CHAPTER 9: THE COVER UP
NEWPORT GROUP OFFICES
It's a week later, Monday morning, 9am, and its Kirsten's first day on the job as CEO of the Newport Group. It's also Julie's first day as second in charge. Kirsten has moved in to Caleb's office and Julie has taken Kirsten's old office.
Kirsten has already started going through all the paper work and financial records of the company. Her first point of concern is to restructure the board of directors and of course to appoint a new Interior Designer, since that post is now vacant with Julie's promotion.
Julie walks in to Kirsten's office, and sits down on the couch. She has not done a single thing yet. She is simply too excited and ecstatic about her new job.
"Kiki, isn't this great?" Julie says. "You and I... working side by side. Who could have guessed that a year ago we'd not only be related, but also business partners?"
Kirsten looks up at her from her paperwork with raised eyebrows. She puts the papers down.
"Julie, how is Marissa doing?" Kirsten asks out of concern, seeing that Julie is perhaps hiding behind her work.
"She okay," Julie replies. "She's going for counseling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre. She been for two sessions and the doctor says she's making good progress." Julie gets up and walks over to the window. "But she hasn't wanted to leave the house at all. She hasn't been to school the whole of last week. The doctor says not to push her, but Kiki..." Julie turns around and looks at Kirsten with tears forming in her eyes. "She won't speak to anyone... everyone that comes over to visit she won't see... even Ryan."
Kirsten stands up from her desk and walks over to Julie. "She just needs time. Don't push her."
They kind of just stand there for a minute or two.
"Anyway." Julie says as she walks past Kirsten wiping away a tear. "I need to get to work on the job description for the new Interior Designer."
"Julie." Kirsten calls behind her and Julie stops, but doesn't turn around. "She'll be alright."
Julie doesn't say anything and walks out the office.
AT HARBOR SCHOOL, LUNCH BREAK
Ryan and Seth have just finished the last class of the morning and both meet each other on the way to the food quad. On the way they discuss the morning classes. As the reach the quad, they see Summer, who asks if she can join them. The three of them get some lunch, which consist of Mac and cheese, an apple and some juice. They take a vacant table overlooking the valley.
"So, anyone heard how Marissa's doing?" Summer is the first one to pop the obvious question.
"Nope." Seth responds, and Ryan also shakes his head.
"She doesn't want to see anyone. I've tried to go twice... and call, but she's just not interested." Summer says.
"Yeah... I've also, and nothing." Ryan responds.
"Uhmmm... and Kyle?" Ryan now asks another obvious question, but more so for Seth's sake, who is too chicken to ask.
"What? Why would he go visit?" Summer replies.
Ryan and Seth both look at each other with amusement.
"Kidding!!" Summer says as she notices their looks. "I'm not THAT blonde..." She takes a folk-full of her Mac and cheese. "He's kind of out of the picture..."
Just then Seth's phone rings. He takes it out his pants pocket, looks at confused as he doesn't recognize the number. Ryan takes it from him, looks at it and answers, as he does.
"Hey." Ryan says.
There's a short silence as he listens to the person on the other end.
"Uhmm... I was thinking of going around... seeing how Marissa is... after school today." Ryan responds.
Again a short silence.
"Okay, later then." Ryan says, ends the call and gives the phone back to Seth.
Seth and Summer look at Ryan quizzically who just tries to ignore them, by taking a sip of his apple juice. However, he wisely realizes Seth cannot be ignored... nor Summer for that matter.
"Tracey." He finally says.
"Ahh." Seth and Summer reply almost in unison.
They all finish their lunch and head to their next class.
AT THE NICHOL MANSION
Twenty minutes to half an hour after school ended, Ryan cycles up the Nichol driveway. It's long and steep and Ryan is slightly flushed as he gets there. He leans his bicycle against the wall next to the outside entranceway and walks up the three stairs leading to the front door. The front door is a solid, white double door, with bronze handles.
Ryan rings the door bell. There is a long wait and no one seems to be home.
Ryan rings the bell again. Eventually the maid opens up. She's Hispanic, just like all other maids in rich people's homes for some reason.
"Can I help you?" The maid says.
"Is Marissa in?" Ryan asks.
