Alex sat at the bar trying to suppress her sorrows with the liquid poison she was so familiar with, while Marissa sat at their apartment doing the same thing, the only difference was Marissa didn't bother to use a glass for the pain nullifier. For the past couple months this had become routine for them: they would get into a fight, Alex would leave to her favorite local tavern, and Marissa would sit on the kitchen floor hoping she would drown in her own tears. Alex wouldn't come home until she knew Marissa would be asleep, and then she would sleep on the couch that made work killer the next morning.
Alex couldn't remember why all of the fighting started, and she doubted Marissa knew either. So she sat, each night in the same bar, in the same stool, in the same state of mind trying to figure out why they started to fall apart. She asked herself each night, did they just not care about each other anymore? The answer always came quickly, Hell no! That can't be the reason. Marissa is my world, my reason to go to work every day, the only thing keeping me able to wake up each morning. Let's face it, she's my reason to continue breathing. She couldn't even blame Ryan, Marissa chose her a long time ago.
She thought back to their Newport days, back when they were still falling for each other, and one memory always stuck out:
"I just want to run away all the time, I want to leave all of this Newport drama behind and never look back! I want someone, anyone, to take me away and never make me feel constrained again. I wanna be free." Marissa exclaimed, Alex couldn't help but admire the passion, and hope laced in her voice. "She deserves so much better than this." Alex thought. "She deserves someone who cares about her, someone who can take care of her. And hell if I'm gonna let Ryan be that person. After all, Ryan could NEVER love Marissa like I do, Ryan can NEVER take care of Marissa like I can."
"Then let's go." Alex said looking at Marissa. Alex wanted to take Marissa away from this life, away from Newport. Away from anyone that was going to make Marissa feel constrained.
Alex saw Marissa swallow as if a boulder just formed in her throat. "What?" She said softly, a complete contrast to how she was speaking before. She wanted to be that person Marissa was talking about with every fiber in her being.
Alex put her hands on Marissa's shoulders and gently squeezed. "I want to take you away from here. I want to make you feel the freedom you can never have here." "She deserves that and so much more." Alex thought.
"I can't just up and leave." Marissa said.
"Think about it, we can go anywhere we want to, and once we get settled somewhere I have friends that can get you into a school somewhere so you can finish, if you want to. And if you're worried about seeing Summer, I'll drive you back anytime, or you can just take my jeep. And you only have about a year left of high school, so you'll probably want to go to college, but I'll get a better job, two if I need to and I'll pay for it. I know you're rich here but I know you're not happy. It won't be a glamorous lifestyle, but you'd be able to do anything you wanted to, make life what you what it to be. You'd be free, Marissa." She was talking very quickly, but everything just seemed so clear now. "Don't you see, I can be that person, I want to be that person. I want to take care of you." Alex could see tears starting to form in Marissa's eyes.
"You would do all of that for me?" Marissa choked out, her tears falling freely.
Alex wiped her tears from her face. "All of that and so much more, Riss. I want to give you the life you deserve, and this, Newport, isn't that. I want to show you how to really live, without a worry in the world."
Marissa shook her head. "Why would you do that for me?"
Alex kissed Marissa so passionately, and tried to convey every ounce of feeling towards the girl in that kiss, and then she pulled away. "Because I love you, you idiot. So what do you say, Riss, will you let me take care of you? Will you let me be your hero? Will you run away with me?" Alex grabbed Marissa's hands, and squeezed gently. She loved the way saying "I love you" to Marissa felt.
Marissa pulled Alex in closer, and kissed her. " Alex loves me. How could I ever have considered being with Ryan again when I have the real thing right here?" Marissa pulled away and said "Okay."
"Okay? Really?" Alex asked, surprised she hadn't been shot down.
"Yes." Marissa started grinning, and bouncing up and down in excitement. "That is way too god damned cute." Alex thought. "I love you too, Alex. I wanna run away with you."
"Yesss! I knew I wasn't this week's yard guy! Fuck You Julie Cooper-Nichol! I look wayyy better than Atwood in a white beater! Fuck you Ryan Atwood! Marissa Loves me, and that's all that matters."
"And happily ever after… yeah right, if only I was so damn lucky." Alex thought coming out of her flash back.