(Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all. So don't sue me. Please.)

A Note from the Author: Okay. So I threw in the Luke/Julie. So sue me. (But you can't, because I'm broke. Hah!) And okay, it's getting a bit (only a bit? Yeah right) angsty and perhaps a little unrealistically so, but oh well. I'm trying. This chapter, I experimented with a different character focus, which I kind of like. I'm thinking of covering all of the Newport teens. This might be taking some of the focus off of Ryan and Summer, though not for long… But I swear, you guys, I'm getting addicted to reading your reviews. After reading even one I just get all warm and fuzzy inside. And I remind you of Hemingway, Liz? Wowee. Thanks a bunch, everyone! Onwards… (Oh, plus: any one excited about the new ep this week, finally? I know I am!)

Chapter Ten

Marissa couldn't really understand what was making Summer mope around so much. I mean, sure, she had just broken up with her boyfriend (the reason for which, Marissa also had no idea about), and she had really tried to comfort her over the weeks.

But, she felt, in the sort of best friend way where it was okay to criticize as long as one was being honest, that Summer, essentially, made her own bed and had to lie in it. After all, it was Summer who did the breaking up, so the only person who should really be pining away was Seth, and Marissa had already had a first-person taste of Sad, Sorry, Pathetic Seth.

The real matter at hand was a certain short, wifebeater-wearing, fight-starting, cigarette-smoking (yes, she had got him to quit, and now he had started that nasty habit again) Ryan Atwood. Who, currently, had not been giving her the time of day lately.

Now Marissa had had a lot of time to think about the situation while she was jetsetting around Europe with her mom and what's-his-name (Eric? Gregory? Lance?). She had called Summer to obtain weekly updates on Ryan and his whereabouts, and especially his hang-abouts with any girls in particular. She had watched her mother carefully with Eric/Gregory/Lance and seen how he could be ordered around like a little lapdog, paying for the two women's expenses without a care in the world.

Of course, it probably helped that he had the money to spend, and more, but still.

Julie Cooper had a way with men, and Marissa wanted to learn.

It didn't matter that she hated her mother at the moment, or that her mother was considered to be a Newport slut (of course, she had heard those rumours). What really mattered was for her to finally get Ryan to forgive her, so they could return to being the rich-girl/poor-boy power couple at Harbour. Yes, she knew they weren't really a power couple before, but she was really sure that they could pull it off, her and him.

If only Ryan would look at, or even speak, to her.

Marissa sighed at this thought, and returned to examining herself in the mirror. She was slender enough, right? And it's not like she had big hips, or, God forbid, some sort of horrible skin condition (something she had been terrified of ever since watching a National Geographic special). She would have liked to ask Julie for advice, but she noted that her mother had been increasingly busy lately, doing errands and God knows what.

In the meantime, Seth couldn't really understand what was making Ryan mope around so much. He thought he was already over Marissa, way past her, although he noticed that his 'brother' hadn't met someone new yet.

He had tried to keep in touch with Ryan over the summer, making sure to call him and update him on his condition every few days or so, but it had been hard. Every phone call he made, he would want to talk about Summer, and would have to stop himself from mentioning her name, or even the word 'summer'. And then Seth would occasionally forget to call, and this progressed to only random messages. Seth understood that he really needed to make up for some lost 'guy time' with Ryan.

Of course, it would help if the boy wasn't so engrossed with watching the latest episode of The Valley.

Seth was a bit annoyed with Ryan's lack of attention (I mean, hello! Currently depressed 'sibling' here!) He should have at least been offering advice on how to get over Summer (or get her back), or slandering her to make him feel better.

But, no. Colin was more important than Seth right now.

Colin! A fictional character!

And plus, Seth never knew Ryan was so interested in The Valley.

If anything, he should watch a 'telenovela' first, just to get the hang of it.

Seth introduced Summer to 'telenovela's, didn't he?

And… shit, at the thought of Summer, Seth remembered that he really just wanted to curl up in his bed and cry – er, create saltwater in a very, very manly way – for oh, the rest of his natural-born life.

Ay. Dios mio.