Disclaimer: Still don't own anything

Wow! The reviews of last chapter blew me away! Thanks so much! I'm kinda speechless, and thats saying something!

EVCLGSB, thanks, I thought the finger thing was kinda cute too! Thanks for reviewing!

BrSoccerChic, wow! I really loved your review. My chapters never disappoint? Thats really cool, thanks.

drown-in-fate, im trying! lol, this story is kinda writing itself if you know what I mean so its all good!

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Carebear Stare, thanks, that means a lot. I know the title is awful, lol! I couldn't think of anything else! I tried to look for your story but I couldn't find it. Could you give me the title? I'd love to read it. Thanks again.

Again, thanks so much for the reviews they made my day!

Chapter 9

Ryan barely slept that night, everytime he closed his eyes he had a horrible image of Scott trying to rape Marissa in his mind. He couldn't get rid of it and it was making him feel physically sick. Why would anyone want to hurt Marissa? She was one of the nicest, sweetest girls in the world and how anyone could do..that to her, was just... so wrong, so unfair. She had really liked Scott, he could tell, and this was how he treated her. It was disgusting. Ryan finally fell asleep at aroundthree in the morning and it wasn't long before he was awake again, this time thinking about why she hadn't told him sooner. He wasn't hurt but part of him was thinking that maybe she didn't trust him enough to know that he wasn't going to and beat the hell out of Scott, not that he didn't deserve it. He would just have to prove her wrong. He made a pact with himself not to punch Scott...yet.

"What's the matter dude?" Seth asked as Ryan wandered into the kitchen later that morning "You look awful."

"Are you ok sweetie?" Kirsten asked coming over to Ryan and placing a hand on his forehead to check for a fever.

"I'm fine" Ryan said "I didn't get that much sleep...Marissa she-" He stopped himself, he didn't think Marissa would thank him for telling them.

"Come on man, dish the dirt." Seth encouraged.

"No, it's ok." They stared at him "Honestly, I'm fine."

"What's wrong with Marissa?" Seth probed "Did she break up with the boyfriend? Are you two back together?" Ryan shook his head. "Come on, tell me."

Something inside Ryan snapped. "Seth?" He said warningly

"Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up. I'm not back together with Marissa, trust me."

"Oh, so you had a fight?"

"Leave it." Ryan said angrily. Matbe this pact of not punching people was going to be harder than he thought. Obviously he would never hit Seth but this Scott thing had really wound him up. He counted to three in his head then changed his tone of voice completely. "I'm going to school, you coming Seth?"

"Yeah, ok"

"What about breakfast?" Sandy asked

"Not hungry." Ryan answered before leaving the room, leaving the Cohen's puzzled, it was ages since they had seen Ryan like this, angry and monosyllabic.

"So what happened with you and Marissa last night?" Seth asked as they made their way to school.

"Seth, leave it. Nothing happened."

"Yeah, ok." Seth scoffed. Ryan pulled into the car park and saw Summer and Marissa talking.

"Uh-oh." Seth said as he saw them.

"You had a row with Summer?" Ryan asked.

"No, I was thinking oh no for you. Marissa's with her."

"Really?" Ryan asked sarcastically, Seth was really starting to get on his nerves.

"Ok, I'm just gonna shut up now." Seth said, having finally got the message.

"Good idea." Ryan said quietly. He parked the car and Seth jumped out.

"Come on," he said to Summer grabbing her arm and dragging her away from Marissa.

"Cohen, what the hell?" Summer protested.

"Hey," Marissa said when they had gone. "You ok? You look terrible."

"Couldn't sleep." Ryan answered shortly. "Was thinking about you. Are you ok?"

"I'm ok." Marissa said. Then before he could stop himself Ryan asked,

"Why didn't you tell me about Scott before yesterday?" Marissa studied his face, he didn't look angry, just hurt.

"I..I didn't... want you..."

"Were you scared that I would go and hurt him?" Ryan asked gently.

"No," She answered immediately. "No way." She reached for his hands which were buried deep in his pockets. "Do you really wanna know?" He nodded. "It sounds stupid but I was scared that you wouldn't want to know, that you wouldn't care."

"What?" Ryan breathed. He was relieved but that was ludicrous. Of course he cared. "Why would you think that?"

"I dunno, I guess I just...I dunno." She finished lamely. Ryan squeezed her hands tightly. Just then the bell rang. "What have I got first?" Marissa asked.

"I dunno, I don't even know what day it is." Ryan said.

"It's Thursday. I know that much" Marissa smiled. Ryan racked his brains, he had been so preoccupied this morning he had forgotten to pack his timetable. Suddenly he remembered.

"Double French." He said triumphantly. Marissa paled. French was the only lesson that she and Ryan had together, but it also happened to be the only lesson that he had with Scott. Ryan knew what she was thinking. "We don't have to go, if you don't want." He said.

"No, it's ok." She said, starting to walk towards French. Ryan knew she wasn't, her hands were shaking and she was biting her bottom lip, a sure sign she was trying not to cry.

"Hey." He stopped and turned her around to face him. "I mean it, lets just go, the beach, the pier, you choose."

"No it's ok, I'm fine." She took his hand and gripped it tightly starting to walk again. They reached the French rooms and stood as far away as they could from their classmates while they waited to be let into the classroom. Ryan leant against the side of the building and Marissa rested her head on his shoulder, her whole body shaking slightly.

