Here's the next update everybody. I'm really getting into this story and I hope all of you are too. Didn't you just love the episode tonight. I couldn't believe that it was Ryan's father. I was blown away. What a twist...I hope he's not an ass. So yeah back to the story. Thank you for all the reviews...I loved reading them.

R and R please!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the OC.

Chapter 6

"So you are sure this guy knows that it's not a date," Taylor said walking into the club where New Match was having their party. She was wearing a new dress that Kaitlyn had picked out for her. It was hot, she'd admit that much. It was black with little spaghetti straps and with a red ribbon around the waist. It was what the critics would call a little black dress.

"I told him that you were just doing him a favor," Summer lied. She normally hated liars but in this case, it was just a little white lie. It wouldn't really hurt anybody.

"Okay," Taylor said relieved. She didn't want to go on an actual date with anyone. She just wanted to get her life in order and deal with her feelings for Ryan. This was the first time she couldn't just go get what she wanted. You couldn't make people like you, no matter how hard you tried.

"There's Seth," Summer said grabbing Taylor's hand to pull her across the room. "Hey Seth." Summer gave him a quick kiss and then saw Ryan standing behind Seth just staring at Taylor. "Oh Ryan, I didn't see you there."

"Hey Taylor," Ryan said quietly. He couldn't believe how incredibly beautiful she looked. Taylor was a beautiful girl but when she dressed up…she was gorgeous.

"Hi Ryan," Taylor said extremely uncomfortable. She should have known Summer would have planned something like this. She just wouldn't let up. She just wished that she was somewhere else at this moment in time.

"So where's this girl I'm suppose to romance," Spencer said looking down at his watch. He didn't really want to be here but Kaitlyn could be very persuasive.

"She's right there Spence," Kaitlyn said smiling politely at some of the guests. "Be nice to her Spence."

"I'm always nice," Spencer said smiling before looking in the direction Kaitlyn pointed. He stood up straighter and smiled. "She is gorgeous….so what's wrong with her?"

"Nothing," Kaitlyn said rolling her eyes. "She just has the misfortune of liking a guy that isn't capable of returning her feelings at the moment." She lead the way until they were ten feet away but then stopped. "Okay honestly, Taylor is a little different. But she's still a great person."

"Different how?" Spencer asked getting worried but Kaitlyn was already headed towards this Taylor girl and he hurried to catch up.

"Taylor hey," Kaitlyn said smiling. "Look who I found…your date." She motioned toward Spencer and winked at Taylor. Spencer was hot and if Ryan didn't get a little jealous…then he really didn't like Taylor.

"Hey Spencer is it?" Taylor asked holding out her hand. When really all she wanted to do was walk away. He looked exactly like all the guys her Mom was constantly trying to se her up with. He had trust fund written all over him.

"Hi Taylor," Spencer said grabbing her hand before pulling it closer so he could bend down and kiss it.

Taylor had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Did guys really think that worked on a girl? The truth was, moves like that, only worked if the girl liked you back. Spencer just looked like an idiot.

"Would you like to go get a drink?" Spencer asked after a moment had gone by.

Taylor looked at Ryan out of the corner of her eye and when he was just staring off into space she sighed. "That would be great," she said knowing she looked disappointed turned and followed Spencer to the bar.

After a couple minutes gone by with nobody saying a word Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "Well as much fun as this is…I think I'd rather go steal a glass of champagne."

Summer waited another minute before she broke. "So Ryan…what did you think of Spencer?"

"Um…looks like a nice guy," Ryan said slowly. He could tell by the disappointed look in her eye that he said the wrong thing but he couldn't just say that he wanted to punch the guy. That he hated watching Taylor smile at him. That he hated that Taylor brought a date.

"Well he is," Summer said smiling smugly. "He teaches tennis on the weekends but he's going to college…pre law. He'll definitely be able to support Taylor to the life style she is best suited for."

"Summer," Seth said grabbing her arm. He knew he had to get her away from Ryan or she would blow her whole plan and then would blame it on him. "I see my Mom motioning for you, I wonder what she wants. Why don't you go check?" Seth waited until she was gone before he looked at Ryan sadly. "I know I know, I owe you way more than a hundred dollars."

"No dude, it's okay," Ryan said shaking his head. "I would have ended up coming anyway."

"Wow man that's cool of you," Seth said slapping his back. "But I'm going to leave before you change your mind."

Ryan stood there for a moment looking around but he watched Spencer lead Taylor out on the dance floor and all he could picture was his and Taylor's first dance. He wished he could go back to that moment before everything got weird and he didn't know how to talk to her. But instead he turned and made his way outside.

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Kaitlyn was actually enjoying herself after her second glass of champagne when she spotted Ryan heading outside. "Oh no you don't," she muttered setting her glass down on the bar as she took off after him.

"So you're just going to leave," Kaitlyn said walking up behind him when they both walked outside.

"What?" Ryan asked confused. He'd barely said two words to Kaitlyn since she'd moved back to Newport and the truth was, he didn't know how to talk to her. She didn't really look like Marissa but she still reminded him of her.

"I can't believe that you're leaving," Kaitlyn said shaking her head at him. "You weren't suppose to leave. You were suppose to get all jealous and turn into that Chino boy when you were presented with competition. What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryan said getting even more confused.

"Taylor you moron," Kaitlyn said pushing his shoulder with both her hands. "She likes you but is willing to back off and give you that damn space you claim you need."

"So," Ryan said slowly.

"So Summer and I disagree," Kaitlyn said crossing her arms over her chest. "She shouldn't back off. That is everybody's problem now. They are all willing to back off what they want when they should push and push until they get what they want. Taylor likes you…you Ryan."

