~Chapter 2~

She sighed as she entered the school. Time to put on her happy face, the "I'm-Okay-With-Being-Friends" smile. She smoothed down her skirt and saw Marissa. She started to head over there when she saw Ryan as well. He looked broken.

She instantly relived the past night. It was a werid night. Who would have thought that her and Ryan Atwood would have become friends? Well, at least she thought they were friends. Maybe it would be nice having him as a friend. Sure, he was the silent, brooding type but maybe she needed someone like that in her life.

"Coop!" She called out, but Marissa didn't hear her. She made her way to Oliver and smiled brightly at him. Summer couldn't help but feel a knot twist in her stomach. There was something wrong with this guy. He was after her Coop. She could deal with Ryan stealing her best friend, but not this psycho guy.

She then watched as Ryan walked up to Marissa. She saw Marissa snap at him and Oliver giving him a smug smile, and she watched them walk away from Ryan, leaving him in the dark. She walked up to him.

"Ryan?" She said softly. He walked away from her, too embarrassed that she witnessed the scene. Afraid. She hurried up next to him.

"Don't you walk away from me." She said, glaring at him. He stopped and looked at her.

"I don't feel like talking." He grunted and with that, he walked away. Oh well, let him brood.

She let out a sigh and turned around, only to be hit with the same feeling Ryan had felt only a mere seconds ago. Seth and Anna being "cute" or whatever they were. Stupid little pixie. Stupid Seth. Seth looked up and met eyes with Summer, waving. Anna turned around and did the same thing.

Smile, Summer, smile. She smiled and waved back, quickly turning and walking to her next class, wishing she was back at the beach.

~

He didn't mean to bite her head off. He just..Marissa made him mad and when he gets mad, he had the tendency to turn away from others. He had once told Marissa he had trusted her. Now he couldn't wrap his mind around that.

He still loved her. Didn't know if that was possible considering he was losing trust in her. How could she not see it? Oliver was a fraud, a guy trying to steal another guy's girl.

He wished he could be back at the beach. It had been a weird night, he never imagined he would end up spending the night sitting at a beach with Summer. It was a good weird though, a weird he wouldn't mind experiancing again.

He saw Marissa by herself for once and went up to her.

"Can we talk?" He asked, pleading with her. She sighed.

"No. Ryan, I told you I couldn't do this anymore. You're not the same person anymore." She said quietly, not wanting to make a scene. He felt frustration flow through his body.

"Stop saying that." He said, his voice tight. She looked up in surprise.

"Stop saying what?" She asked.

"That you can't do this anymore. You make it sound like a chore. Dammit, Marissa, if I was such a burden to you then why did you stay with me?" He snapped. Her eyes widened.

"Ryan, I didn't mean it like that. You're jealous and I'm tired of being in the middle of it. Oliver is my friend and you can't give him a chance and I don't understand why."

"Because you're blind! Don't you see it, he's after you! And he won, and he broke through us, broke through trusting each other, because he's manipulative." Ryan yelled. Marissa looked away, angry.

"It's over." She whispered. Ryan shrugged, trying to ignore the pain nawing through him.

"Fine. Have a good life." He said and walked away.

~

"Why Summer, you came here to see me. How nice." Seth greeted as he opened the door. Summer fidgeted from foot to foot.

"Actually, I'm here to see Ryan. Is he here?" She asked. Seth looked surprise.

"No, he mumbled something about going to the beach and left. Why?" He asked, the suprise still evident in his voice.

"Oh okay. Thanks Cohen!" She said, and with the wave of a hand she left, leaving Seth in utter shock. Why was she looking for Ryan?

~

"Bad day?" Summer guessed as she walked up to Ryan. His eyes kept focused on the water.

"Bad day, bad week, bad everything. I had a fight with Marissa." He said softly.

"I figured. What happened?" She asked, her dark hair falling in her face.

"It's over." Was all he could muster up. She nodded slowly.

"It really is just me and you, huh?" She asked. He looked at her.

"Yeah, it is." She said casually. Silence overcame them.

"About earlier.."

"Whatevs. I'm used to it." She said. He shook his head.

"No. You didn't deserve that. It's me and you against all of them. We can't turn from each other." He argued. Summer felt all glowy on the inside. Someone cared. Someone actually cared from her.

"Thanks." She said, trying to hid eher true feelings.

"For what?" He asked, confused.

"For being my friend." She fell back into the sand, not caring how dirty she got or how much sand ended up in her hair. Ryan fell back with her and they both looked up into the sky.

"Well we both need someone. And I have a feeling we have a long road ahead of us."

TBC..