"Well, well, well, isn't this cosy." A voice said from behind Marissa, Ryan looked up and saw who it was first. Scott.

"Get lost" Ryan said clenching his fists.

"Hey, sorry man. I just wanted to talk to my girlfriend." Scott sad sweetly. "Is that ok?"

Ryan looked at him disbelievingly. "Your girlfriend?" He repeated slowly. Neither of them had moved, Marissa's head was still buried in Ryan's shoulder, she daren't turn around.

"Yep, my girlfriend. Not yours" Scott said moving closer to Marissa. Ryan moved to stand in front of Marissa who was crying quietly.

"Right, so you treat all your girlfriends as well as you did Marissa do you?" He asked angrily. Marissa could see his hands clenching and unclenching by his sides. She grabbed them so he didn't do something stupid. He didn't have the heart to pull them away.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scott asked. "I haven't got time to play games."

"You tried to rape her." Ryan said simply. At this Scott lost it and swung for Ryan, narrowly missing punching him in the face.

"Shut up." he said. Ryan tried to release his hands from Marissa's grip but she was surprisingly strong.

"I think I just proved my point," Ryan said calmly. "Marissa wouldn't sleep with you but you wouldn't accept it. you had to go too far."

"Shut up. He's lying." Scott anounced to the crowd that had gathered around them.

"Yeah?" Marissa spoke for the first time from behind Ryan. "I told Ryan this, are you calling me a liar?"

"Babe I-" Scott protested.

"Save it." Marissa said firmly. Then she picked up her bag and walked off toward the parking lot. Ryan stood glaring at Scott for a few seconds, willing himself not to punch him, then he followed her.

He found her slumped against the side of the Range Rover sobbing. He went round to her and gently rubbed the top of her left arm. She flinched, this time not because she didn't want him to touch her but because, he had touched her bruises which even now, four days later were still very painful.

"Sorry." He said, pulling away quickly "I forgot."

"No, it's ok...it's just..." She rolled up the sleeves of her top to reveal the angry purple bruises. Ryan gasped before he could stop himself. "I know" She said tearfully, then she collapsed into his chest her whole body shaking as she cried. Slowly he brought around her and held her tightly. Marissa grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt and clung onto him desperately. They only stayed like that for a matter of minutes but it felt like hours. When she had stopped crying she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"I really should stop doing that, I'll get dehydrated." She said smiling tearfully.

"It's ok, we have plenty of water back at the house. You wanna get outta here?"

"Yes please."

It wasn't until they were halfway back to the Cohen's that Marissa realised, "You didn't hit him." She said simply.

"You sound surprised" Ryan said laughing.

"I am."

"Well, you had a pretty tight hold of my hands, didn't you?"

"I know, sorry."

"It's ok, but I wouldn't've hit him anyway." Marissa raised her eyebrows and poked him in the side playfully. "Honestly. I promised myself I wouldn't. you've got enough crap going on at the moment. you don't need me adding to the drama." He glanced sideways at her. She was smiling. "Was that too cheesy?"

"No, it was really cute. Thankyou." He looked embarrased. "Now, enough with the drama." She said as they pulled into the, thankfully empty, driveway. "If we're going to skip a whole day of school, I think we should do something worthwhile and educational."

"Playstation?"

"You read my mind." She said jumping out of the car and heading towards the front door. "I'll grab snacks, you go setup. ok?"

"K, but Marissa" Ryan said seriously as he unlocked the front door. "You don't have to put on a brave face for me. If you wanna talk-"

"I know," She said "But honestly, I'm fine. Well maybe not fine"she corrected herself "but I'm getting there. I will be. Now come on. I want to give you the opportunity to beat me at least once today."

"No chance," Ryan said proudly "I've been practising."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really." She giggled and went through into the kitchen opening the fridge. Ryan followed and sat on the workbench while she concocted "the best snack ever," this consequently turned out to be mac and cheese. He smiled at her as she worked.

"What?" She asked seeing him looking at her.

"Nothing." He said quickly

"Tell me." She said warningly, winking at him.

"I was just thinking how brave you've been." He said quickly, blushing. He was turning into such a girl.

"Why thankyou." Marissa said taking a bow. Ryan laughed.

"I mean it. The..thing with Scott happened less than a week ago and here we are about to play playstation and eat mac and cheese. It doesn't seem right."

"No," Marissa corrected him walking over to him and squeezing his knee "Is how much you're thinking and talking. You should take it easy." She teased tapping the side of his head. He reached for her hand.

"I mean it." He said again.

"I know you do." She said kissing his hand lightly and looking him directly in the eyes. "But I just want to forget him and move on. If you help me,I think I'll be just fine."

"Anything. what can I do?"

"Just be you, lose to me a playstation, hand out hugs like Seth does insults and don't tell anyone else about what happened."

"Yeah sorry, got a bit carried awayback there." Ryan said sheepishly

"I'll let you off." She said shrugging.

"Well," Ryan said getting down from the counter where he had been sitting, "I'm not sure about the losing at playstation bit." He winked at her.

"What about the hug bit?" She asked quietly.

"I think I can manage that." He said drawing her in close to him and kissing the top of her head. How anyone could want to hurt her like Scott had done was beyond him.