Friends & Other Strangers (Chapter Two)
Title: Friends & Other Strangers (Chapter Two ~ Here Comes The Sun)
Author: Mara
Fandoms: The OC/Gilmore Girls/One Tree Hill
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, Sex in later chapters.
Summary: Four college students try to map out the way to deal with their lives as things become ever more complicated and intertwined.
Notes: Will be Ryan/Brooke and Jess/Summer. Assume everything up until the Series finale of GG, Season 4 finale of OTH, and the Series Finale of The OC (Minus the final montage) to be true for these. Oh, and the class mentioned in this one? Totally made up, but it sounds cool, huh? lol
Chapter Two ~ Here Comes The Sun
The next morning, Ryan was turning away from the coffee cart in the student union when he slammed right into someone. Unlike last time he'd down that, this time he managed to only spill the coffee on himself, not on the pretty girl. "Shit!" he hissed as the hot coffee soaked through his t-shirt.
"Oops," the girl said, wincing. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Ryan said, grabbing a stack of paper napkins and sponging at his soaked t-shirt. "Not the first time that's happened, though then it was the other person who got my coffee spilled all over her.
The girl laughed slightly and grabbed more napkins, pulling Ryan out of the flow of traffic and helping him try to soak up the coffee. "You're in McCaffrey's Ancient Influence in Modern Culture class, right?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, getting a good look at her. "You're the 'please god don't let togas come back in style' girl..." he said, smiling.
"That would be me," she said. "I'm Brooke."
"Ryan," he replied, smiling. "For the record, I'm with you on that one. I have really bad legs, they'd look horrible in a toga."
Brooke laughed, pausing in her work. "Well, my problem is that it does nothing for the figure. No one would see my best features!" she said, gesturing first at her chest and then her ass.
"Give them time to see your pretty face," Ryan replied.
"You're good," Brooke said, nodding. "So, how about... I buy you a coffee to replace the one I made you spill, and you buy me one because I've got a pretty face?"
Ryan leaned in. "You're good, too," he replied. "What do you drink?"
"Depends on what the party is... oh you mean coffee," Brooke joked. "Black. No sugar, no cream, no nothing to stop it from keeping me wide awake. You?"
"Same," Ryan replied, smiling.
"We do have to get through Ancient Influence in Modern Culture," Brooke agreed.
Ryan smiled as they got back in line. "My roommate wishes he'd listened to me and signed up for the class so he could get in some extra naptime," he said. "Jess is always looking for more naptime."
Brooke laughed. "I know a couple people like that."
"Well, in his defense, Jess is usually up half the night writing. He's trying to finish a novel, and there's a collection of short stories he wants to get published..."
Brooke made a face, wrinkling her nose. "Last writer I knew was a cheating ass."
"As far as I know, Jess has never cheated on a girl he was dating," Ryan said. "I won't deny he's kind of an ass..."
Brooke laughed again. "Yeah, well, I'm friends with the cheating ass writer, so... what does that say about me?"
"That you're very forgiving?" Ryan replied.
"Or very stupid, take your pick," Brooke said.
"I think forgiving," Ryan said.
"Suck up," Brooke replied.
"I'm just hoping you'll kick me if I fall asleep in class," Ryan replied.
"Sure, not a problem," Brooke said, smiling.
<~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>
"So, did I actually see you talking to a girl earlier?" Jess asked as he slid into the seat across from Ryan at a table in the science library around midday.
"I thought Science scared you," Ryan muttered as he turned the page in the book in front of him, then cross referenced the information in a second book.
"So, was that a real live girl?"
"As opposed to a zombie girl?" Ryan countered, glancing up. "Yes, she was a real live girl. She's in one of my classes. Now go away so I can finish studying."
"What's her name? How well do you know her? Did you ask her out?"
"Do you ever shut up?" Ryan snapped. "I've had hot coffee spilled all over me and my notes for physics, which led to me being humiliated by my sadist of a professor, which means I have extra work to do so he doesn't automatically fail me. So go away."
"Geeze, somebody's crabby..."
