4

Staring across the dimly lit street Ryan called home, he gently spun his cigarette between his rough fingers and reveled in the calming effects of the bitter smoke that filled his lungs.

No one had seen or heard anything from Trey in a week, and he knew he should probably be more concerned, but reason told him that at some sooner or later his brother was going to fuck up no matter what. Ryan was just glad that he hadn't ended up taking him down too. Sure the cops had questioned him, but they seemed to believe his lie, especially when the sweet, new girl in town completely backed up his story that he'd been with her the whole time.

His feet scrapped loudly against the cement as he shifted his position on the curb and strained his ears to try and overhear the muffled arguments coming from the new neighbors. He couldn't make out a thing, and immediately shook his head at how pathetic he was.

Barely a week since he'd met Marissa and already she seemed to consume about ninety-percent of his thoughts. She was so hot; with the limbs and the boobs and the hair and the eyes. But for what seemed to be the first time in his teenage years, Ryan actually wanted to know all about her and had admitted to himself that he definitely wouldn't mind being tied down to her. Marissa intrigued him. She always seemed kind of nervous and really shy but she would always smile this huge grin at him. She was such a mystery.

The loud slap of the Cooper's flimsy screen door suddenly shot him from his thoughts, spinning him around in his spot. There she was, head down, shoulders slumped, walking as fast as her feet could carry her away from her home and down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, not even noticing him. Ryan quickly jumped to his feet, mindlessly dropping his cigarette to the pavement as he followed behind.

"Marissa?"

Her marching feet immediately began to slow until she came to a halt and hesitantly turned around to face him. "H-Hi Ryan."

A huge grin quickly spread across his face as he caught up to her, only to leave just as fast as it came. A small but harsh gash marred her usual perfect plump lips that were puffy and red. His brow furrowed. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly but quietly, "I just fell down; my clumsy fault."

"Oh."

They both knew she didn't fall. She didn't really fall and bust her lip, just like Ryan didn't really get that black eye last spring playing basketball. Neither of them said anything.

Marissa reached up and self-consciously touched her lip, forcing herself not to wince at the pain before quickly crossing her arms over her chest. She hugged herself tight and averted her gaze everywhere but at him.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Ryan blurted suddenly, trying to keep their silence from becoming too long and too awkward. He didn't want it to be awkward between them. Her gaze snapped to him and he felt his palms start to sweat.

Her lips helplessly curled into a warm smile and she felt her stomach do a pleasant flip. She eagerly nodded and was rewarded with a goofy half smile from Ryan.

They began walking down the intermittently lit sidewalk side by side and in what seemed like no time Ryan had shown Marissa all around town, from the post office to the strip mall on Main St. to the rundown high school she would soon be attending with him in, surprisingly, the same grade and class. As they walked side by side, Ryan held up most of the conversation, which he was sure he had never done before with anyone, by telling her stupid stories about the most random things ever, and the longer they were together, the more comfortable Marissa came, and soon she had completely loosened up from the tight ball of emotions that had ran from her house just a short time before.

"..and that's the electric company," Ryan explained, pointing ahead of them. "My dad used to work at the electric company in Fresno when I was little."

She watched his face fall and tried to read his look, but she couldn't. "Where does your dad work now? I've never seen him at your house at all," she pointed out curiously.

He scoffed quietly to himself. "That's cuz he's in jail; armed robbery."

"Oh," Marissa muttered, regretting saying anything as his eyes diverted to the ground. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," Ryan quickly interrupted, shrugging it off.

She bit her sore lip thoughtfully as their conversation hit an awkward beat. Looking sideways at him, she could almost see the thoughts spinning in his head as he kicked a stone on the sidewalk. She took a deep breath and a leap of faith and let her fingers shyly brush against his before loosely grasping onto his pinky. Her blushed pink as he shot his gaze up to meet hers, and let another gradual, goofy grin over take him. He was so cute. She quickly smiled back.

"My dad was in jail, too. He got out just before we moved here," she admitted to him quietly. She shook her head absently, sadly, "I wish he was still in there."

