Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C. or any of it's characters

Author's note: This is chapter two, I hope you enjoy. I told you I'd post quickly. Remember I love reviews :)

Chapter 2

Monday morning…

Ryan was actually excited to get to school Monday morning, after he and Seth had been busted trying to sneak out Friday night they had been quarantined all weekend forced into (insert shiver here) a family weekend. He guessed it hadn't been that bad, except for the lack of cell phones, he knew Summer was going to kill Seth for not calling her and he was supposed hang out with Luke to practice for an upcoming soccer game.

When he finally got to school, he went through his usual routine, but something was off. He was used to a few stares here and there, but for some reason the staring seemed to have intensified since last Friday. He tried to think back to last week and was almost positive he hadn't done anything to warrant the added attention.

By the time he got to his first period, AP Biology class he was completely freaked out. Girls kept coming up to him handing him their phone numbers and Jimmy Norton, from English...a guy at just given him his number...

He had been so shocked he hadn't been able to muster the strength to tell the guy he most definitely didn't bat that way. In Bio it was more of the same, even the teacher was staring at him and he could swear people were talking about him.

As he walked from class to class he began to notice there were girls actually following him. Sure he knew he knew how to pick up a girl and he wasn't bad looking, but this was just ridiculous.

By the time lunch came around he was seriously thinking about just making a run for it. He thought about pretending to be sick, anything to escape all of the stares and whispers.

When he finally found Seth he felt relief wash over him, "Seth, do you know why people are staring at me?"

"What?" Seth asked confused, looking around to find that there were definitely at least a dozen people staring over at Ryan. He scrunched up his eyebrows, "umm…no man. You haven't punched any more water polo players recently have you? Cause this school totally takes that seriously and I'm pretty sure you were lucky to get away with your life the first time," when Ryan just shook his head Seth smirked, "have you burnt down any model homes than?"

"Seth seriously, this isn't funny. Anyway I don't think…I mean nobodies pissed off, but I mean girls keep giving me their numbers, and well, a few guys did too," Ryan was blushing profusely now.

Seth burst out laughing, "seriously?" he asked with a huge goofy smile on his face. "that's hilarious. You really need to give me some pointers later…" he started laughing loudly once more when he saw the look on Ryan's face.

"This isn't funny Seth. People keep on whispering and I could swear there talking about me. It's really freaking me out."

Seth looked over at his friend and realized Ryan looked like he was just about ready to run. He turned around and took in the people gawking at Ryan and had to admit something was definitely up. This was so not normal, instead of looking at Ryan with the normal smirking, 'I'm better than thou,' look that the Newport Newpsies seemed to have down pat they were looking at him like he was a particularly delicious dessert.

"Okay man. Let's go find Summer. If anyone knows what's going on it'll be her," Ryan nodded and took another look at all of the people staring at him before he pushed his hoodie over his head and ducked his head down, trying to make himself invisible in hopes that everyone would leave him alone already.

They spent ten minutes wondering around campus with a gaggle of girls following them like lost puppies before they finally found Summer and Ryan let out a relieved sigh…that was until she ran over to him grabbed his arm and dragged him to an empty classroom, using one of her infamous glares to stop anyone, but Seth, from following them.

Locking the door behind them, Summer turned and stared at Ryan for a moment before asking, "why didn't you tell me?"

Ryan stared Summer completely confused, this was turning into some sort of nightmare and all he wanted to do was escape back to the school auditorium and it's piano.

"T-tell you what?" Ryan finally asked.

"Tell me what are you kidding Chino?! That you could sing and play the guitar like that, you're like…amazing and you never even told me!" Summer crossed her arms and pouted.

"W-what?" Ryan asked. Feeling his stomach contort into knots and sweat begin to form on his brow as he stared at Summer mouth open like a fish out of water. "H-how do you know about…that?" he stuttered.

Summer glared at him for a minute with her eyebrows raised, "are you serious Chino? I saw it on YouTube like everyone else."

It was Seth who reacted to the news first, "oh god," he whispered. He couldn't believe that people were reacting like this because of the videos…the videos he had posted without Ryan knowing.

Ryan had frozen, slowly he looked to Seth, he could always tell when Seth was hiding something and Seth's face was currently marred with an expression that clearly stated he knew something.

"Seth," Ryan looked to his foster brother, unsure if he even wanted to know, "what did you do?"

Seth blinked repeatedly and gulped loudly, "w-why would you think I did anything?" he asked as he attempted to plaster a look of innocence on his face.

Ryan could feel himself getting angry. He was smart enough to put two and two together, "Seth what did you do?" he asked again this time with fists tightly clenched at his sides.

Seth gulped again looking back at his best friend, and finding it really hard all of a sudden to meet Ryan's eyes. "Okay, I'll tell you Ry, but…but first you have to promise not to be mad—"

"Seth just tell me," Ryan demanded.

