Authors Note- Once again beating the bedtime to stay up and do this, while
typing quietly. Very quietly. Thank you, as always, for your generous
comments.
Chapter Seven- The Shelf of Pregnancy Tests
" Summer, you don't know what's good for you, and I'm in a decent mood, so I'll tell you. Shut up and mind your own damn business!".
She snarled at him, " you have to agree with me, he has the right to know that's his daughter".
Seth stirred the eggs with his spatula, " I do, for a change. But going out there and saying ' hey Ryan, breakfast is ready, but the way, Lilly's your daughter' isn't the way to do it. He needs to hear it from Marissa, and only Marissa, and that is not you".
" If Marissa doesn't know he's here, how are we suppose to encourage her to talk to him? And if she does find out that he's here, she'll flip, not to mention the fact that you purposely brought him here".
He grinned like a little boy, " that's a risk I'm willing to take. But, I'm a teacher, I know what I'm doing. You're a model, you vomit what little you do eat".
In rage, she snatched a slice of bread from the counter and ripped off a huge piece into her mouth, chewing it right in his face. She then stormed out into the family room where Ryan and Lillian were playing with a deck of cards on the carpet.
" She's kicking my butt" Ryan said after Lillian slammed another card onto the pile.
Summer knelt next to them, " she really likes you" she figured if he guessed off her hints, she couldn't be the one to blame if he were to discover right then and there. But he only glared at her.
A loud scream erupted from the kitchen, " son of a.." followed by a crash. The three stared at the doorway when Seth emerged, clutching his right hand, " the handle is not suppose to be hot!" he yelled, " what kind of a world is this?".
Summer jumped up and rushed over to him, " come on, get it under cold water".
Lillian and Ryan watched as she dragged Seth back into the kitchen, and easily heard the conversation that followed.
" How can you not have Vaseline?" Summer screamed, " everyone has Vaseline!".
" Doesn't it make models teeth shine? I don't have a couch! What makes you think I have something like Vaseline?".
" What about- oh forget it! Atwood!" she called, " pharmacy, two blocks down on the right, go!".
Ryan stood up, " sit tight" he said to Lillian, and made a run for the door.
From leaning over the sink, Seth noticed the little girl standing in the doorway, then looked up at Summer, " did you just tell him to go to the pharmacy?".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While venturing throughout the pharmacy aisles, Ryan was beyond being distracted. Forgetting the fact that Seth was probably suffering, he even forgot what he was looking for.
Everything seemed to be reminding him of the Orange County, especially living with Marissa, and some stupid medication was sparking hold memories that he knew he could never forget. He must have walked past the Vaseline six or seven times before finally noticing. Then he went to the cashier in the back of the store, only because it was closer.
The girl was not there for a moment, but when she did appear, tying her hair into a ponytail, he did not see her. Nor did she see him, they both concentrated downwards, trying to reverse their own trains of thought.
He left without a single word, and she only told him the price of the ointment.
But once he was outside, Ryan suddenly stopped. He backed up to the door, glancing back inside the pharmacy. The same girl who had just handed him forty-two cents in change was now standing in clear view, stacking boxes of pregnancy tests onto the shelf closet to the entrance.
Was that Marissa? Since her back was to him, he couldn't be so sure, but he knew it was a definite possibility. Then again he'd know any part of her body anywhere.
Quietly, he snuck back inside, and even with the small bell ringing overheard, she didn't turn to see him, even when she was inches away, like the previous night when he was holding her.
Ryan stayed parallel to her on the opposite side of that shelf, taking steps identical to hers. He watched her through the tiny holes in the steel, how concentrated she was, and how beautiful she looked.
An older woman had entered the store, and within seconds was standing next to him. To avoid giving off the stalker vibe, Ryan began walking at a normal rate.
Once he was at the end of the aisle, he looked back at the woman with an absent mind, to see if she was still staring at him. But before he could get a clear glance, Ryan bumped into someone else.
Chapter Seven- The Shelf of Pregnancy Tests
" Summer, you don't know what's good for you, and I'm in a decent mood, so I'll tell you. Shut up and mind your own damn business!".
She snarled at him, " you have to agree with me, he has the right to know that's his daughter".
Seth stirred the eggs with his spatula, " I do, for a change. But going out there and saying ' hey Ryan, breakfast is ready, but the way, Lilly's your daughter' isn't the way to do it. He needs to hear it from Marissa, and only Marissa, and that is not you".
" If Marissa doesn't know he's here, how are we suppose to encourage her to talk to him? And if she does find out that he's here, she'll flip, not to mention the fact that you purposely brought him here".
He grinned like a little boy, " that's a risk I'm willing to take. But, I'm a teacher, I know what I'm doing. You're a model, you vomit what little you do eat".
In rage, she snatched a slice of bread from the counter and ripped off a huge piece into her mouth, chewing it right in his face. She then stormed out into the family room where Ryan and Lillian were playing with a deck of cards on the carpet.
" She's kicking my butt" Ryan said after Lillian slammed another card onto the pile.
Summer knelt next to them, " she really likes you" she figured if he guessed off her hints, she couldn't be the one to blame if he were to discover right then and there. But he only glared at her.
A loud scream erupted from the kitchen, " son of a.." followed by a crash. The three stared at the doorway when Seth emerged, clutching his right hand, " the handle is not suppose to be hot!" he yelled, " what kind of a world is this?".
Summer jumped up and rushed over to him, " come on, get it under cold water".
Lillian and Ryan watched as she dragged Seth back into the kitchen, and easily heard the conversation that followed.
" How can you not have Vaseline?" Summer screamed, " everyone has Vaseline!".
" Doesn't it make models teeth shine? I don't have a couch! What makes you think I have something like Vaseline?".
" What about- oh forget it! Atwood!" she called, " pharmacy, two blocks down on the right, go!".
Ryan stood up, " sit tight" he said to Lillian, and made a run for the door.
From leaning over the sink, Seth noticed the little girl standing in the doorway, then looked up at Summer, " did you just tell him to go to the pharmacy?".
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While venturing throughout the pharmacy aisles, Ryan was beyond being distracted. Forgetting the fact that Seth was probably suffering, he even forgot what he was looking for.
Everything seemed to be reminding him of the Orange County, especially living with Marissa, and some stupid medication was sparking hold memories that he knew he could never forget. He must have walked past the Vaseline six or seven times before finally noticing. Then he went to the cashier in the back of the store, only because it was closer.
The girl was not there for a moment, but when she did appear, tying her hair into a ponytail, he did not see her. Nor did she see him, they both concentrated downwards, trying to reverse their own trains of thought.
He left without a single word, and she only told him the price of the ointment.
But once he was outside, Ryan suddenly stopped. He backed up to the door, glancing back inside the pharmacy. The same girl who had just handed him forty-two cents in change was now standing in clear view, stacking boxes of pregnancy tests onto the shelf closet to the entrance.
Was that Marissa? Since her back was to him, he couldn't be so sure, but he knew it was a definite possibility. Then again he'd know any part of her body anywhere.
Quietly, he snuck back inside, and even with the small bell ringing overheard, she didn't turn to see him, even when she was inches away, like the previous night when he was holding her.
Ryan stayed parallel to her on the opposite side of that shelf, taking steps identical to hers. He watched her through the tiny holes in the steel, how concentrated she was, and how beautiful she looked.
An older woman had entered the store, and within seconds was standing next to him. To avoid giving off the stalker vibe, Ryan began walking at a normal rate.
Once he was at the end of the aisle, he looked back at the woman with an absent mind, to see if she was still staring at him. But before he could get a clear glance, Ryan bumped into someone else.