AN: Well, thanks for the reviews, guys! I'm hoping to cover a little bit more in this chapter, so any input is welcome afterwards.
Chapter Two: The Rainy Day Women Part II
The fabulous four isn't going to be happening anytime soon. Ryan and Marissa are dead, and Summer and I might as well be… why did Zach have to come along anyway? I just needed time… I needed to figure things out. Even if Ryan hadn't come back, I still would've ended up back in Newport, because as much as I hate this place, it's my home…. Summer's my home.
"Seth, I haven't heard two words come out of your mouth all evening," Sandy commented, wiping his mouth with the take-out napkin.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot for one moment how much everyone enjoys my rambling on and on about myself, and my problems, and my life… you know, I was considering becoming introspective, but sharing all my angst with you will make both of us feel so much better dad," Seth replied, taking his first real bite of food.
"Woah, bud, I don't know what's going on, but if it's girl problems, I'd recommend you sleep on it before you start acting like you're going through withdrawal."
"I am through withdrawal, dad; Summer withdrawal! It's like Summer fever, except this time it's different, because I don't want any ANNABIOTICS, I WANT SUMMER!" Sandy jumped a little. Seth never, ever yelled. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration… but simply put, he just wasn't himself tonight…
"Hey guys," Ryan sighed loudly as he walked in. He pulled a plate off the pile and started eating, searching through for the chow mein.
"You aren't gonnna find it, buddy. Kirsten took the rest of it before she went to bed."
"It's not that late, is it? I mean, doesn't she usually stay up a little later?"
"She doesn't seem to be feeling well lately, so I told her to take the night off and get some sleep. She deserves it."
"Well in that case, I will be invading Ryan's pool house and playing video games." Seth motioned for Ryan to follow after him, and Ryan pointed at his food. After a long silent battle, Ryan sighed and threw his meal away, following after Seth.
"You know, it's really rude to do that to someone, especially when they haven't eaten anything all day."
"Well, if you weren't in bed moping around after Marissa, than we wouldn't be having this problem. Gosh, you're better off without her anyways. I mean, as much as I like my aunt, she really does have a knack for stepping in and ruining things, doesn't she?"
"Seth, you're treading on dangerous ground here, buddy," Ryan warned, gripping his controller.
"Fine, I'll let up. I just don't get it. I mean, you're undoubtedly the coolest unpopular guy around, and I'm definitely the hottest guy around. That has to count for something with the ladies. I just wish they would wake up and realize that." With a sigh, Seth laid his remote controller down and picked up Captain Oats.
"What's up with that? You aren't planning to send him to his watery grave, are you?" joked Ryan, observed as Seth lovingly cradled the small plastic figurine.
"Summer's gonna break up with me soon. She hasn't said anything, but I can tell," he whispered softly. "When it happens, I figured I'd give her Captain Oats. Separating children as emotionally insecure as Princess Sparkle and Captain Oats isn't a good idea," he said, laughing slightly.
"Man, I know that this is hurting you. That's understandable. But don't give up yet. Listen, if I could do that day over again, I would have run after Marissa, held on tight, and never let go. I just let her run away and hide when she obviously needed me the most. I'm ashamed to admit that, because it probably makes me less of a man to have done that. It's just... that's the way things went down, okay? I can't do that over. You still have a chance. Just do us all a favor and don't waste it."
Please, just listen to me Seth. I know what I'm talking about. Marissa… I need you. I want you. I just… I can't keep doing this without you. I can't keep going through the motions, pretending that I'll get over you eventually. Can't you see? I loved you… I never told anyone else that, no one. I told you, though. I know that you don't really want to just be done with it and throw our relationship away as if it was just some sort of a game for you. Please, I need you… I love you.
Seth shook his head. "Summer and I, maybe we just weren't meant for anything long-term. No matter how much I… I l—how much I like her, things just can't work out between us."
"It's raining outside," Seth commented, gazing out the window. The rain thundered down in torrents, almost as if ready to shred the ground the moment the two made contact. A little gnome carelessly thrown in the yard of the house next door that Ryan had never noticed before appeared to be crying. Big, fat puddles seemed to overpower the pitiful, ugly little thing.
Seth saw where he was looking and said what they were both thinking, "Hey, look. It's us."
"Why did you lie to Ryan?" Marissa questioned, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.
"Ryan didn't love me. I didn't want my baby to grow up knowing that his father was only around because he had to be," Theresa answered defensively.
"You know that that wasn't how it would've gone down. Ryan would've made sure that child knew that he was loved, and that the fact that you two weren't together anymore was even more proof of that, proof that he loved that kid enough to stick around, unlike Ryan's dad!" She was shouting now, and tears trickled down her cheeks, leaving streaks of mascara and eyeliner.
"See, that's the problem with you! I do you a favor, and you still have to be Little Miss Heroic, disturbing something that would've been fine!" Theresa apparently had no problem yelling back.
"So it's fine to let a child grow up seeing the man he believes is his father beat his mother? What happens if Eddie turns on your baby boy, huh? What're you gonna do then?"
Theresa looked as though she'd been slapped, then began to cry silently. "I just want my baby to have a home. I want him to be loved, to have the security of a safe place."
