Chapter Two: Out of Sync

Disclaimer:
I have no claims on this fabulous TV show.

Author's Note: Thank you so much to all my reviewers. The finale was amazing; I can't wait until next season!

Marissa's high heels clacked on the steps of the courthouse as she exited. Behind her, her best friends whispered.

"You take Marissa. Make sure she doesn't take a visit with her old friend, Mr. Ketel One," Seth said to his wife. "I'll make sure Ryan doesn't crash another car."

Summer nodded seriously. "Right. Call me later!"

She raced to catch up with her longtime friend. They had been through so much, she was sure Marissa could get through a divorce. Hopefully it wouldn't require another trip to rehab.

"Hey Coop!" She jogged to her side, looking clumsy in her Jimmy Choo's, "See? Major advantage! I can call you that without sounding like I've had amnesia ever since Chino showed up!"

She didn't respond, so Summer continued to ramble, a trait she had happily picked from her husband of fifteen years.

"So... do you want to get some lunch? You're a free women now! We can, like, flirt with the waiters. Or go see some strippers or Chippendales or something? Seth won't mind. I can pretend to be divorced, too."

Marissa bit her lip, and Summer recognized one of her nervous habits, the less controversial one.

"Chick flicks? Hugh Grant fest with some Ben and Jerry? Diet Pepsi to wash it all down?" Marissa managed a smile, and Summer knew it was exactly what she needed.

Across town, Ryan and Seth were sitting in a darkened bar.

"So are you gonna go all toughmanchinodivorcedat39 on me? 'Cause I usually don't do this on workdays...if you're not going to talk, I might as well go get some work done."

Ryan played with his empty glass. The bartender appeared almost instantly to refill it. He knew who Ryan Atwood was, almost everyone in Orange County did. If there were going to be any juicy secrets about his divorce revealed, he would not mind being the first to know them.

Ryan was quiet. "This is just...no more Marissa. For good, this time."

Seth was unsure of how to respond. "No more Julie Cooper Nichols Armstrong Hesse?"

A small smile danced across Ryan's features. She had never been his favorite person.

Pleased with his success, Seth tried to continue. "No more explaining to Elle why Mommy doesn't like mornings?"

Ryan turned his head and his friend grew nervous. "Got it. So your affair with Lucy and hers with Vodka are off-limits?"

"You know we were already seperated when that happened. I forgot Elle was coming over that morning. I never--"

Seth cut him off. "I know, I know. You never meant for them to find out. But they did! God, Ry, what were you thinking?!" The exasperation in his voice was evident. He had wanted them to get back together so badly. After all, they had so many times before.

Ryan sighed, drowning his glass.

At Harbor High, a nervous freshman was exiting the school. She dropped one of her notebooks on the ground, and her friend bent down to pick it up. A stray piece of paper slipped out and he grabbed it, anxiously reading.

"Cam!" She squealed, snatching the paper and her notebook away. She slipped them into her bag and he grinned at her.He had still had enough time to read the note, after all.

"Jake asked you out?"

Elle's silence was enough of an answer.

"So what are you going to say?" Jake was a nice enough guy, Cam supposed. They were in World Civ together. He seemed okay, but his being on the lacrosse team was enough for Cameron to categorize him as a jerk. Besides, it was no secret that he was a frequent recipient of Gigi's twenty dollar blow jobs.

"No one else asked me to the Spring Fling," Elle replied quietly.

"Oh," Cam replied. He would have asked her if he knew it was important, he thought. But he guessed it was too late now. He brightened up when he remembered why he had been looking for her. "My Mom's out front with Rachel, she's picking you up today."

"Okay," Elle replied. She followed him to the black SUV and wordlessly got in. She noted Summer's worried smile and suddenly remembered what she had been trying to forget all day. Her parent's divorce was final.