My first fic. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C.
Chapter 1: New Beginnings
Summer lives in Chino with her mum and older sister, Alexia. Ryan lives with his mum and step-dad that are hardly ever home in a big house in Newport. He is popular at Harbor and is soccer captain. Seth lives with his parents in Newport, next door to the Cooper's. He is also popular at Harbor. Marissa is the introverted loner who was always teased by the popular kids. She is an only child and lives with her parents. She has liked Ryan for ages.
Summer looked out of the window of the black BMW, driven by her lawyer Jimmy Cooper.
'What the fuck is gonna happen to me now?' she thought. I have no-one, my mum kicked me out, my sister's in jail, and I only just got out. Jimmy was nice enough to give me somewhere to stay. The car pulled up to a big house.
"You know, why don't you wait here for a minute," said Jimmy, getting out of the car.
Summer saw him walk inside and got out of the car. Walking down the long driveway, she pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Lighting one up, she noticed someone in the next driveway. It was a guy with dark curly hair, about the same age as Summer.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Whoever you want me to be," Summer replied.
"Okay…" he said, turning back around. After a while he faced Summer again.
"Hey, can I bum a cigarette?"
Summer walked over to him and passed him a smoke, as well as holding hers up to light it.
The boy took a drag and Summer walked back to the Cooper's driveway.
"So what are you doing here, seriously?" the boy asked.
"Seriously? I stole a car. Crashed it. Actually, my sister did. Since she had a gun and drugs on her, she's in jail. I got out, then my mum threw me out. She was pissed off and drunk. So Mr. Cooper took me in." Summer explained.
"You're their cousin from Boston, right?"
Summer smiled. "Right."
Jimmy came down the driveway and the boy quickly put on the cigarette.
"Hey Seth," said Jimmy. 'So he has a name, Seth,' Summer thought.
"Hey, Mr Cooper. I was just meeting your niece."
Jimmy looked confused for a second, but then caught on. "Oh. My favourite niece, Summer. All the way from Seattle." Jimmy covered.
"Seattle?" Seth questioned.
"Dad lives there. Mum lives in Boston." Replied Summer quickly.
"So we're all really excited about Holly's fashion show fundraiser tomorrow." Said Jimmy, unenthusiastically.
"Really? You are?" Seth said.
"No."
A black car pulled up at Seth's house, and a girl Summer assumed was Holly called out to Seth.
"Come on, let's go."
"Hey, you should come by, check it out. If you don't have other plans." Seth said to Summer.
"See ya."
Seth climbed into the car and gave the blonde girl a kiss.
"Who's that kid?" she asked, as she drove away.
Summer woke up the next morning in the Cooper's pool house. Walking out the door, she looked around and the beautiful house. 'I wish this was my life,' Summer thought, sadly. She walked into the main house and saw a tall, thin girl sitting on the ground, painting her toenails.
"Hey," she said. "Do you want me to do your toes?" she asked after an awkward silence.
Summer shrugged and sat down, while Marissa tried to choose a colour.
"So, I'm Marissa."
Summer nodded. "Summer."
"Yeah, I know," said Marissa as she began to paint Summer's toes hot pink. "So…what really happened? How did you end up in jail?"
"My sister Alexia stole a car. I was with her. She's in jail."
"Oh," said Marissa.
"So… what do you guys do around here?" Summer asked.
"Nothing really. There are a lot of parties."
"Like that fashion show thing tonight?"
Marissa looked confused. "You know about that?" she asked.
"Yeah. Um… Seth invited me last night."
"Really? I've lived next door to him forever and he's never invited me to anything."
"Oh. Well are you gonna go?"
"It's not really my kinda thing."
"What is your kinda thing then?" Summer asked. She thought that all these Newport chicks were into like fashion and plastic surgery.
"I dunno. I'm not really into the whole Newport social scene. They are all the same stuck up spoilt rich kids. Except for Ryan."
"Who's Ryan?"
"The guy I've liked since forever. But he's one of the popular guys, you know, captain of the soccer team. But I think he's different to all the guys he hangs around with. Finished," Marissa said as she put the lid back on the polish.
"Thanks. Is Ryan going to be there tonight?"
Marissa was silent for a moment.
"He is Seth's best friend," Marissa said thoughtfully. "Leave at seven?"
Summer smiled, glad for an excuse to see Seth again.
Summer looked at herself in the mirror, wearing one of Marissa's brand-name dresses. It was definitely a change from ripped jeans and a tank top.
"Summer, are you almost ready to leave?" Julie Cooper said, walking through the poolhouse door.
Summer nodded and followed the red-haired woman to the main house where Jimmy and Marissa stood waiting.
"Ready to face the Newpsies?" asked Jimmy.
