Author's Note: I've thought about writing this, its random and may be out of character which will annoy not only you but me. Though I've worked 17 days in a row so...I don't care that much. (Apathy will kill us all.) But I'm content-drinking wine and 17 days isn't as tiresome as the 22 days in a row. So...if you have any suggestions or comments feel free. I've got it plotted but it can be scraped if people loath it since I'm on the fence. And numerous chapters will be posted in a chapter considering they're short and I don't have time to write the usual long ones. Ten points if anyone can figure out what line is from Veronica Mars.

Chapter 1

"I thought the house was on fire."

"That's next," she replied calmly as she slowly ripped apart her yearbooks and threw it into the metal trash can methodically, as though savoring the sound, the transfer from together to apart, incomplete and then no longer. Ash to ash and dust to dust. Or however it goes. She thought.

"Ah, I missed that humor," her friend replied.

If she believed in best friends as she used to they would be.

"Why the destruction, fire and brimestone? Got tired of making strangers cry?" The neighbor conitinued.

"They were taking up space." She said with a barely there smirk.

"You couldn't recycle?" Her friend said back quickly, their usual banter coming back easily.

"I'm cold, at least now they serve a purpose." She continued to slowly rip apart pages but finally looked up at her friend.

"You didn't bring any marshmellows? Where are those fast thinking skills I remember?" She continued with another smirk.

Instead of a response her friend gently elbowed her.

"Ow, Summer." Marissa replied as she held the last yearbook in her hand, her other arm holding her side.

"You insult me-you mess with the bull," the shorter brunette replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

Marissa's only response was to roll her eyes.

"I was going to say I missed you but nevermind," she said dragging out the never part.

"Oh Coop, you missed me. Plus, while we were on another ends of the good ol US of A, by the way, next time I'm just taking you with me on vacation, so...I ran into someone that I thought may help you...out of your...cheerful disposition," Summer said with a small smile. A very small smile.

"Ra Ra yay Newport," Marissa replied, her hands out to the side doing mock spirit fingers and then went back to tearing up the pages.

"Fine, but Alex said hello." Summer said nonchalantly. And then there was stillness. No noise, no tearing.

Chapter 2

Alex...

Marissa could only think of her name. She wasn't willing to admit their past moments, how there were genuinely content periods in her life where instead of embracing them like a normal person she felt out of place, unsteady and almost felt out of her body. Happiness? She once admitted she experienced it, but also bitterly accepted that she had jeoprodized it and the side effect was hurting someone else. The thought of Alex made her flinch. Sometimes she tried to seem like her usual blase self but whenever anyone said the name Alex she'd flinch in a barely noticeway way.

And now Alex out of the blue said hello. She felt like she didn't deserve the kind gesture or civility, but then again looking back she knew Alex was also hospitable underneath the indie-rock/punk look and mindframe she projected.

It had been days since Summer mentioned her ex but Marissa repeatedly tried to distract herself with work. It had been years since they had last seen each other. Now she was 22 and on her winter break for college. People were often shocked that she went to study business but Summer wasn't. Her best friend was conscious of the fact that almost everyone expected Marissa to go into fashion, something the taller brunette loathed, and Jimmy Cooper may have been sketchy to say the least but Marissa knew what it was to feel rich in a mansion and poor in a trailer park and in turn tried to make sure everyone was safe financially.

With a deep breath and pressing her fingertips into her temple she was growing frustrated. Its just a simple hello she reasoned. But Alex didn't had to say hello so it may mean that she'd want to see you or was thinking about you. Or she was just being nice. Or it was in passing and she didn't want to seem rude to Summer. Her thoughts went back and forth, more or less like a ping pong game.

Groaning in frustration she got up from her bed, bored by the ceiling, grabbed her car keys and headed downstairs, avoiding her mother as always.

The trip to the coffee shop was a blind drive, she didn't remember it. The habit of going from point a to point b was simple but the tall brunette had to take a long, deep breath while she stared at the options because for a moment she forgot where she was as she stood planted in her spot even after the customer before her left.

She also didn't notice when she took a step forward at the same time as someone else, slightly running into them and knocking their keys and cell phone to the floor.

"Oh...jesus, "she mumbled. "I'm sorry,'' she finished more clearly.

"Its not a problem, you were just testing to make sure gravity still works, right?" The other person replied in a laid back tone that offered a comedic escapism from an awkward moment.

"Of course and I'm not under an apple tree so I use whatever's handy." She said as she stood back up and held the keys out to the person as the cellphone was picked up by its owner.

Standing face to face Marissa almost dropped the keys again. With a smirk and making a subtle attempt to be a little more eye level Alex smirked at Marissa.

"Hi."

What the hell!

