Kevin Volchok knew he wasn't thinking clearly. He hadn't been thinking clearly since he'd gotten involved with Marissa Cooper.
It was all supposed to be a joke. He was pissed at Ryan for hooking up with Sadie, so he figured he'd get his hooks into Marissa just to drive the guy crazy. Well, that plan had backfired. Atwood didn't care that he was screwing Marissa. He basically gave him his blessing, and told him to "treat her right." He had laughed it off at the time. He had no intentions of treating her right. He figured he'd sleep with her a few times, make her think he really liked her, and then dump her like yesterday's trash.
That plan had also backfired.
He took another swig from his flask as he watched Ryan's brand-new jeep back out of the driveway.
"Maybe I should drive," Heather suggested nervously.
He ignored her.
He couldn't let Marissa leave town without telling her he was sorry. Maybe she'd forgive him for making out with that slut at the prom and decide to come along with him and Heather to Mexico. Hell, if Marissa decided to go, he wouldn't need to bring Heather with him. He knew it was a long-shot, but he had to try. He was sure he could convince her if she would only listen. He waited for them to get a little ways down the road, then shifted into drive and began to follow them.
He caught up to them fairly quickly and laid on the horn, flashing his lights on and off at them. Ryan didn't stop or even start to slow down. Instead, he threw his arm out the window and waved for them to pass him. Volchok backed off a bit, then pressed the gas pedal all the way down, slamming into the back of the Toyota. Ryan floored the engine, trying to outrun him.
Getting even more frustrated, Volchok pulled into the next lane and sped up until he was right beside them.
"What are you doing?" Marissa screamed at him.
"Pull over!" he yelled, ramming his van into the jeep again. "We're gonna finish this!"
Now both of the girls were screaming and Ryan was fighting to keep control of his vehicle. Volchok turned the wheel hard and hit them again, trying to force them off of the road.
"Pull over!" Marissa was begging Ryan.
"Where?"
Volchok was so busy watching them that he didn't see the road beginning to narrow ahead. He heard Marissa scream "look out!" to Ryan and he looked up to see that there was a sharp turn up ahead with a guard rail along the edge. There was only room for one of them.
Volchok quickly turned the wheel to stay on the road, and he and Heather watched in horror as the other car went flying off the road, flipping several times before coming to a stop on the road below. He slammed on the brakes and they squealed loudly in protest as the van came to a stop.
"Oh my God," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Oh my God."
"You stupid son-of-a-bitch!" Heather screamed, looking at him incredulously. "What? Grand theft auto wasn't enough for you? You had to add drunk driving and attempted murder to your record?"
"Shut up!" he yelled, glaring at her. "I wasn't trying to KILL them! I just wanted him to pull the damn car over so I could talk to her!"
"Well, you're definitely not going to get a chance now," she told him. "Even if they're still alive, there's no way she's going to go anywhere near you now."
"Don't say that!" He jumped out of the van and ran toward the edge of the road.
"What are you doing?" she yelled after him. "We have to get out of here!"
"I have to make sure she's okay!" Volchok didn't think twice before hurrying down the hill. Ryan's new jeep was totaled…it had landed upside-down on the road and was now completely engulfed in flames. He looked around frantically and his heart stopped when he saw them in the middle of the road.
Ryan was cradling Marissa in his arms, and she wasn't moving. He raced over to them and knelt down beside Ryan.
"Is she okay?"
He expected Ryan to scream at him or to jump up and pound his face in. Ryan didn't do either. He slowly raised his head and looked at Volchok, an expression of shock and grief on his face. His cheeks were tear-stained, but he didn't make any attempts to hide the fact that he'd been crying. He spoke and his voice sounded so cold.
"She's gone."
No.
Ryan's words hit him like a ton of bricks. Marissa was gone…she was dead. And it was all his fault. His fault for getting drunk and running them off the road. His fault for tricking her into falling for him the first time, then breaking her heart. His fault for believing that a girl like that would actually give him a second chance. But this wasn't about him.
He wished that Ryan would just punch him and get it over with. He deserved it. He deserved a whole hell of a lot more than that. He wouldn't blame Ryan if he killed him right then and there. He had almost done it once, but his stupid conscience had gotten in the way. Volchok doubted anything could stop him now. But Ryan just continued to hold her, staring straight ahead and rocking back and forth.
Volchok could hear sirens in the distance and he panicked. He couldn't stay here. If Marissa was dead, then he was going to jail for murder. It had been an accident…but it sure wouldn't look that way to the police. He had run them off the road. He only wanted to talk to her, but Ryan would never tell them that. He would let them throw the book at him. Volchok stole one last glance at Marissa and Ryan, then bolted back up the hill toward his van.
Heather was nowhere to be found; he figured she must have been the one to call for help. Which meant that she had probably told the police the whole story by now…and that meant that they were probably out looking for him. He had to get out of town now. Every reason he had for staying in Orange County had died tonight, and he was never coming back.
Volchok gunned the engine and sped off down the highway.