Everything That Rises Must Converge

Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry for the super-slow update!

Marissa stared at the cell phone in horror. Somebody knew about their plan---that Ryan had runaway. Marissa knew he had meant Sandy. He had to have meant him. Now Sandy knew everything and they had to decide what to do next.

"Hey Coop. Who was that?" Summer asked her looking into a bag.

"We have to get to the diner. Right now." She paused. "Ryan, get dressed. We have to go." Her voice was racked with nervousness and Ryan sensed this.

"He found out?" He asked but it was more of a statement then a question.

"Wait! Who found out, who?" Summer inquired, not liking being out of the loop. She tried to get her head out of the bag but it got caught and she looked like a cat trying to get untangled. Finally, she escaped and looked at Coop for an answer. She frowned and her eyebrows furrowed. "Someone found out!" Summer cocked her head to the side.

"Sandy did." Ryan answered before Marissa even got a word out of her lips.

"Oh My god!" Summer panicked. "What are we going to do?"

"We are going to pack all this stuff up so no one will know we were ever here and then we have to go to the diner." Marissa replied, taking charge.

"Okay." Summer bustled into the other room and grabbed all the bags from Wal-Mart. "here. Stuff it all in here." Ryan pulled on his jacket and helped Marissa grab all their items from the corner.

"What are we going to do?" Summer asked worrying. "I can't believe Cohen blabbed!"

"Sum, Seth probably didn't blab." Marissa answered her; Seth had spent way too much time planning all this to reveal their plans.

"I bet he did." She narrowed her eyes.

"Let's just put all this stuff in the car as quickly as we can. We can sort out the details later." Marissa took a large bag, moved it over her shoulder, and walked to the front door.

"Good idea." Ryan said and did the same.

Summer passed them with two bags and shook her head at the two.

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Ryan, Summer, and Marissa leaped out the car and walked hurriedly to the diner by the pier. Seth waved incessantly in the window and Marissa and Summer waved while Ryan nodded.

They entered and went into the corner booth where Seth was waiting.

"Cohen what the hell happened?" Summer exploded. "You weren't supposed the blab!"

"Shhhh." Marissa shushed. "What happened?"

"My dad found out." Summer slapped him against the head.

"Tell us something new!" She shrieked.

"Ouch!" He rubbed his head.

"And…"He paused. "We have to get Ryan out of here."

Ryan frowned.

"Obviously." Summer announced matter-a-factly.

"What are we going to do?" Marissa asked.

Ryan thought hard and Seth shook his head. "Ryan you will have to run away." Summer finally spoke.

"Where?" He asked perplexed.

"Out of Newport. We just have to get some money and we're off." Summer rambled.

"We?" Ryan asked confused.

"We aren't going to let you run off by yourself." Summer smiled and looked to Marissa and Seth to see if they were with her. They nodded.

"What about school? You just can't leave?" Ryan announced.

Marissa sighed. "Yeah we can."

"I don't want you guys to risk all this. I should just go back."

"Back to where?" Seth spoke up to his friend.

"Back to child protective services."

"We aren't going to let you do this." Marissa announced confidently.

"You aren't?" Ryan cocked an eyebrow.

"Nope. We are going to run away with you."

"Where?" He asked again. "Sandy will call the cops and they will be after us."

"Don't know---but we will figure it out on the way." Summer replied for her friend. "Now we just have to get out of here." The group nodded.

Ryan seemed apprehensive but eventually he smiled. "Okay, let's do it."

"Cool." Seth replied. "Summer, Marissa, you both go home and grab some clothes and whatever cash you can find. I already grabbed some clothes and my dad's credit card."

"Wait!" Summer interrupted him. "Won't he find out when you use your credit card where we are?"

"Nope. I'm going to go to the ATM and take as much money as I can and then cut up the card. No one will ever know where we are if we use cash." Seth finished proudly.

"Fine." Summer shook her head. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

Summer and Marissa went in Marissa's jeep to their houses while Seth and Ryan stayed in the diner.

"Let's hope this all goes well." Seth tapped his fingers against the table.

