Marissa wore an expression of concern as she headed out the double doors from the Science block making her way towards the quad to meet Ryan. She knew he had been planning on skipping in the morning after a night of binge drinking alongside her and several frat boys. They weren't the most conventional couple, and nowhere near as perfect as they appeared on the outside but Marissa figured that everybody had their flaws and so long as no long term damage was done: fun was fun.
She felt like she loved Ryan, but she wasn't sure if it was because she was so scared of being alone that she was grasping to him, or if it was genuine feeling. She didn't know how other people worked these things out, but she kept it to herself. Never let anybody know about the doubts she sometimes felt when Ryan kissed her.
"Hey," Ryan approached her with a quick kiss.
"Hey," she smiled back. "How you recovering?" Marissa smirked at him.
"Surprisingly badly considering how well you're doing," he grinned back.
Sighing Marissa took his hand, leading the way as they began to walk past the canteen towards his dorm.
"Summer's mom is dead."
"What?" he spluttered.
"Summer got a call in , her mom, her real mom, I don't know she just took off," she explained.
They walked together in silence for a while, Ryan contemplating the information Marissa had just fed to him. He didn't really know what to think about the whole situation, not having been around during the time Summer's mother had left. Although from what Marissa had told him nobody had, Summer had moved to Newport specifically because her father wanted to remove himself from the rest of the world.
He had learned a lot over the years from careful listening, there were so many things that people never picked up on because they were just too busy talking. Too self-involved. When Ryan had first arrived in Newport the one thing he wanted more than anything else was to forget about himself, to focus on his surroundings, and even now years on he was still focusing on something else. On Marissa.
For a pretty, popular girl she sure had her share of problems and the fact that her mother was married to Ryan's adopted mother's father was only one of those complications. Ryan had been right when he told Marissa that he thought he could get into less trouble in Chino rather than Newport, but he wouldn't give her up now. They had worked too hard to get to where they were and it might not be perfection, it might not be what Seth and Summer had but with their respective traumas it was the best that they could do.
"Should we.. check on her?" he asked.
"I don't know, I mean maybe she wants to be alone.."
"Or with Seth," Ryan added.
"I just feel so bad, I mean I don't know how I'd feel if my mom was to.."
"I think it's more difficult when you don't know where they are, or if they want you," Ryan said quietly, "if this hadn't have happened Summer probably wouldn't have thought of her for years."
"What do you mean?" asked Marissa, ready to defend her friend.
"I just think it's sad," he finished soberly.
"Yeah," she sighed, as they continued walking in silence.
When they eventually reached Ryan's dorm he motioned for Marissa to stay back as he tried the door handle. It was open, but it wouldn't have been the first time that he had walked in on a very naked Seth and Summer who'd forgotten that doors had locks for a reason. Peeking inside his eyes half covered Ryan was revealed to find both parties sacked out on Seth's bed, both fast asleep and both fully clothed. The duvet was mostly wrapped around Summer and he moved quickly and quietly to avoid waking her as he reached for his toothbrush and some books.
Back outside Marissa scrunched up her face in question.
"She's in there," Ryan offered.
"What's.. I mean, are they?" she asked awkwardly.
"Sleeping."
"Oh. I guess that's good," she decided.
"Should we?" he gestured towards the stairs leading to the door.
"Yeah, yeah we should. Go.. study," sexual intent clear in her voice.
"Sounds like a plan," he agreed, hand on Marissa's waist as they wound their way through the corridor making a b-line for Summer and Marissa's dorm on the other side of campus.
She felt like she loved Ryan, but she wasn't sure if it was because she was so scared of being alone that she was grasping to him, or if it was genuine feeling. She didn't know how other people worked these things out, but she kept it to herself. Never let anybody know about the doubts she sometimes felt when Ryan kissed her.
"Hey," Ryan approached her with a quick kiss.
"Hey," she smiled back. "How you recovering?" Marissa smirked at him.
"Surprisingly badly considering how well you're doing," he grinned back.
Sighing Marissa took his hand, leading the way as they began to walk past the canteen towards his dorm.
"Summer's mom is dead."
"What?" he spluttered.
"Summer got a call in , her mom, her real mom, I don't know she just took off," she explained.
They walked together in silence for a while, Ryan contemplating the information Marissa had just fed to him. He didn't really know what to think about the whole situation, not having been around during the time Summer's mother had left. Although from what Marissa had told him nobody had, Summer had moved to Newport specifically because her father wanted to remove himself from the rest of the world.
He had learned a lot over the years from careful listening, there were so many things that people never picked up on because they were just too busy talking. Too self-involved. When Ryan had first arrived in Newport the one thing he wanted more than anything else was to forget about himself, to focus on his surroundings, and even now years on he was still focusing on something else. On Marissa.
For a pretty, popular girl she sure had her share of problems and the fact that her mother was married to Ryan's adopted mother's father was only one of those complications. Ryan had been right when he told Marissa that he thought he could get into less trouble in Chino rather than Newport, but he wouldn't give her up now. They had worked too hard to get to where they were and it might not be perfection, it might not be what Seth and Summer had but with their respective traumas it was the best that they could do.
"Should we.. check on her?" he asked.
"I don't know, I mean maybe she wants to be alone.."
"Or with Seth," Ryan added.
"I just feel so bad, I mean I don't know how I'd feel if my mom was to.."
"I think it's more difficult when you don't know where they are, or if they want you," Ryan said quietly, "if this hadn't have happened Summer probably wouldn't have thought of her for years."
"What do you mean?" asked Marissa, ready to defend her friend.
"I just think it's sad," he finished soberly.
"Yeah," she sighed, as they continued walking in silence.
When they eventually reached Ryan's dorm he motioned for Marissa to stay back as he tried the door handle. It was open, but it wouldn't have been the first time that he had walked in on a very naked Seth and Summer who'd forgotten that doors had locks for a reason. Peeking inside his eyes half covered Ryan was revealed to find both parties sacked out on Seth's bed, both fast asleep and both fully clothed. The duvet was mostly wrapped around Summer and he moved quickly and quietly to avoid waking her as he reached for his toothbrush and some books.
Back outside Marissa scrunched up her face in question.
"She's in there," Ryan offered.
"What's.. I mean, are they?" she asked awkwardly.
"Sleeping."
"Oh. I guess that's good," she decided.
"Should we?" he gestured towards the stairs leading to the door.
"Yeah, yeah we should. Go.. study," sexual intent clear in her voice.
"Sounds like a plan," he agreed, hand on Marissa's waist as they wound their way through the corridor making a b-line for Summer and Marissa's dorm on the other side of campus.