Gents and Dudes
[So, thanks so much for the reviews, I was very inspired, and I wrote a super-long chapter as a result. Hope you enjoy! Also, I need people to start saying what they want to happen with the kids' college plans, because that's going to come into play very soon. On another important note, people need to start giving plot suggestions based on foreshadowing/personal preference. Thanks all!
"I am so glad you two decided to come home," Julie beamed as the girls walked into the kitchen on Monday morning. It was their first day back at Harbor School.
"It's a legal formality," Marissa told her mom as she walked past her.
"Yeah, welcome to the terror dome, bitch," Summer spat as she followed Marissa's lead.
"Don't you want some breakfast?" Dr. Roberts called.
"We're gonna eat bagels with our boyfriends, you know, Ryan, that kid your skank fiancee here tried to frame for attempted manslaughter, and his brother, my boyfriend, who you happen to hate, dad," Summer snapped as she slammed the front door behind her.
"Apparently not," Neil said as he returned to his paper.
"Are you going to just let them talk to me, I mean us, like that?" Julie demanded. Neil counted off with his fingers, 3-2-1. You could hear Summer and Marissa conversing angrily.
"Ugh...they took away my car. Damn it!" Summer cried in annoyance.
"Let's just call Ryan and Seth," Marissa reasoned, trying to keep cool. It would give her mom way too much satisfaction if she showed any emotion.
Summer dialed Seth's number. "Hey, Cohen, my car got confiscated...Cuz she's a bitch that's why...yeah, we're ready...aw, you're so sweet! Love you Cohen!" Summer giggled as she hung up.
"So, he's coming, but why were you being all giggly?" Marissa asked.
"Was I..." Summer trailed off evasively.
"Yeah, you were," Marissa replied.
"Coop, we should totally go to South Coast and max out our credit cards to piss off the dragon lady," Summer said, in a quick and effective subject change.
"Yeah, totally!" Marissa exclaimed, high-fiving Summer joyously.
Meanwhile, at Casa de Cohen...
"Where are you two going, you don't have to be at school for...an hour and fifteen minutes," Kirsten said as she looked at the microwave clock.
"Well, we have to go pick up the girls, because Summer's Beemer got confiscated," Ryan explained as he took the keys from his dad.
"How'd that happen?" Sandy asked interestedly.
"Summer probably said something like 'Welcome to the terror dome bitch,' or called her a skank, and then Marissa probably was all icy, and then Julie was like, 'Oh my god, Neil..." Seth finished.
"What has Julie gotten herself into," Kirsten laughed softly, trying to cover it up to no avail.
"Be back soon, or all the good bagels will be taken," said Sandy.
"Hmm...bagels...or Summer...bagels...or Summer, I think I'll take the Summer!" Seth called as he and Ryan walked out the front door.
"He must really like that girl sweetie, not much can come between a Cohen and a bagel," Sandy deadpanned before both of them burst out laughing.
Five minutes later, Summer and Marissa were climbing into the back seat of the Range Rover.
"Morning guys," said Marissa cheerily as she leaned to the front seat and gave Ryan a peck and poked Seth's shoulder.
"Gimme your hand Sum," Seth requested of Summer, and she obliged. He kissed it sloppily.
"Co-hen!" Summer exclaimed, laughing.
"So...what happened this morning?" Ryan asked the girls as they pulled out of the drive way.
Julie stared out the window at the car as it drove away and became a speck at the end of the road.
"Do you think we could get a restraining order against Ryan..." Julie wondered aloud.
"Julie!" Neil exclaimed, staring at her as though she were mad.
"Oh, you're right..." Julie muttered, and Neil went back to reading his paper. "Why not try to get a restraining order against Seth too...he is that boy's brother after all," Julie murmured. "I like the way you think, Neil," said Julie as she walked out of the house determinedly. Dr. Roberts sighed, and sipped his coffee.
At the Cohen home, the mood was considerably lighter, but there were still undertones of...bitterness.
"So, their wedding is in two weeks, apparently, and I dunno...we probably will be forced to go," Summer told Seth as the four friends plus Sandy and Kirsten guzzled down bagels like SUVs guzzle gasoline.
"You're all more than welcome to come along," Marissa said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She didn't expect any of them, even Seth and Ryan, to come along.
"We'll come, if your mom hasn't got a restraining order on us yet," Seth joked. Everyone laughed.
"We should get to school early to avoid...um...traffic..." Ryan muttered.
"Oh yeah, how could I forget the barrage of water polo players and newpsies that will be awaiting us at the Gates of Hell this morning," Seth intoned.
"It's gonna be fine," Kirsten assured them, to which the four teens shot her looks. "What, it will be..." Kirsten said, defensively. This time even Sandy had to raise his eyebrows in disbelief.
