A/N: Wow! I am inspired tonight! Here is chapter 14! Enjoy. Please
Review when finished.
"Oh um." Ryan hadn't expected to see Teresa. He had not known she knew he was here. He could tell by the look on Marissa's face that she hadn't known Teresa knew as well.
"Teresa?" Marissa managed to say.
"In the flesh." Teresa looked at each of them with a confused face.
"Did you not know I was coming? You seem surprised to see me." Teresa felt out of the situation. It was like she had barged in on something important. Had Summer not exaggerated? Were they really getting back together while she was fighting? But what did that have to do with Eddie? She didn't like this. What was going on here?
"I didn't know you were coming. I thought you were long gone by now." Ryan said softly. Why this? Why now? Were things not complicated now? It was normally awkward when he was in a room with both Teresa and Marissa, being in a hospital bed while it was happening just made the awkwardness worse. He felt a pit growing in his stomach. Why couldn't he figure out his own feelings? He looked at Teresa. He looked at Marissa. Who did he feel more for?
"Your father called me. I assumed he had told you I was coming. I came as soon as I heard." Teresa tried to explain. She didn't like barging in here uninvited. That is how she felt. She knew they wanted to be alone. She could tell they had something important to talk about. Teresa wanted to be selfish. If she could keep Marissa and Ryan from being alone together, she could make sure they didn't get back together.
"Sandy failed to mention it." Ryan mumbled. He couldn't help but feel that Teresa had managed to have very bad timing. He needed to know if Marissa had told anyone about Eddie! He needed to make sure she didn't if it wasn't already too late. But he could tell by the look on Teresa's face that she had no intension of going anywhere. Shouldn't that make him happy? But she had left. Teresa had proven herself to be no more trustworthy than anyone else had been in his life. She had left him. She was only back because he was hurt. Teresa was only compelled to stay. She didn't want to be here. How could she love him if she left? The people who love you are the ones who stand by you. The ones you can trust are the ones that stick with you when things get bad. Teresa hadn't done either of those things. He found himself seeing her in a new light. His choice was suddenly clear as day. It was Marissa. It had always been her. It was an odd moment to have sudden clarity, but he was glad to have it. He had just needed to see Teresa again to understand it.
"What were you saying about Eddie?" Teresa questioned. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they had hoped she had forgotten what she had overheard.
"It's not your Eddie. It is a different one at our school. I don't even know your Eddie, so I couldn't say he is a monster." Marissa managed to mumble. She was still wiping the mascara off her face from the tears she had spilled only minutes ago. Why had Teresa shown up now? Could she have had worse timing? Marissa wanted her to leave with all the will inside her. Teresa was back, which meant the wall between her getting back with Ryan had grown higher. Teresa was a good person, but that just made things worse for Marissa inside.
Teresa could tell she was lying. It was obvious, but she could also tell that she would get no more answers on the subject from them. She would have to let it drop. "I see. I was confused there for a minute. After all, my Eddie is no monster."
"Are you all right Teresa? You look like you've been fighting." Ryan said taking note of Teresa's red face from where Summer had slapped her.
"Oh ya. Your good buddy Summer had a really warm welcome for me." Teresa laughed about it.
"Oh, she didn't!" Marissa moaned. "I'm sorry for her behavior. She is just very protective of her friends." Marissa had a secret thought of Go Summer! She quickly hid it away. Summer knew how much Marissa loved Ryan. It was so sweet of her to try and take out Teresa for her benefit. It was horrible but sweet. She would still, of course, have to give Summer a lecture about it later.
"It's okay. I'm from Chino. It isn't close to the first cat-fight I've gotten into. Don't worry about it, really. So what about you two? Are you a couple?" Teresa was done with the small topics. It was time for the big one. Was she going to have to break them up to get Ryan back, or would things be easy? She knew she could get Ryan to pick her over Marissa, but if they were together things would be more difficult.
