A/N: I swear I haven't forgotten about this fic. I didn't post last week in
honor of OCFanfiction's "Angst-Free Ryan Week", but now I'm back. If I feel
extra nice I'll consider posting the next chapter later this week.
Please Review!
Ch. 8
Ryan looked around Harbor high school. It was hard to believe the last time he had been here was with Seth and that had only been a few days ago. Ryan sighed as he unlocked his locker.
"Ryan!" Marissa approached him. "I didn't think you'd be here today.
"Yeah," Ryan was uncomfortable. "Didn't want to get stuck with tons of make-up work."
It occurred to Ryan suddenly that Seth would never have to do make-up work again. He wouldn't graduate from high school or college. Seth wouldn't get married or have kids. Ryan stared at his feet and took a deep breath and then another.
"Ryan?" Marissa asked.
"I need to... go," Ryan hurried down the hall. Marissa shut his locker door for him.
Ryan careened down the hallways until Anna physically stopped him by grabbing onto his backpack and becoming dead weight.
"Hey Ryan," Anna greeted him, still hanging onto his backpack.
"Anna. Let go. Please?" Ryan pleaded.
"Only if you promise you won't run off," Anna required.
"Fine." "Fine," Anna let go and walked around to face him. "Do you want to tell me about what that was about?" "I was thinking about all the make-up work I'm going to have-" "And that made you go running through the halls screaming. Makes perfect sense," Anna assured him. Ryan winced. "I'm sorry. Go ahead." "You just, that was something Seth would have said," Ryan noted. "Yeah. But with an opening like that who could resist?" Anna wondered apologetically. "I could." "You know, I bet you could," Anna agreed. "But you were telling me why you flipped out." "Right. I was thinking about make-up work," Ryan gave Anna a look. She mimicked zipping her lips shut, "and I realized that Seth will never have to do make up work, or graduate, or get married and have kids, or sail the Caribbean, or do any of the things he want to do when he grew up." "Oh," Anna sighed. "That's really... I'm sorry I made fun of you." "It's fine Anna. I'm not made of glass, I won't break," Ryan was slightly annoyed. "Oh I know you won't," Anna laughed as Summer approached them. "Summer!" "Hey Anna, Ryan," Summer offered a small smile. Anna embraced her. "Summer," Anna sniffled unexpectedly, burying her head in her friend's shoulder. Summer patted Anna's back awkwardly and looked at Ryan questioningly. "I had a rough couple of minutes," he explained. "I think it may have rubbed off on Anna." "It's not that, exactly," Anna's voice was muffled by Summer's shoulder. "Summer just makes me wanna cry." "What is it down on Summer week? First Ryan says I'm nasty looking and now you're saying I make you want to cry. And of course my boyfriend is dead." Summer felt the tears well-up in her eyes as her joke fell flat. "Damn it. I promised myself I was going to get through the whole school day without crying!" Anna let go of Summer, her eyes red from crying. "Sorry about your shirt," Anna apologized. "Don't be dumb," Summer wiped her tears away. She looked at Ryan expectantly. "Well?" "Well what?" Ryan asked. "Are we staying here and going to class or are we ditching?" Summer asked. Ryan pondered for a moment. "As much as I'd love to declare the first annual Seth Cohen Memorial Ditch Day," he replied, "I think I need to try to get through this. You guys go though." "No, you're right," Anna assured Ryan. "Yeah, we should at least try to get through the morning," Summer decided. "At lunch we can decide about the afternoon." The bell rang and the three scattered off to their respective classes.
Anna was still dabbing at her eyes when Ryan sat down across from her at the table in the courtyard.
"Tough day?" He asked.
"Have you had Western Civ yet?" Anna replied.
"No. Why?" Ryan asked.
"I can guess," Summer slid in to the spot next to Anna and put an arm around Anna's shoulder. "All we did today was take notes on when kings were born, crowned..."
"...And died. I just kept seeing his gravestone in my mind, " Anna sighed, "I can't believe I broke down in the middle of a class!"
"Don't feel too bad. There was a word problem about sailing in math," Ryan shook his head.
"Guys, this is pathetic!" Summer declared. "Seth would be so mad!"
"Please. Seth was totally self-absorbed, he'd probably be flattered!" Anna exclaimed.