"See mom, even dad is eye-brow raising at that one, and you know how much effort it takes for him to move those things, it take a fork-lift's amount of effort," Seth grinned.
"True son, but just you wait until the genetics take over..." Sandy trailed off, with traces of ominous warning in his voice.
"Yeah, um, let's go to school," Seth said nervously as the four of them got up, excused themselves, and walked out of the kitchen.
"Woah, Summer, how are you even walking right now," Seth inquired as he observed Summer's five inch heels. Ryan's eyes widened.
"I will never understand how girls wear those things..." Ryan murmured.
"Summer and I had a lot of fun at South Coast. Let's just put it that way," Marissa smirked.
"Yeah, and there's more where that came from," Summer said as she pulled her wallet out of her purse and fanned out her credit cards.
The four of them piled into the car, Ryan and Marissa in the front and Seth and Summer in the back.
"I don't see why I never get to drive man," Seth complained.
"That's an easy one. I seem to recall that whenever you drive with Summer in the car, you get distracted," Ryan grinned.
"Hmm...yes, remember the trip to TJ where you drove us off the road and the axle broke?" Marissa inquired smirking.
"Can't say I do," Seth replied innocently.
"Ah! We haven't even looked to see if we have classes together or not!" Summer cried.
"Look at mine, and compare them, cuz I've already looked at Ryan's...we have this class and this class together..." Seth said, pointing out certain classes on his program.
Summer exhaled calmly. "Okay, so at least no one is all alone in any one class," Summer breathed.
"Chill out Sum," Seth told Summer, patting her back.
A couple minutes later, they pulled up in the Harbor School parking lot. "So, this is it..." Marissa muttered. It looked very unfamiliar to her, like re-visiting an old life.
"This feels...surreal. Doesn't it?" Summer asked Seth as they stepped out of the car, hand in hand.
"Ever fiber of my being is telling me to get back in the car and hide, if that's what you mean," Seth said nervously.
"We better go in," Ryan stated, grabbing Marissa's hand. The four of them proceeded to walk slowly towards the front of the school. Even a half an hour early, people were everywhere. Dean and Collin, the Co-Captains of the water polo team were making out with their girlfriends on the steps.
"Ew," Summer muttered as she, Seth, Ryan and Marissa tried to navigate the stairs despite all the people making out on them.
"Hey look, it's Cohen and his geek army, back to contaminate the school with his comic books," said Dean as he got up, Holly on his arm. Ryan, Summer, and Marissa glared at him angrily, while Seth tapped his foot and looked around nervously.
"Let's not forget his boyfriend, the arsonist, and his protectors Summer and Marissa," Collin sneered.
"Leave Cohen alone, or you'll have me to answer to," Summer snapped as she pushed him against the wall forcefully.
"What are you going to do about it, slut, get Marissa to slip me some pills so I OD?" Dean replied cooly. "Or is she gonna shoot me," He added, cocking an eye brow. Ryan tried to punch him, but the combined strength of Summer, Marissa, and Seth was just enough to restrain him.
"Don't talk to them like that, ever again," Ryan yelled as Dean and Collin retreated, laughing. Ryan struggled to break out of his friend's grasp to no avail.
"Welcome back to the OC, bitch!" Dean and Collin called as they snaked into the library with their girlfriends and the rest of their friends.
"Cowards," Marissa breathed as she finally released her grip on Ryan, along with Summer and Seth.
"You shoulda let me deck him," Ryan stated as he straightened out his jacket and picked up his books from the floor.
"Nah, they aren't worth it. 'Sides, you know what dad said about the school keeping a close eye on us," Seth murmured as he glanced around to see if there were any teachers in the vicinity.
"Ugh...what morons...seriously, one of these days...we'll take them..." Summer said, rolling up her sleeves.
"Hey, Sum, calm down. I will not allow you to double team with Ryan and take out those water polo playing chest shaving thugs. Because as hot as you are when you're mad, like I said, it's not worth it," Seth told Summer as he pulled her close.
"He's right you know," Marissa directed and Summer and Ryan. Summer shrugged and Ryan gave Marissa a sideways glance. The four of them had homeroom together, which they'd accomplished after having begged Dr. Kim to allow them to, and she pitying their situation obliged.
They walked into room B1, and set down in the back four seats. They were greeted by their teacher, Ms. Wood.
"Hello students, please take whichever seats you like. You may not speak until the bell rings. Thank-you," She stated matter-of-factly before sitting behind her desk and reading that day's new-paper.
"Bitch," Someone in the class coughed.
"Who was that," Ms. Wood inquired sharply.
