The first time Taylor hears Ryan Atwood's name, it's from her twin sister, Marissa, who comes home from another rager at Holly Fischer's house and is full of Ryan this and Ryan that. Taylor thinks her sister is crazy. Why would she even need to look at another guy when she has Luke Ward at her beck and call?

Staying quiet, Taylor listens to Marissa's drunken slurring before she guides her sister into her bedroom and deposits her on the bed. Then, she goes back to reading a book of French poems that she's recently fallen in love with.

Ryan Atwood is forgotten.

XXX

Because Veronica Townsend is quite possibly the most vindictive mother in the history of mothers, she sends Taylor to visit family in Phoenix during the weekend of Cotillion. Taylor has always dreamed of Cotillion and making her debut in a beautiful white ball gown, and, hopefully, finding her prince charming waiting for her at the end.

Instead, she spends the weekend with her maternal grandmother who hates Taylor almost as much as Veronica does.

When she returns to Newport, Veronica is bursting at the seams with pride at how beautiful Marissa looked and how that "felon from Chino" cleaned up nicely enough for her perfect daughter. Marissa was flawless, and Veronica is thrilled because her daughter was brilliant even though her escort ended up having to knock Holly Fischer's father out because he attacked that money-laundering Jimmy Cooper.

"You should try to be more like Marissa, Taylor," Veronica critiques her for the billionth time in her life. "She's thin, she's willowy, and she's got every boy drooling after her. It's unfortunate that, despite the fact that you're twins, you couldn't be more different."

The way she says "different," Taylor understands that it's meant negatively. At this point in her life, Taylor's figured out that she's a duck. Every insult tends to just roll off her.

Marissa's too busy flirting with Chino-boy to notice that Taylor's back from her trip.

XXX

When Marissa lands in the hospital because of an overdose of tequila and painkillers in Tijuana, Taylor resists the urge to roll her eyes. Her twin is quite possibly the worst cliché in the world—the poor, little rich girl who has everything and is still miserable.

Taylor goes to the hospital to visit her and meets Ryan Atwood for the first time. He's lurking around the corner from Marissa's room because Veronica has decided that he's a danger to her precious daughter.

"Ryan, right?" He frowns at her, and she sighs. "I'm Taylor. Marissa's twin?"

He looks confused, and she wonders if that look is permanently fixed to his face. Maybe people from Chino really are mentally challenged. "Marissa has a twin?"

His words hit her in the chest, and she wonders why she's so surprised that Marissa neglected to mention her sister. "Yes," she replied calmly even though she's breaking inside. "Yes, she does. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go jump off the nearest cliff."

She walks away, and he watches her go, wondering if she was serious about jumping off a cliff. These Townsend girls, he thinks, they're such a mess.

Two minutes later, he forgets all about Taylor when Veronica comes out and coldly tells him that he can visit with Marissa for five minutes.

XXX

"I hear you met Ryan."

Taylor glances up from the filing she's doing for the secretary of the Harbor School's Dean of Discipline. Seth Cohen ambles his way towards her with Anna Stern, the new girl, and she smiles at them. She still can't believe she was lucky enough that a girl like Anna has finally moved to Newport. If only Anna could be her twin instead of Marissa…

"I met him," she replies before shuffling a stack of files.

Anna leans against the secretary's desk with a mischievous expression on her face. "I hear your twin is dating him. At least, that's what Seth here tells me."

Why am I not surprised? Taylor wonders. "Well, considering he steals cars and burns down million-dollar homes, and she's the girl who ODs on pills and tequila, I'm sure they're a match made in heaven."

Seth looks offended. "Hey, now. We've been friends since kindergarten, so don't make me pitch a hissy fit over you insulting my brother."

"Brother?" Taylor arches a brow at him. "Really, Seth. Isn't that just asking for trouble? I mean, I know Kirsten and Sandy are smart people, but adopting him? Is that a good idea?"

"He totally had my back against Luke at one of Holly's parties this summer," Seth defends Ryan's honor. "Besides, you don't even know him! How can you, of all people, judge a book by its cover?"

Anna hooks her arms around both their shoulders, able to sense a fight brewing. "You've known each other since kindergarten? I feel like there's a story there."

Seth shrugs his shoulder in his signature move. "Well, you know, when you're the only two people who understand and appreciate the art form of animé in a kindergarten class of twenty-five spoiled Newpsies, it's kind of hard to be anything but friends."

"Aww, that's so cute," Anna coos as they leave the office and step into the bustling hallways of Harbor.

Taylor abhors the first day of school. When she hears Summer Roberts squeal over something with girls on the cheer team, she remembers why. She can't believe she shares DNA with Summer Roberts' best friend.

Next to her, Anna is chiding Seth for being too easy. "Girls only like guys who don't chase after them. Don't look at her."

"Oh, but Anna-"

Taylor smiles. She might not be as pretty or popular or thin as Marissa, but she likes her life the way it is. Most days.

XXX

When she finds Ryan anxiously waiting for Marissa by her sister's locker, Taylor begins to feel pity towards him. It's only been three weeks since they started dating, but she's heard that things are not all smooth sailing. Apparently, Luke Ward isn't as over her as he thought, and, apparently, Marissa finds it amusing enough to entertain his advances.

Of course, nothing involving Marissa is smooth sailing.

So, when Taylor sees Ryan, she decides to be nice. After all, it can't be easy being masochistic enough to date Marissa Townsend. "Ryan." She smiles when he glances up at her as she approaches.

"Taylor. Hi." He offers her a smile. "I thought you were going to go jump off a cliff?"

