Dare You To Move
What if more had happened in the motel on the way to Tijuana? Marissa is distraught about the news of her parents divorce and Ryan tries to be there for her whilst Summer and Seth just can't stop arguing!
Chapter One:- Trying To Help
A/N:- To indulge my newly found O.C Obsession here's a R/M, S/S fic based on the events of the Motel in 'The Escape'. 'Dare You To Move' is by Switchfoot and is such a great song! Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!
Marissa lay there staring at the grubby ceiling, blinking back the tears. She couldn't believe that this was happening. It was like within a space of a month her life had changed completely – her Dad's financial situation spiralling out of control, her relationship with her Mum deteriorating, now her parents getting a divorce ……and of course Ryan Atwood moving in next door. Even that was not a good thing – sure he was nice and a good kinda guy but everything with Luke and been so safe and sure and she was not going to take the risk and throw away all of that for some cute guy from Chino. Marissa ran a hand over her eyes as she listened silently to the harmonious sound of Summer's light snoring and Seth's heavy breathing in the bed. Ryan was rolled over on his side on the very edge of the bed next to her and she couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. She tried to close her eyes and fall asleep but all she could picture was the huge house when she got back – empty without her Dad and full of the resonating voices of her pompous, money-seeking mother and her spoilt sister……. She sniffed loudly, trying to swallow her tears when Ryan shifted and rolled over. She could see him looking at her.
"Hey," he said softly, placing her hand in his. Marissa rolled over and buried her head in his chest, savouring the comfortable, safe feeling she felt when he was close. Ryan squeezed her hand reassuring and with his other hand he played with her hair, brushing it out of her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice muffled against his chest. "My life – it's falling apart and-" she broke off, breaking into sobs.
"It's alright, everything's going to be alright." Ryan soothed quietly. He sighed heavily as he fumbled awkwardly with Marissa's hair. He was torn in two. Ryan could sense Marissa's insecurity and he wanted to help her and save her from herself. He knew he could be there for her in ways that Luke never was, but a part of him knew that she would never end such a long term relationship with the coolest boy in school for some poor guy from Chino. Ryan hated being this close to her and yet a world apart.
"What's going on over there?" came a voice from amongst the pitch black.
Marissa tensed up in his arms. "Everything's alright Seth." Ryan said, trying to reassure his friend.
"COHEN!" screeched Summer, sitting up in bed. "What the hell's the matter with you, I was having a nice dream about some really nice guy who was just hitting on me and asked whether I wanted to fly to Paris with him …."
"Well, I'm so sorry I woke you up then." Seth replied sarcastically. "I just heard crying." There was a fumbling for the light switch then the room filled with bright light.
Ryan blinked and shielded his eyes from the light.
"Gees guys, get yourself your own room." Seth said, peering over at Ryan and Marissa.
"Shut up Cohen." said Summer, shoving a pillow at him. "Coop, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, rubbing her eyes.
"She's alright." Ryan said, answering for the silent, troubled girl in his arms. "Can we just get back to bed?"
"Yeah, sounds like a plan." Seth said darkly, glaring over at his bedmate.
Summer shook her head stubbornly. "No I want to check that my best friend is alright." she insisted.
"Of course she's alright. Does it look like she's really hating being snuggled up to Ryan?!" grumbled Seth.
"Seth …" Ryan said warningly but it was too late, Marissa pulled away from him, sitting up and running a hand through her hair, her eyes still wet.
"I'm just going to get some air." she said quietly, grabbing her purse and going outside.
"Look what you've gone and done." Summer said, hitting Seth on the arm.
"What I'VE gone and done?! If it wasn't for me then you would still be snoring your head off and you would never even have done your best friend was upset!" Seth argued.
"Oh and I suppose you think you're so clever Cohen. Before Ryan came along you didn't even know what it was like to have any friends!"
"Gees that hurts." Seth said rolling his eyes. "Better than hanging out with some of the tarty girls who you call your friends. I mean, come on, one of your "friends" is too busy worrying about who she sleeps with that she can't even remember when your birthday is."
"For your information that "tart" is called Frankie and she's a really nice person ……how the hell did you know that she forgot my birthday?" demanded Summer.
"Oh so even you admit that she's a tart." Seth grinned, smugly.
