"She hates me." She sobbed.
"She doesn't hate you." He comforted, hands on her.
"She does—the things she said." Her chest heaved with the awkward angles of her breathing.
"It was just a shock." He placated. "We'll go see her tomorrow."
"She's never going to speak to me again, Zach." Her eyes frightened.
"She will." His thumb ran along her bottom lip, trying to stop the quaver.
She looked up at him through big, diluted eyes framed by tear-jewelled lashes.
"I don't want her to hate me." She whispered urgently.
"I know." He soothed. "She won't."
"Promise?" She stuttered.
"I can't." He seemed calm. "You just have to trust Summer. That she loves you."
"More than she loves you." She sighed out.
"She doesn't love me." Even voice, even hands.
Brokenly she spoke. "She just seemed so…"
"Well, she didn't really have any warning. At least I saw her and Cohen from a mile off." He reasoned.
"Everyone saw that." She smiled watery. Her smile broke on his intake of breath. "Sorry."
"No. Don't be." He assured. "I got something pretty good out of the deal." He coaxed a smile with his own.
"What would that be Mr. Stephens?" She swallowed.
"Well… mostly you."
"She called." Her voice was drained.
"See?" He stroked her shoulder warmly as he sat.
"It was weird." She breathed.
"Why?"
"Things with Seth aren't going so great. Apparently."
"Really?" He squinted.
"Yeah." She considered. "I'm not usually the one with the good guy."
They shared a small smile.
"So, what's wrong?" He hesitated. "No. Wait. It has nothing to do with me – and that feels really good. More importantly what did you talk about?"
"Us." She smiled sadly.
"Us?" He questioned warily.
"Yeah. Us." She confirmed.
"This sounds ominous."
"Oh, no. I just feel weird with her being pissed at me. I don't think Sum's ever been this pissed and I don't even know what the big deal is. She has Seth."
"Maybe it's not everything she thought it would be."
"They did kind of hype themselves." She agreed.
"But you know." He traced the outline of her jaw. "Their problems really aren't our problems."
"She's my best friend!" She protested.
"You don't have to be miserable just because she is." He sounded reasonable.
She put a palm to his cheek. "She's not miserable – just sad."
"Well you don't have to be."
"I haven't really been happy in a long time." She confessed.
"Then we need to fix that."
"I just hate shrinks." She shrugged.
"I didn't say 'shrink', I just think you'd feel better if you talked to someone about this." He spoke quietly.
"It's just one little drink." She tried.
"With half a bottle of vodka in it." He addressed.
Her eyes were strained and desperate. "Please, Zach. It's not a big thing." She swallowed.
"It is."
"No. It's not. It's just a drink." She waved the tumbler in front of her with shaky hands.
"Just a drink is a glass of champagne. This is not just a drink – I just want you to let someone help you Marissa."
"You're helping me." She implored.
"No. I'm not. You won't let me." He was frustrated.
She broke down just a little at his look. "I will. I will let you – just please no shrinks. I'll let you help me, I promise I will."
"Then give me the drink." He was determined.
"I just—" She croaked.
Eyes heavy with pain and shame tilted downwards with her face as she thrust the cup towards him. Not watching as he poured it out over the prize lawn.
She looked helplessly at the liquid sinking into the grass.
"Thank you—" He started.
"We won't work." She was empty.
"What?"
"You can't fix me." Her lips were numb. "You can't just—" She broke off, shaking her head.
"I—" He couldn't form words. "I'm not letting you do this."
She opened her mouth to protest wavily.
"You're drunk." He observed. "We're not talking about this while you're drunk. I'm taking you home and we'll talk once you've slept."
"Whatever." She started towards his car, tears threatening.
"Marissa, please." He reached out.
"I just wanna go home, Zach."
"Why won't you take my calls?" He looked stung.
She stopped. "You don't deserve to have to look after someone like me."
"What do you mean?" He guided her to the edge of the corridor.
"I'm not dragging you down with me. Ryan was right – that's all I ever do to people." She spoke brokenly.
"I don't feel like that." He stated.
"Well I do. And you don't deserve it." She insisted.
"What about what I want?"
She bit her lip – hard.
"Please don't make this difficult." She begged quietly.
"Everything worth having is. You have to start seeing that and stop hiding behind all these vices." He rested his forehead close to hers, leaving a gentle impression of his lips on her cheek.
"Please don't leave me."
"I'm not." He reassured.
She watched him disappear through the throngs of students decorating the hall with their presence.
