There was a bit of confusion in my last chapter, my fault for switching up two of the characters. Everything is fixed now so its all good, you might want to reread the last chapter.
ZAK- Sarah's boyfriend, not a very nice guy, treats her like crap. Gets drunk with his friends and ditches his girl. Is after Seth for hitting on Sarah.
JOSH – Summers old boyfriend in elementary school. Put Seth in the hospital. Thought it was funny at first that Summer (The cool chick) and Seth (The Loser) are now dating. Summer thought he was a real jerk. He didn't mean to upset her, just had a brain laps (We know we all have them) but apologized and showed he really cares for Summer and is willing to accept Seth. (May have a hidden agenda? Or maybe not?)
Hopeful that puts everything straight.
And now for the main attraction, a very long chapter 9 pages, so PLEASE keep reviewing and leaving me nice long posts about what you think, any ideas you have, parts you didn't like or really do like. Enjoy.
Chapter 15 - Complexity Of Their Lives
"What the hell are you doing with my girlfriend, you little bitch!" Zak yelled, his words slurred due to his heavy drinking.
Seth stumbled back, shaken, because Zak was right in his face. It had taken all his courage to call Summer, He was ready to tell her...that he loved her. Not just in writing, like in the note, but in his own words. But now what was she thinking?
--
"Did you get the note," Seth asked, nervously.
"Ya, I did." Summer smiled.
Seth took a deep breath, "Then... you know I lov..."
Summer froze as she heard a click and emptiness fill the phone, which rested on her shoulder.
"Seth," Summer called into the lifeless phone.
"Seth!" She yelled! She knew in her heart that Seth was gone and there was no way she could hear the words she so desperately wanted to hear.
"Seth I love you too," She said sobbing. "Why did you hang up?"
She waited for a voice, but there was none. Finally, she hung up the phone.
"I'm not giving up!"
Summer picked it back up, hearing the dial tone, she pushed zero and waited as the phone rang.
"Operator, how may I help you?"
"You can tell me the last number that dialed my house." Summer paced nervously as the two spoke.
"There will be a charge of..."
"I accept!" Summer interrupted loudly.
"The last number who called you was 545-8576, but it's a pay phone."
"So!" Summer yelled angrily.
"Well you might not be able to phone it back."
Summer's pacing grew faster and faster.
"Listen lady, this is very important. I need to know where he phoned from and how I can get in touch with him!"
"There will be a charge of..."
"I ACCEPT!!!!!!!!!" Summer screamed as loud as she could into the phone.
"Well I know where he is."
Summer's heart skipped a beat, "Where," she asked kindly.
Summer scrambled in her pockets, pulling out a pen and an old clothing reseat, turning it over, she scribbled the city and address.
"How can I get a hold of him?"
"Well you could drive," The operator joked.
Summer dropped the phone, which landed lightly on her bed and ran to the front door, grabbing her father's car keys. Then, running outside, she slammed the door behind her.
"...Or you could just phone the Mermaid Hotel and ask to speak with him. Hello???" The operator said, to one of Summer's stuffed animals, because Summer was already four blocks away, looking for the one she loved.
--
Ryan's anger immediately faded. "Theresa, I would never hit you, ever, no matter what you did."
She fell onto the bed in a sitting position, embarrassed and in tears and was soon joined by Ryan, who wrapped his arm around her, attempting to comfort.
"Theresa, you need to know that you're safe with me," Ryan continued in a soft voice, "But we can't be together, it just doesn't work...for me. I'll always be there for you and the baby, as a father or as a friend, but never anything more.
"Alright, I get it," Theresa finally giving up on the one she loved. "You better go talk to Sandy."
"I will."
"Are we...Ok?" Theresa said with a truly frightened face.
Ryan spoke again, looking straight into Theresa's eyes. There weren't many times in Ryan's life when he had to reassure someone, so he wasn't well prepared, but quoting words he had once heard from the man he most admired, Sandy, he spoke.
"We'll get through this."
Theresa forced a smile for Ryan's sake. "You need to go talk to Sandy, he sounds really angry with you. After your done I'll explain everything to him."
Ryan smiled back at Theresa and stood from the bed. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, as he left, curl up on the bed, a ball of tears and that was something he would need to deal with later. Now was Sandy and Ryan time. He sounded so unforgiving and he couldn't live with damaging Sandy's trust in him.
