Chapter Three
"Where are you going?" Summer asked quizzically as she saw Marissa dressed to the nine's and putting on make-up in bathroom mirror.
"A party."
"A party, there's no party in Newport tonight… Or did I miss the memo… Cause if I did I certainly need to go get dressed."
"Nope Sum, there was no memo to be missed, the party's not in Newport." Marissa casually answered before she began to apply her lipstick.
"Oook… So where is said party and why was I not invited?"
"It's not that you're not invited I just figured you wouldn't want to go cause it's in Chino." Marissa responded as if she attended parties in Chino all the time.
"CHINO? EW! Why would anyone want to go to a party in Chino… Why the hell would you be going to a party in Chino." Summer watched in the mirror as Marissa tried to conceal a grin. A slight look of disgust crossed Summer's face; "This is about the boxer isn't it?"
"Maybe…"
"You're going to a party in Chino with him?"
"For him."
"Huh?" Summer shook her head slightly confused.
"I haven't exactly seen him since that night in the hospital, but I talked to him last week and… Well the party is for his 21st birthday; he invited me… kinda… I guess…. He said I should swing by if I had the time."
"So hold up… You're going to a party in Chino for a guy you've talked to what once, twice… Ok I love you but this isn't exactly on the smart side, going by yourself to Chino, it's not exactly Beverly Hills."
"That's why Seth's going with me."
"Who?" Summer arched her eyebrows at Marissa.
"Seth Cohen, Sandy and Kirsten's son, he's home from college."
"Seth Cohen… Umm EW, you're like going to be seen in public with him… I thought he like left the country before he even graduated high school."
"He made early graduation and went to Berkley and for the record he was there for me while I was in rehab… He's a good guy Summer."
"Yeah and a total nerd and not going to do you any good in Chino. I mean come on Seth Cohen… You so need back up that's why I'm going. So you can call and uninvite him, because you have me and I cannot be seen out with him, even though Chino doesn't count as out I mean EW, but still…"
"I am not uninviting Seth that's rude. So if you want to go you can go with Seth and me."
Summer rolled her eyes and sighed, "You're so difficult sometimes, fine but he sits in the back and when we get there he doesn't know me."
Marissa laughed softly to herself; sometimes she felt like her best friend was never going to grow out of her high school mentality. "Whatever you say Sum."
Loud Latin hip-hop music poured from every angle of the small house. Ryan sat quietly on the arm of a sofa in the far corner of the living room surround by people some of which he knew most of which he didn't. He was trying to stay where he could see who was coming in the door, however with the amount of people that were quickly pouring in it was becoming difficult to see through the crowd. He took a long sip from his bottle of water and arched his neck trying to get a view of the door, only to give up out of frustration.
"Arturo, who are all these people?" Ryan called to his friend over the music.
"Friends, neighbors, eses' shit I don't know man." Arturo smiled and sipped his beer.
"I thought this was going to be something small bro."
"You know parties around here aren't small ese, so just relax, have a beer it's your birthday." He slapped Ryan roughly on the back and laughed.
Ryan shrugged, it wasn't that he wasn't having a good time, it was simply that he just didn't feel comfortable with so many people around.
"I'm getting you a beer man like it or not," Arturo stood from the couch, and Ryan watched as his jaw nearly hit the ground.
"Damn talk about honey… Did you see the fine senorita that just walked in the door?"
Ryan craned his neck and gave a smile, "She came."
"You know her?"
"Yea man, I'll catch you later," He gave Arturo a slap on the back and began to push through the crowd.
"Oh My God Coop, EW, I cannot believe you actually wanted to here, can you believe her?" Summer turned to Seth looking for someone to agree with her.
"Sure I guess so." Seth shrugged. Parties weren't exactly Seth Cohen's thing, and this was certainly one of the more wild parties he'd seen. He honestly thought that house parties like this one only existed in bad movies.
"It's not that bad you two. Now we just have to find Ryan." Marissa looked at the crowd and bit her lip slightly. Her fears were eased when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.
"Hey you made it," Ryan finished pushing his way through the crowd and stood face to face with Marissa, giving her a slight grin.
