Chapter One
Mornings in the Cohen household were often both unpredictable and entertaining. While the bright light of day did hurt his poor eyes as it streamed so generously through the larger than life windows littered throughout the house, Seth felt a particular sense of excitement as he padded towards the kitchen. Ah, yes, the kitchen, the ground zero of every Cohen family event which always seemed to have a greater effect on the rest of the day. To put it simply, whatever happened in the kitchen that morning would most probably follow him to school and onward. Except that the curly haired, lanky young man had it in mind to forgo the melodrama of the daybreak and escape to school without divulging any of his scandalous and, of course, stealthy plans.
"Ryan! Just the strapping young person I've been waiting to see, and how are you this fine and glorious morning?" Seth inquired, grinning so widely that Ryan's signature expression of 'what the hell' became even more over-exaggerated. Bobbing his head up and down, the brown haired lad pursed his lips and pressed his palms against the cool granite of the island. "Yes, I know, this morning seems much like any other, but that, my friend, is where you're wrong," he informed pointedly, watching as Ryan merely raised his eyebrows before approaching the fridge to get himself some orange juice, chewing lazily on a piece of bagel. Seth began nibbling on his bottom lip and tapping his foot, all the while drumming his fingers on the island's counter top. Ryan, seemingly oblivious to his best friend's torture, pushed past the twitchy beanpole that was Seth and reached for a glass. The kitchen grew oddly silent as the boy from Chino continued with his morning ritual of pouring the orange juice into the glass, and downing half of it before taking another bite of bagel. Finally, and only because it was inevitable, Seth gave a great sigh.
"Okay, fine, I'll give in. I just couldn't take that pained look on your face any more. I know, I know, I really should keep this to myself, but I guess I'm just too good for my own… Well, good," the Cohen boy said, sounding as though he seriously had been trying to keep it all on the down low and stealth-like. Ryan, however, giving Seth an expectant look, knew otherwise. Pausing with the quarter-filled glass of orange juice just inches from his lips, Ryan waited for Seth's river of thought to tumble unceremoniously out through his lips. It was something he was rather used to by this point. Grinning widely once more and looking quite a bit less anxious, Seth rubbed his hands together and launched into his more than brilliant plan.
"Right, so I was thinking that I hadn't really seen my lady friend in a while, you know, after the whole stealing my grandfather's car thing. Calling hasn't really been working for me, you know how I like to talk with my hands and everything, the telephone just doesn't do my physical illustrations justice, so I figured that maybe… Maybe I could sweep her off her feet at the Your Mom concert tonight and then swing her back here to my swinging bachelor pad for a little alone time, you know, kind of like a you and Lindsay thing. Speaking of which, where is the aunt? Is she hiding in your bag?"
"No. She left earlier this morning," Ryan replied with a faint sigh.
"Left? Why? Is our breakfast spread not varied enough for her? Hm? Am I not adorable enough in the morning to suit her tastes?" Seth asked, the faint shadow of a smirk resting behind his grin.
"You don't think it would be kind of weird if your Mom came down for breakfast and found her sister digging into her bagels unannounced?" Ryan inquired, giving Seth a skeptical look. Seth's grin disappeared, his lips forming an 'O' as he silently uttered the word of the same sound. With a nod, he raised an index finger and shook it in Ryan's direction.
"Good point, good point, but hey, I just got a great idea. For my plan tonight, how about we trade our swinging bachelor pads, I mean, not saying my place upstairs isn't swinging, but I figure Alex would probably find the pool house to be a lot swingier because it's just so… outdoorsy, she seems like she's an outdoorsy kind of girl, what do you say?" Seth asked, looking eager. Ryan turned away from the fridge, which he had approached once again to return the orange juice to its original location, and gave Seth a hard look. "Okay, fine, but come on, it's only for one night. I'll give you until the concert tonight to reconsider-"
"Whatever you're planning for tonight Seth, you should postpone it," Sandy informed, cutting in as he strolled into the kitchen while straightening the dimple out in his tie. Seth's mouth dropped open as he shot a look at Ryan who just shrugged. Ryan, not being the biggest fan of the live music selection at The Bait Shop, was perhaps a little bit relieved that there was something else going on. Then again, he wondered if he shouldn't be a little bit worried, especially considering he had no idea what Sandy was going to occupy their time with that evening.
"Postpone? As in, reschedule at a later date? Look, Dad, you don't seem to understand the concept of a concert. A band comes in, they play for one night, and then they leave. To postpone would be to… to… to go to the next stop on their tour for a show, which, after Tijuana, you'd probably never even consider letting me-"
"You're absolutely right, Seth, never in a million years would your mother and I let you, but you may find your alternate plans to be interesting," Sandy interrupted once more, a sly kind of smile starting to tug at his lips.
"Father, what's that suspicious look in your beady little eyes? What's up your sleeve this time, leftover cream cheese from yesterday morning? Didn't Mom warn you about washing your hands after you roll up your sleeves to eat?" Seth joked, wrapping an arm around his Dad's shoulders while shaking his head. Ryan gave a chuckle and leaned forward on the island. Seth and his Dad were always a great source of entertainment.
"Very funny Seth," Sandy muttered, ruffling his son's curls.
"So I see you told our boys what's going on tonight," Kirsten assumed as she stepped into the kitchen, walking directly over to the coffee machine and getting herself a mug. Sandy ducked out from under Seth's arm and made his way over to his wife, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.
"I was just about to inform them that we're hosting a welcome party for our new neighbours," Sandy concluded finally, turning to lean on the sink so that he could savour the boys' reactions.
"Neighbours? Someone already bought the Coopers' old place?" Ryan asked, looking surprised. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't seem to picture anyone else living in that house, other than Marissa of course. A prickling sensation started on the back of his neck at the thought of her and he reached up, trying to rub it away.
"Well aren't we the Brady neighbours. How long have they been there? I never noticed a moving truck, unless they're secret service or something. Couldn't we, oh I don't know, postpone their welcome until they've been here a week and have already decide they hate it and wish they never moved here in the first place?" Seth asked pointedly, shooting a 'take that' look at his father. Sandy frowned, his thick eyebrows tilting inward towards each other as he regarded his son.
"Now Seth, we have to accept these people into the community just like anyone else would have done for us. Who knows, maybe they have kids around the same age as you. You can make a new friend, enlarge your posse," Kirsten stated, sounding almost too hopeful as she sipped at her coffee. Seth rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead.
"Mom, never say posse. Never say it, never ever again," Seth groaned turning towards the kitchen door as if to leave. "Let's get out of here Ryan before she tries to broaden her vocabulary again." Ryan shot Kirsten an apologetic look.
"We'll wait in the car," he said quickly, grabbing his bag as he passed Seth and walked out of the kitchen.
"Wait, Seth, what was the name of this band you were going to see tonight anyway?" Sandy called out, just curious. He was always trying to understand his son's taste in music.
"Your Mom!" Seth yelled back as he and Ryan crossed through the sitting room. Sandy gave a shrug and turned back to his lovely wife. "I'll never understand it."