"Jess, this is half my final grade for the semester," Ryan said. "I need to pass this class."
Jess sighed, but nodded. "Alright, I'm going. See you later."
Ryan started to open his mouth to apologize, then shut it again, knowing all too well that Jess would just get pissed at him for it. That was something else they'd figured out early on: Jess didn't like it when people who hadn't done anything apologized, it pissed him off, especially when it was Ryan apologizing. It was funny, but Jess had become the protective big brother that Trey had failed at being and that Seth had never even tried to be. "I'll pick up some take out when I'm done here," he finally offered.
"Sounds good," Jess replied. "Chinese, from that place on Baxter."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Anything else just sucks," he quoted his friend. "You got it, man."
"And you can tell me all about the hot chick I saw you with, and the hot chick who's coming for your birthday while we eat," Jess added before leaving.
"Ass," Ryan muttered as he went back to the books and his notes.
<~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>
As he walked out of his AIMC class, Ryan checked his watch and swore when he saw the class had run over and he needed to get back to the apartment before Flapjacks threw a tantrum and pooped in one of he or Jess's shoes. He just knew he was lucky that Jess seemed to like the fuzzy little rabbit who hopped around, wrinkling his nose and being content to sit on either desk and watch them work. He'd even caught his moody roommate scratching between Flapjacks' ears a couple times.
"Hey, wait up!" Brooke called, jogging after him. "I was wondering if you've got a partner yet for that stupid 'bringing the old into the new era' project?" she asked.
"Not yet," Ryan replied. "I don't even have any real idea on how to pull it off."
"Well, I have one if your interested in teaming up," Brooke said.
"What's the idea?"
"And let you steal it? No way. I will tell you if and when you agree to be my partner."
Ryan smiled despite himself. "Okay, I'll be your partner."
"Excellent!" Brooke said. "Why don't we go get coffee and talk about it?"
"I can't," Ryan said. "I gotta get back to my place, feed Flapjacks..."
"Dog?"
"No."
"Cat?"
"Nope."
"Fish?" Brooke tried, her face confused and absolutely adorable.
"Rabbit," Ryan supplied. "A friend gave him to me right before my freshman year, and if I don't get home and feed him on time, he poops in my shoes or my roommate's shoes."
"Give me your address, I can pick up coffee and come over to meet this rabbit of yours," Brooke said. "I'll bet he loves me."
"I'll bet he bites your finger or your toes," Ryan replied, even as he quickly wrote his address and number onto a scrap of paper.
"See you soon, hot guy," Brooke said a with a smile as she turned and jogged away, stopping once to turn around and wave cheerfully.
"What the hell am I doing?" Ryan asked himself as he hurried towards his waiting jeep, stopping short when he saw Taylor sitting in the passenger seat. "What the hell?" he asked as he walked over and yanked the door open. "Get out."
"I was hoping we could talk..." Taylor began.
"Get the hell out of my jeep!" Ryan replied. "What makes you think that you have the right to be anywhere near me or my jeep? Or the right to hang out across the street from my apartment so much that my roommate calls you my stalker?"
Taylor made a face. "I don't like him, Ryan. He's not a good person for you to be around..."
"Oh my fucking god!" Ryan said. "What gives you the right to judge who I'm friends with?!"
"I love you!"
"If you loved me, I wouldn't have caught you fucking Seth in my bed!" Ryan replied. "Now get the fuck out of my jeep and stay away from me or I'm going to call the cops!"
"I know you still love me!" Taylor protested as she got out of the jeep and faced him.
"If I still loved you, I wouldn't be having a hot girl coming over to my place tonight!" Ryan yelled, slamming the jeep door shut again and going around to the driver's side to get in. "I'm asking you, Taylor, I'm begging you. Just leave me alone. Go find Seth and fuck him in my bed again, you seem to enjoy that." He felt like an asshole as he saw the look on Taylor's face, but he was too tired of her bullshit to care.
To Be Continued...
