"Coop, if you don't stop staring into space, we're going to be late for Chemistry, again."

Summer's voice pulled Marissa out of her reverie on a balmy day in October. They had just had lunch outside by the pond, where all of their other friends frequently hung out.

"Sorry, I was just…thinking." Marissa said in apology, grabbing her backpack. "Were you just talking to Seth Cohen?"

Summer gave her a skeptical look in response. "Don't change the subject. You weren't thinking; you were daydreaming. You've been doing a lot of that lately. What's up with you?"

The pair pushed through the crush of students who were blocking the entrance to Pacific High in a rush to get to their classes on time. Marissa purposely walked faster, because she didn't want to have to answer Summer's questions. She had been thinking, no, daydreaming a lot lately, but she couldn't quite admit to anyone, not even to herself, just what she was daydreaming about. It had been nearly two months since 'the incident,' and she'd had plenty things to think about since then. Her father checked her out of the hospital two days after she was rushed in, despite recommendations that she stay longer. She remembered arriving home to the sight of her mother turning her bedroom upside down looking for the pills she took, all the while reminding her that such behavior would undoubtedly make social pariahs out of them. It seemed that Julie Cooper was more concerned with their family's social standing than the health of her own daughter. But Marissa stopped caring about what her mother thought a long time ago.

Now she was back in school, and it was as though nothing had even happened. None of her friends attempted to broach the subject, and she didn't volunteer any information. She knew they talked about her behind her back, but she couldn't bring herself to worry about that when she had so many other things to worry about.

"Good afternoon class. Today we'll be discussing binary compounds and oxidation numbers…"

Marissa began to ignore the teacher's monotonous voice, knowing that she could borrow Summer's notes if she needed them. She turned her head to look out the window, watching a couple holding hands as they walked across the grass to the gymnasium. She and Luke hardly ever did that anymore, in fact she hardly saw him at all. He was always busy nowadays, preferring to spend most of his time with his stupid friends or at soccer practice. The only time he really made an effort to see her was when he wanted to have sex. Marissa grimaced inwardly, thinking about how awkward it was every time they did it. He didn't seem to know what he was doing, but thankfully it never lasted very long. She thought that things would improve after their first time, but unfortunately, it only seemed to get worse. A small part of her had begun to regret the decision she made after walking in on the scene in the pool house…

Thoughts of Ryan made Marissa blink quickly as she forced him out of her mind for the millionth time since they last spoke in the hospital. She had seen him several times since then, but never had the courage to speak or even say hello. He enrolled at Pacific High at the beginning of the school year, and she even saw him a few times in the halls, but he always made it a point to turn around when he saw her coming his way. Maybe it was better that way, for them to avoid each other, but it didn't stop her from wishing things could be different. She heard from Summer that Seth and Ryan had begun hanging out with the drama and art kids, and she wondered if he had found someone else, someone who wasn't messed-up like her. Imagining him with another girl broke her heart a little bit more, and she immediately removed the painful image from her mind.

The bell rang loudly, causing Marissa to jump up slightly in her seat. Avoiding another look from Summer, she shoved her book into her bag and walked out of the classroom, determined to stop thinking about Ryan Atwood once and for all.

---

"Okay, I got some greasy pizza, or some greasier chicken fingers. If we're lucky, we'll get really bad heartburn and the nurse will be forced to send us home early."

Ryan looked up from the picnic table to see Seth approaching with a tray piled high with food. It was the beginning of his second month here at Pacific High, and it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. Most of his classes were just like the ones he took in Chino, but he found himself enjoying art the most. He spent most of his time sketching buildings and houses, and even Kirsten said that his designs showed some promise. He pretended like he didn't care what other people thought about his sketches, but he was secretly flattered every time someone said something good about them.

He grabbed a chicken finger and bit into it thoughtfully, thinking about how much his life had changed since arriving here in Orange County. He had managed to stay out of trouble for the remainder of the summer, and was still working part-time at the Crab Shack. He made some friends in his art classes and even hung out with them from time to time. I guess it could be worse, he thought to himself, I could be in jail, or in the morgue.

The sound of feminine laughter interrupted Ryan's thoughts, causing him to turn his head in the direction of the pond. Then he saw her, sitting at the edge of her bench, playing with her food instead of laughing with her friends. He had seen Marissa several times since the start of the school year, but he studiously avoided her, thinking it would be the best thing to do, considering the circumstances. As expected, Luke returned to his normal, jackass self a few weeks after the shooting, and Ryan didn't want to get into any trouble here in Pacific High. The Cohens pulled a lot of strings to get him in here, and he didn't want to let them down again.

