The picture was too close up to tell, but he guessed that they were wearing their bathing suits. It looked like their hair was wet; they had probably been swimming. He looked at their faces. It couldn't have been any more than two years ago. They were obviously teenagers, from the way their facial features were set, but they didn't look any older than fourteen.
"Hey," Ryan heard Seth say. He looked up. Seth was walking into the room, stretching from the hour or so of doing nothing but sitting there, unmoving.
"Oh, I was just looking at some pictures... I hope that's okay," Ryan said.
"I don't care," Seth laughed, seeming to tell Ryan "mi casa es su casa." His smile dropped when he saw the picture in Ryan's hand. "I haven't looked at these in a while." He took the picture of himself and Marissa, and looked at it. His cheeks slightly reddened, but not enough for Ryan to notice.
"I didn't know you and Marissa used to be friends," Ryan said, making sure it was in a way that was not to bring up any bad memories or anything.
"Oh, we weren't that close. We'd just hang out with each other when my or her parents would go out. We were like thirteen or something. I don't remember if she was best friends with Summer yet or not, but she didn't tell anyone we hung out, anyway. She was fun. But as time went by, and she became better friends with Summer and got together with Luke, she talked less and less to me. Now the only reason she even acknowledges me is because of you," he said.
Ryan wasn't sure how to respond to that. So he just kept the conversation going. "Were you two... involved?"
Seth laughed heartily. "No, it never went that far. We were just friends."
"Oh," Ryan replied.
"Yeah," Seth said. He took one last look at the picture and dropped it back into the shoebox, which Ryan had already refilled with the rest of the pictures. "What do you say we go for a swim?"
"Sure," Ryan answered. He got up and replaced the lid, carefully centering it onto the other piece. The picture of Seth and Marissa stared back at him as it slowly filled with the shadow of the lowering top. It was like the shadow symbolized Seth and Marissa's relationship: it was bright and happy at first, but it slowly got less and less cheery as the closure came.
Seth was already out of the room. Ryan put the pictures back where he got them, and followed him. The box was closed; the topic of Seth and Marissa was over. He was going outside to relax. Maybe he could be a better friend to Seth than she was.
--end--
It was Saturday afternoon in Newport, California, and a beautiful afternoon, at that. The sun was shining brightly, the breeze flowing through the trees; it was a perfect day to be outside, relaxing in the breeze, or wading in the pool, or reading a book in the shade. But Ryan Atwood didn't notice. He wasn't outside, or even in his pool house. He was in Seth's room.
Sandy and Kirsten Cohen were out, and Seth was downstairs playing videogames. Ryan didn't feel like playing, so Seth told him he could go upstairs to use the computer or look at comics, or whatever. So Ryan considered, and figured he might as well; it sounded better than watching Seth play whatever he was playing, at the moment.
Seth's room was typical of that of a teen, especially compared to the tidiness of Ryan's pool house. It wasn't trashy, but it wasn't near being clean. Papers and books and a few maps were in piles on the desk, old game boxes were jutting out from underneath the unmade bed, and the closet was so packed full of junk that the door didn't shut all the way. Ryan liked it.
He sat down at the computer, swiveling in the chair a little. He decided that he didn't feel like using the thing. He wasn't good with computers, and he had only used one a couple times. They weren't really his thing. Instead, he let himself fall back onto Seth's bed. It was more comfortable that his, but he didn't mind. At least he had a good place to sleep.
He lay there for a while, doing as much of nothing as he would be downstairs. At least he was in peace and quiet, he supposed. Being on the bed wasn't getting him anywhere, so he stood up after ten or fifteen minutes. What to do, what to do? He spotted a shoebox in the door of the closet, one of the things preventing its closure.
The logo on the box was one Ryan didn't recognize, and he figured that they had once contained some sort of loafers or other dress shoes. For some reason, the contents of the box were drawing curiosity in Ryan's mind. He highly doubted that there were still shoes in there, but for some reason, he had an inkling that there was something there. And of course, he let curiosity get the best of him. He decided to open the box.
