Author's note: I HEART ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEW!! u have no idea how excited
i am when i discover new reviews. believe me! this is going to end soon, im
sorry for the very very short appearances of summer and marissa.... anyways,
happy readings!
And because I've never mentioned it before:
I own none of the characters. I own the storyline though, so if you are
from the O.C. and want to use it this coming season, leave me a review with
a number where I can reach you. ;o)
XXX
Theresa apologetically paid for her coffee and croissant at the café before running to the ladies room. Standing before the sinks, she stared at a woman she barely knew. She was not carefree Theresa nor was she rebel Theresa. As much as she loved Ryan, she wasn't Theresa in love and she definitely was not pregnant Theresa. She simply was a girl with a humble background, currently angry at her mother for being relieved with the miscarriage, despised by her brother for dumping his best friend and leaving the one man she ever really loved. The one she still loved. The one she had to let go. The one that was just with Marissa Cooper- the rich, skinny, pampered Newport brat. Why couldn't Ryan at least wait until Theresa was gone?
After splashing water on her now coffee stained dress, she made her way out of the ladies room.
"He didn't come here to see Marissa. I swear." A voice attacked her as soon as she stepped unto the terminal floor again.
"What?" though she understood the jist of the statement, Theresa was still slightly confused.
"Ryan! He made my dad turn the car around so he could come here and beg you not to go." Seth explained hurriedly. "He was looking for you... Well, I was helping... When Marissa came out of nowhere and pounced on him. He doesn't know you saw, or that I've seen you. He's talking to Summer right now, I think. I don't know. But please, you've got to talk to him."
Theresa stood in silence for a few moments, absorbing the new information Ryan's brother had just bestowed upon her.
"So you're saying that you guys were in the car, didn't have a clue that Marissa was here and Ryan just up and asked for Mr. Cohen to turn the car around?" she said slowly, trying to clarify the news.
"Well, he kind of turned the car around himself, but yeah. He went nuts after he found this," Seth reached into his pocket and drew out the lily- shaped pendant. "Its yours, right?"
Theresa lost all capability to form words, much less sentences. She had purposely left that article in the car, she actually tried to stuff it into Ryan's pocket when he wasn't looking, but she had failed. She knew that if she took this with her, even with the country between them, Ryan would still be with her. Her running away now was about becoming her own person. Her own Ryan-free person.
Regret began to slither into her mind. Perhaps, it would be better if she stayed. After all, she tried living a Ryan-free life once. That had ended her with an engagement ring, an ambition-free fiancé and a series of bruises. NO. Theresa, what the hell? Leaving. Tonight. Atlanta.
"Hello? Theresa?" Seth pressed. Without knowing, Theresa had her palm flat on her abdomen. The lily-pendant struck her maternal instinct once again. Only, she shouldn't even have maternal instinct now.
"Ryan gave it to me. It's not mine to keep anymore."
XXX Realizing that Marissa was in tears as she tore through the gate, Summer took the opportunity to lay a smack on his shoulder. Staring at the short brunette, Ryan kept silent. His eyes were still darting around the massive room to find Theresa. But the penetrating aura of Summer forced him to fixate on her words. She began to question him on what he had just done to Marissa.
"Look. Summer." He said definitively, in an attempt to shut her the hell up. It worked. Her pouty lips fastened shut. "I'm here to find Theresa. She's supposed to be getting on a plane to Atlanta. Like, now."
"Oh." Her whole face fell. She was taken aback, completely unaware that Ryan and Theresa had lost the baby, her brow wrinkled in confusion at why the girl would be leaving.
"Yeah. I had no clue about New York." His voice was solid, neither apologizing nor insulting.
"Oh," again she was at a loss for things to say. The following words fell through her throat for no reason whatsoever, except maybe that in her heart, away from her prejudices against the Chino native, she knew he was a good person. "The trip was my idea. I really wanted Marissa to get out of Newport. She's been at a different party almost everyday for weeks now. And she hasn't exactly been going home in the best condition. You know? Passed out. Drunk. Generally just fucked."
