A/N: you know the story by now. I love introducing new characters so that stories can work out the way I want them. I'm selfish that way. Enjoy. By the way Jake Gyllenhaal Claire Forlani…hot play the two new characters…in my head. Also…this is set in a time where nothing is going on and the characters are pretty much you know…together. If we're going to imagine who plays them then…I'll go for Mark Whalberg (when he was in Planet Of The Apes) as the dad and Rena Sofer as the mother! Please R and R…you OC fans are kinder than certain CSI fans…
"I could say I'm running away to Pennsylvania. That's like…the penny state," mused Seth as he skated idly alongside Ryan on the pier.
Ryan raised his eyebrows and swerved his bike neatly to avoid crashing into a gaggle of oblivious girls who gave him sour looks as if he was the one who hadn't seen them.
"All this because Summer is withholding sex for a few days?" he said regardless
Seth raised his hands dramatically "this is not just for a few days this is for two weeks, Ryan, that's fourteen days!"
"What's this in aid of?" asked Ryan, he wasn't really listening because this conversation was simply a rehash of Seth's ramblings about Summer's sudden vow of chastity from earlier on in the day. However, he kept up the pretence of listening because to be frank; he was bored.
"Dude, I honestly don't know" She said something about trying to see if what we have is more than just…sex…She says we don't 'talk enough' I mean how can she give up on the Seth Love for forty days?"
Ryan shook his head as he turned on his bike towards the popular hangout for Newport teenagers' The Crab Shack'. "Don't call it the Seth Love"
"Noted…but seriously what am I going to do man!" wailed Seth
Ryan decided he'd had enough, he'd had enough quite a few hours ago but he was an easy going guy but there was only so much he could take about talking about sex, especially sex he wasn't having with Marissa.
"You know what? Summers wrong. Youtalk too much," snapped Ryan. He chained his bike to the railings and ignored the sarcastic laughter from Seth.
"All right, all right…enough about the Seth Love, lets talk about the Ryan Love" nodded Seth he held his palms together and tried to appear wise and interested.
Ryan ignored his friend; only replying once he and Seth had ordered two drinks and two burgers and were seated in a semi-private corner of the café.
"So…what's down with Ryan? What's on the down low? Come one hit me up on the fly side…Holmes," questioned Seth
Ryan looked at him blankly. Seth looked down sheepishly "I can't pull that off right?"
Ryan raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
Seth continued to pester him hoping to seem less self-absorbed and only coming across as annoying.
"So come on, Ryan Attwood…what is going down with you? I'm serious…I have been talking too much about myself so I am going to listen…not just with my ears man but also with my heart. Now tell me all about the Ryan Love…you…and Marissa" Seth put on an exaggerated expression of sincerity, Ryan sighed and began.
"First of all man, adding 'love' to the end of people's name's is creepy. Secondly Marissa…I-I, and me I don't know what's going on. She's a lot better right now but she wants to take things slow and I'll wait…but…I haven't gone this long without…. so I'm finding it pretty hard to just…. wait. You know what I mean?".
Ryan finished; feeling like a load had been taken from his mind and was disappointed to find Seth's face split into a wide grin.
"Dude, that's like the longest I've ever heard you talk…I didn't know you had it in ya…usually you say everything with 'a look'…hey! You think I can do that?" He began to go through a series of what he hoped were brooding and mysterious but were instead verging on ridiculous.
Ryan had to smile, Seth was the talker that was evident and Ryan was the quiet one. Still he felt relieved having had said what was bothering him…now if he only had a solution to the problem he almost thought about asking Seth for help but he was still absorbed in trying out new facial expressions and Ryan really didn't want to disturb that so he let it go and locked his concerns in the back of his head. Seth was the talker…Ryan was the repressor.
Normal.
Normalcy. This was new for Marissa. She was never normal. Or average. She was gorgeous, stylish, troubled, misunderstood and rebellious but again…never normal. However these past few months were exceptions to the rule. Take for instance today, she was just 'cruising the mall' with her best friend. No parental hassles clouding her mind or vindictive boyfriends plaguing her thoughts and her body, no five-finger discount issues. She was just having fun, living life.
