They'd gotten everything set up and Ryan, Seth, and Summer left to get ready.

Alex picked up her dress from the railing of the stair where she'd left it.

"Wow," Marissa said from behind Alex, "Nice dress."

Alex turned around, "Thanks." Alex smoothed out the soft blue fabric.

Marissa started to ascend the stairs, "You're welcome to change in my room if you'd like."

"Okay," Alex watched her walk up the stairs, "I'll be up in a minute."

Marissa walked the rest of the way to her room and stripped herself of her outer layer of clothing. After dumping her dirty clothes in the pile, she walked to her closet and stepped inside.

There was a knock on the door.

"C'min," Marissa said from the closet.

Alex opened the door, dress and shoes in hand. She looked around the room and didn't see Marissa, "Where are you?" She set her dress on the bed and let the shoes drop to the floor.

Marissa stepped out of the closet, "I'm right here."

Alex looked over and her breath caught in her throat. Marissa stood in the doorway of the closet clad in only some lacey underwear and bra. Alex shook out of it and looked down at her dress, "So, um, what are you wearing?"

Marissa scanned her clothes and grabbed what she was looking for. "This."

Alex looked at Marissa's dress while pulling her shirt over her head. It was then Marissa's turn to gawk. Alex's lean, tan surfer muscles were just as sexy as ever and Marissa was having a hard time keeping her eyes in check. And she knew if she stared any longer, she'd have a hard time keeping her hands in check.

She ripped her eyes off of the blonde and pulled her dress on, then went to the closet to get some shoes.

When she came back, Alex was in her dress. The dress had an open back, no sleeves, and tapered off to one side near her right calf. Alex was pulling on her shoes with Marissa sat on the bed to put her own on.

Alex turned around to look at herself in the mirror, "I don't know if I like this."

"You look great," Marissa added.

Alex smiled, "Thanks, so do you." Alex quickly added, "Especially those shoes."

Marissa forced a smile, disappointed that Alex's favorite part of her ensemble was the shoes and not to person wearing them, "Thanks."

Alex straightened out her hair and then looked at her phone, "I have five minutes and Dave isn't here yet."

"Dave?" Marissa asked.

"My friend in the band," Alex stated. She started dialing on her phone.

Marissa took the phone from Alex, "I'll talk to him. You go make sure everyone else is here."

Alex nodded, "Thanks." She walked out in a whirl of blue fabric and blonde hair.

Marissa called Dave and sat on her bed.

About half an hour later, the party was in full swing. There were more people there than Marissa thought there would be. She wandered around the crowd and found Summer talking with Dave.

"Hey," Marissa smiled and walked over to them.

Dave and Summer smiled back.

Dave straightened his jacket, "Hey Marissa." He moved his neck around, "Alex said I have to wear this button up shirt and jacket if we got to do this. I had to go buy one."

Marissa chuckled, "That sucks."

"Hey Dave," a guy on the stage with drumsticks said, "Come on."

Dave smiled at the girls, "Nice to see you again Marissa. Nice to meet Summer."

The girls waved as Dave hopped back up on the stage.

A song started the Marissa vaguely recognized. She spotted Alex across the pool with Ryan. They were laughing. When Alex heard the song start she stopped and looked at Ryan. Marissa could see Alex say I love this song. Then Ryan said something and they started dancing close to each other.

We watch the season
Pull up it's own stakes
And catch the last weekend
Of the last week
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced
Another sun soaked season fades away

Marissa felt like she was going to be sick. She watched Alex smiled at Ryan as they swayed together.

You have stolen my heart
You have stolen my heart

Ryan twirled Alex and she laughed. Her blue eyes sparkled in the soft lights coming out of the trees. Marissa had to get away. And get something to drink.

Watch you spin around
In your highest heels
You are the best one
Of the best ones

"Marissa?" Summer asked as Marissa started walking away, "Marissa?"

Marissa just ignored her and kept walking.

Summer started to go after her, but someone caught her arm, "Summer." Julie said, "I need you to go check with the bartenders and see if they have enough cognac."

Summer nodded, "Okay." She glanced one last time at Marissa, who was walking into the house.

When the song finished, Alex hugged Ryan, "Thanks for dancing with me."

"No problem," Ryan smiled.

"Hey Ryan," Seth called, "There you are."

"What's up?" Ryan asked.

"Nothing," Seth answered, "I just got lost in a sea of boring people."

