Chapter Fifteen

"Marissa, will you go out with me?" Ryan flashed himself a quick smile- actually his reflection, as he groomed himself before walked over to Marissa's house and asking her out. He didn't bother with the formal gift, but he wanted to have the actual asking her out downright practised. He figured it out, with the help of his nifty sidekick, Seth. Dating wasn't a commitment- it was a time to get to know the partner.

Ryan left the pool house carefully closing the door. He crossed the lawn, and walked over towards the front door. He knocked politely, but with no reply he decided to ring the doorbell. Marissa came out, dressed in a miniskirt and a white halter-top. She gazed at Ryan, as if saying 'what-are-you-doing-here?' through her tedious glare. Ryan smiled, and Marissa closed the front door as she walked in front of it. They stood under the night sky, and the breeze ruffled their hair.

"Marissa," Ryan paused, "Will you," Ryan tried to let the words leave his mouth, but it's as if they were afraid. He managed to somehow continue, "Will you go out with me?" Ryan asked. Those words must have been the hardest things he had ever said in his life. He looked at Marissa's face, but he couldn't tell if she was flattered, in love, confused, shocker…

"You don't mean that." Marissa finally said, impervious.

"I mean it with my heart and soul." Ryan said touching her hands with the tips of his fingers. He stared into her eyes, hoping that she would accept.

"No, you don't mean that." Marissa insisted deprecatingly.

"Yes I really do." Ryan repeated.

"Why now?" Marissa asked, now her face had irrelevant worry all over it.

"Because, the time was right." Ryan said slowly, unsure of how the situation was blooming.

"Well obviously your timing could not be worse, Ryan!" Marissa shrieked.

"What?" Ryan asked quietly, over Marissa's booming voice. She grasped her forehead.

"I'm going out with someone. I'm going out with Zack. He asked me out. I'm sorry Ryan. You waited too long." Marissa gulped, and she entered her house again. She closed the door as she looked pitifully at Ryan. Ryan stood in the now, not pleasant but frigid breeze that overshadowed the bashful evening. Ryan draped his hands in his pockets, as he sagged along the driveway, down the lawn, entering his pool house room in silence.

Soon Seth came wallowing in also, searching for consolation in Ryan. He sat down right beside Ryan, as he shifted his hands in his pockets. Seth shrugged and exhaled. Seth just contemplated in the darkness for a little while, allowing Ryan to do the same.

"What's up?" Ryan asked fitfully, as if it were a question he just had to ask.

"Well. I don't know. I'm beat. I don't know how to deal with Sum and her associate- Marissa. They want to 'bond' but I don't know if they mean it or if they just want to see how much of a booger I am." Seth laughed quietly to himself, hoping this wasn't just a plan to make him less popular- he was already lower then the general low.

"You have a chance to hang with the ladies and you're worried?" Ryan smiled at Seth, "For what it's worth, I think that they'll take you down faster then you can say help." Ryan added.

"What? Thanks for that. I feel so much better." Seth growled sarcastically. "What's up with you?" Seth asked quickly.

"I finally asked Marissa out," Ryan gave Seth a second to gasp in utter shock, "But,"

"But…" Seth repeated hoping Ryan would continue faster.

"She's going out with Zack." Ryan said, showing his sadness. Seth looked at him empathetically, and then spoke.

"It's like she wanted to kill your pride. Maybe she's aware of how hard it is for a guy to ask a girl out." Seth said, not helping Ryan whatsoever. Ryan nodded, as he looked deep into the wall hoping it would move, or shiver under his gaze so he could change the subject. He sighed, as he compared his and Seth's situations. He wanted to hang with Marissa, and he couldn't. Seth got to hang with Marissa, but he's afraid. Ryan laughed to himself, as he realised how different him and Seth really were.

"I gotta go." Ryan said suddenly, getting up from the poolhouse.

"Where are you going?" Seth asked quickly, realising that this was Ryan's room.

"Don't worry about it." Ryan mumbled quickly, as he escaped the room.