Summer in Tree Hill 8
Title: Summer in Tree Hill
Fandom: OC/OTH Crossover
Character: Summer/Lucas
Summery: Summer ends up in Tree Hill after Seth left for Tahiti and Lucas has just been left by Brooke. What happens when they meet?
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or places from the shows OC, One Tree Hill or Star Wars (slight reference).
I realize I'm playing fast and loose with the timeline, but this is fanfiction, not canon! MWAHAHAHA!
Ryan arives in Tree Hill...
PART 8
It was late when Ryan walked through the Tree Hill airport. He was exhausted. He lugged his backpack through the terminal and looked around for the girl who had come through for him. Ryan wasn’t sure what caused him to call her on his way to his brother’s but he was glad that he did. Trey was volatile in the best of times and since he’d gotten out, Ryan had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. He just never thought Trey would go this far.
“Chino!”
Ryan glanced to his right to see Summer hurrying towards him with a tall blond guy following behind. Ryan caught her as she leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly. Ryan closed his eyes and buried his face in her shoulder. It felt so good to be able to turn to someone; to let go of all the responsibility that he had felt bearing down on him since Trey had been released.
“Just relax Chino; we’ll take care of everything.” Summer told him softly as she rubbed his back.
Ryan sniffled and pulled back to look away and wipe at his eyes. “Thanks.” He glanced over at the blond guy who was standing nearby. Ryan nodded at him guessing correctly that this was Lucas. “I really appreciate this.”
Lucas smiled sadly and offered his hand. “It’s good to meet you. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
Ryan shook his hand and grimaced. “Yeah me too. Sorry if I messed up any plans.”
“No man, this was the most important thing that we had to do tonight. Let’s get out of here.” Lucas disagreed.
Ryan nodded and hitched his backpack more solidly onto his shoulder before walking with Summer and Lucas out of the airport.
It wasn’t until the next morning that Ryan remembered that he had turned off his phone. He was sitting in the kitchen staring at it apprehensively. He looked up when Summer came into the room and poured a cup of the coffee that he had prepared when he got up that morning.
Summer sat down across from him at the table and took a sip from her mug. She glanced at the phone he was holding and then up at his pensive face. “Are you going to turn it on?”
Ryan sighed. “I’m almost scared to.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Summer offered. “I’ll be here for you.”
Ryan nodded, still looking at the phone. “Thanks.” Ryan took a deep breath and hit the power button. It took a few seconds for the phone to boot and then there was a beeping alert of missed calls.
Ryan went through the system to check his messages. His face paled as he listened to Seth tell him that he and Marissa had gone to make sure that he was safe from Trey. Trey had pulled a gun and the cops had shown up to arrest Trey. They had originally arrested Seth and Marissa, but they didn’t have any priors, and could prove that they weren’t there to buy drugs. Although Marissa had been charged with underage drinking - she had built up some false courage before telling Seth her story. It seemed the police had been watching Trey and were ready to make an arrest for drug trafficking. Now Seth and Marissa were trying to find him.
The next message was a tearful Marissa explaining that Julie was forbidding her from seeing Ryan after bailing her daughter out of jail. The Dragon Lady considered all Atwood’s to be bad influences and dangerous (big surprise).
Sandy was the next voice he heard. Frantic due to messages left on his own phone once he dropped Kirsten off at Suriak, Sandy begged Ryan to return his call.
There were repeats of those three callers during the night and then a few more in the morning. There were no calls from Kirsten.
Summer scowled as Ryan related all the messages to her - each one more urgent than the previous one. When his voice mailbox was finally emptied, they sat there in silence for a moment.
“What are you going to do now?” Summer asked.
Ryan stared down into his own cup. “I don’t know. I should call them.”
Summer shrugged. “You know that you’re welcome to stay here. There’s a great public school that Skywalker and I are going to start next week. You could transfer here.”
Ryan looked up at her. “I wish, but where would I live? I don’t think your dad would appreciate the houseguest, do you?”
Summer shrugged. “Don’t know until we ask.” She picked up her cell phone off the counter and hit #2.
“Hey sweetheart! What’s got you calling so early?” Neil asked.
“Hey Dad. Something’s come up and I need to ask you something.” Summer proceeded to explain the situation to her father.
Neil was silent for a few seconds after she finished. “Honey, I don’t mind Ryan staying. I trust your judgment. But you need to make sure Sandy is ok with it as well as Lucas. He might be uncomfortable with another guy living with you. And you do realize there will be rules.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “Skywalker came with me to pick him up at the airport. He didn’t seem to mind when he dropped us off last night. Skywalker knows that he’s the one for me. I’ll tell Ryan to ask Sandy about it.”
“I’ll call Sandy myself as well. Tell Ryan to call him immediately, I’m sure that Sandy is probably not sleeping if he’s wondering where his foster son is. I’ll talk to him at the morning break to see if he needs further convincing, but this is Sandy’s decision.” Neil explained.
