Chapter 17



Author's Notes:

            * Wow, I got a lot of positive reviews from the last chapter! I really appreciate it! Please keep it going.



            * I'm a little confused about who Ryan should end up with… I always thought that I would make him end up with Marissa and this story would be a R/M shipper.                      But now, I'm sort of, "attached" to my character, Cindy. I don't think it fits for her, I don't know why I named her that. Hmmm….so I've decided to have a poll. Vote for who you want Ryan to end up with. I'll collect the votes over time, maybe, two chapters along.



            *At Chapter 17, I've had some reviews. The number is increasing by chapter! I was looking over the reviews, and I noticed that there weren't many people who steadily reviewed. It was all different people, mostly for a few chapters, with a lot of reviewless chapters in between!!! Ouch… Well, I looked at some prominent reviewers so far.

---4 times: Wennie, OCfan4U



---5 times: Crazy4theOC



---6 times: none


---7 times: Benzbabidoll

And gasp…the person who has reviewed the most is Candy. 07!!! With 10 reviews…you have reviewed the most. LOL!!! *hands an award*. Bravo!!!


*Mike Rules 2003, how did you know that Theresa was pregnant with Ryan's kid 3 weeks ago? You must have great spoiler sources!!!

            *By the way…Don't think I've forgotten Anna.




Marissa sat near one of the bay windows. She looked outside where photographers and some TV show was interviewing some celebrity. She sat in her beautiful dress looking on. She was waiting for the correct time to go to the entrance. That was the trick in the celebrity world. The later you arrived, the more busy and popular you seemed. She looked at the metal clock across the room. It was twenty minutes until show time.

"Hey, Marissa…Don't you think it's about time to go out now?" Seth questioned as he popped his end in the small room Marissa was occupying.

Marissa nodded. "Is the limo ready?"

"Yea." Seth replied as he offered his arm. She took it and they walked to the back door.

Iverson, a burly bodyguard was standing outside the door way. Marissa stepped out into the alley. It was dark and trash bags full of food and clothing scraps littered the walls.

"Hey buddy, take her from here okay? I'll see you in, like, 10 minutes." Seth chuckled and patted Iverson on the back.

Iverson remained expressionless.

"Hey Iv, lighten up."

Iverson escorted Marissa through the alley to where a black stretch limo blocked the entrance. Marissa climbed in with Iverson at her side. The car rounded around the block and they arrived at the carpet. Taking out her compact, she did a last-minute check. She touched up her lip gloss with her favorite MAC lip gloss. She braced herself in the car and put on her fake, photogenic smile.

"Ready." Marissa said to Iv.

Iv climbed out of the limo and stood besides the door.

Marissa counted a full 5 seconds before allowing her perfectly pedicured foot in her 700 dollar shoes to step out of the car. For dramatic effect, she climbed out slowly, already smiling when she came out.

Marissa just stood on the carpet, blinded by the fluorescent flashes. She just felt like she was all alone, striking a pose for nobody. Truthfully, she really couldn't see anything. The photographers were calling her name and she blindly turned to strike a different pose. She walked along, stopping occasionally for pictures. She gave a TV interview here and there for them to use clips of it on their TV show.

She was midway on the carpet when everyone gave an audible gasp. All the heads turned, even though Marissa couldn't tell who it was, she knew.

It was Ava Sebastian.

Suddenly all the attention was on her. All the photographers suddenly turned their cameras towards her. No longer was anybody yelling her name, they yelled HER name. The reporter who was interviewing her suddenly stopped mid-way through and ran towards Ava, trying to get at least a 10-second clip with her. As much as Marissa didn't want to admit, Ava was become the new star, while Marissa's star was fading.

Tears started to flow down Marissa's cheeks. No one noticed, everyone was so intent on seeing Ava. It was funny how Marissa standing in such a public place with basically a spotlight placed on her, no one noticed her tears. Marissa ran down the carpet, trying to get in as fast as possible. It was rather odd and uncomfortable for her to run in her heels, but still, no one noticed her.

Once Marissa was inside, she immediately ran into the women's restroom and locked the door. She didn't care if people really needed to use it, but she didn't want anyone intruding. She sat on a plush chair that was in front of a counter with a large mirror meant for people do their makeup. Marissa looked at the mirror. Silent tears flew down. Marissa was shocked, she was going to be strong and hold her head up high. She dared herself to let one tear flow down. Marissa stared at her reflection in the steel framed mirror. But, to her disgust, a tear did flow down her perfect face. It was like an ivory princess with one tear dripping down.




                                                                                                             ***



"Are you sure about this?" Ryan asked Cindy as they headed out of the limo.

Cindy smiled and squeezed his hand. "Come on. They don't bite, at least I don't think they do…"

Ryan smiled a little back at her. "Okay." He took a deep breath and followed her to the middle of the carpet.

