"Right." Ryan replied.
"Really!" Marissa smiled and kissed him, "Why would you think that."
"Honestly?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah of course." Marissa replied.
"Because I'm like this low class guy who came from nowhere, not sure of where I'm going." Ryan said softly.
Marissa looked up at him with sad eyes, "Ryan!"
Ryan looked at her.
"You came from somewhere, somewhere that made you the person you are now, the person I'm crazy in love with. What do you mean you're going nowhere, you're one of the smartest people I know." Marissa said.
Ryan looked at her, "So I have nothing to worry about?"
Marissa gave him a gentle kiss, "Nothing at all."
They continued kissing a little longer.
"So did you eat?" Ryan asked.
"I had a snack after school, why did you eat?" Marissa asked.
"No, Seth and I started homework after we got home and with all his gabbing about Summer we..." Ryan started but stopped himself.
"Why would Seth be talking about Summer?" Marissa asked.
"Uh did I say Summer? I meant Alex." Ryan lied.
"Ryan!" Marissa demanded.
"Ok Seth wants Summer back but he thinks he can't have her back so he asked out Paige." Ryan confessed.
"What!" Marissa replied, "He asked out Paige, Summer will have a fit if she hears that."
"Yeah, but don't say anything." Ryan asked.
"I won't, but I wonder if I Summer wants Seth back." Marissa thought.
"You better not tell her about Seth!" Ryan said.
"I swear Ryan." Marissa promised with a kiss, "Aren't you hungry?"
"Starving, you want to go down to the crabshack?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, comeone lets go!" Marissa replied.
Marissa and Ryan were in Marissa's bedroom while she packed to leave for Yale the next day.
"You're packing that?" Ryan asked watching her fold a shirt.
Marissa looked up, "Why you don't think I should?"
"Well why would you need to wear it?" Ryan asked.
"I don't know maybe a bunch of us will go out, I should be prepared right?" Marissa answered looking at the shirt, it was one of her going out shirts, she loved it.
"But that shirt?" Ryan asked.
"Oh I know what's going on here, you want me to be covered up the entire time, are you affraid another guy might look at me?" Marissa smiled and made her way over to him.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, "I'm just looking out for you."
"Right!" Marissa laughed, "I think I should bring a few shirts like that!"
"Nah, I don't think so." He smiled and kissed her just as Summer came storming through the door.
"Coop! Coooop!" Summer yelled.
Marissa pulled away, "Hey Sum, what's up?"
"You two should tell me." Summer said flopping down on Marissa's chair.
"What are you talking about Summer?" Ryan asked.
"Cohen!" Summer replied, "Paige!"
"Oh." Marissa replied and continued to pack.
"So aren't you two going to say anything?" Summer demanded.
"What? It sounds like you already know they were going out." Marissa replied.
"You should have told me. What the hell is he doing with that skank anyway?" Summer said.
"I didn't think it would matter, you're happy with Zach right?" Marissa asked.
"Yeah I am but it still matters. He knows how much I don't like her, he's just doing this to get back at me." Summer replied.
"Get back at you for what?" Ryan asked.
"I don't know but I'm sure its for something, maybe because I am with Zach. Besides I thought he was with that other chick, the one with tattoos and earrings...what's her face." Summer said.
"Alex?" Marissa asked.
"Yeah her." Summer replied.
"So how did you find out?" Marissa questioned.
"Zach and I went for dinner before going to the movies and they were at the restaurant laughing and giggling, it made me sick." Summer said.
"Sounds like someone is jealous." Marissa joked.
"What! OF course not....Zach said the same thing before he dropped me off, we ended up having a fight about it." Summer said.
"Did you break up?" Ryan asked.
"No, he said I needed to make sure I wanted to be with him before I hurt him, I told him I wanted to be with him. Besides Cohen's having fun playing with his girlfriends." Summer said.
"Do you want to be with Seth?" Marissa asked.
"No Coop, I just told you I wanted to be with Zach. I still love Cohen but I think its best for us to be apart. Maybe we'll get back together someday, just not now." Summer replied.
"Right." Marissa said.
Ryan had taken the cloths he didn't want Marissa to bring with her out of her suitcase and filled it with his idea of acceptable clothes, Marissa hadn't noticed because she was busy talking to Summer.
"So Coop you're leaving tomorrow? When will you be home?" Summer asked.
"Sunday, it should be interesting." Marissa replied and zipped her suitcase up.
"Chino you don't mind letting her go all alone?" Summer asked.
"No, I trust her." Ryan replied.
"Coop aren't you affraid Chino will go off and play while you're away?" Summer asked.
"Hey I didn't think of that." She smiled and looked over at Ryan, "You were affraid of leaving me alone with a bunch of guys, I'm leaving you alone with a bunch of girls."
"Its different, I'm staying home. I'm not going to be living with a bunch of strange woman." Ryan replied.
"Yeah but Seth's going to a party on Friday night, are you going?" Marissa asked.
"I don't know, why?" Ryan asked.
"Because you'll be around a bunch of drunk Newport girls and you know what drunk Newport girls are like." Marissa replied.
"I'll be at that party Coop, I'll watch him for you." Summer replied smiling at Chino.
"Why don't you just stay home?" Ryan asked.
Marissa smiled, "I'll be home in like a week!"
"Ok Coop have fun, I'll see you next week and I'll be watching you Chino!" Summer informed and gave Marissa a hug before she left.
"Maybe I should get going too, it's kind of late and I still have a bit of homework left." Ryan replied.
Marissa looked up at him with sad eyes, "You're leaving already?"
"Yeah you don't mind do you?" Ryan asked.
