A/N: So, after this, I'm thinking two more chapters? Yeah, two more chapters. This one might be kind of short. I'm working on another story right now too so after I finish this one I'll probably be right back with a new one.

Cause It's All Or Nothing

"Dude, you just beat me!" Seth yelled, throwing down his controller and staring at Ryan.

Ryan smiled at him. "Well, I think the time has come for the pupil to become the teacher. Now, the X button usually—"

"Very funny, man," Seth said, cutting him off. "Very funny."

Ryan got up and walked into the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator for something to drink. Seth followed him, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest.

"So, my mom knows."

"Yeah? About you and Summer?" Ryan asked, turning around.

Seth nodded. "She found Summer's bra."

"Ouch." Ryan went to cupboard and brought some cereal, which he opened and started eating straight from the box.

"Yeah. She tried to have this whole talk with me about how bad it was and everything."

"At the risk of sounding like your parent," Ryan started, "she's kind of right."

"Not you too," Seth said, groaning and uncrossing his arms. "You've got to understand this at least a little."

"Hey, I understand it totally. I'm just saying, it's not healthy."

"Whatever," Seth said, shrugging. "This is how she wants it."

"But it's not all about what she wants," Ryan tried to say.

"We're talking about Summer, here. Of course it's all about what she wants."

"Maybe you should talk to her. You know, about your relationship," Ryan suggested.

"I don't know. Maybe." Seth paused. "She's coming over in a while to get her…bra."

Seth looked up at Ryan and a small smile spread across his lips. Ryan couldn't help but smile back before throwing a piece of cereal at him. "Dude, you guys are sick."

The doorbell rang and Seth looked up. "Well, speak of the devil." He headed through the living room to the front door. "Summer," he said, opening the door. "And…Marissa."

"Don't sound too excited to see me," Marissa said as she and Summer pushed past him into the house.

"I just thought Summer was coming alone," he said.

"You mean, you just thought you were getting laid," Marissa said, looking at him pointedly.

"That's exactly what he means," Summer said. "Sorry, sweetie. I'm just here for the bra."

"Right. The bra. Right this way, Summer my sweet," he said sarcastically, leading her up the stairs. "Ryan's in the kitchen," he said, turning back to Marissa.

She nodded and headed in that direction. "Hey," she said, smiling when she saw him eating from the cereal box.

"Oh, hey," he said, looking up. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she said, shrugging. "Just here with Sum."

"Ah, yes, retrieving the bra?"

Marissa smiled and took a seat on a stool, setting her purse on the counter. "Exactly." She laughed to herself and then said, "They are so dysfunctional."

"I've tried to tell him many times, but all he says is 'Man, she's Summer' like it's supposed to explain something."

"I know what you mean," Marissa said, groaning. "I'm just waiting for their last big blowout to finally break them up for real."

"Yeah," Ryan agreed, not commenting on her lack of faith.

"And, then we move in to pick up the pieces."

Ryan nodded. He had a lot of experience with cleaning up Seth's messes. "Cereal?" Ryan asked, holding out the box to her.

She was about to decline when yelling was heard from the top of the stairs. "It is not all about me!" Summer was screaming as she came down the steps with Seth following closely behind.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Summer! We both know that we're doing this because it's what you want!"

"Battle stations?" Marissa asked.

"I think so," Ryan said, before the two walked into the kitchen.

"I'm not having this conversation, Seth," Summer said. "Coop, we're leaving. Now," she added as she turned back and glared at Seth.

Marissa got up quickly, not wanting to anger Summer any further. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Ryan," she said and he nodded.

"Yeah," he said.

"Summer, wait," Seth was saying as Summer went to the front door.

"No," she said as she opened the front door. Marissa slipped past her and out to car. "I might call you later," she said before slamming the door.

"Damn it!" Ryan heard Seth yell from the living room.

"No make-up sex?" Ryan asked, leaning against the kitchen doorframe and facing Seth.

"Shut up," he said, walking up the stairs to his bedroom.

If there were one thing Ryan would never understand in this world, it would be the relationship of Seth and Summer. Last thing he knew, they were screaming at the top of their lungs and she was slamming doors in his face. Later, he gets a phone call, leaves for an hour, and comes back. With Summer. A laughing, smiling Summer. And now, they're sitting in the living room and he's trying to teach her to play Playstation. Again.

He wondered if there would ever come a day when he would understand them. Then, he hoped that someone would slap him if that day ever did come because if he was ever crazy enough to understand those two, then…damn.

He thought maybe Seth had some kind of antidote for Summer. Like, in the second X-Men movie—which Seth had insisted he watch even though he didn't think it was that good—when Stryker would inject that stuff into the back of mutants necks to control them. Maybe he had some kind of drug that he injected into the back of her neck and that's why she always forgave him so easily.

