Disclaimer: I do not own the OC. That is valuable. The only valuable thing I own is the computer I'm writing this on (And it was a gift, too!).

Author's Note: "You'd better look out cause I'm gonna say f---", just a warning.

Chapter Five

The Only Person to be Serenaded Asleep

Summer and Marissa were looking in Marissa's huge walk-in closet.

"Good job, Coop, it's organized!"

"Thanks, Sum." Marissa blushed. "So, Seth's home."

"Yeah, I'm so happy. He'll have to come get Captain Oats. Or something..."

"Captain Oats?"

"Oh, nothing."

"'Cuz that sounds kinda gross..."

"Eeew, Coop! No! Eeew!"

"Sorry, what do you want to wear? Dress, skirt, or pants?"

"Dress. It's seems better. I don't know why."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I want to wear a dress too."

The girls rifled through Marissa's extensive collection of dresses to find one to suit the occasion.

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"So, Seth, how was your trip?" Sandy asked.

"Fine, I didn't really go anywhere. But if we're going somewhere, shouldn't I get ready too?"

"Yeah, good idea son. Go get dressed, or whatever."

Seth got up to leave and Ryan followed him.

"Yo, Ryan, I'm a big boy, I can get ready by myself."

"Yeah, I know." Seth and Ryan went into the bathroom and shut the door. "Why the hell did you really leave? It's not like you actually went to Tahiti."

"I know, I just thought if you weren't here, my life would go back to the hell it was at the beginning of last summer. And I wouldn't have a Summer anymore. Dude, I mean seriously, you are the only reason I'm as cool as I am now." Seth slathered his chin and cheeks in shaving cream.

"You're cool?" Seth put the razor up to the thick layer of shaving cream and started shaving.

"Yeah. But let's change to a different subject, why the hell are you here? I thought you were doing the right thing with Theresa."

"Well, I was going to but well..."

"Yes, Ryan, I'm waiting."

"On our way to Chino, we got into a huge car wreck. So now Theresa is no more."

"Ouch, that sucks, sorry I asked."

"No, you were going to find out any way, better from me, than any one else."

"So, are we going to a funeral?"

"Yeah, it's in a week."

"Cool, I mean, not cool..."

"Seth, I know what you mean."

"Right, I'm done. Now, you're definitely going to have to leave. I need to take a shower. You are not going to witness that. Sorry, bro."

"Oh, I'm so sad, seeing Seth Cohen naked was at the top of my to-do list."

"Oooh, good comeback, Ryan. I liked the delivery."

"I learned from the best."

"Thanks. Now leave!"

Ryan heeded Seth's command and shut the door of the bathroom behind him. Ryan tried to leave the main house but was stopped by Sandy and Kirsten.

"Ryan, what were you and Seth talking about?" Kirsten asked her son.

"Oh, nothing he just wanted to know why I'm home." Ryan told her honestly, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

"Oh" Kirsten replied, disappointed. She left to change.

"You talked about why he left, because you left and he was afraid of not having Summer anymore." Sandy declared.

"How'd you know?" Ryan wondered.

"He's my son, I know him almost as well as you do. Now we have to go get ready."

Sandy and Ryan went in different directions, Ryan to his pool house, Sandy to his room.

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Marissa and Summer were in Marissa's room. Marissa thought it was really funny, Summer was in a beautiful Marc Jacobs dress and flip-flops. Marissa was dressed in a Matthew Williamson that she loved to death. Marissa put on a pair of heels while Summer put on makeup. She wanted to look au natural so put just put on a bit of lip-gloss and mascara. Marissa was now ready and so was Summer. In her 2-inch heels, Marissa was half a foot taller than her best friend.

"Coop, can we please stop by my house? In those shoes, you tower over me, and it makes me feel even shorter! You've got to be as tall as Cohen! Please?"

"Sure Sum, but it's gotta be quick."

"Yeah, I'll just run in and grab a pair. Thank you, Coop!"

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Summer put her heels on in the car, and within minutes, the girls were back at the Cohen house. They rang the doorbell and a perfectly made up Kirsten answered the door in a knee-length skirt, wrap top and inch high heels.

"Hey girls, the boys should be out soon."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cohen," Summer replied.

"Summer, how many times do I have to tell you? It's Kirsten."

"Oh, right... Kirsten"

Right at that exact moment, Ryan entered the main house in his usual garb, though his hair was nicely combed through. He went up to Marissa and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek.

"Marissa, you look beautiful, as always. And Summer... um... you don't look so shabby, yourself."

"Thanks, Chino."

Seth came into the room dressed in a penguin polo and jeans.

"Ryan, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't hit on my girlfriend." Seth kissed Summer on the lips, hungrily. Summer, however, restrained herself and wouldn't open her mouth if it killed her. Seth pulled away looking somewhat hurt. She saw Sandy coming down the hall, he didn't.

