A/N: Sorry if the formatting on this chapter is weird. I'm an idiot...
Chapter 13:
"So, where are we going?" Ryan asked as he climbed into the front seat of
Summer's car.
"I don't know," Summer informed him as she pulled out of the parking lot,
"the beach?"
"Which? There are lots of beaches around here," Anna pointed out.
"I know a place," Summer began driving north.
The car was strangely quiet during the ride. The radio was off, and somehow
the silence was appropriate.
Summer pulled into the parking lot of Crystal Cove State Beach. Without
speaking the three friends followed the long trail down to the beach.
"Seth would find this funny," Ryan stated.
"If he was here silence wouldn't be an issue," Anna observed.
"You're right He would have turned on the radio and started rambling,"
Summer agreed as they finally reached the shore.
"It's very quiet without him," Ryan stated softly.
Summer sat suddenly. She picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle
through her fingers. Anna sat next to her and looked up at Ryan curiously.
He joined the girls with a thud.
"Silence again," Summer commented.
"Funny isn't it? Crashing waves, chirping birds, and all I feel is quiet,"
Anna observed.
"Yeah."
"Is this why you're always quiet Ryan? Do you just always feel still and
contemplative?" Anna inquired.
"No," Ryan replied. The girls waited for him to elaborate. "It's a safety
thing. All of Seth's talking used to seem naive."
"What does it seem like now?" Summer asked. Ryan shrugged,
"Strategy. I get in less trouble with my mouth shut. Seth was more
successful being noticed and ignored."
Summer stared at the ground, "I ignored him for so long. I waited too long
to get to know him."
Her tears dampened the sand. Anna rubbed her back.
"We all did," Ryan reminded her. "None of us knew really knew Seth for very
long."
"True," Summer looked up, her face stained with tears.
Anna jumped up suddenly. She paced to the water and back again.
"Anna?" Ryan asked. Anna shook her head and kept walking.
"Anna?" Summer tried. Anna ignored her, continuing to pace as though she
could chase her thought from her head.
Ryan caught Anna's arm and embraced her.
"Talk to us Anna. Please?" Summer requested.
Anna shook her head vigorously.
"You have to tell us," Ryan instructed Anna. "That's the whole point of us
all being friends. Talk to us Anna."
Anna stepped away from Ryan. She sniffled, trying to fight back tears. She
whispered, "This time last week, Seth was alive."
The realization left Ryan struggling to breathe.
Summer's reaction was somewhat different. She yanked Anna around to face
her, and for the briefest moment Ryan thought that Summer might hit the
other girl, but swiftly and surely Summer embraced Anna tightly.
Watching the scene unfold, Ryan understood that Summer loved as fiercely as
she fought. It was something Ryan recognized in himself.
Ryan settled himself in the sand. He watched Anna regain her composure, and
after checking to make sure Ryan was alright, she began to comfort Summer.
Anna was balance. Give and take. A shade of gray, the same shade of gray
that Ryan knew himself to be.
Chapter 13:
"So, where are we going?" Ryan asked as he climbed into the front seat of
Summer's car.
"I don't know," Summer informed him as she pulled out of the parking lot,
"the beach?"
"Which? There are lots of beaches around here," Anna pointed out.
"I know a place," Summer began driving north.
The car was strangely quiet during the ride. The radio was off, and somehow
the silence was appropriate.
Summer pulled into the parking lot of Crystal Cove State Beach. Without
speaking the three friends followed the long trail down to the beach.
"Seth would find this funny," Ryan stated.
"If he was here silence wouldn't be an issue," Anna observed.
"You're right He would have turned on the radio and started rambling,"
Summer agreed as they finally reached the shore.
"It's very quiet without him," Ryan stated softly.
Summer sat suddenly. She picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle
through her fingers. Anna sat next to her and looked up at Ryan curiously.
He joined the girls with a thud.
"Silence again," Summer commented.
"Funny isn't it? Crashing waves, chirping birds, and all I feel is quiet,"
Anna observed.
"Yeah."
"Is this why you're always quiet Ryan? Do you just always feel still and
contemplative?" Anna inquired.
"No," Ryan replied. The girls waited for him to elaborate. "It's a safety
thing. All of Seth's talking used to seem naive."
"What does it seem like now?" Summer asked. Ryan shrugged,
"Strategy. I get in less trouble with my mouth shut. Seth was more
successful being noticed and ignored."
Summer stared at the ground, "I ignored him for so long. I waited too long
to get to know him."
Her tears dampened the sand. Anna rubbed her back.
"We all did," Ryan reminded her. "None of us knew really knew Seth for very
long."
"True," Summer looked up, her face stained with tears.
Anna jumped up suddenly. She paced to the water and back again.
"Anna?" Ryan asked. Anna shook her head and kept walking.
"Anna?" Summer tried. Anna ignored her, continuing to pace as though she
could chase her thought from her head.
Ryan caught Anna's arm and embraced her.
"Talk to us Anna. Please?" Summer requested.
Anna shook her head vigorously.
"You have to tell us," Ryan instructed Anna. "That's the whole point of us
all being friends. Talk to us Anna."
Anna stepped away from Ryan. She sniffled, trying to fight back tears. She
whispered, "This time last week, Seth was alive."
The realization left Ryan struggling to breathe.
Summer's reaction was somewhat different. She yanked Anna around to face
her, and for the briefest moment Ryan thought that Summer might hit the
other girl, but swiftly and surely Summer embraced Anna tightly.
Watching the scene unfold, Ryan understood that Summer loved as fiercely as
she fought. It was something Ryan recognized in himself.
Ryan settled himself in the sand. He watched Anna regain her composure, and
after checking to make sure Ryan was alright, she began to comfort Summer.
Anna was balance. Give and take. A shade of gray, the same shade of gray
that Ryan knew himself to be.