Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the OC or related to the bands or movies quoted below.
A/N: Okay. Here goes. This is a story written in response to a scenario in which our favorite two boys get into a violent confrontation. Blasphemy, you say? Yeah, well, here's my take on it. Sorry if Seth seems out of character but I think that this is a reasonable scenario…well, you'll just have to read it and let me know what you think. Inspired by the Ryan-thread on TWOP (this is for Maud) and a weekend of Fight Club. (Tyler Durden may not be the greatest role model for kids today, but I have to admit that I glean wisdom from his words. So say it with me: His name is Robert Paulson.) So read and enjoy and please review if you have anything to say!
A/N #2: Ryan and Marissa are together as are Seth and Summer. Not a big romance story, but the girls do make an appearance.
The Rudder
"…An entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables, slaves with white collars. Advertising has its taste in cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or plan. We have no Great War, no Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war. Our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
--Tyler Durden Fight Club
"Your tongue is a rudder.
It steers the whole ship,
Sends your words past your lips
Or keeps them safe behind your teeth
But the wrong words will strand you
Come off course while you sleep
Sweep your boat out to sea
Or dashed to bits on the reef…"
--Brand New
Seth doesn't think before he speaks. He's so used to making sarcastic remarks that he doesn't stop himself from commenting aloud in public. This is the third time in a month that Ryan's had to shove him out of the path of an offended punch. As Ryan takes the fists meant for him, Summer and Marissa scold him as they pull him away to safety.
"Dammit, Seth…" Marissa hisses. "Why can't you keep your mouth shut sometimes?"
"I'm sorry…" Seth starts.
The fight is broken up and Ryan staggers over to them, the right side of his face bloody.
"Ryan?" Marissa goes to him, concerned.
"We're going home," Ryan says, the damage becoming clear in the streetlight. His face is gashed near his hairline and is bleeding freely. His chin is also bleeding and his shirt is torn and stained.
"Are you okay?" Summer asks as Seth pushes the keychain remote and unlocks the car.
"I want to go home," Ryan says, limping.
"I'm sorry, Ryan…" Seth begins.
"Save it. Let's go." Ryan is quiet. His blue eyes are dark and he shrinks away from Marissa's touch. Seth starts the car.
"Dude…" Seth tries.
"Seth, just shut up," Summer says, glaring at him.
They ride home in silence. Seth parks the car in front of the Cohen house. Ryan is leaning his bleeding head against the window with his eyes closed.
"I have a meeting with my probation officer in the morning. I'll call you tomorrow," Ryan says suddenly, leaning over and kissing her cheek.
"I can come in with you…" Marissa offers.
"It's not going to be a fun night. Thanks, though. I'll call you." Ryan glances at Seth. "I'm going to the pool house. Can you give me, like twenty minutes to get cleaned up and then send Sandy out?"
"Ryan, what…"
"I need to show him my face before the meeting tomorrow. See what he thinks I should do…" Ryan replies, looking away.
"I'm sorry, Ryan…" Seth says.
"Don't apologize to me. I should just start letting you fight your own battles…" He gets out and staggers several steps. He walks around the side of the house and disappears.
"I'm going with Marissa, Cohen." Summer doesn't say anything else but gives him a disappointed glare as she follows Marissa to her SUV.
Seth goes into the house and interrupts his parents in a romantic embrace.
"Seth! What…that was a short date…" Kirsten says, blushing.
"Yeah. My fault again," Seth replies. He walks past them going into the kitchen.
"What happened this time?" Sandy asks.
"Ah, this funny looking guy walked past us in line at the movies and I said something…" Seth sighs.
"Oh, Seth…" Kirsten replies.
"Anyway, this guy took a swing at me and Ryan…well, he got into the fight instead of me…"
"Is he okay?" Sandy asks, concerned.
"He's in the pool house getting cleaned up. He's pretty mad at me…" Seth replies.
"I'll go check on him…"
"He said he needed a few minutes," Seth says. Kirsten glances at him and disappears onto the patio.
"He is not your bodyguard, Seth," Sandy states, disappointed. "He's got a meeting tomorrow and if he's bruised it's not going to look good…"
"I didn't know the guy was going to snap…"
"You shouldn't have been making fun of him, Seth. This is childish. Its ridiculous for someone your age to be so insensitive,"
Sandy sighs.
