Summary: Set after The Mall Episode. Seth and Summer work on some things and Ryan and Marissa try to become "friends". But are they ever just friends?
Marissa looks around her new messy apartment, not knowing where to begin. It's not like anyone from Newport actually cleans. She knows just the person for the job.
"Good Morning, Hartmann's Cleaning Service." A monotonous older female voice rung through the phone, "You'd think she'd be happy she's answering phones instead of cleaning houses."
"Hi, can I have a cleaner at Sauganash Estates, Apartment 4 sometime today?" she'd never really hired a cleaner before, that was usually her mom's job.
"Yeah… leave the door unlocked. Thank you, goodbye." The lady disconnected before Marissa could say bye. Now she just had a whole day of nothing ahead of her. Her thoughts drifted back to a couple nights ago, her night being a part of the Fabulous Four again. She missed those days, it was so fun, just being with her friends, and being close to Ryan. He said they were like strangers, he wanted to start again and be friends. Marissa tapped her nude colored nails against the wooden dresser, looking at a picture of a concert from the Bait Shop on the top of it, with the pier in the background. It was a place Ryan and Marissa spent a lot of their time together.
She picked up the phone and paused for a second before putting it to her ear.
"Hello?" Ryan, she knew that's who the groggy morning voice belonged to; and that's just who she wanted to talk to.
"Hey."
"Hey…" he was surprised Marissa would be calling, but happy.
"Um, so Alex is at work all day, I was supposed to clean but got a maid, so now I have a whole day to blow and…"
Ryan laughed, he couldn't imagine Marissa cleaning either, and the fact that she got a maid for the small apartment was funny, "I don't know if you'll be able to get me into a dress, but I could help you clean it up." She could tell he was smiling.
"Oh no, I just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out."
"Yes, but the thought of teaching you to clean is much more appealing. Plus Summer and Seth are up in Seth's room and making out and I'm going crazy, trying to keep the visual out of my mind. So I could use something to do. And I'm an excellent cleaner. Believe it or not, we had some clean houses back in Chino and-"
"Ryan. You need to get away from Seth, his rambling is making it's way into you."
"Shit," Ryan mumbled.
Marissa laughed, "You're really willing to teach me to clean?"
"Call and cancel the maid, I'll be over in a few."
"Thanks, see ya then."
"Bye…"
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"Chino!" Summer stood in the entrance to the kitchen, looking to the door at Ryan, "Where the hell do you think you're going? Seth's setting up the PS2."
"Change of plans."
"Care to explain?" Ryan never was a man of many words, but Summer couldn't stop talking, and was very nosey.
"Helping Marissa clean," A smile came to his face, but he tried his best to hide it from Summer. He knew that going over there would be awkward, but they were friends… right?
"Whoa, dude. What?" Seth appeared next to Summer with a controller.
"You're going to Marissa's, where Alex lives?"
"Um yeah, is that going to be a problem?"
"Maybe the fact that the basic law of ex's, they aren't friends. You go there you'll end up coming home brooding even more or back with Marissa, who knows."
"Except for the fact that there's Alex, so really this is just another triangle." Summer wrinkles her nose.
"There is no triangle, there is no relationship. I'm just helping clean."
"You're trying to spend time with her." Summer dead panned and nodded sympathetically.
"I-I'll be home… sometime." Ryan left. Lindsay just left, he wasn't trying to get back together with Marissa, she was happy with Alex. Wasn't she? And that's what he wanted, for her to be happy.
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Marissa trudges through the small room, trying to clear room for them to sit. "What should I wear? Shit, I'm still in a robe," she went to her closet but was cut off by the doorbell.
"Hey." She managed an awkward laugh and tried to pull her robe shut. Why did she have to wear all these revealing clothes around him?
"Uh.. Hi." Ryan blushed and smiled, looking around at the work ahead of them.
"Um, I'm going to go get changed," Marissa headed to her room and stopped when she realized Ryan was still at the doorway, "You can come in ya know."
"Yeah, I'll go find some brooms." He walked awkwardly into the house, wondering what he was doing here. This was going to be a long day.