"I think it was coming from the back row," Holly replied sweetly as she tossed her bleached-blonde locks over her shoulder.
"I thought so too," Taylor Townsend chimed in, looking over to Holly to see if she appreciated her help. Holly rolled her eyes and Taylor sighed audibly.
"Well, Miss. Roberts, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Atwood, Miss. Cooper, which one of you was it?" She asked.
"Me," they replied in unison, with out pause.
"Well, if none of you will admit it, then all of you will be kept after class for four minutes," Ms. Wood told them, narrowing her bird-like eyes. They all shrugged and exchanged knowing looks.
Two hours later, Summer and Ryan were sitting in their boring AP English class, yawning through the whole thing.
"So, your assignment is a first person description of your Winter Break. Class dismissed," Mr. Bunson said, as the kids filed out of the room.
"Hmm...so who's the person I hate most...Holly Fischer or Julie Cooper," Summer joked as she moved her hands like they were scales.
"Dunno..." Ryan laughed, but then his face froze. "Definitely Dean Parkinson." Ryan mumbled as he ran across the hall, where Marissa was struggling to support Seth's weight and walk at the same time.
"Wha...oh my god!" Summer exclaimed when she saw them, and she and Ryan knocked over everyone in their way trying to get to Seth and Marissa as fast as possible.
"Somebody HELP!" Marissa cried, because even though Seth was so skinny he was still very hard for her to carry. "Thank god," she sighed, relieved, when she spotted Ryan and Summer coming her way.
"It's ok, Riss, I can walk..." Seth murmured. He was badly bruised all over. Marissa set him down ag
"Oh my god baby..." Summer cooed as she stroked Seth's forehead and kissed it gently.
"Sum, I'm fine, just help me up..." Seth told her.
"What happened?" Ryan asked Marissa apprehensively.
"Well, we were leaving PE, and then a bunch of water polo players just kind of came out of no where and tackled him, and I tried to pull them off, I really did, but there were like 5 or 6 of them..." Marissa murmured, tears filling her eyes. "I feel really bad," Marissa whispered.
"Riss...it's not your fault," Ryan told her comfortingly.
"Let's get him to the nurse's office..." Summer murmured as she helped Seth rise to his feet.
"No, you guys...let's not." Seth protested.
"Cohen, you're really hurt!" Summer cried.
"I know, but we can't go there, it'll look really bad that I got in a fight on my first day of school," Seth argued.
"What're you proposing we do?" Summer asked him.
"We could...leave during lunch and see what we can do...on our own..." Seth suggested.
"Maybe...he's right," said Marissa slowly. Summer looked at her confusedly. Ryan looked on calmly, but inside his blood was boiling at what'd happened to Seth. "I mean...if I've learned anything these past few months, is that...you can't trust authority figures," Marissa went on.
"But if we don't do anything...then they'll just keep beating Cohen up. We can't let that happen," Summer stated. "And that's more important than some school record. I know not to trust adults, okay, but I won't let Cohen get hurt," Summer said, adamant.
"She's right...Marissa..." Seth murmured. They went straight to the nurse's office without another word.
"How did this happen?" Nurse Esberg asked the group, alarmed.
"Some water polo players beat him up," Marissa replied, "And he did not provoke them," she was quick to add.
Finally, after Seth got cleaned up so he didn't look quite as bad, the four of them left campus for lunch. They decided the diner probably wasn't a great option, since they might run into some kids from school, and so they went to the Roberts home, figuring Julie and Neil wouldn't be there. And they weren't. So they thought.
"Cohen, come sit on the couch," Summer ordered in the gentlest way possible while Ryan helped him walk to the couch.
"Do you want Jello or pudding?" Marissa called as she dug through the fridge.
"I just want Summer," Seth muttered as he gestured for Summer to sit with him. Marissa smiled.
"Seth is so sweet with Summer, isn't he?" Marissa asked Ryan as she handed him a container of chocolate pudding.
"Haven't really thought about it," Ryan smirked as he opened his pudding with his mouth. The two of them sat down on the counter, their legs hanging over the edge.
"Yeah? I still think you help Seth think up all his greatest one liners," Marissa snickered, playfully swatting his chest.
"Oh yeah? Like which one?" Ryan replied.
"How about 'It's always been you Summer, it's always been you...'" Marissa trailed off.
"Hmm...no, can't say I helped with that one, but I think I heard about that it afterwards," Ryan said.
"Mmm...why must I say I am not surprised?" Marissa asked, eyebrows raised.
"Cuz you're not," Ryan replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, from what Summer's told me, you could learn a thing or...ten from Seth," Marissa smiled.
