Disclaimer Yeah. I don't own the OC, and no offense or infringement was intended.

"So Theresa called, she wants to talk," Ryan said leaning over to pick a penny off the ground. He was walking with Seth towards the Crab Shack.

"Okay. I have been wondering this for awhile now… what is the deal with mysterious people from your past turning up out of nowhere?" asked Seth.

"You know about Theresa, so it's not out of nowhere."

"Yeah. I know now. But first it was your mom, then Trey, then Theresa, and then that scary guy…"

"Most of those people didn't just show up out of nowhere. Maybe Theresa did… at first," Ryan said rolling his eyes.

"It's like our house is your bus station. You know I have people in my past who could show up at any minute."

"You have people in your past?" Ryan asked incredulously.

The pair was interrupted by the sound of a horn honking as a car speed away.

"Same to you buddy!" a woman carrying a massive amount of shopping bags yelled as she gave the car the finger while walking backwards. Her back slammed right into Seth's front causing the pair to fall to the ground spreading the bags all over the side walk. Seth leaped to his knees and started picking up bags when he glanced into the woman's eyes.

"Seth? Seth Cohen?" She asked standing up.

"Caroline?"

She ran up and gave him a massive hug. "I haven't seen you since the sixth grade!"

Ryan took a moment to puzzle over just how convenient this was, and wondered if Seth had somehow managed to pay this woman off when he wasn't looking. She certainly didn't seem like the kind of woman who would normally embrace Seth. She was extremely thin, her long red hair was being held back by a pair of expensive sunglasses, and her lips were bright red. She looked like a red haired Marissa. He wondered how Seth could possibly know her and why he had never seen her before.

"Caroline, this is my friend Ryan. Ryan this is Caroline, she and I went to elementary school together."

"Hmm… you have a friend… I always thought it would happen someday," she laughed.

"Oh ha ha, very funny," Seth mumbled as he handed her the last of the bags.

"All right you manly men, walk me to the restaurant since we have so much catching up to do," she said as she handed several bags to both the boys and then marched ahead of them.

"So he leaped off the eagle's nest landing on me screaming 'You will never threaten Gotham again Catwoman.' And that's how we met," Caroline said leaning over the table.

"Wow. You leapt on a girl?" asked Ryan.

"I was seven, and I had an active imagination. It was like Rugrats, only minus the ugly babies. And what are you doing back here anyways? Last time I checked you had moved to the East Coast?" Seth asked.

"Well my parent's house burned down during a flood. So we are currently staying with my grandparents while the house is being rebuilt."

"Your house burned down during a flood?" asked Seth incredulously.

"Our fuse box got wet and sparked to the curtains. It was a big mess," she said gesturing angrily at Seth. "I don't want to talk about it. Anyways… So… you two?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"What?" asked Seth.

"Well how long have you been dating, where did you meet, I want to know it all."

"What!" yelled both Seth and Ryan simultaneously.

"Okay… I guess you haven't started dating, but I can see the sparks flying! Oh young love is so exciting," Caroline squealed as she leaned back in her seat.

"I'm not gay," Seth said as he looked at Ryan sitting next to him, "we're not gay."

"We're just friends," Ryan added.

"You're… not gay?" She asked stifling a laugh.

"No… er… yes…. Ummm me not gay," Seth said trying to puzzle over the negative in the question.

"Is it really crowded in that closet or is it a walk in?" she asked giggling.

"Why do you keep insinuating I'm gay?" asked Seth in a hissed whisper.

"Who is insinuating? I am stating it," She said laughing.

"Listen I have had three girlfriends! I am not gay. No matter what the Water Polo team says!"

"Ryan," Caroline said turning her head towards him, "Would you be honest with me if I asked a question?"

"Uhh sure, I guess…" he said.

"Out of these three alleged relationships how many has our beloved Seth ruined by unprecedented in the history of mankind levels of psychotic neurosis?" she asked.

"Well…" Ryan responded.

"I knew it!" she said pounding her fist on the table.

"Now that is not fair!"

"You wreaked Alex since you couldn't get over her past, you broke up with Anna when you couldn't get Summer out of your mind and you broke up with Summer twice… once when you… were upset I left…" Ryan said as his face contorted weirdly.

"Oh my! I hit the gay mother load." Caroline smiled. Then she looked down at her watch. "But, I am so going to be late. Bye bye boys," Caroline said as she pulled her sunglasses down and left. "Talk to you later! Try to work out your issues before then!"

Seth and Ryan sat next to each other in a moment of silence.

"Umm I have to go… Theresa, I told you." Ryan said getting up.

"Ryan wait!" Seth screamed, " I hope she is not going to make things, like, weird or something."

"Yeah… no. We're still cool. But Theresa…"

"Yeah… bye…" Seth said as he opened the door for Ryan.