Okay so I went a little nuts with this chapter. It's very long and I hope you all like it. And ilywah- please update The Unexpected. I so love that story and I want to see if Taylor wakes up to what she is doing before Ryan does something stupid like marry Marissa. Okay everyone enjoy and reply!

Taylor frowned at her reflection in the mirror in Seth's bathroom before she sighed and went downstairs. Seth had dragged her book bag down for her and she could hear him laughing in the kitchen with Ryan.

"Seth, c'mon," she called.

"Don't you want breakfast?"

"Not hungry," she replied as she shouldered her bag. "You coming or what?"

"What's the rush? School doesn't start for another forty-five minutes," he said as he came into the front hallway. He stopped and stared, "Oh."

"One word Seth and I tell Kirsten about the threesome scene you wrote for your last comic book attempt and I tell Summer and Anna that they featured prominently in it."

"You know when Brooke made you buy that, I never thought you'd wear it."

"I'm behind on my laundry."

"Hey, what's going on," Ryan asked as he came into the hall. "Damn," he murmured when he caught sight of Taylor.

"Perfect."

"He was gonna see you at school anyway."

Taylor looked down at herself and sighed before looking back at Seth and Ryan, "I feel like Baby Spice."

"Well, that's kind of appropriate considering-"

"Oh, you finish that sentence and not only do I make good on my Kirsten, Summer, and Anna threat, I show the pictures of you attempting it to Summer and Anna."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me. Remember, Summer and Anna are still talking to me."

"C'mon let's go. Ryan, see you at school," Seth said, picking up his own bag.

"You need a ride," Taylor asked as she opened the door, only to find Marissa on the other side of it ready to knock.

"Oh," Marissa said in surprise.

"Oh, sorry Marissa. I guess that answers my question. See you guys later," Taylor said as she and Seth passed by Marissa who watched them go before she looked back at Ryan who was still staring at the departing teenagers. More specifically he was staring at Taylor's backside.

"Ahem," Marissa cleared her throat and smiled in a saccharine way at Ryan when he looked at her dumbly. "Ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah. I just gotta get my bag."

"OK."

OCOCOCOCOC

"Luke Ward wouldn't stop staring at my legs all during English," Taylor said sitting down with Seth in the cafeteria.

"And hello to you, too."

"This is not funny."

"Sure it was your legs he was staring at?"

"Oh no that particular honor belongs to that pervert, Chip Saunders. I think Luke hangs out with him."

"Oh yeah, I know him. He helped Luke beat Ryan up a couple of times."

"Nice. Anyway, I am so not going to that party tonight at the club."

"You have to," Seth protested. "The Newport Group is throwing it so I'm being forced to go by my parents so you have to go because if you don't I'm going to have no one to talk to because Summer and Anna still aren't talking to me because of the Thanksgiving debacle."

"And you blame them because?"

"I'm not saying I blame them. I just want someone to hang out with."

"Ryan's going."

"Yeah and he'll be making out with Marissa all night."

"Think of it this way, you'll have material for the next time you decide to get pervy with your comic book attempts," Taylor smiled. "Besides my eye's still bruised from Saturday and I don't feel like getting funny looks from Newport's older generation."

"It's been almost a week, the bruise is basically nonexistent because, hell, you hit harder than Tim, so that excuse is flimsy at best."

Taylor's head tipped back as she groaned in frustration.

"Besides, it's not like you're going to be wearing that," Seth indicated her outfit, "right?"

"Right," Taylor nodded. "I'll probably wear the black dress I bought over the summer."

"See? You have an outfit and you have a date," Seth smiled.

"Yes, now all I need is something to blind Harbor's male population."

Seth laughed as he caught sight of a couple of seniors staring at the back of Taylor's body.

OCOCOCOCOCOC

"If my opinion matters, I think you look great," Anna said as Taylor leaned against the lockers next to her friend's.

"I appreciate that, but if one more guy asks me to play 'Naughty Schoolgirl' with him I might resort to violence."

"You mean more violence? I saw what you did to Luke."

"He touched something that he didn't have the right to touch."

"He got what he deserved."

"Exactly."

"You know, you should have worn your hair in braids to complete the look," Anna smiled.

Taylor frowned a little as she tucked a strand of hair, which she had chosen to wear half loosely clipped back, behind her ear. "Okay, now you sound like- uh never mind," Taylor finished awkwardly.

"It's okay. I sound like Seth, right?"

"Kind of, yeah. Hey, are you going to that holiday party the Newport Group is throwing?"

"Yeah. Summer invited me to be her escort."

"The torturing thing is really working for you guys," Taylor smiled. "You want a pointer? If you can manage it, get within earshot of Seth tonight and ask Summer to brush your hair."

"Excuse me?"

"Long story but trust me, it'll make him crazy," Taylor smiled.