"Oh, really, could I?" Ryan frowned slightly, and Marissa nodded, smirking. "Hmm...lemme change your mind," Ryan murmured as he pushed her gently onto the counter and kissed her passionately.
"Ah...this is Summer's counter Ry," Marissa protested weakly.
"It's yours too now," Ryan countered quickly
"Mmm...good point," Marissa grinned into the kiss.
"Cohen, you feeling better now?" Summer asked Seth as she kissed his neck.
"Yeah...mmm...keep doing that," Seth muttered.
"Can do," Summer giggled. Seth began getting restless so he pinned her across the couch and started kissing her slowly, so he wouldn't go insane.
"No, Kaitlin, Neil and I can't pick you up before Friday," said Julie, who was on her cell phone, Neil at her heels. The two of them entered the living room, from which you could clearly see the kitchen counter. "Woah, ok, what's going on here?" Julie demanded as she snapped her phone shut.
"What does it look like," Marissa asked as she sat up and straightened out her skirt.
"Yeah," Summer put in as she pulled a mirror and a napkin out of her purse and began removing her lipstick from Seth's face and neck.
"Children are supposed to be embarrassed when their parents catch them making out, not make snide comments," Julie remarked as she huffed.
"Yeah, well, we're not kids, and you two are just sorry excuses for parents," Marissa retorted confidently as she, Seth, Summer, and Ryan marched out of the room.
"Jesus Christ, Neil, get me some Merlot," Julie whined as she collapsed on the couch, head first, Jimmy Choos last. Neil obliged.
"Maybe we should do lunch breaks at our place from now on," Ryan suggested as the four of them climbed in the Range Rover after having run out of the house laughing hysterically. Well, Ryan and Marissa ran while Summer helped Seth limp along at a semi-fast pace.
"Hmmm...and have mom and dad walk in on us instead of Julie and Neil..." Seth muttered.
"I see the point there." Ryan said.
"How about...the Mermaid Inn," Seth suggested. Summer glared at him. "Alright, I get it, I get it. We shouldn't go there. Hey, remember the watch incident of '03?" Seth asked Ryan.
"Seth..." said Ryan shooting his brother a warning look.
"I get it, shutting up now," Seth said, raising his hands in defeat.
"Good, Cohen. I like it that way. In fact, let's all have 10 minutes of silence," Summer grinned when the car was finally silent.
5 minutes later, Summer was tapping her foot impatiently while Ryan and Marissa looked out the windows, enveloped in boredom. "Alright, so maybe we shouldn't do this whole...silence...thing," Summer admitted.
"Thank god, because I was just about dying there," Seth sighed in relief.
"Wow, that's the quietest this car has ever been," Marissa observed as they pulled up to the school. Seth, Summer, and Ryan looked out of the car windows incredulously.
"Come on, you guys. We can do this," Marissa told her friends in her most convincing tone.
"Thanks for the pep talk Marissa," Seth said as he and Summer jumped out of the back seat. "But unfortunately, the cheer-leader speak isn't gonna keep water polo players from kicking my ass," Seth continued.
"I'll be around the rest of the day, and so will Ryan. It'll be fine," said Summer.
As they walked up the steps, a petite blonde blew past them. "Wonder who that was," Summer muttered as she turned around to see who it was. Whoever it had been had run off in the opposite direction way too fast.
"Let's...go to the mall after school, yeah?" Marissa asked her friends. The boys nodded in agreement.
"Sounds awesome!" Summer cried, grinning widely.
The rest of the school day went by without any events of note. School was school, the way it always was in Newport. Boring.
"School was actually not as bad as I thought it would be," Marissa said to her friends.
"Um...excuse me when I say 'What the hell,'" Seth grinned.
"I mean the whole 'learning' part, not the part where you got beat up," Marissa explained.
"Yeah, I know what you mean Coop. That extra class we took on 19th century Transcendentalism was so awesome, wasn't it?!" Summer exclaimed.
"Yeah, Sum!" Marissa replied, high fiving Summer smiling. Seth and Ryan shared looks of befuddlement.
"You two...liked learning today," Ryan inquired in confusion.
"Yeah Ryan, I feel like it's this whole outlet for my anger," Marissa said happily.
"Hey, if you like it, I like it," Ryan responded as he wrapped an arm around Marissa.
"That's what I like to hear," said Marissa as she kissed his cheek.
"And I like it if it means Summer isn't going to use me as a human punching bag," Seth grinned, and Summer promptly poked his shoulder gently. "See, things are looking up already," Seth smirked.
"Don't get used to it," Summer admonished. And deep down, they all knew not to.
"Hey, for at least the next...hour, we can just relax." Ryan commented.
"Taking it one hour at a time. I like it," Seth replied as the four of them walked out of school and in the direction of the beach.