I have no idea why it took me so long to write this chapter... lol
I promise, Jess and Summer will be meeting soon... and this was not the last we will see of Taylor... lol
Author: Mara
Fandoms: The OC/Gilmore Girls/One Tree Hill
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, Sex in later chapters.
Summary: Four college students try to map out the way to deal with their lives as things become ever more complicated and intertwined.
Notes: Will be Ryan/Brooke and Jess/Summer. Assume everything up until the Series finale of GG, Season 4 finale of OTH, and the Series Finale of The OC (Minus the final montage) to be true for these. Oh, and the class mentioned in this one? Totally made up, but it sounds cool, huh? lol
Chapter Two ~ Here Comes The Sun
The next morning, Ryan was turning away from the coffee cart in the student union when he slammed right into someone. Unlike last time he'd down that, this time he managed to only spill the coffee on himself, not on the pretty girl. "Shit!" he hissed as the hot coffee soaked through his t-shirt.
"Oops," the girl said, wincing. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Ryan said, grabbing a stack of paper napkins and sponging at his soaked t-shirt. "Not the first time that's happened, though then it was the other person who got my coffee spilled all over her.
The girl laughed slightly and grabbed more napkins, pulling Ryan out of the flow of traffic and helping him try to soak up the coffee. "You're in McCaffrey's Ancient Influence in Modern Culture class, right?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, getting a good look at her. "You're the 'please god don't let togas come back in style' girl..." he said, smiling.
"That would be me," she said. "I'm Brooke."
"Ryan," he replied, smiling. "For the record, I'm with you on that one. I have really bad legs, they'd look horrible in a toga."
Brooke laughed, pausing in her work. "Well, my problem is that it does nothing for the figure. No one would see my best features!" she said, gesturing first at her chest and then her ass.
"Give them time to see your pretty face," Ryan replied.
"You're good," Brooke said, nodding. "So, how about... I buy you a coffee to replace the one I made you spill, and you buy me one because I've got a pretty face?"
Ryan leaned in. "You're good, too," he replied. "What do you drink?"
"Depends on what the party is... oh you mean coffee," Brooke joked. "Black. No sugar, no cream, no nothing to stop it from keeping me wide awake. You?"
"Same," Ryan replied, smiling.
"We do have to get through Ancient Influence in Modern Culture," Brooke agreed.
Ryan smiled as they got back in line. "My roommate wishes he'd listened to me and signed up for the class so he could get in some extra naptime," he said. "Jess is always looking for more naptime."
Brooke laughed. "I know a couple people like that."
"Well, in his defense, Jess is usually up half the night writing. He's trying to finish a novel, and there's a collection of short stories he wants to get published..."
Brooke made a face, wrinkling her nose. "Last writer I knew was a cheating ass."
"As far as I know, Jess has never cheated on a girl he was dating," Ryan said. "I won't deny he's kind of an ass..."
Brooke laughed again. "Yeah, well, I'm friends with the cheating ass writer, so... what does that say about me?"
"That you're very forgiving?" Ryan replied.
"Or very stupid, take your pick," Brooke said.
"I think forgiving," Ryan said.
"Suck up," Brooke replied.
"I'm just hoping you'll kick me if I fall asleep in class," Ryan replied.
"Sure, not a problem," Brooke said, smiling.
<~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>
"So, did I actually see you talking to a girl earlier?" Jess asked as he slid into the seat across from Ryan at a table in the science library around midday.
"I thought Science scared you," Ryan muttered as he turned the page in the book in front of him, then cross referenced the information in a second book.
"So, was that a real live girl?"
"As opposed to a zombie girl?" Ryan countered, glancing up. "Yes, she was a real live girl. She's in one of my classes. Now go away so I can finish studying."
"What's her name? How well do you know her? Did you ask her out?"
"Do you ever shut up?" Ryan snapped. "I've had hot coffee spilled all over me and my notes for physics, which led to me being humiliated by my sadist of a professor, which means I have extra work to do so he doesn't automatically fail me. So go away."
"Geeze, somebody's crabby..."
"Jess, this is half my final grade for the semester," Ryan said. "I need to pass this class."