"Oh this is one of those guy's fascination with lesbianism that we, as women, will just never get, right?"

"Right."

"Can I ask why you're helping me? I thought Seth was your best friend."

"He is. He always will be and all recent evidence to the contrary aside, he's one of the good ones. But he screwed up and he deserves a little bit of torture from the screwees," Taylor said before she frowned. "That came out wrong."

"Little bit, yeah," Anna laughed, shutting her locker.

"Anyway, don't give up on him. He's one of the few guys I've met in my life that you just know you can trust after one conversation," Taylor said as they started their walk out of school towards the parking lot.

"Can I ask who else fits into that category?"

"That's a conversation for when we know each other better," Taylor smiled.

"Fair enough. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"What's with Marissa today? Every time I look her way she's shooting you a dirty look."

"That's really nothing new. We don't get along. We never have. It's more on her than me because I avoid her when I can which is becoming harder considering I'm Summer's step-sister and her boyfriend's brother's best friend. It's also the reason I refuse to join Social Committee even though Veronica wants me to."

"Well, if you ever want to avoid her at my house, you're more than welcome."

"I'll remember that, thanks."

The two girls had stopped at the edge of the parking lot.

"My car and Seth are over there," Taylor pointed.

"And my car's that way. I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah. Remember, hair brushing is a good thing."

"Right," Anna nodded. "Bye."

"Bye," Taylor said as the girls parted ways. "Hey Buddy," she called to Seth, who was sitting in the backseat of her car with his legs lying across the seat and a sketchpad in his lap.

He looked up, "Hey." Then he went back to his sketch.

"So, are you getting in the front seat or am I changing my name to James," she said putting her book bag on the floor of the backseat before she opened the door and slid into the driver's seat.

"We're giving Ryan a ride home."

"We are? Where's his girlfriend?"

"Social Committee," he answered.

"Fun. So, where is he?"

"He was just gonna walk her over and then he'll be out."

"She has him well trained."

Seth smirked, "How was your afternoon?"

"It was okay," Taylor said, lying back against her seat.

"Any other lewd offers?"

"A couple but once I tripped Luke for grabbing my ass, causing him to fall flat on his face, they kind of tapered off."

"Nice," Seth nodded.

"I thought so. So did the juniors who gave him nine point fives across the board."

Seth laughed.

"What's the joke," Ryan said as he reached the car.

"The jock for once," Seth said.

"What?"

"I gave Luke a little punishment for grabbing something he shouldn't have grabbed," Taylor explained. "Get in."

Ryan dropped his bag in the back on the floor next to Seth before he got in beside Taylor.

"Thanks," he said fastening his seat belt.

"No problem. It's not like you're out of my way or anything," she smiled as she backed out of the space and drove off school grounds towards the Cohen home.

"Ryan, you riding with the 'rents tonight?"

"No, Marissa's driving us. What about you two?"

"As always, I'm driving," Taylor said as they stopped at a light and Taylor reached down to lightly scratch her calf.

Ryan watched her movements and turned his head to look out at the street as she straightened up. The last thing he needed was to be caught checking Taylor out again. After this morning's little ogling fest, Marissa had given him the silent treatment the whole way to school, only deigning to speak to him when they got to school and found Summer and even then her only words were 'Go away'. She'd been a little better at lunch but not much and just before she'd barely kissed his cheek when he walked her to Social Committee.

So he looked at another girl, so what? It wasn't a crime. Oh, wait. He had a girlfriend and apparently everything was a crime in her eyes, especially when it involved showing an interest in Taylor's friendship in any way, shape, or form.

Okay, if he was honest with himself, when he'd been looking at Taylor this morning it hadn't been her friendship he was interested in. He couldn't help it; the girl had a great set of legs. He looked out the window as he smiled to himself.

So, what? He was a teenager. He was supposed to be a slave to his hormones. Although, he had a feeling if he used that excuse with Marissa, he'd get slapped upside his head.

There was only one thing he was certain of: Girls were nuts.

OCOCOCOCOCOC

Taylor sighed in frustration, "Stupid zipper. Stupid dress. Stupid party that I do not want to go to."

"Taylor, are your clothes attacking you again," Summer asked from the doorway of the bathroom that the two girls shared.

"No, the zipper on this dress won't behave."

"Here, let me help."

"Thanks," Taylor dropped the zipper and let Summer finish what she'd started.

"There you go," Summer said. "I like your necklace."

"It was a birthday gift from Peyton."

"Peyton's the curly blonde, right? She has that website."

"Yeah, that's her," Taylor went to her closet and pulled out two pairs of black shoes. She looked at them for a moment before she put one pair back and the others on her feet. "She might actually be coming out here for Christmas with Brooke if her dad can't get home."

"What's he do?"

"He's the captain of a dredging boat."

"What about her mom," Summer asked as she sat down on Taylor's bed.