"Um...hi," Marissa said looking Alex over, no doubt in her mind with a wide eyed expression.

"Smooth," Alex said with a more obvious smirk but clearly wasn't patronizing or judging her. Marissa forgot that light teasing was part of the Alex Kelly charm.

Oh just kill me now.

"What're you doing here?" Marissa asked with a bit of shock slipping out.

"Well I think they have coffee here...and I'm in need of it. Energy is a thing of myth," Alex said but with that ever present smirk on her lips.

Oh she looks cute. And good...not a blonde anymore. But...why is she tired? From a late night? Partying? Sex? Oh no. Not going there. No no.

"I meant...in Newport." She clarified with a small sigh as a means to release her own tension.

"Family," Alex said bluntly, the smirk gone, her tone stoic and rather...

Guarded. She's still guarded. Then again like I'm one to talk. Which is maybe what I should do instead of being in my head.

"Okay," she said, leaving it at that and made way for a new topic. "Would you like to have coffee together?" She asked hesitantly and tilting her head to an empty table.

Her ex looked from the table to her phone, clearly checking the time and back up to Marissa eyes.

"I've got a half hour," the former blonde said with an upbeat edge to her tone.

Breathing another sigh which was clearly in relief, Marissa offered a small smile, unable to feel anything but something akin to happiness again slowly impact.

Chapter 3

Coffee together wasn't awkward or hesitant, they feel into an easy conversation; mostly about the last few years and work. They both avoided questions or discussion on significant others or any relationships and although Marissa felt Alex was guarded on more than a few levels they both left with each other's numbers with the agreeance that they'd meet up. And possibly without Marissa accousting her, Alex had said with her quickly becoming infamous smirk.

Four days had gone by and again Marissa was bored. To call or text, text or not to? She went back and forth, a little lion was caged in her head.

Frowning at her phone she picked it up and was about to text her when she recieved a text. Summer being Summer interrupted and said-just call her.

Rolling her eyes Marissa wasn't annoyed as some may be about having a slightly bossy and disturbingly in tune best friend. She didn't bother to reply because she knew Summer would bring it up later. Instead she exited the text and scrowled through her contacts to Alex which didn't give her enough time to debate more. Begrudgingly she pressed the call button and listened to the ringing.

It picked up on the third ring. And hating to leave voicemails Marissa was about to hang up.

"You're bored aren't you?" Alex said without a hello.

It was easy to hear that the former blonde was already teasing her and knew her, which somewhat annoyed Marissa that she was that predictable.

"Maybe I just wanted to see how you are," Marissa replied quickly and a little tersely.

"Hm...you've never been that considerate," Alex said cutting to the chase.

"Ouch." She said and paused. "I would be really offended if you were anyone else...but...you know first hand how...cruel I can be," Marissa said choosing her words.

"That was honest...and abbrasive," Alex said with shock but without criticism; just an observation.

"What's the point in lying?" Marissa wondered but was a real question.

"You used to do it. Often." Her ex replied matter-of-factly without malice.

"I know and I think I've been lied to enough, I don't need to do it to others," the brunette replied.

"This is...different,"Alex said wearily.

"Maybe its because I'm sick," Marissa replied point blankly as she massaged her head again. Another headache this week, worse than before.

"Oh. Would you like some company or something?" Alex offered sincerly, concern in her voice.

"I don't want to get you sick," the taller girl replied and closed her eyes from the light that was coming from her window after a cloud had stopped blocking the sun. She felt guilty for wanting Alex there, even at the chance it would feel awkward. But she knew she couldn't exploit her ex's soft side as she had done before.

"Whatever," Alex replied quickly. "My immune system is awesome, but thanks for your consideration," she said in an almost peppy tone with some joking arrogance thrown in.

"Alright, would you like to come over then, maybe watch a movie? Or maybe not, light isn't really helping. How about...'' she tried and heard loud noises that seemed like chaos in the background.

"If you give me a half hour to fourty-five minutes I'll be over."

Marissa wanted to ask why a half hour? Alex used to be instantaneous-drop everything and meet up with her. But now she didn't have that obligation and she knew it shouldn't be expected. It wasn't fair to expect anything.

"Alright," Marissa said and nodded to herself , trying not to sound disappointed.

"You're next to Summer's house now?"

"Yeah," Marissa said and drifted to her own thoughts that mostly contained critiques of herself that was slowly leadingto depression. Self-deprication had risen to a new level in the past few months.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Take some advil in the meantime," Alex said gently and hung up.

That was abrupt.

"A half hour to fourty-five damn minutes to stop feeling like death warmed over," she mumbled to herself and fell back into bed.

Ugh, forget that. Prepping can wait. She thought and closed her eyes.