Back to the Old Me
Chapter 9: awkward sets in
AN: Sorry this took so long-school is my enemy!!
PLEASE REVIEW! I don't want to write this story if no one wants to read it!
Also, I am spoiler free, everything I wrote and am writing was/is speculative and the product of my own crazy head– worry not!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, the OC belongs to Josh and the lyrics belong to U2
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Seth, Summer, and Marissa all sat in silence on the beige couch in the Cohen living room.
While Marissa stared at the kitchen doorway waiting for Ryan and her father to return with the coffee they had left to make a few minutes ago, Seth and Summer sat next to each other holding hands. Summer's thumb rubbing tiny circles on the back of Seth's hand, while his other arm balanced on the arm of the sofa.
Finally, Jimmy and Ryan returned with a tray of mugs and offered the hot beverages to the others in the room.
Seth, who was staring into space, declined only when the mug was practically shoved in his face, while all the others accepted and glanced at the clock to check the time again.
Silence filled the room, as the four of them quietly waited for Sandy to return.
Seth and Summer changed positions, her, leaning against his chest, while one hand held her to him and the other held onto the coffee she had abandoned.
The distinct slamming of a car door made everyone in the room jump in surprise and rise to their feet.
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Unfortunately for the foursome, the person who had arrived was not Sandy with good news, but rather it was Julie.
Julie Cooper Nichol was not a woman you wanted to encounter when she was mad, and Julie was furious.
"Marissa! Why the hell didn't you call me! I'm at the spa getting a manicure when I see on the news that my husband has been arrested, and you didn't even call to tell me! I cannot believe you!"
"But, mom, you said your phone would be off, and Sandy said not to worry you."
"I don't care what he said! God, does anyone in this town ever think of me?! Do they realize how humiliating it is for me to be told by my manicurist that my own husband is a criminal!" Julie ranted.
Every one in the room, disgusted by Julie's selfishness, had nothing to say and chose to ignore her yelling, causing only to make Julie angrier.
"Hello?! Is anyone listening?" Julie yelled out, pissed that no one was paying any attention to her.
"Julie, just sit down and shut up!" Jimmy yelled, "this isn't about you."
Julie, pissed that she was yelled at sat down and shot angry glances at her exhusband until they heard to door open.
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Sandy Cohen entered his living room with his head down.
"Dad!" Seth yelled "Where's mom? And grandpa?"
Sandy sighed and moved towards his son to give him the bad news.
"Let's all sit and I'll explain everything" Sandy said, hoping to keep everyone calm.
"What's goin' on, Sandy?" Ryan, who had been silent the whole time, finally asked
"Well, Kirsten and Caleb are being brought up on a number of charges, and usually they would be arraigned today or tomorrow." Sandy paused and looked around the room.
Seth and Summer were holding hands, and so were Ryan and Marissa.
Julie looked pissed off and Jimmy, well, he just looked mad to be near Julie
"But," Sandy continued, "since it's a holiday, they won't be arraigned until after Thanksgiving. Anyway, that means that I can't get them out, or bail them out until they are indited, which won't be until Monday."
"So that means...?" Seth questioned
"You mother and Caleb will be in lock up until then"
Then, the room burst into uproar
"We can't just leave them there!""This can't be legal! How can they do that?"
"Sandy, we can't leave Kirsten in lock up. Those women, they'll...they'll hurt her. It's not safe. Can't you just get her out?" Ryan quietly asked, speaking from his own experience in lock up.
"You know that if I could I'd do anything I could to get her out, kid, you know that." Sandy said, already knowing that Ryan knew just how hard he had worked to keep Kirsten out of jail.
"But, Dad...why?" Seth finally asked
Sandy sighed, and sat down to begin to explain, "apparently the DA has been compiling evidence for the past few months, showing all kinds of underhanded deals Caleb has been making with city officials. Unfortunately, since your mother is his second in command, she's implicated for all of his illegal activities. And basically will be tried under the same charges even though she didn't do anything wrong."
"So, is mom going to jail?" Seth asked
Sandy knew he couldn't lie and he also knew that he didn't know the truth yet. So, he shrugged and said, "I hope not."
The room was silent for a full moment, Summer grabbed Seth's hand, and across the room, Marissa did the same to Ryan.
Sandy excused himself, saying he had phone calls to make, while the others disbursed themselves throughout the house.
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"Now you add two tsps of butter, Coop." Summer dictated as she read from the cookbook in front of her on the counter top in the kitchen of the Cohen house
"What's a tsp, Sum?"Marissa asked, clearly never having had cooked before except for the occasional macaroni and cheese.