"Anna died about five years ago. Ran a red light at the wrong time," Taylor said quietly.

"Oh, wow. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Summer. We didn't really know each other back then," Taylor said as she put her purse together.

"We don't really know each other now."

"True."

An uncomfortable silence followed before Summer spoke up, "So, are you going with Seth tonight?"

"Yeah," Taylor nodded. "You and Anna are each other's escorts tonight, right?"

"Right. Taylor, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"You and Seth aren't like dating or anything, right?"

"Yeah that's just what Seth needs. Another girl in his love life right now," Taylor rolled her eyes. "No, Summer. Seth and I have never and will never be romantically involved. We will always be just friends."

"And what about you and Ryan?"

Taylor turned to look at Summer, "What about me and Ryan?"

"Marissa has this idea that Ryan likes you."

"Okay, Marissa is crazy. Ryan has been hers from the day they met. Even when she was Luke's, Ryan was hers."

"You weren't even here then, how do you know that?"

"Seth can be very observant when he wants to be."

"Right. So you don't like Ryan?"

"I barely know Ryan but what I do know is that I'm not his type and he's not mine."

"That's a no?"

"That's a no. Why are you so interested?

"Marissa just got a little weird because apparently Ryan was looking at you this morning."

"Every guy in school was looking at me this morning. I swear I will never get behind in my laundry again."

"Where'd you that outfit anyway?"

"When I was in Tree Hill, I made the mistake of going shopping with Brooke. We traded off. I buy the outfit, she let Seth and me go home and sleep."

"Speaking of Tree Hill, I saw the picture of you and my dad."

"Summer, I didn't ask him-"

"I know. He told me. The picture came out really nice."

"Thanks." Taylor checked her watch, "Oh. I gotta go. I'll see you at the club."

"Bye."

"Bye."

OCOCOCOCOC

"Seth, that's disgusting," Taylor said as the two sat at a table near the windows of Newport's Country Club.

"What? It's true."

"It's still disgusting," she laughed. "Hey, have you ever figured out your romance novelist name?"

"This is some weird girl thing, right?"

"No, I'm serious. But instead of using the results for a romance novel, we can use it as our comic book writer pseudonyms."

"Okay, how do you play?"

"You take your middle name and the name of the first street you lived on and put them together. So you would be Ezekiel, what? What was the name of the street you guys lived on in Berkley?"

"Brentwood," Seth said.

"So, Ezekiel Brentwood," Taylor nodded. "Nice."

"Okay, what about you?"

"My middle name is Penelope."

"Right," Seth nodded.

"And I lived on Strohbridge Street in Tree Hill before we moved here so Penelope Strohbridge."

"Penelope Strohbridge," Seth nodded.

"The other side of the O.C. brought to you by Ezekiel Brentwood and Penelope Strohbridge," Taylor grinned.

"Nice."

Taylor shrugged and then dug in her purse, "I picked these up before. They're from the disposable camera. I got doubles so you can keep those to show to your folks when you get home."

Seth opened the envelope and pulled out the pictures. "Oh nice," he said of the first one where Peyton, in her street clothes, stood in the center of Taylor, Brooke, Theresa, and Bevin all in their white dresses. All five girls were blowing a kiss to the photographer.

"I like that one," Taylor smiled over his shoulder. "I got these all on a CD. I should burn a couple of copies to send to Brooke and Peyton."

"Hey guys."

Seth and Taylor looked up to see Ryan and Marissa standing in front of them.

"Hi," Seth grinned.

"Can we join you," Ryan asked.

"Sure," Seth nodded.

Ryan took a seat across from Taylor and Marissa sat across from Seth.

"So, what are you guys looking at," Marissa asked.

"Pictures from last weekend's Debutante Ball," Seth said. "I forget who this guy is," he asked of Taylor pointing to a picture.

"That Seth is the reason that when I was twelve I wished like hell I lived in Tree Hill," Taylor smiled as she sipped her soda.

"Ah right. That's Jake," Seth nodded. "He's a nice guy."

"Yes, he is."

"So, do we get to see some of these pictures or are you going to keep them to yourselves all night?"

Seth handed over some pictures to Ryan before he resumed looking.

"Who's the blonde," Ryan asked.

"Straight hair or curly," Taylor asked without looking up.

"Curly," Ryan answered.

"That's Peyton."

I came, I saw, I kicked some ass…

"And speaking of Peyton," Taylor dug her cell phone from her purse. "Kind of late for her to be calling."

"It's nine o'clock," Marissa said.

"Yeah here. In North Carolina, it's midnight," Seth told her.

Meanwhile Taylor answered the phone, "Peyton? Hey, what's going on?"

"I'm bored and I knew you had that Newport Group party tonight so I was hoping you'd be bored too."

"Peyton, it's midnight. If you're bored, go to bed."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm at Nathan's and if I go upstairs he'll follow me and want to get busy."