"No I never said that geek!" argued Summer angrily.
"Cut it out guys." Ryan shouted. Seth and Summer went quiet. "I'm going to go check on Marissa. Please try and get on for at least half an hour."
Marissa stood under a flat roof and stared at the rain pouring down. The cold air felt good on her hot face and she tried to erase all the bad stuff that had been going on in her life recently from her mind. But it wasn't happening. All she could visualise was Holly's father smacking her Dad to the floor at the Debutant's Ball and her Mum telling her that it wasn't her fault her father was a failure …... She reached into her purse and took out a bottle of vodka that she seemed to keep with her more and more often. Unscrewing the lid, she gulped down two mouthfuls of it hungrily before she heard a door open. She quickly put the lid on and thrusted the bottle back in her bag. It was Ryan. He jogged over to where she was standing, his trainers splashing the puddles underneath him.
"You alright?" he asked. Marissa nodded unsurely.
Ryan looked at her closely and Marissa avoided his gaze. "Look, I know that ever since I've known you, things haven't been easy for you, your dad losing all that money, things with Luke being rough and your Mum ….well……. I know that she's not the most diplomatic of mothers ….it's just you got to stop beating yourself up over this. It's not your fault!" he said, rubbing her arm.
"But I've got to live with the consequences anyway." she said bitterly.
"We can work through that." Ryan reassured.
"How do you know that?!" she said, raising her voice a bit.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Have you been drinking?"
"What?" Marissa replied, a little edgy.
"You like alcohol, I know that, I've seen you get so pissed you completely black out, do you think it'll solve all your problems?!" Ryan demanded, trying to keep a calm stance.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Marissa said, a bit crossly.
"Marissa!" Ryan said, bordering on shouting. "This isn't funny."
"What do you know about it?!" shouted Marissa before stalking off into the rain.
"What do I know about it?!?!" shouted Ryan back, grabbing Marissa by the shoulder and spinning her around, as the rain fell heavily on them. "I will not let you turn into my mother. I've seen what alcohol's done to her – how she said she just wanted to escape from our problems for a bit –I've seen it ruin her, ruin the whole family and I'm not going to let the same happen to you!" he said hotly.
"Well I'm sorry if I'm too much responsibility, I don't recall anyone asking you to look out for me." Marissa cried, getting all worked up.
"Marissa, give me the bottle." Ryan said sternly, holding out his hand. The rain dripped off his head and down his face, almost blocking his view.
"No why should I?"
"FOR FUCK'S SAKE MARISSA!" Ryan shouted before booting an empty beer can across the street angrily. The can clattered down the road noisily.
Marissa stood there looking at him, slightly scared, shaking from the cold rain.
"Just forget it." Ryan said, his voice slightly calmer before walking off into the rain.
Marissa watched him go and filled with regret. She couldn't believe she had lied to him, said those things, she knew how much he just wanted to help her, and goodness knows she would love to have someone to just always be there for her and help her ….. She'd just reacted like she always reacted when someone tried to tell her what to do. She hated herself. Ryan stood a little way away, leaning on a fence, breathing deeply. The rain didn't seem to bother him. She took out the bottle of Vodka and approached him nervously handing it to him. "Sorry," she muttered.
Ryan ran a hand through his wet hair and took it from her.
"Look Marissa," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I just want to help you. You may not believe it but we're all here to help you – Seth, Summer, the Cohens, me …. you're not alone." Ryan glanced at the alcohol. "Next time when you feel like resorting to this just come to one of us and talk." Marissa nodded. Ryan frowned a bit. His next words cut through the air like a knife. "Tomorrow, try talking to your boyfriend. He's always there for you right?"
Something seemed to snap at the mention of Luke. It was like Marissa suddenly remembered that she had a boyfriend. Up until now, she had felt that her and Ryan ……..now he was rubbing her face in it, his revenge for her running out of the pool house and going to sleep with Luke; She needed Ryan more than ever now. She just wanted to have him hold her all night, and now he was reminding her that he couldn't. He wouldn't. Marissa turned and jogged back to their motel room.
Ryan watched her go before lobbing the vodka bottle down the street angrily and watching it smash into a thousand pieces.
A/N:- What did you think of the first chapter of my first O.C fic? Should I carry on?