Ryan and Cindy smiled and posed for all the photographers. Everyone thought that Ryan and Cindy looked like a cute couple, and Ryan knew it. He needed the public to like him because the press wouldn't be too happy about Cindy being pregnant with some nobody.

Everyone recognized Ryan, from that day's tabloids. But earlier, Marissa's publicist had given that statement about Ryan and Marissa not being romantically linked and now Ryan was hanging around Ava, one of the most popular celebrities. All of this media attention was giving Ryan 15 minutes of fame. People started to ask for his autograph, call for photos, and even ask for T.V. interviews.

"They like you." Cindy whispered.

Ryan smiled. "I'm enjoying it." But in truth, Ryan was deathly afraid. He wasn't one to ask for much attention and he had never wanted to get much attention in his life. He was the broody, silent guy for a reason. He wanted to blend in and become a wallflower. Talking too much or vying for attention would always merit a slap from his mother or a kick from whatever low slum his mom brought home. And worse, he knew that somehow, in someway, all of this media would reach back to Marissa. She would find out that he had been with someone else when two days ago they were all so happy and back together. Ryan tried to forget about Marissa and just enjoy the little time of fame that he had.

Ryan smiled and put his arm around Cindy as they posed for some more photos.





***


After quite a while, Ryan and Cindy had eventually moved towards the end of the carpet. They had reached the entrance and the press was madly following them in.

***



"Seems like Ava is bringing lots of media attention…" Seth remarked as he watched, from far away, Ava with someone at her side being followed by cameras and reporters.

Summer agreed. "I think we should go see her, you know welcome her. And get her away from those guys." Summer cocked  her head towards the paparazzi that had somehow managed to overcome the security.

Together they walked towards Ava, Summer's dress swishing. She had a grand dress on, sort of like a princesses, which made everyone stop in awe.




***




Ryan and Cindy's view was totally obscured by the flashing cameras, screaming fans, and the reporters all vying for a question or two with Cindy.

"Usually they're rather nice to me." Cindy remarked to Ryan. She looked over at Ryan who looked deathly pale. "Are you okay?"

Okay, Ryan, just snap out of it. Act normal. "What? Oh, yea I'm fine."

Cindy stared at Ryan for a few more minutes. Eventually, Ryan's regular skin color returned. "You look fine now! I was scared for a while."

Ryan still felt a little queasy. All the flashing from the cameras was making him really dizzy. "I need…to go to…the bathroom…"

Cindy's face showed concern. "Sure. I'll wait for you here."

"Thanks." Ryan briskly walked towards a steel door. Ryan assumed it was a bathroom.

"Oof. Jeez, that was heavy." Ryan muttered as he entered the restroom.

Several women screamed.

Ryan cursed. "Shit."

He had walked into a woman's bathroom…

Suddenly Ryan's interest was peaked. He had never been in a women's bathroom. He looked around and saw a brightly lit room with paintings and flowers in vases. There was even plush chairs to sit on!

Suddenly a wiry woman interrupted his thoughts, "Out, Out, Out!!!"

Several of her women comrades echoed her.

"Okay. I'm going…" Ryan slowly walked backward.

The women all stood in a line and glared at him.

"Oof." Ryan had backed into the door and the handle had jutted into him-hard, in the back.

Ryan swiftly turned around and quickly opened the door and fled out.

The last he heard before the door was slammed on him was "I bet he was a rapist…"

Ryan looked around and thanked god that no one was outside to witness his …encounter…

He just wanted to get out of there. He ran far from that bathroom, and looked for another bathroom. He spotted another swinging steel door and decided to take his chances on it.

Thankfully he saw urinals and was relieved that he hadn't walked in on a bunch of women.

Ryan looked around the bathroom. Nobody was in it, it was completely vacant. It was really neat, with everything made out of steel. But, it was a guy's bathroom, and well, they didn't really care for flowers to brighten it up. Ryan walked over to the sink and flushed his face with some cold water. Some really frigid water to calm himself. The queasiness in his stomach was starting to fade away. Ryan looked up at the steel framed mirror to make sure that the pink hair gel Cindy had put in his hair earlier really didn't appear pink. Ryan inspected his hair to make sure there was no visible pink. After prodding and poking his hair around for quite a bit, he was satisfied. He dried his face and walked out the door.

Ryan looked around for Cindy. He did a frantic look-over for Cindy. Finally spotting in her, in a circle of photographers, he waved her over. Cindy gratefully walked towards Ryan, to walk away from the mob that was mobbing her. She had a lot of trouble getting through the hubba-hubba and was frantically trying to escape. She tactfully tried to dodge this way and that, whenever she saw a gap. But always, someone blocked her escape route. Cindy considered running really fast and with force straight through the crowd, but then she would look like a freaking maniac. Cindy through a desperate glance at Ryan, praying that he would come and help her out.

