Chapter 3

Disclaimer: don't own anything, yet.

KC-Chick: Thanks so much, I was really, really worried about the characterisations in this chapter, especially of Marissa and Seth, so thanks for reasurring me on that one! Thankyou, thankyou!

smartiepantz: I know, I love Marissa and Seth as friends too! So glad you liked it.

Yes. I am evil-oh well: glad you liked this chapter, um, yeah, if you read Marissa's Choice it won't really spoil anything, so, yeah, go ahead! thanks.

I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies: Thanks for the fab review. The bit about the PS2, you read my mind! Next chapter the beginning of the PS2 tradition will all be revealed!

BrSoccerChic: glad i'm surprising you, lol!

On with the story!

XXXX

"Dude, what the hell was that?" Seth asked coming into the poolhouse later that evening, after he had given Ryan sufficient time to calm down.

"What the hell was what?"

"The diner. The fact that you said, like, two words and you made Marissa cry. And, may I remind you that the whole debacle was, in fact, your idea."

"How could I have made her cry? I barely spoke to her."

"Exactly!" Seth was getting a strange feeling of deja vu. "She thought you wanted to back together with her and then you go and ignore her. Nice work buddy."

"Did she tell you this during your cosy little date on the pier?" Ryan snapped, he really didn't need this right now.

"What? Don't be ridiculous, I was being nice to her, you might want to try it sometime."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." Seth glowered. I'm not talking to you when you're being like this." He paused, wondering whether to say what he was really thinking without upsetting Ryan. Oh what the hell, he was already mad with him. "I will say this though; I didn't believe you about Oliver either, but you forgave me, cut her some slack, she loves you."

"Not according to her, she doesn't" Ryan said quietly.

"She just said that cos she was mad, trust me man. Just...think about it." Seth said retreating before the semi-argument could develop further. Ryan flopped down onto his bed, he knew Seth was right, he was just confused, he needed time, time to himself, time away from Marissa, time to figure out what he wanted.

XXXX

"So, yeah, the friends thing. Total Disaster." Marissa concluded as she finished telling Summer what had happened in the diner, over the phone after she had had a long, hot, well deserved bath.

"Yeah, maybe you should just try and stay away from him for a while." Summer agreed sheepishly, she felt partly responsible for Marissa's outburst, they obviously weren't over each other yet. The friends plan would have to wait a while.

"Good idea, now enough about me and Ryan. You wanna go shopping tomorrow?"

"That's more like it" Summer encouraged. "We haven't been shopping for, like, ever."

"I know, it's been at least a week!" Marissa teased.

XXXX

The next few days passed as peacefully as they ever do in Newport. Seth and Summer devised a plan to keep Marissa and Ryan away from each other, which they quickly sussed but didn't say anything, it wasn't as if they wanted to talk to each other. Marissa tried to get over Ryan by dragging Summer to the mall almost everyday, Summer didn't mind, retail therapy was a great way to pass the time. It was only after a particularly intense session that Marissa felt brave enought to go over and talk to Ryan when she spotted him sitting alone at lunch one day. She managed to shake Summer off by telling her she was going to the bathroom (the only place Summer would let her go alone) and cautiously went over to where he was sitting.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"You mind if I sit down?" She asked.

"No, go ahead." He moved his bag from the nearest empty chair. She sat.

"I just wanted to apologise...y'know...about the diner."

"You were upset." Ryan said simply "It doesn't matter."

"Yeah, it does. I just wanted to explain." She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I wasn't really angry at you." Ryan raised his eyebrows "Well, maybe I was a bit." She admitted with a small smile. "But I was angry at me more, I guess I needed to take it out on someone, I'm sorry."

"I know, it's ok."

"Thanks, and I just wanted to say, I'm not expecting instant forgiveness but do you think, that maybe one day we could be...friends?"

"Friends?" Ryan smiled.

"Well, we can try." Marissa smiled back, each knew what the other was thinking. "Well, I'd better go, don't want to keep you from your lunch." She didn't want to overstay her welcome.

"Ok, you sure?" Ryan said.

"Yeah, I told Summer I was going to the bathroom, she'll kill me if she finds me here."

"I know, what is it with those two?" Ryan asked glancing past Marissa. "Busted." He said smiling. Marissa turned around and laughed at what she saw.

"Cohen! I'm gonna kill you, you were meant to keep Ryan inside today." Summer scolded.

"I know, I'm sorry! But he wanted to go outside, what was I supposed to do?"

"Tie him to a chair, anything, don't care."

"Guys, stop it, we're fine." Marissa said trying to prevent the row turing into a full scale argument.

"Yeah, ok." Summer said sarcastically.

"No, I mean it, come on." She said trying to distract her from her mission to kill Seth. "We'll see you guys later."

"See ya." Ryan said desperately trying not to laugh at the sight of Marissa trying to drag Summer away from Seth. Rage blackouts at school? That was a new experience for him, and for the small crowds of students that had gathered round to watch.

"Woah, you'd better watch it." Seth told Ryan when the girls had finally gone and the crowd had dispersed "You're in serious danger of cracking a smile there."

"Oh, hilarious." Ryan shot back.

"Well, come on dude, what's the goss, you and Marissa were being civil and stuff."

"She just came over to- we talked." Ryan shrugged. Seth raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"I saw you laughing." He accused as though this were a deadly sin.

"Yeah. At you." Ryan said. That shut him up...for about twenty seconds.

"So, what is the deal?" He asked again.

"We're friends. Well, we will be, I dunno, eventually, I think." Ryan rambled.

"Well, I'm glad you're all clear about that."

"Seth?"

"Yes."

"Shut up and get to class."

"Ok."

XXXX

"You're gonna be friends?" Summer asked suspiciously as she and Marissa walked to Math.

"We're gonna be friends." Marissa repeated. "Eventually, and -don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Summer asked asked innocently.

"All suggestively."

"I can't help it. I give it two weeks, no a week till you're making out in the poolhouse." Marissa laughed.

"You don't think we can do it do you?"

"No, I know you can't." Summer smiled. "Trust me, you'll see."

"No, you'll see." Marissa said under her breath, she was determined not to screw it up this time