Giving Thanks
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with The O.C. Let's leave it at that. I'm tired and it's getting late. The Real World's on soon.
A/N: Basically a plot chapter. Some juicy dialogue here and there, and quite a few signifigent points in relationships and character development, but the real dirt starts next chapter, but I think you'll enjoy this one just as much! Three down, two to go. Also, I'm considering making a third part in the series. It's linked to a part in this chapter. Any guesses?
"T..T-H...T-H-A-N-K-G...iiiiiving is here to stay!" Seth cheered as he walked into the kitchen.
Kirsten looked up from the carrots she was chopping. "I told you we should have sent him to cheer camp,"
"Kirsten, let's not talk about this while you've got a knife in your hand," Sandy reasoned with a smile.
"You know what, Mom? Let's not have you hold a knife at all today. You've been cooking so much recently, let's have Thanksgiving dinner be like a vacation," Seth said. He took the cutting knife out of his mother's hand smoothly and handed it to his father.
"The last thing I made was hot dogs," Kirsten stated.
"And mighty good hot dogs they were, right Dad?" Seth stated.
"Mighty,"
"Can't I just chop carrots?" Kirsten exclaimed.
The sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
"As if right on cue, Mom, you better go get that!" Seth said.
"Why can't you go, I'm chopping carrots?" Kirsten asked.
"Well, look over there, Dad is. Go get the door, the UPS man is waiting,"
Kirsten turned to see Sandy smiling wickedly and chopping carrots. She frowned and made her way to the door.
Seth held out his hand and Sandy have him a high-five. "I know, I know," Seth said.
Kirsten opened the door. There stood Caleb and Julie with smiles on their faces, and Caitlyn and Marissa with frowns. "We brought the stuffing!" Caleb exclaimed.
After everyone exchanged greetings with Kirsten, Julie handed her the stuffing. "Put this away from the stove so it won't burn like everything did last year. I've really had too much orange chicken recently," she said coldly.
Kirsten took the plate of stuffing with a frown and walked to the kitchen, but held her tongue. Marissa, on the other hand, didn't. "Oh yeah, is the Chinese food better or worse in Newport compared to Riverside?" Marissa asked, poison laced in her tone.
Julie scowled at her daughter, while Caitlyn surpressed a giggle. "Can I go play video games with Seth?" she asked.
"Sure, sweetie, go on," Caleb said.
"I'll join you," Marissa said, but before she could take a step she felt a cold hand on her shoulder.
She turned to see it was Julie. "You're the one demanding to spend half of Thanksgiving with your father and aunt, so the time Caleb and I have with you, you'll spend with us, okay?"
Marissa rolled her eyes. "Right,"
Kirsten put the plate down on the counter. "The Nichol-Cooper clan has arrived," she stated to Seth and Sandy.
"Don't touch the stuffing, it's toxic," Sandy quipped.
"Look, Mom, I know Caitlyn's my little cousin or whatever, but do I have to play some kiddie video game with her?" Seth complained.
Kirsten laughed at her son. "Seth! I wanna race again! I get the pink car!" Caitlyn's whiny voice echoed through the house.
Seth rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer an SUV. Green, emerald, to be exact," he mumbled before walking back into the living room.
Kirsten walked over to the potatoes and began to peel them. Sandy watched in dismay. "What? It's not like anyone pays attention to the food anyway!"
Sandy shrugged and continued cooking. He glanced at the clock. "I better call my mom, it's 3:00 where they are, don't wanna upset her,"
Marissa walked into the kitchen aimlessly. "Okay, I got away from my mom for a second, is there anything I can do that'll make me productive?" she asked.
Kirsten nodded and motioned to the green beans. "How are you holding up?" she asked.
"Not so good. Just a little longer until I get to go to my dad's,"
"Yes! I won again!"
"I think Seth could use your help more then we could, go play video games with him and your sister," Kirsten commented.
Sandy dialed and walked around the living room, Caleb and Julie bickering behind him. "Hello?" a woman's slightly rough voice answered.
"Hey, Danielle. It's Sanford," Sandy greeted into the phone, taking a seat on the couch.
"Sandy! Happy Thanksgiving, how is everything?" Danielle asked, her voice much warmer now she knew who she was speaking to.
"Good, better then last time," he answered.
"Yeah, I know, Ma told us. I guess you wanna talk to her," Danielle answered sympathetically.
"Yeah,"
"Ma! Sandy's on the phone!" Danielle shouted, putting a hand on the reciever.
A few moments later, the Nana answered. "Sandy! How's everyone? Kirsten? Setheleh? Ryan? The girl he knocked up?"
Sandy sighed, "Ma!"
"Oh, like they can hear me," the Nana reasoned.
"Look, it's not about everyone here. How are you?" he asked.
