She found Seth sitting out by the pool in a lawn chair.
"Hey, you," she said softly. "Could you stand some company?" Seth shrugged dismally, nodding towards the empty space on his chair. She sat down with a sigh. "What're you doing?"
"Just needed some air."
"Mm. Sounds good." She tousled his hair. "You okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah. Totally excellent."
"I guess that warranted a sarcastic reply?"
"Kind of."
"I'm so sorry, Seth." He shrugged.
"It's not like I'm not used to life sucking. I just got out of the loop for awhile. I'll adjust pretty fast."
"You've got Summer," she reminded him.
"Until she gets bored, which, according to my calculations, should be happening within the next eighteen hours."
"She really likes you," Kirsten said.
"How do you know?"
"I'm a girl," she shrugged. "We know these things." He stared at her blankly until she let out a grudging laugh. "She competed with another girl for you. She converted to Judaism for a weekend for you. She followed you all the way to Las Vegas. It's all there, Seth."
"Having a girlfriend isn't the same thing as having a best friend," he protested, still unsatisfied.
"Sometimes it is. Look at me and your dad."
"You guys are old. Doesn't count."
"Watch it, Cohen," she laughed.
"Summer isn't Ryan," he countered, and she nodded.
"I should hope not." She studied him then touched his arm. "Try to have fun this summer, hon. Get to know your girlfriend better. Emphasize the 'friend' part. Don't let yourself get caught up in this. Ryan's having a rough time but he'll be okay. I know he wouldn't want you to be upset about this." He nodded in minor agreement, then averted his eyes.
"Did you have an abortion?" he asked bluntly, and she was fairly certain that her heart stopped.
"What?"
"I heard you talking to Dad." She had no idea how to reply.
"You were eavesdropping?" she scolded lamely.
"Yeah. Did you?" His voice was forthright, something she recognized from Sandy.
"This isn't really the best time to discuss this, Seth."
"We don't have to discuss anything. It's a yes or no." It didn't take much for her to start crying again and Seth instantly lost his attitude when he saw the tears. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just wanted...I'm sorry. Please don't cry, Mom. Forget I said anything."
"No," she waved her hand dismissively. Seth put an arm tentatively around her shoulders. "No. Well, I mean, yes, it's totally none of your business to listen in on conversations between your father and I...but if you overhear something like that...dammit, I knew this would blow up in my face. God. I knew it." She shook her head. "I should tell Sandy this first. But...you asked. What the hell. Yes, Seth, I did."
"When?" he whispered, sounding about six. She briskly rubbed her eyes and shook her head.
"Not important. Not now. That I should definitely tell Sandy first. No offense." She smiled wanly and leaned more against Seth, who still had an arm around her. "Don't take this as an initiative to behave recklessly. Um...use protection. If anything should ever happen, come directly to me. If you're too scared, make good choices." He smirked at her and she laughed helplessly. "I'm trying to cover the parent checklist."
"You've succeeded in being both embarrassing and hokey. Consider it covered." She leaned back and looked him in the eye.
"Ryan will get through all of this. I promise. We'll help him in any way we can." She touched his face. "And make me a promise, sweetie?"
"What?"
"Don't go to Chino alone. Ever. Ask me or ask your dad or ask...well, no, don't ask Hailey. But get an adult."
"I'm seventeen, Mom."
"I want you and your passenger to have a combined age of at least fifty. And three teenagers don't count." She smiled and then studied him seriously. "Ask me." He nodded, knowing that she had more in mind that his safety.
"I promise."
Okay! There is a third chapter already finished...so let me know if you like it, and if you do, I'll post it! Reviews, please, if you get a chance! )
xoxo,
Claire
"Hey, you," she said softly. "Could you stand some company?" Seth shrugged dismally, nodding towards the empty space on his chair. She sat down with a sigh. "What're you doing?"
"Just needed some air."
"Mm. Sounds good." She tousled his hair. "You okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah. Totally excellent."
"I guess that warranted a sarcastic reply?"
"Kind of."
"I'm so sorry, Seth." He shrugged.
"It's not like I'm not used to life sucking. I just got out of the loop for awhile. I'll adjust pretty fast."
"You've got Summer," she reminded him.
"Until she gets bored, which, according to my calculations, should be happening within the next eighteen hours."
"She really likes you," Kirsten said.
"How do you know?"
"I'm a girl," she shrugged. "We know these things." He stared at her blankly until she let out a grudging laugh. "She competed with another girl for you. She converted to Judaism for a weekend for you. She followed you all the way to Las Vegas. It's all there, Seth."
"Having a girlfriend isn't the same thing as having a best friend," he protested, still unsatisfied.
"Sometimes it is. Look at me and your dad."
"You guys are old. Doesn't count."
"Watch it, Cohen," she laughed.
"Summer isn't Ryan," he countered, and she nodded.
"I should hope not." She studied him then touched his arm. "Try to have fun this summer, hon. Get to know your girlfriend better. Emphasize the 'friend' part. Don't let yourself get caught up in this. Ryan's having a rough time but he'll be okay. I know he wouldn't want you to be upset about this." He nodded in minor agreement, then averted his eyes.
"Did you have an abortion?" he asked bluntly, and she was fairly certain that her heart stopped.
"What?"
"I heard you talking to Dad." She had no idea how to reply.
"You were eavesdropping?" she scolded lamely.
"Yeah. Did you?" His voice was forthright, something she recognized from Sandy.
"This isn't really the best time to discuss this, Seth."
"We don't have to discuss anything. It's a yes or no." It didn't take much for her to start crying again and Seth instantly lost his attitude when he saw the tears. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just wanted...I'm sorry. Please don't cry, Mom. Forget I said anything."
"No," she waved her hand dismissively. Seth put an arm tentatively around her shoulders. "No. Well, I mean, yes, it's totally none of your business to listen in on conversations between your father and I...but if you overhear something like that...dammit, I knew this would blow up in my face. God. I knew it." She shook her head. "I should tell Sandy this first. But...you asked. What the hell. Yes, Seth, I did."
"When?" he whispered, sounding about six. She briskly rubbed her eyes and shook her head.
"Not important. Not now. That I should definitely tell Sandy first. No offense." She smiled wanly and leaned more against Seth, who still had an arm around her. "Don't take this as an initiative to behave recklessly. Um...use protection. If anything should ever happen, come directly to me. If you're too scared, make good choices." He smirked at her and she laughed helplessly. "I'm trying to cover the parent checklist."
"You've succeeded in being both embarrassing and hokey. Consider it covered." She leaned back and looked him in the eye.
"Ryan will get through all of this. I promise. We'll help him in any way we can." She touched his face. "And make me a promise, sweetie?"
"What?"
"Don't go to Chino alone. Ever. Ask me or ask your dad or ask...well, no, don't ask Hailey. But get an adult."
"I'm seventeen, Mom."
"I want you and your passenger to have a combined age of at least fifty. And three teenagers don't count." She smiled and then studied him seriously. "Ask me." He nodded, knowing that she had more in mind that his safety.
"I promise."
Okay! There is a third chapter already finished...so let me know if you like it, and if you do, I'll post it! Reviews, please, if you get a chance! )
xoxo,
Claire