Author's Note Hey all! Sorry for the delay. Had a few things that really threw my schedule out of whack, so haven't uploaded as often as I wanted. That should be over now in theory, but don't worry if there are gaps, still very invested in both projects and more. Speaking of which, update to Best Life is imminent but again, schedule re-alignment.
Hope you enjoy the chapter, we are getting through the Oliver Saga and soon our pair will be reunited, I promise.
As ever thank you for all your reviews and urges for me to continue. You are all great and make me want to stick to regulate uploads. Let me know any feedback, good or bad as ever. More Ryan-centric chapters coming up as well, realise we've been on Detective Anna for a while, but you all know the Ryan scenes of the Oliver saga, they are in the show. Thanks again.
"Well, even if Ryan gets expelled, he is still going to live with you guys right? I mean your parents aren't going to kick him out", Anna said, not even attempting to hide the concern in her voice the next day at school.
"No, I don't think so", said Seth without conviction.
"Well, is he okay?" Anna asked, needing to know more.
"Yeah, he's not the one who got punched in the face", Seth said, trying to make a joke Anna didn't find funny.
"I'm talking about in the larger sense, Seth…" Anna shot back, she wasn't taking this from Seth today. His brother was in trouble and he was acting like nothing could be done. Mercifully Seth didn't have time to wonder why she was so outraged as a rude Harbor student barged between Anna and her nominal boyfriend.
"Do you know, have you talked to him?" she asked, as soon as they were reunited, post-barging. She had made her resolution to fight to help Ryan, even if it had come right before he'd been suspended for attacking Oliver.
"No, I don't know what to say" he said, meekly.
"Umm, I don't know. Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?" Anna said, trying not to be too condescending. How had he not done this already?
"That's the thing, there is nothing I can do. I begged him to stay away from Oliver and he didn't listen to me. You don't really know Ryan that well, you don't understand".
Anna couldn't stop disappointment and concern spreading across her face, her mind was racing with a dozen different responses from lengthy speeches to a simple 'Maybe you don't know him that well'.
Unfortunately Seth's attention was, as always, captured by the arrival of Summer. Marissa walking alongside her only made things worse. Anna had heard that they had broken up even before Ryan had punched Oliver. The conversation at the concert loomed large in Anna's mind as they two Newport socialites approached.
A round of awkward greetings were exchanged. Anna tried to break the ice but the situation with Ryan loomed over all of them. Anna could hardly feel at ease with the girl trying to steal her boyfriend from her and...well, god, whatever was going on between her and Marissa.
Her sense of unease wasn't helped by the fact that Marissa seemed to be staring daggers at her whenever she got the chance. What happened yesterday? Anna tried to piece together the timeline. Ryan and Marissa break up in the morning. He attacks Oliver in the afternoon, and now Marissa is angry at you? Or is the situation just getting to her.
Mercifully Oliver arrived not long after, talking about a ski trip to Mammoth. I guess he intended for the trips to continue indefinitely until Marissa was his entirely. She almost shuddered. But then, she had just discarded Ryan. Maybe she and Oliver deserved each other. She tried to clear the malicious thought from her mind.
Anna, Seth and Summer watched as Marissa and Oliver walked away arm in arm. It had only been a day and she was already on his arm. Perhaps Seth wasn't the only one being easily taken from someone. Perhaps Ryan taking Marissa from Luke wasn't exactly a destined lovers event after all.
"Wow, Oliver seems almost…" Anna said,
"Happy?" Seth interjected.
"Well, why shouldn't he be, he has Marissa all to himself now" Summer said with a grimace and a sigh, walking away from them in the corridor.
"Well, that was weird", Seth said, putting his hand to his chin. Anna was glad Summer hadn't stayed for a fresh run at Seth's attention. She felt pretty close to snapping.
"It is weird Seth, and you know what else is weird. That you haven't talked to Ryan. He is your friend, basically your brother. You told me he has had your back since the day you met".
Anna realised she was no longer hiding her frustration.
"You have the nerve to tell me I don't know him? Maybe I know him better than you think. And maybe you think you know me, but", she looked away. "Honestly, I don't think you've paid enough attention to make that judgment". Seth looked hurt instantly, his face contorting in shock, looking away and doing a double take. Not his usual comic overreaction.
"Wow, I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd take it like...like that". He said, in one of his famous quick and thoughtless apologies. "I just meant that he is a complex guy. Yeah, maybe I don't know him. It has only been what, half a year. I get that you are concerned, I am too, I just don't know what to do Anna".
"Talk to him", Anna said simply and forcefully. "And I'm going to talk to Marissa".
Seth blinked a few times.
"I'm sorry, what, why? She didn't seem in the best mood, for some reason her eyes were drilling into your soul every time she looked at you".
