Today Never Happened Before by areyouannie (PG-13)

[ivorychopsticks.livejournal.com]

Fandom: THE OC
Pairing: Theresa-centric, mentions of Seth/Ryan.
Author on LJ: areyouannie
Why this must be read:

This is another reflective character piece after all. Although I had issues with the Theresa story as it played out (how quickly it came up, and then how a wop-bam-boom, she's beaten by her boyfriend! she's pregnant! huh?), her character was intriguing and left a lot of room for writers to fill out her backstory and tie it in with Ryan's. I like this story for the quiet strength it gives Theresa. I also like it for Theresa's understanding of the intersection of luck and choice. I like the portrayal of Theresa's feelings as mixed and complicated.



Ryan isn't coming back.

She's known that for a while now, but somehow, it never felt more real than it does now. The day before he went to jail, they sat on her front porch, sucking on popsicles and not saying much. The air had been hot and sticky, and Theresa could feel the gravel biting into her thighs, just above the frayed edges of her shorts.

She stretched. "Ry?"

"Hmmm."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not so bad here, right?"
She meant it to sound casual, but the words came out stilted, searching for reassurance.

"Right." He turned to her, squinting slightly in the sun. "You okay?"

No, no, no, she thought. No. "Yeah."

He turned away, nodding, and took a last bite of his popsicle, sucking the juice from the stick.

The next day, he was gone.

Today Never Happened Before.