Yeay, I can post again, I have obviously served my time!
Thanks to melanie39 for beta-ing!
Disclaimer - I own nought to do with The O.C!
Come Undone
Chapter 1
"I can't believe I had sex with Summer! The hottest girl in school and I had sex with her"
Seth was still on a high.
"I had sex with a girl" Seth proclaimed in a loud voice, as he gave a skip and a jump.
"Ahhh Seth you might want to lower your voice a bit" Ryan grinned.
"Summer will kill you if she hears about you boasting in the car park about your liaison."
" But Ryan, I had sex!...I want to shout it from the rooftops. Hey! Do ya think I could hire one of those bullhorns and you could just drive me around the campus"
Ryan gave Seth one of his looks.
"Trust me Seth…girls do not like the whole bragging about the sex thing. Summer will rip out your heart if she hears about this."
"That's what I'm talking about Ry, I totally need your wisdom on this stuff."
Seth looked at Ryan as they both got in the car and pulled away from Harbour.
" I mean, I had sex but it wasn't quite how I had hoped you know. It was kind of awkward. Limbs everywhere, it was kinda quick ya know"
Ryan screwed up his face.
"Too much information Seth"
"I need you to teach me the way, Oh Chino Slut! You must have some tips. I mean, what do you do when you put your…"
"Seth… No!…I do not want to hear about or speak about sex with you O.K. You had sex for the first time and it wasn't great, hey that's life…Do it again. That is ALL I'm saying on the matter. Jeez, are you some kind of pervert Seth"
"But all I want to know is…" Seth squeaked.
" Seth! No" Ryan grinned again.
They drove in silence for a while, Ryan concentrating on the road.
" So are you O.K with Mom and Dad now" Seth asked " The whole Oliver thing"
Ryan sighed.
" Yeah Seth, everything is cool now."
" Cause I still feel a little tension in the air when you're around the 'rents."
Seth glanced at Ryan to see the reaction.
" I…I just feel a little weird around them still. We'll work it out. I'm still mildly pissed off by the whole situation and Marissa isn't helping matters at the moment."
"She still wants to get back with you and I take it you don't" Seth questioned.
" The bottom line is she didn't trust me Seth, she blew me off for that fucker and then expects me to just come running back when it all blew up in her face. I thought she was the one for me, it just turns out she was a carbon copy of my mother and I really don't need that."
Ryan turned the wheel of the car into the Cohen's drive.
" You forgave me Ry, maybe you can do the same with Marissa. We all feel totally bad for not having your back, just don't go all broody on us buddy." Seth looked out of the window. "See Ryan, talking isn't so bad. You should do more of it…anyway about that thing Ry…."
" Seth quit it…I ain't going there" Ryan gave Seth a push as he got out of the car.
They were still laughing when they entered the kitchen. The first thing Ryan saw was that both Sandy and Kirsten were home. That in itself was unusual. The second thing was the look of concern they both directed at Ryan. Ryan felt his guts clench. Whatever this was, it wasn't good.
"Seth, can we speak to Ryan alone honey" Kirsten spoke softly.
Ryan turned to Seth to see if he knew what was going on. Seth just frowned, shrugged his shoulders and left the room.
" Ryan, there is no easy way of telling you this. I had a call from the prison this afternoon…" Sandy looked at Kirsten.
"Trey" Ryan's voice barely registered.
" No, your father" Sandy swallowed and took a deep breath. " There was a fight, your father was stabbed. He didn't make it Ryan. We're so sorry."
Ryan shut his eyes. A thousand different emotions rushed through his body.
He opened his eyes and realised that he had been holding his breath. He exhaled.
"So what happens next? Um I guess we should try to find Mom. I've got to ring Trey. I should tell him…I should start on the funeral…" Ryan was looking from Sandy to Kirsten.
Sandy jumped in " The coroner will be releasing your father in a few days Ryan, You don't need to worry about anything, son. We've got it under control."
Sandy could have kicked himself. Calling Ryan 'son' at this point was tactless.
"We've called Trey and we're trying to locate Dawn for you. You don't have to do anything Ryan."
" So...the funeral will be in a few days" Ryan asked.
"Ryan sweetie. You don't have to think about this now, we've got that under control."
Kirsten walked over to Ryan, concerned by the lack of emotion in his eyes.
Ryan stepped back avoiding Kirsten's embrace.
"O.K thanks" Ryan looked gratefully at Kirsten. " Sorry… can I just be alone now, please" he pleaded.
Kirsten looked over at Sandy, then nodded. With that, he walked past the Cohens and disappeared into the garden.
Sandy ran his fingers through his hair. Kirsten stood rooted to the spot with tears in her eyes.
"The kid's in shock, we'll give him a while then I'll go and check on him." He enveloped Kirsten in a hug.
" When will Ryan catch a break honey" Sandy felt so helpless.
"We'll get him though this Sandy, I'll go up and tell Seth." Kirsten gave Sandy a sad smile.
Ryan stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom staring at his reflection. He wondered when the scared little boy would leave him. People said time was a healer but some things stayed with you forever.
The fear and hatred that he'd felt for his father had not abated any with the years. Just as his disgust with himself had grown as he had gotten older and understood more. He realised he was shaking. He wasn't sure how long he had been stood there. He filled the sink with water and splashed his face several times. He had to get it together. He didn't want them to see him like this.
Ryan was sat cross-legged on the bed an hour later, when Sandy entered, physics book open on his lap, pen in hand, apparently calm.