"You, but I'm afraid it will not be possible for you to see her. Marissa doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. You'll have to leave." And the maid attempts to close the door.
Ryan puts his hand out to stop it and she opens it again, not impressed.
"I won't be long... just for a few minutes." Ryan insists.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot." And with that the maid closes the door.
Ryan turns to leave, and sees Summer pulling up in her SUV. He stops and waits for her.
"Hey." Summer greets as she gets out the car and closes the door.
"Hey. Good luck getting in." Ryan replies.
"Don't need luck when you've got a key." Summer replies and holds up the front door key to the Nichol mansion. "You coming?"
Summer and Ryan enter the house after she unlocks the door. They both climb the stairs, Summer first, then Ryan. They come to Marissa's bedroom and find the door wide open, but Marissa fast asleep on the bed.
"She's not been able to sleep with the door closed for nearly two weeks. She flips out whenever they close it." Summer explains to Ryan.
Summer and Ryan approach gently. They can see she is fast asleep. It looks like she's cried herself to sleep as her eyes are very puffed up.
Ryan stands there and just stares at her for a while. His heart breaks as he thinks back on that terrible evening after the concert.
"Maybe we need to let her sleep." Summer eventually says.
Summer and Ryan turn to leave. As they're leaving, Marissa mumbles something that they cannot make out, and then turns over on to her back and slow her eyes flutter open. Ryan and Summer turn around.
"Hey Coop." Summer says gently. Marissa doesn't reply. "Someone's here to see you." And Summer gestures Ryan back in.
"Hey." Ryan says softly. "How you?"
Marissa again does not respond.
"Can I get you anything, Coop? Water? ... Froyo?" Summer enquires, but Marissa just shakes her head.
They stand there in silence for a while, no one knowing what to say. Marissa stares up at the ceiling, looking completely out of it and dazed. Summer cannot take it to see her friend like this and she starts tearing up.
"Uhmm... I'm gonna... bathroom." Summer quickly leaves. She certainly does not want Marissa to see her cry.
Ryan approaches the bed and sits down gently on the edge.
"So,... school's..." Ryan says trying to say something to initiate conversation.
Marissa looks at him and a weak smile comes across her face.
"You know I'll always be here for you, right?" Ryan says after a while and gives his usual half-smile back at Marissa.
They sit there for a while in silence, but not an awkward or uneasy silence. They are clearly enjoying each others' company. It brings back memories of better times when the two of them would just sit for hours and stare in to each others' eyes, not saying a word, yet still knowing what the other is thinking.
As they're sitting there, Ryan's phone rings. (Seth had given it to him to take with just before they parted ways at Harbor.) He pulls it out his pocket and recognizes the number. He flips the phone open.
"Hi." He says and stands up and turns around. He listens for a while and then says,
"Ok, see you later then." Ryan closes the phone and puts it back in his pocket. He turns back around to Marissa, but she has turned over. She has heard Ryan talking to Tracey and it has upset her.
"Uhmm... so..." Ryan says trying to reinvent conversation.
"I'm tired... please leave. I want to sleep." Marissa says coldly.
"But, you've been sleeping almost all day... maybe you should get out for a while... I was thinking..." Ryan says and then is cut off.
"I SAID LEAVE." Marissa says vociferously, just as Summer comes in.
"Coop, you okay?" Summer says and gives Ryan an annoyed stare. She walks over to Marissa and pats her on the arm.
"I... I just..." Ryan starts to explain, but quickly realizes it's hopeless. Marissa is very fragile at the moment. Anything can, and very often does, upset her. It's not that she doesn't want her friends and loved ones around, it's just that she's got so much going on and so much to work through, she doesn't know where to start. And for that matter, she doesn't even know who she can trust anyone.
"Maybe you should leave." Summer says to him.
"I'm just tired." Marissa says as she turns back over and looks at the both of them.
"Okay, Coop. I'll come visit again tomorrow." Summer says.
"Okay. Thanks for coming," Marissa says mostly just to be polite. She really did not want to see anyone any time soon.
Summer and Ryan turn to leave.
