Ok, this time I SWEAR this is the last chapter… I'm a little stuck with all my other stories, and this was what came out of all my pent-up creative energy (or, in other terms, my obsessive need to write about the O.C.)...

Thanks to ORy, who gave me the idea for the plot in this one! I hope you all enjoy!

Why did she have to be here? It's not like the girl even lived with her anymore, she had no control over her.

"Mrs. Cohen, Miss Townsend, I'd like to thank you both for coming down."

"Dr. Kim," Kirsten leaned forward in her chair, looking worried, looking like she actually cared, "is everything ok? You didn't tell me much over the phone…" she trailed off, looking at Veronica for confirmation. Veronica shrugged; she had no idea what this was about either. But considering the only reason she'd be called down during a school day was because of her daughter, so it must be bad. That girl was so stupid sometimes; she wondered what she did now.

Dr. Kim sighed, looking slightly embarrassed and folding her hands on the desk. "I'm not sure how to go about saying this, but your daughter," she nodded at Veronica, "and your son - Ryan -" she clarified for Kirsten, "were caught…"

Oh God.

"…caught…?" Kirsten asked, horror taking over her features. Dr. Kim flushed, but squared her shoulders resolutely.

"Having… inappropriate relations in an empty classroom…" the dean trailed off, and Veronica shut her eyes in embarrassment as Kirsten Cohen gasped.

Good God, what was wrong with her daughter? First skipping school to fool around with the boy, and now she couldn't even find the decency to do it off school property?

"… so sorry," Kirsten was saying to the dean, eyes wide and face red. "Usually he's better behaved than this…"

Veronica snorted. Obviously the woman hadn't had the experiences she had with those two.

"Now, luckily it was one of our faculty members that caught them, and not a student, but this cannot repeat itself. There will also have to be retributions for their actions…"

"Of course," Kirsten agreed, sitting up straight and placing her fingertips on her temple. "And I promise this will never happen again. I'll talk to him immediately." The dean nodded, then looked to Veronica for her plan.

What was her plan? The girl had practically moved out of her house, spending every night at the boy's house. Well, her daughter said she was living at Summer Roberts', but that was highly unlikely. Wasn't the Roberts girl supposed to be best friends with Marissa Cooper? Jesus, her daughter was such a failure, lying about shacking up with the ex-con. Glancing over her shoulder out the glass wall of the office, she watched her daughter bite her nails, sitting next to the boy who looked just a little too relaxed for the situation.

This was so embarrassing. Her daughter was going to ruin everything she worked for – her status, her reputation, everything. She had to do something before everyone found out about her daughter's inability to keep her legs closed.

She turned to face Dr. Kim again, the plan forming in her mind. "I apologize as well for this," she began calmly, folding her hands in her lap, "and believe me when I say that Taylor will not be causing anymore problems for you or your school." She stood up, smoothing down her business suit, ignoring the questioning look she got from Kirsten Cohen. Apparently the woman wasn't as stupid as she first assumed.

"Well, Miss Townsend," Dr. Kim sounded worried as well, "your daughter is a valued member of the student body. She's never done anything before this, and I think we can let this one slide off the record. Both their records," she nodded to Kirsten, who looked relieved.

"Yes, that's all well and good," Veronica gathered her bag, "but its one thing keeping this 'off the record', it's another keeping it out of the rumor mill. You'll have her withdrawal form by the end of the week, and we'll need her transcripts sent out." She turned and walked outside. "Taylor, we're leaving." The girl was about to protest – probably something about barely even living with her anymore, but she was cut off.

"Veronica," the two women followed her out of the dean's office, but it was Kirsten that spoke, "is that necessary? No one knows except the three of us, the kids, and the one faculty member…"

"Kirsten what's going on?" the boy asked, rising from his chair and looking worriedly down at Taylor.

"Taylor, let's go." The girl stood up, looking back and forth between her, Kirsten, Ryan and Dr. Kim.

"Miss Townsend…" Dr. Kim started, "there really is no need…"

"For you to worry," Veronica turned and smiled icily at the dean. "I'll pay full tuition for the year, so really, you have no need to try and stop this."

"Stop what? Mom…" her daughter's voice wavered – Jesus, how weak – and she clutched her bag nervously.

"I'm sending you to boarding school," she snapped, anger rising. How dare her daughter act like the victim here? The boy from Chino stiffened, fists clenching at his side, face filling with rage.