"I'll be in, in a sec, just finishing this off. I told Kirsten I'd make pasta tonight if that's O.K."
Ryan looked up as Sandy shut the door. Sandy frowned.
"Ryan we don't expect you to make dinner tonight."
"Why"
"Ryan I know you hadn't seen your dad in a while…but…" Sandy started.
"Sandy as you said I haven't seen him in a long time, over 6 years, it was a shock but I'm O.K, really."
"I'll finish this later. I'm kind of hungry now." Ryan put his book down and got up, leaving Sandy stood in the middle of the room with a worried expression on his face.
"Dude I'm sorry about your dad."
Seth stood next to Ryan as he chopped onions. It had taken him ten minutes to get up the courage to say that. His Dad was right, Ryan was acting weird.
"Thanks Seth. Could you get the green salad out of the fridge for me, then grate some cheese? So, we still up for the party tonight? Summer's going too, right"
"Ryan your dad just died" Seth was confused.
"Your point being"
"I told Summer that we wouldn't be going"
"So you are making my decisions for me now huh" Ryan stopped chopping and looked at Seth, then turned to get a clove of garlic.
"Fine I'll go with Luke."
"Ryan don't be like that, I just thought that you wouldn't want to be out partying tonight, I mean your dad dying an' all…."
Ryan threw down the knife causing Seth to jump. Ryan gripped the edge of the work surface.
"For fucks sake, get it into your head Seth. My dad was not like your dad! You're close to your dad, I hated mine."
Ryan's voice was rising causing Sandy and Kirsten to come into the kitchen.
" My father was a mean son of a bitch. I'm sorry Seth if I don't conform to your standard of how I should be grieving, but this is who I am. I learnt a long time ago that crying doesn't help anything and I'm not gonna shed one fucking tear for that bastard."
Oh shit, the shakes were back. Ryan clenched his fists.
Seth stood shocked at Ryan's outburst.
" I'm sorry Seth, I didn't mean to yell." Ryan suddenly felt as guilty as hell for taking it out on Seth.
Ryan grabbed the car keys.
"Can you finish dinner Seth? I've lost my appetite."
Sandy caught up with Ryan by the door.
"I don't think you should be driving Ryan when you are this wound up" Sandy reasoned. "Come back inside and we'll talk about it."
Ryan got in the car and started it up.
"Ryan, just come inside"
" I'll be over at Luke's."
With that, he drove off. The screech of the tyres did nothing to alleviate Sandy's worry.
"So Chino went off on one"
Seth and Summer had just arrived at Holly's party. The usual mass of people milled around.
"Yup. Mom and Dad are going insane, Luke's not picking up his phone. I hope Ryan's here and not done one of his disappearing acts."
Seth scanned the crowd. He spotted Luke dancing like an idiot, beer in hand.
"Hey Cohen, Summer. Grab a brewski" Luke beamed; already well on his way to being drunk.
"We're looking for Ryan, is he here" Seth yelled over the music.
"Yup he's around here somewhere…what is up with him tonight? He's acting wired. Last I saw he was shoving his tongue down Holly's throat…Marissa did not like that at all"
Seth looked round the room. Sure enough there was Ryan pinning Holly to the wall.
Jesus he was practically dry humping her with a group of water polo jerks catcalling around him, egging him on.
Ryan didn't act like this. Usually he spent his time at Newport parties looking bored and staring off into the distance.
"Ew Chino" Summer exclaimed when she caught up to where Seth was looking.
Seth sprung into action when he saw Ryan's hand move to the front of his jeans to pull down his fly.
Seth grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him away.
"Shit Ryan! What the fuck are you doing man" Seth was stunned; he had never seen this side of Ryan before.
Ryan swayed in front of Seth.
"You know what I'm doing Seth, you're a man of the world now, eh Summer" Ryan winked at Summer.
"Cohen…YOU told him" Summer shrieked.
"That's not all he told me." Ryan leaned in toward Summer.
"Shit Ryan shut up, you're drunk." Seth was pissed; he pushed Ryan away from Summer.
"Yup… drunk and as horny as hell, so excuse me." Ryan slurred, his hands back on his bulging jeans, fumbling with the zipper. Holly giggled and reached for him.
Seth looked at Summer with a look of panic on his face at what he knew Ryan was going to do next.
Suddenly a big arm reached in and swung Ryan around again.
"Chino, stop being such an asshole" Luke yelled.
" Who the fuck are you calling an asshole"
Ryan took a swing and managed to get an ineffectual punch in.
Unfortunately Luke's retaliation punch hit Ryan squarely on the jaw. Ryan flew back and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor.
"Shit, Luke what did you do that for"
Seth kneeled down where Ryan lay unconscious.
"Summer, call 911" Seth shook Ryan.
" Nah man he's O.K, I didn't punch him that hard. He's just passed out. He started seriously hitting the drink at my house and he's had about a third of scotch since we've been here."
Luke took a swig of his beer.
" We've gotta get him home then. My parents are going to freak if they see him like this. Luke, grab one of his arms."
They both grabbed Ryan and dragged him to Kirsten's car. Summer opened the car and they manhandled him into the back seat.
"Why is Chino being such a dick tonight Cohen" Luke asked Seth.
Seth sighed" His dad died this morning. I guess you could say he's not taking it well."
Summer got in the back with Ryan and put his head on her lap.
"Cohen, if he pukes on me, we are OVER, you got that"
Seth started the car, wondering how the hell they were going to get a very drunk, unconscious Ryan past his parents.
Tbc