Chapter 12: Why did she leave, what does she really want, and how can we get her back?
Disclaimer: I don't own the O.C. or its characters. All I own is my piece of the story line, which has been done…too many times to count.
A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! You guys inspire me to write…so keep on reviewing!
On with the story…
Marissa hastily packed her bag, throwing in a few of the least expensive clothes she'd acquired during her stay in Newport. Of course, this was all relative to what "cheap" was in Newport; she'd packed clothes by Hardtail, Juicy, James Perse, DKNY, and Ralph Lauren. Not that those were cheap, but compared to brands like Vera Wang, Chanel, Hermes, and Dolce & Gabbana, they were.
On a rose colored piece of Summer's stationary, Marissa scribbled a note to the Roberts family, making sure to keep it impersonal and vague. Against her better judgment, she tore off another piece and wrote a note to Ryan, but then ripped it up into fifty pieces and brushed the scraps into the trashcan.
One final look around the room, and Marissa was gone.
Marissa knocked on the weathered black door. A short girl with bing cherry eyes opened it. "Is Frankie home?" The little girl nodded, and shut the door. A minute later a squat woman with the same eyes opened the door a crack.
"Marissa?" she asked, opening the door all the way and enveloping her in a huge hug. "What are you doing here, hija?"
"Mrs. Ramirez," Marissa greeted the older woman. "I—uh, came to see Frankie."
"Oh," Mrs. Ramirez nodded in understanding. "I thought you were in Newport with that cousin of your pop's."
Marissa shifted uncomfortably in the relentless sun. Or maybe it was the way Mrs. Ramirez was interrogating her. "It was time to come home." And she left it at that.
Mrs. Ramirez seemed to accept this. "Frankie's at work," she explained, "But come in, and I'll give you some lunch. You must be starving." She tsked disapprovingly at Marissa's figure…or the lack of it.
Marissa picked up her bag and followed Frankie's mother into the small but cozy house, shutting the door behind her. She even remembered to lock the deadbolt. You could never take chances in this neighborhood.
She dropped her bag in the small hallway with its slightly peeling flowered wallpaper. The flowers were fading, and blending into the yellow background. It was homier to Marissa than Summer's whole house had been. It was inviting and warm, and comfortable, while the Roberts home was cold, empty, and so immaculate that you were afraid to settle in, for fear of ruining its perfection.
Marissa sat down at one of the yellowing chairs in the kitchen. Originally, they'd been white, but time had changed them. She allowed her eyes to feast on the pictures that seemed to be everywhere. There was one of her and Frankie, with big toothless smiles. That had been the summer they were seven, and had each lost their two front teeth.
A picture of Frankie in his pop's old suit warmed Marissa's heart. Their eighth grade graduation ceremony had been wonderful, especially the kiss she and Frankie had shared behind the curtain afterwards.
"Here you go, hija." Mrs. Ramirez set a steaming mug in front of Marissa. It was chipped on the rim but Marissa didn't care. The tea would calm her nerves. Marissa took a sip from the cup, blue-gray dolphins swimming around her mouth. She shuddered as the boiling liquid scalded her tongue, and set the mug back down on the table. Mrs. Ramirez set a plate of sugar cookies in front of her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Ramirez," Marissa said, picking up a cookie. She remembered all too well the Friday afternoons she and Frankie would race home to his house, because Friday was baking day and Mrs. Ramirez always baked sugar cookies.
"Niña, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Carmen?" Mrs. Ramirez shook her head, and looked up at the clock. "Frankie should be home in about an hour. Do you want to take lay down?"
Marissa nodded her head gratefully, feeling her eyelids droop. She hadn't realized how tired she was. Carmen Ramirez led her into Frankie's room, grabbing a clean, worn in set of sheets from the small linen closet in the hallway. She quickly discarded Frankie's sheets and smoothed the orange flowered ones on.
"There you go." Carmen patted the bed invitingly. Marissa slipped off her shoes and neatly lined them up by the door. She crawled into Frankie's bed and let her body relax as Carmen tucked her in. It felt just like the old days, when she'd camp out at Frankie's house when things at her house got rough. And of course, the later years when she'd shared the bed with Frankie while Carmen was at work.
Marissa breathed in Frankie's familiar burnt, smoky orange smell. While bitter and unpleasant to some, his scent was oddly comforting to Marissa. In it were wrapped all of her dreams, fears, and memories.
