Fresh Existence

Author's Note:

Once again thanks for all of the wonderful reviews. I crave the feedback you guys are sending me so please keep it up. Well, hope you enjoy this next chapter.

I am really, extremely sorry about the lack of updating recently. I have been really busy over the Holidays and have hardly been home long enough to do anything but sleep. I hope you can enjoy this chapter. I know it's not very long considering how long it took me to update, so I apologize profusely.

Disclaimer:

I own nothing that has to do with the OC. If I did, I doubt I would be working on an out of date computer that can crash at any moment.

Chapter Five

After an hour and a half of constant peddling and foot pushing, they finally reached their destination.

"Looking familiar yet?...Ryan?" asked Seth as they entered through the massive front doors into the unfinished house. Ryan looked around until realization struck.

"Is this your mom's model home?" asked Ryan incredulously. Staring at all of the scaffolding and cans of paint, he could only wonder how he could hope to hide out in this place if people were there everyday.

"Ya. Something happened to the contractors or whatever, so they stopped building for a while," said Seth answering Ryan's unspoken questions.

"This place looks creepy," commented Marissa after a lull in the conversation while everyone took in their surroundings.

"You can always leave you know," replied Seth with a hint of hope in his voice.

"I like it," shot back Marissa with a glare.

"I don't think I should stay here," said Ryan uneasily since it all seemed too good to be true.

"Come on buddy, you gotta stay," urged Seth," I promise no one will know you're here."

"Yeah, stay. Maybe then we can get to know each other," contributed Marissa.

"Well, alright,"agreed Ryan after a split seconds debate in his mind; he would do anything to get to know Marissa a little better.

"Oh sure, you agree with her," said Seth sarcastically.

"Shut up," responded Ryan. Swinging his flashlight at Seth, he booted her up the stairs to look around his temporary home.

Ryan and Marissa were each sat at the edge of what would be the hot tub eating take-out food while Seth practiced his skateboarding in the empty swimming pool.

"So where is your mom?" asked Marissa as she stuffed a fry in her mouth. Ryan merely shrugged his shoulders in reply. He was her son and even he didn't know where she was. "What about your dad?" continued Marissa.

"Jail. Armed robbery, impressive huh?" asked Ryan looking hard at Marissa to see her true reaction.

"Oh. I think my dad's in trouble," shared Marissa," these men in black suits keep coming to my house and asking for him. He never answers the door and doesn't even leave the house anymore." After a slight pause, she continued," I have never told anyone this,"

"I can keep a secret," cut in Ryan genuinely. Sharing a shy smile, they continued to eat while Seth amused himself in the un- finished pool.

"I should probably be going home," said Marissa after another half hour of exploring the half finished model home.

"Yeah, me too. I gotta keep my cover up," agreed Seth. "We have to keep this a secret though. I know Ryan isn't going to say anything, and I'm not going to say anything obviously, so that leaves one person," said Seth looking pointedly at Marissa.

"I can keep a secret," said Marissa resolutely. With that said, all but Ryan left. Seth remained on his skateboard while Marissa sped away on his bike. Little did they know, someone else was at the model home, someone that was now extremely jealous.

Ryan was up in his 'room' lighting candles when he heard someone walking around downstairs.

"I thought you were going home Seth," called Ryan to the unknown person downstairs. Just as he said those words, the boy he saw the other day stepped through the doorway. Luke, thought Ryan, that's his name. "What are you doing here?" asked Ryan puffing up his chest in an attempt to look bigger than Luke who was easily twenty pounds heavier than he was.

"More important question, what are you doing with my girlfriend?" asked Luke forcefully. Ryan lowered the sleeping bag he was holding anticipating a fight.

"I haven't done anything to your girlfriend. I hardly know her," answered Ryan truthfully.

"You better stay away from her," ordered Luke.

"And if I don't?" taunted Ryan. Suddenly, Luke rushed forward shoving Ryan backward. Stumbling over freshly lit candles, he landed hard on his ass. Unbeknownst to the two fighters, the flames hit the sleeping bag and immediately blossomed into a blaze.

Luke continued to barrage punches at Ryan who fought equally well in defense while landing a few punches on Luke as well. Smoke drifted in front of their red visions alerting them to the danger before them. Punching Ryan one last time hard enough to send him crashing to the floor, Luke gave up the fight and ran for the door leaving Ryan lying in the middle of a room ablaze in orange heat.