hey, sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. but here's the third chapter, for those who are reading this.
disclaimer: okay, in case you guys don't know, all rights go to the Dead Like Me creators and the O.C. peoples. i don't own anyone except the people who die. those are mine.
author: me. and despite what my penname says, i am here.
feedback: is most appreciated. thanx to you two who've already reviewed, it's what's keeping this story going.
rating: T, if that's possible. mostly because of the violent deaths and language. oh yes, there is language.
so, with that said, enjoy:
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Chapt. 3
Marissa swallowed, her eyes wide. Of all the people in L.A, she had to run into Alex. Hundreds of thoughts and questions swam through her head, making her dizzy, as Alex just straightened and gave Marissa a quizzical look.
"Do I know you?" Alex asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly.
"It's me, Mar-" Marissa paused. Oh this was so not fucking fair. "Um…" she faltered. Alex crossed her arms.
"Look, whatever, sorry about running into you," Alex said quickly, before walking past Marissa and disappearing into the rain.
Marissa wanted to cry. She never thought that, when she saw Alex again, it'd be this brief. Or this painful. Maybe she was just stressed. Maybe being dead was taking way too much out of her. Marissa closed her eyes and tried to compose herself, before wrapping her arms around her stomach and starting off to Wanda's again.
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"Geez, Marissa, one minute I think you're behind me and the next you're inside talking to Byron and now you're here," Wanda said, raising her eyebrow critically as a soaking wet Marissa stood outside her penthouse apartment door. Marissa shivered and shrugged.
"You didn't walk here all by yourself, did you?" Wanda inquired, stepping aside to let Marissa in. Still a little too cold to answer properly, Marissa just nodded and headed straight for the bathroom, pulling her somewhat dry clothes from her purse and already attempting to rid herself of the totaled dress. Wanda followed closely behind, and Marissa knew she was ready to berate Byron up and down for not walking Marissa at least half way, but noticed Marissa's clothes, or rather, lack there of.
"You need to go shopping and get some new clothes," Wanda stated, grabbing Marissa's purse from Marissa's hand before she closed the door to the bathroom.
"Yeah, I was planning on stopping by the mall tomorrow," came Marissa's voice, sarcastic and cynical but muffled from the closed door and presumably a stuck dress. "See if I can buy the latest by Dolce and Gabbana, and then I might get a brand new Fendi!"
Wanda chuckled.
"Fair enough, but you do need a new wardrobe, Marissa. Let's face it, if the whole ensemble can fit in your clutch, something's missing." She said, filing through her mail. Well, the deceased tenant's mail. And a little bit of hers that she'd retrieved earlier from her P.O box.
"Yeah, okay." Marissa sighed out, opening the bathroom door, all changed into her only other outfit. "But I was thinking of heading to Newport or something. Maybe I can sneak into my trailer and steal some of my old clothes back," Marissa attempted to try and run her fingers through her hair but realized that it wasn't going to work half way through.
"Ah, not a good idea," Wanda said, leaning against the back of her couch and looking tiredly at Marissa.
"And why not?" Marissa asked, folding her arms uncomfortably, realizing that she was being scrutinized. But that was only fair. She'd only known Wanda for what, five days? Seven tops? Wanda had a right to try and gage the mental stability of someone she was taking in for possibly more than a night.
"Well," Wanda started, getting up and roaming into her kitchen, "First of all, you just died, what, five days ago?"
"Seven," Marissa corrected, more to herself than for Wanda's benefit. Wanda nodded, prying open the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of vodka and some orange juice. She then set them down on the island in the middle of the kitchen, before propping her elbows on it as well.
"Second, what would you do? Just take a whole mess of clothes and leave a note that says, 'thanks for the clothes'? You're mom or whoever you lived with would flip. Not to mention people would probably notice this sketchy girl entering a trailer that's not hers."
Marissa sighed, completely frustrated. These were good points and all, but she needed clothes, and soon. Washing the same outfit everyday just so she could wear it and owe Byron nearly eighteen dollars in quarters wasn't going to work out much longer.
"But I could get some money, also. My mom always kept some lying around, you just need to know where to look." Marissa tried to defend her decision. Wanda rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, or the land-lord or whatever they are called at trailer parks could notice a suspicious persons and call the cops. You'd be arrested, Marissa! And I'd love to see you pay bail for that."
"Oh, how much could it be, twenty dollars?" Marissa huffed, angry at Wanda for being right and angry at herself for admitting that Wanda was right. "'Persons'?" she added as an afterthought, drawing her eyebrows together.
"Yeah, twenty dollars that you don't happen to have. And yes, persons. The law is weird like that," Wanda waved her hand dismissively.
"But the most important reason that you should wait? You'll probably run into someone you know," Marissa opened her mouth to argue but Wanda shushed her by holding up one of her hands, "You know I'm right, Marissa. Newport's kind of a tight community. And are you ready to deal with one of your good friends walking right by you on the board walk?" Wanda eyed Marissa curiously. Marissa's protest died in her throat as she thought of her encounter with Alex. Should she tell Wanda about that? Marissa decided against it and instead gave Wanda a fleeting look that admitted that perhaps Wanda could be right. Wanda smirked.
"Plus, Newport's like, what? An hour and a half away by car? How did you intend to get there? Or back, for that matter?"
Marissa sighed. She had definitely lost that battle. Defeated, Marissa muttered a quick goodnight to Wanda, before grabbing the glass of vodka and orange juice that Wanda had just made for herself, and downing it. She put the empty glass back and walked out, not glancing back at a slightly impressed Wanda.
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Marissa couldn't sleep. Again. She stared at the ceiling from her spot on the couch. She wanted to turn the television on, but she knew nothing would be on at this hour. At least, nothing good. She changed positions and listened to a siren somewhere out in the distance. Somewhere out there, on the streets, was a reaper trying to find the dead man before the authorities managed to. Hopefully the man wasn't dead yet, but it was a slim chance. Usually by the time the cops had been called, the deed was already done and the soul needed out. Marissa rolled over and stared out the window. Well, at the curtains blocking the window.
It had stopped raining an hour ago. Marissa sighed. Had it been raining at her funeral? Was it sunny? What did everyone wear? Where the hell was she buried, anyway? And what if she didn't want to be buried? What if she'd wanted to be cremated? Well then go and set yourself on fire, Coop, Marissa thought to herself, before pulling the pillow out from under her head and throwing it down over her face with such force that Marissa wouldn't have been surprised if she's bruised the bridge of her nose. Not that it mattered. She'd heal fast enough. One benefit of being undead: hangovers were a thing of the past.
Comforted by this little victorious consolation, Marissa switched positions again, before picking herself up and walking to sliding glass door on the other side of the room. As quietly as she could, Marissa opened the door and walked out onto a small balcony. There were two chairs and a small coffee table. Working quickly, Marissa moved them around so that she had enough room to lie down. She threw her pillow down and settled on the cold concrete floor of the balcony, listening to the silence of the early morning and feeling the cold seep through her clothes, silently hoping that hypothermia would set itself in soon.
And that was how Wanda found her in the morning, frozen but content.
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aha, now we start a new day. love it, hate it? at least one review required for next chapter. and let's face it, that's not asking a lot, oui?