"Chemo's alright. Sara and her daughter came from New Rochelle, they're making potatoes," the Nana answered, ignoring what he truly wanted her to say.
"Are you still smoking?" he asked, flat out.
The Nana sighed. "No,"
"No?" Sandy questioned, making sure she was being honest.
"Well, I have a cigarette every once in a while. What do you expect?" she confessed.
"I expect you to care," Sandy answered.
"I'm trying,"
Sandy shook his head. "Ma, I love you. Come visit again soon, put Danielle back on,"
"Alright. Tell everyone I love them. I don't know if I can make it back to that California hell hole without dying at the sight of that town," she said spicily.
"Ma,"
"Okay!"
"Sandy, what?" Danielle greeted informally.
"Make sure Ma stops smoking, okay?" he said, almost pleading.
"We're trying. It's not so easy," Danielle responded.
"I know. Why don't you come down here sometime soon?" Sandy offered.
Danielle laughed. "No way. You should come up here,"
Sandy actually took the idea into thought. "Maybe. I better go, Kirsten's father and his wife are here,"
Summer pulled up to the Cohen home and walked quickly up to the doorstep. She rang the doorbell. It only took a few seconds for Seth to answer the door.
"Talk to Ryan?" he asked.
"Yeah. He'll be here in twenty minutes," Summer answered, walking inside.
"Good, good. Now, Marissa's playing video games with her sister and me but she's leaving in about five minutes to go to her dad's," Seth said.
"Fantastic,"
"Plan: Chino-Thanksgiving is in motion!" Seth exclaimed.
Marissa took a cab to her father's new apartment. Two bedrooms. It was wishful thinking. Marissa knew Hailey and Jimmy slept in the same bed, there was no need for a second room. But Jimmy still had that sliver of hope that maybe, somehow, Marissa and Caitlyn would maybe move in with him. But that didn't seem close to reality to anyone.
She used her key to open the door. Hailey and Jimmy were packing up what looked like a pumpkin pie. Marissa had a puzzled look on her face.
"Look, Kiddo, I know you wanted to have dinner here--" Jimmy began.
"But, basically, my ass dad wouldn't lend me any more money unless I came over for Thanksgiving. So pissed," Hailey finished through gritted teeth. The frustration was evident in all three of them in the room.
"So it was happy Marissa or money for Hailey?" Marissa spat, not able to control her dramatic habits.
"Pumpkin,"
Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's what kind of pie you're bringing to the place I didn't want to be today!" she shouted.
Hailey winced. She hadn't ever seen a fight between Marissa and Jimmy.
"Marissa, it wasn't like that!" Jimmy exclaimed, clearly upset.
"Then how was it?" Marissa shouted back.
Hailey noticed it. Her screaming fits with her mother sounded to much alike with what she was hearing now. Her mother was the one who understood her, and she didn't appreciate her until she got sick.
"It was like your father was freaking out about how to make you understand, and I told him you would because I thought you were better then this, Marissa," Hailey yelled, remaining slightly calm.
Marissa looked down at the ground and shuffled her feet around. Hailey took a step close to her. "Look, I did the same thing when I was your age. But you aren't four any more," she said quietly, making eye contact with Marissa.
Marissa nodded and gave a whispered, "Sorry, guys," It was really time for her to grow up, or at least try.
Summer gripped the controller firecly while she played aganist Caitlyn in a video game. She won again.
"I totally kick ass at this game!" she yelped.
Seth shot her a dirty look and pointed to Caitlyn. Caitlyn, is response, rolled her eyes. "God, I'm twelve, not a dumbass!"
Seth's eyes widened is surprise, and Summer burst out laughing. "What are you laughing at? I get it from my sister who got it from you!" Caitlyn spat.
"Ouch," Seth mumbled.
The ring of the doorbell made both Seth and Summer perk up. "Oh my God!" Summer yelped with a huge grin on her face. "Wait, how are we gonna get everyone to the door?" she asked, giving the scheming pair a problem.
"I know!" Seth exclaimed. Her raised his voice, "Everyone come to the door!"
Summer punched him on the shoulder. "What?" he screeched.
"Dumbass!" Caitlyn name-called.
Everyone quickly came to the door. Seth proudly opened the door to a beaming Ryan with a paper turkey centerpiece in his hand. Yelps of delight all came at once as Ryan hugged a few and awkwardly greeted a few of the group as Seth and Summer watched, happy with their work.
"It's great to see you again," Kirsten said, looking her son in the eyes.
Kirsten took the initiative of answering the door again, seeing as she was the only one not cooking. More because she wasn't allowed, but all the better in her mind.
"Jimmy, Hailey, Marissa!" she exclaimed.
The Kirsten saw the unavoidable upcoming drama between Marissa and Ryan. So much for a drama-free holiday.