“Thanks Daddy.” Summer replied before ending the call. She looked up at Ryan. “He said that you could stay, but that you have to call Sandy and get permission.”
Ryan sighed and nodded. “Thanks.” He told her before hitting the speed dial for Sandy’s cell phone.
“Ryan? Where are you?” Sandy demanded as he answered.
“I had to get out of there Sandy.” Ryan replied softly.
“Ok, I understand that, but where are you?” Sandy asked, calming down slightly.
“North Carolina.” Ryan muttered.
“How the hell did you get to North Carolina?” Sandy was incredulous.
“After Seth told me about Trey and Marissa I was on my way to confront Trey. I don’t know why, but I called Summer. She stopped me and told me to get on a plane and come to her. She had a ticket waiting for me at the airport. I didn’t even think. I just did what she said. I-I couldn’t stay Sandy. It was just too much.” Ryan finished in a whisper.
Sandy sighed heavily. “I’m sorry kid. You didn’t need all this.”
“Sandy, Summer and her dad offered to let me stay.” Ryan commented hesitantly.
“What about school?” Sandy asked.
“I could register here. I would go with Summer and her boyfriend. I wouldn’t have to worry about Trey, Marissa or any of the other drama.” Ryan replied.
“And what about Seth and us?” Sandy wanted to know.
Ryan rubbed his face. “Seth has Alex. We don’t really spend that much time together anymore.”
“And us?”
Ryan was silent for a moment, and then with a sigh he reluctantly answered. “I think that you need to concentrate on Kirsten, and my being there will just be a distraction. I-I don’t belong there Sandy. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me, but Kirsten doesn’t need my problems. You guys need to focus on her.”
“She didn’t mean it Kid.” Sandy stated gently.
“That’s the thing about alcohol. It’s better than truth serum.” Ryan refuted somberly. “I’ve been around it all my life. I should know. You can’t dictate how Kirsten feels, Sandy. You’ve been very good to me, and I’m grateful for that; but you have to be there for your wife first. Nobody here has ever heard of Chino. Maybe things will be better here.”
“Is this what you really want?” Sandy asked brokenly, and Ryan knew that he was caving.
“Yeah, I think I need this.” Ryan whispered.
“Alright you can stay. But I am sending an allowance. I know you and I don’t want you to try to work and go to school. I’m allowing you to stay, but you’ll do it with all the support I can give you.” Sandy dictated.
“Alright.” Ryan wasn’t going to argue even though he wanted to. He would pick his battles wisely.
“If you need anything, even if it’s just to talk - you call me immediately.”
“OK.”
“If you change your mind or if you need me, I’ll be there.” Sandy promised.
“I know. Thanks Sandy, for everything.” Ryan told him softly.
“Don’t be a stranger. You call me at least once a week.” Sandy instructed.
“I won’t forget.” Ryan replied.
Sandy sighed. “I’ll set you up an account and call you with the information this afternoon.”
“Thanks Sandy.” Ryan stated.
“Anytime Kid. You take care of yourself.” Sandy told him.
“I will.”
Ryan ended the call and glanced up at Summer through his bangs. “I can stay.”
Summer squealed and jumped up to hug him. Ryan smiled and hugged her back.
“Ok, first thing on the agenda - we have to get you a hair cut. What the hell is up with the rat’s nest you call hair Chino? Then we have to get some school clothes and supplies. Then you need to figure out what you’re wearing to Brooke’s end of summer bash. She’ll want you to look good when you pick her up.” Summer rambled.
“Wait - what?” Ryan stopped. “Who’s Brooke?”
“She’s Skywalker’s ex. Really great fashion sense, brunette, nice.” Summer rattled off.
“What about Marissa?” Ryan asked loyally.
“What about her? You aren’t even in California, and if you were you guys aren’t allowed to date - which I consider a good thing for you. You didn’t need any of her drama Chino. At least Brooke never OD’d in TJ.” Summer scoffed. She glanced over at the clock on the microwave. “It’s almost 10:00. Go get dressed and I’ll see if we can’t get you in to see Marco. He’s the only decent hairstylist I’ve found. Then we’ll have lunch with Skywalker at his mom’s café. I swear Chino the woman is a culinary genius. So hurry and get ready. I’ll meet you here in twenty.”
“I had forgotten how bossy you could be.” Ryan muttered.
“Get used to it roomy.” Summer grinned before leaving the room.
Ryan rolled his eyes and rinsed out both of their cups before heading up to the guest that had been designated as his the night before.
Seth was anxiously waiting outside his dad’s home office where Sandy had gone as soon as Ryan had called. He could barely hear his dad’s voice, and he had no idea what was being said.
After almost and hour, Sandy came out. He had tear tracks on his face. “Come in the living room son.” Sandy instructed softly.
Seth and Sandy sat down on opposite sides of the couch facing each other.
