AN: Italics are flashbacks.

Broken Seatbelts

Chapter 4: The Story Of the Night

Summer Roberts was lying on her oh-so-comfortable hospital bed, flipping through the channels on the outdated television set, not really paying attention to what she was watching. She didn't even notice when her door opened and Kirsten Cohen stepped in.

"Summer?"

"Kirsten! Oh, my god! Is Seth okay?"

"He's in ICU."

"Oh, my god!"

"Oh, no! The doctor just wants to keep him there over night, he said that he thinks he'll be fine, that's not really reassuring I know, but that's all we have. Seth had a piece of metal in him. He needed surgery, but they said he should be okay." Kirsten sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than reassuring the scared and hurt girl.

"I'm so sorry, Kirsten. If I hadn't-"

"Don't play the 'what if' game. I've done it over a thousand times in my head, but it doesn't work. And it is not your fault." Kirsten's voice strongly opinionatedand showed no room for change. "It was Zach's. Now, I know he was, or is, but I hope not-"

"Please. He almost killed my best friends and… he… He's just not my boyfriend."

"Good, because I plan on sending his sorry ass to jail." Kirsten's features softened as she began to ask her next question. "Summer, what happened tonight?"

Summer Roberts walked out of the little girl's room with some newly applied mascara and lipstick. She was at the Riviera Charity Auction. Not by choice, of course. She only came because she felt she owed it to Zach; he had been on her ass about spending too much time with Cohen. But Cohen was one of her best friends, did he really think she would stop seeing him just for him? No way. Although, she could spend more time with Zach and that's what tonight was; even though Cohen, Coop, and Chino were also here. At least she wouldn't get bored when Zach went to 'chill' with the water polo players.

As she was walking towards her table she noticed Zach and Seth having a discussion near the patio, maybe they were getting along. Marissa was also there, standing closer to Seth and more towards the patio, but she seemed intrigued and a tad bit worried. Well, the thought of them getting along was ruined when she saw Zach yell at Seth, she could tell he was yelling because his face was red and the veins in his neck were popping out. She rushed over towards them, arriving just milliseconds before Zach's fist jutted out, hitting Seth in the chin. Summer yelled out at Zach and ran to Seth's side, asking him if he was okay.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Summer asked Zach, all the while pushing him back, hard.

"He's still in love with you! And you him! And you seem to forget that I'm your boyfriend!"

"Zach, I don't love Seth, he's my friend, and friends hang out." Summer tried to ignore the hurt face that was placed on Seth's face when she said she didn't love him. But Summer had to distract Zach before he causes more of a scene. She noticed Zach sway as he tried to find his balance. "Are you drunk?"

"So what if I am?"

"Come on, Zach. Let's go." Summer grabbed Zach's arm and steadied him. She then turned Seth and Marissa. "I'm sorry, Cohen." He nodded to her, understandingly. And she knew that he knew her apology wasn't just for the pain in his chin.

"Sum, I'll come with you. I need a ride anyway. Later, Seth!" Marissa waved to Cohen and ran to Summer and Zach. Summer knew her friend didn't need a ride home; she was just coming to make sure her friend was okay, which Summer more than appreciated. She didn't fell like being alone with Drunk Zach.

They all made it to Zach's SUV without Zach puking, much. But when Summer went to reach for Zach's pocket for Zach's keys, he roughly pushed her hand away and stepped over to the passenger side door and opened it for Summer.

"Milady, your carriage awaits you." Then he started cracking up when he realized his accent sounded more Southern than British.

"Ha, that's funny Zach, give me your keys." When she reached for him, he grabbed her arm and easily lifted her up by said arm into the SUV without a problem and closed the door on her. When she opened the door, he violently opened it and slammed it shut again. Marissa was behind him yelling at him to stop. But he just turned to her.

"You either get in the car or run along!"

Summer saw Marissa move to the back of the car, and she prayed Marissa wouldn't play the hero. Her prayers were answered when she heard the back door open. Marissa, you idiot.

"Sum, you-" Marissa was interrupted as Zach got into the car with a mad Cheshire cat grin on his face.

"You girls ready to roll?" He laughed crazily again. Summer had no idea what he had been drinking but he was so not a normal drunk. And as far as Summer was concerned, she was not ready to roll so she leaned over to grab the keys from Zach once again only to be pushed back again by Zach. Thud. Her head hit the glass window and Marissa shrieked.

"Sum?"

"I'm okay, Coop. Zach, give me the keys! You're going to get us killed, dammit!"

Zach looked at her and started the engine. The tires made a screeching sound as it took off through the parking lot and made a right onto the Boulevard, clocking at seventy miles per hour. Both girls were completely terrified, but the speed didn't silence their pleas for Zach to stop the car. The car was out of control, weaving in different directions.

The last thing Summer remembered were two bright lights.

"I'm so sorry, Kirsten!" By the time Summer finished her story, she was crying. "I should have stopped him!"

"No, baby, it's not your fault, shh, it's okay." Kirsten hugged the scared, broken girl in her arms. It wasn't the girls fault, and Kirsten would never blame it on her.

"But Seth could…"

"No, he can't and he won't. He's left us one too many times and I will not let him do it again." After what seemed like an hour, Kirsten's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

The other end was heard clearly by both Kirsten and Summer.

"He's awake."

Oooooh, cliffhanger! It might take me a few days to get the next chapter up, I've got a bunch of tests coming up, but it should be posted either Sunday or Monday.