Disclaimer: If you really want to read my disclaimer, go to chapter 1. Otherwise, on with the story!

Author's note: Hey, there all you OC people! Thanks for all the amazing reviews! There were definitely beneficial to my writing. I am sorry that I am posting this chapter so late, but packing up and coming home from your freshman year of college is no easy task.: ) Well, with nothing else to add, on with the story!

Also, the only characters I own are the ones of my own creation. At this point in time, no new characters have been made, but when they do, you guys are the first ones to know.

Author's note #2: Please review! It's the stuff that I live off of! Or email me Also, if anyone is interested in being a beta reader for me for this story, I would love the extra input! If you're interested, just email me at the address above.

Author's note #3: Just a little FYI for the story, words in this ' ' indicate thoughts. Hope that helps!

Summary: Ryan returned to Chino to Theresa and his new responsibilities, Seth ran away to the open seas, leaving Summer and Marissa back in Newport for the summer. But what happened to the ones they left behind?

Spoilers: set after The Ties that Bind

Rating: PG-13/R, for language and sensual descriptions, depending on the chapter.

Summer Days

Chapter 2

Summer was on her way over to Cohen's house, thinking about what to do first. Who was mission number one: Marissa or Cohen? Both were depressed and withdrawn at this point, but Cohen was soooo extremely pissed off at Marissa. He made that clear this morning.

And unfortunately, she knew what with her dating Cohen and being Coop's best friend, she was now nicely wedged in the middle. 'Gee, this is nice. Anyone think how this was going to affect me?' She thought. 'Ok, enough about you. It's time to focus on the situation at hand.'

"Well, the first thing to do is to get both of them in a room together and cat fight until both of them get everything straightened out." Summer said, thinking her thoughts out loud. "Either that or kill each other."

Now she just had to get them together in one room.

Well, Seth wasn't going to budge, that was for sure. She may have him wrapped around her tiny little finger for the most part, but she just knew that this was one instance where she wasn't going to be able to seduce him in order to get her way.

She had never seen him act this way before and to be honest, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was seriously freaked. This was all new territory for her, especially the whole "being emotionally open with a guy", much less a guy you actually care about.

But if there was one thing she learned, she couldn't show how freaked she was; it would show others how weak she was and as much as she changed, her tough-as-nails attitude must still remain intact.

Getting back to the situation at hand again, she realized that she was going to have to get them all together herself, even if that meant going into 'raging blackout' mode.

'So, I guess I better go get Coop.'

Having finalized her little plan, she made a U-turn and began trying to remember where Marissa's new house was.

Once she found it, after 20 minutes of circling the damn neighborhood, 'that's what the stupid MapQuest was created for!' Summer parked her car and slowly began walking up to the palatial mansion Caleb Nichol had bought for his bride. 'God, it's a freakin' palace.' Summer thought, looking over the vast layout.

While it was beautiful, and rest assured, it was beautiful, even she would rather live with her M.I.A. father and Stepmummy dearest before moving into this lovely and ornate Hell on earth.

Luckily, Marissa was living alone for the next couple of weeks. Katilyn went back with her grandmother after the wedding and was going to stay there until "the newlyweds" came back from honeymooning on Caleb's yacht in the Mediterranean.

Summer rang the doorbell and hoped Marissa was going to answer the door. She tried listening for footsteps, but the house stood silent moments later. Figuring that simple knocking wasn't going to get Coop's attention, she began pounding with her fists.

"Marissa Leigh Cooper! Get your skinny little ass down here right now!" Silence. "Talk to me Coop, it's just me, Summer!" More silence. "Ok, that does it! You can't stay in there forever! I will find someway to get in here! So help me Go-"

Fortunately, the door cracked open a moment later, Marissa barely peeking her face out. Summer wanted to cry at the sight of her best friend. Her eyes were red-rimmed, wet streaks coursing down her face, her hand quickly brushing the evidence away.

Summer simply wrapped her in a hug, saying nothing more. Marissa didn't move for a minute, but slowly brought her arms around Summer as well.

"Coop, sweetie, c'mon, let's go inside." Summer said soothingly. She ushered her best friend into the house and closed the door with a deafening thud. She kept an arm wrapped around Marissa's shoulder, which was hard, considering Marissa had that tall, willowy figure going on and Summer was still cursing whatever higher being thought that the short, petite look was in. But that wasn't the point right now.

Once they got up to Marissa's room, Marissa separated herself from Summer's embrace and walked over to her bed. Summer took a quick glance around Marissa's new room. It was so big and spacious. And empty and cold. It had no life to it, like Marissa's old room did.

Looking over quickly at Marissa, she saw that all too familiar glaze come over her eyes and the slight stumble onto the bed. Summer knew that could only mean one thing. Marissa was producing her own form of self-therapy again: drinking herself into a drunken stupor. 'God, it hasn't even been a day yet.'

"God, Coop, please, don't do this." Summer asked pleadingly.

"Do what?" Marissa responded innocently, pulling the vodka bottle from behind Share Bear and took a drink.

"This!" Summer yelled, yanking the bottle from Marissa's hand. Before Marissa had a chance to react, Summer jumped up and went out on the balcony, where she preceded to fling the bottle as hard as she could. She didn't see where it landed, but she could hear the loud 'crack' as the bottle smashed onto the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Summer turned to see Marissa at the doorway to the balcony. She pushed Marissa back inside and shoved her in front of the mirror. "Look at yourself, Coop. Ryan hasn't even gotten to Chino yet and you're already falling apart."

Marissa reluctantly looked up at the ragged looking girl staring back in the looking glass. She saw the tear streaks on her sunken cheeks, the sadness and sorrow reflecting in her eyes. She saw the desperation in her best friend's eyes as she stared into the mirror as well, as if she was almost willing her to see what she saw.

"I said I understood, but I don't want to." Marissa whispered so softly, Summer almost didn't hear her. And she was standing right behind her. "I don't want to understand why. I don't want to understand why my life got so fucked up or why the guy I love drove back to his old life!" She began banging her fists against the mirror, fighting against something, Summer wasn't sure what. "I don't want to be here, not right now, not in this house, not in this stupid, fucking life!" She screamed, sobbing as she fell to her knees, putting her head in her hands. "Oh God, why did he have to sleep with her?"

Summer dropped down next to her, just holding her and letting her cry and scream out her anger.

Ok, guys, here's Chapter 2. I hope it's well received by you all Sorry it took so long for me to post, summer school's being a drag! Well, until chapter 3, enjoy!