Disclaimers apply. ABC Family owns the storyline and title. Fox owns the O.C. and related subjects.
A/N: This is the last part. Thanks to everyone who reviewed…I love you guys. I hope this ending was good, I liked it.
Chapter Four: Reconciliation"Summer, where are you?" I screamed into my cell phone. Yep, I'd been stood up by the infamous Summer Roberts. But I was getting a little frantic. Maybe something had happened to her. Oh, wait. Something ha happened to Summer. She unknowingly fell for a high school loser, then found out and didn't want anything to do with him. Was I that pathetic?
*
"I knew it all along!" Ryan declared. "Summer only wanted you while she didn't know about your past."
"Ryan," Marissa chided him, "don't rub it in. It is partly our fault, you know."
Hmm…she had a point there. "You know what?" I asked, feeling a bout of anger coming on.
"What?" Ryan and Marisa replied together.
"This is your fault. Actually, it's completely your fault. I place no blame on myself," I was building up steam, and getting ready to blow.
Marissa twirled one of her golden tresses absentmindedly around her finger. "You're the one that didn't tell her the truth in the first place," she pointed out.
Starting to fiddle with his Tag Heuer watch—a 21st birthday present from the 'rents—Ryan added, "And you should've known that people like Summer don't change. They stay shallow, conceited bitches forever. Besides, you should have known not to give her a second chance. Nothing good can come from them."
"Hey," Marissa protested, "Sum's my friend again."
I turned to her. "That's right. She is, isn't she? You sure were quick to give Summer another chance two weeks ago, Marissa. And I believe in second chances. Maybe even third. Or fourth…"
I paused to let my first thoughts sink in. Marissa was slowly turning an unpleasant shade of crimson.
That was it. I'd just about had enough. Until…
"Look, man, you deserve better," Ryan stated.
*Now* I was ready to blow. Oh yes, I was. And it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Excuse me? I deserve better?" I spat the words back out, they tasted funny on my tongue. "Let me tell you," I snapped. "Summer is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. We all make mistakes, but we can learn from them. Ryan, you've sure as hell made your fair share of mistakes. And don't even get me started on you, Marissa."
Okay. So the last two comments were necessary. In fact, they probably added more fuel to the fire. But I couldn't help myself. And I felt good when I saw my two best friends flinch. I knew I'd hit a few nerves.
Ryan opened his mouth to retort something that would hit close to home, but I cut him off. "And I may not have told her the whole truth about me, but I was going to tell her when the time was right. Instead, you guys tell her and act like I wanted to break her heart all along. Thanks a lot," and with that, I left the apartment and slammed the door shut behind me.
*
"I am miserable without him," Summer admitted.
"And he's miserable with you," Marissa said.
She and Ryan had just explained the whole situation to Summer. Summer was more than a little bit pissed, that her old friends would want to screw up Seth's love life, and hers as well. Well…she could understand why they wanted to sabotage her chance at happiness, but that was besides the point.
"So why exactly do you guys want to help me? I thought you didn't want to see me with Seth," Summer asked.
There was a long pause. Marissa drummed her ever slender fingers on the coffee table. Finally, Ryan spoke up.
"We didn't, not at first. We were still pissed at you, and acted like dumbasses. I mean, we used Seth to get our revenge on you. That wasn't fair to you or him," Ryan told Summer.
Summer stared him down. There was one more thing Ryan needed to say. And Summer was going to wait until she'd squeezed it out of him.
"I guess what I mean to say is…sorry," Ryan pushed the foreign words out of his mouth. He wasn't used to saying sorry to Summer…and he rarely pissed Marissa off. The same went for Seth. Until now…
The three sat there in an awkward silence that filled the room and sat heavy on their shoulders. Summer sighed, "Oh, come on, group hug!"
*
"Summer?" I asked, with an undertone of hope in my voice. "Hello?"
"It's Ryan," Ryan's voice came deep and rough through the phone. I started to hang up, not wanting to talk to the two-timing son of a bitch. Okay, so I didn't really think of him as pond scum. He was my brother and best friend, after all. One, I had always wanted to call someone a two-timing son of a bitch. Two—and less importantly—I needed some time to cool off.
Something in his voice made me stay on the line. "Ry, what's up? Is anything wrong?"
"No," Ryan said, "not really. There's something that I need to tell you though. I hope you'll take it sincerely…because that's how I mean it. Look, I'm sorry, man. Marissa and I, we used you to take revenge on Summer. But now we want to help you get her back. You belong together. And you deserve her, Seth."