Walking into the house Ryan saw Sandy sitting at the kitchen table, next to Kirsten. There faces full of sorrow.
As Ryan closed the door behind him, Kirsten was quick to speak first.
"I wish you just would have told us Ryan."
"There was nothing to tell," Ryan yelled defensively.
Sandy's face turn angry as he spoke, "There was..."
"No..." Ryan started but was cut off, by Sandy's now regretful tone.
"I wish you would have told us...and then we may have been able to save you from this."
Ryan's face turned from defensive to confused.
"Save me from what?"
Sandy opened his mouth to talk, gathered his words, and then spoke.
"I wasn't the first one to catch you and Theresa kissing in the pool house...Marissa was."
--
Marissa walked a few steps towards the door, as Jimmy handed Hailey the keys.
"Don't you leave," Julie yelled, as Marissa and Hailey drew closer to the door.
"Watch us!" Hailey said, as she and Marissa left the restaurant.
Hailey and Marissa took a few steps to Jimmy's car in silence.
But when they reached it, Marissa got in and uttered with a smile, "Thank you."
"Well your mom shouldn't be such a bitch!" Hailey said, trying to smile, but was still fuming from the fight.
"I know, but from what I've heard, she did have a tough life before her Newport years."
"I know...," Hailey grunted. "Where would you like to go?"
"Ryan's," Marissa said excitedly, "I mean the Cohen's."
"Well your lucky then, I know where that is. I trashed it once"
"Really?" Marissa smirked with an unbelieving laugh.
"Yep I did," Hailey smiled proudly.
"And Seth didn't tell on you."
"No," Hailey laughed, "I locked him in the pool house...along with Ryan."
"Let me guess, they tried to crash your party, so you locked them up."
Hailey turned a corner, running a red light.
"So are you looking forward to seeing him?"
"Well things have been a little..."
"Awkward," Hailey interrupted.
"A little, ya."
Hailey raised a eyebrow, "What about Theresa?"
"I don't know," Marissa quickly replied, happy to see the Cohen's house appear insight.
"Well here we are," Hailey grunted, pushing the brake, the car coming to a smooth stop.
"Thanks again," Marissa said, truly grateful for what she had done.
"Well I needed to pay my sister a visit anyways. She left some papers at the office and I need her to sign them." Hailey reached in the back, opening her bag and grabbing the building contract.
They exited the car, Hailey delivering the last amount of anger in her body by slamming the car door, Marissa closing hers lightly.
"Aren't you going to knock?" Marissa said as Hailey pulled the Cohen's spare key from under a well-disguised rock, hidden by Seth a long time ago, inserted it into the door and walked in.
"No, I find I get a better reaction just breaking in, whatever works right."
"Right," Marissa said with a grin.
"Hi Kirsten," Hailey said with a friendly voice, causing Kirsten to jump three feet in the air.
"Hailey, you know your welcome anytime, but please, please knock."
"I find it much more funny giving you a heart attack."
Kirsten's voice turned instantly to pleasant at the sight of Marissa.
"Ryan, and Theresa are in the pool house, just go in.
Marissa smiled and left for the pool house.
"Why are you here?" Kirsten's voice turning back, to her angry at Hailey tone.
"Because I love you," Hailey said, bring a smile to Kirsten's face. "Because you forgot to sign the papers, the papers I reminded you to sign 100 times. The papers I put on your desk, waved in front of your face and pretty much shoved up your as..."
"Point taken," Kirsten interrupted, "I'm sorry, I've been busy, worrying about Seth."
"He'll come home soon, he's just blowing of some steam."
"I know," Kirsten sighed.
"Before we forget, sign on the dotted line."
Hailey set the papers on a small decorative table, next to the front entrance. Pulling a pen from her pocket and setting it across the document.
"What was this for again?" Kirsten asked.
"The new development contractors."
"Wait, were not hiring them," Kirsten demanded, getting a jolt of anger as she saw the logo. They were at fault for the whole Model Home fiasco.
"Why?" Hailey groaned.
Kirsten picked up the papers, "Just find some new contractors."
"I tried, they were the only one's who could do it on such short notice."
"Hailey, find some new contractors."
