Chapter 9: Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind
Author's Note
I hit a pretty major impasse of how I wanted the story to go in between the end of the Oliver Saga and the end of Season 1 as I reimagined it. This chapter became a part of the crux of that and what it sets up later. Hence why it became a fair bit of a delay for not much story advancement. But I'm hoping this represents the breaking of a stalemate. Only one, max two, left in the Oliver saga. Next chapter will be a mixed Ryan and Anna POV. Keenly aware Anna has been getting more facetime.
As ever, so much thanks for sticking with me despite the erratic uploads, and I certainly don't mind the reviews to let me know you are still waiting for me. It kept me motivated as I hashed out the plot during my free time and tried to stay productive with other works. Hopefully this will lead to a quicker next chapter, as this one has a special place in my heart as a story. Big thanks again, much love.
As the school day ended, Seth and Luke looked over the Neo-Palladian architecture of Harbor School's outdoor atrium. Luke had asked Seth to meet him after class to talk about Ryan, but the two of them had quickly been side-tracked when Seth spotted Oliver and Marissa talking further down the slope.
After tracking their movements, walking arm in arm across the school grounds, the two unlikely friends watched Oliver and Marissa walk away in shared concern. Luke mulled over the fact that Ryan and Marissa had been broken up for two days. Now this Oliver guy already he had his arm around her shoulder.
"Where are they going?" Seth asked with a sigh. Seth had yet to dislodge the conversation with Anna earlier from his mind.
"I don't know. But I don't trust that dude", Luke said.
"Stop it man, you are sounding like Ryan", Seth said dismissively. Luke turned slightly to face him, shooting him an Atwood-esque look. Seth buckled quickly.
"You've met Natalie right?" Seth asked, with an exaggerated hand gesture.
"Oliver's Ex Natalie?" Luke smirked, shaking his head. "No. You?"
"No…" Seth said. "Ryan thinks he made her up". Luke dwelled on the thought. On the conversation he had had with Anna, before Ryan had, well, got himself in even more trouble. He had to help.
"Oliver said she went to Pacific right? So I've got some friends over there, I can just ask them", Luke said, his confidence growing.
"You don't think that's a little crazy?" Seth asked,
"Dude, have you met Oliver?" Luke shot back.
Seth had no response, he pulled a face.
"Okay man, go for it. But when they tell you that, 'yes of course she exists', you owe me the sequel to Ninja game".
"Deal man", Luke said, and the two of them shook on it.
"Cool, good. I look forward to receiving it in a bow", Seth joked, trying to cover up his concern for Ryan, Anna and Marissa with humour. "Anyway, I've got to go check on 'the Poolhouse Prisoner', Anna was a little more than insistent". For a moment Seth considered vocalising his suspicions before settling on. "See you tomorrow dude".
"Tell Ryan I said 'Hey' yeah? Seeya Cohen". Seth gave a mock salute to indicate yes, and walked down the stairs towards the exit to Harbor.
Luke sat on the wall for a bit longer, considering who he could ask and how to contact them as quickly as possible. He was engrossed enough in thought that he didn't notice Anna walk up and sit on the wall.
"Room for another?" She asked quietly, sitting down.
Luke smiled across at her.
"Just who I wanted to see", he said, a sparkle in his blue eyes.
Anna had noticed Luke's eyes only a few times before, at the concert and while they had all played the PlayStation afterwards were the two that stuck in her mind. At a glance, she had thought him and Ryan were similar in that regard. But her opinion had shifted over time, Ryan's eyes had a depth that Luke's usually lacked. Anna had grown to like that Ryan's deep blue eyes were constantly searching and fiercely intelligent. She had never seen eyes shimmer like his as he tried to understand the world.
For a moment, she was unable to move past the quivering emotion she had seen in his eyes on New Year as they had been forced to live with their choices.
"How are you holding up?" Luke asked, after Anna's attempt at a smile collapsed into silence.
