Chapter 3: A Man On A Mission
- - - - - - - - - -
"Hello? Hi, I need a number for the Cooper family?"
"There are two, which would you like? Mrs or Mr Cooper?"
"Mr Cooper, thanks."
"Hang on..."
"..."
"OK, here it is..."
"Wait. Can you just put me through? It's urgent?"
"Who is this?"
"It's complicated. Mr Cooper's daughter is dating this guy Ryan?. I'm his
brother, Tre. Something is up at home, I just thought he might be there
with her, as I tried his home and he wasn't there."
"Fine. I'll put you through..."
- - - - - - - - - -
"C'mon Cohen, I know how much you like it?"
"No, really, it's fine."
It was Saturday morning, and Summer had rung Seth to see if he wanted to go
to the cinema later on that night. Seth was trying his best to avoid
Summer, however it was a lot harder than he thought it would be.
"Look. OK, I don't know what's going on, but you've been, like, seeing me
less lately. Have I done anything..."
"No, trust me. You haven't done anything wrong. It's just, erm, Ryan. Yeah,
Ryan's... collectable... erm..." Seth was busy thinking up an excuse, while
Summer was losing her patience on the other side. "Ryan's collectable toy
bear! Yeah, he kinda lost it, and hasn't been feeling the same, and you
know how brother's energy kinda flows between them, and stuff?"
"Firstly, you're not brothers."
"Legally we are, just not genetically!"
"Whatever. Secondly, Ryan collects bears?" Summer was anxious to know about
this, as Ryan's weaknesses were always hidden, and any chance she got to
get under his skin, she grabbed it.
"Yeah, well no. He had this one bear since he was... erm..." Seth looked
around the room, noticing a picture of him at the end of primary school
with Kirsten and Sandy. "Since he finished primary school. You know, kinda
kept it for a good luck charm?" Summer bought the story, and the two
chatted for a while. Eventually, Summer persuaded Seth to come to the
cinema with her, although he wasn't too happy about it.
Seth had been getting very defensive around Summer lately. After the whole
'propose' thing, she'd been acting quite strange. He asked her about it the
next day, and she flipped into a different mode, and studdering everytime
she opened her mouth. Something was up with Summer, but Seth didn't know
what it was yet. But he knew he had to find out, otherwise something
drastic could be happening to the odd couple.
- - - - - - - - - -
Meanwhile, in the Cohen/Cooper mansion on the other side of town, Marissa
was waking up to a still-sleeping Ryan. The two had drifted off while on
the couch in Marissa's room, which was big enough to be Ryan's poolhouse.
She slid her hand out from under his body, then crept over to her bed and
picked up a pillow. Marissa crept back over to the couch on her toes, then
raised the pillow, and hit Ryan across the head with it.
"Ow! Hey, what?" Ryan, half-asleep, saw Marissa pull her arms back again
for another swing, but this time he intercepted it, and grabbed her arms.
"No, no, no! Please!" But it didn't do Marissa any good. He took the pillow
from her, and batted his left hand with it a few times, before whipping her
lightly on the legs. "Cut it out, Ryan! You'll wake my..."
"Mom? No, I'm already up, dear," intervined Julie, who entered the room
afterwards. Ryan threw the pillow back on the bed, and stood upright next
to Marissa. "What have you got planned today, because I thought we could go
out for lunch, you know? Have a little mother/daughter time?"
"Erm... I don't know what I'm doing yet. I'll get back to you in a minute?"
"Sure, hun. Good morning Ryan."
"Morning."
"Hope you had a good sleep..." Julie left the room, giggling to herself in
her mind, while Ryan looked nervously at Marissa.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that I'm gonna get that pillow again!" And Marissa raced to the
bed, and grabbed the pillow. Ryan dived on after her, but she got up in
time and got ready to swing. However, Ryan took another pillow, and the two
exchanged blows with the feathered bags. After minutes of fighting, Ryan
eventually dropped his pillow, and Marissa laughed. She went to hit him in
the head, but he ran into her, knocking them both on the bed.
