A/N: Ahem thanks for possibly the sweetest review ever to SparkiMonkey! I loved it and I am so glad you love my story…but don't get too attached to River and Phoenix…they're not all they seem! It's not a cross over and thanks for the blindingly obvious (except to me!) tip about anonymous reviews!

Marissa stumbled through the front door River caught her just as she was about to fall and managed to hold the door open.

"Whoa. Slow down"

Marissa held her head, feeling beads of sweat run down it. Her head was dull with pain that had begun to slowly sober her, the situation becoming mortifyingly clearer.

"You can go now. I'll be okay," said Marissa tersely. She kept her brightly made up eyes to the floor and didn't look at him.

River crouched on his haunches in front of her. He brushed her hair away with the back of his hand. His skin brushed hers and the heat from his hand thrilled her a little. Finally she looked up.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked softly. He held her fingers gently with his and he looked at her with eyes deep with sincerity and concern.

Marissa kissed him gently on the lips her heart fluttering. She reached for his hand and dragged it to her thigh.

"Stay" she murmured and kissed him.

River smiled.

Game. Set and Match.

Summer rubbed her stomach. She was still just as slim as the other girls in Newport but not, evidently as slim as Marissa Cooper. Last she'd heard Marissa had been wasted at school and River had taken her home. That was the last she'd heard of them that day.

Now she found herself in the Crab Shack surrounded by chattering girls but completely alone. Seth was too busy drooling over the 'new girl' to pay any attention to her. She swirled her spoon in her milkshake and frowned when the glass doors swung open and at that moment-speak of the devil-who should enter but the ever so perfectly formed Phoenix.

She was dressed in a black halter bikini and stylish black, purple and white board shorts. Her dark glossy hair swung from her smooth shoulders and she walked in with the utmost confidence. Completely owning the room, all eyes on her.

"I used to be able to do that," muttered Summer out loud. The girls around her giggled at this random comment then continued with their vapid conversation. Summer decided to approach her and give the girl a piece of her troubled mind.

"Summer?" smiled Phoenix in surprise; she turned to Summer with the warmest smile.

"That's my name. What are you doing here?" she asked curtly

Phoenix raised the four cans of soda she was carrying "I thought that was obvious. I'm just buying drinks. You?"

Summer shrugged "Marissa bailed on me. I'm just hanging with some other friends. I'm just now going for dinner with my dad"

Phoenix looked around "Great. Look…Summer, can I ask you something? In private? "

Summer felt herself reluctantly agreeing when Phoenix gave her the full force of her trademark, persuasive smile, the bitch was convincing.

Once Phoenix's drinks had been paid for the two girls headed out onto the pier for somewhere quieter. They paused at the smooth white railing leaning over it both staring out at the beautiful skyline.

"So what do you want?" asked Summer, body language still defensive.

"Its about Marissa. I like her…but…" Phoenix paused tantalisingly she picked off a flaking piece of paint, of the railing that surrounded the pier.

Summer shifted slightly closer "But?"

"Listen…my brother really, really likes you. He also knows how much Marissa likes him…but I think she's putting on this act to guilt trip him into being interested in her" She said softly.

Summer mouthed in surprise. "Wow".

She wouldn't have believed it but it all seemed to make sense. Summer had liked Ryan first but of course Marissa had come in with her sob stories and Summer had been out of the picture. That's what she'd convinced herself anyway. Now it was happening all over again. Well she'd be damned if Marissa Cooper got her well-manicured claws into him with her 'woe is me' bullshit.

All of a sudden she liked Phoenix.

Well…better than she liked her before. She still found the girl immensely suspicious.

"Wow. I can't believe that…" Summer sighed

"I love my brother with my whole heart but it seems like he's too…'afraid' to admit to himself that Marissa is using him. She doesn't even think about Ryan…not like you and Seth though…you love Seth and your friends… but to Marissa it seems like…a game…I don't want to see River hurt"

Summer looked at her fingernails distractedly, trying to process the information.

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly"

Summer was so absorbed in herthoughts that she missed the dark smile that fluttered over Phoenix's pretty lips.

It's almost too easy.

A/N:

I'm worried about raising the level of a certain chapter that I will be posting soon to an r just for that occasion…should i make it an r or just 'imply' things?

Help!

Thanks for reviewing you guys rock the kasbah!