Chapter 7

The next parts of the story happen fast, so I am going to put at least the day (if it's changed) before each scene starts. Also something wonky happens whenever I try to put a paragraph line in sooo sorry! I'll try to make it as obvious as possible.

Monday

'Man, you've got to talk to her, you can't just avoid her and pretend that it didn't happen.' Ryan sighs again as Fai's words run through his head. Ryan knows that he is missing an important lesson, and that by tuning out his Chinese teacher for even 10 minutes he was going to be unbelievably behind by the end of his day but he just can't make his thoughts focus on school.

"Ryan," Fai elbows Ryan in the ribs, lao shi Meng dismissed us. And if you are gonna talk to Summer I'd catch her before you loose your nerve."

Ryan glares at Fai, "who ever said I had the nerve in the first place?"

"Just kiss and make up already." Ryan's glare grows more threatening and Fai holds up his hands, "sorry it's just a figure of speech."

Ryan takes a deep breath and then turns around quickly to see Summer heading out the door, "Summer! Wait up!" Summer is either ignoring Ryan or doesn't hear him because she continues to walk out of the classroom and down the hallway. "Summer, will you slow down?" Ryan calls down the hall, and this time it is obvious that she has heard him because she stops for a minute and then turns to face Ryan.

She bites her lip and then greets, "hey."

"Hey."

"So..."

"So..."

"Ryan this is dumb," Summer exclaims suddenly, startling Ryan out of the awkward moment they were both involved in. "Friday was dumb. We kissed but neither of us wanted it to happen. Right?"

Ryan nods, "right."

"And it's not going to happen again, right?"

"Right."

"And we're friends, right?"

"Right."

"And we still have to face the rest of the summer without a best friends, right?"

"Right."

"So can we just forget any of this ever happened."

Ryan nods for what feels like the millionth time, "right."

"So I figured we could rent some movies and hang out tonight, sound cool? My housekeeper went to visit family for the week and I have no food in the house and Kirsten always has take-out in the house."

"You could just order your own take-out."

Summer pouts, "fine, don't hang out with me."

"Fine we can hang out at my house and rent take-out."

Summer grins, "my hero."

"Hey," Ryan greets surprised to find Sandy and Kirsten both home after he gets home from Chinese class. "I something wrong?"

"No," Sandy shakes his head. "My mother finished her chemo and my brother has decided to throw her a surprise party."

"You'll be alright for a coupe of days right?" Kirsten questions but at the look Ryan gives her she adds, "of course you will be. I'll leave you money for food."

Ryan nods, "okay, thanks. Um, Summer was going to come over tonight."

"That's fine," Sandy responds quickly. "We trust you guys."

"You need me to take you to the airport?"

Kirsten shakes her head, "we'll leave the car. Our return flight gets back Thursday while you have class."

"You sure?"

Sandy nods, "of course."

"If Seth calls..." Kirsten's face looks hopeful and Ryan can't help but feel guilty for causing Kirsten all the pain over the summer.

"I'll let you guys know right away," Ryan assures, but he doubted that Seth would call. He left an reply able text message on Sandy's cell phone once a week, letting Sandy know that he was okay but leaving no way to reach him.

"Okay," Kirsten nods, "and we'll have our cell phones."

"That movie sucked you know," Summer sighs as she drops Ryan's DVD player remote on his bed. "I don't think you should ever be allowed to pick movies again."

"All summer I have picked one movie, I am sorry you didn't like it," Ryan rolls his eyes. "Your three other movies are in the kitchen."

Summer sighs again and glances through the glass windows at the sheets of rain pouring down, "I am not going out there, it's not my fault that you didn't bring the movies in."

"I brought the food," Ryan gestures to the half eaten pizza and wings sitting on the bar behind them.

"Whatever," Summer rolls her eyes and pulls her knees to her chest. "I love the rain."

"Really?" Ryan asks, "I hate it."

"Hate it?" Summer asks startled, "how can you hate the rain?"

"When you've been locked out of the house in it for entire nights it tends to have a negative effect on a person."

"You're life must have really sucked before you came to the Cohen's," Summer states laying her head on her knees and facing Ryan.

No one had ever put it so bluntly to Ryan before but he nods, "yeah it did. I was completely alone before I came here."

Summer lets out a short sardonic laugh, "sorry it's just funny. No, not funny that you're alone. Just...until you came back from Chino I was all alone too. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that Cohen filled that, he just, he didn't." Summer's eyes are swimming with tears as she says the words and moves closer to Ryan. "I think I've spent every year for the last six years feeling lonely," Summer blushes, "this sounds dumb."

Ryan shrugs, "so just say it."

"Oh sure, that's great coming from the king of stocism." A frown crosses Summer's face for a minute, "I dunno hanging out with you this summer has been cool. I don't feel so alone. I've told you things I've never told anyone before in my life."

"Yeah, same here, I guess." The conversation is awkward for Ryan and the next words come out of his mouth before he can think about it. "Things aren't going to be the same when they come back." The look that crosses Summer's face makes Ryan want to erase everything, but instead he tries to explain things to make it better. "Seth is like my brother, and he and Sandy and Kirsten are the only family I have. And Seth has been in love with you forever and..."

"We're just friends Ryan," Summer's voice holds tears.

"I know," Ryan is suddenly flustered with the conversation and his eyes lock onto Summer's teary brown ones. "It's just..."

Summer's eyes search Ryan's face, "what?"

"Since ice skating, maybe before, every time I see you I want..." Summer bites her lip as Ryan tries to find the right words.

Acting on instinct Summer presses her lips against Ryan's, but he breaks the kiss almost immediately stating, "I want to kiss you but I can't. Seth and Marissa," Summer lets out a long shaky breath and turns away from Ryan.

"He walked away from me Ryan, and yet I'm still paying for it."

"He left because of me."

"I know," Summer nods. "Because you're the only friend he ever had in Newport. So when he left I started asking myself what did that make me? Then I realized that Cohen and I have never been friends, ever. First, there was making out and competing for him with Anna and finally there was dating. Never in there was really getting to know each other. So when I think about it, he was right, he never had another friend in Newport."

"Summer..." Ryan doesn't know how to respond to Summer's revelation.

Summer shakes her head, "I can't do it Ryan, not right now. I told Seth once that I didn't want to be his friend, and I didn't. But I do want to be your friend, but right now I need to be alone."

"I'm sorry, Summer, it's not that I don't want to be with you like that. I just can't do that to Seth."

Summer nods, tears running down her cheeks. "I understand you and your reasoning Ryan. I understand that you could never betray Seth, but for right now I need to be away from you. I'm going to go home."

"You shouldn't drive, it's pouring. I'll go to the house, you can stay here, at least until it stops raining."

"It's just a little rain, I'll be fine."

"Call me when..."

Summer hold sup her hand, "Ryan, I'll be fine."

Ryan sighs, "okay, I'll see you in class tomorrow."