Ryan only nodded.

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Summer and Marissa scrambled out of the car and into Summer's huge house. They raced upstairs and Summer grabbed a large hot pink suitcase out of her closet.

"Okay Coop. Shirts, shorts, skirts, pants, shoes, bras, and underwear. Stuff it all in here. I'll grab my blankets and stuff from the bathroom." She hurried into her bathroom as she said it.

Marissa did as she was told and filled the suitcase quickly. Summer came out seconds later with her hands full of random junk.

"Ready Coop?"

"Yep. Let's go." Summer grabbed her suitcase and gave her friend the smaller bag.

"I just have to go and grab some money. I know where my dad stashes the hundreds."

"Okay." They jogged down the stairs.

Summer opened the door into her father's study and Marissa followed. She opened a small safe under the desk and grabbed two fists-full of money.

"Come on Coop. Grab some." Marissa walked behind her and did so.

"Achem." Summer and Marissa nearly dropped the money as Summer's father cleared his voice to catch their attention.

"Hi Daddy." Summer smiled at him who stood at the threshold.

"What are you two girls up too?" he asked sternly.

"We're just grabbing some money so we can go shopping." She lied.

"Why don't you just use the card?" He asked her.

Summer shrugged. "I like having money in my purse, daddy. I feel powerful." She smiled.

"Well, okay, you two have a good time shopping." He dismissed it and walked into the hallway.

Marissa turned to Summer and gulped.

"That was close." Summer giggled and stuffed the money in her bag. "Let's go."

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Seth and Ryan sat in the diner and waited for the girls to come back. They were getting restless, thinking of the possibilities ahead of them. They could be seen at any moment and the suspense of the girls coming back at any moment was getting to them.

"East, west, north, or south?" Seth spoke suddenly.

Ryan tilted his head slightly in confusion. "huh?"

"East, west, north or south?" He repeated.

"Seth, when I said huh, I didn't mean to repeat it. I want you know what you're blabbering about."

"Which way are we going? East, west, north---"

Ryan interrupted him.

"How should I know."

"well," Seth paused. "I don't know. Just pick one."

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows for a second. "East." He decided.

"Okay." The door to the diner opened and an out of breath Summer ran over to them.

"Let's go. Coop's waiting in the car." Summer exclaimed and ran back to the car and the boys followed.

Seth and Ryan plied into the back seat of the Jeep. Marissa looked into the back seat and smiled at the two. She pulled the car out of park and speed out of the diner parking lot.

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Marissa drove the car down the freeway with the windows down and the radio blaring. Summer tapped her fingers against the car door and Seth slept against the window. Ryan sat quietly staring out the window. Marissa's cell rang and she struggled to get it.

"Hey guys!" She announced loudly as Summer turned the radio down. "It's my mom." She stared at the phone not wanting to answer it. Seth woke up from his nap, startled.

"What?" Seth asked.

"Shut up!" Summer exploded. "Are you going to pick it up?"

"No. I bet Sandy already talked to her." Marissa replied.

Finally her cell phone stopped ringing and it beeped saying she had a voice message.

Summer grabbed it and listened to it.

"Your mom says you, quote, 'have to get your ass back here this moment or I'll call the police'." Summer summarized for her.

Marissa sighed.

"You can turn around if you want." Ryan spoke up.

"that's nonsense." Marissa replied.

"Well, then what are we supposed to do. Ignore it?" Ryan asked.

"I guess we are going to have to do that from now on." Summer sighed. She knew they were in over their heads.

The car was silent until Marissa groaned. "Hey guys. We've been driving for the last hour and 30 minutes and I have no clue where we are going. Anyone have a clue to where to go?" Marissa inquired to her friends.

Seth looked from Ryan to Marissa to Summer.

"East. We are going east my friend. Wherever the eastern roads lead us is our destination." Seth announced confidently. Summer confirmed her fears; they were way in over their heads.

TBC

Review on what you think. I'd love to hear from you.

Summer in the City is currently being written and TSOKC is also in progress.