Ryan and Teresa were both speechless. What were they right now? Marissa knew he had said he loved her but did that mean they were together? Ryan knew he wanted Marissa, but did she still want him after all he had put her through lately? He knew he had to say something. Marissa was clearly expecting him to answer the question.
"um...I...I...I want....to be with....I mean...I need to discuss that issue with Marissa before I can answer that question." Ryan couldn't tell Teresa that he was with Marissa. What if Marissa didn't want him anymore? What if she rejected him? He didn't want to be rejected in front of Teresa. He didn't want to be rejected at all. Why were relationships so complicated? Why didn't people come with labels saying who they were meant to be with? Then things would always work out perfectly.
"I see." Teresa said simply. Damn. He had chosen without saying it. He wanted Marissa. How would she change his mind? She just didn't know. She needed a plot, something to make Marissa look bad. She had left Eddie for Ryan. He was who she wanted to be with. She just had to take fate into her own hands.
Marissa's heart skipped a beat. That was a crappy answer. He managed to skirt the issue. How Ryan like. Yet, part of her was jumping with joy that he hadn't screamed no. He had not said them being a couple was out of the picture. The situation added just enough suspense and hope to leave her anxious to be alone with Ryan.
"Is this chair taken?" Teresa asked. Everyone in the room understood that Teresa wasn't going anywhere.
When two people are hiding, they become greatly aware of their surroundings. Therefore, it did not take long for Eddie and Oliver to understand that they were following the same girl. This meant that is did not take long for Eddie to jump Oliver to find out what he wanted with Teresa. Oliver was more than willing to tell Eddie that all he wanted was Marissa. Both men had women they were determined to get. Both men had a man standing in the way of their goal. Lucky for them it was the same man. This meant that collaboration may be the way to their goals.
A/N: Short yes. Is it worthy of a review? I hope you say yes. Please review and make this poor little writer, who spends hours on the computer to bring you this, feel her efforts are appreciated. Thank you to all who have already reviewed. Please do it again and again. I can never get enough reviews or hear enough from my readers.
"Oh um." Ryan hadn't expected to see Teresa. He had not known she knew he was here. He could tell by the look on Marissa's face that she hadn't known Teresa knew as well.
"Teresa?" Marissa managed to say.
"In the flesh." Teresa looked at each of them with a confused face.
"Did you not know I was coming? You seem surprised to see me." Teresa felt out of the situation. It was like she had barged in on something important. Had Summer not exaggerated? Were they really getting back together while she was fighting? But what did that have to do with Eddie? She didn't like this. What was going on here?
"I didn't know you were coming. I thought you were long gone by now." Ryan said softly. Why this? Why now? Were things not complicated now? It was normally awkward when he was in a room with both Teresa and Marissa, being in a hospital bed while it was happening just made the awkwardness worse. He felt a pit growing in his stomach. Why couldn't he figure out his own feelings? He looked at Teresa. He looked at Marissa. Who did he feel more for?
"Your father called me. I assumed he had told you I was coming. I came as soon as I heard." Teresa tried to explain. She didn't like barging in here uninvited. That is how she felt. She knew they wanted to be alone. She could tell they had something important to talk about. Teresa wanted to be selfish. If she could keep Marissa and Ryan from being alone together, she could make sure they didn't get back together.
"Sandy failed to mention it." Ryan mumbled. He couldn't help but feel that Teresa had managed to have very bad timing. He needed to know if Marissa had told anyone about Eddie! He needed to make sure she didn't if it wasn't already too late. But he could tell by the look on Teresa's face that she had no intension of going anywhere. Shouldn't that make him happy? But she had left. Teresa had proven herself to be no more trustworthy than anyone else had been in his life. She had left him. She was only back because he was hurt. Teresa was only compelled to stay. She didn't want to be here. How could she love him if she left? The people who love you are the ones who stand by you. The ones you can trust are the ones that stick with you when things get bad. Teresa hadn't done either of those things. He found himself seeing her in a new light. His choice was suddenly clear as day. It was Marissa. It had always been her. It was an odd moment to have sudden clarity, but he was glad to have it. He had just needed to see Teresa again to understand it.
