Title : Some Things You Might Not Have Known About The Core Four
Author : Helen C.
Rating : PG-13
Summary : Title says it all.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Josh Schwartz. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Huge thanks to Joey51 for beta'ing this!
#2
Once Summer was done reading Seth's rambling, apologetic letter, she spent exactly six minutes seething in her room, the word "Coward," echoing in her head.
It didn't make her feel any calmer.
There was only one thing that would help her unwind and that was punching Cohen's lights out.
Which wasn't going to happen, since the damn little coward was on his damn boat somewhere between Newport and Tahiti.
But the next best thing, she might be able to get.
So, she ran downstairs, got into her car and drove to Chino.
She was still mad when she reached the house where Atwood and Theresa now pretended that they were one happy family.
She banged on the door, yelling for Atwood to come out, and when he did, she pretended not to notice that he already looked five years older than he had two days ago.
Served him right.
She didn't even talk to him.
She just slapped him, hard, and spun on her heels.
Got back in her car.
He didn't even try to run after her when she drove off.
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She spent the next few days trying not to remember how tired Atwood had looked and how pitiful the house had been.
She tried not to think about how scared he must be, trying to be an adult when she knew that he wasn't much more ready for the world than she was.
More gifted to survive, yes, without a doubt.
But raising a kid wasn't about survival.
It was about…
She wasn't sure what it was about, and chances were that Ryan didn't know either.
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After ten days of her conscience nagging at her, she gave up.
Went shopping for groceries—comfort food.
Drove to Chino.
Knocked on the door.
When Ryan opened, she handed him a bag full of pop corn, soda and chocolate.
"Sorry," she offered.
He shrugged in his typical Ryan way. "It's okay."
He didn't make a move to take the bag. "Want some?" she tried again.
He looked tired and sad, but he allowed her to enter anyway.
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She left an hour later.
Ryan had smiled twice while she was there, and he looked slightly less stressed out than when she'd arrived.
She promised herself that the next time she came, she'd make him smile three times.
More soon...