The Drama-less College Years….. Right?

By: jvogel54321

Disclaimer: Still no owning of any of this for me

A/N: Jumping into the next "episode".

Episode Two: The Brave New World (Chapter Six)

It was early Monday morning when Julie Cooper-Nichol paced through her modest living room, nervously smoothing out some wrinkles in her pants-suit. It looked neat and new, but she was convinced anyone in Newport would immediately think she bought it at ValueCity, which she had in fact done. Over her cordless phone, she was speaking to Kirsten about their plans for the day.

"So I'll just meet up with you after I drop Caitlin off at Harbor, Kiki. The we meet the realtor at nine."

"I know Julie, but I'm still not sure if we're ready for this step," Kirsten replied, sipping a cup of coffee in her kitchen.

"Please Kirsten, I can not have this conversation again. We run one of the most successful social organization and dating services in the history of Newport. And the fact that we are still running it out of your house makes it seem so—"

"Simple?"

"Hookerish," Julie finished. "Look I mean it; we are not discussing this anymore. We are getting our own offices and that's the end of it. Now I apparently have to push Caitlin out the door, so I really don't have time to circle the wagons on this issue. Nine o'clock, at the realtor and don't you dare be late."

"Alright Jul—"

Walking to the staircase, Julie set the phone in its cradle and called for Caitlin. Upstairs the younger Cooper daughter sat in front of her mirror rolling her hair in her fingers. She picked up her schedule for the fifth time that morning and closed her eyes, trying to recite it under her breath from memory.

"Relax Cooper," she told herself. "It's only high school. It's only high school in Newport. It's only high school in Newport where everyone is going to remember and compare you to Marissa. God, let me meet at least one cool person who doesn't hate me."

After a moment she recited, "This is going to be fine. This is going to be great."

"Caitlin, I'm not waiting anymore, let's get a move on," Julie called from the living room.

Standing and picking up her bookbag, Caitlin took a deep breath and finished, "It's a brave new world."

Sitting in her kitchen, Kirsten was feeling rather apprehensive about all of Julie's plan for the business. When this had all started it was just supposed to be a little distraction; something to fill the hours of the day when the boys were at school. Now Seth and Ryan are away for good and the company is taking a big step forward.

"Morning honey," Sandy said as he walked in and picked up a bagel, sitting next to her. "Today's the big day!"

As Sandy grinned away, Kirsten looked miserable. She responded, "I think I'm going through a mid-life crisis."

"Oh come on."

"It's just the business is becoming such a big part of my life. I don't want it to take everything over now that Seth and Ryan are gone forever."

"We saw them 15 hours ago. And I'm sure they'll visit before Thanksgiving."

"So, we're basically a holiday family. But even that's just for now. Ryan's going to graduate and get a job back in Atlanta to be with Mary. And Seth—"

"Seth's living with Marissa Cooper."

"I know that."

"I know that you know that. It's just so crazy I need to remind myself."

"But even that. He's left for college and he's living with a girl. He's never coming back to live here again."

"But at least he can be happy. They both will be. And this isn't a mid-life crisis, just a slight case of empty nest syndrome. It isn't as if either of us lived under the delusion that Seth would stay in his room until he was thirty, take over the Newport Group and become the next Caleb Nichol."

"Oh Lord."

"Yeah, exactly. Don't worry about all of this. I mean this is the time parents dream of. Just us. That isn't a bad thing," he added, wrapping his arm around her and getting a smile in return. "It's a brave new world."

Just over an hour's drive north, Ryan was finishing dressing in his dorm room. The single bedroom dorm was 6x15 and besides a small tv, bed and computer, there wasn't enough room for more than four people to stand in the room. As he buttons his blue shirt, he leans over talking on the phone.

"So she's feeling better? Good. Is she up, I'd like to talk to her. No, that's alright. No, don't wake her. Later? Yeah, I'll call tonight. No, no plans. Look Theresa, I have to get going. I have a civics class in 15 minutes. Is there anything else?"

Ryan stuffs two books into his bag, before answering a barely heard questions.

"Marissa? I really haven't had a chance to talk to her yet, so… I just don't know yet. Look, I'll call you tonight and tell Mary I love her and will be home for Thanksgiving. Yeah. Yeah, I saw Seth. Next time I see him, I'll say hi. Okay. Yeah. Bye."

Checking his appearance on the mirror on the back of the door, Ryan hung up the phone and grabbed his bag. When he opened the door to walk out into the still quite hallway, he paused. Walking back to the small closet, Ryan fished around for a minute before pulling out a notebook. Before placing it in his back, he took out a photograph and stared at it for a moment.

On his way out he placed the photo in the frame of the mirror next to a picture of Mary at 18 months old, wearing a little dress. The new photograph was one of Seth, Marissa and Ryan in front of the pool of Caleb's half-finished model home. He remembered laughing with Seth as Marissa set up the camera timer that night. It was back before he really knew Summer, but still he was amazed to have two friends in Newport after only a few days.

Opening the door, again he left for his class, reminding himself, "It's a brave new world."

Just across town Seth was walking out of the bathroom and pulling his t-shirt over his head. He saw Marissa already dressed and ready to leave. She handed him his coffee without looking up from her Intro to Business textbook.

"Aren't you usually running around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to finish getting ready right about this time every morning?" Seth asked her.

Glancing up quickly, Marissa smiled and explained, "I can't really remember the last time my hair was this short, I find the shorter look now remarkably time efficient."

"And gorgeous I believe I mentioned."

"Several times," she replied, leaning across the table to kiss him. Returning to her book, she continued speaking, "So how much time do we have?"

"Well we actually have a half hour to enjoy each other's company, and then we must rush off. We can't have America's next great mogul late for her first business class."

"You have art history, right?"

"Yep, yet another reason you need to succeed: to support me through my useless liberal arts education. Although, I'm not so magnanimous I won't point out that my art is paying for this lovely apartment."

"Which will be much lovelier when we finally unpack. How about we get some pizza and have a nice cleaning session tonight?"

"I love your giant business brain," Seth quipped drinking his coffee. Marissa looked up again a moment to see Seth staring and smiling at her.

"What?" she asked.

"It's just me living in L.A., writing my own comic, going to college and living with you," Seth explained. "It's just so…"

After an extended pause, Marissa attempted to fill in the blank, "Nice? Perfect? Indescribable? New?"

"I can't believe this," she said, putting her book down and grabbing his hand. "Is Seth Cohen lost without a quip? Something to tie the conversation up in a nice bow? Should I alert the media?"

"That would be a first. Let me give it a shot."

As the seconds ticked by Seth squeezed his face into a ball mimicking deep though, before finally smiling and saying, "It's a – no I got nothing."

California… California… Here we come.