Passing through unconscious states,
when I awoke I was on the high-way
high-way high-way high-way high-way high-way high-way high-way
and now we all know the words were true
in the sappiest songs - yes, yes.
and I'll put them to bed, but they won't sleep.
Just shuffling the sheets, to toss and turn,
you can't begin to get it back.
Death Cab for Cutie
***
That night after dinner, Ryan called Theresa again from the pool house. He felt so relieved to hear her voice. She'd said her brother was throwing a party on Friday and she hoped that he could make it. That was tomorrow. He'd have to figure something out to tell everyone, but he promised her that he would be there.
The next day Marissa seemed distant. When he tried to question her, she said she wasn't feeling well. He felt slightly guilty at how relieved it made him. If she was feeling sick, she wouldn't want to come over, and he'd only have to make something up for the Cohens.
***
After school Ryan had told the Cohens that after dinner he needed to go to the library, and then wanted to stop by a friend's house from soccer. Seth seemed a little mad that he had not invited him along, but he'd get over it. What the hell did Seth do before he came along?
Kirsten gave him the keys to her car and told him the tank was full. He gave her a lopsided smile and left.
Once he got out of the neighborhood, he took off the stupid button down shirt Kirsten had hung in his closet.
***
When Ryan had mentioned wanting to go to the library and then to a soccer friend's house, Seth knew something wasn't right. Ryan hadn't befriended anyone on the soccer team. It seemed bogus, just like his little trip to the pharmacy at 5:00 a.m.
Seth decided to call Marissa and casually asked her what she was doing that night. She'd seemed even weirder than Ryan. Something was very wrong and Seth wanted to know what the hell was going on. He'd just assumed that Ryan had been with Marissa that night and was just being the gentleman. Now he thought otherwise.
When he tried to figure out how to broach the subject of Ryan's Friday night study gig, Marissa suddenly switched gears and blurted out that she wanted to follow Ryan and see where he really went.
Shocked, but glad for not having to be the one to suggest it, Seth had told her to meet him in her mom's driveway and they'd hide out and wait for Ryan to leave.
***
Seth and Marissa were sitting in the backseat of her dad's SUV. She'd been silent and moody during their stakeout. Seth tried to make several jokes about doughnuts and lukewarm coffee, but nothing seemed to get Marissa to talk. He sensed she would rather he just shut the hell up.
After what seemed like an eternity, they saw Ryan take off in Kirsten's car, then stop and throw something in to the backseat. Marissa waited a moment and then started to follow him from a safe distance.
It seemed like Marissa already knew where he was going, which didn't make a lot of sense. Had she and Ryan been hanging out in the 'hood and not invited him?
End of Chapter Three