Kirsten goes into the pool house without knocking. Ryan is standing beside the shelves that hold his clothes with no shirt on. His right arm is cradled against his side that is already blue with a bruise.
"Ryan. Let me take a look at you…" Kirsten ignores his surprise and goes to his side. She gently pulls his arm away from his side and clucks her tongue at the damage. She looks closely at his damaged face. There are small cuts in the center of developing bruises.
"How'd those happen?" She asks, noting the still bleeding gash on his hairline.
"Big guy. Had on a lot of rings…" Ryan replies, hissing as she gently probes his neck.
"You might need stitches…"
"Nah, I'll be okay. I'll be pretty sore tomorrow. I just want to ice down my face," Ryan says, pulling a shirt on. She catches a glimpse of his hands. She takes one and examines his swollen knuckles.
"What…"
He pulls his hand away, embarrassed. "I can give as good as I can get," He says quietly.
"Fighting is not the way to solve things," Kirsten says.
"You think I like to fight?" Ryan asks quietly. "That guy was pissed off. I couldn't just let him wail on Seth like that, I mean, Seth didn't mean anything by what he said, the guy just took it the wrong way…"
"Seth is not your responsibility. You cannot keep fighting. What happens when somebody has a knife? Or a gun?" Kirsten asks.
Ryan glances at her, his blue eyes dark. "I know what happens, Kirsten. People get hurt. People go to jail. I know what happens. The thing is, Seth doesn't know what happens."
Kirsten pauses a moment.
"He doesn't think that people will snap at the drop of a wrong phrase. He doesn't understand the anger pulsing inside of some people," Ryan says slowly. "He didn't even see the guy pull back his fist, he was just oblivious…"
"Ryan…"
"Seth's like…" Ryan looks away from Kirsten. "I bet the kid doesn't have any scars…"
"Come inside, Ryan. We'll make you some icepacks and let Sandy know what's going on," She says quietly. She glances at him and sees that something is wrong.
Ryan reaches out and steadies himself suddenly as his strength gives out. He is stable before Kirsten can even react. "Can I have a minute?"
"You need a hospital…" She says.
"Believe me. I'm okay. He doesn't stagger as he leads the way out of the pool house.
Sandy is standing up, clearly upset. His face falls when he sees Ryan's condition.
"First off, are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Secondly, what the hell are you thinking?" Sandy asks quietly.
"Dad, it was my fault…" Seth starts.
"No, I'm not talking to you now. I'm talking to Ryan." Sandy glances at Seth and then back to Ryan. "Look at me, Ryan."
Ryan meets his gaze with clouded eyes.
"You cannot get into trouble. This is unacceptable. What if the cops had shown up?" Sandy asks, seriously. Ryan lowers his gaze. "Ryan, look at me when I'm talking to you."
Something has changed in Ryan's eyes when Sandy sees them again. Not fear, but intense shame at being chastised. The kid really hadn't done anything wrong but as a parent, Sandy has to make sure it doesn't happen again. Sandy hesitates, seeing the emotion and pain in Ryan's eyes.
"Sandy, maybe you should…" Kirsten starts.
"It's not his fault," Seth says at the same time as his mother speaks.
Ryan doesn't speak and it looks as if Sandy and Ryan are in a staring contest. Sandy breaks the tension. "I'll call your probation officer and postpone the meeting."
"No," Ryan says quietly. "I'll suffer the consequences. It's my fault. I made the bed so I need to lie in it. We'll have the meeting."
Sandy is flushed. He wasn't expecting this reaction.
"But Ryan…" Seth starts.
"Ryan, we don't think you should jeopardize your probation over something like this," Kirsten says, glancing at Sandy.
"It's my fault. I won't walk away from my punishment," Ryan states clearly, lowering his gaze.
Sandy is chilled.
"Can I go lie down?" Ryan asks Kirsten.
"Sure. We'll check on you in the morning…" Kirsten says.
"I'll be ready by nine, Mr. Cohen," Ryan says, leaving before anyone can reply.
"That was…Dad, you can't…" Seth is stunned. "It was my fault…"
"Seth, go to your room. You're grounded until further notice. Go." Kirsten doesn't let Sandy respond, seeing his confusion.
Seth leaves, upset.
"Sandy? What are you going to do?" Kirsten asks.
"I…I don't know," Sandy replies.
"What's going to happen if his probation officer sees him like that?" Kirsten asks quietly.
"I don't know, Kirsten."
*****