Jess sighed, but nodded. "Alright, I'm going. See you later."
Ryan started to open his mouth to apologize, then shut it again, knowing all too well that Jess would just get pissed at him for it. That was something else they'd figured out early on: Jess didn't like it when people who hadn't done anything apologized, it pissed him off, especially when it was Ryan apologizing. It was funny, but Jess had become the protective big brother that Trey had failed at being and that Seth had never even tried to be. "I'll pick up some take out when I'm done here," he finally offered.
"Sounds good," Jess replied. "Chinese, from that place on Baxter."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Anything else just sucks," he quoted his friend. "You got it, man."
"And you can tell me all about the hot chick I saw you with, and the hot chick who's coming for your birthday while we eat," Jess added before leaving.
"Ass," Ryan muttered as he went back to the books and his notes.
<~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~>
As he walked out of his AIMC class, Ryan checked his watch and swore when he saw the class had run over and he needed to get back to the apartment before Flapjacks threw a tantrum and pooped in one of he or Jess's shoes. He just knew he was lucky that Jess seemed to like the fuzzy little rabbit who hopped around, wrinkling his nose and being content to sit on either desk and watch them work. He'd even caught his moody roommate scratching between Flapjacks' ears a couple times.
"Hey, wait up!" Brooke called, jogging after him. "I was wondering if you've got a partner yet for that stupid 'bringing the old into the new era' project?" she asked.
"Not yet," Ryan replied. "I don't even have any real idea on how to pull it off."
"Well, I have one if your interested in teaming up," Brooke said.
"What's the idea?"
"And let you steal it? No way. I will tell you if and when you agree to be my partner."
Ryan smiled despite himself. "Okay, I'll be your partner."
"Excellent!" Brooke said. "Why don't we go get coffee and talk about it?"
"I can't," Ryan said. "I gotta get back to my place, feed Flapjacks..."
"Dog?"
"No."
"Cat?"
"Nope."
"Fish?" Brooke tried, her face confused and absolutely adorable.
"Rabbit," Ryan supplied. "A friend gave him to me right before my freshman year, and if I don't get home and feed him on time, he poops in my shoes or my roommate's shoes."
"Give me your address, I can pick up coffee and come over to meet this rabbit of yours," Brooke said. "I'll bet he loves me."
"I'll bet he bites your finger or your toes," Ryan replied, even as he quickly wrote his address and number onto a scrap of paper.
"See you soon, hot guy," Brooke said a with a smile as she turned and jogged away, stopping once to turn around and wave cheerfully.
"What the hell am I doing?" Ryan asked himself as he hurried towards his waiting jeep, stopping short when he saw Taylor sitting in the passenger seat. "What the hell?" he asked as he walked over and yanked the door open. "Get out."
"I was hoping we could talk..." Taylor began.
"Get the hell out of my jeep!" Ryan replied. "What makes you think that you have the right to be anywhere near me or my jeep? Or the right to hang out across the street from my apartment so much that my roommate calls you my stalker?"
Taylor made a face. "I don't like him, Ryan. He's not a good person for you to be around..."
"Oh my fucking god!" Ryan said. "What gives you the right to judge who I'm friends with?!"
"I love you!"
"If you loved me, I wouldn't have caught you fucking Seth in my bed!" Ryan replied. "Now get the fuck out of my jeep and stay away from me or I'm going to call the cops!"
"I know you still love me!" Taylor protested as she got out of the jeep and faced him.
"If I still loved you, I wouldn't be having a hot girl coming over to my place tonight!" Ryan yelled, slamming the jeep door shut again and going around to the driver's side to get in. "I'm asking you, Taylor, I'm begging you. Just leave me alone. Go find Seth and fuck him in my bed again, you seem to enjoy that." He felt like an asshole as he saw the look on Taylor's face, but he was too tired of her bullshit to care.
To Be Continued...
I have no idea why it took me so long to write this chapter... lol
I promise, Jess and Summer will be meeting soon... and this was not the last we will see of Taylor... lol