Chapter Nine

"It wouldn't kill you to give her a freaking chance." Summer said as-a-matter-of-factly. She looked at Ryan concisely, as if searching for a change in his face- but she was severely unsuccessful.

"I talked to her. I listened to her. I don't think it'll work. I just don't think I'm in for all the same things she's in a relationship for." Ryan answered.

"What do you mean?" Summer asked quickly, defensively.

"I mean we're different people." Ryan replied as well as he knew how.

"What? If you want a same half, why don't you marry your twin or something? No girl is ever going to be the same as you. If she was, wouldn't that be slightly scary?" Summer asked rhetorically. "You know, what do you really mean that she's in it for different reasons?"

"Well," Ryan hesitated. How was he going to tell Summer, Marissa's 'lawyer' that she wanted nothing more then, well, sex. "All the wrong reasons, let's just say."

"Meaning what, Ryan? Will you speak up already?" Summer asked, irritated.

"She wants sex." Ryan said on his own guard.

"Don't you?" Summer asked as if shocked.

"Under circumstances. I need to know the girl. Love the girl. Not MAKE love to the girl after just seeing her." Ryan said respecting his own self, and helping this girl respect herself in one certain case. Ryan looked at Summer, who looked back at Ryan with a pout that meant, 'you're right, but I can't admit that'. Ryan smiled, and then he said, "You know, whatever I say you're just not going to agree with me, so there's no point of this discussion. If you're going to tell Marissa anything, tell her that I'm just not ready for a relationship, and that maybe eventually I will be."

"You think I'm going to snitch?" Summer asked, confused. She scrunched up her face- Seth thought it was the cutest thing.

"Obviously. Don't you always?" Ryan responded coldly, replying in the same manner Summer used toward him.

"Ryan, I'm not like that. Seth- for future reference, I'm not like that. Maybe you should care about people around you rather then what you hear about people around you." Summer looked hurt, before she turned around and walked swiftly away. Ryan felt slightly guilty, but Seth couldn't help but smile- he just had Summer talk to him. He was fluttering on cloud nine, amoung the other people who were mercilessly struck by Cupid's arrow and given the grace of such a beautiful feeling. Seth's eyes were excited, his heart pounding, his legs weak beneath him.

"Give it up, Seth." Ryan wasn't in the mood for any more 'love' idiocy. He's had too much already and he hadn't done anything. However, Seth could not be brought down. When Ryan turned to walk away, Seth gleefully followed him with a certain zing to each step.

Later on that day, Marissa started to walk up to Ryan. Ryan got nervous, as he didn't know what to say or how to act around her. Besides, she was the one that summoned little Miss B itch on him (also known as Summer).

"Hey Ryan, can we talk?" Marissa pleaded shyly. Her lines were practised, but still each word was indefinite and shaky.

"Sorry, uh, mmm, well, I gotta, I gunna, I have to, you know, I gotta go?" Ryan said and then scampered off. Marissa slapped her hand down, on her thigh. Her muscles beneath the hand stung and ached after the hard knock. Tears started to appear in Marissa's eyes, but she resisted. She felt overwhelmed with shame, anger, and sadness that her and Ryan would never be. She went to the nearest locker and she slammed her head against the coldness. Her head now felt a new sensation of pain, and chill shrivelling inside of her. Marissa tried to gulp, but something hard, was lodged inside her throat- perhaps an imaginary object that Marissa's consciousness placed there, or perhaps a thick wad of spit that had developed after her mouth had gone desert-dry. Her legs shook underneath the weight of her body. She felt like no one was there for her, until Summer came from behind and touched her shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Cooper." She said as she gently touched her friend's shoulder, looking around her, searching for something sacred, but nothing at all. Summer gulped- swearing revenge on Ryan for doing this to Marissa. Marissa was trying feverishly hard not to cry, but her face was already crimson, and her eyes a cherry red. Marissa frowned meaningfully, hoping that this feeling would go away. Never had she felt this way about a boy. Never had she felt this way about any one.

"You know what?" Summer paused looking at Marissa's newly hopeful face, "We should go out tonight. It'll be fun!" Summer insisted, when she saw Marissa start to frown again, "Come on Marissa! We can go to a club or something. We'll dance the night off. We always do that together when we're down. Come on? Please?" Summer whined gently, urging her friend to come with her.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Marissa said quietly.

Somehow, later that night, Summer managed to convince Marissa into going with her. Marissa was at Summer's house getting ready, with all the pizzazz encircling them. Marissa put on one of her own, favourite dresses- a strapless black and red ensemble, with a diagonal cut starting at the knees. She put on dazzling high heels that fit perfectly with the spectacular dress. Summer on the other hand, tried something fun- she put on a witty light green dress, of course a little short, that exposed her legs. She wore her comfortable, yet oddly fabulous shoes. The two stood in front of the mirror, applying layers and layers of make-up.

"Ta da!" Summer raised one hand to present herself, after applying make-up, doing her hair and getting ready. Marissa looked at her and smiled.

"Gorgeous, as always." Marissa said, smiling.

"Well, obviously you look hot. You're Cooper!" Summer joked, but meant it. "Are you ready to go?" Summer said as she grabbed her purse.

"Definitely." Marissa said, as she grabbed her own purse. At this moment, her cell phone started to ring informing Marissa that she received a text message. Marissa read it carefully, over and over again. Her face turned from half-excited, to worried. The message read:

"Hey sexy. F uck me, or I'll kill you. Bye B itch. Love- the only person that will ever love you." Marissa gulped as she read it aloud. Summer looked at Marissa confused.

"What the hell is that?" Summer asked in complete shock.

"Text message I got." Marissa started to breathe heavier. Soon, her cell phone rang again- giving her another text message.

"By the way, say hi to the sexy beast beside you- Summer. Love you both. I'll make love to you both, too." Marissa read out loud. She looked toward the window, and ran to close it. When she did she collapsed on Summer's bed.

"Marissa, who is it?" Summer said frantically, both of the girls were panicking.

"I don't know. But we're not going out tonight. Not until these messages stop." Marissa said, as her face turned white behind all the concealer she had on. Summer sat down behind her, shivering at every sound that went off in her house. She knew her father was at home, so she was safe.

"What if they don't stop?" Summer said quietly.

"I don't know…" Marissa shook her head as she cried intolerantly.