"About as well as anyone. Minor fight with Seth, slightly bigger fight with Marissa. Saw Oliver and Marissa swanning off like a model couple". She didn't even attempt to hide the bitter emotion from her voice. "I'm not looking forward to dinner tonight at the Cohen's at all", she looked to Luke and saw his focus on those last words. She imagined this was the Water Polo captain in him, the tactician, the leader who played for territorial advantage.
Anna took a deep breath in, not going easily under her lungs.
"Luke, I think I need your help…" she finished, he nodded his head sharply, as if every second counted. In a way, it did.
"Tell me what you want to do Stern", he spoke quickly.
"I need to talk to Ryan, to Sandy. To anyone who isn't Seth, Summer and Marissa…"
"I'll come over tonight. As soon as I can, I'll invent an excuse. What time is dinner?"
"Seven-ish", Anna said,
"I'm guessing you'll be there early?" Luke shot back.
"Yes, around five I think. I have to watch my boyfriend flirt with another woman some more, you see. I think there are a few chunks of my confidence that could be smashed a little finer".
She gave a weak smile. "Please come, if either of us can talk to Ryan, maybe even both. Or we could talk to Sandy, or Kirsten. We have to give it a shot. Ryan might be about to get sent away for good and I can't watch Seth do nothing…"
Luke nodded slowly.
"I'll be there, I can probably keep Seth and Summer distracted by playing the idiot", he laughed "I play it too well, right?" he shook his head. "Either way, I'm finding out about Natalie tonight. I've got some friends at Pacific, I'll get the answers and come over. Try to meet me in the foyer so I can tell you what I found out".
"I could hug you Luke", she smiled slightly. "Let me get your number, I'll let you know what the lay of the land is". He smirked.
"Let me know, I'll be ready to unleash the finest Gorilla Warfare you've ever seen" he said in all seriousness though with accompanying hand gestures, prompting the first proper laugh Anna had managed all day.
After trading numbers, she caught him up briefly on the Marissa situation, followed by the Seth situation. She decided to leave out everything Marissa had said about 'fleeing' her old school and the sustained accusations of liking Ryan. One because it was seemingly baseless and untrue and the other. As her mind drifted to liking Ryan she felt a deep discomfort.
Ryan and Marissa were no longer together, that was clear. She knew her relationship with Seth was much murkier, if equally shaky. After tonight, after seeing Ryan, or at least hearing from him. After seeing Seth with Summer again. She quietly vowed to herself that she would end the painful battle that the once promising relationship had become. Not to Summer, her pride couldn't stand that, but she had to tell Seth at least a portion of how she truly felt.
Anna decided to walk to the Cohen's again, like the morning she had spoken to Sandy and Ryan around Chrismukkah. A lot had changed, but she still felt an odd comfort walking up the drive towards their door. Even though she knew inside Seth would already be with Summer, no doubt continuing 'the education'. The process of making sure that Summer knew everything about comics that Anna did. Then Summer could become the strictly better version of her in Seth's eyes.
The realisation stunned her, and for a moment she forgot whether or not she had rang the doorbell or not. Her question was answered a few moments later when Sandy opened the door.
"Ahh, welcome", Sandy said, his smile tinged with sadness. "Seth is just with...Well" he held up his hands. "You guessed it". He finished the sentence with a breath out that bordered on a sigh. "I'm sorry about him, I really am".
Anna nodded meekly.
"It is okay, I'm...working on it", she said with a small smile.
"Well...If I can help knock some sense into Seth, please, just give me the word". He gestured slightly for her to come in, and then did a double-take, stopping her in the foyer after closing the door.
"If I remember correctly, we had a talk we were due to finish" he whispered, in a near conspiratorial tone. "Maybe it is about time we talk about what is going on with both of my sons". And as if on cue, as Sandy finished speaking the foyer was filled with the laughter of Seth and Summer from the next room.
