Anna flinched when she saw Marissa walk into the Crab Snack. Anna had been
eating a quiet lunch with Ryan, and was still a little weary about Marissa
after their conversation in the country club bathroom.
Marissa scanned the room and spotted them, striding over to their table.
"Can I sit with you guys?"
Ryan looked at Anna, and then nodded slowly as Marissa sank into a seat.
"Listen." Marissa swallowed. "I just wanted to tell you guys how sorry I've been acting lately. I could give you a million reasons why, but I don't want to make excuses. All I know is that I need help, and I'm finally ready to admit it."
Anna covered Marissa's hand with her own. "That's great, Marissa."
Marissa looked at each of them. "My doctor thinks I should keep going to Harbor, to maintain some of my old life, but I'll be spending the next eight weekends at the center in San Diego. I know I fought my mom on this at first, but I think it might be a good idea. I want to feel good about myself again."
Marissa paused and looked at each of them. "I really hope that we can all be friends." Her eyes said that she'd noticed the fondness they had for each other, and she had accepted the change.
"Yeah." Ryan rasped, and then he smiled. "Of course."
Marissa grinned.
Anna passed a basket to Marissa.
"French fry?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
When Summer's doorbell rang at 6:00 on Saturday night, she ignored it. After a few minutes it was clear that the person there wasn't going to go away. She quietly looked through the peephole, expecting to see Seth Cohen standing there. It wasn't him.
Summer cracked the door open. "Marissa?"
"Oh, Summer." Marissa's faced cracked with emotion. "I'm so sorry for the way I've been acting. Can I come in?"
Summer nodded silently and held the door open, quizzically examining Marissa's outfit. The tall girl was dressed in a simple black sheath dress with pearls around her neck. A chignon hairstyle and long satin gloves completed the look. She was the spitting image of a young Audrey Hepburn.
"Sum, I know you can stay mad at someone forever, but I'm begging you to forgive me. We've been best friends for so long - I just want you to know that I was wrong about everything. You've helped me so many times, and I just want you to know that you're so important to me." Marissa was right. Normally, Summer was capable of holding a grudge for years. But ever since New Year's Eve, her defenses had been way down. She hugged her friend.
Marissa smiled at looked at Summer. "We have got to get you ready for the dance!"
"Oh no!" Summer backed up and headed up the stairs to her bedroom. "I don't think so. There is no way that I'm going to that dance, alone, so everyone can laugh at me and my poem."
"Listen up." Marissa up her hands on her hips and mimicked Summer. "You've convinced me to go to countless events with you, and now, you're going to return the favor. Besides, number one - you won't be going alone, you're going with me. And number two - no one is laughing at your poem."
"Uh huh, sure." Summer responded. "Except that they totally are."
"Sum, people loved that poem." Marissa spoke softly. "Except for a few people like Candace, who are too stupid to spell the word 'poem', the school was talking about how good it was - everyone is completely intrigued by you."
Summer couldn't help but crack a smile. She loved causing people to wonder, and Marissa knew it.
Summer pulled her dress out of the closet and began to change. She paused. "What about Seth?" She spoke aloud, questioning herself.
Marissa walked toward her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ryan's making him come. Just admit to yourself that you want to forgive him, and do it."
Summer's eyes met Marissa's, and a corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. "You're going to have to help my with my hair," Summer said matter- of-factly.
"That's what I'm here for."
The two girls began to get Summer ready for the dance. As Marissa twisted the loose ends of her hair around hot rollers, Summer felt her stomach clench with excitement and nervousness at the idea of seeing Seth. She would not be afraid, she told herself as she looked at herself in the mirror, daring the real Summer to emerge at last.
Marissa scanned the room and spotted them, striding over to their table.
"Can I sit with you guys?"
Ryan looked at Anna, and then nodded slowly as Marissa sank into a seat.
"Listen." Marissa swallowed. "I just wanted to tell you guys how sorry I've been acting lately. I could give you a million reasons why, but I don't want to make excuses. All I know is that I need help, and I'm finally ready to admit it."
Anna covered Marissa's hand with her own. "That's great, Marissa."
Marissa looked at each of them. "My doctor thinks I should keep going to Harbor, to maintain some of my old life, but I'll be spending the next eight weekends at the center in San Diego. I know I fought my mom on this at first, but I think it might be a good idea. I want to feel good about myself again."
Marissa paused and looked at each of them. "I really hope that we can all be friends." Her eyes said that she'd noticed the fondness they had for each other, and she had accepted the change.
"Yeah." Ryan rasped, and then he smiled. "Of course."
Marissa grinned.
Anna passed a basket to Marissa.
"French fry?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
When Summer's doorbell rang at 6:00 on Saturday night, she ignored it. After a few minutes it was clear that the person there wasn't going to go away. She quietly looked through the peephole, expecting to see Seth Cohen standing there. It wasn't him.
Summer cracked the door open. "Marissa?"
"Oh, Summer." Marissa's faced cracked with emotion. "I'm so sorry for the way I've been acting. Can I come in?"
Summer nodded silently and held the door open, quizzically examining Marissa's outfit. The tall girl was dressed in a simple black sheath dress with pearls around her neck. A chignon hairstyle and long satin gloves completed the look. She was the spitting image of a young Audrey Hepburn.
"Sum, I know you can stay mad at someone forever, but I'm begging you to forgive me. We've been best friends for so long - I just want you to know that I was wrong about everything. You've helped me so many times, and I just want you to know that you're so important to me." Marissa was right. Normally, Summer was capable of holding a grudge for years. But ever since New Year's Eve, her defenses had been way down. She hugged her friend.
Marissa smiled at looked at Summer. "We have got to get you ready for the dance!"
"Oh no!" Summer backed up and headed up the stairs to her bedroom. "I don't think so. There is no way that I'm going to that dance, alone, so everyone can laugh at me and my poem."
"Listen up." Marissa up her hands on her hips and mimicked Summer. "You've convinced me to go to countless events with you, and now, you're going to return the favor. Besides, number one - you won't be going alone, you're going with me. And number two - no one is laughing at your poem."
"Uh huh, sure." Summer responded. "Except that they totally are."
"Sum, people loved that poem." Marissa spoke softly. "Except for a few people like Candace, who are too stupid to spell the word 'poem', the school was talking about how good it was - everyone is completely intrigued by you."
Summer couldn't help but crack a smile. She loved causing people to wonder, and Marissa knew it.
Summer pulled her dress out of the closet and began to change. She paused. "What about Seth?" She spoke aloud, questioning herself.
Marissa walked toward her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ryan's making him come. Just admit to yourself that you want to forgive him, and do it."
Summer's eyes met Marissa's, and a corner of her mouth turned up in a smile. "You're going to have to help my with my hair," Summer said matter- of-factly.
"That's what I'm here for."
The two girls began to get Summer ready for the dance. As Marissa twisted the loose ends of her hair around hot rollers, Summer felt her stomach clench with excitement and nervousness at the idea of seeing Seth. She would not be afraid, she told herself as she looked at herself in the mirror, daring the real Summer to emerge at last.