Author's Note: What I imagine Alex and Marissa to wear are linked in my profile. You may not like Marissa, as always I think Alex is easier to write but I'm trying something different. Since they're in their early 20's you can assume that Marissa has matured. Believe it or not this does have a plot. Thank you for the reviews-as always I'm surprised by anyone who reads these.

Chapter 4

The banging woke her, though she had almost become a self-proclaimed professional at sleeping through noise...such as her mother talking, her mother screaming...her mother doing anything.

Grumbling she got out of bed and went to the front door, swiftly opening it while rubbing her eyes with her left hand to force the sleepiness away.

"This should help," the guest said gently holding out a cup of wonderfully scented coffee.

"Mmm thanks," Marissa replied in a nearly husky voice since she was still fully waking and looked over her guest. In the process she nearly dropped her unexpected treat.

Alex stood there, poised and certain as usual, but casual and looking less punk but still with an edge of attitude. The taller of the two had to start drinking the coffee to avoid her mouth from falling open.

"Come in," she mumbled and watched as Alex swiftly came into the house, calm as ever. Before Marissa could even shut the door her cell phone rang. Luckily she fell asleep with it in her pocket where it still was. And with a quick glance to the caller ID she held up her index finger to her ex and stepped outside to not seem rude, leaving the door open to wander in the yard.

"Yeah Sum?"

"Its so cute. She brought you a coffee," she said in a sweet tone. "And I highly doubt you asked her to pick you up something so she just did it, like she's in tune with your needs," she added.

"What are you out there with binoculars?" Marissa whispered with a bit of annoyance.

"Don't be silly," Summer replied in seriousness. "Or so dramatic," she continued. "The telescope is so much cooler," she said with an ever present joking tone.

At that Marissa rolled her eyes. "G'night Sum."

"Have fun." Summer finished in a light, almost singing voice knowing Marissa was going to hang up in a second.

Turning to go back into her house she took a large gulp of the coffee. I said I'd prep and that was it. Thank you coffee.

"So...how's your head?" Alex asked with sincere consideration.

"A little better. Luckily its dark out." The taller woman said tersely.

"Watching a movie is out then. How about...we listen to music and you can tell me about the thrilling life of Newport," she said with a smirk.

"That sounds good. Unfortunately I don't have any music on me, its at the dorm." Marissa said with disappointment.

"There's something very wrong with you," Alex said with wide eyes. "My ipod owns most of my soul." She said with a frown. "But, its always on me," she finished with a smile which made Marissa smile lightly.

"Great," Marissa said with a sigh.

"You have a stereo, right-or anything I could hook it into? A computer?" Alex asked while taking a step closer to her ex. Marissa reaction was to take a small step back and fold an arm across her chest.

"Ah...yeah, over..." and she began to walk away, "here." She didn't see the frown briefly pass on the shorter woman's face as she picked up a cord that went to a stereo.

Not bothering to reply, Alex simply walked over, took out her ipod from her bag, though it was usually in her back pocket and plugged it in, scrolled through to a playlist and then set her mechanical soul on the table. It wasn't easy to stand their silently. A part of her wanted to ask Marissa why she was being stand offish and part of her thought it was just the headache. Looking back up at Marissa who had been watching her for the last minute she leaned against the table and waited for a cue. The slight stare off continued until Marissa laid down on the large, soft couch leaving Alex to lay across the other way considering it was in the shape of an L after she had set her bag down.

Mirroring Marissa she set her own coffee on the table and tried to settle into the cushions as Jolie Holland sang Old Fashioned Morphine. Something soothing to chase any headache away.

"What have you been up to today?" Alex tried after it was clear her ex wasn't going to start a conversation.

"I finished my papers a while ago so I did some research on a project and then fell asleep." She replied disinterested. Instead of trying a new approach to a different topic the older woman drank more of her coffee and chose her words.

"You've changed." She said without a critical tone.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Marissa replied and it came out a little defensive, causing her to frown at herself.

"You're just...harder." Alex said with her own frown.

"Yeah...well..." she started with a saddened tone, "I don't have a reason to be soft," she ended somewhat bitterly.

"Hm okay," the former blonde said in an unsure and discontent voice.

"What?" The tense girl got out in a more defensive tone.

"Its fine, forget it," the brunette said gently but with a frown.

"No, what?" Marissa asked, curiosity clear and getting the best of her as she sat up more and saw her ex shrug.

"I used to like that about you. How you were...just kind of delicate and you hadn't been hardened by...life I guess," Alex replied slowly as she looked at her coffee cup.

Before Marissa could reply, even after it had been a good forty seconds that Alex's words were sinking in her thoughts were cut off from a buzzing.

"Sorry, that's me," Alex got out as she was bringing her phone to her ear and turned away from the taller girl.

Marissa only watched and frowned then her gaze drifted off to the table, the floor and finally the music was reaching her ears. The calm wasn't helping, but she knew Alex had tried and she felt her shoulders fall, annoyed that she was the issue with their situation.

"Yeah, okay." Alex paused. "Alright. No, no, I'll be over," she said with absolute certainty and a sense of purpose. "Mhm, be there in ten minutes, yeah, thanks." And she ended the call. As she slipped her phone back in her front pocket she looked back at Marissa and gave a small smile.

"Something wrong?"

"Hopefully not a huge problem, but I have to go," Alex said and tried to seem calm but Marissa could tell she was upset.

"Do you need me to come with you?" She asked unsure if she was overstepping but wanted to offer anyway.

"No, I don't think that'd be good, it'll be fine. But call me if you want to get together or something," she said as she was halfway to the door and Marissa was following her.

"Okay, I hope...whatever's wrong is alright or...gets fixed," she said with a frown since she really didn't have any idea what was going on and she felt that still Alex was a mystery and some things never change.

"Okay, goodnight," the brunette said as she climbed into her jeep that was a different color and make, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Marissa.

"Night," she said with a frown and closed the door after she had left, not bothering to watch her leave. With the door closed she breathed a heavy sigh and closed her eyes trying to tune everything out. Her senses were shutting down, it was almost like meditation which she had tried but could never be fully be comfortable with. The only thing that couldn't be forced out what the music.

Shit. She forget her ipod.