Chapter 32: First Day of School II
"Hey, baby!" A typical jock football player walked up and kissed Marissa - the same guy I'd seen behind the wheel of the truck that night.
"Hello, Luke!" Summer greeted, still clinging on me.
"Hi, dude!" I raised a hand - the one around Haley's shoulder - while my other arm stayed firm around Summer's waist.
"Wow, man, already took the second and third best girls?" Luke teased.
"Yep. Got a sun and a little comet for myself. And I prefer brunettes, so I already have #1 and #2." I grinned.
Marissa just rolled her eyes.
"Okay, before this turns into gossip," Haley pulled away from me. "He's my cousin," she clarified loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
The bell rang, cutting the tension and sending everyone back to class.
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When the bell rang again, students poured out of the building. I walked toward the parking lot with Summer and Marissa on either side, Haley trailing close behind.
"Luke can't come. He has practice - coach said if he skips, he's benched," Marissa explained, sounding mildly annoyed.
I shrugged. "His loss."
Marissa gave me a sideways look
Haley linked arms with Summer. "So it's just us girls. You're so lucky, Jake."
"Or maybe you're the lucky ones."
"Not even you believe that," Summer smirked.
"So, ladies," I asked, "which one of you has a car?"
The Ferrari only had two seats - worst case, I'd grab a cab for them.
"My car's in the shop. Dad gave me a ride," Summer mentioned.
"I can drive all of us," Marissa offered with a smile.
"No, he has a-" Before Haley could finish, a familiar voice called her name.
She turned to see the family minivan. "Mom, can you not embarrass me?" she groaned.
I approached. "Hey, Aunt Claire. I invited Haley to the beach - we're going to my dad's house."
Claire's eyes narrowed between Haley and me
"It's just the four of us," I said smoothly, pointing at the girls waiting nearby.
She hesitated, then finally relented. "I want you back by eight, Haley."
Before Haley could argue, I added, "She will be. I'll bring her home myself."
Claire sighed and drove off to pick up Luke and Alex.
I turned back to the girls. "Marissa, I'll go first - just follow my lead."
"Alright. Where's your car?" she asked.
"Right around the corner," I gestured for them to come along.
When the Ferrari came into view, Summer froze.
"You have a Ferrari??? she exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief
"Want the passenger seat?" I smirked at her
Haley pouted and followed Marissa toward her car.
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As we pulled out of the lot, Summer told me to drive slowly - just enough for everyone to notice.
"Thought you'd try to play hard again," I joked.
She leaned in and pressed her lips to mine.
I deepened it, savoring the moment until Marissa started honking behind us.
I drove us to Malibu's house
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We arrived at the house and parked in the garage. Inside, Dad was already waiting.
"Hey, Francis - looks like you brought some good company for your first day of school," Charlie greeted, his trademark smirk firmly in place.
"Marissa, Summer - this is my dad, Charlie Harper."
"Francis?" Marissa repeated, arching an eyebrow.
"My name is Francis Jacob Pritchett Harper. I prefer to be called Jake, but in the Harper family, we already have my little cousin named that. So, to avoid confusion, here I'm called Francis." I explained while leading them to the deck.
"Nice place!" Summer commented, taking a look around.
Then Berta appeared, carrying a tray of drinks and serving us on the deck. "White Wine Spritzer for the princess, Piña Coladas for the two troublemakers, and Old Fashioned for Gatsby."
"Always loved your humor, Berta," I smiled, slipping her a few bills. "And you nailed it perfectly."
Berta nailed each girl's taste and stereotype perfectly.
She shot me a knowing look. "I've worked for your father long enough." Then simply asked "Which one? Or more than one?"
"That one's my cousin, and the other one has a boyfriend," I replied, nodding toward Haley and Marissa.
Berta kept waiting. "Neither's a dealbreaker in this house, and I've seen worse."
I sighed. "The other brunette."
"Your room is all clean, with fresh sheets and new towels," she murmured to me.
"I don't think that'll happen today… but thanks." I nodded at her.
"I can't believe your dad lets you drink just like this," Haley complained, but seeing the other girls' faces, she exclaimed, "Wait, am I the only one who can't drink anything without being grounded?"
"I sneak a drink or two, and they don't say anything," Marissa said, already getting comfortable in the recliner.
"Same here," Summer nodded, as I went to sit next to her.
"This is so unfair," Haley whined.
"You're the only fifteen-year-old here, cutie," I teased her. Not that Claire will let her drink even when she turns sixteen.
It's a bit odd that Marissa and Summer are sixteen too, considering they didn't repeat a grade (and are sophomore)
We talked for a while and then decided to go down and sit on the beach.
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"Next time we should bring bikinis," Summer remarked, as we all sat on the beach chairs, barefoot on the sand but still fully dressed.
The ocean breeze carried a hint of salt and laughter from somewhere down the shore.
Then two girls jogging along the waterline waved at me. "Hey, Francis!"
I waved back with a grin.
And it happened another time too, making Summer cross her arms.
"What? You didn't expect me not to be popular, huh?" I pulled her into a kiss, and we only stopped when Haley separated us with her hands
"We are still here, cousin" she complained
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Author's Note:
Ages are completely messed up across the shows. In The O.C., everyone starts at 16 years old, and they're entering their sophomore year.
Alex Dunphy's age also seems inconsistent. In this story, she is 13 years old.
As I mentioned in the auxiliary chapter, don't expect me to be faithful to the original series.
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