Ryan grabbed Marissa from behind and began tickling her bare midriff.
She giggled and told him to stop. Not really wanting to, he did. He
enjoyed seeing her laugh which was occurring more often than in the past.
"I love what you're wearing. That is something I would not expect to see you in." Marissa mocked.
Ryan had on his regular boots, a pair of worn out jeans with holes on the knees, the ever popular wife beater, and the staple to his old look; the leather jacket.
"Didn't think you would se me wearing this again did you? As for your outfit, I think it is a bit too revealing for the guys in here. I might get jealous from all the stares you are getting."
"Well this outfit was intended for your eyes only. Maybe a little jealousy might make you appreciate what you have more."
"I already do. I'm just afraid that the sprinklers are going to turn on to cool down all the guys in here."
"Stop, you're making me blush." Marissa giggled.
"Sorry, I just can't contain myself."
"Well you are going to have to. So where's Summer? She was supposed to come with you."
"I don't know. She must have went somewhere with Seth."
"Oh hey look there's Vicky. Let's go say hi."
"I guess. Sure."
Ryan just wanted to spend this time alone with Marissa. It had been quite a while since they really spent some alone time. Every chance they had, someone had to come into the room, or they ended up joining them. Just a couple of hours here and then the real fun would begin.
Marissa was glad that Ryan had even decided to show up. He never liked going to any type of function; especially a school one. The only time he was involved with school activities was the soccer team. She knew the only reason why he went was so he could please her now and he would get his return later. Not that she was complaining about that either.
The only good thing about joining up with Vicky was the fact that she was standing with a group of people. She had tried to kiss him once before when they were alone and she wasn't going to get the chance again. When Vicky eyed them from across the room coming toward her, it seemed as if she winked at him. What was she trying to do? Marissa is right next to me. He was not enjoying himself now at all.
"Hi Vicky. How's it going?" Marissa asked.
"Fine. Just bored. I only came because Liz forced me to go."
"Hey, this is better than doing nothing." Liz defended herself.
"Marissa could I talk to you for a moment? It's about something that I have been trying to talk to you about." Vicky asked.
"Sure."
They went off to one of the corners in the place. Ryan got a little nervous as to why she needed to speak to her. What was she up to? Before Ryan was able to walk over to them, Seth came over with Summer.
"Hey Ryan. How's it going?" Seth wondered.
"Not so good. Listen could I talk to you about something private."
"Alright. I will leave you two alone to have your Seth/Ryan talks." Summer said.
Ryan and Seth walked over to where the refreshments were located. Seth noticed something was upsetting him from the look on his face.
"Why the long face? Does this have to do with you and Marissa?"
"Sort of. Now I haven't told anybody about this, but you see the girl Marissa is talking to?"
"Yeah."
"Well, she tried to kiss me a couple of weeks ago and I think that she might cause problems between Marissa and me."
"But you didn't kiss her did you?"
"No, of course not. Ever since that day I haven't been able to stop her from in a way harassing me. Now she is a friend of Marissa's. I told her that I was with Marissa, but she hasn't stopped."
"I don't know what to tell you except you have to lay down the law."
"Should I do it tonight?"
"The sooner, the better."
"Thanks. You can go back to Summer. She looks lonely without you."
Ryan now went to look for Vicky to tell her that she had to stop playing games. When he noticed Marissa walking towards the ladies room looking upset, he followed her.
"Marissa...hold up."
No response, or even a glance back. She kept walking and entered through the door. With no other option to see what was wrong, he entered after her. A couple of other girls made their irritation known, but he couldn't care less. He let them know that he wanted them to leave and they obliged.
"Marissa, why are you upset and don't tell me you are not?"
"What makes you think I am upset?" Marissa spoke through sniffles.
"If that is any indication then I would think so. You were happy when we got here. What happened?"
"Nothing just please leave. I need to be alone for a minute. You are not supposed to be in here anyway."
"I'll leave, but we still are going to talk."
Ryan left and now went in search of Vicky. He knew she had something to do with this and he was going to find out why. When he spotted her she was dancing on the dance floor having a good time. He walked up to her and demanded that he speak to her this minute. She suggested that they step outside. She wanted to have a smoke anyway.
As soon as they stepped outside, Ryan wasted no time to talk to her.
"What the hell did you say to Marissa? I know you are the reason why she is upset."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Don't give me that. Tell me the truth."
Ryan wasn't playing now. He was just sorry he didn't deal with this earlier. Vicky still kept her mouth shut. She even found this situation funny so she started to laugh.
"What the hell is so funny? I don't find this funny." Ryan shouted.
"Well I do. You are acting like a maniac for no reason."
"I think I have a reason."
"And that would be?"
"Listen, I am not oblivious. I don't want anything to do with you no matter what you do. Leave Marissa out of this."
"So she didn't tell you? Well I guess I already know the answer to that one."
"Stop speaking in riddles and come out with it."
Vicky explained to him that she was being this nice and close to him because Marissa asked her to be. Then she explained to him that they both discovered that they were distant cousins. This information was realized two weeks after she had tried to kiss him. Vicky admitted to Ryan that Marissa knew about that day and at first she was mad, but then forgave her. The only thing that was weird about this situation was why Marissa never told Ryan about it.
"I guess I am going to have to ask her about that."
"I'm sorry Ryan. I know how strange this might be."
"You're telling me."
