Chapter 6 – The Tale of Two Pizzas

Seth and Ryan sat on the living room floor with Playstation controllers firmly clutched in their hands with their fingers maniacally dancing across the various buttons and their eyes intensely focused on the moving images of mythical creatures and nocturnal ninjas fighting to the death on that flicked on the screen in front of them. The Seth-controlled ninja began violently stabbing a large hairy beast that looked like wooly mammoth standing on its hind legs. Blood splattered on the virtual grass until it was soaked in crimson. Ryan turned to face his friend to see his eyes wide open with murderous desire.

"Seth, I think you got him."

Seth didn't take his eyes off the screen. "You got to be sure."

At this point Sandy walked into the room with his blue with a hint of white tie pulled slightly away from his neck allowing his open top button to peek through. He brushed his unkempt hair with his left hand. A friendly smile invaded his features. "So, how was school?"

The two boys looked over at Sandy before did not say a word. His eyes flicked from them to the television screen depicting a scene of immense violence. "Oh." Sandy said in a disheartened tone. "Never mind, only 200 or so days to go." He said returning to his upbeat manner.

Ryan released a little grin but Seth just returned to the television screen and the unspeakable acts of fantasy brutality.

Sandy turned to look behind himself and then returned to the boys. "What do you say about pizzas tonight? As a kind of celebration of Ryan's first day."

"Sure." Seth said revealing no emotion.

Ryan nodded his agreement.

Sandy beamed a pleased smile. "Great. Now, we better order them quick before your mother gets home."

Meanwhile inside of Marissa's bedroom just across from the Cohen's living room a similar conversation was taking place. Marissa was lying on her bed staring up at her ceiling and Summer was sitting in front of a mirror trying on various lipsticks. Summer turned round to face Marissa wearing a deep dark red. "What do you think?"

Marissa did not react. Summer throw her arms by her side. "You're not still thinking of that Chino boy, are you?"

Marissa did react to that. She swiftly sat up and stared at her friend. "No, of course not."

Summer turned back to the mirror before looking at Marissa's reflection and asking, "You know, you are dating Luke, right?"

Marissa dropped back to the bed and returned to glazing at the ceiling. "Yeah." She said with little sentiment.

At that moment the door to Marissa's floor nudged open and her father, Jimmy Cooper, popped his head through gap. "Hey kiddo, do you and Summer want some pizza? I'm ordering."

Marissa sat up and exchanged a glance with Summer before replying, "Sure."

Summer turned to Jimmy and fixed with his a glare. "No anchovies. I hate anchovies." Then she relaxed her look. "Thank you, Mr. Cooper."

Jimmy look at a little strangely before nodded, leaving the room, and closing the door behind him.

Summer swung round to face Marissa. "Does your dad ever knock?"

Marissa flopped back on the bed. "Not when I have company."

Back inside the Cohen's Ryan finally got Seth to tell him what was bothering him. Well, it hadn't taken that much persuasion in truth. It went something along the lines of…

"Hey, something wrong?"

"Finally! It's about time. I've been waiting all day for you to ask that. You've really got to sort out your friend-in-trouble radar."

Eventually Seth told Ryan about his conversation with Summer and the interruption of Nick Banford, a name that Seth almost spat with venom.

"At least she's talking to you." Ryan reassured.

Seth looked at his friend as if he was mad. "Did you not just hear what I said? She used me as her butt monkey to get invited to the party before going all weak at the knees at Nick Banford." Seth shrugged his shoulders before continuing. "Well, okay, I don't mind the whole butt monkey thing but Nick Banford? Come on! What does that guy have that I don't?"

"Flowing blonde hair, muscular toned body, and a winning smile."

Seth gave Ryan a sarcastic look. "Your honesty is much appreciated."

Ryan just shrugged. "So, are you going to take her to the party?"

"Of course."

Back inside Marissa's room Summer was in a closet trying on clothes and Marissa still lying on her bed.

"So, are you going with him to the party?" Marissa shouted in the closet.

Summer popped her head out to answer. "Of course not."

"That's pretty cruel, Summer."

Summer didn't come out of the closet and remained silence. Marissa decided to leave the issue alone.

Neither girl said anything for several minutes until Summer came out of the closet and asked in a completely serious voice. "Do you like Ryan? I mean really like him?"

Marissa stared at her friend shocked at the frankness of her question and seriousness in which it was delivered before dropping his head and mumbling, "Yeah. I do. I think."

Summer continued her seriousness. "You should do what you want. Forget about what everyone else thinks."

Then she returned to the closet and moment was over.