AT THE COHEN'S PLACE
Monday afternoon finds Sandy in his study making some calls and setting up some court cases. Some of the cases he will settle out of court; most will be in court. This is what Sandy does. He is a defense attorney and mostly does pro-bono work. This is what he enjoys the most – defending those who cannot really afford it.
The doorbell rings and Rosa goes to answer it.
"Good afternoon." A well-dressed businessman greets. "Is Mr Stanford Cohen in by any chance?"
Rosa ushers him in and directs him to Sandy's office.
"Okay, Lillian, if you could fax those over to me within the hour please. Thanks." Sandy ends his conversation as his visitor waits at the door. Sandy gestures him in, and puts the phone down. Sandy is dressed a lot more casually than his guest. He is wearing a pair of black, flannel pants and a white and blue pin-stripe shirt, unbutton, with no tie.
"Hi. Sandy Cohen." Sandy says and stretches out his hand.
"Afternoon. John Hammond." The gentleman introduces himself as he shakes Sandy's hand.
"Please, Mr Hammond, take a seat." Sandy gestures to the guest seats in front of his desk. As Mr Hammond sits down, Sandy also takes his seat at his desk.
"Please, call me John." The visitor replies.
"Okay, John. Would you like some coffee? Muffin?" Sandy offers.
"No, I'm fine thanks." John says and Sandy nods at Rosa that she can go.
"So, how can I help you?" Sandy asks.
"I am terribly sorry to be a nuisance, I know I should have probably made an appointment first, but I really need to see you, as I've heard you're the best in your field." John explains.
"No, not necessary." Sandy says to him. "You are right about the 'best in the field' though." Sandy says jokingly.
"I need to make use of your services. You will be paid handsomely, I assure you." John attempts to make an offer and not catching on to Sandy's humor.
"Why don't you explain to me first what you'd like me to do?" Sandy says getting more serious now and sits back in his chair.
"I need your services as a defense lawyer." John explains. Sandy looks at him intriguingly, as John continues to explain his visit.
"I need you to defend my son. Last weekend, my wife and I were away on holiday to the Grand Canyon. It was our twentieth wedding anniversary. However, we had to cut our vacation short, after a phone call from the local law enforcement informed us that our son was arrested and accused of attempted rape and aggressive assault."
Sandy sits forward in his chair, places his elbows and hands crossed on the desk and looks at his guest in total bewilderment at what he is hearing. He can see where this is going. John continues.
"It is clearly a mistake and, at best, he must have been framed, as he does not know anyone in this county. He recently has made friends with the neighbor's daughter and they seem to be getting on very well; he battles to make friends easily, so my wife and I have been very happy about this.
"My family and I moved out here only three weeks ago when I got a job promotion in an international import and export company. The national head office is here in Orange County, so this necessitated the move. My son was not too happy with the move, but we really never had much of a choice.
"We are a simple family, Mr Cohen. My wife is very involved in the church, and so is my son; he's been going since first grade. My wife is the treasurer and my son is on the youth team committee. So, you see, he cannot be the suspect they are looking for."
As John comes to an end, Sandy rocks back in his chair. He sits in silence for a moment.
"You son's name wouldn't by chance be 'Mark' would it?" Sandy asks the question he's been thinking about the whole time.
"Why, yes." John replies, very surprised and confused at the same time. He shuffles in his chair. "Mark James Hammond. How did you know?"
Sandy takes a deep breath and sighs heavily. He stands up and walks over to the other side of his desk. "You're a golfing man, John?" Sandy asks and gestures towards the door.
"I've played a little with the bosses on potential clients recently, why? What's going on?" John says now totally confused. He gets up and turns to exit Sandy's study.
"We've got some talking to do." Sandy says and follows John out the study. "And I hope you have your afternoon free."
MEANWHILE AT KIRSTEN'S OFFICE
Kirsten had just got back from lunch with Julie. They had gone out and spoken about everything from Marissa to the appointment of a new Interior Designer, and even the next party they plan on having. Well, it was mostly Julie doing all the talking and Kirsten doing all the listening.
As Kirsten walks in to her office she sees a familiar face waiting for her.
"Mr Rutherford." Kirsten says surprised to see their biggest investor in her office. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kirsten says.
"Good afternoon Kirsten. You're looking as lovely as ever." Arthur compliments her.