She closed her eyes and dreamt the afternoon away…
"Mama, what is she doing here?"
"Hijo, she came here looking for you."
"You didn't have to invite her in! And let her sleep in my bed…I haven't even talked to her!"
"Frankie…she's your oldest friend. Why you so upset?"
"You just don't get it, do you Mama? I can't be around her."
Marissa shifted uneasily in Frankie's bed, where she'd been camped out for the last fifteen minutes listening to Frankie and Carmen quarrel. She hated that she had done this to them. She was too much trouble, she'd leave as soon as they stopped fighting and it was safe to come out.
A sharp rapping at the door to Frankie's room. Marissa didn't answer. She could hear the old door creak open.
"Marissa?" Frankie's voice was soft, gentle, showing no signs of the loud, angry voice from moments before. He sat down on the bed next to Marissa, and his familiar orangey smell was overwhelming. Marissa forced herself to open her eyes a crack.
And there Frankie was, flesh and bone. Every bit wonderful.
"Hey," Marissa smiled. "Come here and give me a hug!"
Frankie obliged, rolling on top of Marissa and squeezing her tight. "I thought you were leaving forever," he whispered into Marissa's honey-wheat hair.
Marissa tried to relax; she was safe in Frankie's arms again. There was nothing to worry about…she was sure Carmen would let her stay with them, at least for a little while. So why did she feel like she'd just left home?
"Hello?"
"Ryan, get your ass over here. And bring Cohen with you."
"I'm on my way."
Ryan and Seth arrived at Summer's house in about five minutes. Summer answered the door, looking distressed and annoyed. "What took you so long?"
"Summer…we got here as fast as we could without running anything over," Seth said. "We even ran two stoplights."
Summer twirled her fingers sarcastically. "Whoop-de-do."
"I'm sorry." Summer turned and stalked back into the house, Seth on her heels. "Baby, what's wrong?"
The boys followed Summer upstairs, wondering what she could possibly be upset about.
"Summer," Ryan groaned. "Please don't tell me this is a fashion emergency."
Summer gave him a dirty look. "Like I would call you or Cohen here if I had a fashion emergency?"
She opened the door to the room Marissa was staying in. Or…had been staying in. Ryan gasped as they entered the spotless cream-colored room.
"Where's Marissa's stuff?" Seth asked, confused.
Summer pointed to a folded piece of rose-colored stationary on the desk, then sat down on the queen size bed. Ryan and Seth both lunged for the note, but Ryan was quicker.
Summer, Aunt Ashley, and Neil,
Thanks for letting me stay at your house, it's really gorgeous. It was time to go home, I guess…I feel like I overstayed my welcome. Thanks for giving me a chance though. If you hear from my dad, let me know. I'll be fine in Chino, I promise. I'll stay with an old friend or something. Don't worry about me.
It was nice meeting you Summer, and all of your friends. They were really nice and sweet, for the most part. I guess I'll miss you, and them.
Xx Marissa
"That's it?" Ryan scratched his head. Why did Marissa have to leave? Why couldn't he have trusted her when she told him about Grace? Maybe if he'd dumped Grace on the spot, Marissa would still be in Newport and in Ryan's life.
But he hadn't. And that was the unfortunate truth.
Summer nodded. "There's a ripped up note in the trashcan. I wouldn't bother trying to piece it together…she did a good job tearing it."
Seth reached into the cream wastebasket and revealed a handful of pink paper scraps. "She did."
"This is all my fault…If I hadn't been such a bitch to her, just because Grace gave me her side of the story, then maybe she'd still be here." Summer buried her face in her hands, and Seth sat down to comfort her.
"No, Summer. It's all my fault. If had believed Marissa in the first place, she wouldn't have left." Ryan sat down on the other side of Summer and took her hand.
"You're both wrong. It's all my fault," Seth announced, letting Summer sob into his shoulder.
Summer and Ryan looked at him. "Why is it your fault?" they said in unison.
Seth shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know. Everyone was blaming it on themselves, so I felt like I should too."
Summer rolled her eyes. "You're such a dork."
"I'll second that." Ryan lay back on the bed, his feet dangling off the edge.
"I'll third it."
"Cohen!" Summer slapped Seth lovingly. "Just shut up…okay?"