"Well I guess not, I was hoping to have so alone time with you since I won't be seeing you for a week." Marissa said.
Ryan smiled and stood up next to her and wrapped his arms around her, "I'm going to miss you!"
Marissa snuggled into him, "I actually feel like I'm going to cry."
Ryan laughed, "Why?"
"Because last time we left eachother for longer than like a day you left for Chino, I didn't think I was ever going to see you again." Marissa confessed.
"You're only going for a week, I'll come by right when you get home ok." Ryan asked.
"K, I'm going to miss you too." Marissa said and pressed her lips against his.
Their kiss lasted a long time, "I better go before I won't be able too." Ryan said and kissed her quickly before pulling away from her.
"Have a good time ok?" Ryan said leaving.
"You too, just not too much of a good time." Marissa teased.
The next day Seth emerged into Ryan's room with a huge grin on his face.
"Hey." Ryan said noticing him in the room.
"Hey to you too." Seth replied sitting down in the chair to wait for Ryan.
"So how was the date?" Ryan asked.
"Great, Paige is a great girl." Seth replied.
"So you two ran into Summer last night did you?" Ryan asked with a grin.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Seth asked.
"She dropped by Marissa's last night, she was a little annoyed that you were out with Paige." Ryan replied.
"Really?" Seth asked.
"Yeah but I didn't tell you, although she's pretty happy with Zach right now." Ryan confessed.
"Yeah." Seth replied and looked down.
"So the date was good?" Ryan asked.
"We hit it off, she found me funny and she wasn't half bad herself." Seth smiled, "She likes comic books too."
"That's great man." Ryan replied.
"So Marissa's gone now right?" Seth asked.
"Yeah, she left this morning." Ryan replied.
"Did you tell her you were going out with me this weekend? Because I'm not taking no for an answer." Seth demanded.
"I didn't say I was going for sure, she knows about it though." Ryan replied, "She doesn't mind anyway."
"Right just like you don't mind that she's staying with a bunch of guys." Seth replied.
Ryan looked up and gave him his signature look and threw his back on his back, "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, so Paige will probably sit with us at lunch, you can get to know her a little better." Seth stated.
"Great." Ryan replied and they headed out the door.
At lunch Ryan made his way over to their normal table finding Seth, Paige and another girl.
"Must be Paige's friend." Ryan thought to himself and approached the table.
"Hey man!" Seth said and moved over to let Ryan sit next to him, "So Ryan this is Paige and her friend Melanie."
"Hey." Ryan smiled and nodded at the girls.
"So Ryan we were just talking about the party Friday night, you have to go." Seth said.
"I told you I'd think about it." Ryan said.
"Come one man what else are you going to do?" Seth asked.
Ryan shrugged, "Relax?"
"You can relax on Saturday night." Seth said.
"We'll see." Ryan replied taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Comeon Ryan it'll be fun, Seth probably won't go if you don't go." Paige said.
Ryan looked up surprised and over to Seth who smiled while putting his arm around her, "That's my girl!"
"Maybe, I'm not guaranteing anything." Ryan replied.
"That's better than nothing." Seth said, "So Melanie are you going?"
"I was thinking about it, if I go do you guys mind if I tag along with you?" Melanie asked.
"The more the better!" Seth replied.
"Great!" Melanie replied, "Well I gotta jet, call me later Paige."
"I thought you said that Ryan has a girlfriend." Paige asked Seth.
"He does." Seth replied.
"Oh will she be coming too?" Paige asked, "Her name is Marissa Cooper right?"
"She's uh gone away for the week." Ryan replied not sure why she asked.
"Oh really a week, when will she be back?" Paige asked.
"Sunday." Ryan informed.
"Oh." Paige said, "She's the social chair here right? Very pretty girl, smart?"
Ryan looked at her a little confused and nodded.
"So where is she gone? Family vacation?" Paige asked.
"No, umm, she went to Yale for a conference or something like that." Ryan replied, "So Seth I got to go, talk to you after school. Nice to meet you Paige."
Ryan walked off thinking Paige was a little bit too interested about his and Marissa relationship. As he was walking into the school Summer came up to him.
"Hey Chino!" Summer said.
"Hey." Ryan replied stopping to talk.
"So I see you were sitting with Seth and his new girlfriend." Summer said.
"I thought you didn't care." Ryan replied.
"No I don't, so who was the friend?" Summer asked.
"What?" Ryan asked.
"The girl that was with them?" Summer asked.
"I guess she was Paige's friend, Melanie I think. Why?" Ryan asked.
"Just curious. So are you going to the party Friday night, you're more than welcome to come with Zach and me." Summer suggested.
"Yeah uh, Seth kind of wants me to go with them." Ryan said.
"Oh, with Paige, Melanie and Seth?" Summer asked.
"Ok what's going on Summer?" Ryan asked.
"NOthing, why?" Summer snapped.
"You don't have to try to babysit me while Marissa's away." Ryan laughed.
"What? I'm not trying to babysit you." Summer replied.
"Normally you wouldn't be interested in me tagging along with you and your boyfriend if Marissa wasn't with me, not even when you were dating Seth." Ryan smiled.
"Ok, I just don't want to see Coop hurt." Summer confessed.
Ryan laughed, "I'm not going to hurt Marissa."
"Why are you going to a party with Seth and his girlfriend and her best friend, it sounds like a date to me." Summer defended.
"Summer believe me, nothing is going on and nothing is going to go on." Ryan replied, "I'm not like that ok."
"All men are like that." Summer stated.
Ryan looked at her and nodded, "You'll see." And he walked away.