This is my could've been story: what could have happened if Todd had met Marty when they were in high school instead of meeting her when they were in college? How could've things been different had they met at an earlier time? Obviously, this story is AU.
~*The Spring Break Party*~
It was Marty's junior year of high school, and the night of the Spring Break party at Krysti Wilkin's house. As usual, Marty was partying it up, drinking, dancing, and mingling with all of her friends. Megan Gordon was there, Jason Webb, and all of the gang. It was just like any other party, but this night Marty was determined to get laid. She had a beer in hand when she pressed herself against Jason, whispering in his ear, "Hey sexy, wanna take me back into the bedroom?"
Jason regarded Marty with his deep blue eyes. His lips remained a straight line as she gave him a provacative grin. "What game are you playing, Marty?" he asked, lightly wrapping his arm around her slender shoulders.
"No game," Marty responded. "Let's go in the bedroom and make out."
She said it loud enough; he was sure the whole room had heard. But as he glanced around, everyone appeared engrossed in their own drinks and conversations. No one nearby seemed to have heard.
Looking down at the beauty who was pressed up against him, Jason couldn't find it within himself to say 'no.'
"Let's go," he said as he began guiding Marty off toward the bedrooms.
Just a few feet away, someone had watched them go. As he stood there, he raised his own beer up to his lips, taking a long sip. He had been watching Marty Saybrooke for weeks now, wishing she was his. Not knowing how to approach her, he had kept his distance. Jealousy struck him deep inside, eating away at his gut. Now he wished he hadn't have been silent. It seemed he was too late. The one he wanted had just left the room to 'make out' with some other guy. He squeezed the bottle of beer so tight in his hand, the glass shattered. Beer splashed everywhere, glass fell to the floor, and his hand was now dripping blood. The physical pain of his wounded hand became a welcomed distraction. It took his mind off the intense anguish raging within his soul.
In the back bedroom, Marty and Jason fell down upon the bed. Slightly drunk, Jason felt passion bombard him. Marty's mouth was so soft and sweet as he rolled over on her, kissing her hungrily.
"Mmmm...' he moaned, his lips making a hot path toward her neck.
"Jason, I want you," she moaned, her hands caressing his back.
She wrapped one leg around his body, holding him tightly against her. Her entire body throbbed as she needed and wanted him so badly. The alcohol she had consumed during the party only seemed to make her passion that much stronger. She threaded her fingers through Jason's hair, grasping his pony-tail in her fist. Jason's hands ran up and down Marty's body in heated caresses as his tongue explored the sweetness of her mouth.
Marty broke her lips from his, struggling to get her breath. "Please Jason, make love to me..." she said softly, almost pleadingly.
Looking down into her dark-blue eyes, Jason too tried to catch his breath. "No, Marty, I can't," he responded, pulling back from the passionate embrace.
"Jason?" she murmured, trying to pull him back down to her, but he had already rolled off her and was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to draw depleted breaths into his lungs.
"Jason, why did you stop?" she asked in an aching voice.
"Because you're my best friend, and I won't disrespect you like that," he answered. "I'm sorry, Marty... but I can't sleep with you."
"What?" Marty gasped with great disappointment, trying to pull him back down to her so she could kiss him again.
Jason deflected her advances. "No more, Marty. Come on. Let's go back out to the party," he said as he stood up from the bed. "You're drunk... and you'll hate yourself in the morning. And I'd hate myself, too."
"Who says I don't hate you now?" Marty growled, jumping up off the bed and making her way over toward the door.
"Fine, Jason. Be like that. But you know what, you'll never get a second chance," she said angrily as she went back out to the party.
Jason ran a hand through his tangled blond hair, trying to smooth it back down. Marty was pissed, but right now, it was for the best. She was the greatest friend he'd ever had, and he'd never hurt her by using her during one wild drunken night of sex. If Marty was gonna to get laid tonight, it wasn't going to be with him.
Walking back out to the party, he saw Marty heading over to grab another beer. "What's going on with you and Marty?" Megan asked him as he came over to stand next to her in the kitchen.
"Nothing," Jason mumbled, hoping Marty would get over her anger rather quickly. He watched as she swiftly downed the beer she held in her grasp. Laughing loudly, Marty seemed to be scanning the crowd with her eyes. To Jason's horror, Marty appeared to be on the look-out for some new 'play-thing'. Knowing her intentions, Jason wasn't liking his one bit. Marty was playing with fire.
Marty was doing everything in her power to keep her mind off Jason and his rejection of her. She set her sights on another guy; someone new in town. "Hey," Marty said with a grin as she came over to his side.
He met her gaze, almost as though he were surprised she was speaking to him. And in that very same moment, she had noticed the white towel he had wrapped around his hand. Blood was soaking through the cloth.
"What happened to your hand?" she asked with concern.
"It's nothing," he said, feeling her soft touch as she took his hand into hers.
"I could fix that for you," she said with a smile. "I'm going to be a doctor someday."
He nodded, letting her examine the wound. It continued to bleed, but fortunately it appeared that the cut wasn't all that deep. Guiding him over to the sink, Marty washed the wound, then wrapped a fresh towel around his hand to serve as a bandage. "There," she said. "Good as new."
He gave her a smile, glancing down at his bandaged hand. "You do amazing work, Dr. Saybrooke," he said softly.
"How did you know my name?" she asked incredilously.
"You sit in the front row of my geometry class," he told her. "I'm the new guy in town. Thomas Todd Manning."
"Ohhh yeah, I've heard about you," she said, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Good or bad?" he asked.
"Mostly bad," she said with a little laugh. "But don't worry; I've been thrown out of 4 private schools myself. I've gotten into all kinds of trouble. But eventually my aunt decided to have me brought back here to Llanview, and I started public school. I'm still as wild as ever... but I'm sneakier now. What my aunt doesn't know won't hurt her."
Todd grinned; he could relate to everything she was saying. They spoke the same language. He reached for a cold beer and handed one to her as well. "Would you like to go into the bedroom with me and party?" he asked her with a sexy grin.
"Sure, why not," she answered, taking his uninjured hand in hers and leading him away toward the back bedrooms.
Since Jason chose to be away; Marty would play.
*Fuck Jason,* Marty thought as she stepped into the bedroom with Todd.