Red and Gray

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the O.C. I don't own anything except my car, to be honest, so please don't sue.

AN: This takes place after "The Secret" but it's AU after that. Seth didn't choose either girl, he decided to be friends with both. It's NOT based on any spoilers, true or false despite similarities to a false spoiler that went around a few weeks ago. I've been working on this since November, one of the few stories I actually spent time working on instead of just posting it immediately (but the writing's just as bad). Kirsten and Sandy are going away on the romantic getaway that they won at Caleb & Julie's party and leaving the boys home with Rosa, the housekeeper. Sandy is still involved in the legal case with Caleb & Kirsten's company. It will be angsty and dark in the upcoming chapters, so don't get worried if it's lighter than my other stuff. I just wanted to get something new out there and this one's getting outdated so let me know what you guys think!

Rated: PG-13 for language? (I write like I talk, so I apologize if the language seems coarse to some. Sorry!)

"So are you sure you guys will be okay here all by yourself?" Kirsten is standing in the kitchen as Sandy puts their luggage into the car.

"Yes, for the four hundredth time, yes, Mom," Seth replies. Ryan is sitting beside him at the counter, spooning cereal into his mouth, watching their exchange with an amused expression.

"We're only going away for a week. Rosa will be here during the day and we'll call every night…" Kirsten continues.

"Mom, please. We get it. Now can you go ahead and leave? The keg's getting delivered at ten and the strippers are already on the way," Seth says evenly. Ryan laughs aloud at Kirsten's stricken expression.

"Now I'm worried. Ryan's laughing and you look like somebody died," Sandy says, walking into the kitchen and putting his arm around his wife.

"Don't worry, guys. Ryan and I promise to stay out of trouble," Seth grins at his parents. Ryan gives them the thumbs-up sign with his mouth full.

Sandy and Kirsten glance at each other.

"You guys deserve the time away," Ryan says quietly. "We'll be good. No fire. No arrests. No accidental overdoses in foreign countries." He holds up two fingers. "Scout's honor."

Kirsten smiles slightly. "Were you a boy scout?"

Seth laughs as Ryan's gaze flickers toward him. "Sure."

"Okay, honey, I think we've done all that we can without installing surveillance equipment," Sandy laughs. "We'll call you when we get to the hotel, guys. Please. Stay out of trouble?"

Seth and Ryan both raise their fingers and state, "Scout's honor."

*****

"…Let's get crazy,
Talk about our big plans
Places that you're going
Places that I haven't been
Build my walls up
Concrete castle
Keep this kingdom free of hassle, yeah…"
--Something Corporate

"Are they gone?" Ryan calls from the kitchen.

"Hallelujah, yes. Thank you Grandpa, for the romantic getaway for my parents that gives us a week of freedom!" Seth responds. He leaves the window where he was watching his parents' departure and returns to the kitchen.

"So what are we going to do? Go to school?"

"Ryan. I'm disappointed in you. Aren't you, like, the official bad boy of Chino? And you're asking if we're going to cut school when our parental units are out of town?" Seth responds, feigning disappointment.

Ryan gives him the finger. "Then why did I get out of bed, Seth?"

"Marissa keeping you up nights?" Seth teases.

"What about you? Anna keeping you up nights?" Ryan retorts, playfully.

"Stop right there. No talking about Anna or Summer today. I'm officially taking the day off. Let's go to the beach," Seth replies.

"So we can go sailing on the boat named after Summer?"

"Huh. Maybe not. What do you want to do?"

Ryan shrugs. "We can run a couple of games and raid the mini-bar."

Seth considers this. "Drunken playstation. I can deal with that."

*****

Around lunchtime, Seth and Ryan are reasonably wasted from Ryan's expertly made screwdrivers. Rosa, the housekeeper, has joined them, enjoying the mixed drinks as well. When the doorbell rings, she leaves the lounging boys and goes to the door.

"Dude. What are you doing here?" Luke Ward steps into the den, startled at the sight of the two drunken teenagers.

"Luke? What are you doing here?" Seth asks in response, slurring his words. Despite Ryan's serious relationship with Marissa, he has become friends with Luke. They are teammates on the soccer team and have bonded after struggling through several of the same classes.

"We have a game at six, Ryan, you can't play if you don't show up to school," Luke says, smiling despite himself as Ryan finishes his drink and looks at him blankly.

"What? Says who?" Ryan asks.

"The coach, dude, he sent me to find you."

Seth starts to laugh. "Hah, Ryan, you have to go to school…" Ryan shoves him. He sighs, getting to his feet and returning to the mini-bar. He refreshes his drink.

"You want one?" Ryan offers Luke. He shrugs. Ryan makes Luke a drink, one for himself and one for Rosa.

At one o'clock, Rosa and Seth are playing video games and Luke is sitting with Ryan on the patio, watching him smoke a cigarette.

"How can you do that? I mean, it's smoke and it doesn't get you high," Luke comments. He closes his eyes as he stretches out in a lawnchair.

"Are you tanning? Dude," Ryan replies. "That's not cool."

"Shut up," Luke replies.

"I've been smoking since I was ten," Ryan mutters.

"Since you were ten? What the fuck, dude. Your folks didn't care?" Luke asks.

