"The Betrayal"

Note: I don't own The O.C. or any of it's characters. I don't own Mickey Mouse or Disney or anything else in the story except my own characters.
Sorry it took so long to update, I'm busy these days. And sorry it's a short chapter.

Summary: Evan and Theresa get closer, Ryan gets a little pissed off, then gets a little action...

In the poolhouse, Theresa was laying on top of Evan, kissing his neck and collarbone. He had unzipped her dress and pulled the straps off her shoulders. She peeled his t-shirt off, but not before noticing the print on the front of it.

"Mickey Mouse?" she teased him, rubbing his strong chest with her small hands.

His mouth dropped open in playful shock, as he held on to her bare hips tightly. "Hey, that's vintage Disney right there," he said looking at the wadded up shirt on the bed.

Theresa's smile widened and she leaned down to kiss him. Their lips locked and their tongues expressed the excitement they felt. Theresa sat back up, still straddling Evan, and began to unbutton his jeans.

Once Summer was in Seth's room and out of earshot, Ryan glared at Seth and shamefully shook his head.

"When I had to leave, you would barely speak to me. You were so pissed, you decided to disappear from everything here, including Summer," Ryan frowned, pointing down the hall to Seth's room. "And now you're just gonna leave me here to fend for myself?"

"Ryan, you'll be fine without me here-"

"That's not the point," Ryan said, becoming irritated. "You're being a hypocrite, Seth." When Seth didn't answer, Ryan let out an annoyed sigh and brushed past him, leaving him alone, and speechless.

In his room, Ryan collapsed on his bed, exhausted from the day's events. On his back, he stared at the glow-in-the-dark plastic stars on the ceiling, no doubt placed there by Seth when he was younger. Or, knowing Seth, maybe a couple months ago. Seth was still so young at heart; he wouldn't last a day on the run, Ryan thought. Just as he was contemplating a way to help Seth and Summer, he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Marissa," he muttered to himself as he got up and walked toward the door.

"Surprise!" the girl said when he opened the door. And he was surprised, because it was not Marissa. It was Lauren, holding two tall glasses, one in each hand, wearing a huge smile that showed all of her pearly white teeth.

"Hey," Ryan said, holding back a big grin himself.

"I thought if you didn't want to come to the milkshake," she said handing him one of the frothy glasses, "I'd bring the milkshake to you." And the teeth flashed again.

"Uh, thanks…" Ryan said, no longer able to keep from smiling. "That's really…thank you."

She stood in his doorway, still smiling, her eyes glancing expectantly into his bedroom.

"Oh, sorry, come on in," he stepped out of the way for her.

"So this is your room?" she asked, looking around amused.

"Uh, yeah, I haven't really had time to get settled in yet…"

"No, it's cute." She nodded and turned around to look at Ryan.

"Cute, huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Not exactly what I was going for."

She hadn't stopped smiling since he opened the door, and it was becoming infectious. Ryan rubbed his jaw, trying to wipe his own smile away.

"Try your milkshake," she ordered, not trying to sound as bossy as she did. He took a drink from the long pink straw and she followed his lead, doing the same.

"It's good," he finally said, finishing a long drink. "Strawberry?"

"Mm hmm," she answered, still holding her straw between her thumb and finger, her full lips playing on the end of it. She was looking up at Ryan from under her long eyelashes. She was a girl in every sense of the word: feminine, pretty, nurturing, sweet. Ryan couldn't help but stare back. She was so attractive, but at the same time so simple and low-maintenance. Her jean shorts were very plain and her white halter top was tight and simple. She wore plain white tennis shoes with no socks, and the word 'cute' kept popping into Ryan's mind, which didn't happen too often. He found himself wondering what her glossy lips would taste like and what her smooth skin would…

"So anyway," he interrupted his own thoughts, "you made this?" He held up the milkshake before taking another long sip.

"Yep," she chirped. "It's my special recipe." She bit the side of her bottom lip, not taking her eyes off of Ryan's.

Almost out of instinct, Ryan stepped right in front of Lauren and took her drink from her. After he set both of their glasses on the desk, he turned around nervously, but Lauren was already sitting on his bed. He sat down next to her apprehensively, and turned to his left to look at her. They leaned in toward each other slightly, then Ryan stopped.

"I sort of…have a girlfriend, you know…" he said, sounding as though he were trying to convince himself and not Lauren.

Eyes wide, Lauren nodded at him. "Sort of?" she asked sincerely.

"No, yeah, I – I…"

She put her left hand on the right side of his face, pulled him in close to her. Ryan closed his eyes just as he thought Lauren was about to kiss him. But she didn't.

"Okay," she said standing up. "I guess I'll go," she said, smiling again. She went to get the glasses she brought over, but Ryan stopped her.

"Wait," he was at her side so quickly he startled her and caused to giggle at herself. Ryan felt like a lost puppy again, just like he had when his mother had abandoned him so long ago. He couldn't figure Marissa out, no matter how hard he tried, and he craved the effortlessness that Lauren brought with her everywhere she went. His best friend and the closest thing he'd had to a brother, even considering Trey, was about to leave his life. He wanted to be close to someone, even if that someone was a person he barely knew.

Ryan took her face in his hands and tilted it up toward his. He inhaled sharply as he neared her face, smelling the fresh, light, citrus scent of her skin. She parted her lips as he lowered himself into the kiss, leaning his head to the right to get full access. His tongue made its way to hers and the kiss persisted as Lauren knees shook and she grabbed Ryan's waist for support.