Seth pushed Summer back on the bed and rolled on top of her. "Okay." He began to kiss her neck…stopping at her mouth to plant a wet one.
"Ugh. You guys are disgusting. I'm outta here." Ryan stood up and shook his head at his two friends.
"Where you going?" Seth mumbled between mouthfuls of Summer.
"To find Marissa?" Ryan said, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. Seth and Summer sat up, legs entwined.
"Can we come?" Summer asked, licking her lips. "Seth, did you eat a Snickers bar before?"
"I guess," Ryan shrugged. "But I don't want you two making out in the backseat the whole time."
"Fine," Seth agreed. "Three Musketeers, but you were close, babe."
Ryan turned on his heel and left the room, followed closely by Summer and Seth. They got into the Range Rover, Seth and Summer both sitting in the back. Ryan got onto the highway and looked in his rearview mirror.
"Hey," he protested. "I thought I said no making out."
"You said we couldn't make out the whole time," Summer giggled. Ryan could hear Seth panting and whispering sweet nothings in Summer's ear. Of course, he didn't know what those sweet nothings were, and had no desire to find out.
"Keep it down then."
"What a party pooper," Ryan heard Summer whisper—quite loudly—to Seth.
"Heard that." Ryan shook his head and concentrated on driving. To drown out the sound of Seth and Summer, who seemed to be constantly joined at the lips, he turned on the radio.
As they drove into Chino, Ryan locked the doors. It was just a precaution. Driving past a high school overrun with kids smoking and fighting outside, Summer pointed. "I think we should stop here. I'm sure some of these kids know Marissa."
Ryan parked, locked the doors, and the three of them set out to find a kid who wasn't fighting or smoking, and didn't look too dangerous.
They passed by two girls dressed completely in black. Their faces were the palest of whites, and their eyes were outlined in a charcoal black eyeliner.
"Hi." Seth approached the girls, who stared blankly at him. "Do you know someone named Marissa?"
One of the girls shook her head, the other nodded. "Well, do you?" Summer demanded.
The shorter girl, who'd nodded her head, pulled her shirt down a bit. "Who wants to know?" she challenged.
"I do." Summer took a step closer to the girl. "I'm her cousin."
The other girl raised her eyebrows. "Cooper, right?"
"Yeah."
"She lives on 9th Street, I think. Longwood Apartments," the short one answered.
"Does she have any close friends that she might be staying with?" Ryan asked, remembering the words on the rose-colored paper. I'll stay with an old friend or something. Don't worry about me.
The taller girl answered this time, eyeing Ryan curiously. "Well, there's this one kid, Frankie. They used to be tight." As if to emphasize, she wrapped two of her fingers together. "He lives on Normandy Lane."
"Thanks," Summer replied curtly, not particularly enjoying—okay, maybe a little—the looks some of the guys were giving her. Seth was not enjoying it at all.
"Thanks," Seth echoed. "Bye."
They hurried back to the Range Rover, Seth making sure to keep Summer's hand in his. You could never be too safe around here. They scrambled into the SUV and Ryan turned on the engine.
"Uh, guys?" Ryan asked, after they drove around for a little. "Where's Normandy lane?"
Seth and Summer broke apart from their lip lock. "Maybe we should ask someone." Summer pointed to an old, emaciated man sitting by the bus stop. Ryan pulled over and Summer hopped out of the car before Seth or Ryan could.
"Hi, I'm looking for Normandy Lane."
The man looked up, an interested glint in his eye. "What's it to you?"
Summer placed her hands on her hips. "I'm looking for a friend. Frankie's his name."
"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here?"
"I just told you." Summer rolled her eyes impatiently. "Do you know where it is or not?"
"What you gonna do for me if I tell you?" the man placed his hand on Summer's knee. She immediately backed off. "Guess you don't wanna know that badly, eh?"
Ryan jumped out of the car. "Keep your hands off her," he ordered. "Now, tell me where Normandy Lane is."
The man pointed. "Go down the road and take a left on Erickson Road. Then take a right onto Bridle and go down the street until you see the sign for Normandy. Frankie Ramirez lives in the gray house with the yellow shutters on the right."
"Thanks." Ryan handed the man a five-dollar bill, and in turn, the man tipped his fisherman's cap.
They got back into the car and Seth put his arm around Summer, who had a disgusted look on her face.
