Chapter Twenty One

Next morning, back at Chino, Teresa was having a wee bit of a hangover, after getting so pitifully drunk the night before. Ryan sat by her side, until she slowly started to open her eyes. When she saw Ryan, her expression changed from tired, to horrified.

"Ryan? Why are you here?" Teresa asked, gulping. She rubbed her eyes to make sure he wasn't a mirage, hallucination.

Ryan touched her cheek with his hand, and he started to caress it as gently as he could, "You're pregnant. I have to be here." Ryan assured quietly, smiling at the dark haired girl.

"But you love Marissa." Teresa said this calmly also, still gazing at Ryan's friendly face.

"I love you."

Teresa sat up, and turned her head to face Ryan, "Why are you here?" She asked a little louder this time, creasing her eyebrows in confusion.

"Teresa, I can't leave you alone at a time like this. Especially with your mother, gone." Ryan answered her.

"My mother? Where is my mother? Why is she gone?" Teresa asked frantically, looking at Ryan. Now Ryan was absolutely confused- had she not told him, she died?

"Oh never mind." Ryan realised he had succumbed to her drunken lie. He wanted more then anything to adjust to a new, but equally peaceful life in Chino- where his first child would be born. Teresa looked up at him meaningfully.

"Did you come here on your own?" Teresa, after so long, wanted to feel needed. She wanted to break away from the loneliness Ryan's departure had bestowed on her.

"Yes." Ryan shed a little white lie, knowing that he couldn't hurt Teresa anymore. "Do you remember anything you did last night?" Ryan asked tentatively.

"Not a thing. Was I naughty?" Teresa asked with a pleasurable smile glistening on her face.

"A little bit." Ryan smiled and leaned in to kiss the half-sober Teresa, who's scent still reeked of an alcoholic stench. Teresa enjoyed this feeling, as she assumed she hadn't felt it in so long. Little did she know, yesterday she had more then enough taste of Ryan's mouth. Teresa pulled away, and smiled, laying down on Ryan's chest, caressing it tenderly, with the tips of her fingers.

"Ryan, I love you," Teresa stopped grinning at him, "Thank you. Thank you so much for coming here." Teresa smiled at him lovingly, and she kissed him on the cheek, to show her ultimate gratitude.

"I love you too, Teresa." Ryan hugged her slightly tighter, still imagining Marissa in his arms. Ryan shook away the image from his mind, and once more he noticed Teresa laying comfortably on his strong chest- cuddling tastefully.

"Good morning Mrs. Cooper. Is Marissa coming to school today?" Seth asked grinning at the bed-head that stood in front of him. He usually saw Julie Cooper all groomed and perfect, but certainly not today. Her bun had been tangled in every direction; her make-up dripping down her cheek; her lipstick dancing around the edges of her mouth.

"Yes, I'll get her." Julie replied sternly, eyeing Seth down. Soon enough, Marissa came trudging down the stairs, looking worse then her mother.

"Are you sure you don't want to freshen up?" Julie whispered in Marissa's ear. Marissa shook her head, "It's your reputation- not mine- that is going to go down the drain, honey." Julie tried to assure her, however one way, or another Julie Cooper's reassurances, were definitely not too encouraging.

"I'm fine, thanks. Besides, you're about the only person in the world that is so hypocritical- have you by any chance looked at yourself in the mirror today?" Marissa smiled vilely.

"Plenty of times, darling. But I'm not the one who's going to see Ryan." Julie especially accented the word Ryan, knowing that it would make her daughter miserable. Seth looked at Julie, rather glared at Julie, who had heard the story the night before. Was she so idiotic that she had to bring her daughter down, with the most painful memory Marissa held in her mind?

"On the other hand, I don't think I'm well enough. I feel a little," Marissa coughed lightly, completely fakely, "Sick." She looked at Julie, "Did you have any plans today, mother? Because I'm sorry that I'll be taking up your precious time. You wouldn't mind making me some chicken noodle soup, would you?" Marissa smiled at her mother mischievously.

"Oh honey, you're not going to take my time up!" Julie replied also smiling.

"I better go." Seth said while turning around, "Bye!" He called out from his car.