Back at the Cohen's the doorbell rang and was answered by Sandy. On the other side stood a tall, thin, nineteen year old pizza delivery boy with a couple of pizza boxes ready to be pulled out of his bag. He handed the pizza boxes to Sandy who handed the money, including a generous tip, over to the boy. They parted company and Sandy went into the house. The pizza delivery boy went to his car, checked the next address of delivery, and smiled.

Sandy headed towards the kitchen carrying two rather hot pizza boxes. "Pizza's here!" He shouted.

Ryan and Seth were already in the kitchen eagerly awaiting the pizza. Sandy handed the boys their pizza and walked over to get some plates from a nearby cupboard. He turned round upon hearing Seth say, "Hey, this isn't what I ordered. I ordered anchovies. I love anchovies."

Ryan shrugged and picked up a slice of the pizza and took a large bite. Seth saw this, thought for a moment, then also picked up a slice and took a large bite. Sandy offered some plates but they both stared at him with indifferent. Sandy realizing he was fighting a losing battle and opened his own pizza box, picked up a slice, and took a bite.

Jimmy made his way through his house under he came to his eldest daughters' room. He reached out his hand to the handle but stopped before he pulled it down. He took his hand up the door to shoulder-height and knocked. "Pizza's here."

From inside the door came a muffled, "Okay." Then the door swung open to reveal Marissa. She thanked her dad, took the pizza off him, and closed the door. Inside the room Summer came out of the closet and her eyes lit up upon seeing the pizza box. "I'm starving!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, me too." Marissa agreed.

She placed the pizza box on the table and opened it. Summer's mouth dropped in shock and her nose curled up in disgust. "Anchovies? Eww!"

Marissa smiled, picked up a slice, and took a bite.

Summer stepped back in revulsion. "Eww!"

Marissa made delicious noises and barely contained her laughter.

Summer stormed out of the room and returned a couple of minutes later. "They delivered it to the wrong address. She almost shouted. "How hard is it to correctly deliver a pizza?"

Marissa with a mouth full of pizza shrugged in silence. Then upon swallowing she asked, "Where did they deliver it too?"

"Next door." Summer said whilst grabbing the pizza box and before could say anything she was heading out of the room and out of the house. Marissa tried to catch up but Summer almost sprinted over to the Cohen's house. Finally Marissa caught her just as she rang the doorbell. "Man, you can run fast." An out of breath Marissa said.

"I'm hungry." Summer stated matter of factly.

The door was soon answered by Seth with a half-eaten anchovy-free pizza slice in his left hand. He was visibly shocked by the sight of Summer at his front door.

"That's my pizza you're eating!" She shouted at him.

Seth looked at the pizza slice, then at Summer, then at the pizza slice, then at Summer. "What?"

Summer jumped forward and grabbed the slice of pizza. "Gimme back my pizza!"

Seth instinctively turned his body away from Summer keeping the slice out of her reach.

Marissa stepped in between them and opened the pizza box that Summer had handed to her just before Seth answered the open. "I think there's been a mix-up." She explained.

Seth's eyes lit up. "Hey, my anchovies."

At that moment Kirsten arrived home and Sandy came to the door from within the house.

"What's going on here?" Sandy asked.

"He stole my pizza." Summer said.

"I didn't steal your pizza." Seth responded.

"You're eating it though." Summer said pointing to the slice in his hand.

Kirsten saw the pizza in everyone's hands and stared at Sandy. "You ordered pizza? I thought we agreed only healthy takeaways from now on?"

Sandy looked back in his wife. "Actually I didn't order that pizza." He said pointing to the box in Marissa's hands.

Seth looked at his mother, then at his father. "Yeah, okay, um, what's that Ryan?" He pretended to hear something from Ryan. "Come and look at the…thing." He quickly made his way indoors.

Summer seeing her pizza slice disappear rapidly followed. "Hey! Come back with my pizza!"

This left Marissa uncomfortably standing in-between Sandy and Kirsten. After a few moments of nervous silence she mumbled her excuses and went inside after Summer and Seth.

Sandy watched Marissa leave before turning to his wife with a huge smile on his face. She tried her hardest to give him an angry look but it soon cracked to reveal a smile. He looked down at the slice of pizza in his hand and offered it up to his wife. "Pizza?"

She smiled even more and ushered him into the house.

Sandy and Kirsten stood on the edge of their kitchen watching the scene they found before them. Seth was taunting Summer with an anchovy-laden slice of pizza. She shrieked with disgust but couldn't stop laughing. Marissa and Ryan stood close next to each other looking on but occasionally sneaking little glances at each other.

Sandy and Kirsten looked at each other and smiled.