"What?" This time Taylor's voice broke, and her eyes filled with tears.

"Stop being such a baby and get your things. We'll be back after school has let out to clean out your locker. Dr. Kim, I'll be needing those transcripts as soon as possible." She turned her back on the group, heels clacking loudly in the deserted hallway. "Taylor," she commanded, not even looking over her shoulder at the girl.

"Veronica," it was Kirsten who ran after her, grabbing her arm gently and stopping her. "Please, don't do this to your daughter. It's her senior year, if you pull her out…"

"If I pull her out, she won't have another chance to embarrass me." A look over her shoulder showed her daughter crying into the boy's shoulder. The boy looked like he was going to kill something, and Dr. Kim was placing a hand on the girl's shoulder soothingly, saying something.

"Please, Veronica," Kirsten lowered her voice, "she made a mistake…"

"She's been making a lot of them," she interrupted coldly, settling her purse firmly on her shoulder. "In fact, ever since she 'met' your son, she's been making mistakes left and right. Has Dr. Kim told you about the skipping? The leaving school early? Your 'son' has caused nothing but trouble since coming to this town, and now he's dragged my daughter down as well. So before she really screws up her life – and mine -, I'm taking her out."

"Excuse me?" Kirsten's eyes hardened, and for a moment Veronica was reminded of Caleb Nichol.

"Mom, please…" Taylor began, but she was interrupted by a voice.

"Mom, is everything ok?" Veronica looked up to see Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts coming towards them, looking worried. Great, more witnesses to her daughter's embarrassment. "Dad called and said you came down to the school, something about Ryan…"

"Taylor, what's wrong?" The Roberts girl rushed forward, taking her daughter from the boy's arms and hugging her.

"Yes, Veronica," Kirsten's voice dripped cold anger, "why don't you tell Summer Roberts that you're taking away her new friend. I'm sure that her father – you remember her father, right? Prominent plastic surgeon? – I'm sure he would be very unhappy that his beloved daughter is upset."

"What do you mean 'taking away'?" Summer looked at Veronica, then at Kirsten, then back at her sobbing daughter.

"She wants to send Taylor to boarding school," the boy finally spoke up, unveiled hate making his voice ring sharply through the hall. The two new arrivals looked confused.

"You can't do that," the brunette girl protested, eyes going dark with rage. The Cohen boy stepped forward, putting a hand on her arm soothingly – apparently he was afraid of his girlfriend. What a loser.

"I can, and I am. Taylor, we're going, now." She turned to Kirsten, "Dr. Roberts isn't the only plastic surgeon in town – this is Newport, after all – so you're little threat isn't going to work."

The blonde woman leaned forward, voice lowering to a hiss, "then how about this one: if you do anything to make either of my sons unhappy – or Summer, for that matter – then I will personally see to it that your reputation in this town gets dragged through the dirt so badly, you'll have to move to the other side of the country to get away from it."

"Go mom," the Cohen boy whispered reverently from the sidelines after a few seconds of stunned silence. "Are you channeling grandpa?"

Veronica looked at her daughter – who was held protectively between the boy from Chino and Summer Roberts – then back at Kirsten Cohen. The woman may not be head of the Newport Group anymore, but she was still very powerful. Shit. How was she supposed to get out of this one with her dignity still intact? She couldn't see any way, so she'd just have to make the best of it.

"Fine," she folded her arms. "But no one hears about this, understand me?" Kirsten nodded, and Veronica could see a smug smile trying to force the corners of her mouth up. What a manipulative bitch.

"It's like it never happened." She had forgotten Dr. Kim was still here, and the woman moved forward, shooting grateful looks at Kirsten. She rolled her eyes. Fine, if they wanted her daughter around, they could have her. It seemed the Roberts girl could read minds.

"You can stay with me as long as you want," she whispered, and her daughter broke into sobs. God, she was such a baby. Whatever.

"I have to meet with a client. I'll send the rest of your things to the Roberts'," she directed the last part at her daughter, who looked up in surprise. With that, she turned and began walking down the hall, relieved that she wouldn't have to pretend to act all motherly anymore. As she got to the end of the hall, she heard the Cohen boy speak up.

"So what 'never happened'?"

"Seth, go back to class."

Review!

p.s. – take 'inappropriate relations' however you want. In fact, I'd LOVE to hear what you guys think they were doing…