"Thank you. What can I do for you?" Kirsten says
"Maybe you should sit down, Kirsten." Mr Rutherford suggests and Kirsten sits down on a single couch opposite him.
"This is not a business call." Arthur Rutherford explains. "This visit is more of a personal nature."
Kirsten looks at him slightly shocked, yet concerned at the same time.
Arthur continues. "It has to do with my nephew of whom, I believe, you and your family already have met, albeit in somewhat surly circumstances."
Kirsten shifts in her seat. "Mr Rutherford, I'm drawing a blank here..."
"Mark..." Arthur blurts out. "Mark Hammond is my nephew. His mother is my sister."
Kirsten's look of shock and concern turns to unbelief and bewilderment.
"I feel it my duty, out of concern for both your sake, and Mark's and as a friend to share some information I know with you." Arthur says.
He takes a deep sigh and continues.
"Mark suffers from an acute form of Teenage Schizophrenia brought on by highly stressful situations. His alternative persona is prone to short temperedness and very often violence. The doctors have said he will eventually grow out of it, but at the moment the best that can be done is to treat the symptoms. He has been stable now for close on ten months. I suspect their recent move is what set this one off.
"The Hammonds have moved at least four to five times in the last three years and this has put indescribable pressure on Mark as he has been unable to settle down and make any close friends." Arthur stops and pours himself a glass of water from the table in the middle. Kirsten sits there still shell-shocked at this news.
"Their recent move was as a result of a... incident... where Mark was accused of raping his then present girlfriend. The case was eventually thrown out of court, as the witness refused to come forward and testify against him out of fear for her life. As a result, the state could not force Mark in to an institute. His doctors have recommended on numerous occasions that the best for Mark would be to have him institutionalized for a period of time, but his parents will have none of it. I suggested that perhaps a change in scenery and the sea air would do Mark well, and arranged for John, Mark's father, to manage my international import and export business here in Newport." Arthur stops and takes a sip of his water.
Kirsten, now completely baffled and shocked at the news speaks up. "But, why would you feel to tell me this? Shouldn't you be speaking to his parents? And Julie? She should hear this."
"His parents do know. However, they are not prepared to face up to it. It is easier to ignore it and hope it goes away. Sad to say, they are more concerned about their social stature in the community and the church, than the well-being of their son. Furthermore Mark and his parents do not get on at all." Arthur says.
"But what teenager does get on with their parents?" Kirsten reasons.
"Not in that way. They have never seen eye to eye. They will not listen to him when he has anything to say. They say they love him and in the public eye they are most definitely the model family, but behind the façade, their home-life is very different. He has no privacy – they don't allow him to even bath with the door closed. There is no relationship growth at all.
"I have assumed something of a father/friend role for Mark. He finds it easy to talk to me about almost everything. I know about his relationship with Marissa and also with your sons. This is why I felt it necessary to share this with you." Arthur says.
"But I still feel Julie should know." Kirsten says. "I'll just get her in here quick. It won't be easy for her to hear, but it is important." Kirsten stands up.
"Before you do that, there is one other thing..." Arthur says as he also gets up. "And this is the main reason for my visit."
"What's that?" Kirsten asks.
"Do you know if Marissa has been for a blood test?" Arthur asks.
"No, I'm not sure. Why?" Kirsten says very confused.
"What I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential. I assume you'll tell you husband and Julie, which is fine, but further than that it cannot get out... and it cannot get out that I was the one who told you. His parents know, but are not prepared to accept it. They keep saying the tests are incorrect, even though he has been to three different specialists. If ever they are confronted, they down-play it."
Kirsten looks at him with a look that says, 'just tell me.'
"Mark went for a blood test three months ago." Arthur stops, looks at the floor, and then up at Kirsten again. He sighs deeply and then says, "The tests returned positive... Mark... Mark has HIV." And as he said that, Julie walked in.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, COHEN'S KITCHEN
The previous evening, Kirsten told Sandy about the visit she received from Arthur Rutherford, who interestingly turns out to be Mark's uncle.
Sandy in turn told Kirsten about the interesting visit he received from John Hammond, Mark's father, and how he had been requested to defend Mark.
