Drone and Drabble

Sandy knew. Kirsten knew. Caleb, albeit reluctantly, knew. Their on-again-off-again girlfriends couldn't deny it, and Zack… well, Zack knows more than anyone. So why can't the two lovebirds see what's right in front of them? Seth/Ryan
Kirsten

"Hello my darling wife."

I smile and turn around to Sandy, who wraps me up in one of those "I don't have to be in work until 8" kisses. I laugh lightly and put my hand to his chest, subtly pushing him away.

"My father has me working on a huge estate for the Ramsey's. I have to be to work in 45 minutes." I say, turning back to my coffee. I feel his arms wrap around me.

"Like that will stop me."

I'm about to give in when Seth comes into the kitchen, making his way to the cupboard without looking up.

"Quasi-virgin eyes here, parents. Please desist all old people love… now."

I love my son dearly, but truly…

"Seth, you've walked into a much worse situa—"

"Mom! Please! Don't remind me! I have tried to block that out of my memory for years. Thanks a million." He dramatically shudders and twitches, probably reliving that night when he was a mere 8 years old.

"Well, Seth, to get off this completely uncomfortable topic, what plans do you have for tonight?" Sandy asks.

"Thank you father. I was planning on getting immersed in the powerful pull of Playstation in the pool house." Seth looks confused at his sentencing, what with all the P's, but apparently he shrugged it off. He didn't notice the knowing look that was passed between Sandy and I.

"How have things been with Ryan? Anything interesting going on with you two?" I ask, as nonchalant as possible. Seth almost chokes on his coffee and slams his mug down on the counter.

"What? No... Nothing weird or awkward happening… I mean, yeah normal, totally normal. I have no clue what you're talking about. Gotta get dressed… yes, leaving."

He quickly disappears from the room, just as Ryan makes his way inside and to the coffee pot.

"Morning," is all he says, pulling out the cereal and pouring himself a bowl.

"Good morning sunshine." Sandy muses, ruffling Ryan's hair on his way out of the kitchen. It leaves Ryan and I alone in a comfortable silence.

"Oh yeah, I was about to tell Seth before he scampered off that we have a party with the noopsies over at Julie and my father's tonight. Black tie, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Sounds like fun."

"Yes, because events with Julie Cooper- Nichol are always a blast." I put my mug in the sink and smile at Ryan.

"Will Marissa be there?" He asks, peering at me with those questioning eyes.

"Most likely. You know how her mother is with these things. But… as long as Summer is there, Marissa will probably be willing." I can see Ryan deflate at the mention of Summer, and inside I smile at his antics. Poor thing.

"Mother dearest, why must we go to another soul-sucking life-threatening night with the wrath of Julie Cooper on our lovely behinds?" Seth asks, donning a sweater vest and faded jeans along with a horrified expression.

"You boys haven't gone to one of these parties in a while now. It's about time you get out of the house!"

"I get out of the house. I go over to Zack's…" Seth stops and seems to be thinking, and Ryan grunts out a laugh.

"You go to school with me and you go to the pier alone, and you go sailing half an hour before sunset with anyone that will go with you, or else you go alone." Ryan looks up through his eyelashes at Seth, who stutters his reply, quite uncharacteristically might I add.

"U-Um, y-yeah, what h-he said..." He looks dumbfounded and stares down at his coffee mug, quiet and contemplating from what I can see.

I laugh lightly at the boys and their complete obliviousness to the semblance of… something not so brotherly… that they emit so often.

"Well, I'll tell you what. Go tonight, and if you get bored, you boys can take the car and come home. Deal?"

The boys seem to sarcastically, heavily consider this before they both agree.

"Be ready at 6:30. It starts at seven."

"Can't wait." Both of them mumbled, before going their separate ways to finish getting ready.

Zack

"Dude… Dude I think you might be right about Ryan."

"Good morning to you too Cohen. Now, how did you come to this conclusion after a mere twelve hours?" I ask this amusedly, but I'm still kind of interested.

OK, completely interested.

"This morning, I was talking with him and my mom about the noopsie thing tonight, and my mom said that I don't get out enough, and I was trying to defend myself and failed miserably, and Ryan jumped in and said these things that I totally thought were private, but apparently aren't."

I squeeze my eyes shut and fervently shake my head, trying to analyze the huge jumble of words that just escaped Cohen's mouth.