"Thanks, Ryan. That guy was a sketchball."
"Don't mention it."
"I would've come, babe, but Ryan was already out of the car…" Seth rested his head on Summer's shoulder.
"Sure you would have, baby."
Ryan followed the man's instructions, and soon they came to a battered street sign that read Normandy Lane. He turned onto the road and saw the small houses that had definitely seen better days.
He kept looking for a gray house with yellow shutters, but didn't see one.
"Hey! There it is!" Seth yelled, pointing to one of the smallest houses on the street, which was on the left. Ryan shook his head. At least the girls and man hadn't been lying about Normandy Lane and the right house. He hoped it was the right house…
They parked on the street, as the small gravel driveway was occupied by a rusty red VW Beetle, one of those really, really old-fashioned ones. Behind it, a forest green van was parked.
Summer marched up to the door confidently, knocking on the yellow door. There was no doorbell, she noted.
A squat woman with big brown eyes opened the door.
"Who is it, Ma?" Seth, Ryan, and Summer could hear another person yelling.
The woman ignored the voice and turned to the trio. "Can I help you?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, giving each one a quick inspection.
"We're looking for Marissa Cooper," Seth explained, cracking a smile. He quickly put it away when the woman didn't smile back.
"Who are you?" she asked, still guarded.
"I'm her cousin, Summer." Summer refused to smile, not at this woman.
"I'm Seth, Summer's boyfriend," Seth said, trying another smile on the woman.
"Ryan," Ryan offered.
"One second," the woman promised, closing the door. Seth began to whistle, until a slap on his arm from Summer silenced him.
"What was that for?" Seth asked, rubbing his arm.
"Just let me do the talking, okay? Me or Ryan. But you, you stay quiet Cohen." Summer smiled at her boyfriend, kissing him on the chin.
The woman opened the door again. "Come in," she said wearily. She presented Seth with the tiniest of smiles, just a slight upwards arch of her chapped lips.
They followed the woman into the tiny hallway. Summer couldn't help but notice that it was smaller than her walk in closet. She led them down another tiny hallway and opened the door to a bedroom. Marissa was curled up in the bed, and a tall, good-looking boy around their age was holding her.
"Here. You happy?" The woman disappeared back down the hallway, leaving Seth, Summer, and Ryan with Marissa and the boy.
"Oh, Marissa," Summer cried, running over to the bed and hugging her cousin, ignoring the boy, who was looking quite peeved.
"What are you doing here?" Marissa's eyes clouded over, filling up with tears.
"We found your note. I'm so sorry, Marissa. I should've believed you," Summer sniffed.
"I'm sorry too." Seth hung his head.
"For what?" came the barely audible response from Marissa.
Ryan, Seth, and Summer laughed. "I don't know. I just felt like apologizing," Seth enlightened Marissa.
Ryan stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. This guy…was he Marissa's old boyfriend? Brother? Uncle? He had a slight Spanish tone to him, as if one of his parents was Caucasian, the other Spanish.
"I'm Frankie." The boy stood up, letting Summer and Seth crowd around Marissa. Ryan shook the boy's hand.
"Ryan," he said. "You must be…"
"Marissa oldest friend," Frankie smiled smugly. "We've been dating on and off for years."
"Oh," Ryan managed to say, trying hard to hide the shock on his face. So Marissa was claimed? That was fast, too fast. He'd lost his chance. God, he was an idiot.
Mustering up all of his strength, Ryan walked over to the bed, which was sagging slightly from the combined weight of his three friends.
"Marissa," Ryan sat down on the other side of the bed, "I'm sorry."
Marissa said nothing, just stared a little dejectedly at Ryan. Why had he waited so long? And was that it? Was that all he wanted to say to her?
"I know it's only been a day, but I miss you."
Marissa waited.
"I need you…I want to make this work."
Marissa opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She saw the longing look in Frankie's eyes, and Ryan's as well.
Her oldest friend, the one she'd lost her virginity to, and liked for the longest time?
Or, her newest friend, the one she knew she could never be just friends with, and made her heart flutter with anticipation?
A/N: Haha, I'm so evil, leaving you hanging like this again! But, Chapter 13 will be up by tomorrow (Thursday) night, and sooner if you guys review and tell me what you think! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I was going to split it in 2 but I decided to give you an extra long treat!