Sorry for the long delay. I wrote three versions of this chapter before I could go on. I hope you like it…. Read and review.
The first day of school was always tumultuous while everyone busily caught up with their friends for the first time since the beginning of summer. When Seth walked into his classroom he surveyed the room looking for a familiar friendly face, but saw no one he wanted to talk to. Except Ryan. But even Ryan had teammates from the soccer team he hadn't seen during registration week and he was talking to them. Seth took a seat in the far corner and threw his backpack on the desk next to him, saving it for Ryan. From the corner of his eye, Seth searched for Mitch, but he wasn't there.
Mr. Tolliver, a thin balding man with a graying beard, walked into the room as soon as the bell rang. Immediately, the teens scrambled for an empty seat and waited for the first day procedure to begin. Tolliver didn't waste any time. He pulled out the attendance sheet, cleared his throat and began calling names.
"Ryan Atwood-Cohen."
"Here." Ryan raised his hand.
"When did you change your name?" The teacher asked, uncharacteristically raising his eyes from the paper.
"Beginning of the summer."
Tolliver furrowed his brows, but didn't push further when Ryan didn't offer to explain. Seth looked at his brother and wondered why Ryan didn't say anything. He knew in his gut that Ryan was a private person, but sometimes he just wished that Ryan would shout it from the rooftops. I'm a Cohen now! Sometimes Seth wondered how Ryan really felt about the adoption.
"Seth Cohen."
"Here."
"Any relation?" the teacher asked, teasing.
"As a matter of fact, yes."
The teacher waited for an explanation, but none came. A nervous titter went through the room. Tolliver wasn't used to not having his questions left unanswered. He was a formidable teacher, one that made even the toughest students cry. He waited a beat for Seth to elaborate and then continued calling attendance when he didn't. When the teacher's attention was on the other side of the classroom, Seth and Ryan exchanged amused glances. Seth was biting his lip, trying not to laugh. The truth was, it never occurred to him how people in school might react to Ryan's adoption and the name change. They were getting their first glimpse.
"Maybe, I should hyphenate my name too," Seth whispered. "That'll really confuse them."
"Cohen!" barked the teacher.
"Yes," Seth and Ryan answered simultaneously.
Tolliver sneered. "Pay attention. You might need this."
Seth and Ryan tried to look contrite, but it was dawning on both of them how much fun this could be.
By lunch the fun had stopped. After homeroom, Seth realized he didn't share any classes with Ryan or Summer or Marissa. During his junior year he had kept saying how much better his life was now that he had friends, but he was slowly realizing how small his world was. With totally different schedules than his few friends — he didn't even need one hand to count them — he had no one.
He shoved his lunch tray away and stalked to the racquetball courts. Dumping his bag on the sidelines, Seth grabbed a paddle and ball and started to hit it hard against the wall. Thwack. The ball slammed against the wall and bounced back to him. He had to sprint to the side so he could reach it and slam it back against the wall. Sweat ran down his head after only three volleys and his shirt started to stick to his back, but Seth didn't care.
"Ditching on the first day?"
Seth whirled around looking to see who was talking. It was Mitch.
"Hey," Seth said, a smile spreading across his lips.
"What class are you avoiding?"
"I'm not sure. P.E.?"
Mitch grinned.
"I still have lunch," Seth amended. "How about you?"
"The same," replied Mitch.
"So all is not lost. There's someone besides the pod people to talk to."
"This isn't the friendliest of places," Mitch agreed.
"You're a fast learner."
Mitch took a paddle from the equipment basket and took up a volley with Seth.
"How do you like it so far?"
Mitch shrugged. "It's all the same. The teachers are crabby or full of it. The kids think they're…" Mitch searched for the right words. "They think they're too sexy for their shirts," he said referring to the song by Right Said Fred.
"It's the Abercrombie crowd. What do you expect?"
"So how come you didn't get sucked in?"
"Because my dad's a Jewish lawyer from the Bronx."
Mitch nodded knowingly.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. "What do you have next?" he asked Mitch.
Mitch pulled out his program card and showed it to Seth. "I'm thinking of ditching. I don't need French. I already fulfilled my foreign language requirement."