"I missed these times over the holidays, you know?" Marissa looked into
Ryan's eyes, then dropped her weapon. "You know, just us two, alone?"
"Me too. I mean, you know, I'd have gotten over you eventually but..."
"You're on thin ice, mister!" And then it went quiet. The couple were
sweating after their little fight, and all of a sudden, they kissed again.
This time, much longer than then night at the cinema. Half-way through, and
they heard a bang on the window. Ryan jumped off of Marissa, who got up as
well, and walked over to the balcony to find Seth and Summer, and a rock
next to the window.
"You coming or what," Seth shouted
"You wanna?"
"Sure. I mean, it must be way more fun than what we were doing." Marissa's
arms crept down Ryan's, and she walked off to get changed. Seth and Summer
stared on, waiting for an answer.
"Erm... she'll be down in a minute," Ryan blared out the window.
"Ryan?" Seth didn't know that Ryan stayed over at Marissa's, and neither
did the all-knowing Summer. After Marissa got changed, and Ryan slipped his
clothes on, the two went downstairs and out the front door to meet the
others. Summer rushed over to Marissa, and dragged her round a corner while
Ryan casually walked over to Seth.
"Did you guys?"
"So, what happened, dude?"
"We didn't do anything..."
"Nothing happened, I just stayed over."
"Fine."
"Fine.
"Good."
"Good."
- - - - - - - - - -
"Oh, look who's trying to be a daredevil!" It was getting dark in Newport,
and the four-some had been out all day. Seth and Summer were walking
together, while Marissa was balancing on a low wall with Ryan holding her
hand. "What do you think would happen if I... let go!"
"No!" And Ryan took his hand away. Marissa swayed from side-to-side, until
Ryan grabbed her by the hips and held her again. "Don't ever do that
again!"
"God, I'm glad we aren't like that."
"Oh you are?" Summer's eyebrows raised like an inch, and Seth panicked.
"I mean, I thought... you never..."
"No fun for you tonight, Mr Cohen," Marissa joked as she jumped off the
end. Ryan started to join in with him, but Summer wasn't laughing.
Something was clearly on her mind, something too big to joke about. "C'mon,
Sum? It was just a joke."
"No, it's OK Coop. It's not you..." It all went silent, and the four walked
down the street.
"OK, I'm going to my dad's tonight. I get to go there once a week. You're
welcome to come if you want, you guys?"
"It's alright. I have to go home anyway, homework and stuff."
"Homework? On a Saturday? What are you, like, a dork?" Summer laughed at
that one, but no one else did.
"Hey what's up with you tonight Sum? You seem... agitated?"
"I'm not agitated, Coop! I'm just stressed out. I've been planning a lot
lately, you know, thinking about stuff."
"Alright, whatever. Well I'm going now. You coming?" Marissa stared down
the boys, and Seth waved his hands to signal he wasn't going. However, Ryan
shrugged and joined her as they walked up the road. "I'll see you two
lovebirds later!" Marissa and Ryan waved their friends goodbye, and then
walked round the corner out of view. Summer started walking on, and then
Seth ran to catch her up. But she just sped up, until he caught her and
grabbed her.
"What is up with you tonight! I mean, it's like I don't even know you! And
you're Summer, the one person I know the most! Seriously, is something
bothering you?"
"Look, Cohen! You've been practically avoiding me since the first day of
school! I don't know about you not knowing me, but right now it feels like
I don't know you." Then Seth let go, and Summer continued on her way home.
"Are you gonna call me tomorrow?"
"Whatever. Goodnight." And Summer disappeared behind the bushes, leaving
Seth all on his own.
"See, it's the teddy bear thing... oh forget it!" Seth licked his ice-
cream, and dragged himself back to the house.
- - - - - - - - - -
"So dad, anything new?" Marissa opened the door with her arm around Ryan,
then flipped the swtich for the lights.