For a moment Marissa felt a slight weakness in her knees and a tremble in the pit of her stomach. She heard of people having those feelings before over another person, and the idea that she was having them herself both excited and terrified her at the same time. She gave him a smiled back.
"I told you I would." The two stared at each other for a moment exchanging sly grins.
Summer stood there tapping her foot waiting for Marissa to break from her trance, "Umm hello? Guests here…" She stepped in between the two and held her hand out to Ryan.
"Oh Ryan I'm sorry, these are my friends. My best friend Summer, and my friend Seth."
Ryan shook Summer's hand and nodded at Seth, "I'm Ryan nice to meet you guys. Can I get you a drink? We've got beer… and umm beer and… beer and…" He paused and tapped his head."
Marissa finished the sentence for him, "And beer?"
"Yeah," he gave a slight laugh. "Well and water," he held up his bottle of water to show her.
"Well I'll have water." Marissa answered.
"Actually this is the only bottle of water here." He gave a half-embarrassed laugh.
"Then I'll have that one," she took the bottle from his hands and proceeded to remove the cap and take a long sip.
Ryan both amused and shocked at her brazenness shook his head and turned back to Seth and Summer. "I'm going to go try and find another bottle of water now, can I get you two a beer?"
"Sure," Seth shrugged; he had never really been much of a drinker, however he didn't want to be rude.
"Yeah I'll take one, and why don't you go help him Cohen," Summer shoved Seth in Ryan's direction and made a shoo-ing motion at them.
Ryan looked to Seth who merely shrugged at him, "Come on man the kitchen's this way." The two began to walk to the kitchen without attempting to make conversation over the loud music in the living room. When they reached the kitchen Ryan pointed Seth to the keg as he moved to the refrigerator in search of water.
Seth stood dumb founded for a moment then looked back to Ryan, "I don't exactly know how to work this thing."
"No problem man," Ryan turned back to Seth and began to pour a beer. "So Summer, is that your girl?"
"I wish," Seth responded.
"What's that mean?"
"Summer's just… well she's out of my league."
"How so… You're a guy, she a girl. Unless she's into chicks then you've got a shot right?" Ryan held a beer out to Seth and began pouring the second one.
Seth took the beer from Ryan and shook his head in a firm response to his question. "No way, I've been in love with her since I was ten, and the only reason she knows I exist is because Marissa's family is friends with my family. That's the only reason Marissa knows I exist, I mean I'm practically her pity case."
"But you don't care what Marissa thinks… You're telling me that you've liked this girl for what ten years? And you've never once attempted to make a move… You gotta get it together man. No time like now." He gave Seth and go for it grin.
"Yea right," Seth responded as they began to make their way back to Marissa and Summer.
"Here you go Summer," Seth nervously handed her a beer.
Ryan watched as the two started to interact, and mouthed to Marissa, "You wanna go outside?"
Marissa nodded and watched as Ryan tossed his head to the side. She slipped around Summer and followed Ryan to the back yard.
She took a sip and made a face, "EW domestic, EW."
Seth shrugged, "Tastes like beer to me," he took another sip of his beer.
"Oh Coop, I wish you could taste how bad this i… Coop… Coop?" Summer turned around and looked to both of her sides. She tossed her hands to the air, "Where did they go?"
"So this is your place?" Marissa asked as she settled into a lawn chair in a semi-quiet corner of the back yard.
"No, umm this is Arturo place. But I used to crash here sometimes. That was before I moved in with Joey."
"The guy who was with you at the hospital?"
Ryan nodded his head, "Yea, he's my trainer."
"I thought he was your dad."
"Closest thing to it…"
"So where's your family?"
Ryan sighed slightly ashamed of what he was about to tell her, " My Dad's in jail, or maybe not he might be out by now. I really don't know. My mom's God only knows where probably passed out in some bar or possibly in jail… And my older brother's in jail."
"So you're like the only person in your family who hasn't been in jail…"
"Not exactly. I mean I've never done hard time, but I spent a little over a year in juvie, it's where I met Joey. He was a teacher…"
Marissa listened intently as he told her the story of juvie and getting to know Joey. Parts of it made her want to cry, others made her want to grab and hug him. She wanted to tell him that she could understand that her life hadn't exactly been a piece of cake. She wanted to tell him that she could understand but she was afraid that he wouldn't believe her.