Not a problem, Seth thought discreetly in his mind. I'll have plenty of time to look at the one and only, gorgeous Goddess of my life, my precious Summer Roberts- Seth allowed his thoughts get a little out of hand, as he was expanding his literary skills with his numerous ways of describing Summer. He finally pulled up in her house, and the little brunette bounced out of her house door, forgetting about the unwritten rule that all girls had to be "casually" late when being picked up by their boyfriends.

"Hey, Cohen." Summer said, while slamming the door to the car, and adjusting her seat to ensure her comfort.

"Hey Summer." Seth nodded and smiled at her deviously, "And I don't get a good-morning kiss from my baby?" Summer smiled.

"I was just thinking the same thing, Seth." Summer said, expecting a kiss. Getting the proper permission, Seth leaned in, and kissed Summer passionately on the lips, as she took a hold of his neck, as a hostage for more innocent kisses. "We're going to be late," Summer pleaded almost silently in between a shock of kisses- a good shock.

"Would you," Seth was interrupted by the unexpected entrance of Summer's tongue, "rather go to school," Seth grabbed ahold of Summer's waist, tickling her slim stomach gently, "or kiss me?" Seth asked.

"God, what a hard question." Summer said smiling, her eyes still closed. "We really better get going though," Summer said, and she slowly pulled away still smiling her angelic smile, "To be Continued." Summer raised an eyebrow mysteriously, as Seth continued to drive down the street thinking that the faster he got to school, the longer he would have to cuddle with his girlfriend- the longer he would have to show the entire school population that he was with Summer now, and that she was off limits to any guys. Finally Seth arrived at school, and he was about to lean in and kiss Summer once more, until he noticed the concerned expression on her face.

"I'm okay," Summer said quickly, seeing that Seth was examining her frail look on her face.

"You don't look okay," Seth paused trying to decipher the message her eyes were transmitting. "You look like you've eaten something horrible. Or maybe you've seen something horrible- is it me?" Seth said self-consciously.

"It's not you. It's just," Summer paused longing to find the right words, so that they wouldn't hurt Seth, "You know how I'm sorta popular, right?" Seth nodded, not really catching the same wave Summer was long ago riding, "And you know, how you're sort of," Summer said, hoping Seth would finish her sentence.

"And outcast? A geek? A comic book fanatic? What's up, Sum? Tell me?" Seth was blurting out random words, partly out of confusion and partly out of fright. He didn't want it to be over with Summer, already.

"Well, no. You're just not as," Summer said, looking away from Seth's face, as she imagined his hurt eyes.

"Popular as you." Seth finished, nodding his head, as he sighed. Summer's eyes turned hopeful, hoping that she wouldn't have to explain anymore.

"And I don't think I'm ready to tell the whole school about you. About us." Summer quickly corrected, "I need time. I still love you, but I need a second to breathe, a second to take it all in, and a couple of seconds to tell the school that I'm proud to be with you."

"Hmm," Seth thought, "So that's like, four seconds? How much more time do you need?"

"Seth! I'm not ready." Summer squealed seeing that Seth tried to crack a joke. As relieved as she was, she couldn't understand the reason why Seth was acting so, impassive. But Seth, trying to make this relationship as easy as he could, for Summer's sake, decided to skip the drama, just after he had asked one question that trampled across his mind.

"You said, 'and a couple of seconds to tell the school that I'm proud to be with you.' Are you not proud to be with me now? Am I something you have to be ashamed of? Am I like a tampon you would hide, so nobody sees?" Summer looked away, and then thought, Okay I guess I shouldn't of thought too soon- he is slightly dramatic.

"Seth. As easy as this all is for you, I want this to be special. I don't want our lovable school society to tear us apart, because we both know how truly lovable it is. Rumours can haunt us both forever. Come on Seth. I want to avoid everything. I want to be with you, with no strings attached. You know that." Seth Cohen hesitated for a moment's time, seemingly a second- but to Summer it was a second too much before he replied. Summer left the car, and through the exterior of the window, stared at Seth meaningfully. Seth pulled down the window to say something to her.

"I love you…" Seth said, and Summer smiled lightly, but disappeared along with her. Seth stayed in the car surprised but also slightly angry, that his girlfriend was ashamed of him. What am I going to do, Seth thought, before he got out of the car obediently when he heard the bell holler in his ears.