Chapter 10

Marissa pulled her SUV into the driveway, "Ok, were here!"

Summer bit her lip, "This is where were going?"

The girls were parked in the driveway of the Cooper household, (not to be confused with the much less happy Nichol household.)

"Yeah," Marissa confirmed, "I mean I think we both need to be home right now, and where's a better place to feel home, than at home? Plus, Sum, you spent more time at my house growing up than you did at your own house. Hell, you spent more time at my house growing up than I did!"

Summer laughed, "Yeah, I guess I did. But Coop, doesn't somebody live here?"

Marissa shook her head, "I talked to Sandy at the wedding, he said the couple that live here only come during the winter."

Summer sighed, "But how are we going to get in?"

Marissa smiled, "I broke the latch on my window when Ryan and I started dating."

Now it was Summer's turn to smile, "I was wondering how you guys spent so much time together!"

Marissa was silent for a moment, lost in new thoughts of Ryan.

Summer noticed the far off look in Marissa's eyes, "Come on, lets go!" She said pulling on Marissa's arm.

The girls crept around to the back of the house, they ducked in between the bushes, to get underneath Marissa's window.

"Great Coop, how are we going to get up there?"

"I don't know, how did Ryan get up here so many times?" Marissa thought for a minute, "Oh yeah! Here help me lift this rock." The girls slowly lifted a heavy rock onto another flat rock. The rock on top teetered and Summer looked doubtful. "Um, I'm not so sure that that looks safe."

"Yeah, me neither" Marissa agreed, "That's why you're going to go first!"

"What? Why me?" Summer hit Marissa in the stomach.

Marissa laughed, "Summer, I'm taller, I'll give you a boost and then when I'm standing on the rock you can help pull me up!"

Summer sighed, "fine fine, but you owe me."

Marissa smiled and she stood on the bottom rock and clasped her hands together so that Summer could get a foothold. Summer grunted as she stood on Marissa's hand and reached for the window. When she finally got a hold of the window sill, she pulled her self in. Marissa heard a giant, THUD as Summer hit the floor of Marissa's room.

"Sum?! Are you ok?" Marissa waited for an answer she finally heard a soft whimper, "Ow," and then a louder, "I hate you Coop!" Marissa smiled, "Oh yeah," she said softly, "You're fine."

Marissa stood on the second rock and reached for the window sill. She could just barely touch it, but she felt two hands grab her forearms and pull her upwards. As she got a better grip she pulled herself through the window and tumbled to the floor. Like Summer, she crashed against the floor and muttered in pain. She and Summer began to laugh at themselves. Marissa's laughter stopped abruptly as she opened her eyes and looked around the room. The pink walls in her room didn't seem as tall as they had before.

"God, this room seems so much smaller!" Marissa sighed.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Summer asked as she looked around.

"Maybe, but it definitely seems smaller."

"Oh my God Summer, do you remember this?" Marissa rushed to one of the walls and pointed to a knick.

"Oh my God Coop! Is that from...wait, what is that from again?"

"Remember?! It was sixth grade and Holly was having a birthday party, but I couldn't go because I had the chicken pox. You came over to see if you could borrow something to wear, and I told you that I liked Luke, but at Holly's birthday party you kissed him during a game of spin the bottle! Then Holly called me and told me.."

"And when I came over you threw an alarm clock at me!" Summer exclaimed.

Marissa nodded and smiled, "But the next day you came over with Luke and explained that it was a game and then Luke asked me out."

Summer started laughing, "I can't believe I forgot that! How come I've never seen it since then?!"

Marissa smiled, "After Luke asked me out, I hung a picture of you and me over the hole. God Summer, we've been through everything together, what happened this summer?"

Summer shook her head, "We fell in love, and love kicked our ass."

Marissa nodded her head slowly and slid down the wall into a sitting position, "Yeah, but what happened to us? I mean I needed you this summer!"

Summer paused, "When I got that letter from Seth, at first I blamed Ryan, because if Ryan hadn't have left, than Seth wouldn't have. Then I just kept thinking about what Cohen said in the Lobster shack. He said that if it hadn't been for Oliver than you and Ryan would never have broken up, and Ryan wouldn't have slept with Theresa. Coop, I know it was absolutely horrible of me, but for about a week, I was actually mad at you."

Marissa sighed deeply, maybe Seth and Summer were right, if she had just believed Ryan about Oliver, none of this would have happened! "I'm so sorry Summer,"

Summer moved towards Marissa and put her arm around her, "Hey, you don't have to be sorry for anything! After a week, I realized how wrong I was to be angry at you, and I just wanted to blame somebody, because if I had nobody to blame, then I couldn't understand why Cohen left!"

Marissa smiled, "So what happened? Why didn't you come see me then?"

Summer bit her lip, "well then I felt guilty for blaming you and I started hanging out with Holly again. God, I forgot what a bitch she is!"

Marissa laughed, "Come on Sum, lets go outside."

The girls realized that getting out of the room was a lot easier than getting into it. Once they were safely on the ground, they wandered around to the backyard. The girls were just beginning to talk, when Summer grabbed Marissa's arm and whispered, "Oh my God Coop, look, its Sandy and Kirsten!"

Marissa was startled, "Summer, what should we do? I want to talk to them! Do you think they'd be mad?"

Summer bit her lip, "I don't think so, but how do we approach them?"

Before the girls had time to plan, Kirsten spotted them. "Oh girls! Come over here!" She got up from the ground and went to greet them. To Summer and Marissa's surprise, Kirsten hugged both the girls at once tightly. "We've missed you girls so much!" Kirsten whispered. "I never even realized how much I liked having you girls over! But this summer, I finally did realize, and I missed both of you so much!" Marissa and Summer both smiled and hugged Kirsten back. "We miss being around here too." They murmured. Kirsten motioned for the girls to come sit, "Won't you girls come and join Sandy and me? Were just reminiscing." The girls eagerly nodded and followed Kirsten to the pool side.