"Do you ever wonder if she's after you for your money?" Summer sat down on the bed that she had taken over in the guest room. "I mean I know this isn't Newport or LA but people still have agenda's. Don't get me wrong I love Alex but there's just a lot you don't know about her."
Marissa shook her head as she looked out the window. "She isn't like that, she never lets me pay and I know she doesn't have much, or at least it seems that way. She works hard for what she has, never once has she asked me for anything that I wouldn't willingly give her."
"Willingly huh?" Summer raised her eyebrows and smiled at her best friend who rolled her eyes.
"Not like that Sum." She thought for a minute. "I'm sure that'd be good to though." Both girls laughed and it went silent for a few minutes.
"So does all this mean you won't be coming back to our real lives once all this is over?"
Marissa shrugged it hadn't honestly been something she'd thought about. "I haven't really talked to my parents about it, and our plan of me being miserable hasn't exactly worked out."
"Take it day by day, we'll work on it when the time comes."
Over at Alex's house Luke was standing next to Alex as she groomed Charlie. "You and Marissa seem to have a good thing going."
She nodded. "Very good thing, she's awesome and we have a lot of fun just hanging out."
"Nice change from Jodie, as much as I love you Al, I never liked that girl, not for a second."
Alex laughed. "You did for a second when you said she was hot."
"Looks aren't everything, geeze Alex." Luke scoffed before letting out a slight laugh. "I think he's good Ally, lets hit the trails."
Alex smiled. "Let's do it but we can't be long you know my dad is having that work party."
"I thought you were going out with Marissa tonight?"
"I was supposed to but I had to cancel, she seemed perfectly okay with it but I'll apologize some more after the party." She smiled and hoped up onto Charlie.
Luke smiled and saddled up before he got onto Cedric. "Hey Al?"
"Yeah?"
He paused a moment, almost scared to ask. "Have you talked to Jodie since she left, I mean your mom doesn't even realise she's gone."
"No I haven't talked to her, and why the hell would I. Shut up and ride Lucas." She took off down the trail causing her best friend to go after her.
"Don't call me that, and I think a part of you still hopes she's going to ride in on her white horse."
"I'm with Marissa." She slowed down and stopped once they got to the top of the hill. Climbing off she looked over the city, or at least the part of it she could see.
"I know you're with Marissa and I know she really likes you. She told me that herself, so be honest with her, about eveything. Especially about who your father is because she is going to find out sooner or later."
Alex took a deep breath. "She just makes me so happy." She felt herself smile as Luke came and stood beside her.
"I just really really like her Sums, like I love the sound of the ocean crashing the sound of the waves make their way to the beach. Thats the way I like holding her hand when we go down to the beach and the wind is blowing." She smiled as the girls got ready for a dinner party at Jimmy's boss' house.
Luke looked over at his best friend and shook his head. "I like the sound of the alarm clock ringing because it means I get to spend another day with her. It's so good to feel that way again, to want to get up in the morning. The fact that its been a gorgeous summer makes it all the better."
"Does she think your tractor is sexy though?" Luke laughed and recieved a punch on the arm from his best friend.
Marissa tried a shirt on before taking it off. "I like the sound of the fire place crackling as we sit and watch a movie, and she holds me like she's not going to let anything in this world hurt me."
Alex got back on Charlie and pat his side. "I like the way she laughs at my jokes, even though I say it all the time."
"That's just her trying to be nice." Luke laughed again as he got back on Cedric.
"I like when we're laying on the grass out in the middle of nowhere and its just us and I can hear her heart beating. I like being that close to her and knowing that she's okay."
"No, try this skirt, longer is better tonight." Summer handed the girl the beige skirt. "That's so good to hear you say though, you have way to much experience dating assholes."
An hour later the Coopers plus Summer turned onto a long driveway that went up a hill, with the biggest house they had seen around town. It wasn't small and quaint like the others, or even big like some of the others in their neighbourhood. It was massive to say the least and could almost be considered a castle if it had towers. "Damn, that is a nice house." Summer drooled as all eyes scanned the large house and even large property. Parking the car next to the others they got out and were greeted at the door.
Summer, Marissa and Julies mouths all dropped open momentarily. "Rebecca?" Julie asked.
"Julie, oh my it's so lovely to see you I didn't know Jimmy was your husband."
"Hi Rebecca its nice to meet you." Jimmy shook the woman's hand.
Julie smiled. "You've met Marissa, and this is Summer."
Both girls shook hands with the woman. "Please come on in and Marissa I've heard so much about you. Alex should be back soon, her and Luke just went for a ride, but if you follow the trail out back I'm sure there are a few people out back that you'll know." Nodding the girls headed down the back trail shell shocked.
"I can not believe this is Alex's house. I mean here I was thinking she didn't have a lot of money."
"Oh no Coop, she seems to have more of that than you do. You mad at her? Cause you look pissed."
Marissa shook her head. "I'm just shocked, she's so down to earth, at home people with this much money are stuck and we should know."
"She's different." Summer smiled. "Horses, and Ducky." She yelled out ducky and ran over to Zach.
A minute later Marissa caught up. "Hey guys, where's Alex?"
They all said hello and pointed, sure enough Alex and Luke were riding back and Marissa checked to make sure she wasn't drooling. "Hey y'all." The blonde girl smiled and she hopped off Charlie. "Hey honey." She smiled and looked down for a second.
"I'm not mad." Marissa smiled and pet Charlie. "He yours?"
Alex nodded. "His name is Charlie, and thats Cedric, he's mine too but Luke's favourite." She leaned forward and whispered, "I think him and look got a thing going on." Marissa laughed and the two excused themselves.
"I'll take him Luke." Marissa smiled and took a hold of Cedric.
"You like horses?" Alex asked as they began walking to the stable.
"Love them, and you apparently do too."
Alex tipped her hat down. "Ma'am I'm a cowgirl I love horses." She emphasied her accent because she knew Marissa liked it.
"Why didn't you tell me about all this?"
The blonde shrugged as Charlie tugged a little. "Yeah, yeah you stop." She told him. "I guess I just didn't want to be like what you were used too. You talked a lot about how it was refreshing that I wasn't like the people in New Port, mean while I'm the country version."
Alex opened the stable doors and led them inside and closing the door before she let Charlie go. Marissa did the same to Cedric and the horses walked over and got some water. "Ally you are nothing like them, you never have been money or not you are still the most polite, sweet and honest person I know. I just wish you would have told me, that way I could have been showing you that not only cowgirls know how to ride." She winked and Alex gulped a little.
"I can't believe our fathers work together and they never said anything." Alex sat on the hay pile and Marissa sat down on her lap.
"That would explain why for the past while everytime I walked into a room my father would give me that smile like he knows something and I couldn't figure out what it was."
"At least our families get along, I mean we know our moms do."
Marissa nodded. "The image of them still haunts me, it was still to soon to mention that." They laughed before Alex kissed Marissa softly.
"We should get back and be nice but tomorrow, we're going riding."
Alex smiled. "Maybe Zach and Summer will want to come too."
"That would be awesome."
The girl walked back out to where everyone else they're age was, and sat down in the chair next to the fire. Summer and Zach smiled at them and Summer threw a wink in for a good measure. "Turn it up a little louder, I like the sound of that." Alex said as Luke turned up the stereo.