Sorry for the delay, I've had a bunch of crap going on, but here it is!

Broken Seatbelts

Chapter 13: The Superplex and The Fine Feeling

The Cohen's and co. were at the SuperPlex Cinema Theater just outside of Newport waiting in line to buy their tickets; or rather mom and dad were waiting in line to buy the tickets while the kids were playing Daytona USA in the mini arcade the theater invested in. Seth and Marissa were at the wheel, Seth in first and Marissa following at a distant sixth.

"Oh yeah! C'mon, Cooper, bring it!" Seth yelled out playfully but sat there, dumbstruck as Marissa Cooper, the Harbor Social Chair and stepdaughter to, essentially, He Who Owns Your Parents And Everything Else You Thought Was Yours, brought it. Marissa put the peddle to the metal and beat the cocky, self-assured teenage boy beside her.

"Hmm, like you brought it?"

"You're hilarious, Cooper."

"I know right?" Seth Cohen stuck his tongue out at the prep who beat him and then he turned to Summer and pulled her into his lap in the pseudo driver's seat, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead as she giggled.

Ryan stood behind Marissa's seat and had his arm resting on the back of it as Marissa started a new game.

"Well isn't this sweet." Zach Stevens, the asshole from hell and the cause of all their problems, came from behind them with him, assumed, date. The four teens turned around to their intruders. Ryan clenched his fist and put his other arm protectively around Marissa and Seth remained unaffected as Summer tensed in his lap.

"'Well isn't this…' is so cliché, Polo. I mean, really, it doesn't exactly strike fear into your prey's heart. So, really, it is sweet, not for you, seeing as your attempted murder failed, but sweet for us because we're going to guarantee you a brand spanking new 8 by 8 cell with a roommate named Bubba." Seth finished his rant off with a cheeky grin.

"Attempted murder, Cohen?" He flashed the gang an all too innocent expression. "Where is the evidence of that? It was a simple accident. Accidents happen all the time, kids."

"Accidents where the driver is wasted beyond words?" This time Marissa piped in.

"I wasn't aware I was driving under the influence, I don't think the judge is aware, either."

"Zach, can we go?" His date finally decided to speak. "We're gonna miss the previews!"

"Sure, toots." Zach shot the rest of the group a smirk and almost knocked into Sandy and Kirsten, who were just livid to see him there.

"What did he say to you?"

"Oh, just his regular b s." Seth, still glaring in the direction Zach had left, answered his father. "Cliché son of a bitch." He muttered under his breath and received an amused look from his girlfriend.

"Well, maybe we shouldn't stay here, with Zach here, and Ryan here. It's not such a good idea, punches could be thrown." Kirsten suggested, only out of concern for kids.

"Um, are we really going to let him run our lives like that?" Summer asked, and they all turned to look at her, she continued. "I just mean, we came here to see a movie, why should some chest shaving water polo playing, attempted murderer, DUI convict, asshat stop us? Plus you already bought the tickets, it would be a waste of money. And dignity."

"Summer's right. Let's go in and enjoy the movie… or at least let the girls enjoy the movie." Sandy said as he motioned for the guys to get away from the mind numbing video game. "C'mon, let's go get the snacks, sit back and enjoy… the previews."

"Sandy!" Kirsten hit him on the arm as they began to walk away, with the kids in tow.

"Hey, mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"What did you mean about Zach and Ryan being here and punches being thrown?"

"Well, I just meant that Ryan likes to… punch things and Zach is very punch worthy."

"But I could punch Zach, I am very, um, good with the punching." Seth looked completely offended when everyone in their party laughed at him. "Hey! I can punch!"

Summer leaned up on her tip toes to give him a sweet kiss on the lips.

"I know you can, sweetie."

"Oh, god. Please don't call me sweetie, my mom calls me sweetie, it's creepy." Summer laughed.

"Okay, hot stuff." She winked at 'hot stuff.' He broke out into a grin and leaned down to kiss her passionately.

"Oh, come on, break it up! I don't want to see my baby boy with his tongue down a girl's throat!" After a few gags, the couple finally broke the kiss off.

"Sorry!" Summer smiled brightly and skipped off towards her best friend.

"I am deeply, deeply sorry. I honestly didn't know it would be that torturous, I just… I am so, so, so sorry." Summer Roberts apologized profusely.

"It wasn't you fault." Seth gave her a reassuring smile. "It was moms."

"Hey!" Kirsten yelped in objection.

"You are the one who suggested it, Kirsten." Ryan quietly said from the third row of the new Rover.

"Well, I just didn't think Heather Locklear would choose such a horrible script."

"Yeah, but, mom, Hilary Deuschbag was in it."

"I thought it was… cute."

"Marissa, you naïve little girl, you don't have to be nice, let your true colors out." Seth, ever the sarcastic cutie.

"Okay, fine, it sucked!" Marissa admitted and was rewarded by a kiss on the cheek from her boyfriend.

Seth was lying on his bed. Alone. Summer had to go home, her father had flew back home for a few days and wanted to spend sometime with his daughter. Seth was just reflecting on the night. How dare Zach even utter one word to them? He was scum, he had no right to look at them, let alone attempt to insult them. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in, son?" His dad's distinct voice rang through.

"If you dare."

"Oh, I do." Sandy joked and revealed himself, taking a seat at his son's desk.

"What's up, dad?"

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to see how you were doing, if you were alright. Are you?"

"Oh, after tonight's incident? Well, you know, my mind might spiral back sporadically to that night, and I might suffer from a few catatonic blackouts, but, uh, eventually, I'll be alright."

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated."

"Oh, see that's where your wrong, pops; my sarcasm is always appreciated."

"Seriously, Seth, are you okay?"

"Yes, dad, I'm good. I'm not going to let him get to me, and neither is Summer, Ryan, and Marissa. We got over it. And we get it. We're… fine. And maybe we shouldn't be just fine, maybe we should feel something like fear of him. But we don't, and I for one think that's way better than living in fear of some idiot that practically lives in a speedo. What happened today? It actually felt good, I told him off, and it felt good, and it's going to feel amazing when he gets what he deserves."

"Seth, I… I'm glad you're fine, but I don't want you to get your hopes up that something will happen to Zach, we all want it to, but his father's a powerful man, he has a lot of respect..."

"I know, and I'm not getting my hopes up, I just believe he'll get what he deserves."

"But what we think he deserves, might not be what the jury and the judge believe he deserves."

"Yeah, I know. Either way, dad, I'll be fine. We all will."

"Okay." Sandy sighed and got up. "Get some sleep, son, I'll see you in the morning."