Sandy and Kirsten decided it best to inform Seth and Ryan of what had happened, and that evening had sat down with them and told them everything. Needless to say, Ryan was even angrier than before and did not believe the whole 'Teenage Schizophrenia' angle.
The following morning everyone is in something of a sobering mood. Ryan and Seth are sitting at the kitchen counter munching on breakfast with a glass of orange juice each.
Kirsten and Sandy come downstairs and enter the kitchen.
"Sandy, you cannot seriously consider defending him?" Kirsten said as she walked in to the Kirsten, with her husband close behind. She walks over to the counter and pours herself a cup of coffee. "'Cause you do know there is a conflict of interest here."
"Dad, you gonna defend him?" Seth asks slightly shocked and Ryan looks up at Sandy with a look of 'you're not serious'.
Sandy butters himself a bagel. "I'm not saying I'm going to defend him. Although it will be interesting... A Christian needing a Jew to come to his rescue... interesting props... and won't be the first time either."
They all look at him again with a sarcasm written all over their faces.
"I'm just saying that consideration for what is best for Mark and everyone else needs to be made, because by the sounds of it, his parents are not doing that. I know I cannot get directly involved here..." Sandy stops and looks at Ryan... "I've arranged lunch with him this afternoon... I'll refer him to a colleague of mine."
"Good. And Julie's taking Marissa down to the doctor first thing this morning to have a blood test done." Kirsten announces. "I think I should go with... offer some moral support."
"Ryan, are you going to try seeing Marissa again today?" Seth turns to his friend and asks.
"Yeah... she's gonna need you now more than ever." Kirsten says to him.
"Maybe, I dunno. She seems to just want some space..." Ryan says. "... and Tracey... a little mad at me right now."
"Ah, yes. The love triangle." Seth says mockingly. "It weaves its tangled web of immeasurable pain and untold deceit, tightening its grip with even increasing cruelty, until all life, love and hope has been constricted out of its victim..."
Ryan looks over at Seth with a look of total dismay. "You're getting weirder by the day."
"Anyway, I've got to get going if I'm going to catch up with Julie and Marissa before she leaves for the doctor's, and you boys need to get going before you're late for school." Kirsten says as she puts her empty coffee cup in the basin.
"I'll take them." Sandy offers.
Ryan and Seth finish off their breakfast and put their bowls away in the basin. They grab their bags and head out with Sandy.
AT THE RAPE CRISIS CENTRE
It's 9am and Julie, Kirsten and Marissa sit in the waiting room of the Rape Crisis Centre, where Marissa has an appointment for a blood test. Kirsten's advice to Julie was that she not tell Marissa that Mark is HIV positive until the results of the test, as this could just upset her even more, and that is the very last thing Marissa needed right now. Julie had just said that the blood test was a formality for victims of rape or attempted rape and that the doctor had insisted it get done as soon as possible.
Marissa sat there looking completely bored and not all too impressed. Around the waiting room sat three other girls, probably ranging in age from 12, 15 and 25. The oldest looking girl, looked quite beat up with a blue eye and a nasty bruise on her cheek. She was sitting alone. The other two younger looking girls were sitting there with their mothers, one looking very upset and crying constantly, the other half asleep on her mom's lap.
"Kirsten. I'm glad you came with. I don't think we'd be able to do this by ourselves." Julie thanks Kirsten, and also on Marissa's behalf.
"It's not a problem." Kirsten says.
Just then a nurse walks in to the wait room. "Ms Cooper?" The nurse calls.
Julie indicates their party.
"You may come through," the nurse announces. "Third door on the left."
Marissa and Julie get up.
"I'll just wait here." Kirsten says.
Marissa and Julie walk through to room number 3. Inside the doctor is sitting behind her desk. She is roughly 35 years old and is donned in a white overcoat.
"Good morning. Please take a seat. I'm Doctor Sarah Finnley... you may call me Sarah." The doctor greets the visitors warmly as they enter. "How are you doing today?"
"Okay." Marissa replies. She is clearly not happy to be there and is not hiding the fact either.
"This will only take a few minutes of your time. It is a formality for victims of rape." The doctor takes out a needle from her desk draw, and breaks open the sealed packaging.