Being normal.
"Coop! Yo!" called Summer
Marissa turned to her best friend and smiled "What's up?"
Summer rolled her perfectly line eyes "Oh, nothing at all just trying to decide what to wear for the summer formal! It's the biggest event of the year and not just because it's named after me"
Marissa snorted "Summer you have like a million dresses why can't you just wear one of those?"
Summer looked as if she'd been told that Matthew Williamson had decided to become a fast food proprietor.
"Summer I don't think you understand, the formal will be on my last night of chastity…I need Seth to know he's gonna get some" she giggled impishly at the last part and Marissa feigned being appalled.
"FYI, I didn't need to know that…actually I have a question"
Summer absent-mindedly nodded and scanned the expensive shoes on display before her. "Shoot"
Marissa sighed and looked around the pristine designer store. Even though it had a select clientele she still didn't feel like sharing her innermost secrets with it.
"It's kind of private…about…me and Ryan?" she whispered pretending to be looking at a strappy silver shoe.
Summer spun around to face her friend, her eye's widened mischievously "this sounds like a call for sex talk!" she said animatedly.
Marissa shook her head shamefully and pretended not to have heard Summer or for that matter even known who Summer was suddenly finding the shoe very interesting.
Summer was oblivious to her friend's embarrassment and slapped her on the shoulder heartily.
"It is sex talk! Well why didn't you say so! So…spill!"
"Shut up!" hissed Marissa from the side of her mouth, she put the show down and dragged Summer from the shop and only spoke again when they were in the relative privacy of the small corner of a chic restaurant.
"God! Marissa those were the last strawberry red Helmut Lang shoes in stock, my dad offered to buy those as a post-birthday gift you know. I won't be co-ordinated now…I hope you're happy" she said in mock wistfulness emphasising each word for added melodrama.
They ordered bagels with cream cheese and frothy frappachinos before Marissa spoke again.
Marissa rolled her eyes and brushed her fingers through her hair. "Sum…do you like sex?" she asked abruptly
Summer half choked on her bagel "that was a curveball don't ya think! Of course I like sex…even if it is with Cohen" she may have just insulated him but a small smile fluttered over Summer's lips at the mention of Seth.
Marissa nodded thoughtfully "well, aren't you ever scared…like that a guy is better than you? At it?"
Summer smiled knowingly "Coop, you're as transparent as that bra I just brought from La Perla. This is about you and Chino isn't it?" she grinned as Marissa's nod confirmed her suspicions.
Marissa sighed "Summer, he's sooo experienced…he's like amazing…and I can't bear to be with him when I don't know…anything! The only guy I've been with is Luke and that was so…wrong. Ryan and I haven't done…it together yet because I'm such a wuss" She slouched back in her seat and sighed heavily.
Summer patted her friend's arm pityingly "Aww! Coop that is so…sweet! Listen…if you really love Ryan then he won't care that you're not as 'experienced' as he is. Besides he might be the best you ever had! Are you going to deny yourself that? It's like seeing classic Chanel Mary-Jane's, in your size, ON SALE and being too scared to try them on because they're just so perfect even though you know you'll look like a babe in them" she beamed brightly
Marissa blushed and laughed as she sat back up "okay, okay. I see what you're saying…" spaused to pick up her steady ringing cell and frowned at who the caller was.
She looked at Summer bitterly "my monster wants me home right now. Apparently we're having guests"
Summer whistled, "You really hate her so much that you stole my step-monster's name?"
Summer personally was indifferent to Julie Cooper. She tried hard not to get too involved into genuine problems. They always lead to…well more problems. So she was there to offer a helping hand but she refused to deal with real issues. She repressed them. Summer Roberts liked her life and she outright refused to let it be clouded by reality. So now as Marissa looked stricken and bitter she looked away and took a sip from her frappachino
"Later Summer," sighed Marissa unaware of Summer's voluntary ignorance to her troubles.