Thanks everyone for all the encouraging comments. No Kirsten yet, but here's another update. And I don't own the O.C. any of it's characters or anything remotely resembling Captain Oats.
Seth was already in the kitchen when Ryan came into the house for breakfast. He stood against the counter holding a mug close to his lips with one hand and a section of the newspaper with the other. He made a point of ignoring Ryan as his brother opened the cabinet in search of clean bowl and mug. Even though he was in the way, Seth didn't move, forcing Ryan to work around him.
Ryan cleared his throat, clearly annoyed. "Seth?"
"Yes?" Seth looked up, the picture of innocence on his face.
"Do you think you can move an inch or so?" Seth moved closer to Ryan. "In the other direction. I'm hungry."
"Really? I'm lonely. Now, you have a small kitchen in your room, but me? What do I have? My brother and I aren't speaking because he stole my horse and of course my horse—"
"Your horse is plastic. And since when aren't we speaking?"
"Don't talk like that about Captain Oats. He might get insulted."
"What makes you think he could hear you?"
"You're right. I doubt he could hear me from here." Seth took a long deep sip of his coffee. "Tell me Ryan, when did you start watching Veronica Mars?"
"Veronica who?" Ryan was glad to see that Seth was out of his slump, but he was starting to wonder if he had truly driven Seth to insanity.
"Come on. Cute little blonde. Likes to solve mysteries. Neptune, California."
"There's no such place as Neptune, California."
Seth scrunched up his nose in confusion. Ryan was a terrible liar. He couldn't bluff if his life depended on it. He wasn't sure how Ryan thought of hiding the horse in the air conditioning vents, but it certainly wasn't from watching the latest teen drama on television. Not that he should be surprised. It wasn't really Ryan's sort of thing; even if one of the actors bore a strong resemblance to the guy in juvie who had been catcalling at his mother.
Bending over the bowl he had finally managed to prepare, Ryan stuffed a heaping spoonful of Honeycombs and milk in his mouth. He watched Seth from the corners of his eyes, waiting for the next odd remark. It came only a moment later.
"I hope Captain Oats isn't cold, wherever you put him. I wouldn't want him to catch a chill."
Ryan narrowed his eyes. Seth obviously had seen his hiding place. He was relieved he hadn't put Captain Oats back when he was through the night before, but now he would have to find another place. Unless he wanted to end their game before he was finished.
"It's plastic," Ryan repeated. "I don't think you need to worry."
Seth smiled slyly. He'd have Captain Oats before the day was out. But when Ryan was finally occupied in another part of the house and he climbed on a chair to retrieve his beloved horse, it wasn't there.
"Do I have stupid tattooed to my face?" Ryan's voice startled Seth causing him to stumble on the chair and he careened to the floor. Ryan laughed, but rushed to his side. "You okay, man? Anything hurt? Aside from your dignity?"
With Ryan's help, Seth stood. "It's my dignity that hurts." He rubbed his backside.
"Better luck next time," Ryan smirked.
"So when do I get him back? I don't think this is even. I mean, Trey is unconscious. He can't tell anyone and I won't."
"I'm just going to make sure of it." He winked.
"I think I preferred it when you brooded and sulked."
"I don't brood and sulk."
Seth arched his brow.
"Okay. I sulk," Ryan conceded. "I'm sure I'll have the chance again."
"Dad's thrilled you're coming to family therapy."
"And you?"
Seth shrugged. "You're part of the family. I don't get why you got a pass on that one. I figured that in the end dad would insist on your participation."
"Is Sandy forcing you?" Ryan hadn't considered that. He figured that Seth wanted to go. He hadn't imagined that Sandy would need to prod him, but then he recalled how Seth had refused to join the intervention and only came at the tail end. Sandy hadn't demanded anything of them that day. He wouldn't start now.
"No. I agreed right away. If only to see mom. I miss her."
"Yeah." Ryan gazed out the window and absently started at the ocean as his thoughts wandered. "I miss her too," he muttered. He shook himself as if freeing himself from a daze. "Luke's in town." He shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "I told him to come over later," he continued with his mouth full. "Will you be here?"
