Chapter Four
"Hello, you must be Ryan and Summer," a blonde woman pulls open the door at Lei Mei and Fai's house, both had been there only once before to drop the brother and sister off after a class. "I'm Hannah, Fai and Lei Mei's mom, I'm sorry about you having to come here, but we're planning on leaving at 5:30 tomorrow morning. But I just finished making brownies, so you are welcome to those, Lei Mei and Fai are in the kitchen now."
"Hey," Fai greets from the kitchen table. "You're just in time for homemade brownies with homemade ice cream."
Ryan and Summer exchange glances, "homemade ice cream?" Ryan asks.
"Sure," Lei Mei nods, "haven't you ever had it?"
"Does the Shamrock Farms Homemade stuff count?" Summer inquires.
Lei Mei laughs as she gets up from the table and begins to fix two bowls for them, "no, it doesn't."
"You've really never had homemade ice cream?" Fai asks.
"Nope." Ryan and Summer shake their heads.
"Well, here," Lei Mei hands them each a bowl. "Now come on, we'll watch the movie in the living room."
"Have fun guys," Hannah walks out of the kitchen. "I'll be in my studio if you need me."
"So you guys are, like, adopted?" Summer asks as the four of them walk out of the kitchen toward the living room Summer and Ryan had just walked through.
Lei Mei nods, "you didn't know?"
Summer shakes her head, "should I have?"
"Well out last name is Brown, we just kinda figured that was obvious enough." Lei Mei responds.
Summer shrugs, "I guess I haven't really thought about it."
"So what's the story with you to?" Fai asks, they decided on Rush Hour to watch but the four of them had been talking since it started.
"Between us?" Summer asks.
Lei Mei nods, "yeah, I was wondering that. You guys aren't dating you said, so you're friends?"
"Yes," Summer nods too, "just friends. Two people can totally keep a platonic relationship, besides I'm dating Ryan's brother and Ryan sometimes dates my best friend."
"So there's never been anything between you too?" Lei Mei inquires farther.
"No," Ryan shakes his head.
"What's with all the questions?" Summer asks.
"You guys just seem so comfortable together, we always see you together and it's like you're in your own little world." Lei Mei states.
"We..."
Summer's sentence is interupted when a man walks into the living room, "yo yo yo, what's up my home fri..." he stops short when he sees Ryan and Summer, "we have company."
"Good observation skills, Dad," Fai responds.
"I'm Steven Brown," Lei Mei and Fai's father introduces himself. "And you are?"
"Summer Roberts," Summer introduces before shaking Steven's hand.
"Ryan Atwood," Ryan exchanges the greeting.
"Nice to meet both of you," Steven's words are authentic, not like a greeting either of them had ever gotten from anyone in Newport. Steven then turns to his kids, "I've got bad news. Joseph Scott left a message on my voice mail at work, his in-laws made a surprise visit to town and the kids can't come with us camping." Steven then turns to face the teens who aren't his and then back to his own, "which sucks cause it's not like you have any other friends...oh wait..." Steven turns back to face Ryan and Summer, "would you like to come camping with us? It's short notice and we leave first thing in the morning but you are welcome to come."
"Camping?" Summer can barely say the word as she shoots a look at Ryan that says 'hell no'.
"Really?" Ryan asks, "camping sounds cool. We'd love to come, thanks."
"That's awesome," Fai states, "you guys could crash here if you want to run home and get some clothes or something."
"Yeah sounds cool," Ryan nods. "I'd still have to double check with the Cohen's but they should be cool with it. So we should probably get going."
"We'd love to? Hello?" Summer asks when she slides behind the wheel moments later. "Please tell me you were momentarily struck blind and couldn't see the obvious lack of wanting to go camping on my part."
"I'm not blind," Ryan responds. "I saw the expression."
"Then would you care to explain why we are going camping this weekend?"
Ryan shrugs, "I thought it'd be fun."
"Fun? Hello? I'm a rich, stuck up brat...I don't do camping."
"Well you are this weekend, we already told the Brown's we were going."
"I can't believe you..."
"It'll be fun," Ryan interrupts.
"Sleeping outside, on the ground, fun? I don't think so." Summer scoffs.
"So drop me off at the my house," Ryan ignores Summer's comment. "Pack and then come back and get me, what'll you need like an hour?"
Summer rolls her eyes, "whatever."