Still, he didn't think it would do any harm for him to keep looking at Marissa from a safe distance. He rarely thought about the last time they spoke in her hospital room, mostly because he still wasn't sure if he had done the right thing or not. His feelings for her hadn't changed; in fact, they only seemed to grow stronger, but he noticed that something was different about her. She hardly ever smiled anymore, and she always seemed deep in thought, like her mind was a million miles away from here. He heard from Seth that her mother had begun filing for a divorce, and he imagined that she was taking the news very badly. He wondered if she had anyone to talk to about all this, if Luke or Summer were at all sympathetic to her problems. For a brief moment, he longed to be able to talk to her again, to be that shoulder she could cry on, but she was right when she said two months ago that he was too late.

Seth noticed Ryan staring at Marissa across the pond, and shook his head in sympathy. Ryan never explained what happened that day in the hospital, and Seth never asked about it, thinking he would eventually open up in time. But two months had passed, and there was still no mention of Marissa or what they talked about behind closed doors. He wasn't too blind to see that Ryan had been miserable since that day, but it didn't look like Marissa was doing much better. Maybe he should talk to Summer…

Thoughts of Summer brought a goofy smile to Seth's face almost automatically. Since the night of his grandfather's party, he and Summer had begun a tentative friendship, occasionally speaking in the halls and on the phone. She made it clear that no one could know about the kiss by the pool, but at least she was willing to address him in public now.

With a plan formulating in his devious mind, Seth stood up from the table, knowing that Ryan wouldn't even notice that he was gone. He walked past the table where Summer and her friends often sat, making eye contact with her. He motioned for her to follow him into the cafeteria, and after a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly stood up and followed him in.

"What do you want, Cohen?" Summer hissed, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you can tear yourself away from the girl talk for a few minutes." Seth said jokingly, enjoying the look of death she was throwing his way. "I wanted to ask you something."

Summer rolled her eyes. "If you're asking me out on a date, don't even bother."

"I'm not that stupid, Summer. I was going to ask you how Marissa's doing." He saw something change in Summer's eyes, and he knew he was on to something.

Shock registered in Summer's eyes at Seth's question. "Oh, Coop? She's doing okay, I guess." She glanced quickly in Marissa's direction, wondering if she should voice her concerns to Seth. But she knew she could trust him. "I mean, she seems more distracted lately, and I don't know if things are okay with her and Luke. They're still an item and everything, but I don't think they see each other that often anymore. All she does is stay at home now."

Seth followed Summer's gaze, watching Marissa toy with her food. "Really? That's too bad… Actually, Ryan's not doing too well, either. He always seems out of it, like his mind is somewhere else."

"That's exactly what Marissa's like!" Summer exclaimed, "It's almost like she's sleepwalking half the time," she suddenly stopped, as though something just dawned on her. "You don't think it's because of…" Summer discreetly pointed at Ryan, who was still sitting by himself at the picnic table.

Seth shrugged, glad that Summer was drawing to the same conclusions. "I don't know, but I have a feeling it has something to do with what happened at the hospital when we visited her. I just wish they would talk to each other already. All that negative energy floating around my house is really starting to affect my chakra."

"God, Seth, you are such a dork." Summer muttered, thinking of a way to help their respective friends. "Hey, maybe you guys could come to Holly's place this weekend. Her parentals are leaving town again, so she's having a little get together. Maybe we can get Marissa and Ryan to talk then."

Seth gave her a skeptical look. "I think it would do you some good to remember what happens every time Ryan and I go to Holly's place. If we're not getting punched in the gut, we're getting shot at."

"Whatever, smartass, I'd like to see you come up with a better idea. Besides, that guy with the gun isn't going to be there, so unless you decide to come packing heat, it should be okay. And I'll handle Luke and his friends. All those lunkheads need is a little alcohol and a little weed." Summer tone softened slightly, "I just want to help Marissa, that's all. You may not believe me, but she really is my best friend."

Seth nodded in agreement, "I want to help Ryan, too. So I guess it's settled then. I'll see you at Holly's?"

Summer shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, see you there, Cohen. And try not to be such a geek."