The Aftershock

Chapter 3

"Hello?"

"Marissa, don't hang up."

"Look, I told you to stop calling me." Marissa hung up the phone angrily. 'Why won't he just leave me alone?' She then stared at the phone. 'Why hasn't she called to see how I'm doing? Doesn't she care if I turned out okay or not?' She took a few breaths to calm herself. 'I have no right to be mad at her. I'm the one who should call. I hope she's not mad at me…' She shook her head and pulled her eyes away from the phone before looking into her mirror. She sighed as she lightly ran her fingers over the bruise that hard formed on her collarbone. She grabbed a jacket and put it on before heading out the door.

Marissa was at her locker getting some books when she felt someone touch her shoulder.

"Hey." Marissa turned around startled and glared at Ryan.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." Ryan thought she was kidding so he replied back, playfully.

"Oh yea, and why's that?" He grinned at her expecting her to smile as well.

"Because they might be angry." Marissa thought back to the same conversation that she had with Alex awhile ago. Alex was only joking when she said it, but, now, Marissa really meant it.

"Oh, sorry." Ryan gave an apologetic smile before leaning in to kiss her, it caused her to flinch. He pulled back and looked at her. "You okay?" She nodded slightly.

"Yea, I guess I'm just not used to the hallway kiss yet." She closed her locker and walked away. 'I'm just not used to you, anymore…' Ryan looked at her curiously before following her.

"So…Anything crazy happen while I was gone?" Marissa stopped and put a finger to her chin, as if in thought. 'Well, if you don't count your brother trying to rape me and Alex saving me, then, no.'

"No… It was pretty much the same as usual." She moved her hand to her neck, reaching to play with her necklace, but then remembered that she no longer wore it. So, she just kept her hand on the collar of her shirt. Ryan didn't know whether to be relieved or worried when Marissa said Newport was the same as usual. 'Things always happen in Newport…' He shrugged before they started walking together again.

"So, how's this weekend for that date?"

"This weekend?" 'This weekend would've been our three month anniversary…'

"Yea, is there something wrong?"

"What? No…this weekend is great… But, let's talk about this later, okay?"

"Okay…" Marissa gave a confused Ryan, a quick kiss on the cheek, before running off somewhere.

Marissa was heading to the parking lot when she spotted Trey there, looking around. She stepped back, behind a bush and looked back at him. She then spotted the back of some blonde's head, getting into a jeep. 'Alex?' She stuck her head out further trying to get a better look at the person she just saw, without getting seen by Trey.

"What are you doing?" Summer looked at Marissa strangely. Marissa jumped at Summer's voice and then turned to her.

"Summer, hey! I was, uh…I was…waiting for you! My car is completely out of gas, could you give me a ride?" Summer looked at Marissa's hopeful expression and nodded.

"Sure, c'mon." Summer began walking and motioned Marissa to follow her, but then stopped noticing the other brunette stayed in her place.

"Um, I left a book inside. Could you pick me up around back?" Summer raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

"Yea, whatever." Marissa watched Summer walk away before turning her head back to the parking lot. She saw that Trey had sat down on a bench with his head in his hands. She looked past him to try to find the girl in the jeep, but she was nowhere to be found. 'Damn, she's gone.' She sighed before leaving to go to the back of the campus.