Chapter 17
Marissa went back to her room when she knew the coast was clear. Seth told her that Ryan would not be joining them on the plane. She knew it was true then. He was really gone, and nothing she had felt was real.
She was surprised to see that Ryan had left her a message on her cell. She braced herself, and dialed her voice mail. When she heard Ryan's words, she felt lifeless. "That's it?" There was no way she could face him when she got back. She thought about how her mom's sister, Aunt Katherine, had offered Marissa a long stay with her in New York. Her mom said that Marissa could go whenever she wanted, and as long as the fighting was still going on between Jimmy and her, she would do anything to get Marissa to be on "her side".
She called up her mom.
"Hey mom... its me... Marissa"
"Hey! What's up? Something wrong?
"No, no. I was just calling to ask you about staying with Aunt Katherine. I've had a lot of time to think about it, and maybe I could go visit her for awhile. I know I can go to St. Mary's for the rest of the school year, I mean, she's a teacher there!"
"Well, honey, are you sure? Do you really want to leave your friends? And the beach?"
"Yes, I'm sure! Is it ok then?"
"Let me call Katherine, and if its still ok with her then its ok with me"
"Bye mom, thanks"
"Bye honey"
Marissa hurriedly packed her things. Summer would be mad, but she would eventually get over it, and maybe even come visit her sometimes. There was no way she could go back and see Ryan. Never.
Marissa was finally home. Summer had not talked to her for the first 2 hours of the flight, but soon gave up and they talked the rest of the way about all the cool clubs in New York and fashion week.
Marissa opened the door to her room, and was surprised to see it so clean. She immediately took down the pictures of her and Ryan, and tore them up, and packed her bags, yet again. Her flight was set, and she had to leave in a few hours. She wanted to get out of Newport as fast as she could. She had told her mom the flight wouldn't be bad for her, and that she would call as soon as she got there. She was vary tired, but didn't want to sleep because her dreams were still haunted of Ryan, with Theresa.
Ryan didn't know where he was going. He pulled into the parking lot of the Crab shack where he formerly worked. He slept there until what seemed like very early morning. When he awoke, he still felt aimless. He drove down to Chino, and stopped the car at the bar he used to hang out in while his mom picked up guys.
He walked inside and was pleased to see his old friend, Paulo, at the bar. His crew really partied until the wee hours of the morning, even without him.
"Heyyy" he said at Ryan walked towards him. "Its Atwood!"
"Hey man, whats up?"
"Nothing, nothing! Same old! Where have you been?"
"Nowhere, just up in Newport"
"So the rumors are true! You're a rich boy!"
A group had now gathered around the two, mostly old friends of Ryan. He look around at the sorry bunch, and couldn't believe that he was linked with them before.
"Well, were about to go have some real fun, if you know what I mean" Paulo said with his ghetto Mexican accent.
Ryan knew what he meant. Drugs. The whole group was into coke the last time he had been around. It just wasn't his thing anymore. He wanted to break the cycle that had been set before him. He knew this wasn't where he belonged anymore.
"Naw, man, I just came looking for someone" he lied. "See ya around sometime"
He left that bar and said goodbye to his Chino past forever. He didn't want to end up like his dad or brother, in jail, or his mom, a drunk. He drove back to Newport, and went straight to Marissa's. Little did he know, she was gone to New York, and convinced that she would never talk to him again.
Marissa went back to her room when she knew the coast was clear. Seth told her that Ryan would not be joining them on the plane. She knew it was true then. He was really gone, and nothing she had felt was real.
She was surprised to see that Ryan had left her a message on her cell. She braced herself, and dialed her voice mail. When she heard Ryan's words, she felt lifeless. "That's it?" There was no way she could face him when she got back. She thought about how her mom's sister, Aunt Katherine, had offered Marissa a long stay with her in New York. Her mom said that Marissa could go whenever she wanted, and as long as the fighting was still going on between Jimmy and her, she would do anything to get Marissa to be on "her side".
She called up her mom.
"Hey mom... its me... Marissa"
"Hey! What's up? Something wrong?
"No, no. I was just calling to ask you about staying with Aunt Katherine. I've had a lot of time to think about it, and maybe I could go visit her for awhile. I know I can go to St. Mary's for the rest of the school year, I mean, she's a teacher there!"
"Well, honey, are you sure? Do you really want to leave your friends? And the beach?"
"Yes, I'm sure! Is it ok then?"
"Let me call Katherine, and if its still ok with her then its ok with me"
"Bye mom, thanks"
"Bye honey"
Marissa hurriedly packed her things. Summer would be mad, but she would eventually get over it, and maybe even come visit her sometimes. There was no way she could go back and see Ryan. Never.
Marissa was finally home. Summer had not talked to her for the first 2 hours of the flight, but soon gave up and they talked the rest of the way about all the cool clubs in New York and fashion week.
Marissa opened the door to her room, and was surprised to see it so clean. She immediately took down the pictures of her and Ryan, and tore them up, and packed her bags, yet again. Her flight was set, and she had to leave in a few hours. She wanted to get out of Newport as fast as she could. She had told her mom the flight wouldn't be bad for her, and that she would call as soon as she got there. She was vary tired, but didn't want to sleep because her dreams were still haunted of Ryan, with Theresa.
Ryan didn't know where he was going. He pulled into the parking lot of the Crab shack where he formerly worked. He slept there until what seemed like very early morning. When he awoke, he still felt aimless. He drove down to Chino, and stopped the car at the bar he used to hang out in while his mom picked up guys.
He walked inside and was pleased to see his old friend, Paulo, at the bar. His crew really partied until the wee hours of the morning, even without him.
"Heyyy" he said at Ryan walked towards him. "Its Atwood!"
"Hey man, whats up?"
"Nothing, nothing! Same old! Where have you been?"
"Nowhere, just up in Newport"
"So the rumors are true! You're a rich boy!"
A group had now gathered around the two, mostly old friends of Ryan. He look around at the sorry bunch, and couldn't believe that he was linked with them before.
"Well, were about to go have some real fun, if you know what I mean" Paulo said with his ghetto Mexican accent.
Ryan knew what he meant. Drugs. The whole group was into coke the last time he had been around. It just wasn't his thing anymore. He wanted to break the cycle that had been set before him. He knew this wasn't where he belonged anymore.
"Naw, man, I just came looking for someone" he lied. "See ya around sometime"
He left that bar and said goodbye to his Chino past forever. He didn't want to end up like his dad or brother, in jail, or his mom, a drunk. He drove back to Newport, and went straight to Marissa's. Little did he know, she was gone to New York, and convinced that she would never talk to him again.