OKay so here's twenty-one so ORy you can put down the 2x4 and get started on Ch 5. Ilyawh if you're out there, I forgot to tell you that you can't leave The Unexpected like that for very long. I'll go nutty waiting for another chapter. :(. Shary, update! As for everyone else I am not completely happy with this chapter but this is what came out of me. It may also be the last one until next weekend as I am Dominican bound as of Tuesday. I'll be back Friday and I'm taking a pen and paper with me. Have a good week and reply. Love you all. :)
"Should we tell her," Taylor asked, staring at the ceiling of the pool house.
"No," Ryan said. "I have no desire to get involved in anything having to do with the drama that is Marissa Cooper's life."
Taylor frowned a little, "Neither do I. But Ryan, technically, Julie is dating Kirsten's dad."
"Which is a whole other level of gross that I am not willing to examine right now," Ryan made a face.
"Okay, then how about examining this," Taylor turned onto her stomach, resting her head on her arms so that she was looking at Ryan. "That girl Theresa back in Chino? You two had a pretty long relationship, right?"
"If you could call it that, yeah."
"How would you feel if you found out that she was sleeping with Sandy and people knew and didn't tell you?"
"Are we talking about people I like or people, like in this case, that I don't like, don't trust, and don't want anywhere near me? Not to mention, I probably wouldn't believe them anyway."
"Point taken," Taylor sighed. "Why do I feel bad for her? I don't even like her and I feel bad for her. What's up with that?"
"You've got too good a heart," Ryan said quietly, looking at her.
"That's not always a good thing," Taylor said. And my heart is far from good.
"No, but I kind of like it."
Taylor smiled, "You know, as fascinating as the subject of who Julie's currently screwing is, I believe I promised a certain someone hours of making out." She inched her way over to Ryan so that her head was on his shoulder and her arm was across his chest.
Ryan looked down at her with a smile, "Should we lock the door?"
"Seth's got Brooke to keep him entertained for the day and all recent evidence to the contrary, she's actually pretty good with the knocking."
"And what if she sees something she just has to tell us?"
"Okay, let's say we lock the door," Taylor said. "Now, the door's locked, we're making out, but instead of a panicked Brooke or a normal Seth looking for us, Sandy or Kirsten comes knocking."
"Door stays open," Ryan said.
"Good plan," Taylor nodded. "You just have to be careful where you put your hands."
"So do you," Ryan smiled.
"I am always very careful where I put my hands," Taylor smiled as she moved to lie more fully on top of him. "And I haven't gotten any complaints."
"That's because I don't have any."
"Good answer," Taylor smiled.
"I was kinda proud of it."
OCOCOCOCOCOC
"Maybe we should tell her," Brooke said as she watched Seth play some video game.
"No," Seth said.
"Put yourself in her shoes, Seth," Brooke said.
"My feet are too big for her shoes."
"You know what I mean. How would you feel if you found out that two weeks after you and Summer split she was sleeping with Sandy and that people you knew had already found out about it and didn't tell you?"
"Okay, first of all, never ever put my girlfriend anywhere close to a sentence that has her in bed with my father. Second of all, we're talking about people, in Taylor and Ryan's case, that Marissa really doesn't like at the moment, people, in my case, that she doesn't really know, or people, in your case, that she doesn't know at all," Seth pointed out to the currently frowning brunette. "Personally I'm okay with not telling her. Ryan's no longer dating her, Summer's not speaking to her at the moment, and I'm not living next door to her anymore. We no longer have any loyalty to Marissa. Well Taylor never really did but that's not the point."
"Okay, here's something that's entirely pointy," Brooke folded her arms. "Julie is currently dating your grandfather."
"And the conversation takes an uncomfortable turn," Seth rolled his eyes.
"Seth, she's cheating on him with a guy that you go to school with. The same guy who dated her daughter from the time they were like 12. Forget the wrongness of it all and the 'yick' factor and remember how much you love Caleb."
"I do love my grandpa but I still don't see any good coming out of me telling him about Julie's extracurricular activities."
"And what happens when Kirsten or Sandy find out that you knew and didn't say anything?"
"How would they find out?"
"I don't know. This is Newport. Nothing stays a secret for long in this town, you know that."
"Okay, that's a valid point," Seth nodded.
"And didn't Luke kind of help out Ryan with Dawn at that whole casino night thing?"
"Oh don't even go there. We don't have any loyalty to Marissa and we have even less loyalty to Luke Ward, okay? He made it his mission in life to torment me from the time we were seven, okay? He used to pee in my shoes. He's called Taylor a 'fag hag' for the last two years. Luke can sleep with whoever he wants and whatever STD he gives or receives is his own fault."
