............................................................................................................
Next day at school.
"So, Ryan, what are you going to do? Are you going to talk to her? Are you going to wait?"
"I don't know man, I think I'll just, let things happen."
"Well, you better let them happen fast, because here they come..." Ryan jerked his head up.
"Hey Cohen, hey Ryan." Summer greeted as she went over to Seth.
"Hey Summery...Marissa..." Ryan looked over to Marissa nervously.
"Hey, guys" Marissa replied.
"Well, as much as we'd like to stay and keep this awkward moment going, we've got history, see you kids later." Seth and summer walked off together.
"So, we've got that English test today" Ryan looked around as he tried to make small talk.
"Uh, yeah, supposed to be pretty hard..."
"Look Marissa, this is getting us nowhere, do you want to just leave or something?" Ryan seemed anxious.
"Uh, yeah that would be okay, we could go to the pier or something." Marissa added
"Alright, let's go."
............................................................................................................ At the Pier.
"I'm in love with you Ryan, I know things can't go back to the way they were, being so intense and all, but... you know how I feel. I just, want to know where you stand, I guess."
"I really don't know what it is that I feel for you, I mean, I've never really been in love, except maybe with..." Ryan trailed off.
"Theresa" Marissa filled in for him.
"Yeah, but I mean, I don't know if that was love or not, she was my best friend, yanno? But I do know that I really, really like you, I would do anything for you, and its like I can't get you out of my head. From the first time I saw you I was just...in shock I guess..."
"There's no getting rid of me is there..." Marissa joked.
"Yeah well, I do try, but you always manage to find me, how do you do it?" They both laughed.
"See I missed this, us just laughing and having fun together...I wish we could go ba....I mean, I wish we could just fast forward these next couple of months, that is, depending on this conversation" Marissa looked up at Ryan. "I really think we should try this again,"
"I want to....maybe we could just slow it down, start over....but not....I don't know, we shouldn't forget about what happened, because I don't think I'd be able to. What happened with Oliver was big, and I'm just slowly starting to forgive you, and it will take time to learn to trust you again. Maybe....how 'bout, I take you out Friday night. Just a simple casual date, we'll go see the new Kill Bill, or something."
"I'd really like that Ryan, thank you, for...you know." Marissa reached out and hugged Ryan.
"Well, I can't really say I like this better then the other times you've greeted me, but this works just fine."
"You know, Newport really does just take the brood straight out of people" Marissa smiled as she walked toward the car.
"I was never broody! Mysterious maybe, but...hey get back here!" Ryan hurriedly caught up with her.
............................................................................................................
"So I'm taking her out on Friday..."
"All that lovely teenaged angst and now you're going on a date?" Seth looked shocked as he turned off the faucet.
"Well, what did you expect?" Ryan dried off the last dish.
"I kind of expected you two to be in the pool house fornicating like bunnies, or whatever it was you two always did in there." Seth cringed as the picture flashed through his mind.
"Nah, man, it's not like that. Its not like we can just go back to the way things were, we've decided to slowly.....I don't know, like get back into it. I guess..."
"Come on, man, you and Marissa? I totally want to be like, supportive best friend here, but I mean, you couldn't not touch her if there was a brick wall between you."
"Aw come on, where's the faith?" Ryan laughed as he shoved Seth into the counter.
"Alright, here's the deal, you have no lip contact with Marissa for one week, and I will clean the pool house every day for a month, if I win, you clean my room for a month." Seth stuck out his hand.
"It's on," Ryan said as he took Seth's hand.
"Hey boys," Kirsten walked into the room carrying a box of decorations. "Is there any chance I can get you guys to help set up for this Benefit tomorrow night?"
"Is there ever a time when there aren't any benefits going on?" Ryan asked.
"No, never, we put our suits and freshly pressed dinner jackets and khaki's to good use."
"Great, I knew there was a reason people wanted to live here" Ryan sarcastically remarked.
