Title: Crushes, Snark and Manipulation 101

Rating: PG - sap and silliness

Summary: More dialogue than description. Marissa's younger sister, Caitlin, has a crush.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything nor do I claim to.

Feedback: Please. Thanks to everyone who has ever replied. I enjoy reading what everyone's thinking.

Notes: This started out as me thinking stupid thoughts like: wouldn't it be weird if... Or how would Marissa deal if... and it was only going to be one short scene, but somewhere along the way it spiralled into what it is now and then it had nothing to do with what I was originally going to write about. I don't deny the pointlessness. lol I also aged Caitlin a few years, I think.

Crushes, Snark and Manipulation 101

___________________________

The laundry basket felt heavy in Marissa's frail arms so she propped it up higher on her hip and persevered. Housework really wasn't all that bad, in fact, at times she even found it relaxing. This was not one of those times. The most menial tasks could not be performed when your hyper-active best friend kept nagging you.

Not that she minded Summer's company, it was just easier to clean up when she wasn't being followed and having to listen to plans for a party she really didn't want to have and would never be able to afford if it weren't for Summer's willingness to foot the bill.

Summer scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Eww! I can't believe you actually have to clean up around here."

Marissa shrugged. "It's not that bad."

"So... how long is your Mom gone for?" She asked, following Marissa into her little sister's room.

"At least the weekend," she answered as she put away Caitlin's socks.

Summer sat down on the unmade bed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Used to what?" She asked over her shoulder as she continued to put away clothes.

Summer crossed her legs, indifferent. "Her not being around; doing things for yourself."

"Yeah. I'm just worried about my Dad."

"He's a grown-up. He can take care of himself. See, that's why having this party is perfect. You get away from everything. You have a chance to be a kid again."

"I still don't know about this Summer."

"Relax, Coop. I've got it all covered," Summer assured her.

Marissa set down the laundry basket and shoed Summer off of the bed. Pulling up the 'Hello Kitty' sheets and fluffing the pillows, a dark object fell from one of them.

Summer retrieved the object, which was now recognizable as some type of book. "Ooh, what do we have here?"

"Summer put that down, that's Caitlin's diary."

"Oh please, Coop, what juicy gossip could a twelve-year-old possibly write about?"

"Just leave it alone, okay."

Summer smirked, accidentally-on-purpose knocking the front of the diary against the bedside table, making the tiny hinges bend. "Oops, the lock broke."

Marissa eyed her wearily. "Summer."

"What's it going to hurt to just take a little peek?"

"Come on, just put it back."

It was no use, Summer was already engulfed in the diary. "Oh my God!"

Marissa looked on, alarmed. "What?"

"Your little sister is totally crushing on Ryan!"

Marissa grabbed for the book, but Summer hopped on and over the bed to avoid her outstretched hand. "What? Give me that!"

"No, no listen. 'His eyes are so nice and every time he looks at me I feel like I'm floating.'"

"Summer, we shouldn't be reading that, it's personal." Marissa crossed her arms, feeling guilty.

"Oh please! There's more. 'His lips look so soft. I bet he's a good kisser.' Sounds like your sister is crushing bad."

Marissa reached for the book and pried it away from Summer, reading on. "It doesn't even mention any names, how do you know it's Ryan?"

"Who else would it be? You know she hated Luke especially after he ran over her Barbie dolls with his truck."

"I guess. Ryan was helping her with her math the other night and she was smiling a lot...more than I've seen her smile in a while."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"What would be the point?"

"So she can't put 'The Plan' into action."

"What plan? What are you talking about?"

Summer swiped the diary back. "Jeez Marissa, it's only highlighted in three different colours and circled in red ink. Look, right after her last entry. 'The Plan: Marissa is having a party this weekend because Mom is going away with her latest boyfriend. (His name is Phil and it's so obvious that he wears a toupee. Every time he talks he spits, too. Gross!) Marissa's stupid friend Summer is staying over.'" Summer's mouth hung open. "Hey, I resent that!"

"Summer, put it back now," Marissa said, firm and cool.

"No, wait, it's just getting to the good part. 'Hewill be coming here and I am going to sneak out of my room when they think I'm asleep and talk to him.'" Summer cocked an eyebrow and slapped a flirt's smile on her face. "If this were me, I'd have a whole lot more than that planned."

"Let's thank God it's not you. I want Caitlin to stay innocent as long as possible." Marissa bit her lip. "Do you really think I should tell Ryan?"

"You don't want your little sister ruining the social event of the season do you? Maybe he could have a talk with her, let her down easy."

"I don't know...I'm not sure Ryan would be comfortable doing that."

"Well, whatev. Tell him just so he knows and can avoid her, at least."