"What?" this was the last thing Ryan needed at that particular moment.
"Her dad hasn't noticed because he's finally dating now. Which is cool, but his ex-girlfriend's sister?! Ew!" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "She's been messed up lately, Ryan. Pray that when she comes back she's better."
"Uh, okay." Ryan said somewhat dully, his eyes still shifted above Summer's head in search for Theresa. Summer realized that perhaps she had said too much, Ryan definitely didn't need this. He was there for his fiancé/ex- girlfriend/girlfriend... whatever she was.
"Look, I didn't mean to burden you with all this cra-"
"Thanks for telling, Summer." Ryan gave her a weak smile, and nodded in sincerity.
"Yeah, okay. Well, I've got to find Coop now." She smiled before turning and walking off towards the gates. But before she was even eight feet away, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked back at the confused Ryan Atwood. "See ya, Chino!"
XXX
Theresa managed to climb out of her coffee decorated dress and into an old but very comfy linen skirt and a plain white shirt. As she stepped out of the ladies room for the second time, she expected to see Seth, who had so kindly brought her the backpack that she carelessly left at the café when she ran off. Though knots still twisted in her heart when she thought of actually sitting on the plane, Theresa was glad about one thing. She was leaving her best friend in good hands. Seth was loyal and funny. Though not the most charming or best looking, he was at least interesting. They, Seth and Ryan, could spend hours together talking, sleeping in one another's rooms, going to various parties together... Her heart twisted once more. That was all the stuff she used to do with Ryan.
"FUCK! Why does everything go back to him?" Theresa thought out loud as she crossed the threshold out of the ladies room. She wasn't aware, but quite a few pairs of eyes landed on her when the statement reached the air. A few angry mothers shot annoyed looks at her for cursing in public but there was also a small dark haired girl, about four years old, that simply stared at her with large chestnut colored eyes. A girl, almost still a baby. Looking at her made Theresa want to lose it again.
"Go back to who?" a male voice said in a low tone. It wasn't Seth.
"You, Ryan. Who else?"
XXX
Theresa apologetically paid for her coffee and croissant at the café before running to the ladies room. Standing before the sinks, she stared at a woman she barely knew. She was not carefree Theresa nor was she rebel Theresa. As much as she loved Ryan, she wasn't Theresa in love and she definitely was not pregnant Theresa. She simply was a girl with a humble background, currently angry at her mother for being relieved with the miscarriage, despised by her brother for dumping his best friend and leaving the one man she ever really loved. The one she still loved. The one she had to let go. The one that was just with Marissa Cooper- the rich, skinny, pampered Newport brat. Why couldn't Ryan at least wait until Theresa was gone?
After splashing water on her now coffee stained dress, she made her way out of the ladies room.
"He didn't come here to see Marissa. I swear." A voice attacked her as soon as she stepped unto the terminal floor again.
"What?" though she understood the jist of the statement, Theresa was still slightly confused.
"Ryan! He made my dad turn the car around so he could come here and beg you not to go." Seth explained hurriedly. "He was looking for you... Well, I was helping... When Marissa came out of nowhere and pounced on him. He doesn't know you saw, or that I've seen you. He's talking to Summer right now, I think. I don't know. But please, you've got to talk to him."
Theresa stood in silence for a few moments, absorbing the new information Ryan's brother had just bestowed upon her.
"So you're saying that you guys were in the car, didn't have a clue that Marissa was here and Ryan just up and asked for Mr. Cohen to turn the car around?" she said slowly, trying to clarify the news.
"Well, he kind of turned the car around himself, but yeah. He went nuts after he found this," Seth reached into his pocket and drew out the lily- shaped pendant. "Its yours, right?"