Next day at school.
"So, Ryan, what are you going to do? Are you going to talk to her? Are you going to wait?"
"I don't know man, I think I'll just, let things happen."
"Well, you better let them happen fast, because here they come..." Ryan jerked his head up.
"Hey Cohen, hey Ryan." Summer greeted as she went over to Seth.
"Hey Summery...Marissa..." Ryan looked over to Marissa nervously.
"Hey, guys" Marissa replied.
"Well, as much as we'd like to stay and keep this awkward moment going, we've got history, see you kids later." Seth and summer walked off together.
"So, we've got that English test today" Ryan looked around as he tried to make small talk.
"Uh, yeah, supposed to be pretty hard..."
"Look Marissa, this is getting us nowhere, do you want to just leave or something?" Ryan seemed anxious.
"Uh, yeah that would be okay, we could go to the pier or something." Marissa added
"Alright, let's go."
............................................................................................................ At the Pier.
"I'm in love with you Ryan, I know things can't go back to the way they were, being so intense and all, but... you know how I feel. I just, want to know where you stand, I guess."
"I really don't know what it is that I feel for you, I mean, I've never really been in love, except maybe with..." Ryan trailed off.
"Theresa" Marissa filled in for him.
"Yeah, but I mean, I don't know if that was love or not, she was my best friend, yanno? But I do know that I really, really like you, I would do anything for you, and its like I can't get you out of my head. From the first time I saw you I was just...in shock I guess..."
"There's no getting rid of me is there..." Marissa joked.
"Yeah well, I do try, but you always manage to find me, how do you do it?" They both laughed.
"See I missed this, us just laughing and having fun together...I wish we could go ba....I mean, I wish we could just fast forward these next couple of months, that is, depending on this conversation" Marissa looked up at Ryan. "I really think we should try this again,"
"I want to....maybe we could just slow it down, start over....but not....I don't know, we shouldn't forget about what happened, because I don't think I'd be able to. What happened with Oliver was big, and I'm just slowly starting to forgive you, and it will take time to learn to trust you again. Maybe....how 'bout, I take you out Friday night. Just a simple casual date, we'll go see the new Kill Bill, or something."
"I'd really like that Ryan, thank you, for...you know." Marissa reached out and hugged Ryan.
"Well, I can't really say I like this better then the other times you've greeted me, but this works just fine."
"You know, Newport really does just take the brood straight out of people" Marissa smiled as she walked toward the car.
"I was never broody! Mysterious maybe, but...hey get back here!" Ryan hurriedly caught up with her.
............................................................................................................
"So I'm taking her out on Friday..."
"All that lovely teenaged angst and now you're going on a date?" Seth looked shocked as he turned off the faucet.
"Well, what did you expect?" Ryan dried off the last dish.
"I kind of expected you two to be in the pool house fornicating like bunnies, or whatever it was you two always did in there." Seth cringed as the picture flashed through his mind.
"Nah, man, it's not like that. Its not like we can just go back to the way things were, we've decided to slowly.....I don't know, like get back into it. I guess..."
"Come on, man, you and Marissa? I totally want to be like, supportive best friend here, but I mean, you couldn't not touch her if there was a brick wall between you."
"Aw come on, where's the faith?" Ryan laughed as he shoved Seth into the counter.
"Alright, here's the deal, you have no lip contact with Marissa for one week, and I will clean the pool house every day for a month, if I win, you clean my room for a month." Seth stuck out his hand.
"It's on," Ryan said as he took Seth's hand.
"Hey boys," Kirsten walked into the room carrying a box of decorations. "Is there any chance I can get you guys to help set up for this Benefit tomorrow night?"
"Is there ever a time when there aren't any benefits going on?" Ryan asked.
"No, never, we put our suits and freshly pressed dinner jackets and khaki's to good use."
"Great, I knew there was a reason people wanted to live here" Ryan sarcastically remarked.