Marissa Cooper-Ward paces the floor of the Newport Beach Country Club ballroom. She is trying to refrain from grabbing Summer Roberts by the neck and throttling her. Not only does Summer arrive twenty minutes late for the charity fashion show planning committee meeting, but she's been uncooperative since she's arrived. There is a murmur of activity around them as they talk. While the other planning committee members sit talking, drinking coffee, and eating finger sandwiches and pastries, the club staff are rearranging tables, chairs, and laying out linen for an event the country club is hosting later that night.
"Christ Summer, what's wrong with Kelly's idea?"
"Absolutely everything. No offense," Summer says turning to Kelly.
"Yeah right," Kelly says stomping away.
"Some people just can't take constructive criticism," Summer says huffily.
"Do you have a better idea?" Marissa asks as she puts a hand on her hip.
"No, but how hard can it be?"
"Summer, I need to get home."
"What's your hurry? I know you're not rushing home to cook dinner. That's what the housekeeper is for."
"Lily has ballet class."
"Oh." The way Summer says the word makes Marissa's flesh crawl. There is something almost odious in it.
"Is there a problem?" she asks. Marissa knows she sounds testy but she doesn't care. She has given Summer more than enough leeway today.
"Nothing," Summer says in a singsong voice.
"What?"
"It's just that I never would have guessed you'd become so domestic. You were so wild in high school. Remember that time you got so drunk at Holly's party you passed out," Summer says then stops. "Of course not, you were passed out." She starts laughing.
"Some of us have grown up."
"Meaning I haven't."
"Just forget it Summer."
"No, you brought this up Coop."
"Now I'm saying forget it," Marissa says then turns and begins walking away.
"That was always your problem, you never could deal with conflict." For a second Marissa is stunned. Summer was there when her parents had divorced, when she'd tried to kill herself, when Ryan had broken up with her.
Marissa turns quickly around to face her. "I feel sorry for you Summer. You're basically the same person you were in high school. It's really sad to think you haven't changed a bit in ten years."
"Well
Luke doesn't think it's so sad."
The hairs on the back of
Marissa's neck go stiff. "What does
Luke have to do with this?"
"Nothing," Summer says with a hateful smile.
"What does Luke have to do with this?" Marissa says louder as she grabs Summer by the arm. A few of the other planning committee members turn to stare.
"Get your fucking hands off me."
"What does Luke have to do with this?"
"I guess he forgot to tell you; we've been sleeping together for the past six months."
"Bitch," Marissa says then slaps Summer squarely across the face.
"Bitch? That's how you thank me for keeping your man satisfied. C'mon, you honestly didn't think he'd been traveling to Seattle on business all those times."
"I've always been a friend to you. How could you do something so vile to me?" Marissa says near tears.
"Me, me, me. It's always about you, isn't it Marissa?" Summer says venom oozing in her voice. "Well for once, it wasn't about you. I was the one who was able to give Luke something he wanted."
"What are you talking about Summer? For as long as I can remember, you have always been the center of attention."
"But all the guys liked you better – Luke, his friends, Ryan, even that guy who used to live next door to you," Summer says, her voice growing tired.
"Seth was crazy about you but you treated him like shit. As for Ryan, you never even tried getting to know him. Summer, if you aren't happy, then you have no one to blame but yourself. Maybe you shouldn't be such a bitch. Then again, someone's gotta be the bitch, right?"
The room suddenly goes quiet. Everyone is staring at them now. Marissa pulls herself together, grabs her bag, and walks out of the ballroom.
Her first impulse is to light a cigarette but she doesn't have any in that she's been nicotine-free for five years. Instead, she heads for the beach.
It's crowded today but she doesn't mind. In fact, she finds all the noise and activity soothing. The rollerbladers are gliding along the sidewalk. People are laughing, running, and shouting. She can smell and almost taste the earthiness of the sand and the fishiness coming off the ocean. But as she walks along the shore, all she can think about is Luke and Summer. It pains her to think about what they did to her. Are doing to her.
One of the sad things is, she isn't surprised that Summer stabbed her in the back. Growing up, she'd always witnessed Summer's mean side but because Summer had been her friend, she'd chosen to ignore it. But Luke! For all his self-righteous indignation about her cheating with Ryan, he'd been cheating with Summer all along. Bastard, she thinks as she stops to watch the boats zoom by. But at least now, she can do what she should have done a long time ago.