Note: None of it's mine. Oh, but I wanted you guys to know that in the last chapter there was a (41) next to the part where Marissa was talking about her Oscar de la Renta because it's a real dress. I was going to say it before, but I forgot. So if you go to Mr. de la Renta's website, it'll be number 41. I'm a girl so I always have fun with an extendable (even if it's make believe) credit card. All the stuff I mention's real, so I dunno, it's kinda cool. This chapter's a little choppy, but it's important. Please leave a review. Peace and love...

Summer's damp hair fell over one shoulder as she tried to comb it out without having to go back to the towel. She had downloaded an Alanis Morrisette song and mumbled along to the words she didn't know and shouted out the chorus with everything she had.

"And I'm here to remind you, of the mess you left when you went away. It's not fair, to deny me, of the cross I bear that you gave to me. You, you, you oughta know."

She didn't know of all the heartache that had to be there in the song, but she knew what it was like to want to let go. But she didn't want to pretend to know anything about it. So she left the verses to Alanis.

"You seem very well, things look peaceful. I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know. Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity? I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner. It was a slap in the face, how quickly I was replaced. Are you thinking of me when you fuck her? Cause the love that you gave that we made wasn't able, to make it enough for you to be open wide, no. And every time you speak her name, does she know how you told me you'd hold me, until you died, 'til you died? But you're still alive."

She hummed under her breath "I'm here to remind you...of the mess you left..." Her hair was still stringy and she dropped loose strands on the ground for whoever wanted to clean them up. Someone would. She rubbed her legs against each other and even though she had just shaved them with all the carefulness in the world, there was still something to feel itchy on the other one. Being a woman was hard.

But her hair had to be dried, so against her will, she pulled out the blow dryer. She pushed it against the dark brown strands that seemed to get limper with each thrust of the dryer that felt like an oven. She had her hair highlighted with blond and a 'lovely caramel' that was starting to grow out and leave her roots the dark brown she was trying to run away from. But she didn't have time to fight it, and she had to get ready. She had thrown this goddamn party so she was going to look good for it.

She found a pair of dark blue jeans 'sandwashed' at the knees and hips. She had a tan tee shirt that had a keyhole neckline and moved up on her waist on both sides. She peeked at what had to be love handles, but remembered that she had lost five pounds. In, like, a week. And even if no one noticed, Marissa would. She always did.

Summer finally got her hair to fall flat and dry and finished her makeup with lip glosses, mascara, eye shadows, foundation, and blush from Lana, the adopted nickname fit better and better every day. She used her own eyeliner.

"Cause the joke that you laid on the bed, that was me. And I'm not gonna fade. As soon as you close your eyes and you know it. And every time I scratch my nails down—"

She shut it off and checked her waist and hips one more time in the full length mirror. As good as it was going to get. She closed the door to the empty house but didn't bother to lock it. Maybe someone would come in and steal her life away.

She walked down to Jack, smiled weakly, and got into the back seat. Jack jumped into the front seat and took a glance back at Summer. She didn't feel like talking. Apparently

"Miss Summer, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"It's Miss Cooper's thirteenth birthday?"

"Yes."

"Oh. I remember my thirteenth birthday really well."

"You're not that old."

"Like thirty five."

"It's not that old."

"All right. If you say so, Miss Summer."

She was looking out the window at the ocean that peeked through the trees.

"When does this party start?"

"About half an hour."

"Why are you going so early?"

"Just to make sure everything's okay. And that Coop is out of the house."

"I see."

He turned the wheel to the left and Summer saw the trees keep going straight.

"Uh, Jack?"

"Yes, Miss Summer."

"Aren't we supposed to keep going straight?"

"No, this is a better way."

"But we've never gone this way before to go to Coop's."

"It's good to try new things."

"Jack..."

"Trust me, Miss Summer."

He pulled into a parking lot for some office building from the back. Here, the trees seemed to come back. He stopped the engine and let the faint traces of The Red Hot Chili Peppers fade out.

"Jack..."

"Miss Summer, every single day, I listen to you. I understand that things are hard for you and you're trying to find a way to figure out who you really are. And I hope in some way I have helped you. Regardless," He put a hand up when she started to speak. "now I need you to help me."

Summer shivered as she sat on Marissa's doorstep. She kept clasping her hands together and feeling disgusted with herself so returning them to her sides. Then they went to rubbing the cement of the cool steps she usually bounded up with a grin on her face, sometimes real, sometimes less than real.

The door opened and Luke saw her back hunched over.

"Hey! What're you doing out here? You have to get..."

She turned her head around slowly and saw his eyebrows furrow. Slowly, he walked over and sat down next to her.

"What is it?"

"What? I'll be there in a minute."

"Summer..."

"I said I'll be there in a minute."

"Summer, you can tell me. I don't have anyone to tell."

"That's not true. And it's nothing."

"Come on."

She turned her head and saw him looking at her with those deep blue eyes. They seemed to sparkle with the glint of the sun going down in them. She started crying.

"Hey."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and let her hug him. He glanced over her shoulder at the house but hugged her anyway. Summer yanked herself away, though, and wiped her face with her fingers.