"What were you saying about Eddie?" Teresa questioned. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they had hoped she had forgotten what she had overheard.
"It's not your Eddie. It is a different one at our school. I don't even know your Eddie, so I couldn't say he is a monster." Marissa managed to mumble. She was still wiping the mascara off her face from the tears she had spilled only minutes ago. Why had Teresa shown up now? Could she have had worse timing? Marissa wanted her to leave with all the will inside her. Teresa was back, which meant the wall between her getting back with Ryan had grown higher. Teresa was a good person, but that just made things worse for Marissa inside.
Teresa could tell she was lying. It was obvious, but she could also tell that she would get no more answers on the subject from them. She would have to let it drop. "I see. I was confused there for a minute. After all, my Eddie is no monster."
"Are you all right Teresa? You look like you've been fighting." Ryan said taking note of Teresa's red face from where Summer had slapped her.
"Oh ya. Your good buddy Summer had a really warm welcome for me." Teresa laughed about it.
"Oh, she didn't!" Marissa moaned. "I'm sorry for her behavior. She is just very protective of her friends." Marissa had a secret thought of Go Summer! She quickly hid it away. Summer knew how much Marissa loved Ryan. It was so sweet of her to try and take out Teresa for her benefit. It was horrible but sweet. She would still, of course, have to give Summer a lecture about it later.
"It's okay. I'm from Chino. It isn't close to the first cat-fight I've gotten into. Don't worry about it, really. So what about you two? Are you a couple?" Teresa was done with the small topics. It was time for the big one. Was she going to have to break them up to get Ryan back, or would things be easy? She knew she could get Ryan to pick her over Marissa, but if they were together things would be more difficult.
Ryan and Teresa were both speechless. What were they right now? Marissa knew he had said he loved her but did that mean they were together? Ryan knew he wanted Marissa, but did she still want him after all he had put her through lately? He knew he had to say something. Marissa was clearly expecting him to answer the question.
"um...I...I...I want....to be with....I mean...I need to discuss that issue with Marissa before I can answer that question." Ryan couldn't tell Teresa that he was with Marissa. What if Marissa didn't want him anymore? What if she rejected him? He didn't want to be rejected in front of Teresa. He didn't want to be rejected at all. Why were relationships so complicated? Why didn't people come with labels saying who they were meant to be with? Then things would always work out perfectly.
"I see." Teresa said simply. Damn. He had chosen without saying it. He wanted Marissa. How would she change his mind? She just didn't know. She needed a plot, something to make Marissa look bad. She had left Eddie for Ryan. He was who she wanted to be with. She just had to take fate into her own hands.
Marissa's heart skipped a beat. That was a crappy answer. He managed to skirt the issue. How Ryan like. Yet, part of her was jumping with joy that he hadn't screamed no. He had not said them being a couple was out of the picture. The situation added just enough suspense and hope to leave her anxious to be alone with Ryan.
"Is this chair taken?" Teresa asked. Everyone in the room understood that Teresa wasn't going anywhere.
When two people are hiding, they become greatly aware of their surroundings. Therefore, it did not take long for Eddie and Oliver to understand that they were following the same girl. This meant that is did not take long for Eddie to jump Oliver to find out what he wanted with Teresa. Oliver was more than willing to tell Eddie that all he wanted was Marissa. Both men had women they were determined to get. Both men had a man standing in the way of their goal. Lucky for them it was the same man. This meant that collaboration may be the way to their goals.
A/N: Short yes. Is it worthy of a review? I hope you say yes. Please review and make this poor little writer, who spends hours on the computer to bring you this, feel her efforts are appreciated. Thank you to all who have already reviewed. Please do it again and again. I can never get enough reviews or hear enough from my readers.
