Summer sat on the cold Mexican tiles that lined the bathroom floor,
blabbing about the new shoe collection at Neiman Marcus while desperately
trying to keep Marissa awake. She was scared for her friend - after
Tijuana, Summer had suspected that Marissa hadn't really gotten back to who
she was before - she'd just gotten better at covering up her problems.
Seth, Ryan and Anna swept into the room, clicking the bathroom door closed behind him. Ryan knelt down and took Marissa in his arms.
"Hey you," Ryan spoke softly as he swept hair away from Marissa's eyes. She gazed up at him, her eyes unnaturally glassy.
"Let's dance," Marissa breathed, and then, as though the idea had taken root in her mind, she struggled free of Ryan's grasp. "Let's dance! Because I feel so good!" Marissa was giggling now, and her laughter bounced off the walls of the bathroom and echoed at the other four teenagers were silent.
"Marissa, you've got to go home," Ryan spoke steadily.
"No!" Marissa pouted and swung her hair. "I want to dance and say 'Happy New Year!'"
"The party's over," Ryan lied. "There no more dancing."
"No more dancing?" Marissa heaved a sigh and slumped toward him. "Okay. Let's go." Her eyes closed and she began to tip over. Ryan swept her up into his arms.
"Seth," Ryan spoke urgently, "we've got to get her out of here without anyone noticing. Is there a back exit or something?"
Seth scanned his mind - fortunately, he'd done a good deal of hiding in this place and knew several little-used hallways.
"We're going to have to go out the front," he explained, "but the hallways will take us right to the front door - we'll just need to swing out into the main room and then jet out as quickly as possible. C'mon."
Seth, Summer and Anna pulled open the door. Fortunately, the crowd had dissipated outside, and Seth motioned for them to follow him. Ryan trailed, his arms wrapped tightly around Marissa while she walked clumsily.
Seth led them through a maze of hallways quickly. Portions of the house were darker than others, and Anna noticed that here Seth reached out for Summer's hand. Anna took a breath, and as she let it out she tried to expel any romantic expectation she might have had for herself and Seth. Really, she figured, it was for the best. Even if he had picked her, he always would have wondered about Summer - and even though she cared for Seth Cohen, she wasn't willing to be his second choice when she might be someone else's first.
"Alright," Seth paused at the end of a hallway. "Here's where we bring out the double-oh-seven maneuvers. Summer and Anna and I will step out first in a line to make a little barrier, you know, prevent the crowd from ruining the mission. Ryan, you and Marissa will slip behind us and make your way out the doors. I'm sure they'll be opened for you by one of my grandpa's minions, so you should be able to get out quickly." Seth glanced at his watch. "Ready, ladies?"
Seth, Summer and Anna moved out into the main room. Seth was right next to the door, and Ryan pulled Marissa out with him. She was barely coherent now. Fortunately, Caleb Nichol's staff was familiar with drunken houseguests, and they moved quickly, helping Ryan take Marissa down the stairs. Seth, Summer and Anna hurried behind them. The valets pulled Seth and Anna's cars up to the front. Anna motioned for Ryan to lay Marissa down in her backseat, and Ryan slid in with her.
"Meet us at Marissa's dad's apartment," Ryan called as Seth and Summer climbed into the Range Rover.
The five teenagers drove off from the party. Inside the Range Rover, Seth reached out for Summer's hand. He entwined his dingers with hers, sweeping his thumb inside their clasped hands to sketch circles on her palm. And despite her worries for Marissa, Summer relaxed a bit and leaned against him, the soft fabric of his shirt warm against her cheek.
Seth, Ryan and Anna swept into the room, clicking the bathroom door closed behind him. Ryan knelt down and took Marissa in his arms.
"Hey you," Ryan spoke softly as he swept hair away from Marissa's eyes. She gazed up at him, her eyes unnaturally glassy.
"Let's dance," Marissa breathed, and then, as though the idea had taken root in her mind, she struggled free of Ryan's grasp. "Let's dance! Because I feel so good!" Marissa was giggling now, and her laughter bounced off the walls of the bathroom and echoed at the other four teenagers were silent.
"Marissa, you've got to go home," Ryan spoke steadily.
"No!" Marissa pouted and swung her hair. "I want to dance and say 'Happy New Year!'"
"The party's over," Ryan lied. "There no more dancing."
"No more dancing?" Marissa heaved a sigh and slumped toward him. "Okay. Let's go." Her eyes closed and she began to tip over. Ryan swept her up into his arms.
"Seth," Ryan spoke urgently, "we've got to get her out of here without anyone noticing. Is there a back exit or something?"
Seth scanned his mind - fortunately, he'd done a good deal of hiding in this place and knew several little-used hallways.
"We're going to have to go out the front," he explained, "but the hallways will take us right to the front door - we'll just need to swing out into the main room and then jet out as quickly as possible. C'mon."
Seth, Summer and Anna pulled open the door. Fortunately, the crowd had dissipated outside, and Seth motioned for them to follow him. Ryan trailed, his arms wrapped tightly around Marissa while she walked clumsily.
Seth led them through a maze of hallways quickly. Portions of the house were darker than others, and Anna noticed that here Seth reached out for Summer's hand. Anna took a breath, and as she let it out she tried to expel any romantic expectation she might have had for herself and Seth. Really, she figured, it was for the best. Even if he had picked her, he always would have wondered about Summer - and even though she cared for Seth Cohen, she wasn't willing to be his second choice when she might be someone else's first.
"Alright," Seth paused at the end of a hallway. "Here's where we bring out the double-oh-seven maneuvers. Summer and Anna and I will step out first in a line to make a little barrier, you know, prevent the crowd from ruining the mission. Ryan, you and Marissa will slip behind us and make your way out the doors. I'm sure they'll be opened for you by one of my grandpa's minions, so you should be able to get out quickly." Seth glanced at his watch. "Ready, ladies?"
Seth, Summer and Anna moved out into the main room. Seth was right next to the door, and Ryan pulled Marissa out with him. She was barely coherent now. Fortunately, Caleb Nichol's staff was familiar with drunken houseguests, and they moved quickly, helping Ryan take Marissa down the stairs. Seth, Summer and Anna hurried behind them. The valets pulled Seth and Anna's cars up to the front. Anna motioned for Ryan to lay Marissa down in her backseat, and Ryan slid in with her.
"Meet us at Marissa's dad's apartment," Ryan called as Seth and Summer climbed into the Range Rover.
The five teenagers drove off from the party. Inside the Range Rover, Seth reached out for Summer's hand. He entwined his dingers with hers, sweeping his thumb inside their clasped hands to sketch circles on her palm. And despite her worries for Marissa, Summer relaxed a bit and leaned against him, the soft fabric of his shirt warm against her cheek.