Wow. Ryan's carefully chosen words hit me like a tidal wave. Damn. He sounded upset, and I bet he was too.
"Ryan, it's okay. At least you admit you were a jackass." Hey, there's always room for comedy.
That granted me a slight laugh from Ryan. "So we're cool?"
"Ice cold," I agreed. What can I say? I'm still listening to "Hey Ya" by Outkast.
"Sweet. Now, do you want Summer back?" Ryan asked.
"Aye, aye, captain!" I shouted. Yeah…I ran into some old Spongebob Squarepants DVD's last month. Enough said.
Ryan chose to ignore my Spongebob remark. "Summer really wants to see you. Meet her at the TOYS R US in Times Square. Be there by eight tonight, okay?"
"Are you sure about that? I don't think Summer wants to see me. She made it pretty clear when she stood me up at Starbucks," I said, only realizing afterwards that the dial tone was buzzing in my ear.
I looked at my watch. It was four-thirty. I was already getting antsy, and I had about three hours. Just like the old days when I had to pee in my pants but there was no bathroom. Only worse. Anticipation…I gotta hate it.
*
"But Marissa," Summer whined, "he probably doesn't want to see me. After all, I stood him up the other day. I…I just couldn't stand to see him again. Every time I see him or hear his voice, my hearts breaks all over again."
"Summer." Firm yet gentle, Marissa's voice told Summer that she meant business. "Just go. Seth wants to see you. He misses you. Do you realize that he's moped around his apartment for the last two weeks? The only time he'll leave is to come yell at me and Ryan or to get milk from the store. Which he usually makes one of us do. Please…"
Summer spat out her piece of gum, which had suddenly lost its minty flavor. She twirled the phone cord around her perfectly manicured hand. She wanted to see Seth, she really did. The only thing stopping her was…Well, Summer wasn't exactly sure what it was. First of all, it had to do with her fear of getting hurt. Second…her mother had left her, even though she loved Summer. And Summer didn't want Seth to do the same thing.
"Okay," Summer said quickly, before she could change her mind. "But I'm not making any promises. Even if he shows up, I might freak out and run away."
Marissa bit her lip. "Sweetie," she soothed, "just follow your heart."
*
It was 7:59 and I was getting nervous. What if Summer didn't show up? Then what? I'd already holed myself up in the apartment for a few weeks. Was I going to mope for the rest of my life if she stood me up—again? Or worse…if she came here and rejected me. That would be the end all.
I glanced down at my shirt, hoping I'd make the right choice. Before you laugh and say that I'm obsessed with my looks, let me explain. I'd decided to wear a Death Cab for Cutie t-shirt. This was who I truly was…or at least who I used to be. The moment of truth would be when Summer came walking through the doors. Would she again remember my "dorky" years and back out?
Well…there she was. It was now or never.
My face lit up when I saw Summer. She'd spun the revolving door so forcefully and purposefully that I thought it was going to take off like a spinning disc. She was a woman on a mission.
"Summer..." I gasped. Apparently, I'd become short of breath. I cleared my scratchy throat and began again. "I'm so sorry."
Summer strode towards me, with an unreadable expression on her face. Uh-oh. That could mean either of two things. She hated me and was going to slap me silly…or she loved me and she was going to kiss me crazy. I feared for the former, hoped for the latter. I wasn't expecting anything, though. This was Summer Roberts. Stubborn as a mule, but unpredictable.
And…she walked right past me. I craned my head to see where she was going. Right down the stairs, and into the line for the Ferris wheel. For those of you who have never been to New York, there's a Ferris wheel in the middle of TOYS R US. Yep, an indoor Ferris wheel. Only in New York. I watched Summer for a minute before my feet and mind started to cooperate. Clumsily, I took the stairs two at a time, running through the turnstile and through the line. In a decidedly un-New York minute, the line…well, there was no line. Summer was boarding a cute giraffe cart. I think his name was Jeffrey. Details later, Cohen. Get your act together. I shoved money into the ride operator's hand…ten, twenty, it could've been a fifty. Despite his protests I hopped into the cart with Summer and swung the door shut before she could leave. The ride operator sighed, waved, and locked the cart. He went over to the controls and hit the start button. And away we went.
"Seth," Summer began. She stared at her purse. I wasn't sure what was so interesting about the tiny Louis Vuitton change purse. If I'd seen it once I'd seen it a hundred times, and believe me, there were no pattern games to be played. Well, at least none that I hadn't already exhausted already.