"Oh good you guys are home," Ryan greets Sandy and Kirsten in the kitchen.
"Yeah we just got home, how was dinner?" Kirsten asks.
"Fine," Ryan nods. "Listen though I got invited to go camping for the weekend would that be alright?"
Sandy and Kirsten exchange glances and Sandy shrugs, "I don't see why it would be a problem."
"Who are you going with?" Kirsten asks.
"Remember the friends I was telling you about from Chinese class, Lei Mei and Fai?" Ryan asks.
"Sure," Kirsten nods.
"Them..." Ryan suppresses a grin, "and Summer."
Kirsten nearly drops her class of water, "you are kidding right?"
Ryan shakes his head and can't help but laugh, "nope, Summer Roberts is going camping. For an entire weekend Summer will be sleeping on the ground and cooking her own meals over a open flame."
Sandy laughs loudly, "now that I would pay to see."
Kirsten's laugh is softer than Sandy's, "so would I."
"Remember everything," Sandy orders. "No, better yet, take detailed notes so you can tell us everything about Summer Roberts camping.
"Okay!" Summer's call floats in the house, "I'm here and I'm ready. Let's do this camping thing."
Ryan walks into the entrance way, "what all did you bring?"
"Not much," Summer responds, "two bags."
"Two bags?" Summer asks raising his eyebrows.
"A bag for my clothes and a bag for my toiletries," Summer responds. "Don't give me that look Ryan, I am not getting rid of it."
Ryan nods, "you are getting rid of most of it."
"I am not," Summer demands as she follows Ryan out to her car where he is pulling her bags out of the backseat.
"You don't need this much stuff," Ryan huffs as he lugs the heavy bags into the house. "Now I know a girls bag is private an all that so open it up and let's see what we can take out."
Summer puts her hands on her hips, "no way. I am not leaving anything behind."
"What's in your toiletries bag?" Ryan asks.
"Just bug spray, sun block, a brush, a toothbrush and toothpaste, make-up..."
"You don't need make-up." Ryan states.
Summer arches an eyebrow at Ryan, "there is no way in hell I am leaving my make-up behind."
"It's camping you'll look completely out of place wearing make-up," Ryan states. Summer glares but proceeds to take the make-up out of her bag, "what's that?" Ryan asks spotting a large cylinder in her bag.
"A blow dryer," Summer responds.
"There's no electricity Summer, we're camping...roughing it..."
"It's battery operated."
"Come on Summer," Ryan sighs.
"I don't even want to go on this stupid camping trip anyway."
"I'll make you a deal," Ryan decides. "We'll do the camping thing this weekend and then you can pick something you want to do for next weekend."
"Really?" Summer expression perks up, "you can't back out."
"I won't back out," Ryan promises although he regrets the promise immediately.
"Cool," Summer grins I know exactly what we can do.
"What?"
"Wait and see," Summer responds a ruthless grin across her face.
"Somehow I'm regretting this promise," Ryan mutters.
"No, it'll be fun. So decide what I can and can not take so we can go."
"Where's Summer?" Ryan asks when Lei Mei walks into the kitchen 15 minutes before five the next morning.
"She's refusing to get out of bed, and I think I heard her cursing your name," Lei Mei states as she pours herself a travel cup of coffee. "I promised her she could have coffee when she got up but that had no effect on her whatsoever."
"Good morning all," Steven appears in the kitchen with a video camera strapped to his hand.
"Morning," the three teens chorus.
"Aren't we missing someone?"
"Yeah," Ryan nods, "I'll make sure she's up in time to go."
"Great, the sooner the better so we can be on our way for Brown Road trip 2004." As Steven says this he pans the camera across the less than thrilled looking group. "Come on guys, show some emotion for the camera."
"I'm uh, gonna get Summer up," Ryan excuses himself quickly. When Ryan lets himself into Lei Mei's room he finds Summer spread out on Lei Mei's floor, "Summer get up."
"No way," Summer mumbles from beneath a pillow.
Ryan pokes at her with his foot, "come on, get up everyone is waiting for you."
"It's still dark out, not getting up." Summer returns.
"Don't make me resort to being mean," Ryan threatens.
"I'm not getting up."
"Okay then," Ryan moves his foot away from Summer back to bare thigh.
Summer immediately shoots up from her, "oh my God, please tell me your naked foot did not just touch my bare skin?"