"They're totally up your ass if you miss a class." Seth put his bag over his shoulder. "They call home and everything. My brother nearly got suspended for leaving school one day last year."
Mitch considered this for a moment. "I guess I won't start up with my dad on the first day of school. We have enough to fight about as it is. Are you walking my way?"
Seth nodded, wondering what Mitch had meant. There seemed to be a lot of back-story to Mitch. They ambled to the main building where their classes were being held.
"Catch you later?" Mitch asked.
Seth waved and said, "Sure thing."
Seth quietly slipped into the house at the end of the day. Ryan was still with Marissa, and Summer's step mom was coming home from Canyon Ranch and she had to be there to greet her. The Cohen house was unusually quiet. Christina must be sleeping, he thought. Stopping in the kitchen, he grabbed a bag of chips and a coke and then parked himself in front of the Play station.
He played for a half hour before his mother walked in and said, "Seth, when did you come home? I didn't hear you come in."
Seth shrugged his shoulders and popped another chip in his mouth. "Thought you and the baby were sleeping," he said. "I didn't want to disturb."
"That was so sweet," she said, rubbing his shoulders. "It's been a trying day. We have three more interviews lined up for tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll have a decent nanny soon."
"Welcome to Newport," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Good luck," he said loudly.
Kirsten gave her son a funny look, but decided not to pursue it. Seth had been acting strange all summer. "Where's Ryan?"
"Am I my brother's keeper?"
"Are you okay, Seth?"
"It's a joke, Mom. He's with Marissa. I guess at her place."
"As long as he's home for dinner. We've got to start doing dinner more regularly now that you're back in school and the baby is a little bigger."
"Sure thing, mom." Sometimes Kirsten thought they were the Cleavers.
"Did you meet anyone?" Seth asked Mitch. They were sitting on the pier, which was forbidden to students during school hours. Seth hadn't wanted to come at first, but Mitch had convinced him. He and Mitch had made a habit of meeting up during lunch and hanging out someplace secluded, away from the rest of the crowds.
"Besides you. Not really."
"I'd introduce you to my brother, but he doesn't have lunch with us."
"I'm sure we'll eventually meet." Mitch threw a pebble into the water. "Why are you always so sleepy?" Mitch asked curiously as Seth stifled another yawn.
"New baby in the house. Christina has a set of lungs like you wouldn't believe."
"Christina? Not a very Jewish sounding name."
"She's named for my grandmother. I'm only half Jewish."
"Which half?"
"I told you, my dad."
"You know that means you're not Jewish."
"Right. I'm half Jewish."
Mitch shook his head. "The Jews don't go halves. They only consider you Jewish if you're Jewish from your maternal side. My parents made me take lessons for my Bar Mitzvah." Mitch offered by way of explaining his plethora of knowledge on Judaism.
Seth's heart skipped a beat. Being Jewish was a huge part of him. What was Mitch talking about?
"You okay, Cohen?"
"Yeah. Fine."
"It's not a big deal. Is it? Does it change anything for you?'
Seth shrugged. "I guess there's not reason to celebrate Chrismukkah."
"Huh?"
So Seth explained how he had combined his two favorite holidays, Christmas and Hanukkah into one holiday so he wouldn't have to choose between the two.
"That's twisted man."
"I am twisted."
Mitch giggled, shoving Seth to the side. "You're white. Is it such a shock to find out you're not Jewish?"
"It's not a big deal!" Seth insisted. "So I'm not Jewish. I'm still me. It doesn't change anything."
From a distance they could hear the bell ring, signaling the end of lunch.
Seth jumped up. "It's not a big deal."
But it was. Seth's inside felt queasy. He felt lost. So much of himself had been wrapped in his knowledge of being a Jew. His Bar Mitzvah had been for nothing? Did he have to return all those presents? Did that mean he shouldn't celebrate Passover and all the other holidays? Had his father lied to him or did Sandy not know that by marrying a non-Jew his children wouldn't be Jewish.
Seth leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes, trying to reign in all his wild thoughts. He was about to go into AP English and he needed his wits about him. But he just couldn't concentrate. It was futile.