Note: I don't own The O.C.
This chapter is the conclusion of the long Christmas night, but with a twist at the end. Please R&R, thanks!
Marissa and Summer sat together in silence for what seemed like a long time. Summer got herself together and stopped crying. She cleaned the smeared makeup from her face and reapplied her mascara.
"You should talk to your dad," Marissa said softly, not wanting to upset Summer any further.
"Yeah, okay," she grabbed her purse and Marissa followed her out of her bedroom. Ryan and Seth were nowhere to be seen.
They went downstairs and into her father's study, where he was sitting with the boys, who looked like they knew something was wrong. Seth stood up immediately and looked at Summer, but didn't know what to say.
"Summer, we need to talk," her father said.
"About moving to Baltimore?" she said angrily. "What? You told them, but not me?!"
"We'll wait outside," Ryan said, motioning for Seth and Marissa to go with him.
Once they were out of the room, Summer's father Neil confirmed Summer's fears. He had accepted a full time position at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Baltimore, Maryland, and they were going to be leaving in less than two weeks.
Summer let him finish as she sat quietly, trying not to cry again. When he finally finished, she stood up, gave him a look that could kill, and walked out of the room. She didn't ask any questions, she didn't yell or scream, she didn't get angry at him for not telling her until now. At least not so he could see.
She found the others waiting for her in the kitchen.
"Let's get out of here," she said. She didn't stop to explain and they followed her out of the house. "Merry Christmas to me," she said sarcastically as they all piled into the car Seth was driving and Marissa and Summer sat in the backseat.
They drove to a place high in the hills, and Summer pulled a liquor bottle out of her purse and took a big gulp, followed by a nasty look on her face.
"Sum," Marissa started with a warning tone, but then stopped when she saw Summer's glare. "Fine," she said and grabbed the bottle from her best friend, also taking a huge drink.
Ryan noticed what they were doing as Seth parked the car at an overlook.
"You guys are drinking?" he asked in disbelief. "You are not getting back in the car with that bottle, do you hear me?"
"Fine," Summer said as she took another drink.
Seth pulled a blanket out from the back of the car and spread it out on the ground. The four of them sat down together to admire the view, and Marissa and Summer passed the vodka back and forth until the bottle was completely empty.
Seth looked at Ryan behind the girls, but Ryan just shrugged.
"You know, Sum," Marissa slurred, "It won't be that bad. Now that my mom's married to that Trump wannabe, we can just fly you out on a private jet every weekend." The girls giggled in their intoxicated state.
Ryan and Seth were the only ones that heard a car pull up somewhere behind them. They turned around as two police officers got out of the car and started walking toward them.
Panicked, Ryan tossed the bottle off the overlook and told Summer and Marissa to keep quiet. They all turned around just as the cops walked up to them.
Ryan jumped up as the police approached them.
"Officer," he said.
"What are you kids doing up here so late?" the tall thin one asked in a gentle voice.
"We, uh, we just," Ryan stuttered as he pointed at the others, "my friend is moving away and she's having kind of a hard time, so we just came here to talk."
"Okay, well, it's past curfew now so you should get home soon," the same cop said and started to turn around. But the other one, he was shorter and meaner looking, he wasn't satisfied.
"What's wrong with them two?" he asked looking at Summer and Marissa. They were giggling and fumbling around on the blanket.
"Uh, them? Nothing, they, uh, uh..." Ryan didn't know what to say. They were drunk? No, Ryan thought, better not say that.
"Oh, you know," Seth said casually as he jumped up and stood next to Ryan, "Women. They're so dramatic, no one ever knows why," he said shaking his head in mock shame, "They don't even know why."
The short police officer chuckled. "Yeah, alright. Get 'em outta here though, this ain't no place for kids."
"Yes sir," Seth nodded as they walked away and got into their car. "Hmm, who knew a little sexist commentary would get rid of the law," he joked. He sat back down on the blanket and Summer laid her head in his lap. "Don't throw up down there, okay?" he said as he stroked her hair.
Ryan hesitantly sat down next to Marissa, who was a little bit tipsy, but not drunk. "Are you, uh. . .okay?" he asked her.
"I'm fine," she said smiling. She cuddled up against him, making it clear that she didn't want to talk about her drinking. She hadn't even been out of rehab for 2 months and she was drinking again. Ryan figured they could talk about it later.
After a while, Summer passed out in Seth's lap and he maneuvered his way out from underneath her and walked/carried her to the car. He stood outside the car door and called his mom to let her know everything was fine.
"So," Ryan started, "You ready to go? It looks like they are," he nodded toward the car.
"Yeah, okay," Marissa said. Ryan stood up and offered her help, but she insisted on getting up herself, and she made it on the second try. When she saw Ryan's look, she got upset. "I'm fine!"
Ryan drove this time and pulled the car up to the Cohen's house.
"Dude, what are we doing?" Seth asked, trying to hold Summer up so she didn't fall onto him again.
"Theresa's in Chino," was all Ryan said, and he and Seth propped Summer up and took her to the empty poolhouse. They got her into the bed and Seth kissed her forehead.
"I can't believe she's really going to move away," Seth said. It was finally sinking in with him, and he moped off into the main house.
"Thanks," Marissa said. "I'll call my mom and Summer's dad."
"Okay," Ryan said, still concerned about Marissa's drinking. "You still don't want to talk?" he blurted out.
"Ryan, you don't have to worry about me-"
"But I do!" he interrupted her. He continued in a softer tone, "I care about you, okay? I want you to be able to talk to me."
"Well, thank you," she smiled, "but I'm okay." She put her arms around him and they kissed. "Maybe I could . . come and stay in your room," she said.
Ryan smiled back, but he knew that wasn't a good idea. "Kirsten's probably still up, and Summer . . . well, you should stay here with her, you know?"
"No, you're right." She was a little disappointed, but she knew he was right. She kissed him again.
"I'll see you in the morning," Ryan said before leaving, and went back into the house.
The next morning at around 11:00 am, Ryan and Seth came into the poolhouse to find Summer sitting on the bed holding her head and moaning. Marissa wasn't there.
"Are you okay?" Seth asked and sat next to Summer.
"Where's Marissa?" Ryan looked around the room.
"I don't know," Summer said, head still down in her hands. She looked up just for a moment to say that Marissa was gone when she woke up.
"Need . . coffee," Summer said, her hangover making her miserable.
Seth led her into the house, holding her up when she stumbled.
Just as Ryan was about to panic and go looking for Marissa, she walked into the poolhouse.