"Nice Anna," Summer scowled.
"He was and you know it. It was all part of the Cohen charm," as Anna said it she regretted it. Summer's scowl morphed into a grimace of pain. "Summer,"
She held up a hand, cutting Anna off.
"Just... give me a sec. Please?" Summer sucked in a deep breath of air. "Sorry, it's just God it hurts at the most unexpected moments."
"I know," Ryan put a hand on Summer's arm. "When I went to get breakfast this morning, his Captain Crunch is still in the cabinet. It's *cereal* for gods sake, and it totally gutted me."
"Yeah?" Anna said sympathetically. "I got an e-mail from Seth last night, asking about the Econ. homework, and he sent me a link I'd asked him for like a month ago. He must have sent it right before, you know and I hadn't checked my mail since. I sat there and sobbed at the computer for literally an hour."
"Really?" Summer asked. "I got a letter in my locker from him the day after he died. I haven't opened it yet. I wasn't ready."
"When is this going to get easier?" Anna demanded and then looked at Ryan curiously.
"I don't know Anna. I've never lost anyone like Seth before," Ryan ran his hand through his hair.
"Don't look now, but here come Marissa and Luke. To offer condolences I imagine," Summer rolled her eyes.
"And ask how we're doing," Ryan added. "If one more person asks how I'm doing..."
"Sum!" Marissa hugged her friend from behind. "I didn't see you this morning. I thought maybe you decided to stay home. How are you? Are you okay?"
"Fine," Summer glanced at Anna and Ryan and forced herself not to giggle, "thanks Coop."
"Sucks about Cohen," Luke muttered.
"That's one way of putting it Luke," Anna half-smiled at him.
"Anna!" Marissa admonished, "How can you smile at a time like this?"
Ryan bit his lip to keep from smiling himself.
"How can you not? It's a gorgeous day. The sun is shining, spring is coming..." Anna trailed off now grinning broadly.
"Seth is dead," Marissa said flatly. The smile vanished from Anna's face.
"Coop, Anna knows that," Summer said gently. "We all do. It's better to smile, harder, but better."
"I..." Marissa glanced at Anna.
"It's okay Marissa," Anna said calmly, grateful when the lunch bell rang. "Time for class!"
Please Review!
Ch. 8
Ryan looked around Harbor high school. It was hard to believe the last time he had been here was with Seth and that had only been a few days ago. Ryan sighed as he unlocked his locker.
"Ryan!" Marissa approached him. "I didn't think you'd be here today.
"Yeah," Ryan was uncomfortable. "Didn't want to get stuck with tons of make-up work."
It occurred to Ryan suddenly that Seth would never have to do make-up work again. He wouldn't graduate from high school or college. Seth wouldn't get married or have kids. Ryan stared at his feet and took a deep breath and then another.
"Ryan?" Marissa asked.
"I need to... go," Ryan hurried down the hall. Marissa shut his locker door for him.
Ryan careened down the hallways until Anna physically stopped him by grabbing onto his backpack and becoming dead weight.
"Hey Ryan," Anna greeted him, still hanging onto his backpack.
"Anna. Let go. Please?" Ryan pleaded.
"Only if you promise you won't run off," Anna required.
