Chapter 11
A.N. this chapter has a bit of language in it...Oh and for those are you who are reading the story I am co-writing Title and Registration the next chapter should be out soon. And if you're not reading it, shame on you (just kidding) but it's a great (in my and my co-authors opinion) OC and One Tree Hill crossover...It's posted under EmoStarlette's name and in the OTH category, check it out!
"We did it," Summer sighs as she carries the last plate into the kitchen, their teacher had just left and the kids couldn't be more happy with the end result. Leaning against the counter she sighs, "lao shi Meng is so hard to read though, the entire dinner I thought she hated it. I can't believe we got A's on our final..."
"Well, believe it, we rocked tonight," Lei Mei states, "and our parents really hit it off. Which is kind of weird, but cool too."
The group sets to work on cleaning up the disaster that covers the kitchen, "hey!" Lei Mei exclaims while helping Ryan with dishes, a bubble landing on the shoulder of her blouse and in retaliation she brushes two handfuls of bubbles at him.
Lei Mei doubles over in laughter at the expression on Ryan's face. "Oh yeah?" Ryan asks pulling the sprayer cord up and facing it toward Lei Mei.
"You wouldn't," Lei Mei laughs. The two, at a stand off, completely miss the sound of Summer's phone ringing, but they do notice when she slips out into the back patio and doesn't return until Fai and Lei Mei leave an hour later.
Once they've gone Ryan slips onto the back patio and finds Summer sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet crossed. "What's going on?" Ryan asks sitting next to her.
"My mom called," Summer's voice is hoarse when she responds.
"Your mom," Ryan echoes. "What did she want?"
Completely taking Ryan by surprise Summer stands up in seconds she has leapt into the water, clothing and all. "Summer!" Ryan calls just as her dark head pops up to the surface.
"Jump in!" Summer invites treading water, "the temperature is great."
"Ryan?" Kirsten calls and Ryan turns quickly to face her. "Where's Summer?"
Summer rests her arms on the side of the pool, "here I am Kirsten."
"Oh, you guys planning on swimming?" Kirsten asks.
Ryan shrugs, "I guess."
"Well, have fun. Jimmy Cooper called, he wants us to have drinks with him and Hailey, so we'll be late."
"Have fun!" Summer calls and once she had left the patio area Summer again turns her attention to getting Ryan in the water, "come on Ryan, just jump in, it's great."
"Summer..."
"Ryan, please." The teasing quality has left Summer's voice and been replaced by a sad request.
With a sigh Ryan pulls his shirt of his head and dives into the water and as soon as Ryan's head is above water Summer pounces on him, attempting to force him back underwater. Finding footing underneath him Ryan grabs Summer's wrists, "Summer, don't do this."
Summer pulls her arms out of Ryan's grasp and around his neck, giggles and innocently asks, "do what?"
"Whatever your mom called about has you upset, and you're trying to shut me out. I'm not going to let you." Ryan stares into Summer's dark eyes, "don't shut me out Summer. Talk to me."
Summer glares at Ryan and quickly pulls away from Ryan, "fuck you Ryan, what do you know about it?"
"I know that before you turned twelve she left. I know that her calling you has thrown you for a loop. And I know it's easier for you to shut me out than to talk to me about it. But I'm not letting you shut me out."
"Who asked you, Ryan?" Summer turns away from him and holding her mini denim skirt up Summer causes a scene that would be funny if it wasn't so serious.
Following Summer out of the pool, with the resistance of his shorts slowing him down more than Summer's skirt had Summer is already headed for the entrance to the house without a look back towards Ryan. "Summer!" Ryan calls jogging towards her.
"Ryan," Summer voice is soft and when she turns to face Ryan he can see the tears shimmering in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it, please, not right now. For right now I just want it all to go away."
"Shh," Ryan whispers as he pulls Summer, shivering, to him. "Okay, we don't have to talk about it. Come on, let's get some dry clothes and we'll watch TV or something, okay?" Summer nods against him and allows herself to be led into the pool house.
"So, am I the height of fashion?" Summer asks coming out in a blue t-shirt tied at the side and a pair of boxers that rides low on her hips.
"Always," Ryan nods as Summer crawls on the bed and cuddles up next to him.
"What are we watching?"
"Old Who's Line reruns," Ryan shrugs, "not a whole lot on. Lei Mei called while you were in the shower, she wanted to know if you were okay, and if you needed anything. I told her you'd call her in the morning."
"Thanks," Summer whispers feigning intense interest in the Weird Newscaster skit.
"You know you've been staring at me for exactly seven minutes, right?" Summer asks finally turning her attention away from the television and focusing on Ryan.
"Sorry," Ryan apologizes this time and looks away.
With a sigh Summer picks up the remote and shuts the TV off, "so..." Summer takes a deep breath, "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before, not Seth, not even Marissa." Refusing to make eye contact with Ryan she rests her head on his chest as she begins to speak, "it was three weeks after my 11th birthday that my dad sat me down and told me that my mom was going to move away from us, out of California, to the other side of the country. I was devastated and I spent the next four days, while the movers packed, begging my mom not to leave. And when she made it blatantly clear that nothing would keep her in California I changed request. I spend the entire night the day before she was supposed to leave asking her to take me with her, I told her I would give up everything I had. My friends, the school I loved, my skating, my dad, anything just to be with her."
Summer stops for a minute, takes a shaky breath and Ryan can feel the tears begin to wet his wife beater, gently Ryan places a kiss on the top of Summer's head encouraging her to continue. With a sniff she does, "it didn't matter. I stopped crying the instant she told me that she didn't want me to come with her, with just those simple words my entire world changed. I shut down and I shut her out of my life, and then suddenly she appears out of nowhere and she wants to have lunch with me tomorrow. And yet somehow, after all that I still want her approval so I said yes."
Ryan wraps his arms tightly around Summer, offering any kind of support he can, "I'll go with you, if you want."
Summer makes eye contact for the first time in nearly five minutes, "really?"
Ryan nods, "if you want."
Summer nods, "I do."
"Then it's settled, you're having lunch with your mom tomorrow, and I'll be right there."