"I heard you singing the other day, I mean I thought it was a radio or something. It was really good and well…I saw you and I don't know I was so shocked I may have recorded you—"

"God, Seth that was private," Ryan took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself and pressed his hand over his face. "So then what?" he finally asked.

"Well, I…I was going to ask you about it, but then, I don't know, I may have uploaded the songs to YouTube. I totally forgot about it… I'm sorry Ryan," Seth added looked down at his hands.

Ryan sighed and found himself sinking down into an empty desk chair, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Oh my god, Chino wait… are you telling me you didn't know about the YouTube videos?" Summer asked, all of a sudden.

Ryan just shook his head, he wondered if he might be in shock. Seth had download him singing onto YouTube? He found he couldn't really bring himself to be mad at Seth…he never could, but he couldn't stop the feeling of being violated somehow from engulfing him. Music was his escape and he didn't know how he felt about others having seen him.

"Wow, Seth you're such a jeek," Summer comment, and Seth looked appropriately abashed. Summer then turned to Ryan, "Ryan do you have any idea how many people have seen those videos?" She asked.

Ryan looked up at Summer and shook his head.

"Chino those videos all blew up, there like viral. I think that one by Kris Allen, who I totally knew you liked by the way, got over five million views—"

"What?" Ryan literally fell off his chair and found himself looking up and staring wide-eyed at Summer, "but…I…that…what?" Seth had much the same reaction, actually going as far as choking on his own saliva.

"Five-five million, as in five with six zeros. Five millions views! That's insane, that's… I don't believe… I mean, sorry Ry, don't get me wrong, I thought you were amazing, but five million views. It's only been up since Friday!"

"Um yeah, didn't you wonder why everyone was staring at you? I can't believe you only just found out. Do you live in a bubble or something?"

"We were…we were grounded," Ryan finally managed, "Kirsten and Sandy took our phones and made us have a family weekend, we don't get our phones back till tonight. This is a nightmare or some really messed up dream. There is no way five million people watch me sing a couple songs!"

"Umm, well it was five million views, not five million people so… and that was just for that one song. I don't know about the others, though it might be more the last time I checked was this morning."

"Wow," Seth stood silently for a few seconds, clearly trying to process everything, "Ryan this is amazing, I knew you were good and it looks like everyone else thinks so too. You could be totally famous if you wanted to. Instead of Chino kid we can change your name to Hollywood kid and you can fight crime with your trusted guitar—" Summer finally used her death glare to shut Seth up.

"Chino, Cohen's a total ass for not telling you, but he's right this is kind of cool. I mean you're good, like really good. If you really like music, don't you think it would be cool to do it for a living? I mean if, you know, you're getting that many views from just a couple of songs and you're only fifteen …"

Ryan sighed still in a state of shock, "Yeah, I guess it's kind of cool knowing people like it. I mean… five million views are insane, but I don't know, it was kind of private. I didn't really want people to see that."

"Hey, Ryan I'm sorry, I really am—"

"Chino, I know how you feel. I'd probably kill anyone, who tried to read my diary, but the fact of the matter is that you can't go back. Everyone's already seen the videos, so I say you embrace it. Know that whatever happens, Chino, I've got you're back."

Ryan smiled at the conviction he heard in Summer's voice, it felt kind of nice to know that he had someone, who really cared about him.

"Okay, fine, I guess I can't go back," he shot Seth a pointed glare, "but, what am I supposed to do now? I mean…everyone's staring at me."

Summer snorted, "Chino people have been staring at you since before your first day here, just ignore them like you usually do."

"That's easier said then done," he muttered and then nodded towards the window of the door to the locked classroom, where a group of girls were clearly trying to peek in.

Summer couldn't help laughing, "come on Chino there just a bunch of girls."

Ryan looked over at Summer, "Summer you taught me never to underestimate a girl."

"Cough, cough, rage black outs," Seth muttered.

"What was that Seth?" Summer asked Seth with an angry glint in her eyes.

"Oh nothing," Seth replied with an innocent smile.

"I'm sure," she huffs indignantly.

The ringing of the school bell penetrates the classroom and Ryan sighs, "well, I guess I have to get to AP English," Summer chuckles.

"What? Ryan asks Summer confused.

"You're such a nerd Chino," Ryan smiles, back at her.

"You gonna walk me to class?"

Summer breaks into a huge grin, "why does our newest YouTube sensation need a bodyguard?"

Ryan fakes a scowl, "well, if you're volunteering."

"Wow, was… was that sarcasm Ryan?" Seth asks his foster bro with an expression of genuine surprise, "I didn't know you had it in you."

Ryan just smirks and follows Summer out the door, as she truly acts like a kickass bodyguard protecting Ryan from all the girls, who seemed to have multiplied since his excursion into the classroom.