Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I still own nothing, doubt I ever will, sob.
xGoingUnderx: glad you liked it,I wasn't originally going to write the prank but it sort of wrote itself! And, yeah it was a bit evil, sorry :( If you like cute stuff (which I know you do!), I hope you enjoy this!
smartiepantz: yay! glad you like Summer again!
EVCGLSB: aw, thanks, that's really sweet of you. The ruffling of the hair thingy, I didn't really realise until I read your review that I'd done it but now I doknow. I shall pay extra attention from now on!I don't like it when people make Summer horrible either (cos I think she's fab!), I figured that in the beginning she would probably be mean to Ryan, just cos he'd hurt Marissa but then she'd probably forgive him, like she did last chapter! Ah, yes Scott, well, you see,I was going to put him in at the middle-ish part of this story but then I had another idea toput thereso he'll probably come into it near the end, but hedefinitely needs to come into it sometime, doesn't he! I reallyhope you like this chapter, it was the most fun to write so far. Oh yeah, and in your review of chapter 6 you asked when Marissa was going to get good at PS2... this chapter should explain that!
GalootMaster: wow, that's a really great compliment, thankyou, you can have 3 claps too clap clap clap for being so lovely! lol! Thanks!
I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies: Really glad you liked last chapter, I should probably find myself a friend who has a PS2 then, strictly for 'research purposes only' cough! talking of PS2s...I hope you enjoy this.
KC-Chick: Oh wow, your fave chapter so far, thanks!I have to say it was really fun to write! and trust me you're not a dork, Ryan is very, very hot! Thanks for reviewing :)
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"No! Get off me!" Marissa said angrily, late one night in the poolhouse a few weeks later. "That's cheating!"
"No it's not; I can do that if I want." Ryan protested furiously.
"Wait, stop a sec." Marissa said pressing the pause button; she looked at the ceiling for a second. Ryan stared at her, what the hell was she doing? "Nope, it definitely says that repeatedly stabbing me while I'm already half dead is cheating." She said.
"Where?" Ryan scoffed. "On the ceiling?"
"No, in my head." He stared at her again "Well, you seem to make up the rules as we go along so I thought it was my turn to do so." Sheexplained stubbornly.
"Fine!"
"Fine!" She giggled suddenly. "When did we get so competitive?"
"I dunno." Ryan laughed, she had a point. They'd been playing almost every night for a nearly a month now and the closer they became to each other, the more competitive they became.
"You do have an unfair advantage though." She carried on.
"No I don't."
"Yes you do!"
"What's that then?"
"Um, the PS2, you actually have one, I don't." She reminded him. "You can practise whenever you want."
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Cos, you're always here."
"You complaining?"
"No, I didn't-"
"Shut up then." She laughed.
"I'm not going to win this one am I?" Ryan sighed.
"Do you ever win?" She teased.
"No."
"Exactly! Now are you going to stop cheating?"
"I wasn't ch-"
"Er, are you gonna stop or not?" She interrupted ignoring his protests.
"I s'pose."
"Ok then, let's go again, wait, what time is it?"
"Almost ten thirty."
"Oh crap."
"Why what's the matter?"
"Well, you know how it's my birthday tomorrow?"
"Um, yep, you have mentioned it a couple of thousand times." Ryan smiled.
"I'm excited! Well, I have to go to my Mom's, to get my present."
"Now? Aren't you seeing her tomorrow?"
"Ryan, this is my mother we're talking about. It's my birthday I can see who I want, and I don't wanna see her."
"That's a bit harsh." Ryan said, trying to be the voice of reason. Sure, Julie was evil but it was her daughter's birthday, she would probably make an effort to be nice to her. Then again, knowing Julie Cooper-Nichol, probably not.
"Not really." Marissa said airily. "Anyway, if I go now, I can't stay long cos I 'have to be up early for school'."
"Good idea."
"I know. Anyway so... seeing as I'm going now can I have my present?" She asked, eyes wide.