"Ew," Taylor winced. Just then the band began to play loudly. "Hang on, I'm gonna go outside." She looked at Seth, "Be right back."

Seth nodded as Taylor left. He looked across the table at his companions. Marissa was looking at her hands with a bored expression and Ryan's head was tilted down but his eyes were watching Taylor's exit.

"Ryan, let's go get a drink."

"What?"

"Drink."

"Oh. Okay. Marissa, you want something?"

"No, I'm good."

Ryan nodded and put the pictures down on Seth's side of the table before following the other boy leaving Marissa alone. She was staring off into space and when she focused she realized she was staring at Taylor's glass.

OCOCOCOCOCOC

"So, how's Peyton," Seth asked as Taylor took a drink of soda.

"She's okay. But I really wonder why she stays with the crowd she's in sometimes. I mean, don't get me wrong, they're okay for the most part. Okay, yeah Tim's an idiot and a pervert and Nathan's a dog but Vegas is okay and Bevin and Theresa are nice. B's got a heart of gold even if she doesn't always show it. But she just sounds so over it."

"Over what?"

"Cheerleading and the mindless parties and," Taylor trailed off.

"Taylor?"

"Hey guys," Summer and Anna walked up to them.

"Have you two seen Chino and Coop? I was supposed to get a ride from them."

"Taylor, are you okay," Anna asked. "You look really pale."

"I just feel," Taylor never finished her sentence. Instead she slumped sideways onto Seth who cleared her hair away from her neck and felt for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Anna and Summer.

"Where's your dad?"

"Over at the bar," Summer said, before running across the dance floor for him.

"9-1-1, Anna. Right now," Seth said.

Anna had her phone in her hand before he could even finish the sentence.

"Anna? This isn't public information but Taylor has a heart condition," Seth said, knowing what a 9-1-1 operator would ask.

"Okay," Anna nodded.

"9-1-1. What is your emergency?"

"Yes, I need an ambulance at the Newport Country Club. My friend just passed out."

OCOCOCOCOCOC

Seth slowly paced the waiting room while Summer and Anna sat on the couch and Sandy and Kirsten sat in armchairs on either end of the couch.

"You're making me nervous, Cohen," Summer said.

"Sorry," Seth muttered but he didn't stop his slow back and forth. As he got near Kirsten, his mom reached out and squeezed his hand. He gave her a small smile and she released him.

"Dad," Summer stood up when Neil appeared and everyone who was sitting followed her lead while Seth turned to face him.

"We're still running tests but she should be okay," Neil said. "Sandy, I'd like to talk to you, Kirsten, and Seth for a moment, alright?"

"Okay," Sandy nodded as the Cohen family followed him down the hall while Summer and Anna sat back down.

"Did anyone try calling Ryan," Anna asked after a moment. "It's almost twelve. He might be wondering why no one's home yet."

"Sandy tried on the way here. It went straight to voice mail." Summer sighed. "I barely know her. I have lived in the same house with her for almost three years and I barely know her."

"That's not your fault. She spends three-quarters of the time she's not in school over at Seth's, right?"

"Right," Summer nodded. "But you've gotten to know her."

"She wanted to make sure I was good enough for Seth."

"The best friend test," Summer nodded. "I wonder if I'd pass."

"I think if she takes into account how Seth feels about you, you'd pass with flying colors."

Summer nodded silently.

OCOCOCOCOC

"Neil, is everything alright?"

"I know you three are aware of Taylor's medical condition. Summer's not. That's why I wanted to speak with you privately. We ran blood tests on Taylor when she got here, and there was something that didn't belong."

"What," Kirsten asked.

"Rohypnol," Neil said.

"What," Sandy asked.

"Someone roofed her," Seth looked sick.

"Is that why she passed out?"

"It mixed badly with her medication and could have caused heart failure if not for Seth's quick thinking."

Seth smiled faintly at the praise before he spoke, "Can we see her?"

"We'll be moving her to a room shortly but visiting hours-"

"I want to stay with her," Seth said.

"Seth," Kirsten protested a little.

"Mom, she hates hospitals and I don't want her waking up alone."

"I'll have someone put in a chair bed for you when we move Taylor."

"Thank you, Neil," Sandy shook his hand. "We'll make sure Summer gets home okay."

"Thank you," Neil nodded before he walked away.

"We better get back to the waiting room," Kirsten said.

Seth trailed behind his parents and sat down after saying goodbye to everyone, promising to call Anna when Taylor could have visitors. His mind went back over tonight. First he and Taylor had been by themselves at the table, then Ryan and Marissa had joined them, then Taylor had gone outside to finish a call with Peyton, and then he and Ryan had gone to get refills leaving Mar-.

Seth's eyes hardened. They'd left Marissa alone at the table with Taylor's very full glass of soda.