chapter 2

Marissa and Ryan walked out of the pool house laughing and talking, unaware of Sandy Kirsten and Seth watching them. As they walked nearer the pool Ryan grabbed Marissa's arms and tried to push her in. Sandy, Kirsten and Seth could here her shrieking and laughing in the kitchen but the two of them were so wrapped up in each other they were completely oblivious to the Cohen's watching them.

"don't you wish you could take a picture of them and show them how happy they are with each other?" said Kirsten, sighing.

"I know honey I mean how long is it gonna take them to realise that they make each other happy?" replied Sandy

"don't you worry mum, dad, I have a plan!"

"Seth no! leave them to figure it out themselves, if you interfere you'll probably break them further apart."

Just then, Ryan and Marissa walked through the kitchen doors, both with wide grins on there faces. "so, what were you guys talking about?" asked Marissa. There was an awkward silence for a couple of seconds until Seth said,

"Oh is that the time, sorry guys but I've gotta go!" looking at his wrist which didn't even have a watch on it.

When he was upstairs and they heard his bedroom door shut Marissa said, "Is it me or does he get stranger every time I see him?"

"You try living with him!" answered Sandy.

"Umm Sandy can I borrow the car coz me and Marissa wanna go 2 the beach and her dad dropped her off here." Ryan asked.

"Sorry guys but the cars at the garage getting the air conditioning fixed."

"Oh." They said simultaneously. "Well I suppose we could go on my bike?" Ryan thought out loud. A smile slowly crept over Marissa's face. "Yeah that would be cool I guess," said Marissa trying to act like she wasn't really bothered either way, but really she thought it was one of the best ideas he'd ever had. The memory of that time they rode down the pier with Seth on his skateboard and her on the back of Ryan's bike. Just the three of them. Thinking back, that was one of the happiest days of her life, riding down the pier with Ryan had made her feel exhilarated and normal. For that moment she wasn't the most popular girl in school with loads of money, she was just Marissa Cooper, hanging out with Ryan Atwood. Even though most would say that nothing remarkable happened that day it would forever be etched in her memory.

Ryan was hoping she wouldn't mind, he knew his bike was a bit old but he loved it. It was his and it had loads of memories with it starting back from Chino. Admittedly not all these memories were good, but the one that sprang to mind first was when he asked Marissa out that first time. He was leaning forward on his bike trying to look cool and she was leaning against the boot of Summers car, wearing only a bikini top and miniskirt. He smiled at the memory.

Ryan was perched carefully on his bike, waiting for Marissa to get on. "Come on Riss!"

"Hang on Ryan u don't know how hard it is to get on a bike when you're wearing a denim mini!" she said concentrating on getting on the bike as decently as possible. Ryan turned round and looked at the serious expression on her face and couldn't help but laugh. She looked so cute with the little frown lines. "Ryan! Its not funny!" she said giving him a gentle slap on the arm, but then realised that actually it was pretty funny and anyway she could never keep a straight face when he was smiling.

Once they'd calmed down Ryan asked if she was ready and as she insisted that she had been ready ages before him. They both knew this wasn't true but Ryan kept his mouth shut and gave her his famous half smile. "O God!" she thought, she loved that little half smile so much he just looked so irresistible with it on. Then she thought wait a sec, when doesn't he look irresistible? Urgghh im in love with my best friend. She was holding on to his waist as they cycled down the road and there was no way that she could deny the sparks that she was feeling. She wondered if he could feel them to. Stop it! She told herself he only sees me as a friend. We are just friends, just friends. She sighed and wished that they could be more.

Ryan began to slow down as they arrived at the beach. "Wow we got here really quickly!" said Marissa.

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't have to pedal!" Ryan exclaimed.

Marissa giggled and said "thanks Ryan, I don't know what I'd do without you." Uh oh she thought, realising what she said, I hope he takes that a joke.

"Wow!" Ryan thought smiling. Slowly his smile faded as he realised that it must've been meant as a joke. Before the moment had time to become awkward Ryan grabbed Marissa's waist and pulled her into a fireman's lift. "Ryan!" she screamed, "put me down! Ryan! My skirts gonna get wet! Ryan!" her voice was coming out really high and girlish and was mixed with pure, heartfelt laughter. Only Ryan could make her feel this happy.

"someone should have thought about that before they made me peddle all the way here in the Californian sunshine!" he said gasping for air through his laughter.

Ryans was now ankle deep in the water but instead of dropping Marissa in the water he carefully slipped her down until she was standing right in front of him. Neither of them said anything it was a perfect silence, no doubt Seth would have felt awkward in it, but Ryan and Marissa didn't need any words for those few seconds. "Thanks," Marissa whispered, barely audible. She couldn't explain how she was feeling. But she liked it. She liked it a lot.

They sound of two kids play fighting on the beach further down brought them back to the real world. "So u wanna go and sit on the sand?" Ryan asked casually still gazing at Marissa.

Marissa's lips slowly grew into a smile before she replied, "yeah in one sec, first I gotta do this!" she pushed Ryan quickly and as he was not expecting at all he fell straight into the cold, clear water, completely drenching him and his wife beater from head to foot. Marissa ran as first as she could back on to dry land before he could bring her down into the water with him.

Marissa watched Ryan slowly stand up and wipe the water away from his mouth with the back of his hand. He had a really serious expresssion on his face and for a moment she was worried that she'd actually upset him. He pushed his wet hair back away from his face. Suddenly his face broke into a huge smile and he shouted "I cannot believe you just did that!" Marissa collapsed on the sand laughing at him while he slowly jogged back onto land and sat beside her. He took his soaking wife beater off revealing a tanned chest.

"hmm... Ryan have you been shaving your chest?" Marissa joked. Ryan laughed and chucked his dripping wife beater right at her face.

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