Disclaimer: I do not own The O.C. or any of its characters. Anything that you may recognize belongs to Josh Schwartz & FOX.

A/N: While I was writing 'I'm Not Sick' I came up with this one. So I thought…'why not?' If you haven't read that one, please check it out. If you have, I hope you'll enjoy this one as well.

Ryan's POV

I was sitting at the counter, where I poured myself a bowl of cereal, like I did most mornings, when Seth came down into the kitchen, in his robe, letting out a groan.

"You sound delightful." I commented.

"Yeah it's a fantastic morning." Seth replied; well he sounded very irritated.

"That tooth's still bugging you?" I ask. Seth's been complaining about it for the last couple of days.

"It's killing me." Seth says sitting down and put his hand on his jaw.

"Well it's a good thing you're going to see Dr. Baker, isn't?" Sandy chimed in, once he entered the kitchen.

"Yes dad. It's a great experience of having my mouth poked, prodded, and drilled. I'm looking forward to it." Seth replied, sarcastically.

"Oh stop, with the dramatics." Kirsten said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

I resisted a laugh as I went back to trying to enjoy the rest of my breakfast. Then I would see if Marissa was free to do something later.

"Maybe I can just delay another day." Seth mumbled.

"You are going today. I drag you there myself if I have to." Sandy said.

Seth's been avoiding it for the past few days, which meant the three of us had to listen to his constant moaning and groaning. I was sympathetic, but up to a certain point. He kept putting it off. I guess he didn't want to go, but it looked like his parents have hit their point and weren't going to let him put it off any longer.

After I finished, I went to meet Marissa. I just hung out with her for a little while until she went to go see Summer—I think. When Marissa left, I went back into the house. I grabbed a snack and then brought it back to the pool house with me. I decided to do some studying now. I have a test tomorrow, so I might as well get some done, so I don't have to cram tomorrow morning.

I glanced over and picked up the apple I had taken from the kitchen. I took a bite and then felt a sharp pain in the back of my mouth. I froze for a moment, before I tried chewing again, but once again, I felt the sharp pain. I spit out the apple as the pain lingered for a few moments before fading.

This is really happening now?

Of all the days to get a toothache, it's the day that Seth went to the dentist for his; this is just great.

I looked at the apple in my hand for a moment, before throwing it away. I then go into the cabinet and take an aspirin. They won't miss two pills from a full bottle now, will they? I doubt it.

I go back to the pool house. I put my textbook on the floor and laid down on my bed, waiting for the aspirin to start working. This hurts. Yeah, I've had worse before, but—damn, this hurts. But one thing for sure was that I was not going to let the Cohens find out about this.

I tried to sleep, but it was difficult with the pain. It lingered on for a bit after I was hit with a sharp wave of pain. Not only painful, but it was annoying. And the aspirin couldn't start working fast enough—or maybe 'enough' was the proper word as it didn't as much good as I hoped it would. But I was going to have to deal.

I've gotten worse from my mother's boyfriends. I could handle a small toothache.

I went to the kitchen to get something to drink when Seth and his parents got back.

"Hey Ryan. I thought you'd be at Marissa's." Kirsten says when she walks in past me, taking her coat off.

"Yeah, well she had plans with Summer and I didn't feel like being a third wheel." I said shutting the fridge as I sat at the counter as Seth stood there, looking pretty out of it; I guess he didn't have a fun time; but I decided to ask anyways. "How was the dentist?"

"Oh wonderful. Like I said before, getting my face drilled into is something I look forward to." Seth replies, sarcastically.

"Come on, Seth, it wasn't that bad." Sandy chimes in, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess if you forget about the needles and the drilling and the—"

"Okay, Seth, that's enough." Sandy shut him up, thankfully. Seth could go on hours if he was given the chance. And at the moment, that wasn't something I needed to hear, with how I'm feeling.

"So Ryan, I imagine you had more fun than I did." Seth says.

"I don't know. I just studied and then slept a bit." I replied. Well, I tried to sleep, but it wasn't really working for me that well.

"Speaking of which, I think I'm going to go sleep off the Novocain." Seth says before leaving to go upstairs to bed. I grabbed my book off the counter, which has been sitting there since yesterday from the last time I was reading it. Maybe this could help distract me from the pain. And it did, at least a little bit.

"Ryan, can we talk to you?" Kirsten gets my attention and I put the book down on the counter, marking my place, before turning to look at Kirsten and Sandy, whom was standing next to her.

"We wanted to ask, when's the last time you saw a dentist?" Sandy asks.

I scratch my head, trying to think of the answer. "Um, I don't know…" I said honestly, it was hard to remember exactly when. I only have gone once in my life and I was trying to forget my past, as best as I could.

"Have you ever been?" Kirsten then asks, rephrasing Sandy's initial question.

"Once." I said. "I might have been…eight or nine. I can't remember."

"Well, maybe we should get you an appointment to get checked out." Kirsten says and I made sure I looked neutral. Of course, they would think about this now, when I'm in this current situation; not that they know that, of course. But that would be my rotten luck.

"No, it's okay. You don't need to do that." I said.

"We just want to make sure you're okay." Sandy added.

"I'm okay, really. You don't have to."

Sandy and Kirsten looked at each other; I wasn't sure if what they said next was going to be in my favor or not.

"It's not a bother, Ryan—" Kirsten started to say, but Sandy cut her off.

"It's alright. We don't have to do this. But if you did need it, you'll come to us about it? Okay?" Sandy asks me and I nodded.

That was the end of that conversation. Yeah, I lied. I probably shouldn't. And I knew they said they were fine with doing stuff like that and it wasn't a bother, but I didn't need them to do that. It was a bother; it seemed like it was. I hadn't been living here long and they already are thinking they need to do all these things for me and I don't want to be a bother. I don't want them to think that they have to. It's not fair to them. And frankly, it's not something I really need. I'll be fine. I could handle a little pain and be fine. I will be fine without the Cohens knowing about this; and that's how intended to keep it.

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