Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my box set

Thanks to Valkrys for being my first reviewer, (yay!) I'm glad you like it. I know what you mean about Ryan and Marissa being just friends but I felt I needed them to be to make the story work.

Also to stuckinpa, I so know what you mean! I'm trying my best to keep them friends but I really have no ideas where this is headed in the long run, so you never know!

Thanks to BrSoccerchic for saying it was great writing, I'm kinda on a high from all your reviews, yay!

Xgoingunderx, thanks for reviewing, it really means a lot, I'll try and update as often as I can!

I really appreciate reviews, before I started writing I didn't really realise how helpful they are, so thanks!

Anyway, on with the story, enjoy!

Chapter 2

"Hey!" Ryan bounded up to Marissa on Monday morning "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good thanks" Marissa smiled half heartedly. Her face told a different story. Marissa looked round, she was determined that Scott wouldn't see her with Ryan. Maybe she had overreacted last night but she wasn't going to risk this new relationship with Scott over Ryan.

"What's the matter?" his face was full of concern

"Nothing, I'm gonna be late for western civ" Marissa sped up walking towards the History block "I'll see you later."

"Lunch?" Ryan called quizzically after her.

"Maybe" She threw the last comment over her shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. Ryan was puzzled but decided that she'd had an argument with her Mom or something. He hoped.

It wasn't until halfway through Physics that he remembered that she had had a date with Scott the previous night. His arms physically tensed and his mind raced. Marissa might not be his girl friend anymore but she was his best friend and he would do whatever it took to stop her getting hurt anymore.

The morning seemed to last forever and when lunch did finally arrive Marissa was nowhere to be found. Ryan tried to find Seth and Summer to find out if they'd seen her, before he could locate them and arm reached out from behind a large bush of some sort and grabbed him. It was Marissa.

"What the hell?" Ryan laughed.

"Don't laugh," Marissa scolded, she paused then decided to tell him what he was bothering her. "I went out with Scott last night and-"

"What'd he do to you?" Ryan looked angry, protective Marissa was stunned.

"What, oh nothing, I mean, oh anyway, so he asked me what I was doing tonight and-"

"You told him you were hanging out with me and he got jealous. So, when you got to school you decided to ignore me so he wouldn't see us together." Ryan concluded. Marissa looked at the ground

"Yeah something like that." She mumbled. Ryan took charge.

"Listen, if he realises that we're not hanging out because he got jealous then he'll think he was right, that we're still in love, or something. So we have to prove him wrong, yeah?" Marissa nodded, she wasn't so sure. "Now, lets get out of this tree and go eat, I'm starved." He took her hand and began to lead her towards the cafeteria, she snatched it back. "Right, got it, sorry." Ryan smiled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Marissa demanded, she looked hurt. "I really like Scott."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just can't take you seriously when you got bits of twig in your hair." By now they were nearly at the cafeteria.

"You let me walk all this way with twig in my hair?" Marissa was mortified.

"Yep!"

"Get it out!" She demanded like a sulky five year old. Ryan obliged, laughing.

By the time she came over after dinner to play playstation things were back to normal between them. Ryan was probably right Marissa thought. And anyway, Scott had nothing to be jealous about, Ryan was her best friend, not her boyfriend.

"So," Ryan asked through a mouthful of tortilla chips while staring at the TV screen and trying to kick Marissa's ass, she wasn't going to win this time.

"How was your date with Scott? Before he found out about me of course." He added grinning.

"It was good," Marissa ignored Ryan's last comment, he was just trying to wind her up. Earlier, when he had answered the door, he had asked her if she wanted him to dress up as Summer "So we don't raise any suspicion". "Yeah, it was nice, we went down the pier and then just walked along the beach, it was nice." She glanced sideways at Ryan to look for a reaction, but none came.

"Good, I'm glad you had fun." An awkward silence followed before "You're dead Cooper."

"You think?"

"Yep, ha, gotcha!" Ryan was victorious and glad of it too.

"I'd better go," Marissa stood up and made her way to the Pool house doors.

"My Mom'll kill me if I break my curfew again."

"Ok" Ryan stood up too and switched off the playstation. He walked her to her car, just before she got in she turned to him and gave him a rib crunching hug. "What's this for?" Ryan was surprised.

"For being you, for not freaking about Scott, for laughing at me earlier, for kicking my ass at playstation." Marissa rambled "Scott maybe my boyfriend but you're my best boyfriend" she said into his shoulder. After what felt like forever she straightened up. "Sorry about that. It was so corny." she giggled nervously.

"It's ok." Ryan was relieved, he didn't necessarily want to date Marissa anymore but he didn't want to lose her either.

As Marissa made her way home she switched on her cell and noticed she had a new voicemail message.

She listened to it; "Hey baby," It was Scott "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry I freaked out about Ryan last night. I talked to that freak, Cohen, today." Marissa frowned but then realised that however awesome Scott maybe he was a water polo player "He told me you're just good friends." Scott's voice continued. Typical, Marissa thought you'll believe Seth but not me. "Anyway, its not that I don't trust you, I don't trust anyone else around you." Marissa froze, that was exactly what Luke had said and everyone knew how well that had ended. She switched her cell off and threw it onto the passenger seat. Maybe Scott would be like all the other boys after all, she thought to herself. If only they were a bit more like, she paused, who was her ideal man? She couldn't bring herself to even think the answer to that one. It was too painful.

There will be more Seth/Summer in the next chapter but I find Seth kinda hard to write, just because thinking of cutting things for him to say is hard and I don't want to do him badly. If that makes any sense! R&R, please!