Ok, so this is my first fanfic...Please don't make fun of me but constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated...I will try to make my story well-rounded but it will deal a lot with Marissa and Ryan. Alex fans beware: This might not be your favorite fanfic! It takes place at the end of 'Rainy Day Women'...Enjoy:

"There is always some madness in love. But there is always some reason in madness." Friedrich Nietzsche

Poolhouse

Ryan Atwood sat on his bed gazing out on the expanse of the ocean, but his thoughts were not on the churning waves and endless rain; they were on Lindsey. It was hard for him to grasp the fact that in a few hours from now she would be leaving for Chicago with her mom. Ryan was still in a state of shock. Caleb turned out to be her father, everything was supposed to be ok...but it wasn't, and he felt as if his world was flipped upside down.

"Sethummer is finally BACK into business!" Seth's highly euphoric-sounding voice tore Ryan out of his quiet somber. He looked up, but said nothing.

"Thanks so much for asking, buddy, of course I'll fill you in! It was beyond my wildest fantasies. I was just, you know, hanging around with a spiderman mask on, and Summer showed up, out of nowhere, and she kissed me. I swear to you, my friend, no lie, it was, like, Spiderman quality; WAY better than the original. Kirsten Dunst and Toby Mcguire: very much overrated. Seriously, Spiderman 3, here we come!" As Seth carried on about how Summer abandoned Zach at the airport to come back to him, Ryan could not help but feel excited for him. He forgot his troubles for a second and flashed Seth a sincere smile.

"That's great, man. Congrats." Seth sensed something was up by the tone of Ryan's voice, and said,

"Are you ok, man?"

"It's nothing." Ryan looked away to avoid Seth's accusing stare.

"Are you sure? Because, if it is, I'm here to talk if you want. Any problem of Ryan's is a problem of mine. Come, sit and confide in your dear friend Seth."

"Lindsey's leaving for Chicago tomorrow morning."

Seth grimaced, "Ahh... that sucks. But look on the bright side and picture this, Alex and Marissa might be making out as we speak."

That visual made Ryan smile, aand reminded him of the moment he and Marissa had shared at at the pier earlier. Ryan had just learned the news of Lindsey's inevitable departure, and he was brooding, as usual, in the pouring rain. Marissa appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and stayed with him for a solid hour, providing him with temporary relief from the incessant rain with her oversized umbrella. The gesture in itself was very...nice; more than nice, it was the sense of familiarity that he felt with her that was oddly comforting. It almost reminded him of the way things used to be...and somewhere across town Marissa Cooper was thinking the same thing.