"Ugghh, Coop, how am I, like, supposed to know. Just," she replied and then chopping the stick of butter into small pieces said, "grab like some of those chunks and throw them in...it'll be fine." And then, after a pause, "right?"
"Yeah, sure Sum, it'll be great!" Marissa exclaimed with enthusiasm while looking dubiously at the concoction in front of her.
Summer and Marissa had volunteered to make thanksgiving dinner for everyone this year since Rosa had been given the day off and Seth didn't feel up to it, considering how poorly it all went last year, and the current situation. And well, no one else knew how to cook either.
So, Summer volunteered herself and Marissa to hopefully feed an entire house full of people.
It wasn't going well
The turkey was most definitely frozen even though it was in the oven for like a really long time according to Summer, and well most of the things that required tsps weren't looking quite right.
Well, everything except the corn. Ryan had volunteered to take care of anything on the grill since neither Summer, nor Marissa had ever even used one before, and Summer wanted to make sure Seth's favorite vegetable was at least edible.
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Meanwhile, Julie sat in Sandy's office, hounding him with questions.
When were they getting out?
If Caleb went to jail, would she loose everything?
Where would she go if that happened?
Finally, Sandy had enough and kicked Julie out of his office and locked the door behind her.
So, while Julie wandered the house looking for someone to complain to, and Marissa, Summer, and Ryan were "cooking," Seth sat in his room staring at the walls.
He wondered how one of the greatest nights of his life could have lead to one of the worst days he had ever experienced.
How the day he got his girlfriend back would also be the day he lost his mother. And although rationally, Seth knew he hadn't lost his mother, that she would be home soon. But, someday, she might be in prison. And what would they do without her? How could Sandy run the house without Kirsten? And how could he and Ryan try and figure out their own girl problems if they aren't confronted with the grossness that is Sandy and Kirsten everyday?
Seth sat alone and thought
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Summer and Marissa set the table while they waited for the rest of their "dishes" to be ready, hoping that at least one thing was edible.
The other occupants of the house began to file into the kitchen once the smell of food reached their noses, but Summer noticed that Seth was no where to be found.
Taking off her apron and turning to Marissa she said, "watch the turkey, Coop, I'll be right back."
Summer took the stairs, knowing that if Seth wasn't playing video games, there was a good chance he was in his room, talking to Captain Oats.
Knocking on the door, Summer noticed how odd it was to walk to Seth's door and not hear any music playing. Usually, Seth had some whiny emo-band playing in the background whenever she even came near his bedroom. But, she figured, they had all changed over the summer, not everything would still be the same.
Entering the room, Summer found Seth sitting on the floor by his bed.
"Cohen?" She asked quietly, hoping to get his attention without startling him
When she received no response, she moved closer to him and put her hand gently on his shoulder, only then did she realize that he was crying.
Tough, you think you've got the stuff
You're telling me and anyone
You're hard enough
You don't have to put up a fight
You don't have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches For you tonight
Moving to kneel in front of him, Summer bent down to meet Seth's eyes, "Seth." she whispered
she got only an embarrassed grin in response
So, taking charge, she sat down on the floor and pulled Seth's hand into her own, and pulling on it, demanded his attention.
"What's wrong, baby?" she whispered
Seth, knowing he couldn't answer her, just shrugged
"Seth, it's going to be okay. You know that right? We'll get through it, all of us." and after realizing she had told him that before, she continued, "don't leave us again, we're all here for you."
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Seth's teary eyes met hers and Summer pulled Seth's head into her lap and stroked his hair, letting him cry with the comfort of her hands in his hair.
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Where are we now?
I've got to let you know
A house still doesn't make a home
Don't leave me here alone...
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you that makes it hard to let go
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Sometimes you can't make it
The best you can do is to fake it
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
And after letting Seth cry for a few minutes, Summer bent down to kiss his brow.
"C'mon, Cohen. I left Coop in charge of the kitchen we might never eat anything at all if we don't get back there soon"
Seth let out a small laugh, but made no move to surrender his position on the floor.
So, Summer used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away his tears, and kissed Seth fully on the lips. Then, standing, she extended her hand to the boy on the floor. "Seth, I'm serious, I know how much you love thanksgiving, we need your help. All we have done is corn, cause I put Chino in charge of it, I know its one of your favorites."
"Really?" Seth asked, surprised that Summer had remembered
"Yeah, Cohen, its kind of hard to forget"
Seth then grabbed Summer's hand and stood to stand next to her. And holding onto each other, they made their way downstairs to survey the damage.