"Alright, I think I got it... What were these private things?" I ask slowly, trying not to jump to hasty conclusions as he is doing.

"That… That I go to the pier alone after school after Ryan goes wherever he goes, and that every day I go out on my boat to watch the sunset."

I contemplate my wording as I try to let him down easily, which sounds horrible, but really, its not.

"Seth… I know you do those things. And I'm not half the friend Ryan is… maybe he just notices these things before he goes off and does his own thing once in a while…" I look at him out of the corner of my eye, and am relieved to see that he seems to understand my reasoning.

"Yeah dude, okay. But it's just the WAY he said just totally blew me away. It was like, so un-Ryan of him. Not gruff or brooding, just… almost like it's etched into his memory what I do everyday."

That I couldn't deny. I've heard his routine recited so many times by Ryan that even I now know it by heart.

I look over Seth's shoulder and do a double take.

"Since when does Ryan have friends outside of our humble group of like, five?" I ask, thoroughly confused at seeing Ryan laughing comfortably with some guy I've never seen before.

Cohen looks confused for a second before slowly looking over his shoulder. He is visibly relieved.

"That's just Luke…" Cohen seems to process the information after a moment and cocks his head… "Hey Luke's back! Come on dude. Let's go say hey." Cohen hurries down the steps, and all I can do is follow.

When we arrive at our destination, Cohen slaps this Luke character on the back, causing the guy to turn around.

"Hey Cohen!" Luke grins at him and turns to me, but directs his question at Seth.

"Who's this?" he asks, with a nod in my direction. I extend my hand.

"What's up? I'm Zack Stevens."

"Oh! Right yeah I've heard about you. I'm Luke Ward."

Something clicks in my mind and I remember who this guy is as we shake hands quickly. Damn… How did I forget that?

"Oh yeah, right. I've heard about you too." Luke winces.

"All good I hope?"

"All good, man," which is the truth, too. He lightens up again.

"Dude, when did you get back? I had no clue you were coming!" Cohen looks from Luke to Ryan, who gives him a clueless look Seth reluctantly draws his attention away from the completely hot look, turning back to Luke.

"Marissa didn't tell you guys?" Luke asked, looking between the three of us.

"No…" I said, at the same time Ryan shook his head and Cohen, being Cohen, said…

"I'm going to go find her… oh wait no here she comes…" He deflates ever so slightly, but I think I'm the only one who notices, "… And Summer…" He extends her name and glances at Ryan, who winces imperceptibly to most eyes before putting on a smile for the girls.

"Hey guys!" Summer seems chipper today… Her eyes land on Luke, and she squeals.

"Luke! What are you doing here?" She pulls him into a tight hug, and suddenly I feel all eyes on me. I look up to see three sets of eyes boring into me… I feel so violated…

I furrow my eyebrows and look from Marissa to Ryan to Seth, who actually looks completely amused. I roll my eyes and shake my head just as Sum pulls off of Luke, who smiles and turns his attention to Marissa, cautiously opening his arms.

Instead of looking hesitant or anything, Marissa looks flat out ecstatic and throws her arms around Luke in, if possible, an even tighter hug.

Jeez… I give them a week to get back together.

"How was Portland after I left dude?" Seth asks, "Completely horrible? Gosh, you must have missed me." Seth looks totally playful, and Luke laughs.

"Dude, for a few days there it was frikkin' quiet for the first time in like, a month or two. No psychobabble ringing in our ears. It was weird." Luke looked, and was, completely serious, and everyone but him and Cohen broke out laughing.

"Did you just call my witty remarks and charming banter psychobabble?"

OK. End chapter 2, because I totally want to get to my thank-yous. You guys rock so much. I love you!

Rainygal- I know right? Nice!Zack is so much better than WaterPolo!Zack. Thanks for my first review!

Henka- I love them too! It seems so much more natural, even some people wouldn't think so! Thanks for the R/R!

Ziggybomb- Yes, yes... His meanness seems so foreign after being such an awesome character. Thanks for reviewing!

Feather Moon- Omigosh I love Midsummer's. I was in it too... I was Hippolyta. LoL I imagined my friends Matt (Lysander) and Billy (Demetrius) and I was like, LMAO!

Alienangel19852003- I'll just keep going and going...

Kingess- Yes, first person can get iffy if it's not written well... Thanks for letting me know it's alright! Thankies for the R/R too!

2 reviews for next chapter!