"I wondered when you were going to ask that." Ryan smiled "And the answer's the same as it was half an hour ago. No! You can have it tomorrow, on your actual birthday."
"Urgh! Please!"
"No!"
"Please!"
"No!"
"Fine, but it'd better be good." She teased. "If I've got to wait that long."
"Yeah, I know, it'll be almost 8 hours till I see you." Ryan deadpanned.
"Grr! I hate you."
"Love you too." He said sweetly, blowing her a kiss as she started to leave the poolhouse.
"Forget it and-" She began, mock warningly
"And I'm dead, get the picture. Now go! You don't want to keep your Mom waiting do you?"
"Oh, very funny."
"I know, I'm hilarious, see you tomorrow."
"Avec mon present?"
"If I can be bothered." He winked at her, teasing her.
"Byeeee" She called.
"Say 'hi' to your mom for me." Ryan said sarcastically.
"Oh, you crack me up."
"So you said, now go!"
Ryan smiled to himself as he closed the poolhouse door and got ready for bed, not before having a quick game on the PS2. Marissa was getting scarily good, not that he would ever tell her that of course. She had been trying to get the details of her present out of him for nearly a week now, but he wouldn't tell her. Secretly he was very pleased with himself. He knew she would absolutely love it, and he couldn't wait to see her face when she opened it.
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"Hey, happy birthday." He said when he saw Marissa the next day at school. Then, before she could reply he slapped his palm to his forehead "Dammit! I knew there was something I'd forgotten!" He exclaimed.
"You didn't?" She asked looking crestfallen.
"Do I look like I have a death wish?" He asked smiling, "No, come on, it's in the car." He took her hand and they started to walk back to the parking lot.
"Why is it in the car?" She asked excitedly.
"Cos, it is." Ryan said mysteriously.
"Ooh," she squealed, almost running now. When they reached the car Ryan made her wait at the front and went round to get it from the backseat. He placed it on the bonnet. It was a large oblong shaped box, she frowned at it, she was usually pretty good at guessing what presents were through the boxes but she was stumped on this one. "Can I open it now?"
"No, I thought we'd just look at it for a few minutes."
"Oh, be quiet." She said excitedly ripping at the wrapping paper, "Oh my God, Ryan this is the best present ever!" She shrieked when she'd opened it, throwing her arms round his neck. It was a PS2.
"You like it?"
"Um, yeah. Oh my God, it's so cool. But," She giggled "you do realise it's a big mistake don't you?"
"Why?" Ryan asked worriedly, not realising she was teasing him.
"Cos I'm gonna practise this thing so much that you won't be able to beat me ever again."
"Is that so?"
"Yep! Oh my God. This so cool." She said again, stroking the console softly and smiling. "But, this must have cost a fortune." She said quietly.
"Yeah, well, I may have had a loan from the bank of Sandy." Ryan said casually.
"Well, thankyou. I really love it." She said again kissing him on the cheek.
"I take it she liked it then?" Seth asked coming up behind them.
"You knew?" Marissa asked. Seth nodded grinning.
"But you said you didn't-"
"I must be a good liar." He said smiling. "Better than Ryan anyway."
"Well, that's not hard, is it?"
"True."
"Oi!" Ryan protested "I am still here."
"Unfortunately." Seth said winking at Marissa before hastily adding "Anyway, I've gotta go, see you guys later."
"So you really like it?" Ryan asked when he'd gone.
"Love it! Hey, you wanna come over tonight and christen it?" She said jumping up and down excitedly.
"Um, don't you have to go have dinner with your Dad?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot. Tomorrow?"
"Ok, sounds cool."
"Well, I should get to class but thankyou, thankyou, thankyou." She said grinning at him. "I had no idea what it was gonna be."
"Good, I wanted it to be a total surprise."
"It was." She hugged him again, tightly. "You're the best. Although, not at PS2, not anymore."
"Oh yeah?" Ryan challenged.
"Yeah! You just wait, soon it'll seem like I've been playing forever!"