Theresa lost all capability to form words, much less sentences. She had purposely left that article in the car, she actually tried to stuff it into Ryan's pocket when he wasn't looking, but she had failed. She knew that if she took this with her, even with the country between them, Ryan would still be with her. Her running away now was about becoming her own person. Her own Ryan-free person.
Regret began to slither into her mind. Perhaps, it would be better if she stayed. After all, she tried living a Ryan-free life once. That had ended her with an engagement ring, an ambition-free fiancé and a series of bruises. NO. Theresa, what the hell? Leaving. Tonight. Atlanta.
"Hello? Theresa?" Seth pressed. Without knowing, Theresa had her palm flat on her abdomen. The lily-pendant struck her maternal instinct once again. Only, she shouldn't even have maternal instinct now.
"Ryan gave it to me. It's not mine to keep anymore."
XXX Realizing that Marissa was in tears as she tore through the gate, Summer took the opportunity to lay a smack on his shoulder. Staring at the short brunette, Ryan kept silent. His eyes were still darting around the massive room to find Theresa. But the penetrating aura of Summer forced him to fixate on her words. She began to question him on what he had just done to Marissa.
"Look. Summer." He said definitively, in an attempt to shut her the hell up. It worked. Her pouty lips fastened shut. "I'm here to find Theresa. She's supposed to be getting on a plane to Atlanta. Like, now."
"Oh." Her whole face fell. She was taken aback, completely unaware that Ryan and Theresa had lost the baby, her brow wrinkled in confusion at why the girl would be leaving.
"Yeah. I had no clue about New York." His voice was solid, neither apologizing nor insulting.
"Oh," again she was at a loss for things to say. The following words fell through her throat for no reason whatsoever, except maybe that in her heart, away from her prejudices against the Chino native, she knew he was a good person. "The trip was my idea. I really wanted Marissa to get out of Newport. She's been at a different party almost everyday for weeks now. And she hasn't exactly been going home in the best condition. You know? Passed out. Drunk. Generally just fucked."
"What?" this was the last thing Ryan needed at that particular moment.
"Her dad hasn't noticed because he's finally dating now. Which is cool, but his ex-girlfriend's sister?! Ew!" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "She's been messed up lately, Ryan. Pray that when she comes back she's better."
"Uh, okay." Ryan said somewhat dully, his eyes still shifted above Summer's head in search for Theresa. Summer realized that perhaps she had said too much, Ryan definitely didn't need this. He was there for his fiancé/ex- girlfriend/girlfriend... whatever she was.
"Look, I didn't mean to burden you with all this cra-"
"Thanks for telling, Summer." Ryan gave her a weak smile, and nodded in sincerity.
"Yeah, okay. Well, I've got to find Coop now." She smiled before turning and walking off towards the gates. But before she was even eight feet away, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked back at the confused Ryan Atwood. "See ya, Chino!"
XXX
Theresa managed to climb out of her coffee decorated dress and into an old but very comfy linen skirt and a plain white shirt. As she stepped out of the ladies room for the second time, she expected to see Seth, who had so kindly brought her the backpack that she carelessly left at the café when she ran off. Though knots still twisted in her heart when she thought of actually sitting on the plane, Theresa was glad about one thing. She was leaving her best friend in good hands. Seth was loyal and funny. Though not the most charming or best looking, he was at least interesting. They, Seth and Ryan, could spend hours together talking, sleeping in one another's rooms, going to various parties together... Her heart twisted once more. That was all the stuff she used to do with Ryan.
"FUCK! Why does everything go back to him?" Theresa thought out loud as she crossed the threshold out of the ladies room. She wasn't aware, but quite a few pairs of eyes landed on her when the statement reached the air. A few angry mothers shot annoyed looks at her for cursing in public but there was also a small dark haired girl, about four years old, that simply stared at her with large chestnut colored eyes. A girl, almost still a baby. Looking at her made Theresa want to lose it again.
"Go back to who?" a male voice said in a low tone. It wasn't Seth.
"You, Ryan. Who else?"