Then he really hoped someone would slap him because the thoughts he was having were certainly crazy. And that could only come from hanging around crazy people. He really had to get out of this house.

But then he decided against that because if he left, he knew what Seth and Summer would do and, well, if Kirsten wasn't going to put a stop to it, Ryan was at least going to try. Talking to Seth was impossible. Seth was an excellent talker but not always so good with the listening. And, even if he did listen, he wouldn't take Ryan's advice. Because "She's Summer". Ryan was getting seriously sick of that excuse.

The relationship wasn't healthy for either of them. That much was obvious. They were both completely in love with each other so; first off, Ryan didn't see the point in hiding it. But, on the other hand, he saw what Summer was doing. Summer had a lot of trust issues. Ryan had a lot of trust issues too and it was probably the one thing he had in common with her. Seth had hurt her once already. And, if she had gotten over that, she knew they were going to different colleges at the end of this summer. Different colleges on opposite sides of the country. She didn't want to be left alone by him all over again. She thought that this relationship was somehow less meaningful than their last and so it would hurt less when they departed for their respective schools when the summer finally came to a close.

But this was where Ryan got kind of lost. Because, the relationship was exactly like their last except they were hiding it from the rest of the world. They were ignoring all of the things that they should be working out and pretending like nothing mattered except for right now. They were both going to end up with broken hearts if they didn't shape up and get things together. And then, Ryan would be left to deal with the aftermath.

She wanted to be with Seth. It was never a question of whether or not she loved him. But she was scared. She was scared that she loved him too much. She knew why they had been fighting so much. She started the fights. He was leaving her at the end of the summer and she wasn't going to get back together with him just in time for them to have some big teary airport scene. She wasn't going to try and do the long-distance relationship thing. That's why this arrangement was better. She wasn't going to let herself get close to him.

In fact, she wasn't going to let herself get close to him at all. She knew she was already in over her head with everything they were doing now. That's why they needed to just stop everything. Although she hadn't originally planned on doing this now, she figured it was as good a time as any.

They were sitting on her couch, watching TV about three days after the fight at his house. She was thankful her father wasn't home right now because she knew a hell of a screaming match was about to ensue. She glanced at Seth and saw he was looking at her. He smiled and kissed her and she felt her stomach drop.

She pushed him off and he looked confused. "Okay, what is up with you today?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, shrugging it off. "I just don't feel like it."

"I kissed you," he said. "I wasn't asking you to have sex with me."

She shrugged again.

"Seriously," he went on. "You've been all weird lately."

"Gee, thanks. Just what I want to hear."

"You know what I mean," he said.

She turned her head to look at him. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Like, what kind of talk?" he asked. "Just talk or bad talk?"

"Cohen," she said, and she tried to force some remnants of a smile onto her face but it quickly faded anyway.

"Okay, bad talk," he said, more to himself than to her. He leaned back on the couch and she stood up.

"Seth, this isn't working anymore," she started.

She expected him to interrupt her at this point but he stayed quiet.

"We'll be leaving each other at the end of the summer and the whole long distance thing is stupid to even consider. It would be dumb to even think about a relationship now."

Seth leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Thanks for finally letting me know how you feel," he said sarcastically.

"Come on, Seth."

"I don't get you," he said. "I don't understand why you have to plan everything like this. When did we start thinking this far into the future?"

"Seth, we can't not think about the future!" she told him.

"Why? Why can't we just focus on right now?" he asked.

"Well, I don't want to be with you right now!" she yelled and immediately felt horrible. It was a lie. She did want to be with him. She just didn't think she could handle it.

He looked up at her and his eyes were big, almost shocked at what she had just said.

"I don't mean it like that," she said, quietly, trying to redeem herself. "I just don't think it would be…smart for us to get all…attached."

"You don't think we're attached?" he asked, sounding almost surprised that she would even suggest that.

"Seth—"

"Summer, I know you better than anyone," he said.

"Exactly!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's why you should understand. This makes more sense."

"I don't understand, though," he said, standing up and looking at her. "Explain it to me, Summer! Tell me why this makes more sense!" he yelled. "Tell me why anything makes more sense than me and you."

Summer stared down at the floor. She held her elbow and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. She couldn't look at him. Not after that. Instead, "Just go," was all she said.

He stood up. "So this is it, huh? This is how it's going to be? All or nothing?"

"Please," she whispered.

She could sense him moving and she thought, with any luck, he was leaving. But a shadow was cast over her and she knew he was standing in front her. He picked up her hands and held them to his chest. He looked at her and the tears in his eyes matched hers.

"I love you," he said. She nodded and he kissed her forehead. And then he left.