“What did Ryan say? Where has he been?” Seth demanded.
“Ryan is in North Carolina.” Sandy told him.
Seth’s eyes widened in shock. “With Summer?”
Sandy nodded. “Summer stopped him from going after Trey. She had a ticket waiting for him at the airport and she and her boyfriend picked him up on the east coast last night.”
“I didn’t even realize that Ryan knew how to reach Summer.” Seth mumbled.
“I think there are several things that we haven’t been paying attention to about Ryan.” Sandy sighed.
“When’s he coming home?” Seth asked.
“He’s not. Neil and Summer offered him a place to stay. Ryan decided to accept. He said that he needed to get away from everything.” Sandy told him softly. “He thought that we should focus on getting your mother healthy again.”
“Is this because of what she said?” Seth whispered.
“I think it’s that as well as Trey and Marissa.” Sandy confirmed.
“What about me? He’s just turning his back on our friendship?” Seth grumbled.
Sandy raised his eyebrows. “Ryan said that he’s barely seen you since you started dating Alex.”
Seth opened his mouth to argue, but there was really nothing he could say. Ryan was right. He hadn’t realized that he had been neglecting his best friend, but between that and what his mother had said, Seth could see why Ryan would think he didn’t belong anymore.
“We really screwed up didn’t we?” Seth stated softly.
“Yeah, we did. All we can do now is support him and be there if he needs us.” Sandy told him.
“What about his probation and social services?” Seth inquired.
“You really haven’t been talking to him have you?” Sandy observed sadly. “His probation ended this summer, and because he’s seventeen, social services aren’t really going to be paying very close attention. We have already been awarded permanent guardianship. They aren’t going to protest any of this so late in the game.”
“So now what?” Seth asked.
Sandy shrugged. “Now I set up a bank account for Ryan so that he doesn’t go out and get a job. Then I call your mother and tell her that we’ve driven away one of our sons.”
Seth glanced over at his father. “Do you think that she meant it? What she told Ryan yesterday?”
“I hope not Seth,” Sandy rubbed his face. “Unfortunately she’s been like another person I don’t know lately. The important thing is that Ryan believes that she did. I don’t know that he’ll ever believe any different, no matter what she does or says now.”
“How could he believe that? Wasn’t she drinking?” Seth asked.
“Ryan has a lot of experience around drunks. He claims that alcohol is better than any truth serum.” Sandy explained.
“Damn.” Seth sighed.
“Yeah. I’m going to get that account set up. What are your plans today?” Sandy wanted to know.
Seth shrugged. “I don’t know. Hang out with Alex I guess.”
“Why don’t you spend the day with your old man?” Sandy suggested.
Seth hesitated and then nodded. “Sure. Sounds good.”
Sandy smiled and reached across to hug him. “I love you son. Never forget that.”
“I know. I-I can’t say ‘I love you’ to another man. But I have great affection for you as well.”
Sandy chuckled before standing and walking back to his office. “I’ll come get you when I’m done.”
Seth nodded and made his way to the kitchen for some breakfast. He missed Ryan already.
Sandy had just finished setting up Ryan’s checking account when the doorbell rang. Seth must have answered it because he then heard Julie Cooper-Nichol’s screeching voice reverberating through the house. Sandy groaned. This day just got better and better.
“Where is that little delinquent?” Julie demanded when she saw Sandy come out of his office.
“I would think that Marissa was still at home.” Sandy sneered.
Seth’s jaw dropped. He had seen his dad make snide comments before, but never with this much venom.
It must have startled Julie as well because she stopped in her tracks and stared before screwing her face up in anger. “No, she’s not at home. I know she’s with that little thug that you contaminated Newport with.”
“No, she’s not.” Sandy stated coldly. “I heard that she was charged with underage drinking. At the very least she’ll get probation. That also means she can’t leave the state. Since Ryan is on the east coast, Marissa is most definitely not with him.”
“How do I know that she didn’t go too?” Julie demanded.
Sandy smiled frostily. “Because he left before she was arrested to get the hell away from her.”
Julies eyes widened in shock. Seeing this, Sandy pressed his advantage.
“Marissa has been chasing Ryan since the moment he got here. Maybe if he puts the entire country between them she’ll finally leave him in peace. Now get the hell out of my house!” Sandy growled.
Julie turned pale at the normally mild man’s wrath. Without another word she turned and hurried out the door.
“Wow.” Seth said softly.
“I should have done that a long time ago. Maybe if I had Ryan would still be here.” Sandy stated sadly.
“I think Ryan would have been surprised.” Seth replied.
“I know he would have. That’s what upsets me. He never expected anyone to stand up for him. Unfortunately I lived up to those expectations. That is ultimately the reason he’s gone.” Sandy declared brokenly.
Seth nodded. They were all guilty of it. With a new appreciation for the fragility of relationships, father and son left to spend the day together.
TBC...