"It's a really good thing you're an only child."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Summer put her hands on her hips, indignant.

Marissa struggled to find a way to break it to her. "It's just...you don't have the most delicate way of putting things."

Summer's features dimmed. "It's a tough world, Coop."

"You don't have to make it any tougher. Caitlin's been having a really hard time with my parent's divorce, I don't want her to have a broken heart on top of everything else."

"What are you two doing in my room?"

Standing at the doorway, Caitlin carried her backpack and a juice box. She looked between Marissa and Summer, seeking some type of explanation.

"Nothing. I was just putting away your laundry," Marissa said, keeping her sister's attention while Summer slipped the diary back into its hiding place.

"Hey Lin!"

Caitlin cast cool eyes at Summer. "Don't call me that! Only my Dad calls me that."

Summer rolled her eyes. She crossed the room and stood inches away from Caitlin at the threshold. "Jeez, don't freak out on me. I'll be in your room, Coop."

"Okay." Marissa turned her attention back to her sister. "So, how did you do on that math test?"

Caitlin entered her room, throwing her book-bag on her desk and placing the juice on the night table. "Good, I got an A."

Marissa cleared her throat, still trying to find a way to broach the subject of her sister's crush. "I'll tell Ryan, I'm sure he'll be impressed. So...is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Like what?" She asked, bouncing onto her half-made bed.

"Oh, I dunno..." Marissa said, coming to sit beside her. "School? Boys? The divorce?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "I talk enough about the divorce with that shrink Mom makes us see."

"Okay then, what about boys? Is there anyone in your class you like?"

Caitlin shrugged, turning her eyes away from Marissa. "No. All the boys my age are dumb and immature."

"Oh."

They were both quiet for a few minutes. Marissa unsure what to say next; Caitlin working up the courage to voice her childish dreams.

"I wish I was sixteen," Caitlin finally announced.

Marissa put her arm around the young girl, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Don't wish too hard, you'll be that age soon enough and then you'll be wishing you were twelve again."

"I don't think so."

"All right, then why do you want to be older?"

A shy smile lit the young girls face. "There's this boy..."

Marissa couldn't help it, she felt her own smile spread. There was something so sweet about first crushes and it was almost an honour for Caitlin to share it with her. "And he's older?"

"A little bit."

"Really? Hmm...do I know him?" Marissa asked, playing dumb.

Caitlin shrugged. "Kinda."

Marissa took a deep breath. "Do you want to talk to me about it?"

"Not really," she answered, her voice quiet.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know," she said, absently. "I have homework."

"Okay. We're ordering pizza for dinner around six, I'll come and get you when it's here. Don't work too hard," she teased.

"I won't. No mushrooms."

Marissa scooped up the laundry basket and left Caitlin's room, closing the door behind her.

When Marissa got back to her room, she discovered Summer laying on her bed, her eyes closed and headphones on her ears. She was singing softly, off-key.

Marissa smiled, going over to the stereo and cranking up the volume.

"Shit!" Summer wailed, pulling off the headphones and flinging them at Marissa.

"Serves you right."

"What did I do?" Summer asked innocently.

"Besides reading my sister's diary and calling her by a nickname that you know only my Dad uses..."

Summer rolled her eyes. "Look, Coop, I don't know why I do things like that. I never had a little sister--thank God--I don't know the proper etiquette."

"Save it," Marissa chucked, collapsing onto the bed. "You're right though, she all but admitted that she liked Ryan."

Summer rolled over onto her stomach. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" she echoed.

"Well, what can I do?"

"Just tell Ryan. That way it will save us all a lot of time and embarrassment. Think about it, if Ryan has no idea what's coming he might say something stupid or nothing at all, knowing him, and then you're sister's going to be, like, traumatized."

"Traumatized? I wouldn't go that far."

"Have you seen Ryan lately?" Summer whistled.

"Okay, I'll tell him." She laughed.

_____________

The house was packed with blondes and brunettes in skimpy attire, jocks with too much testosterone, chests full of ice and foreign beer, napkins and paper cups, chips and dip, little crackers with caviar and so on. In the middle of all the madness, Ryan, Marissa and Summer stood huddled together like a pack of football players waiting to intercept a play.

Seth stood in a corner looking awkward and bored as he flipped through Marissa's Cd's. He'd been informed, along with Ryan, about Caitlin's little crush and wanted nothing to do with it. At one time, and still to a large extent, he had been where Caitlin was. He was still pining away for Summer and had been shot down time and time again. He just couldn't watch.

Summer, with some type of sick fascination, eyed the partygoers waiting for the moment Caitlin would maker an appearance.

"Okay, here's what we do: we wait for her to make her little entrance and then when she goes and talks to Ryan, he lets her down easy."

