Thank you to those who have reviewed. I hope this chapter is interesting, as I think I'll need some suggestions lol! I'll do the best that I can. :)
As the message from Julie rested in the data of the answering machine's messages, more piled on soon enough. The Cohens were scared to pick up the phone, nor were any around to form that type of action. They were either sulking, drinking or sitting around staring into space. None of them knew what to do, nor how to do it. Kirsten just found herself in the cupboard of the alcohol more and more, and Seth always found himself in the darkness of his room. Sandy piled himself with work in the office, and Ryan was being Ryan, sitting in the pool house, doing absolutely nothing. The family of four had become motionless.
Ryan Atwood, to be completely honest with himself, was bored out of his mind. He didn't know how to respond to family deaths, as he was the first one to actually cause a heart attack, as he believed. He was there to witness Caleb Nichol's first heart attack, when his step daughter, Lindsay, was over at the Cohen's and Ryan was getting defensive. But he never pictured anything like this for the old man. They had their obvious differences, but Ryan never expected the man to suddenly end his life, not purposely, but without a good note. To be honest, Caleb never even gave Ryan a second glance after he learnt that last year Ryan burnt down one of his homes, and that he was a kid off the street that Kirsten and Seth hardly knew.
But Ryan wasn't the kind to go cry a river in a corner, no. He was the type to act all strong and buff, and to be one of those guys who acted 'cool' about sudden deaths, but deep inside he felt sad and a piece of him, a tiny piece was missing. Caleb was a part of Seth's life, and he knew that he'd have to at least try to make an effort to get on the old Nichol's good side, which he had failed miserably and with no positive effort at all.
Ryan picked up the phone, he couldn't stand the silence any longer. He dialed a familiar number, and waited for her voice to lighten up the darkness of the day, but all he got was her voicemail. "Hey, Marissa, it's Ryan. Uh ... just give me a call." He clicked the phone dead and hung it back onto its cozy stand. He lay back onto his bed, with his head resting peacefully on his pillow in a loud, frustrated sigh. What was he going to do with a family in depression and loss of someone so close to them?
Summer Roberts stood in her bedroom looking around. She had to think of something to wear, and for her, it was something important that you could waste a whole hour or two to think about. It was nearly progressing onto an hour, and she still had clothes lying on her bed. She stared at them with such hatred, trying to choose and judge them all. "Hmmm..." Today was Caleb's funeral, and Seth had invited Summer, along with Marissa's invitation and Julie's invitation. To the three invites she had received, she seemed pretty popular around crowds, she gladly accepted. She would be there for Seth, and if not Seth, for Ryan and Kirsten and Sandy. They were a second family to her, as her step-mother and father were too busy and ignorant to notice their daughter and her ups-and-downs.
But clearly, Summer's mind remained on the choice of dark clothing that she'd wear to the funeral of one of the Orange County's ex wealthy men. A man she clearly did not know at all.
Marissa finally pulled herself together for this one day. Even though her mother had put her through absolute hell, and Caleb had too, she had to be there to show support and to make an 'appearance' as Julie would say. Her mother had told her from the very young ages they attended town functions, that it was always necessary to make appearances to say that you support whatever they were protesting or celebrating, then sitting at home gaining weight from carbs and being the talk of the whole town. Julie normally went for the dish on the dirt; the gossip of Orange County and to not miss out on anything "juicy", and something so incredibly "juicy" was about her last time. Her porn scandal. Marissa didn't even believe her mother would sink that low for cash. But we can all bet that she's feeling very wrong, and yet, giggly at the same time.
Despite her friendship and bond with Summer, Marissa had picked out a nice black dress with straps at the shoulders, and the length finished somewhere before her knees, but still remained a non-mini and a reasonable dress for a funeral. She'd wear her hair up in a messy ponytail with her fringe on the sides and on her face. She applied make-up to her face to make herself look 'presentable', and she wore high heeled black shoes that were the opened type, not the closed sneaker like. She grabbed her small handbag and packed her necessary accessories such as her bottle of alcohol (how could any girl go without it?), her make-up additions, tissues and her set of keys. The last accessory was placed, and two sparkling long earrings dangled, shining silver light off of the light that reflected on it.
Julie was just in time to see her daughter looking as beautiful yet as depressed as ever. "It is time to head off Marissa," her head peeped through the door. Her hair was out, she had her make-up on, and she wore a dress, the similar length of Marissa's yet it had full covered-shoulder sleeves, and a v-line as well. Two golden hoop earrings drew the attention to her ears, and her shoes were heeled as well. Caleb would've smiled at Julie, only if it wasn't his funeral. "Your father is waiting for us." She concluded and left Marissa hanging by a piece of thread.
Dad? Marissa was left to think. She applied the last remains of her make-up, did a check in the mirror and fixed up her hair, and made sure she had everything. She hurried down the stairs to see her mother and her father talking and waiting for her. "Uh, hi Dad." She was cheerful to see Jimmy Cooper waiting for her with a smile on his face. A big smile.
"Hey Kiddo. Great to see you all together and willing to come." Jimmy kept his big smile on. He was happy to see Marissa, for one, and someone could take that smile as a sign of gratitude against Caleb's sudden death. "I'm so sorry about Caleb's death, Julie." He turned to his ex-wife as he spoke. "No one ever suspected something like this to happen. Not after everything." Jimmy desperately tried to keep a smile off of his face. He had heard about the scandal about Julie's porn star debut back in the past, and he was sad he had to miss the humiliation, but then again, deep down inside, he was hurt and sad for Julie, only a small percentage of him anyway.