Ryan intertwined his fingers in hers and walked closer to her, so close he was afraid he might step on her toes. She smelled like strawberries and suddenly he could feel his heartbeat in his chest. He watched her as her suddenly sad eyes traced the starry sky and didn't know what to say, so he squeezed her hand tighter and smiled sympathetically at her.

They continued down the streets silently, their arms swinging between them, when Marissa's face suddenly lit up. "Ooh, a park!" she exclaimed excitedly pulling Ryan off the path and into the grass towards the tiny playground.

Ryan laughed. "What? Are you five?" he teased, a huge grin on his face as she turned around and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. He let go of her hand and watched as she flopped onto a swing and started to pump her long, lean legs.

"We had a park like a block away from our house in Riverside," she started to explain as she gained more and more air. "I would always sneak out in the middle of the night and sit on the swings and watch the stars. Well, that is, when I wasn't out partying with Seth and Summer."

"Seth and Summer?"

"They were my best friends there," she explained with a smile as she thought of them. She hadn't talked to them since she moved; she missed them so much. But as she watched Ryan's eyes follow her pendulum movements, she realized she didn't mind being here in Chino. "Why don't you swing too?"

"Umm.. I dunno.." he stumbled, looking around at the dark streets and the few random people out as well.

"Please?"

He sighed, shaking his head and giving in to her little pout. He stepped around her before flopping himself down on the next swing. He shifted his weight; the swing creaked, followed by a quick snapped. "Shit!" Ryan screeched, falling flat on his back onto the hard ground.

"Oh my god," Marissa muttered, trying not to laugh, as she scrapped her feet loudly against the grass and came to a halt. "Oh my god, oh my god.. Are you okay?"

Ryan pulled himself to a sitting position and winced, more from embarrassment than anything. "Yeah, I'm fine.."

Giggling, Marissa kneeled next to him. "I can't believe you broke the swing," she burst out laughing, helping him brush dirt off his back.

He felt himself get drawn in by her infectious laugh and let out a chuckle of his own as he looked up at the dilapidated playground equipment. "Oops," he smirked before turning back to Marissa, suddenly realizing how close they were.

She quickly stopped laughing as she realized it to.

The air around them suddenly seemed thick, and the world around them nonexistent.

All her thoughts suddenly stopped as Ryan leaned in and placed a quick, chaste kiss on her lips, making her heart start to pound.

He slowly pulled back and looked at her big blue eyes, looking for some sign that he should continue. He felt his palms start to sweat as she nodded softly and placed a hesitant hand on his neck, her fingers in the back of his hair. He quickly connected their lips again, deepening the kiss and massaging his tongues against hers, before grazing his teeth against her lip.

Marissa abruptly pulled back and hissed in pain, her hand flying up to her still injured bottom lip.

"Oh, god, I'm so so sorry.. I forgot about.."

"I'm fine," she interrupted, her face flushing bright red as she silently cursed herself for ruining her first kiss with the gorgeously sweet boy in front of her. "It just still kinda hurts a little.. I think its swollen..."

Ryan reached up and gently brushed his thumb across the soft pink flesh, smiling as her eyes started to flutter shut. Leaning in, he brushed a quick kiss on her cheek before standing up and holding his hand out to the beautifully broken girl on the ground. "Come on."

She smiled up at him as he helped her up. "Where are we going?"

"To get you some ice for that lip."

Marissa followed a step behind as Ryan led her through backyards and across darkened streets until within a few minutes both their houses, side by side, were in sight. She smiled as Ryan led her past the chain link fence and up the path to his house. He was more than a little relieved to find the house dark and completely empty when he opened the front door. Looking back at Marissa, he flashed her his classic half smile and squeezed her hand, before leading her into the kitchen and quickly filling a ziplock bag with ice.

She winced as she pressed the cold pack to her lip. "Thanks."

He dug his hands in his pockets for and watched her giggle to herself as she noticed the pictures of him on the fridge. She had the cutest laugh he'd ever had, and he loved the way her nose would wriggle up. He didn't want this night with her to end. "So do you have to go home soon? Cuz if you don't, maybe you could hang out here for awhile? We could watch TV or something.."

Marissa eagerly nodded. "I can hang out."

A huge smile spread across Ryan's face. "Great."