After the last polo match and Harbor had been eliminated, Zach drove them to where the party was at. It looking like an abandoned house except for the hundreds of people inside and on the lawn. There were lights flashing inside and music blaring. Marissa saw at least two kegs being carried in.
"Wow," Zach looked at the house, "I think I'm going to sit in the car and read my book."
"C'mon Coop," Summer got out, "Let's go get your woman."
Marissa got out with Summer and walked to the front door. She had a really bad feeling about the whole thing. Inside, the smell of smoke and beer was overwhelming.
"Hey!" Steve walked over to Marissa and had to yell over the noise, "You came!"
Marissa nodded, "Have you seen Alex?!"
He looked around, "I think she's upstairs!"
"Thanks!" Marissa called back.
Marissa looked at Summer who looked even more uncomfortable than she felt. She leaned closed to Summer and said, "Go sit in the car! I'll call you!"
Summer nodded gratefully and walked out.
Marissa squeezed her way upstairs passing up many drink offers on the way up.
Suddenly screaming broke out in the hallway upstairs.
"I'm sick of taking care of you!"
"No one asked you to!" Alex's voice yelled back.
Marissa hurried up the stairs to see what was going on. She was none other than Jodie facing off with Alex. Alex was leaning on the wall and obviously drunk.
"If I didn't you'd be on the street right now! You're going to kill yourself!"
"Go to hell!" Alex screamed and whirled around, tequila bottle in hand. She walked into the nearest room and slammed the door behind her.
Jodie whirled around and nearly ran into Marissa.
"You," Jodie said her name like saying left a disgusting taste in her mouth.
"What?" Marissa asked.
"You did that," Jodie pointed to the door, "She's your problem now." Jodie brushed past her and hurried down the stairs.
Marissa made her way past a group in the middle of the hallway and opened the door Alex had gone in. She was laying on the mattress, passed out by an open window, the half empty bottle of tequila in her hand.
As she made her way to Alex, blue and red lights started flashing outside and someone yelled, "Cops!"
"Shit," Marissa hissed. She looked out the door and saw the mad rush down the stairs knowing that she wouldn't make it. Especially with a passed out Alex. She closed the door and looked at Alex laying against the wall.
After a few seconds to think, Marissa dropped the bottle of tequila out the window and started trying to move Alex.
Marissa's heart pounded. She just got off probation for robbery and Alex could loose her scholarship. She pulled Alex closer to her and held her breath in the dank closet they were hiding in. The sliding door only covered half of the closet they were crowded in.
Alex moaned and Marissa covered her mouth when she heard footsteps.
"This place is disgusting," she heard a man say. Marissa saw a flashlight scan the room and hoped that on one would look in the closet.
The footsteps walked away and Marissa let out her breath. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Summer's number.
It picked up immediately with Summer saying, "You're not in jail are you?"
"No," Marissa whispered, "We're in an upstairs closet. Alex is passed out. I need help getting her out."
"We'll come in when the cops leave," Summer looked at the house from the car.
"Alright," Marissa answered, "Call me when they're gone."
"Okay," Summer stated and hung up.
Marissa put her phone back in her pocket and looked down at Alex. Her head looked like it was in an uncomfortable position on her shoulder so Marissa readjusted herself and Alex's head lulled into the curve of Marissa's neck.
She could smell the salt in Alex's hair. It smelled like it had when they lived together and Alex would fall asleep after a morning surf on the couch, waiting for Marissa to get home.
Marissa let a soft smile grace her lips until her phone rang in her pocket. "Hello?" she answered quickly and quietly.
"Where are you?" Summer asked.
Marissa heard footsteps coming toward them, "Are you in the house?"
"Yeah," Summer looked around with Zach behind her.
"We're in the second door from the stairs. In the closet," Marissa told her.
She heard Summer and Zach step and walk toward the closet.
"This place is gross," Summer told Marissa.
Marissa nodded, "Let's get her in the car."
Zach bent down and picked Alex up. He carried her down the stairs followed by Summer and Marissa.
Marissa sat in the backseat of Summer's car and Zach laid Alex in so that her head was in Marissa's lap.
"What did she drink?" Summer asked getting in.
"Tequila," Marissa answered, "Half a bottle by herself."
"Wow," Summer said as Zach took off.
"She never used to drink like that," Marissa smoothed some hair out of Alex's face.
"Where are we taking her?" Zach asked.
"My mom's out of town with Kirsten," Marissa answered, "We can take her to my mom's house."
"Okay," Zach nodded.
The drive back to Newport was silent. Marissa kept stroking Alex's hair, trying to keep her asleep.
Once they got to Julie Cooper's trailer, Kaitlin opened the door when Summer knocked. "Summer?"
"Yeah," Summer nodded, "Uh, Marissa's bringing a friend over."
"Great," Kaitlin raised and eyebrow. She saw Zach carrying Alex with Marissa behind him. "Who is that?"
"Her name's Alex," Marissa answered.
"Where do you want me to put her?" Zach asked.
"The couch is fine," Marissa told him.
Zach bent down and laid Alex on the couch. She rolled over and buried her face in the back of the couch. Marissa covered her up with a blanket.
"Thanks," she told Summer and Zach.
"No problem," Summer hugged Marissa, "Call me if you need anything."
Marissa nodded, "Thanks Zach."
"No problem," he smiled. He politely waved to Kaitlin and followed Summer out the door.
"You do know you don't actually live here right?" Kaitlin raised an eyebrow at Marissa.
Marissa nodded, "I just couldn't take her to Summer's house."
"Okay," Kaitlin nodded, "I'm going to bed."
Marissa nodded, "Okay." She moved to the armchair Kaitlin had been sitting in and turned on the TV.