How was he exactly supposed to sleep? First, he actually almost drifted, but as his eyes closed, apparently he breathed on her or something because she slapped him. Hard. And this had happened maybe six times. His arm was looking very red. But now she was asleep. And she looked like an angel. First of all, she was beyond gorgeous. Her skin was flawless and as her hair drifted down in front of her lips, it flew back up again with her soft, sweet breath. And she was so much easier sleeping and smiling then awake and threatening him.

He finally lay his head down, tired and kind of scared of watching her anymore. She could wake up and call him a stalker or axe murderer. So he lay still. Ryan was asleep, so he couldn't talk to him or anything. He was really uncomfortable because there was no chance he could get any of that comforter Summer had wrapped tightly around her. She could wake up and accuse him of trying to rape her. So he was screwed and forced to stare at the ceiling. Softly, a few feet away, he heard a loud sigh and a rustle of clothes. Ryan and Summer were beyond sleep so that only left

"Marissa?"

He sat up and saw her shadow sit up too.

"Seth?"

"Yeah, hey, you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah."

"You want to go for a walk?"

"Yeah, that'd be cool."

He shifted out of the bed, careful not to wake Summer and walked out of the motel with Marissa. They walked in silence in the night and didn't even look at each other. She was crying.

"Um, Marissa, can I ask you a question?"

"About what?"

"Something really selfish and probably so minor compared to what you're going through."

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead." She wiped away her red cheeks.

"Did...dammit, did Summer mention anything to you about my grandfather's birthday party?"

"Uh...what do you mean? About what?"

"Again, risking sounding completely selfish...me?"

"No, sorry, Seth, but if it comforts you or makes you feel less selfish, the only thing we really talked about that party was about me."

"Oh. Okay."

"You want to tell me?"

"No, it's okay."

"Okay."

They kept walking, but Seth didn't do comfortable silences. If there was silence, it sure as hell was going to be awkward. So he just talked.

"I just kind of wanted to know if she thought it was important enough to tell her best friend."

"Oh. Okay."

"Yeah."

"Seth, are you sure you don't want to tell me?"

"Yeah, yeah. If she didn't want to know it, why should I?"

"Because it's bothering you."

"What if I promised to tell you if you told me why you're crying?"

"Oh. That. Um...my parents, they just...they're getting a...a..."

"Oh. Okay."

"No. Not fucking okay. It sucks and I want to scream at both of them until they apologize to me or something. Apologize to each other."

"Yeah. I understand."

"How the hell can you understand? Your parents are perfect. They're not going to get divorced. Ever. They love each other as much as they love you and that's a lot. And you can't understand."

"Yes I can."

"Fine. Tell me how, Seth, because I'm dying to know."

"Because I can understand everytime my dad's mom comes. Or every second I see my mom's dad. It's even worse, well maybe not worse but bad, when you have your grandfather complaining to you about your dad and basically calling him a miserable loser, because you have no idea if he thinks the same of you or whatever. And you're always wondering 'why the hell is he telling me this?' Or when your grandmother shakes her head whenever your mom puts on gardening gloves or an apron. Or anything that it my nana's territory. 'Oh, Kirsten, no, leave the windows to a woman who's spent her whole life doing windows.' 'Hey, little guy, you understand where I'm coming from right? It's not that I hate your-your father, it's that I disagree with him. And how he thinks.'"

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

"So, what did you want to tell me?"

"What? Oh, right. I, uh, dunno if you wanna hear this."

"Sure. Seth, girls are different than guys. We tell each other everything."

"Well she obviously didn't tell you this for some reason."

"Yeah, but maybe she never knew when to bring it up."

"Oh. Okay, well, don't tell her I told you."

"Seth, this isn't middle school."

"Don't tell her."

"Okay. I won't. I'll bring it up in a way that shows I don't know anything but she should tell me anyway."

"Okay. I, uh, well, she...kissed me." His voice had dropped and he mumbled to himself, and shook his head.

"I didn't hear you."

"It's so ridiculous when, you know, I really hear it out loud. Ridiculous."

"Seth."

"She kissed me, all right? Isn't it ridiculous? Now you're going to be just like Ryan and try to talk me out of it because there's no chance in hell it actually happened, I must have been dreaming or something. And he doesn't want me to fall into this hole that makes me think it actually happened, because there's no chance that it did."