Alex chuckled, "I think I have to go mingled with the boring people."

"Nice band by the way," Seth told Alex.

"Thanks," Alex smiled.

Summer walked up to Marissa's room and opened the door. It was empty except for Alex's folded clothes on the bed with her phone resting on top and a half empty bottle of vodka. "Damn it!" Summer slammed the door shut.

She ran down the stairs and found Alex talking to a group of older men. She apparently just finished a joke because the whole group laughed.

Summer leaned over and whispered into Alex's ear, "We have a huge problem."

Alex nodded and smiled to the group, "Excuse me." She left Summer pull her to the side and got close to her.

"Marissa's gone and there's half empty bottle of vodka on her bed," Summer whispered.

Alex sighed and rubbed her eyes, "Okay. You go look in every room of the house and make sure her car is still here. I'm going to go walk down the beach to see if I can find her."

Summer nodded and walked back into the house.

"Marissa?" Alex called. She kept looking down the beach and didn't see anyone.

She thought she saw something move in the nearby lifeguard station. She ran over looked up the ramp, only to find Marissa passed out in the station. Alex ran up the ramp and knelt next to Marissa. She checked for a pulse and sighed. She ran a hand through her hair before picking the silver flask laying next to Marissa's limp hand and angrily hurling it into the dark ocean.

Alex picked Marissa up and carried her back to the Cohens'. She carefully opened the pool house door and laid Marissa down on her bed. She grabbed a bottle of water and some Tylenol from the bag under her bed and sat Marissa up, maneuvering herself behind the passed out beauty.

"C'mon," Alex unscrewed the water, "Wake up."

"Huh?" Marissa slurred.

Alex took Marissa's hand and put two pills in it, "Take these."

Marissa did as she was told without protest and sipped the water.

Alex slid back out from behind Marissa, "I'm going back to the party. Go to sleep."

Marissa rolled over and cuddled with a pillow.

Alex smiled and kissed Marissa's cheek before walking out. She decided to take her car back instead of trudging back in the sand.

After the part was over, Alex went to Marissa' room to get her things.

"Hey Coop," Summer walked in, but stopped when she saw Alex.

"Where's Marissa?" Julie asked from behind Summer.

"She…wasn't feeling well so I sent to sleep it off at the Cohens'," Alex answered.

Julie nodded, "Okay." She paused before walking away, "Bye the way, good job tonight."

Alex smiled, "Thanks."

Julie smiled back, "Goodnight." She walked off.

Summer walked over to the bed and sat by Alex, "Does not feeling well mean drunk?"

Alex sighed and nodded, "I don't know why she started drinking again. She was doing so well."

"Well she looked upset when she saw you and Ryan dancing together," Summer stated.

Alex looked at Summer, "She thinks Ryan's interested in me? We're just friends. We were just messing around."

"She wasn't upset over Ryan. She saw him dance with a lot of other girls and didn't say anything. How many people did you dance with?"

"Just Ryan," Alex answered. Her eyebrows furrowed, "But…you mean?"

"I don't know for sure, but I have a strong hunch," Summer told Alex, "And I know Marissa better than anyone."

Alex nodded and stood, "Do you need a ride home?"

Summer stood with her, "Yeah. Marissa was supposed to be my ride."

While they walked to Alex's car Summer added, "You know what's weird?"

"What?" Alex asked opening the door for Summer.

"Julie Cooper likes you," Summer smiled.

Alex laughed and closed the door.

When Alex stopped in front of Summer's house, Summer looked over at her, "Hey, do you…um…do you want to go shopping tomorrow?"

Alex looked surprised, but nodded, "Sure. Call me in the morning."

Summer nodded and smiled, "I will. Take care of Marissa okay?"

"Of course," Alex stated.

Summer got out and closed the door before starting the ascent to her door.

When Alex got into the pool house she found Lexi laying in her bed next to Marissa. Alex rolled her eyes and asked her dog, "So now I have to sleep on the floor."

Lexi just looked at her.

Ryan stepped out of the bathroom, toweling off his hair, "You can sleep in my bed with me."

Alex shrugged and peeled off her dress, "Okay. I'm gonna take a shower first."

"Good," Ryan smiled, "I wouldn't want you stinking up my bed."

Alex rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom closing the door behind her. She took a long relaxing shower. When she got out she found, Ryan asleep on one side of the bed facing the outside. Alex pulled on a cami and some boxers before sliding into bed and drifting off to sleep.