"Kirsten, the kids are all here, let's go."

"Yeah, good point, right." Kirsten pulled her keys out of her bag and locked the door behind the six. Ryan and Marissa got into the very back, Seth and Summer in the middle, and Sandy and Kirsten in front.

--After dinner, at the Cohen house--

Summer and Seth went up to Seth's room. They just talked. Talked about stuff. They decided it was getting late, and decided to get together the next day. Seth drove Summer home.

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Marissa felt good, a numb good, but good all the same. She didn't drink much in front of Sandy and Kirsten, but drank a couple of mini Bailey's in the bathroom. She definitely wasn't sober. Marissa and Ryan entered the pool house, and were greeted by a cool rush of air.

"I guess I forgot to turn the A.C. off when I left." Ryan said, when he saw Marissa shiver. He went to turn the air conditioning off, and returned to see Marissa standing there, wearing nothing but her bra, panties, and heels. She had lowered all of the blinds in his short absence and apparently stripped off her dress. She walked over to him and pushed him onto the bed and lay on top of him.

"Ryan... I want you, now," Marissa slurred. She tried to take off his over shirt but he quickly stopped her.

"Marissa, you're drunk. It's not right..."

"I'm not drunk," Marissa insisted, and again tried to pull off his shirt.

"Yes, you are." Ryan rolled her so that she was lying on his side and firmly held her there while she struggled. She soon figured out that he wouldn't let up and settled down. He eased his grip to a loose hold.

"Fine then. If you won't fuck me, sing to me, or something, I don't care."

"You're pretty good looking for a girl, but your back is so broken..." Ryan started. Marissa smiled, the White Stripes, he knew she loved them. She closed her eyes while he sang.

"And this feelin's still gonna linger on until the year 2525, now. Yeah, you're pretty good looking for a girl, your eyes are wide open. And your thoughts have been stolen by the boys who took you out and bought you everything you are now. Yeah, you're pretty good looking oh yeah, you're pretty good looking. Yes, you're pretty good looking, oh yeah, for a girl. Lots of people in this world, but I'm gonna be your boy. To me that thought is sounding so absurd, and I don't wanna be your toy. Cause you're pretty good looking for a girl. My future's wide open, but this feeling's still gonna linger on, until I know everything I need to know now. Yeah you're pretty good looking, oh yeah, you're pretty good looking. Yes, you're pretty good looking, oh yeah, for a girl." Ryan finished his rendition of 'You're Pretty Good Looking' and looked over to see Marissa, passed out on his side. "Marissa?" Yep, out cold. Ryan fell asleep shortly after.

A few hours later Marissa felt the vomit coming up quickly and sat up immediately to run to the bathroom, a huge feat in the heels she was still wearing (as they were stilettos), lifted up the seat, pulled her hair out of her face, bent over the toilet and let it spew. Eew, she thought, I hate the taste of vomit. She cleansed her mouth with some water and realized she wasn't wearing clothes. She went to put her dress on and lay back down next to Ryan, only to fall asleep, again.

He saw a little kid running across the street. She apparently didn't.

"Theresa, watch out!"

"What?" She definitely saw him, now. She quickly jerked the wheel to avoid hitting the boy.

Screech...

Ryan woke up again, this time, with Marissa in his arms. She was holding his arm tightly. It comforted him, and fell asleep, too.

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Author's Notes: OK, that, originally was just gonna be filler, I just wanted to set a little stage for Seth and Summer (with Captain Oats), and show how sweet Ryan is... but it turned into a little more, I hope it was good. Wow, that was my most wordy chapter, yet. I'm still in love with the instant messenger, in case you're wondering. And my dog, yeah, I just got him on Friday, he's really cute. If you have any suggestions, put them in the box... or just click 'review'.

Countdown to the OC: Season 1 DVD in 65 days (OCtober 26th, squeals in excitement!) You can still pre-order it on Amazon; you get like 30% off or something like that...

Countdown to the OC: Season 2 Premiere in 74 days. (November 4th) OK, that's sounding way better!

Well, I have to go register for school tomorrow, scary, but true. And I'll try to get at least one more chapter of this done in my last 3 days of freedom. But I'm not making any promises.

Oh, BTW: I forgot to mention... in the last chapter (4) I used a couple of lines from 'Where's Summer B.?' by Ben Folds Five. Don't know if anyone picked up on that one... and in this chapter (hopefully everyone picked this up, but if not,) Ryan was singing 'You're Pretty Good Looking' by the White Stripes. And my author's note at the beginning of the chapter was from 'Rockin' the Suburbs' by Ben Folds.

This is purely promo, but don't forget to read my other fan-fic (I'm co-writing it with newportbabe44. Oh, you know you want to), it's good and one of the few things that tears me away from this... it's called 'Real World: Orange County'.

Ta-Ta for now...