Title: Everybody's Changing

Summary: A Ryan/Marissa fic. Set summer before/early S3

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing, characters and sections of plots are from the writers and producers of the show.

AN: This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic- so please go easy on me. Reviews are appreciated; I'm always up for advice and new opinions. There isn't much of a plot to this story so far but I promise it will develop in the next few chapters.

Ryan got off the bed and stood up.

"Hi," he said, after the initial shock hit him.

"Ummm... sorry I didn't mean to interrupt," Marissa said biting her lip. "I'll just be going now."

She could feel the tears coming and wasn't sure how long she could hold them in. She was nearing the other end of the pool when she heard Ryan calling her.

"Marissa, wait."

She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you were still in New York."

"I'm spending the summer in Newport before I go off to college."

"Oh, I see," Ryan saw that she looked upset and wondered if it was because of him and Lindsay.

He was thinking about what to say next when Marissa quickly rushed, "Look, I gotta go. I'll, um, maybe call you later or something..."

"Marissa," he said softly, but this time she didn't stop walking.

She jumped into her car and headed out to the lifeguard stand. It was a year later, yet she found herself back in the same place crying. Some things never change.

Ryan didn't know how long Marissa had been there, leaning against the stand asleep. He sat down and lightly jostled her, trying to wake her up.

She opened her eyes and the first thing that came into focus was Ryan sitting next to her.

"Hi," she said, suddenly wide awake.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay and this seemed like the place you would most likely be."

"Oh. Thanks. I guess I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You didn't really seem fine back at the pool house."

"Well I'm as good as a girl can be when she comes home to her boyfriend after a year of not seeing him and she finds him with his ex," Marissa icily commented.

"Hey, don't make it seem like I cheated on you. We broke up last summer, remember?"

"Yes, but I didn't expect you to get over it so quickly. And then you went running back to Lindsay? I thought that I meant something to you."

"Marissa, you do mean something to me. But let's be realistic here. We've been on opposite sides of the country for a year, it's not like we were both going to stay single the whole time. And can you honestly tell me that you haven't gone out with anyone while you were in New York?"

"Well, okay I did go out with these two different guys. But that's not the point. When I went out with them I couldn't stop thinking about you. I thought that you felt the same way. I guess that I thought wrong."

"What do you want me to do? Break up with Lindsay so that we can get back together and live happily ever after? I think that me and you have been through way too much to ever make our relationship work again."

"Ryan, what happened to you?" her voice shaking. "Last year you told me that you would never stop loving me. Now you're saying how we could never be. And I thought that all the things that we got through together are what kept our relationship working."

"Look, Marissa. People can change a lot over a year."

"But do you still love me?"

"I'm with Lindsay right now."

"That's not answering my question," she reasoned.

Ryan took a deep breath.

"Yes, I'm still in love with you. But that's beside the point. Like I said before, we can't be together."

Marissa couldn't stand this any longer; she stood up and stormed away.

Ryan leaned back as his head hit the wall of the lifeguard stand. Why did I just say all of that to her? I still love Marissa; I probably shouldn't have acted so cold. On the other hand, she was my girlfriend a year ago. Lindsay is my girlfriend now. I belong with Lindsay, not Marissa. If I'm making the right decision then why do I feel so horrible?

Ryan was lying on his bed with his feet propped up on the pillows when he heard a soft knock. Marissa was the first name that jumped into his head. But as he turned and walked over to the door he was instead faced with Lindsay.

"Hey," he said, kissing her on the cheek and trying to mask his slight disappointment.

"How did things go with Marissa?"

"It was complicated. I told her that I was with you now and that she and I were definitely over."

"Are you sure that you made the right decision?"

His response was to place his hands on her waist and give her a long kiss.

"Yes, I'm sure," he smiled as he kissed her again. Lindsay returned the favor and then looked up and stared Ryan straight in the eyes.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Um...," was all that he could muster to say.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean to spring that on you out of nowhere."

"No, it's okay. It's just that I'm still trying to sort my feelings out here. I don't know if I can say that to you yet. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Ryan. I'm not trying to force you to tell me you love me. I understand the real reason why you can't say it."

"And what's that reason?"

"You're still in love with Marissa."

Ryan started to protest, but she cut him off.

"Don't worry; you don't have to say anything. Just tell me that you'll make up with her, okay?"

"I'll have to think about it. I'm not sure that she'll take me back after I was so cold-hearted towards her tonight."

"Well it's worth a shot. After all of the drama that you guys have been through, you deserve to be together," she smiled.

She gave Ryan one last peck on the lips and said goodbye.

This chapter was extremely short but I promise that I'll be updating again tomorrow; hopefully with a longer chapter! Thanks again for the reviews and support!