Lucas, who was on the other end of the phone, paused. "Uh, Lucas,"
"Lucas? Alrighty then, hold on a second," Seth replied, shrugging as he quickly hopped up from the couch, heading towards the kitchen. Summer thankfully paused the movie, sick of her boyfriend's love for comic books and the movies that come along with them.
"Seriously, Summer, she isn't going to be as bad as you think," Marissa said to her best friend, knowing what Summer was thinking about Peyton. She knew she was going to start talking once Seth was out of earshot.
"C'mon Coop, that's some deep persona she is hiding under, I don't know what you think, but I will probably only get along with her because of Seth," Summer announced to her friend, crossing her arms.
"Whatever," Marissa laughed, throwing a pillow at her.
Seth walked into the kitchen, his hand covering one end of the phone. He smiled as he saw Ryan and Peyton talking near the pool. Ryan had never been a movie person, so he knew that they probably were never going to return to the living room to watch with them. He slipped out the doors and walked up to them. They had progressed with their drinks from the kitchen to sitting beside the pool dipping their legs in.
"Oh cousin, you have been in California for what? A few hours? And you already have a phone call, oh how time flies," Seth joked, handing her the phone. Ryan gave him a look, a smile still on his face.
"Did you ask who it is by any chance?" Peyton asked Seth before she started to talk.
"Someone named Lucas," he replied, shrugging. He leaned up against one of the poolside tables, watching her.
"Lucas? Really?" Peyton sighed, contemplating on wether to talk to him or not.
"What's wrong with Lucas?" Ryan asked, a confused look on his face. Seth's look repeated his, as Peyton struggled to answer.
"Just tell him I'm sleeping or something, and I'll get back to him tomorrow, please," she eyed Seth, handing him back the phone.
"Uh okay," Seth told her, taking back the phone, "Lucas? Yeah, sorry for the wait, turns out she's in bed, she'll have to get back to you... okay, alright... you too, bye"
Seth hung up the phone and crossed his arms, looking towards Peyton, "Explanation now or later?" Peyton looked from Ryan to Seth.
"Later," she decided, seeing Summer appear at the door.
"Cohen! And others, we have a movie to finish!" she exclaimed, waiting for at least Seth to come back in. He looked over at Peyton, then to Ryan, then he walked back into the house.
Lucas waited on the end of the phone, as Brooke fiddled with the air conditioning in the car.
"Brooke, it's not that hot here," he said, still listening on the phone.
"Whatever Luke, I need cooler air," she replied, finally content, now moving on to change the music, "Cali has bound to have some good music stations,"
Lucas rolled his eyes and finally heard the voice come back, "She's in bed?" he confirmed. He continued to talk with the guy on the other end, then finally saying goodnight.
"She's already in bed Brooke, must have been some flight for her, but whatever, where is your parents beach house? Anywhere close?"
"Uh, just drive around for a bit, we are bound to come close," she shrugged, thinking about Peyton.
"So she is going to call tomorrow? Or are we to call her?" Brooke asked, as they drove.
"Well, whoever was on the phone didn't say much or tell me to call back, so I am asuming she will,"
"And if she doesn't, we will."
"So, how about you tell me now and Seth later?" Ryan questioned, as they continued to sit beside the pool, staring off into the night sky.
"Okay, first, Ryan, just so you know, Tree Hill, North Carolina is not your normal podunk town.. it's more drama and secrets then rainbows and butterflies," she started, thinking of Tree Hill. Was she really just going to open up to this guy she just met? Yes, she was. Maybe it was the connection she felt. Or the undeiable feeling that she could trust him...
"Okay, thanks for preparing me," Ryan smiled, looking over at her, meeting eye to eye.
"I don't even know why I am going to tell you this, after meeting someone in a day or so, I would never let them this into my life, but you Mr.Atwood are lucky, cause in some freaky way I already trust you.. and I never let my wall down that fast." she sighed, then smiled, "Anyway, I'm rambling. Well, Lucas was one of the first guys I ever really loved. And when I finally knew it, he was with my best friend, and I hated telling him that. Then we started seeing each other, behind my best friend's back, and I, well, we both feel so guilty about it, I can't stand talking with him about it anymore. Plus he was just in a horrible car accident and still recovering, and I knew he would bring it up, that's why I can't talk to him."
Ryan took in what he had just heard from the lanky blonde sitting beside him. Somehow he understood. True, he wasn't the biggest person to know about relationship drama, but when guys have to choose girls, he understood.
"Time," he said simply.
"What?"
"It seems you both need some time," he shrugged. She nodded her head and gave him a friendly half smile.
"I hope so..."
(thanks for all the amazing reviews! i think this is going to be a ryan/peyton story, cause i like that little cross-shipper :) plus, i think brooke should have the hots for seth, and who knows about marissa and or lucas? oh how the web tangles in the plot of the oc and one tree hill... read and reivew! i love you all!)