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There Goes My Life- Chapter 2- I Only Have Eyes for You

Marissa knocked hesitantly on the door of the Scott home. She had driven for almost three days straight, stopping only once for some sleep and relying on fast food and truck stop diner fare. She was exhausted, hungry, and still angry at the world. She wondered if anyone back in Newport wondered where she was. She wondered how Ryan was doing, and if he was happy. She wondered if Deb would be welcoming. It was not until she had driven through Michigan that she remembered that Deb's husband, her godfather Dan, had recently passed away. She felt horrible for imposing this way so soon after the tragedy, but she honestly had nowhere else to go.

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Deb Scott was in the kitchen making sandwiches while her housekeeper, Rosa, tidied up the house. Just then, she heard a car door slam and then someone knocked softly on the massive wood door.

"I'll get it!" Deb called to the housekeeper. She swung the door open to reveal a pale, ill-looking teenager. It took Deb a minute, but she eventually placed the face. It was her Cousin Jimmy's daughter- Marissa. Her goddaughter, who had always called her "Aunt Deb" and her husband "Uncle Dan."

"Aunt Deb?" the girl asked softly.

"Marissa Cooper!" Deb instantly enveloped the girl in a warm hug. "I haven't seen you in ten years! How have you been? What are you doing all the way out here? You look exhausted, come in, come in!" Deb chattered on as she led the girl into the kitchen.

"I was just making sandwiches, would you like one?"

"Yes, please" said Marissa, as her stomach growled and she realized just how hungry she was.

"I heard about Uncle Dan, I'm so sorry" said Marissa. Deb snorted.

"We were in the process of getting divorced when he had the heart attack. I'm not all that sorry he's dead, and that's the truth. I know it's horrible to say, but believe me, Nathan feels the same way. He was an evil, evil man. Now, what kind of sandwich do you want? I have egg salad-"

The minute Deb said the word 'egg', Marissa jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Deb could hear her retching and she knocked on the door, concerned.

"Are you OK?" Deb asked the girl as the door opened and Marissa came out.

"I'm fine. Can I have some water, though?"

"Of course" Deb grabbed a glass and filled it from the tap in the refrigerator. While Marissa drank, she looked around the big, homey kitchen. So different from her home in Newport.

"Now, why don't you tell me what you're doing here?" Deb and Marissa sat down at the table with their food. Deb had an egg salad sandwich and Marissa was eating a BLT with chocolate syrup on it. Deb watched in fascination as she wolfed it down.

Marissa's face crumpled and tears came to her eyes. "I ran away." She sniffed. "Daddy got remarried and moved to Paris, and Mom got remarried to the Wicked Warlock of the West, and Summer- my best friend- she got a new boyfriend and she doesn't hang out with me anymore, and Ryan moved back to Chino…" Marissa broke off in a fresh torrent of sobs.

"Woah, woah, slow down. Who's Ryan? Why did he move back to Chino? Your father moved to Paris?"

Marissa gulped and proceeded to tell Deb everything that had happened over the past year. Deb let out a low whistle. "And I thought life in Tree Hill was dramatic!"

"There's more. I'm… I'm pregnant." Marissa wanted to start crying again, but she managed to hold it in. She had cried more in the past three days then she had in her entire lifetime.

Deb's face softened. "Oh baby. I'm so sorry. And this Ryan is the father?"

Marissa nodded. "We were just beginning to rebuild our relationship. Since we got back together we slept together once- just once! And now…"

"Have you told him?"

"I haven't even talked to him since I found out." Marissa stood up. "I'm exhausted. Is there someplace I could take a nap?"

Deb nodded. "Rosa, show Marissa to the Blue Room please." Rosa nodded and mentioned Marissa to follow her.

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When Marissa awoke two hours later, she found her bags in her room with a note:

Marissa-

I've gone to work, help yourself to anything in the house. I should be home by nine, or come down! Turn right out of our driveway, walk two blocks and then turn left on main. Karen's Café will be on your left.