Seth's eyes lit up. Who would have imagined that the guy who had once continuously tormented him in school would be his friend? They e-mailed regularly, though Luke had never mentioned he was returning to Newport for the summer. But it could have been last minute plans and Seth had not been very sociable online or in person during the last few weeks.
"I'll be here. Let me know when he gets here."
"Sure."
Luke arrived at the Cohens and immediately went through the back bypassing the main house so he and Ryan could conduct another photo shoot. He brought along some of his brothers' action figures and plastic animals. Ryan had liked his latest idea.
"Hey Cohen," Luke entered the kitchen twenty minutes later. He put out his hand so Seth could slap it, and rolled his eyes when Seth missed.
"Hey. Luke." Seth leaned against the counter. "So what are you planning this summer?"
"My mom got mea job at the country club as a lifeguard." Luke slipped into a chair at the kitchen table and gratefully accepted the tall glass of ice tea Ryan offered. "It's only three days a week though. I needed a break. You know?"
Seth nodded. "Yeah. My dad started making noise about me getting a job a few days ago. But he didn't push the issue."
"He did?" Ryan grabbed a chair and sat next to Luke.
"Yeah." Seth sighed. "But you were too busy reading – I mean brooding – in the pool house."
Ryan glared at Seth, but Seth just smiled wide, showing all his teeth.
Luke's eyes darted back and forth, trying to understand the subtext that he was missing, but shrugged his shoulder when he realized they wouldn't explain. So he left Seth and Ryan alone and mumbled something about needing the bathroom. He felt his pocket for the pictures of Captain Oats he and Ryan had printed out.
Seth found the next "letter" — and there was more than one all showing pictures of Captain Oats in compromising positions— taped to the inside of his close door later that day as he was getting ready to go out with Summer. He stared in horror. The picture showed Captain Oats mounted on… Seth squinted his eyes trying to decipher what he was seeing. It looked like another horse or maybe it was a cow. The other three shots — and Seth had to tilt his head sideways — showed his horse in different compromising positions. "Don't Worry," was printed on one sheet. "I take care of all his needs," was on another. "No distress neighing here," was printed on the third. "Only from ecstasy," on the fourth.
His cheeks grew red hot. He could feel the steam rise to the top of his head. This joke had gone far enough. Playing with Captain Oat's virtue was just plain wrong. He ripped down the papers, crumpled them up and jammed them into the trash can. After taking a few deep breaths, Seth flew down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out to the pool house. He ignored Sandy's concerned queries; he was so focused on ending this once and for all.
"It's not funny anymore."
Startled, Ryan looked up from his book. He was on his second read through of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. "The horse has needs." He sat up, pushing himself back up on the pillows, not bothering to hide his amused expression.
"You're not even in on it alone anymore. Who did you drag into your little game? Luke? You were nowhere near my room today."
"He saw me with the horse when I was running on the beach last night. I had to explain."
"Oh." Seth wildly waved his hands around the room. "So then he knows about this?" He pointed a finger at Ryan's book.
"Ah. Not exactly."
"Well, if you compromise Captain Oat's virtue, if you don't protect his innocence all bets are off and the world and Luke with know."
"You don't want to go there Seth. I'm a master at this game."
"Then give me back my horse."
Ryan sucked in his cheeks. "But that would end all my fun."
"Your fun. Not my fun."
"Maybe. But for a change, I thought it was my turn to live a little." He brought his knees to his chest, and wrapped his arms around his legs. Resting his chin on the top of his knees he said, "You're not really mad, are you?"
"Actually, I'm irritated and pissed. I want my horse back. And you know what, until you give it to me Ryan, I'm not talking to you." Seth turned his back to Ryan and stormed out of the pool house.
Ryan looked on after him, unsure if Seth was kidding or not. Regardless, Ryan knew Seth couldn't keep quiet long enough to actually stop talking to him. He'd keep Captain Oats for just a little while longer.