She can feel embarrassed color seeping from her neck to her face. "Uh, yes, well, I decided that I had too much to do and killing myself certainly wasn't going to accomplish me going to France, falling in love with a passionate Frenchman who will write passionate stories about me, and living happily ever after. You know?"

No wonder Marissa didn't tell him about her twin, Ryan thinks. "Right. Well, glad you're still living. Uh, do you know where Marissa is? We were supposed to meet here twenty minutes ago."

Taylor doesn't want to tell him that she saw Marissa and Luke talking in a classroom around the corner, so she doesn't. The guy probably has enough on his plate, she figures. "No, I haven't seen her." She hesitates. "Look, Ryan, I know I'm probably not the person you want to hear advice from—heck, this is the first time we've even talked, so why would you take advice from virtually a stranger, right? I mean, what with stranger danger and all, huh?" She's babbling and can't seem to stop. Ryan just stares at her, a half-amused, half-confused expression on his face. "Yeah, okay, well here's the deal. I know you like Marissa, but I know my sister, Ryan. She's not exactly reliable, and you seem like a nice enough guy, so I'm telling you to be careful around her. She could break your heart. She's done it before."

The amusement is gone and has been replaced with a blank stare. "Marissa and I are fine. She's just late. It's not a big deal."

Too late, Taylor thinks. Poor guy, he's already half in love with her sister. Well, she hopes Seth will help pick up the pieces after Marissa gets through with his new brother.

XXX

When Ryan and Marissa hit the rocks between the Oliver debacle and the part where he impregnated his ex-girlfriend in Chino, Taylor suffers through Marissa's moaning and whining, sobbing and dramatic exclamations. She certain that she shouldn't say something like, "Well, I could have told you so," or if she should go congratulate Ryan for finally breaking free of the ball and chain.

She does neither and, come autumn and the start of junior year, realizes that it would have been pointless to say anything anyway. Ryan moves back to Newport, Marissa hooks up with the yard guy—Taylor figured that one out when she found them in a heated moment over the summer—and then Ryan starts dating the new girl. Since Anna's move back to Pittsburgh, Taylor and Seth have fallen apart and Lindsey's arrival seemed to be kismet…until Taylor finds her making out with Ryan in a closed classroom after school.

Newport, she thinks with a shake of her head as she walks away from a flustered Lindsey and embarrassed Ryan. These people will never learn.

XXX

Junior flies by as Taylor buries herself in work and pretends that her family does not exist. Things seem to work fine until Marissa shoots Ryan's brother.

Taylor wishes the earth could just open up and swallow her whole. She's sure it would be much less painful than living with a hysterical Veronica Townsend and an angst-ridden Marissa. She doesn't bother rolling her eyes when Marissa's dramatics don't cease when she starts attending Newport Union.

XXX

"I can't believe they're arguing over this again," Taylor mutters to herself as she stands outside her house, listening to the sounds of a Ryan/Marissa argument. This one seems to be over the same thing the last three have been: Johnny Harper.

Marissa's high-pitched shrieking carries easily through the open windows and is followed by the lower rumblings of Ryan's voice.

Deciding that she does not want to be in the house because it's sure to cause her headaches, she walks over to the lush green grass of the front lawn and lays down, not really caring that she could easily be covered in bugs and dirt and all the grimy things that are sure to incite a Veronica lecture about what a failure she is.

Instead, Taylor goes off to her happy place and dreams of the future when she can escape Newport and all of its insanity. She cannot wait until she can go somewhere and just be Taylor Townsend instead of Veronica's daughter or Marissa's twin. She is desperately ready to be her own person.

Drifting off, she doesn't notice when the argument in the house behind her ends, when the front door opens and slams shut, or when footsteps start to cross the driveway and then stop and change directions.

When she opens her eyes, she nearly screams. Pressing a hand to her racing heart, she blinks up at her visitor. "Ryan? What are you doing here?"

He watches her curiously, wondering why she is sprawled out in the middle of the lawn at close to midnight. "Are you okay?"

Her brows lift, surprised that the first time someone other than Seth asks her how she is it's Ryan Atwood. She sits up and starts to push herself off the ground when he grabs hold of her arm and helps her up. Surprised with the move, she stumbles off balance, and he catches her before she falls.

Taylor looks up to thank him and finds herself trapped when their eyes lock. Did she ever notice just how blue his eyes were? Or how many expressions race across them as he studies her every bit as closely as she studies him? She wonders if he can feel the way her heart is racing.

Ryan doesn't know why he's holding onto her. After all, he's dating her twin, and the last thing he needs is for Marissa to catch him with her sister in his arms. But there's something else, he thinks for a moment. There's something here, and he's not sure what. So they continue to stare at each other until something dawns on him.

Maybe there's more to Taylor Townsend than what all the Newpsies and Marissa say. Maybe he's been wrong to draw conclusions about her based on what everyone else says. After all, she was Seth's best friend for most of their lives, right? He opens his mouth to say something…

…but she shatters the moment by detaching his hand from her arm and stepping back.

"Taylor…" he begins with no idea what he's going to say.

"Forget it, Ryan. I have to go." She grabs her bag from the ground and hurries up to the house.

She's not sure what that was, but she knows one thing is certain. Ryan Atwood is not good for her, and she had better remember that.

XXX

AN: Never fear! I promise that the ending of Blaming You is coming. This is just something else that popped into my head and is so obviously AU. I just wondered what it might be like if Marissa and Taylor had been twins...and here's the result. This one is mostly written so the rest will be posted soon :)