"Fine!"
Startling both sisters, Marissa turned the corner in tears.
"We...need to go," she sobbed.
"What happened?" Kirsten asked.
"Please."
"Ok," Hailey grabbed the papers, and headed out the front door, waving goodbye to Kirsten.
Silently they entered the car.
"Where too?" Hailey said with a faint smile.
"Home."
Hailey looked around uncomfortably, "Moms or Dads?"
"Well since almost all communication is now cut off between me and my mom, because of you," Marissa added, her thankfulness towards Hailey going down the drain.
"Sorry," Hailey said back, in an angry, sarcastic, and apologetic tone. "So Jimmy's, or in your case Dads... "
Marissa cut off Hailey's, Seth like rambling, with a look that could kill a cat...several cats.
"Rambling must run in the family," Marissa said spitefully.
"Bitch obviously runs in yours," Hailey said back, pushing on the gas and running another red light.
--
"Hi Kirsten," Hailey said with a friendly voice, causing Kirsten to jump three feet in the air.
"Hailey, you know your welcome anytime, but please, please knock."
"I find it much more funny giving you a heart attack."
Kirsten's voice turned instantly to pleasant at the sight of Marissa.
"Ryan, and Theresa are in the pool house, just go in.
Marissa smiled and left for the pool house.
She wasn't happy about Theresa's presents at the Cohen house, but she would deal with that if it gave her a chance to see Ryan.
Marissa turned, walking through the kitchen and out the back door.
They had such a nice view of the ocean, she though to hersel....
Marissa froze at the view she saw from in side the pool house.
Ryan and Theresa's lips, softy touching, how could she ever have thought that Ryan loved her, a lifelong, now pregnant, Ryan possibly the father, friend or the troubled girl, from next door.
Marissa turned quickly, unaware she was crying and ran right into Sandy, causing Marissa to fall lightly to the cement.
"I'm so sorry," Sandy said, his eyes glancing up to see Ryan and Theresa's lips separate.
Before Sandy could help her up, she stood quickly and ran towards the house.
Sandy looked around, the back door slamming behind Marissa. He walked over to the pool house, opening the door.
"So much for just friends," Sandy said, no laughter in his voice, just anger.
"Sandy," Ryan cried
He had heard enough. Sandy turned and walked away.
Kirsten turned the corner into the kitchen to see Sandy, like Marissa he slammed the door as he entered.
"Do you know why Marissa was crying?" Kirsten asked, knowing by Sandy's face that he knew.
"Marissa caught Ryan and Theresa kissing. Where is she, with her history there's no telling what she might do?"
"She's with Hailey," Kirsten responded.
"Well that's comforting," Sandy said rolling his eyes.
"It's better then nothing."
"At least she's safe," Sandy said, more calm. He walked over to the counter, grabbing a cup and filling it with coffee. Kirsten and Sandy both sat down at the table, both sighing at the complexity of their lives.
Ryan emerged from the back door, seeing both Sandy and Kirsten sitting at the kitchen table. There faces full of sorrow.
As Ryan closed the door behind him, Kirsten was quick to speak first.
"I wish you just would have told us."
"There was nothing to tell," Ryan said defensively back at Kirsten.
Sandy's face turn angry as he spoke, "There was..."
"No..." Ryan started but was cut off, by Sandy's now regretful tone.
"I wish you would have told us...and then we may have been able to save you from this."
Sandy saw Ryan's face turned from defensive to confused.
"Save me from what?" Ryan asked.
Sandy opened his mouth to talk, gathered his words, and then spoke.
"I wasn't the first one to catch you and Theresa kissing in the pool house...Marissa was."
Ryan's face turned cold and scared.
"What?" He said stunned.
"She saw you two, together, kissing."
Ryan stood still stunned, not knowing what to do.
"Go after her," Sandy said, "She's with Hailey, probably went back to her moms."
"The keys are over on the counter," Kirsten said quietly.
Ryan went over and grabbed the keys. Quickly he walked towards the kitchen exit and turned around.
"Just for the record, Theresa and I aren't together."
Sandy smiled, "Ryan, It doesn't matter, go, find Marissa and a bed will be waiting for you when you come home."
"We love you," Kirsten added.
"I love you too," Ryan said softly, then turned, and headed for the car.