"I don't get why I need this test, I wasn't raped." Marissa said firmly and coldly.
"Marissa, we spoke about this in the car on the way over. Just let Doctor Finnley do her job." Julie says embarrassed. She turns to the doctor. "I'm sorry about that doctor... she's..."
"That's okay. Not many of my patients are ever happy to see me." Sarah says with a smile. "However, it's government regulations."
"If you can just roll up your sleeve for me please." The doctor asks as she walks around to the chair Marissa is sitting on.
Marissa does as requested and the doctor, as gently as possible, inserts the needle in to Marissa's vein. The tube fills up quickly with blood. Once the tube is full, the doctor removes the need and puts a piece of cotton wool on the wound to stop the bleeding, and tapes it down with a band aid.
"That's it." The doctor announces. "We'll have the results for you in about two to three hours; we'll give you a call once we have confirmed a definite outcome. Should the results come back positive we will immediately arrange for a support consultant to be assigned to you."
"Thank you, doctor." Julie says and they get up to leave.
Kirsten meets them at the entrance. "So, what's the verdict?"
"3 hours we'll know." Marissa replies.
"Then, let's go get some breakfast. I haven't had McMuffins in ages, and I'm starved."
TENNIS CLUB
That afternoon Sandy met with John Hammond, Mark's father, to discuss his request for a defense over lunch.
Sandy arrived and found John already seated at a table on the pool side sipping on a martini. He was not all together very impressed with John at this stage. He had done some background checks that morning on what Arthur had told Kirsten and found it to be all true. He walked over to the table.
"Afternoon." Sandy greets very business-like and pulls up a seat.
As he sits down, the waitress, dressed in a blue and white shirt and a white tennis skirt, comes over to take their orders. She hands them a menu each and gives them a minute to decide.
"I'll have a martini and a club sandwich." Sandy orders and hands the menu back to the waitress.
"A cheese bagel and a fruit cocktail will be great, thanks." John places his order and also hands the menu back.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet me this afternoon." John says. "I felt after our discussion yesterday, this would be a good follow up and a chance to decide on a defense and course of action to take."
Sandy looks at John with an unimpressed look on his face. "Let's just get right down to it, shall we?" Sandy says.
"Okay, what's on your mind?" John replies, sensing Sandy is not as supportive as he was yesterday.
"Why didn't you tell me about your son's problem... or should I say problems?" Sandy says.
John is a little taken a-back. "I... I'm not too sure what you're getting at." John says with mock confusion.
"Please don't take me for a fool Mr. Hammond. I know... and so does my wife and kids, and by the end of the day, so will Marissa." Sandy says. "You cannot keep this a secret for ever."
Just then their orders arrive.
John sits back and sips on his cocktail. He takes a deep sigh. "So, I take it my lying brother-in-law came around to see you." He finally says.
"He had a meeting with my wife yesterday. But that's beside the point. If what he said was all fabrication, then why do all the reports and paper work confirm it? I had it all checked out this morning." Sandy responds.
"I didn't see the relevance it in?" John says trying to defend himself now.
"The RELEVANCE, is that this is the only defense your son has and could be the only thing keeping him out of a maximum security facility." Sandy says fervently.
"The TRUTH, Mr Cohen, is what will be my son's defense, not a couple in incompetent doctors' unsubstantiated opinions." John says now getting angry.
"The TRUTH is that he attempted to rape the daughter of a very close friend of mine. Do you know that if found guilty of rape while knowing full-well you HIV positive, can be punishable by the death sentence in some states?" Sandy says to him incessantly.
John sits there with a look of anger and defeat on his face. Sandy continues.
"Your unwillingness to accept this truth is killing your son. If you love him, you will get him some help." Sandy says. He hands him a business card. "This is the number of a colleague of mine who will be able to help you. He's a trained counselor and legal advisor."
"You CANNOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY SON." John says to Sandy almost shouting.
"No, but I can get a judge to declare you and your wife incompetent as parents on the grounds that you are not getting your son the necessary help and medication needed in his condition." Sandy says not backing down.
"Put your ego aside, John, or you will loose more than your pride... you will loose your family... you will loose your son." Sandy says.