"Fine." "Fine," Anna let go and walked around to face him. "Do you want to tell me about what that was about?" "I was thinking about all the make-up work I'm going to have-" "And that made you go running through the halls screaming. Makes perfect sense," Anna assured him. Ryan winced. "I'm sorry. Go ahead." "You just, that was something Seth would have said," Ryan noted. "Yeah. But with an opening like that who could resist?" Anna wondered apologetically. "I could." "You know, I bet you could," Anna agreed. "But you were telling me why you flipped out." "Right. I was thinking about make-up work," Ryan gave Anna a look. She mimicked zipping her lips shut, "and I realized that Seth will never have to do make up work, or graduate, or get married and have kids, or sail the Caribbean, or do any of the things he want to do when he grew up." "Oh," Anna sighed. "That's really... I'm sorry I made fun of you." "It's fine Anna. I'm not made of glass, I won't break," Ryan was slightly annoyed. "Oh I know you won't," Anna laughed as Summer approached them. "Summer!" "Hey Anna, Ryan," Summer offered a small smile. Anna embraced her. "Summer," Anna sniffled unexpectedly, burying her head in her friend's shoulder. Summer patted Anna's back awkwardly and looked at Ryan questioningly. "I had a rough couple of minutes," he explained. "I think it may have rubbed off on Anna." "It's not that, exactly," Anna's voice was muffled by Summer's shoulder. "Summer just makes me wanna cry." "What is it down on Summer week? First Ryan says I'm nasty looking and now you're saying I make you want to cry. And of course my boyfriend is dead." Summer felt the tears well-up in her eyes as her joke fell flat. "Damn it. I promised myself I was going to get through the whole school day without crying!" Anna let go of Summer, her eyes red from crying. "Sorry about your shirt," Anna apologized. "Don't be dumb," Summer wiped her tears away. She looked at Ryan expectantly. "Well?" "Well what?" Ryan asked. "Are we staying here and going to class or are we ditching?" Summer asked. Ryan pondered for a moment. "As much as I'd love to declare the first annual Seth Cohen Memorial Ditch Day," he replied, "I think I need to try to get through this. You guys go though." "No, you're right," Anna assured Ryan. "Yeah, we should at least try to get through the morning," Summer decided. "At lunch we can decide about the afternoon." The bell rang and the three scattered off to their respective classes.
Anna was still dabbing at her eyes when Ryan sat down across from her at the table in the courtyard.
"Tough day?" He asked.
"Have you had Western Civ yet?" Anna replied.
"No. Why?" Ryan asked.
"I can guess," Summer slid in to the spot next to Anna and put an arm around Anna's shoulder. "All we did today was take notes on when kings were born, crowned..."
"...And died. I just kept seeing his gravestone in my mind, " Anna sighed, "I can't believe I broke down in the middle of a class!"
"Don't feel too bad. There was a word problem about sailing in math," Ryan shook his head.
"Guys, this is pathetic!" Summer declared. "Seth would be so mad!"
"Please. Seth was totally self-absorbed, he'd probably be flattered!" Anna exclaimed.
"Nice Anna," Summer scowled.
"He was and you know it. It was all part of the Cohen charm," as Anna said it she regretted it. Summer's scowl morphed into a grimace of pain. "Summer,"
She held up a hand, cutting Anna off.
"Just... give me a sec. Please?" Summer sucked in a deep breath of air. "Sorry, it's just God it hurts at the most unexpected moments."
"I know," Ryan put a hand on Summer's arm. "When I went to get breakfast this morning, his Captain Crunch is still in the cabinet. It's *cereal* for gods sake, and it totally gutted me."
"Yeah?" Anna said sympathetically. "I got an e-mail from Seth last night, asking about the Econ. homework, and he sent me a link I'd asked him for like a month ago. He must have sent it right before, you know and I hadn't checked my mail since. I sat there and sobbed at the computer for literally an hour."
"Really?" Summer asked. "I got a letter in my locker from him the day after he died. I haven't opened it yet. I wasn't ready."
"When is this going to get easier?" Anna demanded and then looked at Ryan curiously.
"I don't know Anna. I've never lost anyone like Seth before," Ryan ran his hand through his hair.
"Don't look now, but here come Marissa and Luke. To offer condolences I imagine," Summer rolled her eyes.
"And ask how we're doing," Ryan added. "If one more person asks how I'm doing..."
"Sum!" Marissa hugged her friend from behind. "I didn't see you this morning. I thought maybe you decided to stay home. How are you? Are you okay?"
"Fine," Summer glanced at Anna and Ryan and forced herself not to giggle, "thanks Coop."
"Sucks about Cohen," Luke muttered.
"That's one way of putting it Luke," Anna half-smiled at him.
"Anna!" Marissa admonished, "How can you smile at a time like this?"
Ryan bit his lip to keep from smiling himself.
"How can you not? It's a gorgeous day. The sun is shining, spring is coming..." Anna trailed off now grinning broadly.
"Seth is dead," Marissa said flatly. The smile vanished from Anna's face.
"Coop, Anna knows that," Summer said gently. "We all do. It's better to smile, harder, but better."
"I..." Marissa glanced at Anna.
"It's okay Marissa," Anna said calmly, grateful when the lunch bell rang. "Time for class!"