Ryan scrunched up his nose, shifting his beer bottle between his hands. "I don't know...I still don't know what I'm going to say."

"Well, start thinking because there she is."

They all turned and watched as Caitlin descended the stairs.

"She's coming this way," Summer pointed out. "Wait...she's walking over to..."

"Seth!?" All three said in unison, astonished.

Seth turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, Caitlin."

"Hi," she replied.

"Thought you'd check out the party, huh?"

Caitlin nodded at a loss for words. She didn't have much time to think though, because just behind her, Summer was striding over to them, all attitude riding on four inch heels.

Summer spun the girl around. "Seth? Seth is the one you like, not Ryan?"

"Summer!" Marissa scolded, watching as a crowd began to gather.

"What? I'm just saying, Seth isn't exactly a chick magnet, whereas Ryan...it just seemed obvious."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Caitlin said, indignant.

"Oh please, we read it in your diary. Didn't we, Coop?" The music stopped as the CD changed.

Caitlin scanned the crowd, a sea of faces casting judgement on her. "You read my diary? That's private!"

"Caitlin," Marissa tried to get through to her.

"I hate you! Leave me alone!" Busting through the crowd, she ran up the stairs, her ringlets bouncing against her shoulder as she went.

Marissa attempted to follow, but Seth touched her forearm and held her back.

"Let me," Seth offered.

The party resumed as if nothing had happened at all. Summer watched as Seth took the stairs two at a time. Giving Marissa a helpless look, she followed.

_____

Seth gently knocked on the half-open door and walked through without prompting. He stepped into her room and recognized that she'd been crying to celebrate the hurt.

She wiped at her eyes. "Go away."

"You sure? I thought we could talk." He sat down in a chair that was adjacent the bed.

She hugged a stuffed animal to her chest and sniffled. "I don't want to talk to you. You think I'm a child and that my feelings don't count."

Seth shook his head. "I don't think that."

"But you can't like me the same way I like you either."

"No," he said, gently.

Her eyes were huge when she looked at him, it reminded him of Marissa the night she'd found Holly and Luke together. "Is it because of Summer?"

"What?" He asked, scratching just behind his ear.

"Is it because she has big boobs? Because I'm just starting puberty and I'll bet by the time I'm her age my boo-"

Seth put up his hands in front of him as if he could create some magical force field. "Please, for all that is sacred, do not finish that sentence!"

"What? I took sex ed, I know what happens..."

Seth nodded in agreement. "Ah...sex ed. I remember those days fondly...all those charts and intimidating looking bananas."

"Huh?"

Seth shook his head, dislodging the memories. "Uh...Nothing. Listen kid,"

Caitlin glared at him. He'd never treated her like a kid before.

"I'm sorry. Listen Caitlin," he said, his voice tender, then continued, "by the time you're my age, you're going to have tons of boys chasing after you and I'll just be some bad memory. You have a lot to look forward to. You'll be ashamed of this little crush, trust me." He laughed a self-deprecating laugh.

"No, I won't."

"Well, that's nice of you to say." He smirked, a little bit crooked. "And hey, if I were twelve, I would still be just as awkward, but I'd probably have a huge crush on you."

After a beat. "Really?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I?" he offered, in a supportive, non-condescending manner.

"I don't get what you see in her."

"Who?"

"Summer."

Seth stretched out his legs, looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "Ah, Summer. The thorn in my side... She can be mean to you, huh?"

"Yeah," Caitlin agreed.

"Well, you know sometimes Summer's a bi-not a very nice person, and you're probably more mature than her too, but she's also a lot older than you and she's been through a lot. Her parents got divorced too and she was even younger than you are now..." Seth cleared his throat, clearly he knew too much about the girl and how she operated for both their liking. "Let's just say, she has issues."

Caitlin looked at him curiously. "But you still like her even though she's mean to you."

Seth tilted his head to the side, somewhat amused. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"That's weird."

"Such is love," he sighed, letting out a deep breath. "You going to be okay?"

"Fine," she answered flatly.

Seth made no move to leave.

"No really," she said, "I'll be okay."

"If you're sure..."

"Go," she ordered, a slight smile on her face.

_____

Seth exited the room. Summer moved from her place beside the door and stood in front of him.

"That was really sweet, Cohen...how you talked to her...what you said."

"At least someone finds me attractive...even if it is a twelve-year old." He laughed. "I think you should talk to her too."

Summer crossed her arms, a little insecure. "I wouldn't know what to say."

"You could start with 'I'm sorry'," he said, pushing her into Caitlin's room.

"Cohen!" she admonished, but it was too late because he'd closed the door behind her and held the handle so she was stuck.

Giving up the battle, Summer turned and faced the firing squad, err...sharp shooter.