"Seth."

"What?"

"I believe you. It could've happened. And I'm happy for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You've liked her forever, right?"

"I don't know forever but a long time."

"Yeah, so, I'm happy for you. And she'll come around. I've known her forever and I know she will. Promise."

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem."

"We should go back, I'm getting tired."

"Yeah, me too."

"Okay. Long walk back, what will we talk about?"

"What do you usually talk about with Ryan?"

"Summer."

"Oh. Okay, I'll fill in. Hey, Seth, whatshername Roberts, she's hot, right?"

Seth laughed, but Marissa nudged him. She nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

"What's my name? Say it."

"Okay, I don't have sex with Ryan. Say my name!" He screwed his voice into falsetto for the last sentence. Marissa laughed.

"Noted. So, why do you think that Roberts is so hot, man?"

"This is weird."

"Go."

"Okay, well, uh, I was watching static on the t.v., right?"

"Dude, you're such a loser. Get a life."

"Okay, that's a little mean."

"Too bad, get over it, brother man."

"Okay, and Ryan isn't a reggae singer."

"Got it. So the static on the t.v.?"

"Yeah, well, she walked out of the bathroom, right? And she was wearing this barely there slip and I mean, my god."

"Okay, that was an overshare."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I can be Ryan, but...actually, never mind."

"What?"

"Keep going."

"No, it's okay."

"So, how hot was she? I mean could you see anything?"

That really made him laugh. It even made Marissa laugh a little.

"Dude, no."

"Aw, that sucks."

"Yeah. It does."

"But believe me, man, and I would know, she takes off that slip and her underwear always matches."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Down to the brand name."

"Cool."

"Sure."

"How would you know, man, I thought you knew she was mine? And what about Marissa?"

Marissa's smile fell and she looked down at her feet. Seth shook his head.

"Marissa, I-I'm sorry. That was a little..."

"What about Marissa, man? I don't care about her anymore."

"Ma-Ryan. You know that's not true."

"Yeah, it is. I hooked up with another girl while I knew she was close by."

"It's only because you thought you could never have her. And it hurt him-you."

"Yeah, well, I guess Marissa and me are kind of over. Not that we were ever together. I mean you got farther with Summer than I got with her. Because I never let her have the chance."

"But it's not that you didn't want to. It was just always the wrong time. Because I know that you know that you like her. A lot."

"Right. And you know that Summer does like you. She's just a little scared."

"Right, Ryan. Thanks man."

"Yeah, man, how could I be so stupid? I do like her."

"You're good at it. The being stupid."

"Right. Well, there's nothing I can do about it, right?"

"Except tell him how you feel."

"Yeah, except Marissa isn't a guy."

She grinned and shoved his arm and ran back to the motel. He chased her, but they stopped when they got to the motel door. He slipped the card in and let them both in. And when he got back into bed and took a look at Summer who had rolled over and was now facing him, he smiled. And he went to sleep almost immediately.

He woke up with a swipe of a pillow to his head.

"Ow!'

"Shh! They're sleeping!"

He pulled open his eyes to see Summer kneeling in front of him, still in her slip, nodding toward Ryan and Marissa. Ryan had his arm protectively around Marissa and she was holding his hand. He brought his voice down to a whisper.

"So why can't I be sleeping?"

"Because I'm hungry. And I don't want to go alone."

"Why not go with Marissa?"

"I don't want to wake her up."

"Why can you wake me up?"

"Because, Cohen, duh, she's, like, my best friend."

"Wake up Ryan then."

"I don't know Ryan that well."

"And you know me?"

"You're close enough."

"Summer..."

"Cohen. Please?"

She hobbled over on her knees and let her legs lie on either side of his chest. He inhaled.

"Summer..."

"Cohen."

"Fine, but if you want me to get up, I can't do it if you're on top of me."

"Okay."

She swung her leg around him and sat still as she watched him stand up and grab his tee shirt from the floor next to his side of the bed. She noted his chest, but pretended that she wasn't looking and got up. She seemed to walk away with an extra swing in her hips, but he, of course, didn't notice. Of course. This could get interesting.