Summer spoke up for the first time that night. She'd been clenching her jaw, holding back a floodgate of nasty words, but now she spoke in a small, vulnerable voice. "Ryan would give him that. I have to admit, what you did was really pretty rotten, no matter what your intentions were. We're not gonna let you go through this alone, though. Go back to Ryan, Theresa… get away from Eddie. They guy isn't good news, and he's just gonna keep on dragging you back down with him. Besides, buying enough makeup to cover all those black eyes up… it's gonna drain your funds," she said, laughing shakily.
"You really think that things would be different? Do you think… do you think Ryan could learn to love me?" Theresa asked softly, fingering a lock of her hair.
"He would do the right thing," Marissa said, looking down, looking to the side of the room, looking anywhere but at Theresa.
"Okay. Maybe you're right," She whispered.
"Look, Sum will help you pack your stuff, and I'll go call Trey. He can help you out for awhile, at least until we find you a place of your own. Just give me a list of the things you're going to need for the next couple of weeks and I'll go out and get them at the store, okay?"
Theresa nodded hesitantly then started writing everything out. "Okay, this should cover everything. I'll pay you back…"
"Just, tell Ryan the truth this time and we'll call it even," Marissa said with a half-smile.
I miss you so much, Ryan. I'm so, so sorry… when Theresa shows up, you'll understand why. I never meant to hurt you… I love you. Maybe that's the worst part. No matter how long you're with Theresa, I will always love you. Please understand. Please know… please still love me when you find out the truth.
Poor Marissa… Theresa can see it in her eyes, and so can I… she and Ryan just do it for each other. They belong together. Maybe I didn't see it before, but I see it now. I just wish that she would admit it. Coop's doing the right thing… I just wish that the right thing didn't always hurt everyone so much.
"Hey, Trey! Yeah, it's Marissa. Yeah… so listen, I've got this friend with a baby, and she really needs a place to crash… I can pay her way, I just need somewhere for her to stay. You know my mom would flip if I brought anyone home for too long, and under the circumstances I don't think it would be such a good idea for her to be staying at the Cohen's house. Really, you will? Thank you so much. This is great. Okay, we'll be there as soon as we get to Newport. Bye."
"So, now that that's taken care of, we should get going, huh?" Summer blurted out, looking around nervously.
"Relax, Sum. Give her a chance to say goodbye."
"Coop, I just really don't want Eddie showing up and deciding we all need a little tough love…" Summer shivered, and Marissa put her arm around her shoulder comfortingly.
"It's okay. Even if he did punch our faces in, your dad's a plastic surgeon, remember?"
"Yeah… I just never pictured myself having to get any work done by him."
"I'm ready to go you guys," Theresa interjected, walking out the door and putting her bags in the trunk.
"Great! Do you, uh, need any help getting the car seat set up?" Marissa asked.
"No, I'm good. Just give me a minute to get Charlie…"
"I like that name," Summer stated. "Hi Charlie. What's up, buddy? You're gonna be taking a kinda long ride with your mom and us. 'Us' would be me, Summer, and my best friend in the world, Coop. But, when you get old enough to talk, you can call me auntie… that sounds so much cuter!" Summer pretended to shake the baby's hand, making Marissa laugh lightly.
"Okay, you guys, let's get outta here. For good this time."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Theresa replied.
The rain had slowed down to a slight tinkle, and in contrast to earlier, it kissed the face of the ocean, slipping and sliding its way down cars and people and umbrellas as they went by. Seth and Ryan stood at the pier, not caring about the rain, or the fact that they would get sick out there like that. They turned around as a car rolled by, gaping when they saw three girls who were surprisingly familiar and one very unfamiliar baby occupying it.
"Thank you so much, Trey. I don't know how I could have done this without you."
"It's no problem, Theresa. You were always the little sister I never had. And in a really weird and twisted way, I'm kind of related to you now, but not officially, right?"
"Don't ask me. It all depends on what Ryan says when he finds out…" Theresa started to cry, and Trey pulled her into a hug.
"It's gonna be okay. You'll see. Ryan's a good guy; he'll do the right thing."
"I wish everyone would stop saying that. The more people talk about the right thing, the more I'm convinced that Ryan getting together with me would be the farthest thing from it." Trey just held the girl who'd once been one of his closest friends and let her cry.
"I'll see you later, Sum," Marissa said, waving at Summer as she drove away from the pier in her car. Marissa had unwisely only brought an umbrella that afternoon, thinking she could walk home.
"Hey, stranger," came a comforting voice, and she whirled around.
"Ryan, I…" her voice drifted off as she saw his expression. He looked completely peaceful, and he slowly took hold of her hand.
"I saw the car today. I saw you guys… all of you."
"I should've told you. I'm so incredibly sorry…"
"We can talk about this tomorrow. I'd really like to start walking home at the moment, though." Marissa shifted the umbrella so it was covering both of them and got a firmer grip on his hand. They walked off into the distance, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. The rain gradually faded until it was just a mist, and the darkness surrounded them as they made their way back home.
A/N: I was going to have a Seth/Summer scene, too, (Thus the chapter's title) but I liked this one too much to mess it up. I'll try and update as soon as I get a couple more reviews!