Ryan lifts his foot up for Summer to see, "naked foot."
Summer throws her pillow at him, "Ryan Atwood, I'm going to kill you." Summer attempts to scramble to her feet but the blanket gets tangled around her leaving Ryan free to escape Summer's wrath.
"What's going on? Anything cool I can get on camera?" Steven asks walking out of the kitchen.
"Summer's up," Ryan responds. "She's not happy with me."
"Is my camera going to be witness to a murder?" Steven asks, "because that would be cool."
"Ryan I'm gonna..." Summer stops quickly at the sight of Steven and his camera. "Good morning Mr. Brown."
"Ignore me," Steven urges, "continue with the homicide."
"Homicide?" Summer's smiles sweetly at the camera, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Walking by Ryan, Summer mutters under her breath, "payback's a bitch Atwood."
"What are you working on Lei Mei?" Summer ask glancing at the silk sash Lei Mei is stitching something into.
"It's a sash for my wedding dress," Lei Mei responds.
"Wedding dress?" Ryan asks.
"Lei Mei's engaged," Fai states.
Lei Mei nods, "didn't you know?"
Both Ryan and Summer shake their heads and Summer states, "But you're like 16."
Lei Mei laughs and shakes her head, "I'm 19."
Summer and Ryan both look surprised, "really?"
Lei Mei nods, "I'm getting married on New Years Day."
"Wow." Ryan and Summer murmur.
"So what are you sewing into it?" Summer asks.
"Roses," Lei Mei responds holding up the beautifully stitched sash with different colored roses on it. "All of the rose colors mean different things." As she explains the color meanings Lei Mei points to the appropriately colored rose, "the red rose means love and respect. The dark pink rose is thankfulness and the pale one is grace and joy. Yellow is joy and friendship, orange is fascination, peach is modesty, coral is desire and the white rose is innocence and secrecy. I strongly believe that you need all of these to make a marriage work, without anyone of these things a marriage just won't work. So I won't to have a reminder of that on me when I get married."
Summer has tears swimming in her eyes when she whispers, "Lei Mei, that's beautiful."
Silence descends around the group and broken by Steven from the front driver's seat, "Buffalo gals won't you come out tonight..."
"Come on dad," Fai sighs.
"I'm keeping the road trip alive," Steven responds. "Sing with me, Buffalo Gals..."
"Dad, we're not singing," Fai informs.
The car seems to slow down, "oh no, I think we're running out of gas."
"Da-ad," Lei Mei sighs.
Summer giggles for a minute and then begins to sing with Steven , "Buffalo Gail's won't you come out tonight, come out tonight, come out tonight..."
When they are done singing Ryan leans forward and asks, "how do you know that song?"
"It's a Wonderful Life is like my all-time favorite movie."
"Okay, what should we sing next?" Steven asks.
"Why doesn't Ryan pick?" Summer asks offering Ryan a sugary sweet smile.
"Excellent idea," Steven agrees.
"Wow, you guys never said anything about a river," Summer comments once they have gotten out of the Brown's minivan.
"Oh, sorry," Lei Mei apologizes. "Did you bring a suite?"
Summer nods, "of course, but that's cool, a river..."
"It's cold though," Hannah warns, "you have to be pretty brave to actually get in it."
"Oh," Summer nods forcing away the smile that is pulling at her lips.
"So we should get the tents set up and out of the way," Steven suggests.
Summer bites her lip and glares at Ryan, "I don't know how to set up a tent."
"Lei Mei will show you," Hannah assures "she's done this every year since she was ten."
"Yeah and did anyone mention to you that it's been a race to see who could get their tent done first?" Steven asks.
"What?" Summer asks.
"Don't worry about it Summer," Lei Mei assures as she pulls a bag off of the roof of the minivan, "putting a tent up is no problem."
"Son of a. bitch," Summer exclaims not even five minutes later after mallet she's using to drive the stakes in comes down on her hand.
"Summer, are you okay?" Lei Mei asks concerned.
"Oh, did Summer break a nail?" Fai mocks and Ryan laughs.
"Are you okay Summer?" Hannah asks calling over from where she and Steven are working on their tent.
"Yeah," Summer sends a glare in the guys' direction, "I'm fine. Come on Lei Mei we're gonna whoop the guys' asses."
Steven grins, "now that's the spirit."
Coming:
Summer proves just how much of a bitch payback is...