Deb

Marissa smiled and decided to head down there. She changed out of her wrinkled Juicy sweats into jeans and a long-sleeved pink T-Shirt that she had gotten from the Killers concert at The Bait Shop several months previous (I know The Bait Shop didn't come into play until the second season, but just pretend please!). She jammed her feet into low-heeled sandals that showed off her pink painted toenails, grabbed her new pink Chanel bag, and headed out the door.

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Nathan Scott was sitting with his friends at a table in Karen's when he was distracted by the sound of the door opening. In walked one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. She had dark blonde hair and beautiful features, and her skin was perfectly tanned.

"Nate? Earth to Nate?" his friend, Lucas, waved a hand in front of his face. Just then, his wife, Haley, came over and plopped down on his lap.

"Whew! I've finally finished my shift!" Haley took off her apron and shook her hair out of its ponytail. She noticed Nathan looking at the newcomer as she sat down at a table by herself, and smacked the back of his head.

"Nathan! Stop staring!"

Nathan smirked. "Aw, don't worry Hales. You know I only have eyes for you."

"I only have eyes for youuuuu…" Luke warbled, and the group burst out laughing.

"Lucas! Stop scaring away the customers!" yelled a woman behind the counter.

"Sorry Mom!" Nathan leaned in and gave Haley a kiss while the rest of the group groaned.

"You guys are sickning" groaned a girl with curly blonde hair.

Nathan smirked. "What do you expect? We're newlyweds."

Marissa listened with one ear to the conversation as a boy about her age came up to her table to take her order.

"Decaf iced tea and a slice of cherry pie please" the girl ordered. She normally didn't like cherries but since she had woken from her nap she had had a strong craving for the tart fruit.

"Coming right up!" Jake Jagelski walked toward the counter and handed the order to a dark-haired woman behind the counter.

"Karen, I'm taking my break!" he said, and he went and sat down with his friends.

Just then, Deb came up to Marissa's table holding her pie and tea. "Glad to see you're up!" she said. "Nathan!" she addressed the dark haired boy at the next table with the pretty blonde on his lap.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember Marissa Cooper? My cousin Jimmy's daughter? She's going to be staying with us for a while."

This was Nathan? Marissa studied Deb's son. Ten years ago he'd been tall and lanky and awkward. He was still tall, but he had filled out. He had the muscles of an athlete, and Marissa remembered that he'd been a basketball player for eight years.

Finishing the last bite of her pie, Marissa got up and walked over to the table where the six teens were sitting. "It's good to see you again, Nathan" she said.

"You, too" Nathan answered. "Have a seat" he said, pulling over an empty chair. Still sipping her iced tea, Marissa sat.

"Marissa, these are my friends. Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, and Jake, and this is my wife Haley."

"Wife? I thought you were only seventeen!"

"It's a long story."

Peyton, the girl with the blonde curls, piped up: "I love your shirt! The Killers are one of my favorite bands."

"Thanks" said Marissa.

Just then, the sounds of a baby could be heard from the back. Jake leapt up. "Excuse me"

In a moment he came back, holding a baby girl. "This is my daughter, Jenny."

Marissa felt a stirring deep inside of her. In just a few months, this would be her. Raising a baby of her own, on her own, hopefully working and going to school.

"She's beautiful" Marissa said softly, running a finger along the downy-soft cheek.

Jake beamed "Thank you."

Peyton reached over and took the baby. "Hey there Jenny-girl! How are you? All done with your nap?"

Marissa wondered if this was Jenny's mother. In answer to her unspoken question, Jake said that Jenny's mother had taken off when Jenny was three months old. No one had seen or heard from her since. Jake looked at his watch. "I gotta get back to work" he said. He reached over to take Jenny but Peyton stopped him.

"We'll watch her, Jake" she said.

Jake smiled. "Thanks" he said.

Marissa chatted with the teens for several more hours, making friends. Maybe life wouldn't be so bad after all.