"I noticed. I don't care. She needs to hear from someone that Oliver is bad news and that she needs to get Ryan's side of all this. One of his friends" she said, reinforcing the word pointedly, "needs to get his side".
"Listen, Oliver might be crazy, but he isn't the one currently suspended for assaulting a student".
"Seth. Talk to Ryan, I'll talk to Marissa. He is probably in a real dark place right now. He needs someone".
"Fine, geez, okay. But if it goes wrong, I'm going to be real smug and say that everyone should always listen to me".
"Thank you", Anna said with a sigh of relief.
"I honestly didn't know you cared about him this much", Seth said after a moment, looking away.
"Of course I do Seth, he is my friend". Anna didn't know if that was a lie, but it hurt her to say it. He didn't seem to believe her. His face hadn't relaxed, he looked at her for a moment. A moment of silence passed between them. He knew something was wrong. Anna couldn't stand to keep staring and looked around the near empty school corridors. "I need to get to class. I'll see you at lunch".
Seth made a small wave as she walked away, his heart racing. He reflected on the conversation, on how angry Anna had gotten, on how Marissa had been staring daggers at her. For the first time in their relationship, he felt a moment of uncertainty regarding what Anna and Ryan meant to one another.
Anna saw Marissa three times that day, each time on the arm of Oliver. Only after school as she was leaving did she see that Oliver wasn't at her beck and call. Wonderful.
She had yet to disperse the impotent anger at what the scene she'd witnessed in the school parking lot.
Ryan was right there in front of you, she thought to herself. And you just stood by and watched him and Seth duke it out...Why? You are scared. Scared to talk to him while Seth is there. In public. Where Marissa could see.
"Marissa, can we talk?" Anna said, approaching her as she stood by her locker.
"If it is about either Ryan or Oliver, can we not, sorry", Marissa said, giving a performative smile as she prepared to leave. As if she already knew that that would be the focus of the conversation.
"Please, this isn't fair on-" Anna said as Marissa started to turn away.
"Not fair?" Marissa snapped, turning back around. "Not fair on who?" On Ryan? He broke into my locker, he beat up my friend, Anna. For no reason. Oliver dropped the charges. How is that not fair?" Marissa didn't wait for her to reply. "You said you didn't want to be friends with Seth because of how he treated you and Summer. Well, where is that now? Seems to be a rule that has conveniently disappeared when it comes to Ryan...Why is that?"
Anna held eye contact with Marissa.
"You are deflecting", she said firmly. This wasn't going to be a repeat of the concert. Marissa Cooper wasn't going to steamroll this conversation. "Why are you so against just hearing Ryan out?"
"I did hear Ryan out. He had nothing to say except he didn't trust Oliver. No reason. And then he starts acting like a jealous psycho. What was I supposed to do? Disown my friend? I guess you are an authority on that"
"This is different", Anna said through gritted teeth.
How is it different, sorry? Because you can't stop looking at him?"
"That isn't true", Anna said, cutting across her, her pulse racing.
"I saw you at the concert, and then you kept it up for the entire of our trip to Palm Springs. Maybe the reason you are struggling to keep Seth away from Sum is because you don't really want to be with him. Or maybe this is your way to distract yourself. Either way it is none of your business".
Anna squared up to Marissa this time, despite the height difference.
"Marissa, I know you are used to saying whatever you want to whoever you want. But what is going on with me and my boyfriend has nothing to do with my concern for Ryan. You are deflecting, I just want to help".
"Deflecting? Is that your word of the day? You are going to have to deflect something pretty soon if you don't drop this", Marissa said. "Tell you what, forget it. I don't know what is going on with you two, but I'm over it. Whatever crazy thing Ryan does, he is right and I am wrong, yeah?" she rolled her eyes. "I can tell I'm not going to change the mind of Ryan's new pathetic pixie chick cheerleader", Marissa stared directly down, as if she was trying to make Anna back down. Anna noticed she was shaking slightly. "I don't know why you had to flee your old school and I don't know what your game is with Seth and Ryan. Whatever it is, this is your last warning, leave me alone". Marissa slammed her locker shut before powerfully and deliberately barging Anna out of the way with one shoulder, straight into the wall of lockers.
Only after Marissa had finished rounding the corner did Anna allow herself to grab her sore shoulder, breathing in and out.
What the hell did she mean 'flee my old school' Anna thought to herself. What the hell was all that? Was it Oliver? Was it Summer? She considered telling Seth, but he would just gloat. Say I told you so and then say that Summer and Oliver are fine. Anna needed to talk to Ryan. This was getting out of hand. But Ryan was, as far as Seth knew, locked in the pool house.
She needed to talk to Luke. Anna half ran down the corridor, trying to remember what class he shared with Seth for their last class of the day.
Well, you kept your lisp under control, she thought as she gathered pace. But that is about all you kept under control.
