Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my box set and mixes 1,2, and 4 (which are awesome!)

XGoingunderx, glad you liked it. I was really proud of last chapter. I love Summer and Marissa I think they complement each other really well!

ocluvr1212, yay! a new reviewer, glad you like it.

Anyways on with the story!

Chapter 5

Marissa abandoned Summer's plan as soon as she got to school next morning. She found Ryan sitting on a wall reading his physics textbook, revising for a test, she walked up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Seth." Ryan said, even though he knew exactly who it was. "I would recognise those hands anywhere, all dry and scratchy…"

"Oi!" Marissa smacked him lightly on the head.

"Kidding!" He stood up and turned around to face her, she looked tired. She gave him a hug. "You ok?" He asked

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she said into his shoulder

"Oh, I dunno, you look sad." Marissa took a deep breath.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah." She took his hand and they sat back down on the wall.

"You know, on that night in the poolhouse when we'd just started going out. The night after we went to Sandy's birthday party.

"Yeah?"

"Did it bother you that I wouldn't… y'know?"

"That you wouldn't sleep with me?"

"Yeah."

"No, no way, why?"

"No reason, it's just Scott…" She trailed off and looked at Ryan. "Do you think he's using me for sex?" She asked bluntly. Ryan thought for a moment, if he said 'yes' she would just think he was jealous so he had to say 'no.' After all he didn't think Scott would do that, he seemed nice enough.

"No, I think he really likes you." This was true, he'd seen the way Scott looked at her, he had looked at her that way once. Scott really did like her.

"You think?" Marissa said quietly.

"Yeah, honestly, he's a good guy." Ok, maybe that bit was a lie. He was ok but he wasn't a good guy. Ryan still hadn't worked him out properly.

"Ok" Marissa wasn't convinced but she'd let it slide, for now. "What are you doing tonight?" She changed the subject.

"Nothing, why?"

"Well, since Summer wouldn't allow us to meet up last night how about you come over for round 6 of our tournament?"

"Ok, what about Scott?" Ryan didn't want to cause more problems with those two.

"Like you said, he's a good guy. He won't mind. Besides, he hates playstations."

"No way."

"Yes way, why am I dating him again?" She half-joked, smiling. That was a very good question, why the hell was she dating him?

"Because you like him, he likes you, that's how it goes" Ryan smiled, trying to lighten the mood, which had suddenly gotten all tense.

"You're so wise." Marissa laughed

"I know, what would you do without me?"

"I don't know, anyway I have to go I wanna catch Scott before class." She kissed him on the cheek and started walking away. "Do you wanna come over 'bout seven?" He nodded. "See you later."

"Have you even got your eyes open?" Marissa asked Ryan, hours later in front of the TV. She was beating him. Again.

"Yeah, Why?"

"I was just wondering how anyone who was actually watching what they were doing could be doing so badly!" She glanced sideways, laughing.

"Oh, well that's nice, real nice."

"I know, oh look Ryan, what happened to your head? Huh?" She teased, throwing a cheeto at him and throwing down her controls victorious.

"That's it, no more Mr. Nice Ryan." Marissa giggled. He carried on regardless. "We're going to play one more game and I will beat you."

"You will?"

"I will. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate."

Ten minutes later Ryan had been well and truly beaten. Again.

"You must have fixed my controls to make me play badly." Ryan said.

"Nooo, you're just crap."

"Thanks" Ryan scoffed "Love you too."

"I know" Marissa said sweetly. "About this morning…" She suddenly turned serious.

"Yeah…"

"I think I just freaked out a bit. But thanks."

"That's ok, you sure?"

"Yeah, like you said Scott's a good guy. The only people I have to compare him to are you and Luke and you're like polar opposites." Ryan was confused. "I mean Luke spent most of our relationship pressuring me for sex and you never did at all, so even if Scott's, like, in the middle of those two that's ok, right?" She looked up at him.

"Yeah, that's cool." He smiled.

"What?"

"It's just, I can't believe we're sitting here having a discussion about you and another guy over playstation games. And it's cool. Are we, like grown up?" Marissa gasped melodramatically

"No, we can't be." She grabbed a cushion from the sofa and started hitting Ryan with it.

"No, we're not grown up." He conceded.

"Promise me something?" Marissa put down the pillow and sat on Ryan's stomach looking down into his face.

"What?"

"That even when we're old and grey we'll still have pillow fights and playstation tournaments?"

"Ok, now I think we need a rematch."

"What, you're gonna try and beat me at playstation again?"

"Nope," He grabbed a cushion "But I was once the pillow fighting champion of Chino."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, well actually, no but you don't know that!" He started hitting her and soon the roles were reversed. He was sitting on her legs and wouldn't get off until she admitted that he was the best pillow fighter ever.

"Say it."

"Nope" Marissa stuck out her tongue

"Say it, or else"

"Or else what?"

"I'll beat you to death" He said warningly but his eyes sparkled and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"With a pillow?" She asked smiling.

"Yep," He started attacking her again but before she had chance to admit defeat her they were interrupted by Julie who had Scott in tow. What they saw couldn't have looked good. Ryan was sitting on top of Marissa who was shrieking, very loudly.

"Ahem" Julie cleared her throat loudly. "Marissa has a visitor, Ryan I think you should go."

"Scott," Marissa stood up and smoothed her creased clothes "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd come and see you, I missed you." Ryan glanced at Marissa, Scott didn't look even remotely annoyed that he had just caught his girlfriend in a compromising position with her ex. He seemed to be finding the whole thing funny.

"Yeah, I'll go," Ryan said blushing. "See you tomorrow, Marissa, Scott."

"Yeah, see ya man." Scott said knocking knuckles with Ryan who made a hasty exit before Julie could catch him and give him the third degree about something or other.

"Sorry about that." Marissa said when Julie had left them alone together.

"It's cool babe," She looked up at him "I mean it. It looked like you were having fun."

"We were." Marissa said warily

"Good." Scott seemed genuinely pleased, on the outside. On the inside he was thinking 'so you'll sit on Ryan like that but not on me!' "I bought over a dvd if you wanna watch it?"

"Yeah, sure. Why don't we go up to my room? My Mom won't bother us there."

"Yeah ok, if you're sure?" Scott was surprised, he hadn't expected it to be this easy. But then again, he had to try to fool her. He wouldn't try anything tonight he decided.

"Yeah, come on."

Later, as she lay in bed after Scott had left Marissa felt a lot happier than she had done twenty-four hours ago. Everything was cool with Ryan, and Scott hadn't tried anything she wasn't comfortable with. She had even had to initiate most of the kisses they'd shared that evening, he'd obviously got the message. She wasn't ready. Maybe she could have both of them in her life at once. Maybe she didn't have to choose between them at all.