With that, Sandy takes his napkin off and puts it down on the table. Throwing a few dollars down to cover the cost of the meal, he gets up and leaves; leaving John sitting there to contemplate all that has been said.
THE POOLHOUSE
It's late afternoon, and Ryan is lying on his back, on his bed looking up at the ceiling. Tracey was supposed to come over, but he cancelled with her giving her the reason that he needed to get an assignment completed by tomorrow. She was obviously not very happy with him as it was, and this didn't make things any easier. However, despite the fact that he really did have an assignment due the next day, his mind was not on that, or Tracey and her annoyance towards him right now,... it was on Marissa. He has heard nothing since she went for the test that morning and he's been getting more and more fidgety and irritable.
Seth enters the poolhouse.
"Hey buddy. What's up?" Seth says as he picks up the golf putter leaning against the wall and play-hits an air-ball.
"Heard anything from Marissa?" Ryan says to Seth.
"No, nothing. I was hoping she may have told you." Seth says and again swings the putter. "Maybe you should go around and see her."
Ryan sits up and Seth leans the putter up against the wall again and sits down on the couch.
"No, she's not very up to seeing me lately." Ryan says.
Outside the poolhouse, Marissa stands and stares at the handle. It's been over seven months since she's been in there and she's even wondering what she is doing there now. After she received the news this morning, she had to get out the house. Being cooped up inside all day for a week was taking it's toll, and besides it was the doctor's suggestion that she spends time with friends to get her mind off her problems. Summer was not at home and the only person she could think of was Ryan. But what if he wasn't interested in seeing her? What if he's with Tracey? All these thoughts are overwhelming and Marissa turns to leave. And then stops and turns back again to the poolhouse. She finally plucks up enough courage and pulls on the handle.
Back inside the poolhouse, Ryan has decided to try and see Marissa anyway. She may not want to see him, but he wanted to see her. He had to know.
Suddenly the door opens, tentatively, and there she stands. She is dressed in a blue, sleeveless dress with white poker-dots that ends just below the knee. She has black, flat shoes on and a handbag over her shoulder. Both Seth and Ryan stand up, shocked to see her there; both speechless.
"Oh... Uhmm... I hope this isn't a bad time." Marissa says softly and shyly trying to read the look of shock on their faces.
"No, no, not at all, please. Sit." Ryan says. The three of them just stand here though... all slightly unsure what to do and feeling a bit awkward.
"So... how you're feeling?" Ryan finally breaks the silence.
"Good." Marissa responds.
"Good." Ryan replies quickly and Seth just looks timidly at the both of them.
"Good. So I can see you two have a lot to talk about, so I'll just go and... peel potatoes or something." Seth replies and then quickly leaves the poolhouse. He enters the kitchen from the backdoor and finds his mom and dad in the kitchen.
"You may have to set another place for supper." Seth says.
"Oh, thanks sweetie, but I figured Tracey was probably going to stay for supper again tonight anyway." Kirsten says.
"Not Tracey... Marissa." Seth corrects her. Sandy and Kirsten just look at each other. "Yes, that is right. The triangle manifests again." Seth says and leaves the room. Sandy hugs Kirsten from behind.
Back in the poolhouse, Ryan and Marissa are sitting on the bed.
"So... how's school?" Marissa says.
"Not as fun without you there... Seth keeps it interesting, but can get a bit over the top at times." Ryan says with a smile.
"How was the doctor?" Ryan returns a question.
"Not as fun without you there." Marissa replies with a smile. It's the first time she's genuinely smiled for quite some time at Ryan, and actually felt relaxed in his presence.
"And the result?" Ryan asks, wanting to know.
"Oh that." Marissa says. "I have some good news and some bad news."
"Give me the bad news first." Ryan says bracing himself for the worst.
Marissa is quiet for a while and then finally says. "Okay... The doctor said that I am going to die."
Ryan sits there, shocked. He was prepared for the worst, but not like that.
Marissa looks at him again and has a broad grin on her face. "But not from AIDS, and not for another 70 years. She says I'm as healthy as they come!"
Ryan looks at Marissa and also smiles broadly. He play pushes her back on the bed and the two of them play-tackle each other like they used to over a year ago.