"I know," Ryan said softly closing his eyes. He knew she liked him, it was his feelings he was a little confused by. "But just because she likes me doesn't mean I like her."

"You are trying to tell me that you don't like Taylor at all," Kaitlyn said shocked. "I don't believe you. You liked Marissa after all the shit she put you through." Ryan stared at her totally surprised. "Oh don't look at me like that. Marissa may have been my sister but even I am aware of her faults. She caused so much drama and never owned up to it."

"She was more than that Kaitlyn," Ryan said glaring at her. "She loved me when I was just the boy from Chino. She loved me when I pulled dumb ass move after dumb ass move and she loved me after my brother tried to rape her."

"I know all that you idiot!" I yelled. "But she's also the same girl that tried to OD in an alley in Tijuana. She was also a drunk. She's also the girl that would do stupid stunt after stupid stunt knowing you'd be there to fix it." Kaitlyn shook her head. "I don't know how you can stand there and paint Marissa as this perfect girl. How you can remember just the good stuff and forget the bad?"

"Because she's dead Kaitlyn!" Ryan yelled. "She's dead and it won't help remembering all the shit she put me through. I don't want to remember the bad because I loved her so damn much and I need to remember the good for my own piece of mind."

Kaitlyn stood there silently for a moment. She finally nodded and turned to head back inside but paused in the doorway. "Okay then, you keep picturing the good moments. Keep loving the dead and forget the living. But Taylor won't wait forever Ryan. Or at least I hope she won't. She deserves better than that." She opened the door and said softly, "and so do you."

Ryan swore and kicked the wall of the club. He hated this, he hated remembering all the bad. He hated knowing that Marissa kept putting herself in impossible situations and then when they blew up in her face, she wanted his help. He hated that she had always looked at him like he was her savior instead of the love of her life. But most of all he hated that when he closed his eyes at night, he didn't even see her anymore. He saw Taylor.

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"Okay," Taylor said pulling away from Spencer. "I thought that when I removed your hands from my ass the first two times…you'd get the point. But I was wrong. I guess trust funds can't buy brains."

"Hey," Spencer said glaring at her. This Taylor chick was turning out to be more then a little different. She was turning out to be a real pain in his ass. "I don't need this."

"Then why don't you go," Taylor said wanting to scream. She had just spent twenty minutes being fondled by an ass and now she had a headache that was literally pounding to the beat of the music.

Spencer stared at her before nodding and walking away. He didn't need this. There were plenty of girls at this party who wanted to spend time with him and wanted his hands on their asses.

Taylor rolled her eyes and made her way back towards the bar. She needed a water and some aspirin. Hopefully they had some or she was going to start crying. She'd never had a headache this bad before. Well, she hadn't had one in a long time anyways.

"Taylor, I see you're still chasing away all the eligible men in Newport," Victoria said walking up so she was standing beside her daughter.

"Hi Mom," Taylor said closing her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew her headache was just about to get worse.

"So I hear you're staying with the Coopers," Victoria said smiling at the bartender as he handed her a drink. "You're that pathetic that you would move in with that tramp and her daughter."

"Julie Cooper is not a tramp," Taylor said glaring at her Mom. She hated when her Mom talked down about people that she didn't even really know. "She's a great woman who is dealing with a tragedy still. Give her a break."

"A tragedy Taylor," Victoria said smirking. "Her daughter was a drunk and was constantly making a fool of herself. She just got what was coming to her."

"I can't believe you just said that," Taylor said taking a step away from her Mother. "Marissa Cooper did not deserve to die just because she made a couple mistakes in her short life. You don't even know anything about it."

"Sure Taylor," Victoria said smiling at Kirsten who was staring at them from across the room. "So what's this I hear about you spending time with the Cohen's too. I thought you were married, where's your husband."

"In France," Taylor said grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing waiter. She downed it in one gulp and felt her body relaxing a bit. "I'm divorced Mom, if you'd care to take my calls you'd know that."

"I thought I made it clear when I told you I was done with you," Victoria said coldly.

"I know that," Taylor said shaking her head. She couldn't believe that this woman was her Mom. "I just wanted to know when I could come pick up the rest of my stuff. Then I'll be gone from your life forever."

"I'll have it sent to you," Victoria said.

"No," Taylor said shaking her head again. "I will pack up my own stuff thank you. Don't worry Mother, I'm only going to take the stuff that belongs to me. I'm not going to run off with any of the furniture or anything."

"I can't be too sure of that when you are spending time with Ryan Atwood," Victoria said seeing she'd guessed right when Taylor's eyes flashed.

"Taylor," Ryan said from behind her. He hadn't heard much of their conversation but by the look on Taylor's face, it wasn't going good. He hated watching her get bullied by her Mom and if he could help out in any way, he would.

"Ryan," she said wishing the floor would just swallow her up now.

"So I see I was right Taylor," Victoria said glaring at them. "I always thought you had too much of your father in you….seems I was right."

"Bye Mom," Taylor said watching her walk away. She turned to Ryan and sighed. "Sorry about that, my Mom can be a bit…well you know her. She's a witch."

"I just wished I could have interrupted sooner," Ryan said. "You shouldn't let her talk to you like that."

"What do you mean you should have interrupted sooner?" Taylor asked confused. But continued on before he could say anything. "Ryan I can handle my Mom. I mean, she's been my mom for 18 years."

"So that's why you let her talk down to you," Ryan said wanting to take back the words as soon as they left his mouth.

Taylor took a couple steps back. "You know what Ryan, please don't be so quick to judge my relationship with my Mom. She may be controlling, critical and well…a tad bitchy. But she's my mother and the only one I have. Some of us aren't blessed with having the perfect Mom adopt us." Taylor turned and walked away. She didn't need somebody telling her how to react to her Mom. She was doing the best she could.