"Nice imagery Seth and just remember that he may give one to Julie who in turn may give it to Caleb."
"That's sick and why do you care so much?"
"Because I like your grandfather," Brooke said. "He's never been anything but nice to me and to Taylor and I think he deserves better than Julie Cooper, especially considering she's fooling around on him. Not to mention, that I don't think he's ever gotten over your grandmother."
Direct hit. Rose Nichols had been Caleb's conscious and the one person that Caleb had every really let near enough to see him.
Seth took the coward's way out, "Look Brooke, I know you mean well but just because Penelope never got over your grandfather-"
"You know I'm right," Brooke interrupted, "and this has nothing to do with my grandmother. Julie's a bad idea and you know it. You don't have to tell Caleb right out. Tell Sandy or Kirsten." Brooke paused and then pointed a finger, "Don't tell Kirsten. She's liable to go straight next door and strangle the life out of Julie. Tell Sandy."
"Cohen?"
Summer.
It was Seth's turn to point at Brooke, "We never had this conversation."
"Done."
"We're in here Summer," Seth called.
"Who's we," Summer came into the den. "Brooke? When did you get here?"
"The night before last," Brooke gave Summer a hug. "It's good to see you. I didn't know if I was going to."
"Yeah, that's why I'm here. Where's Taylor?"
"Pool house," Brooke checked the time. "By now, Ryan's got one or both of his hands up her shirt."
"Ew," Summer looked vaguely disgusted. "Anyway, I'm here to find out why she hasn't been home in two days."
"I'm gonna let Seth field this one while I go make some lunch."
"Coward," Seth said as Brooke left him to Summer's not-so-tender mercies.
"And proud of it," Brooke said. She knew she had a temper but stories about Summer's rage blackouts were pretty infamous and she had no desire to be on the receiving end of one of those when the other brunette in Seth's life found out that the reason Taylor had been avoiding home was once again connected to Marissa.
Once Brooke had cleared the doorway and they could hear her moving around in the kitchen, Summer turned to Seth with a raised eyebrow, "Talk."
"You look very pretty today," Seth smiled.
"Cohen," Summer's tone left no room for any arguing.
"Taylor overheard your, or rather, our fight with Marissa the other day and she just wanted to give you time."
"To do what?"
"I'm not really sure. But it's Taylor. Does anything she does make ever make one hundred percent sense?"
"So, she's still avoiding home because of Marissa," Summer concluded. "Great. I hate this. It's her house too."
"Summer, it's never really going to be her house, too," Seth said. "And not because of Marissa or because of you."
"Then what is it?"
"It's because any place that her mother is, isn't home for her," Brooke said from the door. "You don't call her 'step-monster' for nothing." Brooke came further into the room and sat on the couch, placing a tray with sandwiches on the coffee table and turning to Seth, "Go grab some sodas, okay?"
"Sure," Seth got up.
Brooke turned back to Summer, "You don't know me very well and Taylor and I aren't that much alike but we do have one very interesting thing in common."
"Which is?"
"Our best friend's mother either was or is more of a mother to us than our own could ever be and a better mother on their worst day than they could ever pray to be."
"I unfortunately didn't get that. Julie's not that great at being a mom most of the time."
"I know. Look, I know I didn't know your mom but I know Veronica. She probably isn't the best at being a parent to you because she 's never really been one to Taylor."
"Tell me about it."
"Okay," Brooke thought for a moment and then smiled. "She's a vicious life-sucking bitch from which there is no escape."
Summer barely caught the surprised laugh that threatened to escape her mouth at Brooke's blunt but completely accurate description of Veronica Townsend Roberts.
"My mom's the same way. Hell, I think half the reason Taylor and I like Tree Hill so much is because our mothers hate it."
"They really hate it?"
"My mother says it's the place where dreams and ideas go to die."
"Nice," Summer rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, Taylor's avoiding the house has nothing to do with you and a whole helluva lot to do with Veronica. You can't change that but you're doing a good job at changing the relationship you and Taylor have."
"I'm trying," Summer smiled.
"Good. I worry about her less now that I know she's got more people in her life that are there for her."
"She'll be okay," Summer said. "Cohen's so overprotective you'd think he was her father half the time and Atwood is seriously nuts about her and me? She's my step-sister. That's coming to mean more and more lately."
Brooke gave Summer an impulsive hug that knocked them both to the floor in giggles and made Seth leer at them when he came back in and saw them in a heap on the floor.