"So … uh … let's get this show on the road." Marissa tried to smile, and she pushed it onto her face as she broke the silence and made her way out of the door and into her father's convertible.
The two followed their daughter as Jimmy drove to the funeral ceremony.
The ceremony was beautiful, and the resting place for Caleb was just stunning, as he would rest at Crest Hills Resting, a elegant sanctuary for the dead. It definately shone the true essence of the rich and famous, well the wealthy people of Orange County. Everyone stood around the casket of Caleb Nichol, as the lid remained closed. All close family and friends, most of the population of Newport, gazed at the coffin which Caleb would rest in for years and years. The minister holding the small speeches called for Julie Cooper to come to the stand, as they sat in a church-like building so beautiful and elegant, it was a mixture of nature and man-made features. The hall was decorated with flowers and ribbons, and the coffin had many delicate flowers planted on it. They'd be removed before the burial.
Julie approached the stand with the microphone, and cleared her throat before she began her depressing speech. "Caleb was a beautiful man who created and developed Newport to what it is today." Sandy and Marissa could feel the urge to roll their eyes at that overly done statement, but they held it within them to be respectful for the man who had suffered a heart attack, "When I married Caleb, I knew there would be frowns and complications on our marriage. But it worked out. He made me happy in all ways, and he accepted Marissa into his world." The tears choked her throat, and were fighting to come pouring down her face. "He was taken from our world oh so suddenly. Caleb's experiences were not all positive, but that is a part of life, isn't it?" Julie was looking to the crowd as she spoke. Half of the things she had said she made it look prettier than it actually was, and the truth was hidden beyond the make up and kind words that echoed in the air. "It wasn't fair that Caleb suffered this. I remember the last moments as if it was yesterday," Marissa found herself thinking, 'It was yesterday', "And I know that he'd be clearly missed." Julie paused for a couple of minutes, as her tears and heartache became out of control, "Caleb was a good man, a hard working father and grandfather and husband. He deserved more, and I hope that I brought him some peace." Julie looked at the casket, "May he be at peace." And blew a kiss in its' direction. She stood down and took her seat.
Marissa was soon called up, and all she had to say was simple and small, yet it did not cover up the real truth of what she had experienced with Caleb, but she tried her best to sound sympathetic and … "nice". "Caleb, a step-father to me, was like the step-monster I never wanted. He gave me a place when my parents' marriage was gone, and he gave my mother love. We had our sure ups-and-downs, and I did give him the step-daughter from hell attitude. I wasn't ready for Caleb's sudden movement into my life, and I'm sure I'm not ready for his sudden movement out of it."
The one speech that would matter the most to Caleb would be Seth's. Seth soon took the one shining spot and spoke his words as everyone was urged to listen. "Caleb. He was the closest older relative to me that anyone else. I adored him. I cherished every moment I had with him. He wasn't the kind of grandfather to take me out to baseball and throw me a ball, nor was I the kind of grandson to want to go throw a ball and play sports. I was just happy to have someone there other than my mother and father. He is an inspiration to me and my future, and I am deeply upset that he won't be sharing my future with me in visible form, but in spiritual he'll be guiding me on the right path. I see this as a opening to myself, to appreciate the times he spent with me, the times he didn't disappoint me, and the times he did. It is an education to me, something to learn by. And I hope, when I have my own family, that I'd be the father and grandfather that he was." Seth gulped down tears, and they held like shining stars in his eyes, "And I know that my mother would love to come up here and talk about her father, but I decided that I'd steal her speech and her glory away, as she's asked me to." Kirsten smiled at Seth's small joke as she sat in her place, waiting for her words to be spoken by her son. "You know, my mother is the best thing ever to happen to Caleb, I'm sure of it. She's been supportive to him through everything, the ups-and-downs, and I think he shouldn't regret anything with the upbringing of her, since if she did he'd be regretting me in a small percentage. My mother has nothing to regret, nor does he. Whether a fight, a tantrum or love that has separated them for a period of time, they are the two inspirations, beside my dad, who I love and cherish. I hope that I share that same bond with my parents, and with him. Caleb would love my mother regardless of anything that had happened between them. Regardless. It's in a father's instinct." Seth looked down, then to everyone once again to conclude his delicate combined speech, "He's now resting in peace for all to see. May he watch down on all of us and guide us to our right paths."
After the speeches had finished, the casket was taken to the burial grounds, as everyone followed. The huddle of people with weeping faces watched as the casket was slowly making its way from the top of the earth to underneath it, and as it listened to the last words and sounds of civilisation, the whole world had seemed to have stopped for this one burial.
The casket was being covered, after everyone paid their respects. Julie stood in a small bunch of people, casually talking and giving sympathy, she was tapped on the shoulder. A man in a dark suit, looking like he was a guest at the funeral appeared to be behind her. "Julie Cooper?"
Julie looked around, and held her champagne glass firmly, "Yes?"
The man seemed to have hesitated ever so slightly, as to say 'sorry'. "You are under arrest for the suspicion of murder."
Okay … so I'd love some ideas about the third paragraph and what should happen next. Anything will do! I hope you did like this chapter