From across the room, Ryan saw Cindy's frightened look and locked eyes with her as walked to get her.

Ryan wasn't looking when he bumped into someone coming from the women's bathroom.

He was quite a strong, large man-due to his muscles, and knocked down the poor woman. He was horror-stricken to see he knocked someone to the ground.

"I'm really, terrible sorry." Ryan offered his hand to the girl who was lying on the floor, with her hair covering her face.

"It's okay really." She took his hand and got up. She straightened out her dress and cleared her hair away from her face. "At least my dress didn't get ru…." She then gazed into Ryan's eyes. 

"Ryan???"

"Marissa?"



***


It was great, just great. Marissa thought to her self. Some dude randomly knocks her over and she falls flat on her ass. In such a public place, with cameras everywhere! Then she looks up and it's Ryan, the love of her life, who has been avoiding her for two days.

"Why have you been ignoring me?"

"Um well…" Ryan looked flustered. He didn't have time to finish when Ava came running towards them.

Marissa looked in disgust at all the press following her running figure. Why the hell is she running towards me?




***



Cindy playfully jumped on Ryan's back.

"I thought you were going to save me…" Cindy playfully whined.

Ryan started to blush, with Marissa standing there, he couldn't let her know about the baby, and the fact that he had been with Cindy all the time he had been "avoiding her." It was like he was really trying to avoid her, it just was that he liked Cindy and they were going to have a kid together. It had been partly his fault, and it wasn't fair for him to just leave her pregnant. He really needed to find a way to escape from Marissa without her knowing of Cindy and his relationship.

Too late…

Cindy grabbed him in for a passionate kiss and Ryan couldn't just stand there. He had to respond or else he would embarrass Cindy.

Marissa just stood there shocked, with her mouth agape.

The rustling of a dress made everyone in the room stand still.




***

Everyone stopped still for the arrival of Seth and Summer. Seth and Summer were really the most powerful couple around. Forget, celebrity romances, Seth and Summer were really the epitome of a perfect marriage and a perfect life.

Seth and Summer strode towards Ryan.

"Ryan?" Seth asked.

"Um…hey Seth." Ryan managed to stammer out.

"Wow, Ryan…you know Seth and Summer Cohen. And you already know Marissa! This world is so small." Cindy shrieked in the almost dead silent room.

Seth and Summer shared a look.

A pause ensued.

"So um…dude…do you want to introduce?" Seth asked.

"Oh right…Seth. Summer, this is Cindy. Cindy, this is Seth and Summer."

Seth and Summer shared another look.

Ryan didn't miss it. Summer most have told Seth. Seth was a blabber-mouth too. He remembered the time he broke the porcelain vase and Seth had told Sandy and Kirsten. Not that they really gave a damn. They had actually spent the whole afternoon comforting Ryan, telling him that it was only 1,000 dollars. That it was sort of ugly, anyways and that Sandy had always wanted to smash it. But, still…Plus, why did Summer need to tell Seth in the first place? Ryan hated how they were married and felt the need to tell each other everything.

Seth smiled and nodded towards his direction. He obviously was trying to tell Ryan that he was doing a good thing.

Ryan glared back at him.

Marissa didn't miss any of this. "Does anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

Seth, Summer, and Ryan exchanged glances. "No."

Marissa was shocked and really PO'ed. "What? You want to leave me out of this???"

They still remained silent.

Summer tried to break the silence. "So… let's get seated."

Ryan was glad for a diversion. "Okay!!! Let's go!!!"

Seth pulled him aside. "Ryan, if I were you, I would not be happy."

Seth didn't give time for Ryan to ask. He pulled Ryan along to where Marissa and Cindy were standing.

Summer was a bit nervous about this, "Um…so, you guys are both guests of honor, you'll sit here."

Ryan looked from five feet away. It was a three seater, draped in beautiful silks. The girls sat down. Marissa sat on one side while Cindy sat on the other far side, leaving only the middle seat open for Ryan.

Seth smirked, but then instantly hid it when he saw Ryan's look of disapproval. "That is why."

Ryan sighed and sat down between two girls who were madly in love with him, and two girls who he loved too.




***


Anna had been researching on the internet, but she couldn't find anyway to talk to Seth. So she figure this was the best way to do it. She rang the doorbell. The door opened.

"Hi Sandy. I was wondering if you could get me in touch with Seth. I haven't seen him ever since I left for Pittsburg."




***



A/N: Okay, so review, review, review. I'm counting. Next chapter I'll post who has reviewed the most again, and who has come close. Many of you are really close to those people up there. ^^. Also, choose between Marissa or Cindy. Which one do you want Ryan to be with?