"Dad's not here," a third voice said.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Hello? Hi, I need a number for the Cooper family?"
"There are two, which would you like? Mrs or Mr Cooper?"
"Mr Cooper, thanks."
"Hang on..."
"..."
"OK, here it is..."
"Wait. Can you just put me through? It's urgent?"
"Who is this?"
"It's complicated. Mr Cooper's daughter is dating this guy Ryan?. I'm his
brother, Tre. Something is up at home, I just thought he might be there
with her, as I tried his home and he wasn't there."
"Fine. I'll put you through..."
- - - - - - - - - -
"C'mon Cohen, I know how much you like it?"
"No, really, it's fine."
It was Saturday morning, and Summer had rung Seth to see if he wanted to go
to the cinema later on that night. Seth was trying his best to avoid
Summer, however it was a lot harder than he thought it would be.
"Look. OK, I don't know what's going on, but you've been, like, seeing me
less lately. Have I done anything..."
"No, trust me. You haven't done anything wrong. It's just, erm, Ryan. Yeah,
Ryan's... collectable... erm..." Seth was busy thinking up an excuse, while
Summer was losing her patience on the other side. "Ryan's collectable toy
bear! Yeah, he kinda lost it, and hasn't been feeling the same, and you
know how brother's energy kinda flows between them, and stuff?"
"Firstly, you're not brothers."
"Legally we are, just not genetically!"
"Whatever. Secondly, Ryan collects bears?" Summer was anxious to know about
this, as Ryan's weaknesses were always hidden, and any chance she got to
get under his skin, she grabbed it.
"Yeah, well no. He had this one bear since he was... erm..." Seth looked
around the room, noticing a picture of him at the end of primary school
with Kirsten and Sandy. "Since he finished primary school. You know, kinda
kept it for a good luck charm?" Summer bought the story, and the two
chatted for a while. Eventually, Summer persuaded Seth to come to the
cinema with her, although he wasn't too happy about it.
Seth had been getting very defensive around Summer lately. After the whole
'propose' thing, she'd been acting quite strange. He asked her about it the
next day, and she flipped into a different mode, and studdering everytime
she opened her mouth. Something was up with Summer, but Seth didn't know
what it was yet. But he knew he had to find out, otherwise something
drastic could be happening to the odd couple.
- - - - - - - - - -
Meanwhile, in the Cohen/Cooper mansion on the other side of town, Marissa
was waking up to a still-sleeping Ryan. The two had drifted off while on
the couch in Marissa's room, which was big enough to be Ryan's poolhouse.
She slid her hand out from under his body, then crept over to her bed and
picked up a pillow. Marissa crept back over to the couch on her toes, then
raised the pillow, and hit Ryan across the head with it.
"Ow! Hey, what?" Ryan, half-asleep, saw Marissa pull her arms back again
for another swing, but this time he intercepted it, and grabbed her arms.
"No, no, no! Please!" But it didn't do Marissa any good. He took the pillow
from her, and batted his left hand with it a few times, before whipping her
lightly on the legs. "Cut it out, Ryan! You'll wake my..."
"Mom? No, I'm already up, dear," intervined Julie, who entered the room
afterwards. Ryan threw the pillow back on the bed, and stood upright next
to Marissa. "What have you got planned today, because I thought we could go
out for lunch, you know? Have a little mother/daughter time?"
"Erm... I don't know what I'm doing yet. I'll get back to you in a minute?"
"Sure, hun. Good morning Ryan."
"Morning."
"Hope you had a good sleep..." Julie left the room, giggling to herself in
her mind, while Ryan looked nervously at Marissa.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that I'm gonna get that pillow again!" And Marissa raced to the
bed, and grabbed the pillow. Ryan dived on after her, but she got up in
time and got ready to swing. However, Ryan took another pillow, and the two
exchanged blows with the feathered bags. After minutes of fighting, Ryan
eventually dropped his pillow, and Marissa laughed. She went to hit him in
the head, but he ran into her, knocking them both on the bed.
