A/N: So I was ready to update and then I got grounded from the computer (bitches) so I wasn't able to. Then, I was ungrounded and I went to post this but the server was overload (bitches). But, it is here now with an incredibly long author's note. (They're my staple, what can I say?) Anyway, I'm really starting to despise this story. I think that happens when you have a story going for too long. Or, maybe that's just me. This is the second-to-last chapter and I'm not planning on a doing a sequel. Sorry, guys. I can't focus on one idea like this for so long. But, fear not, as I said before, I have another story that I'm working on. Plus, I'm listening to Oasis right now so this chapter should be good. Just to answer a few quick questions: Marissa and Ryan are not dating; they are friends. Marissa is still dating Alex because I loved Olivia when she was on the show and I think Josh needs to bring her back. (Seriously, Alex was really hot. And, like, the most exciting character out of the four new kids this year.) It's just that I don't need her to advance the plot or anything anymore so…yeah. And last but not least, Lindsay did leave. She was fine for a while but then she was just crying all the time and she really got on my nerves and I didn't feel like writing her character anymore. Forgive me for not formally writing her out. Sorry, but just another quick little thing so you guys aren't confused when it comes to the timeline of this chap: the first part between Summer and Marissa is the very next day. The second part between Ryan and Seth is three weeks later. Now read and review!

Awkward Hugs and Awkward Car Rides

"Hey," Marissa said sympathetically when Summer opened the door. She had to look twice because the girl standing at the door did not look like her best friend. She was in sweatpants and a tank top and her hair was pulled into what could only be described as a knot at the base of her neck. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were rimmed with red.

"Hey, Coop," she said, stepping aside to let Marissa come in and feebly trying to hide her appearance.

Marissa dropped her purse on the side table as Summer shut the door. She looked at Summer and she couldn't think of anything to do other than to hug her. So she pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her small body. She was grateful when she felt Summer's arms reach around her middle and hug her tightly. Marissa held Summer's head and whispered, "We're going to be alright." She felt Summer swallow and knew she was trying not to cry.

The girls finally let go and Marissa steered Summer to the couch. She ordered her to sit and went into the kitchen to get some icecream. She returned with two bowls of Cherry Garcia and set one on the table in front of Summer.

"Thanks," Summer said weakly.

"What do you want to watch?" Marissa asked, setting down her own icecream and walking over to the rack of DVDs.

Summer shrugged. "I don't care."

Marissa grabbed a movie that, she hoped, wouldn't remind her of Seth in any way. She turned to Summer who shook her head. Marissa turned back to the rack and picked another one. Again, Summer shook her head. This went on for about three more movies before Marissa finally got fed up and threw her hands up saying, "Pick one!"

"That one," Summer said, pointing.

Marissa ran her hand down the rack until Summer nodded. "Are you sure, Sum?" she asked, staring down at the DVD Summer had chosen. The Notebook.

"We were going to watch it together," she said quietly.

"That's kind of what I mean, Summer," Marissa said. "It's a great movie and all but why don't we watch something funny like…American Pie or something?"

"Just put it in," Summer told her and Marissa obeyed. Then, she settled onto the couch next to Summer to watch the movie.

They were about a half an hour into the movie when Marissa glanced at Summer and saw she wasn't even watching the movie. She was staring blankly at the screen, not to mention the fact that she hadn't even touched her icecream. It was just sitting in a big melted puddle in the bowl.

"You didn't eat your icecream," she commented warily.

"There were too many cherries," she told her without taking her eyes from the screen.

Marissa knew right off the bat that this was a lie. The cherries were one of Summer's favorite parts. Instead of calling her on it though, she just said, "Oh."

After a few moments, Marissa reached out and, putting her hand on Summer's, she gave it a little squeeze. She knew it was a small, stupid thing to do but she couldn't stand seeing Summer like this.

Summer surprised her though, when she turned and looked at her. There were tears filling her lids and Marissa wondered whether they were going to fall or not. "Coop." She said it so quietly that Marissa almost couldn't hear it. But that was as far as she got before she crumpled into a heap of sobs.