"Why are you running away from me?" I asked, grasping Summer's pinky finger in my hands. I'd never really grown into my hands; they'd always been a bit too big for my body. Summer loved them. She said it was what made me unique, what set me apart from the pack. That, and all of my other quirks. Whatever.
Summer whimpered, and I looked at her impatiently. I'd waited long enough for the answer. And she had skirted around it one too many times. Speak now, Summer, or forever hold your peace. The ride was almost over, and I'd accomplished next to nothing.
"I run because I'm afraid," Summer told me, gazing off into space. Well…it was more like gazing into the Barbie section, which was coming up on our left.
I nodded my head, and motioned for her to go on, because, quite honestly, I had no idea what she was talking about.
"I'm afraid to lose you. If I don't have you I can't lose you, Seth," her eyes were begging mine to understand.
"You'll never lose me, if you only give me a chance," softly, ever so softly, I made it clear to the girl that I'd loved since third grade. Once I had her, I didn't want to lose her. I knew what it felt like without her, and it wasn't worth living without her.
"Oh, Seth," sorry flashed a million times in her chocolate brown eyes. Was that it? Was I being rejected, again?
"Sometimes, you've got to be willing to take a risk to win it all," I reminded her of the time when she stood up for me in front of her father, after he expressed his wishes that she not see me anymore. And let's count the things she had risked losing then. Her credit cards, lavish parties, presents, and her father's respect. She didn't have his time or attention anymore, and she risked losing the last piece of him she held onto. For me. And the best part of all? She gained even more respect from her father, for sticking with the one she loved. Yes, those were the days, before she knew who I used to be.
Seeming to be fighting the demons within herself, "No, no, Summer. You can't…" But finally, she sighed, turned to me, "I risked it once and I'd risk it all again in one second, if it meant I could just have a few more minutes with you. I love you. I can't fight myself anymore. It's too hard, and not worth it."
I raised my eyebrows, which had not yet transformed into the monsters that belonged to my father. "But I'm worth it?" So I knew. But to hear her say it, made it all the more true.
"So, so, worth it," Summer agreed. Our ride was over and we got out of the cart. The best was yet to come. I led her outside, and across the street, where they were taping TRL. We stood in the crowd with the teenagers who couldn't get tickets. Some veteran MTV VJ, Hilarie or one of the ones they kept locked up somewhere, came over to us with a microphone.
"Where are you from?" the girl asked, sticking the microphone in our faces.
Summer grabbed the microphone. "Newport Beach, the best place in California!"
"And what's your name?" she asked me.
"I'm Seth and this is the girl I love, Summer." I announced it, for all the teeny boppers and 30 year old couch potatoes to hear. Summer kissed me, and all of the kids around us cheered.
"I love you, Seth," Summer squealed into the microphone, before the VJ moved on to the next group of people.
But not before she said, "Well there you have it. Seth loves Summer and she loves him. Aren't they the perfect couple?"
Summer turned to me, this insanely huge grin creeping across her face. "We are, aren't we?"
For only her to hear, I whispered, "This time around, we will be."
* [Summer's POV]
"Sum! I saw you guys on TRL! That was like, so sweet!" Marissa said, twirling some vegetable lo-mein around her fork. We were sitting in Seth's apartment with the boys, eating Chinese food from our favorite place: Dim Sum Charlie's. She turned to Ryan. "That was a hint, lover boy." Ryan looked up, and then went back to kissing her neck.
"Hey," he protested. "I was the one who got my message in Times Square. I think that's a whole lot better than their chance interview with MTV. Besides, if you liked it so much, Seth's right there."
Marissa giggled and gently pushed Ryan away. "Come here, Seth," she waggled her fingers, and tried to use her seductive voice. Too bad, because she was really good at it. If Marissa hadn't been laughing so hard and Ryan almost in tears, it would've sounded halfway decent.
"Hands off," I warned, as Marissa jokingly put her hand on Seth's right knee.
Round and round it went, four friends enjoying good food and each other's company.
This is what it is to feel loved, I decided. I kissed Seth, and it was still the best feeling in the world.
He was right. This time around, we were going to be the perfect couple. By perfect, I mean with ups and downs, fights and love. But most of all, perfect together.
A/N: So there you have it! I hope you liked it! Please review. I'm working on a new story, with Ryan as the main character. It should be up with a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll try to post one or two short fics and maybe another chapter on my other stories…