"I missed these times over the holidays, you know?" Marissa looked into
Ryan's eyes, then dropped her weapon. "You know, just us two, alone?"
"Me too. I mean, you know, I'd have gotten over you eventually but..."
"You're on thin ice, mister!" And then it went quiet. The couple were
sweating after their little fight, and all of a sudden, they kissed again.
This time, much longer than then night at the cinema. Half-way through, and
they heard a bang on the window. Ryan jumped off of Marissa, who got up as
well, and walked over to the balcony to find Seth and Summer, and a rock
next to the window.
"You coming or what," Seth shouted
"You wanna?"
"Sure. I mean, it must be way more fun than what we were doing." Marissa's
arms crept down Ryan's, and she walked off to get changed. Seth and Summer
stared on, waiting for an answer.
"Erm... she'll be down in a minute," Ryan blared out the window.
"Ryan?" Seth didn't know that Ryan stayed over at Marissa's, and neither
did the all-knowing Summer. After Marissa got changed, and Ryan slipped his
clothes on, the two went downstairs and out the front door to meet the
others. Summer rushed over to Marissa, and dragged her round a corner while
Ryan casually walked over to Seth.
"Did you guys?"
"So, what happened, dude?"
"We didn't do anything..."
"Nothing happened, I just stayed over."
"Fine."
"Fine.
"Good."
"Good."
- - - - - - - - - -
"Oh, look who's trying to be a daredevil!" It was getting dark in Newport,
and the four-some had been out all day. Seth and Summer were walking
together, while Marissa was balancing on a low wall with Ryan holding her
hand. "What do you think would happen if I... let go!"
"No!" And Ryan took his hand away. Marissa swayed from side-to-side, until
Ryan grabbed her by the hips and held her again. "Don't ever do that
again!"
"God, I'm glad we aren't like that."
"Oh you are?" Summer's eyebrows raised like an inch, and Seth panicked.
"I mean, I thought... you never..."
"No fun for you tonight, Mr Cohen," Marissa joked as she jumped off the
end. Ryan started to join in with him, but Summer wasn't laughing.
Something was clearly on her mind, something too big to joke about. "C'mon,
Sum? It was just a joke."
"No, it's OK Coop. It's not you..." It all went silent, and the four walked
down the street.
"OK, I'm going to my dad's tonight. I get to go there once a week. You're
welcome to come if you want, you guys?"
"It's alright. I have to go home anyway, homework and stuff."
"Homework? On a Saturday? What are you, like, a dork?" Summer laughed at
that one, but no one else did.
"Hey what's up with you tonight Sum? You seem... agitated?"
"I'm not agitated, Coop! I'm just stressed out. I've been planning a lot
lately, you know, thinking about stuff."
"Alright, whatever. Well I'm going now. You coming?" Marissa stared down
the boys, and Seth waved his hands to signal he wasn't going. However, Ryan
shrugged and joined her as they walked up the road. "I'll see you two
lovebirds later!" Marissa and Ryan waved their friends goodbye, and then
walked round the corner out of view. Summer started walking on, and then
Seth ran to catch her up. But she just sped up, until he caught her and
grabbed her.
"What is up with you tonight! I mean, it's like I don't even know you! And
you're Summer, the one person I know the most! Seriously, is something
bothering you?"
"Look, Cohen! You've been practically avoiding me since the first day of
school! I don't know about you not knowing me, but right now it feels like
I don't know you." Then Seth let go, and Summer continued on her way home.
"Are you gonna call me tomorrow?"
"Whatever. Goodnight." And Summer disappeared behind the bushes, leaving
Seth all on his own.
"See, it's the teddy bear thing... oh forget it!" Seth licked his ice-
cream, and dragged himself back to the house.
- - - - - - - - - -
"So dad, anything new?" Marissa opened the door with her arm around Ryan,
then flipped the swtich for the lights.
"Dad's not here," a third voice said.