* * *
Ryan was still contemplating whether or not he should open the shoebox. It had been ten minutes since he had spotted it, but he felt guilty. He felt guilty about getting permission to use the computer, but instead going through his friend's closet. Seth was the only friend Ryan had in Newport - his best friend. This, plus the fact that he had to live with him, made him think twice about going through it. Even if it was only shoes.
He was sitting on the bed, box in his lap, unopened. He shook it gently. Not shoes. He heard things sliding against each other. Maybe letters, or newspaper clippings? It wasn't possible to be sure without opening it. What was the big deal, though? It wasn't like Seth would find out, unless he told him. But still, the guilt would be there.
Seth was good to Ryan, and a good friend. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin that. It was just a shoebox, though. What harm could it really do? He sighed. He was going to open it, he decided, once and for all.
He cautiously and gently lifted the lid. He peeked inside. Pictures. The box was full of them. He took a handful out. He sifted through them. There were a few of the Cohen family, some of Seth with people Ryan hadn't seen before. Relatives, he guessed. There were some from Christmas, some school pictures.
Not all of the school pictures were of Seth, though. For instance, one was of Summer Roberts. He checked the back. There was no writing; no "to Seth" or "Have a great break. Love, Summer" inscribed there. He very highly doubted that she had given it to him. How he had gotten it was beyond Ryan. He shook his head with a small smile, and looked at the other school pictures. He didn't recognize any of the rest of them.
After the school pictures, there were some with nobody Ryan knew. Next were some of Seth as a child. Ryan smiled. Seth looked so happy in all the pictures, surrounded by loving family and all that spiffy stuff.
There was more sifting until, finally, the bottom of the box was only five or six pictures away. There were two of Seth from several Halloweens ago, one of Sandy and Kirsten. Two more were of Seth alone, and there was only one picture left. It surprised Ryan. It was a picture of Seth and Marissa, taken maybe a few years ago.
* * *
Ryan looked at the picture in awe. He hadn't thought Seth and Marissa ever socialized that much, let alone be friendly enough to have a picture taken together. They were both grinning insanely, and it was obvious that it wasn't just some random picture that had been taken, just happening to have them both in it.
He studied the picture. He recognized the background. It was outside, near the pool. The picture was too close up to tell, but he guessed that they were wearing their bathing suits. It looked like their hair was wet; they had probably been swimming. He looked at their faces. It couldn't have been any more than two years ago. They were obviously teenagers, from the way their facial features were set, but they didn't look any older than fourteen.
"Hey," Ryan heard Seth say. He looked up. Seth was walking into the room, stretching from the hour or so of doing nothing but sitting there, unmoving.
"Oh, I was just looking at some pictures... I hope that's okay," Ryan said.
"I don't care," Seth laughed, seeming to tell Ryan "mi casa es su casa." His smile dropped when he saw the picture in Ryan's hand. "I haven't looked at these in a while." He took the picture of himself and Marissa, and looked at it. His cheeks slightly reddened, but not enough for Ryan to notice.
"I didn't know you and Marissa used to be friends," Ryan said, making sure it was in a way that was not to bring up any bad memories or anything.
"Oh, we weren't that close. We'd just hang out with each other when my or her parents would go out. We were like thirteen or something. I don't remember if she was best friends with Summer yet or not, but she didn't tell anyone we hung out, anyway. She was fun. But as time went by, and she became better friends with Summer and got together with Luke, she talked less and less to me. Now the only reason she even acknowledges me is because of you," he said.
Ryan wasn't sure how to respond to that. So he just kept the conversation going. "Were you two... involved?"
Seth laughed heartily. "No, it never went that far. We were just friends."
"Oh," Ryan replied.
"Yeah," Seth said. He took one last look at the picture and dropped it back into the shoebox, which Ryan had already refilled with the rest of the pictures. "What do you say we go for a swim?"
"Sure," Ryan answered. He got up and replaced the lid, carefully centering it onto the other piece. The picture of Seth and Marissa stared back at him as it slowly filled with the shadow of the lowering top. It was like the shadow symbolized Seth and Marissa's relationship: it was bright and happy at first, but it slowly got less and less cheery as the closure came.
Seth was already out of the room. Ryan put the pictures back where he got them, and followed him. The box was closed; the topic of Seth and Marissa was over. He was going outside to relax. Maybe he could be a better friend to Seth than she was.
--end--