Her tears were soaking through Marissa's t-shirt and wetting her shoulder but it didn't matter. She clung to Marissa like she was the only thing keeping her afloat and Marissa knew that, in a way, she knew she was.

Seeing Summer like this had kind of thrown Marissa for a loop. It used to be that Summer was the strong one, the one who held them together. And now, she was falling apart and Marissa had to try and put it all back together.

"It'll be okay," she said as they rocked gently. "I promise."

Summer nodded a little.

Marissa felt the familiar sensation of tears prick her own eyes but she held back.

After what seemed like an eternity, Summer pulled away. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It was pretty serious, huh?" Marissa asked gently.

Summer looked at a spot behind Marissa's head for a while before finally looking into her eyes. "I think…I might have loved him."

"I think you might be right."

Seth slipped quietly into the pool house.

"Hey," Ryan said, coming out of the bathroom.

"Hey," Seth said, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"How you holding up?" Ryan asked.

"I'm alright," Seth told him. He shrugged. "As good as can be expected."

Ryan sighed. "I know she was, like, the center of your universe for a really long time but you've gotta get over her. It's been three weeks, man."

Seth shrugged again. "I just…miss her, I guess."

Ryan nodded sympathetically.

"Okay, that sounded totally gay," Seth said. "I officially give you permission to hit me."

Ryan started toward him and Seth winced.

"I was kidding!" he said, before Ryan really could hit him.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the party anyway?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I'll do that eventually," Seth answered. "But, we haven't had any ritual talks before big events in a while and I thought we could use one."

"You mean, you thought you could use one," Ryan corrected, taking a seat on the bed.

"It's not like you talk anyway," Seth pointed out.

Ryan gave him a look.

"My point exactly," Seth said.

"Anyway," Ryan said. "What is it that's eating away at you so much you just had to talk about it? Other than Summer."

"Can it be partially about Summer?" he asked.

Ryan seemed to be contemplating. Then, he nodded his head once and said, "Allowed."

"She missed a few days of school last week," Seth started. "I think something's up."

"Like what?" Ryan asked. "You think you got her pregnant or something and now she's avoiding you?"

Seth glared at him.

Ryan shrugged.

"I think it's her dad," Seth said.

"I thought he was doing good."

"He was," Seth said. "But, there's always that chance that it can come back."

"You're not going to know unless you ask her," Ryan said.

"I don't think she wants to talk to me right now. Or ever, for that matter." Seth stood. "I should probably get ready anyway," he said.

"Me too," Ryan stood up and started to head for the bathroom as Seth walked towards the door. "You should double-check though," Ryan added. "Make sure she's not pregnant."

"Gotcha'," Seth said as he shut the door behind him.

It didn't matter how long Seth lived in Newport. He would never become fond of the Charity League dinners or the Children's Benefit galas. It just wasn't going to happen. So, after having mingled appropriately with the guests, he was sitting at a table, debating leaving for his bedroom.

In, the living room, he could see his mother talking to a Newpsie with short blonde hair and obvious breast implants.

"Kirsten, excellent party."

"Oh, thank you," she said.

"How's your family?" the Newpsie asked politely.

"They're good," Kirsten answered.

"Your son, Seth," she started, "is he still dating the Roberts girl?"

Kirsten hadn't realized that the relationship between her son and Summer, before Portland, had been such widespread news. "Um, actually, they broke up," she informed the woman, whose name she didn't even know.

"Aw, that's too bad," the woman said. "She's a pretty girl."

Kirsten didn't understand the relevance of Summer's beauty but she agreed wholeheartedly. "Yeah, she is," she said. "They broke up a while ago though, so it's not anything new." To the outside world, they hadn't been a couple since last year.

"Well, it's good that they're still friends," she said, and Kirsten looked confused before she followed the woman's gaze to wear Summer was now taking a seat at the table Seth was at.

"Yeah," Kirsten said, wondering if she should just usher them inside right now. she knew what had happened between them recently and knew thatthis could only result in a screaming match.

"Hey," Summer said hesitantly, sitting down.

Seth looked up but didn't say anything.

"You're not talking to me," she said. "That's understandable."

