Chapter Ten

Keep it simple, stupid. That was the essence of any great plan. Marty felt that following that criteria, really, they couldn't fail. She forgot that one must always have a contingency plan just in case glamorous looking next door neighbours poked their perky little noses where it didn't belong; threatening to toss said brilliant plan down the commode.

Before Seth could let Ryan in on their plan, he was half way out the pool house door, planning to make a mid night break for it, avoiding the need for any brilliant plans all together.

Never let it be said that a Cohen wavered from their chosen course though. Seth made him see how much better it would be if he simply towed the party line and follow where a Cohen led.

She didn't know if Ryan was impressed by the fool proof plan or not but he followed. Or rather, waited as Marty and Seth snuck out of the house, well supplied for their adventure.

And found Ryan at the end of the driveway, nonchalantly chatting with said glamorous looking perky nosed next door neighbour.

Marissa was smiling at him and doing that nauseating hair flip thing that she'd perfected at the age of four that made all the boys go goo goo eyed over her.

When Marty was seven years old, she was going to play Little Red Riding Hood in the school play but instead caught the chicken pox from Toby Advereaux. Marissa got to play the part instead.

The next day, Marty threw her in the pool at the school charity barbecue.

Marissa retaliated by eating 6 hotdogs and throwing up on her.

Then the "Red Riding Hood" robe that Marissa got to keep 'mysteriously' went missing.

If Ryan had been small enough, Marty would have grabbed him and stuffed him under her shirt like she had the red costume and run like hell. Mine! The seven year old girl inside of her screamed. Mine! Mine! Mine!

But she simply smiled and made her way towards them.

Well, she thought it was a smile but maybe, judging by the guarded expression on Marissa's face it was a good thing that Marty hadn't gotten that part in the play because apparently she was not that good an actress.

Smiled. Sneered. Potato/Pot-ah-to.

And then. 'That's a great plan. Who are you going to get to drive you?"

WHAT?

"We'll walk. Thanks," Marty barely ground out.

"Don't be stupid. You'll draw less attention at this hour if I drive you than if you're on that thing," Marissa pointed down to Seth's skateboard. "You can't drive except to and from the community center," she added to Marty who was mentally counting to ten and trying to imagine what Marissa would look like bald. "That leaves me."

"Sounds like a good idea," Ryan offered.

Judas.

"Don't you have some pressing social engagement or something?" Marty asked narrowing her eyes at Marissa. Hands off, bitch. He's mine.

Marissa narrowed her eyes right back. Message received. I don't care and I'm not above throwing up on you again.

And so at a stalemate, Marty found herself in the backseat of Marissa's car sitting next to her brother while Ryan sat in the front with Marissa like some happy little couple.

She sat in the back and glowered while she absorbed the fact that Marissa shared her brother's taste in music while Ryan was apparently tone deaf and didn't really listen to music.

"Dude, that's kind of weird," Seth injected.

Indeed. Marty felt like she had entered some bizarre twilight zone universe where Ryan, someone she thought had more functioning brain cells than to be charmed by the likes of Marissa Cooper, seemed to be just as susceptible to her as every other male under the age of twenty-one.

Punk. Marissa 'Prissy' Cooper liked punk.

"Uh, I'm sorry. Avril Lavigne is not punk," Marty added unable to concede that she and Marissa Cooper would ever have anything in common. She thought it showed great maturity that she didn't stick her tongue out at her as well.

Then they were at the model home. "Thanks for the ride," Marty said in very clear dismissal.

Marissa followed them inside. "So what's the plan here? You're just gonna hide out until the construction guys show up?"

"I worked construction with one of my mom's boyfriend's last summer. He's in Austin now and he said to look him up if I was in town and needed a job."

"In Texas," Marissa remarked none too happy about that idea.

"Ding. Ding," Marty dramatically tapped her nose.

"Look, what is your problem with me, Marty?" Marissa finally snapped. "I've always only ever been nice to you and all I get are bitchy sarcastic remarks."

"Uh, can we focus here?" Seth asked stepping in between the two of them, diffusing a potential nuclear situation that would make Chechnya look like a bottle rocket. He was good at that, her little peace maker brother.

Now though, Marty wished he could concentrate his efforts somewhere else. Iraq maybe?

"Dude, I was thinking you could find a place somewhere a little closer so we could still hang out,"

Yes. Stay. Let's stay together for the sake of the kid, Marty thought wryly.

What was her problem? That was it in a nutshell. Whether she lost him to Marissa's considerable charms, to the social service jungle or to Texas, Marty knew she was losing the one guy who could potentially be 'the one'.

And that scared her.