"Nope. I think that's been pretty well established," Ryan remarks.

"Sorry," Luke smiles at him, apologetic.

"What the hell are you guys doing? Coach sent you to get Chino and you just disappear?" Chip and most of the soccer team walk up from the driveway.

"We kind of got distracted," Luke replies, holding up his glass.

Chip plucks Ryan's cigarette from his fingers and stamps it out. "We're going to blow the game, punk, if you can't breathe…"

"What is this, the cancer police or something?" Ryan mutters, glaring at him. "It's like I'm trapped in a 'truth' commercial."

"You guys are our best players and you're getting wasted before the game…where's your folks?" Chip asks, realizing that they are drinking at Ryan and Seth's house.

"Ryan, phone…" Seth yells from inside.

"The housekeeper's watching them. She makes a mean margarita, too," Luke answers as Ryan staggers inside. He picks up the phone from the counter.

"Ryan?"

"Marissa, hey," Ryan smiles.

"Kirsten and Sandy get off okay?"

"Yeah. This morning."

"Word is that the soccer team is cutting school today. Dr. Kim is meeting with the coach…"

"Shit…" Ryan says, glancing outside at the gathered boys.

"Are you going to play tonight?"

"I guess we'll see. I'm a little wasted."

"Ryan? You…" Marissa laughs. "You're going to get in so much trouble…where's Rosa?"

Seth lets out a yell as Rosa's ninja beats him.

"She's on the playstation with Seth. We're all wasted." He glances outside again. "Looks like the soccer team is getting started, too."

"I'll be over right after school…"

"Let me see what the boys want to do, Marissa. We might have to go to this game if we don't get busted."

"Okay. I'll call you when school lets out." She lowers her voice. "I told my dad that I was going to stay with Summer for the next few days…but…"

"Sweet. I'm looking forward to it…"

"What's going on with Summer and Seth?"

"Don't ask don't tell is all I know. I don't know anything," Ryan replies.

"I'll grill you for details later, kid. Bye."

Ryan smiles as he hangs up. He opens the door to the patio. He explains to the team that the coach is meeting with Dr. Kim. They all agree to stay put and continue drinking. They're in trouble anyway.

Due to Ryan's truce with Luke and the jocks, Seth has become more accepted among the teens in Newport. He's constantly with Ryan and surprisingly, has become friends with a couple of the soccer jocks due to their common addiction to Playstation 2.

By three o'clock, Rosa has passed out in the guestroom and Seth and Ryan have stopped drinking. The soccer team continues to party, gathered on the patio while Seth and Ryan are trying not to pass out. The knocking on the door startles them both from their dazes as they jump.

"Shit. This can't be good," Seth mutters, walking with Ryan to the door.

Ryan glances through the window and recognizes his soccer coach and assistant coach. "I'll let you handle this." He bolts before Seth can open the door.

"Wait!" Seth calls, but Ryan is gone. "Damn." He opens the door.

"Mr. Cohen. Have you seen my team?" The coach demands, sternly. The assistant coach is amused.

"Uh…" Seth stammers. He's saved from his explanation by a rousing yell from the backyard urging someone to 'chug'.

"That's Chip," The assistant coach nods.

"Just step aside, Seth. This is out of your hands now," The coach sighs. Seth lets the men inside.

"Busted!" The assistant coach says, grabbing Ryan's arm as he finds him in the kitchen. Ryan is waving to the drunken teenagers on the patio and they are scrambling to hide the alcohol they have gathered.

"Damn," Ryan mutters. The coach is on the patio when the assistant coach pulls Ryan outside.

The lecture begins and lasts over half an hour. Finally, the coach sighs. "I've spoken with Dr. Kim and because this is such an important match for us, I convinced her to let this slide. Actually, I told her that you were all at a workshop scheduled by Jimmy over there," He refers to the assistant coach. "But you guys better sober up fast and you BETTER win tonight. You listening, Atwood?"

Ryan nods his assent. "Yes, sir."

"I want you guys in the locker room in an hour. I want sobriety and discipline. You boys are too old for this. You better all be there and there will be extra practices for the rest of the week so you boys can prove to me that you want Newport to go all state. You understand?"

"Yes, sir," The group of scolded teenagers reply.

"Good. Now. I'm glad you boys have come together as a team, I'm very proud of that, but this is unacceptable. I'll see you all in an hour." The coach exits with Jimmy. Ryan joins Seth in the kitchen.

"This was not my best idea," Ryan mutters to Seth.

"I think it was one of the best," Seth grins. "We just pulled off a major party during school and we got busted and we're not going to get into any trouble. And you were worried about fitting it," Seth teases.

"Hey. You're not in trouble, is that what I hear?" Marissa walks into the kitchen, smiling.

"When am I not in trouble? I'm always in trouble. I'm drunk and I have to be ready to play soccer in an hour with a bunch of drunk jocks," Ryan replies, embracing Marissa. She kisses him deeply.

When they separate, they hear a loud commotion from the patio. Chip has pushed Luke into the pool and several other boys have joined in the wrestling match in the pool.

"This is like a documentary on Animal Planet or something. What the jocks do in their free time," Seth jokes.

*****