"Hi," he said, as if to prove her differently.

She let out a breath. "Well, that's a relief," she told him. "I'd feel really terrible being the only person who could make you shut up."

He smiled a little. "You were always the only person who could make me shut up."

"I always thought your mouth was better-suited for other things," she said casually.

He grinned and looked away. "You haven't been in school lately," he said after a while.

"Yeah," she said, looking down at the tablecloth. "My dad…"

"Oh," Seth said. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Not like we haven't been through it before."

"You're good otherwise?" he asked.

She nodded.

Then, out of the blue, "Listen, are you pregnant?"

"What?" Summer was taken aback. "No, I'm not pregnant."

"That's good," Seth said, nodding his head. "That's really...good."

Summer had no idea where that came from but it was very Seth-like so she ignored it.

"I heard you're dating Mark McKinley," he said, running a hand through his hair and attempting to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Summer heard it though. "We're just seeing each other," she tried to reassure him. "It doesn't mean anything."

Seth nodded, looking the other way. "Right."

"Why are you getting mad at me?" she asked, sliding her hand across the table and touching his.

"I'm not mad," he said, pulling his hand away.

"Don't lie to me," she said.

"I just…can't believe you got over me so quickly," he said, keeping his voice low.

Summer, though, seemed to have no intention of keeping this a quiet discussion because her voice was rising with her words. "I cannot believe you just said that. You think none of it mattered?"

"Look, Summer," Seth said, trying to calm her. "We already had our fight. We're done, okay? Finished, for good."

"Exactly," she said. "So I can't understand why we're still talking about it."

"I didn't mean to bring it up, alright? I didn't want to talk about it. It just…came out." He shrugged. "It's hard for me to see you with someone else."

"And it would be hard for me to see you with someone else too," she said. "But this is what we chose."

"No," Seth said, disagreeing. "This is what you chose. This is what you wanted."

"Don't put this on me," she said. "You walked out!"

"Yeah, because you told me to leave!"

"This is how it has to be!"

"No it's not," Seth tried to tell her. "We could have made it work! But you didn't even want to try!"

"Stop making this my fault!" Summer yelled. A few of the party guests near their table had turned to look at them, but neither noticed.

"It is your fault!" he said. He sighedand his voice becamequiet, even."For once, Summer, this is your fault."

At this, Summer stood and stormed into the house. She disappeared in the crowd and Seth rested his head on the table, letting out a groan. He stayed like that for a while.

"You made quite a scene there."

Seth felt a hand on his back and, judging by the size and shape, he knew it to be his mother's.

"I'm sorry," he said, picking up his head.

"I knew it was coming," she said. "It's my fault for not stopping it."

Seth shook his head.

"She didn't leave, you know," Kirsten said. "Sandy saw her go upstairs."

Seth nodded. "Thanks."

Seth gave her a good half an hour to cool off before he went looking for her. He headed upstairs and to his room, assuming that would be the place she would go. He opened his door to see her sprawled out on his blue carpet. The littlest tears were running down the sides of her face, along her temple and disappearing in her hair but he pretended like he didn't see them.

She sat up, wiping them away, glad he didn't say anything. "Hey," she said.

"This conversation is getting old," he told her, sitting down on his bed.

She nodded. "Coop left. I need a ride," she said quietly.

"Come on."

She followed him downstairs and out to the Range Rover where they got in and buckled up. They were quiet for a while before Seth spoke. "What were you doing on my floor?" he asked, not unkindly.

Summer didn't answer for a while. "I was thinking," she said, finally. "About stuff." After a beat, "Mostly us."

Seth nodded.

After that they didn't talk. They drove the rest of the way home in silence. Both of them knew that there was a lot of stuff that needed to be said and this would probably be an ideal opportunity but they also knew that they didn't want to say those things. They just wanted to let everything go because that was the easiest thing to do.

Seth pulled into Summer's drive and put the car in park. "So, I'll see you around?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you."

She got out of the car and Seth added, "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

She smiled at him, a genuine smile, and said, "Thanks." With that, she shut the door and walked into her house.

"I love you," Seth said, so quietly that even he had trouble hearing it.