"Hey, Caitlin."

The girl made no move to look at her.

"Mind if I sit?" She asked, indicating the chair.

Caitlin scoffed, holding the stuffed bear tighter. "Do what you like, you always get what you want anyway."

Scratch that, the kid was a sniper. She had a bullet with Summer's name on it.

"Humph...hardly."

"You got Seth, didn't you?" Her voice was filled with baby-venom. Summer had to admire it.

"Yeah, about that..." Summer crossed her legs and put her elbow on her knee, leaning forward. A journalistic pose. "Why Seth? I mean, why do you like him?"

"Probably for the same reasons you do, because he's funny and sweet and he's always been nice to me. He's never treated me like some kid."

Summer sat back, a condescending, aw-isn't-that-cute smile on her face. "I think you got your wires crossed there, I do not like Seth Cohen."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Please, people that fight as much as you two... Two words: verbal foreplay."

Summer nearly choked. "You better not let your sister hear you say that, she still thinks you're all naive."

"Puh-lease. Where do you think I heard it from? Ryan and Marissa think you and Seth are inevitable."

"Do they now?" Summer bit the inside of her cheek, hard. "I guess I'll be having a little chit-chat with those two after this little heart-to-heart we're having."

"You should be nice to him, he really likes you." Her tone was all-business.

"What? Who? You're going to have to stick to one subject at a time, kid, you're losing me."

"Don't give me that," she said with snark, not taking any of Summer's crap. "Seth. He likes you."

"Yeah, how can you tell?" she wondered.

"He's nice to you even though you're mean to him."

Summer's eyes narrowed. "Who says I'm mean to him?"

"I've seen it. He worships the ground you walk on and you treat him worse than the dirt in your shoes."

"I do?"

"What, you mean you don't know?" Caitlin demanded.

"I guess I never really stopped to think about it," she concluded, almost with an air of innocence.

"That's because you're selfish," Caitlin pointed out.

"I am not!"

"Right."

"Okay...so maybe I am, a little."

Caitlin glared at her as fierce as any twelve-year-old could muster.

"Or maybe a lot," she admitted, swallowing the truth and letting her stomach digest the unappetising taste.

A devilish smile. "I'm not the only one that's noticed Seth, you know."

"What does that mean?" Summer asked, her curiosity piqued.

"There's some Anna girl that's interested in him," Caitlin answered, watching the older girl form the corner of her eye.

"Anna? Eww!"

"Well, apparently he didn't think so. I heard Ryan and him talking..."

After a long beat. "What did he say?"

"Why do you care?" Caitlin countered, pleased by Summer's reaction.

"I don't. Well...maybe a little."

"It's only a matter of time before he finds someone else. What, you think he's going to be drooling over you for the rest of his life?"

Obviously, yes, that is exactly what Summer had been counting on.

"No," she lied,

"No?" Caitlin echoed. "If you want him..."

"I have to go for him," she finished, almost to herself. "What about you? Is it okay if I..."

"You break his heart, I will hurt you," Caitlin warned, malice in her eyes.

Summer nodded, standing like a zombie. "I'm sorry about...everything."

Summer did not apologize often and she was rusty at it, but Caitlin accepted it nonetheless. "Thanks."

Summer left the room.

-

Seth was sitting on the stairs, Summer came and sat next to him.

Summer looked at him for a minute before she spoke. "Caitlin says I'm mean to you."

Seth smiled, half-turning toward her. "Caitlin is a very smart girl."

"I dunno, she likes you doesn't she? What does that say about her?" Summer joked.

"That she has very good taste," he answered, playfully, bumping her knee with his own.

"Maybe she does, Cohen." Summer's eyes zoned in on his face, meeting his eyes. "And maybe it's time I found out for myself. You. Me. Dinner next Saturday. You game?"

"Uh..."

"You need time to think about it?" She asked, annoyed.

"Hell yeah! That better?"

"Yeah. Okay, Good. This will be good." She used his thigh for leverage and stood, looking down at him. "Pick me up at seven, don't be late."

"Uh...yeah."

Seth sat there for a few minutes, reeling.

He walked back into Caitlin's room in stunned silence.

Seth sat down on the bottom of the bed. "Hey, what did you tell her?"

"Nothing. It's called jealousy, Seth. I didn't have to do anything, she obviously cares about you and my little crush got her thinking that maybe some girl who was your age would probably come along one day..."

"You completely manipulated her," he said with disbelief.

"Summer's not too bright." Caitlin summed up with a 'poor dear' expression.

"You did this for me?" Seth asked, amazed.

Caitlin shrugged, her face flushing. "She makes you happy. Besides... Ryan looks really good in a suit."

Seth caught her eye and she grinned. Caitlin was going to be okay.

___

end.