"Summer..."

"This is so stupid. I shouldn't—no, I mean, I wouldn't—yeah. Sorry about...that."

"It's okay. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Yeah. I should be inside there with Coop taking her for a walk and I'm not. And I only have, like, ten minutes."

"But Summer..."

"Thanks Luke."

She smiled weakly and stood up. She opened the door and grinned as she saw Marissa running down the stairs.

"Sum! You made it! You know, we should do something special. Manicures?"

"Um, how about we walk? I, uh, I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Oh. Okay. But then when we come back, the nails. First, the boy. Luke's outside though, I don't want to leave him alone. Maybe he should come."

"No! I mean, it's personal, Coop, and he'll be fine."

"Okay, I guess."

"All right. Good."

She smiled and walked out the door with her friend. Luke smiled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Where you ladies going?"

"Sum wants to go for a walk. But we'll be back soon. Sorry."

"Oh no, it's fine. I can understand. You girls need to talk."

He walked past and whispered in Summer's ear, "Talk to her." Summer brushed the hair away from her face and smiled at Marissa again. They walked down the driveway and along that path again.

"So, what is it? He ask you out or something?"

"Who?"

"Cohen."

"Oh, right. Um, no. But, uh, Jack told me..." She looked down at her jeans and shoved her hands into her back pockets.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, he, um, he told me that he thought I liked him."

"Oh. That's it? I've been telling you that forever."

"I-I know. But the thing is I don't. Like him."

"Sum..."

"No, it's true."

"Fine. So you want to go back?"

"No! Um, there's something else."

"What about?"

"Um..." Summer glanced around again. There was no chance everyone was there and Luke was ready. "Uh...it's about Jack."

"Jack? Your driver?"

"Yeah, um, this is weird."

"Go ahead, what does he have a criminal past? Driving people into the middle of nowhere and killing them?"

Marissa giggled and Summer laughed along with her. As softly as she could. Marissa looked at her with the same eyes Luke did before.

"That's not it, right?"

"No. It's not."

"Okay. So what is it?"

"Um, before I came over here—you know, it's not important."

"Summer."

Marissa's huge eyes looked at her and stared back into the mousy brown ones she had been trying to enhance that morning. Suddenly she felt like crying again.

"Did he do something that..."

"Coop. Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"But you did. Summer, did he...take advantage of you or something?"

Summer looked back up at her with that stubborn strand of hair falling from her ear again. Marissa's eyes got even bigger and she hugged her instinctively.

"Oh my god. Summer, are you—are you okay?"

Summer just stood there, Marissa almost crying into her shoulder. She was staring at something that wasn't there and trying to block out Marissa's whimpers. Why was she crying?

"Summer, did you tell anyone? Like other than me? Summer?"

Marissa pulled back from her and saw the dead look in her eyes and her hands on her hips.

"Summer?"

She shook her head and rubbed her fingers against her head.

"No."

"You have to."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. He can't keep driving you. Then, he'll think it was okay."

"He won't. He knows."

"But Summer, he should be in jail."

"He didn't fuck me."

"Okay. What did he do?"

"He just...he asked me to..."

"Touch him?"

She nodded shakily. Marissa covered her mouth and sat down on the side of the road. Summer followed her and stood in front her.

"Was that it?"

Summer shook her head.

"What else?"

"I-I, he told me to, you know, take off my-my shirt."

Marissa looked down at her feet as if she was embarrassed but slowly nodded.

"And was that it?"

"Yeah, um, see I told it wasn't that big a deal. I mean, he didn't..."

"Sexually attack you? Because he did, Summer. It is a big deal."

"No, Coop, it's not. I'll tell my dad to fire him because he has bad breath or something. And he'll do it. And he'll be gone. And that's it."

"But Sum..."

"That's it, Marissa."

She looked a little hurt but stood up and pushed away the tears that were doing more than threatening her eyes. She brushed Summer's hair behind her ear and hugged her again.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Almost."

Marissa smiled again and pushed her own hair back.

"We should be getting back. I can show you that dress."

"Okay. Let's go."

They walked back to Marissa's house; it wasn't that far considering most of the time Marissa had been sitting on the side of the road. They walked up the steps and Summer opened the door. She walked in and pulled her shoes off and Marissa walked in behind her. As cheesy as it is in the movies, everybody yelled their surprises and Marissa laughed. She looked back at Summer who was faintly smiling at her and let the laugh fade.

"You guys, this is...great. Thank you."

Luke came from the dining room and hugged her.

"You really have to give most of the credit to Summer. I mean, I don't know how to throw a party."

"You did this?"

Marissa looked back at Summer, who shrugged. She hugged her again.

"You're awesome, babe."

"You too."

Marissa smiled at her as Julie and Jimmy came downstairs.

"Happy birthday, honey."

"Thanks."

She was even smiling at her mom. But she kept looking at Summer, afraid she was going to break down or something. But she didn't. She grinned with the best of them. She would be grinning for the next three years of her life.

"You Oughta Know" written by Alanis Morrisette