Ryan now was off to get Marissa's side of the story. He still did not trust Vicky as much as he would have liked.
"I love what you're wearing. That is something I would not expect to see you in." Marissa mocked.
Ryan had on his regular boots, a pair of worn out jeans with holes on the knees, the ever popular wife beater, and the staple to his old look; the leather jacket.
"Didn't think you would se me wearing this again did you? As for your outfit, I think it is a bit too revealing for the guys in here. I might get jealous from all the stares you are getting."
"Well this outfit was intended for your eyes only. Maybe a little jealousy might make you appreciate what you have more."
"I already do. I'm just afraid that the sprinklers are going to turn on to cool down all the guys in here."
"Stop, you're making me blush." Marissa giggled.
"Sorry, I just can't contain myself."
"Well you are going to have to. So where's Summer? She was supposed to come with you."
"I don't know. She must have went somewhere with Seth."
"Oh hey look there's Vicky. Let's go say hi."
"I guess. Sure."
Ryan just wanted to spend this time alone with Marissa. It had been quite a while since they really spent some alone time. Every chance they had, someone had to come into the room, or they ended up joining them. Just a couple of hours here and then the real fun would begin.
Marissa was glad that Ryan had even decided to show up. He never liked going to any type of function; especially a school one. The only time he was involved with school activities was the soccer team. She knew the only reason why he went was so he could please her now and he would get his return later. Not that she was complaining about that either.
The only good thing about joining up with Vicky was the fact that she was standing with a group of people. She had tried to kiss him once before when they were alone and she wasn't going to get the chance again. When Vicky eyed them from across the room coming toward her, it seemed as if she winked at him. What was she trying to do? Marissa is right next to me. He was not enjoying himself now at all.
"Hi Vicky. How's it going?" Marissa asked.
"Fine. Just bored. I only came because Liz forced me to go."
"Hey, this is better than doing nothing." Liz defended herself.
"Marissa could I talk to you for a moment? It's about something that I have been trying to talk to you about." Vicky asked.
"Sure."
They went off to one of the corners in the place. Ryan got a little nervous as to why she needed to speak to her. What was she up to? Before Ryan was able to walk over to them, Seth came over with Summer.
"Hey Ryan. How's it going?" Seth wondered.
"Not so good. Listen could I talk to you about something private."
"Alright. I will leave you two alone to have your Seth/Ryan talks." Summer said.
Ryan and Seth walked over to where the refreshments were located. Seth noticed something was upsetting him from the look on his face.
"Why the long face? Does this have to do with you and Marissa?"
"Sort of. Now I haven't told anybody about this, but you see the girl Marissa is talking to?"
"Yeah."
"Well, she tried to kiss me a couple of weeks ago and I think that she might cause problems between Marissa and me."
"But you didn't kiss her did you?"
"No, of course not. Ever since that day I haven't been able to stop her from in a way harassing me. Now she is a friend of Marissa's. I told her that I was with Marissa, but she hasn't stopped."
"I don't know what to tell you except you have to lay down the law."
"Should I do it tonight?"
"The sooner, the better."
"Thanks. You can go back to Summer. She looks lonely without you."
Ryan now went to look for Vicky to tell her that she had to stop playing games. When he noticed Marissa walking towards the ladies room looking upset, he followed her.
"Marissa...hold up."
No response, or even a glance back. She kept walking and entered through the door. With no other option to see what was wrong, he entered after her. A couple of other girls made their irritation known, but he couldn't care less. He let them know that he wanted them to leave and they obliged.
"Marissa, why are you upset and don't tell me you are not?"
"What makes you think I am upset?" Marissa spoke through sniffles.
"If that is any indication then I would think so. You were happy when we got here. What happened?"
"Nothing just please leave. I need to be alone for a minute. You are not supposed to be in here anyway."
"I'll leave, but we still are going to talk."
Ryan left and now went in search of Vicky. He knew she had something to do with this and he was going to find out why. When he spotted her she was dancing on the dance floor having a good time. He walked up to her and demanded that he speak to her this minute. She suggested that they step outside. She wanted to have a smoke anyway.
As soon as they stepped outside, Ryan wasted no time to talk to her.
"What the hell did you say to Marissa? I know you are the reason why she is upset."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Don't give me that. Tell me the truth."
Ryan wasn't playing now. He was just sorry he didn't deal with this earlier. Vicky still kept her mouth shut. She even found this situation funny so she started to laugh.
"What the hell is so funny? I don't find this funny." Ryan shouted.
"Well I do. You are acting like a maniac for no reason."
"I think I have a reason."
"And that would be?"
"Listen, I am not oblivious. I don't want anything to do with you no matter what you do. Leave Marissa out of this."
"So she didn't tell you? Well I guess I already know the answer to that one."
"Stop speaking in riddles and come out with it."
Vicky explained to him that she was being this nice and close to him because Marissa asked her to be. Then she explained to him that they both discovered that they were distant cousins. This information was realized two weeks after she had tried to kiss him. Vicky admitted to Ryan that Marissa knew about that day and at first she was mad, but then forgave her. The only thing that was weird about this situation was why Marissa never told Ryan about it.
"I guess I am going to have to ask her about that."
"I'm sorry Ryan. I know how strange this might be."
"You're telling me."
Ryan now was off to get Marissa's side of the story. He still did not trust Vicky as much as he would have liked.