Seth walked up to Ryan at the fashion show.
"Hey dude."
"Hey Ryan how's it going?"
"Good. Holly ready for tonight?"
"Yeah she seems psyched. You're coming to her party later right?"
"Yeah, sure." Ryan replied.
"Ryan's over there. Don't look. I mean you can look but don't look like you're looking." Marissa said over-excitedly, looking across the room.
Summer looked over to see Seth and some other guy she assumed was Ryan.
"Who is that?" Ryan asked.
"The cousin? The maid? I don't know." replied Seth.
Ryan looked over again. "Well I'm gonna find out."
Summer followed Marissa as she sat down at a table. They talked about their expensive clothes and shoes while Summer looked around, hoping to see Seth. She spotted him, sitting on the other side of the room, talking to the blonde girl who was wearing a lot of make-up and an expensive looking dress. She saw him kiss her and then the blonde walked away, behind the big stage where the show was held.
Two minutes later, music started and Holly walked onto the stage.
"Thank you. Thank you all so much for coming. Every year we put on a fashion show to raise money for the battered women's shelter. It's such a good cause you guys. We couldn't do any of it without your support and the support of Fashion Island and all their great stores. All right enjoy the show!"
She walked off, kissing the next girl on the cheek as she passed.
The blonde girl came on again later, modelling a beautiful dress. She walked confidently down the catwalk and turned to look at Seth.
Seth barely noticed Holly walking down the catwalk. He was too distracted by the girl sitting next to Marissa Cooper. Holly noticed that Seth's attention wasn't on her and followed his gaze. Seeing Summer, who she gave a dirty look, Holly turned on her heel and walked back down the stage, a fake smile plastered on her face.
'Finally,' Summer thought, the show was over. She and Marissa walked out of the large building where Summer was cut off by Ryan.
"Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "My friend Holly – Well, her parents are letting us use their beach house as a gift because of all her hard work for charity. If you need a ride or anything. I'm Ryan."
Ryan turned away and walked back towards his crowd of jock friends.
Summer looked around for Marissa.
"Hey, we should go to the party at that girl Holly's place."
"No, that's not really for me," Marissa said, reluctantly.
"Ryan invited me," said Summer, hoping to change Marissa's mind.
"Really? He did?" Marissa said, obviously a bit hurt.
"Us. He… asked for you actually," Summer quickly covered.
"Really? He did?"
Summer turned and saw Ryan standing up in the car.
"Come on!" he called.
"That makes absolutely no sense but yes, we should go," Marissa agreed.
'Yes,' thought Summer. The more time I'm near Seth, the better.
The two girls jumped into the car with the boys and drove off to Holly's.
Summer and Marissa walked into the crowded party, where people were already drunk and stoned.
"Welcome to the dark side," Summer said.
Summer wandered around a bit nervously, feeling eyes on her.
"She is hot," Ryan said as he watched Summer walk in. "I'm gonna play her hot and cold."
Countless beers later, Ryan walked up to Summer, who was standing outside on the deck.
"Look who I found," he slurred, spilling his drink all over the dress Summer was wearing. "I'm wasted. What's your name anyway?" Ryan asked, putting his arms around Summer.
Summer, not wanting to betray Marissa by being with Ryan, took his arms off her.
"Summer," she replied shortly.
Marissa walked up to her, then noticed what was happening.
"Summer, what are you doing? I told you I liked him."
Ryan looked at Marissa.
"What? Who are you?"
Summer went over to Marissa.
"It's not what you think. He's a little bit drunk."
Ryan put his arms around Summer again, but Summer wriggled out from his grasp.
Marissa quickly walked through the crowd of people and Summer followed, and grabbed her, but Marissa, who was surprisingly strong, pushed her away.
"You know what, why don't you just go back to Chino? I'm sure there's a really nice car in the parking lot that you could steal." Marissa said.
Summer could feel everyone's eyes on her and saw Ryan look her up and down disapprovingly.
"Chino?" Ryan scoffed and walked away.
Marissa ran down onto the beach. Some of the cheerleader-type girls where gathered around the fire with their 'flavour-of-the-months.'
When they spotted Marissa they walked over to her.
"Go home geek," the first one said.
"Who invited you?" said another, as they began to push Marissa around. Summer saw and ran over to Marissa's defence.
"Leave her alone!"
"You got a problem," said Seth's girlfriend, who had obviously been down at the beach with some other guy.
"You tell me." Said Summer. Living in Chino, she knew how to handle people.
The blonde pushed her, so Summer punched her in the face, hard. But she was outnumbered, and the rest of the Newport bitches attacked her and Marissa.
Summer was on the ground in pain.
"Welcome to the O.C. bitch! This is how it's done in Orange County." Said the girl as she and her followers walked away.