"Wow, you've certainly lived," was all she could think of to say that she felt like it would make sense.
Ryan laughed at himself and threw his head back into the lawn chair he was sitting in, "I usually don't talk this much…"
"I usually stop listening after five minutes," she joked and reached down taking his water from his hand.
"Hey that's mine."
"Yea but mine's empty," she shook the empty bottle at him.
"That one was mine too." He reached over to snatch the water from her hands, she jerked away only to have him catch her, and bring their faces within mere inches of each other. It was the moment, they could take it and continue ignore how different they really were or they could turn back. It was a choice they were about to make when a voice interrupted them.
"COOP! Umm you've been out here for like two hours can we go yet?" Summer stood in the porch light tapping her foot.
Ryan pulled himself away from Marissa and stood up, "I'll walk you out."
"Ok…" She self-consciously brushed herself off in the distance she could hear a group chanting. "Where's Seth?" She quizzed Summer.
Ryan's ear's perked up at her question as he managed to make out the sounds coming from the front yard, 'Pass the rich boy, pass the rich boy.' Ryan looked to Summer and Marissa, "I think I know." He rushed towards the front yard with the girls struggling to keep up. As they approached the front yard they saw a circle of guys standing around tossing someone from person to person. Ryan ushered the girls towards the front fence. "I take care of this." He reassured them.
Summer turned to Marissa; "This is your fault… It's a good thing he's a boxer."
"Hey, Hey. Knock it off guys." Ryan gruffly called out as he stepped into the circle and grabbed Seth.
"Come on ese, we're just goofing around." One of the guys stepped up to Ryan, the other's quickly fell in line behind him.
"Hey man, we were just having a little fun," Seth slurred obviously drunk.
"Yea looks like it." Ryan glanced over the shoulder of the other men, and saw Arturo give him the heads up nod.
"Come on ese step off, we were just having fun. Just cause you're the big bad boxer don't step up and think you're all tough." The guy shoved Ryan.
Ryan didn't give him a chance to strike, after the shove Ryan faked left then tipped right and slammed him in the liver with a hard left hook, following it with a devastating right straight right to the head, knocking him back cold. All hell began to break loose as Arturo jumped in from behind and waved Ryan off. "Go ese, you can't get in trouble, go."
Ryan grabbed Seth and looked back to Summer and Marissa, "Run!" The four of them took off, Ryan shoved Seth through the opening in the gate then jumped over the side himself keeping an eye on Seth as he ran behind Marissa and Summer.
"This is us," Marissa called out hitting the keyless entry to her car showing Ryan which car it was. Out of instinct Ryan opened to door shoved Seth in and jumped in himself. By the time he got in Marissa already had the car started and was ready to drive off.
"Oh my God! We could have been killed back there!" Summer cried out. "I told you Chino wasn't a good idea."
"Summer it wasn't that bad." Marissa tried to calm her.
"Wasn't that bad! Wasn't that bad! Where were you when the gang brawl broke out."
"That was freaking awesome man! Awwesome!" Seth leaned into Ryan's face. "You're cool man, I've only known you like," Seth held up his hand and began to count on his fingers, "this long," he threw his whole hand at Ryan, "But you're cool."
"Thanks man." Ryan shook his head and laughed.
"Oh my God can we get wasted boy home now please." Summer huffed.
"Yeah it should be good now, you can just drop me off here. My keys are at Arturo's so I'll just walk around until things cool off."
"No way am I going to do that, we'll drive you around," Marissa turned to see Summer shooting her a look.
"Hey I have an idea!" Seth called out.
"Oh great," Summer responded.
"I have a pool house, you can stay there tonight and we'll bring you back in the morning."
"I couldn't impose man."
"It's not imposing, you saved my ass, I put you up and it's all even… It's a good idea… Home Jeeves!"
"Is that ok with you Ryan?" Marissa politely asked.
"It's kind of a hike to bring me back tomorrow."
"I don't have a problem with it," She turned back for a split second and shot him a smile.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice now do I." He smiled back to her.
"Great man! We can have bagels!"
Ryan shook his head and laughed, something made him feel like this was going to be a lot more than he'd ever expected.