"Do you want to go for a walk?"

" In this weather?" asked Alex.

" Right, I forgot about the rain. Well, we could go back to what we were doing before and watch a film?"

" Works for me," said Alex as they walked over to the couch and sat down. Despite the fact that Summer and Jodie had gone, leaving more space, Alex and Marissa sat closer together than they had been before.

Alex was desperately trying to ignore the way that Marissa was making her feel. She'd made a promise to herself, that she wouldn't put herself in a position where there was a possibility of getting hurt again, and the way she was feeling now made her feel vulnerable, in a way. Maybe Jodie was right. Maybe it was time she got over it, and moved on properly. She had to take a chance sometime.

She looked at Marissa just as Marissa turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and locked on each other. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, until Marissa broke the stare, clearing her throat and looking at the door as if wanting to escape. She was shocked by the intensity that was between them in that moment.

" I'd better go," said Alex, standing up and making as if to leave.

"No, I want you to stay," said Marissa quietly.

" I don't think that's a good idea," replied Alex, before walking out into the pouring rain.

Marissa was hurt, and confused. She thought they were finally making a connection there, and then it was like Alex just shut down. She wasn't asking anything of Alex, but it seemed that Alex was stopping it before it even started. All she wanted was to be friends with her, but Alex wasn't making it easy. She was apparently not willing to share a lot about herself, avoiding many of the questions that Marissa had asked her so far during their interactions.

Alex was angry at herself. She didn't have to make Marissa suspicious about her intentions the way she had just done in there. She had felt like she was under pressure, and she hated to admit it, but she had freaked out. She had no idea how she was going to explain this. Why didn't she just stay?

Marissa decided she'd ask Alex about that later. She was sure she hadn't said anything that might have upset her; Alex would have let her know for sure. It wouldn't be like her to not retaliate, it was how their earlier interactions had always been.

Jodie, shockingly, with the way she drove, had managed to get Summer home safely in the meantime. Summer had sat next to her in the car, trying to avoid looking at her. Jodie wasn't making it easy for her, though, as she kept glancing over at her.

" Keep your eyes on the damn road!" Summer said as Jodie did it again. " If I'm going to die, I do not want to do it with someone like you."

" I know for sure you want to do something with someone like me, but you're right, it doesn't include dying," responded Jodie, taking advantage of Summer's words to get them back on her latest favourite topic.

" Scratch that, it's not someone like me, it is me," she added confidently.

" Get over yourself, Jodie, I would never want you."

" I'd be hurt, but I know you're lying. All I have to do is wait for you to admit it to yourself."

" Well, that's up to you. But you'll be waiting forever, 'cause there is no way it's happening."

Jodie smiled. "What was that about, earlier, then, when you thought I was going to kiss you?"

" That was me, not wanting you within ten feet of my lips."

" No, you wanted me a lot closer than that, didn't you?"

" I'm starting to wish I walked."

" And got your clothes wet, ruining your hair in the process? Surely not."

" Better than being this close to you."

Jodie stopped the car.

" Out you get, Summer."

Summer looked at her. " I changed my mind," she said.

" Summer, we're at your house," said Jodie, exasperated. Seriously, was this girl's mind even attached to her body?

" Oh. Right. Bye," said Summer, wondering where this extremely frequent spazzing of hers was coming from. She wasn't like that usually, well not to these extremes anyway. Firmly telling herself it was nothing to do with Jodie's presence, she got out of the car, pulling her jacket over her head to keep the rain off her hair.