" So, Summer, how do you feel about the beach tomorrow?"
" Is Jodie going to be there?"
" Yeah, probably."
" Well then, no."
" Come on Summer, please? For me?"
" Fine," sighed Summer. " You know I can't resist when you look at me like that."
Marissa smiled. " I have to ask you something else, in that case."
" No, I'm not going to stop offending Jodie."
" How did you know I was going to ask that?"
" Lucky guess. No, I heard Alex warning Jodie about it earlier, and figured you'd be doing the same at some point."
" So will you do it?"
" No. If Jodie can refuse, so can I. I heard her, telling Alex it was all my fault that we don't get on. I can't believe she'd say something like that. I mean, she totally insulted me within half an hour of meeting me."
" You never told me why that was, Sum." Marissa said, curiously.
" No idea," said Summer, before hastily changing the subject.
" How are things with Alex?"
" Really good," smiled Marissa. She started to daydream, thinking about Alex, when she was interrupted by Summer knocking on her forehead.
" Come on, I know you're still in there somewhere."
" Sorry, Sum. It's just…"
" I get it," said Summer.
" Cause you feel the same way about Jodie?" asked Marissa innocently.
" What? No! I just meant I know the feeling."
" Oh. Okay" Marissa replied, thinking she needed to work on her technique to get Summer to admit to how she felt.
" Well, I should be going, I'll see you at the beach, 11 okay with you?"
" Sure, that's fine. Bye Coop."

" You're coming to the beach with me tomorrow, Jodie," said Alex.
" Why?"
" Marissa asked me."
" Is Summer going to be there?"
" I think so, yeah."
" Then there is no way that I am not going to be there. Summer in a bikini…." Jodie trailed off, getting lost in her thoughts.
" Jodie! Stop dreaming about Summer."
" Sorry. Well, not really, cause those were some good thoughts, but, what were you saying?"
" I said we're meeting at 11."
" 11? You know I don't get up before 1 on a Saturday."
" If you want to spend the day with Summer, you'll be up."
" The things I do for that girl. And she doesn't even realise it."
Alex laughed at Jodie's expression.
" I've already told you, if you just tried to be nice to her, she'd probably like you a whole lot more."
" I don't see the need for that, when she likes me plenty just as I am."
" Seriously, Jodie. You could at least try."
" Like you're making an effort with Marissa, you mean?"
" We're friends."
" So? You both want more."
" I'm taking it slowly. Some people, Jodie, actually find that possible."
" Hey, I'll have you know, I can too."
" No you can't."
" You're right, I really can't," said Jodie having considered the idea for a second.
Alex smiled. " But maybe you can try, with Summer."
Jodie rolled her eyes. " Fine, whatever," she said, just so that Alex would stop talking about it. She had absolutely no intention of treating Summer any differently tomorrow.

" Jodie?" Alex called through her house. Not seeing her, she walked further into the house, finally finding her in her bedroom. Asleep.
" Jodie, it's 10.30. Why aren't you ready?"
" I was having a great dream, until you interrupted it," said Jodie sleepily.
" Now is not the time for "great dreams", Jodie. We're supposed to be at the beach in half an hour. Now get your ass out of bed and get ready."
Jodie dragged herself out of bed, mumbling something Alex couldn't hear while she did so.

Fifteen minutes later, Jodie declared herself ready to go. They left, Alex trying to tune Jodie's comments out as they went.

At Marissa's, Summer was waiting to go.
" Come, on Marissa. We're meeting them soon."
" Eager to see Jodie, are you?"
Summer shuddered. " Eeeww, no. I just don't like waiting, you know that."
" You don't have to wait anymore, because I am ready."
" Alex is going to be impressed," said Summer.
" Were you just checking me out, Summer?"
" A world of no. No offence, Coop, but no no no."
" Breathe, Sum. I was just kidding."
" I knew that," said Summer, a little indignantly. O f course she knew Marissa was joking The thought that she wasn't never even crossed her mind. Nope. There was definitely no panic there on Summer's part.
" Ready, then?" asked Marissa, when she saw that Summer had that glazed over look in her eyes that she usually got when she was thinking about Jodie.
" Yeah, let's go Coop."

When Marissa and Summer arrived at the beach, Alex was waiting, but there was no sign of Jodie. They both greeted Alex, before Summer asked, " Where's your pet? I thought you were bringing her today?"
Marissa and Alex shared an amused glance, before Alex said,
" I did bring her, but she got distracted by something. You know how she is."
" Unfortunately," replied Summer.
Jodie had seen them arrive, and walked back over to Alex.
" Hi, Marissa. Summer, you look hot."
" Jodie, you're not allowed to say things like that to me."
" I was just being nice."
" You being nice leads to inappropriate touching."
" No it doesn't," said Jodie. " I was trying to give you a compliment."
Summer looked torn between insulting Jodie, and thanking her for the compliment.
" Fine, thank you Jodie."
" My pleasure," replied Jodie, laughing a little. " I feel like an ice cream. Summer, come with me."
Looking at Alex and Marissa, Summer agreed, telling herself the only reason was that she wanted to give them some time alone. They wandered away slowly, walking closer to one another than was necessary.
" Looks like they're making progress," said Marissa as she watched them walk away.
" Yeah," said Alex.
" So," began Marissa, before she saw someone approaching her. " Shit."
Alex looked confused, before turning around and seeing a girl walking towards them.
" Hi, Marissa," said the girl. " I just saw Summer, thought you had to be around somewhere."
Marissa looked angry.
" Sorry, Alex. This is…"
" Her girlfriend," the girl cut her off.
"Ex girlfriend. I can't believe you've got the nerve to call yourself my girlfriend after what you did to me. You can't seriously think that you could come back, and everything would just be like it was before," Marissa said disbelievingly.
"If you'd just let me explain…"
"You had your chance, it's over. I can't even stand to look at you."

Her eyes flashed in anger momentarily, before hastily being covered up.
" Come on, Rissa, give me a chance."
"Like you gave me a chance, you mean?"
"I got scared, I'm sorry."
"You got scared? What kind of an excuse is that? You knew what you were getting into; from the first time I met you. Don't give me that bullshit. I don't need to hear it."
She leaned forward, touching Marissa's hand, starting to speak.
Marissa jerked her hand away, cutting off whatever she was about to say.
" Don't touch me. You make me sick."
" I love you."
" You sure had a funny way of showing it. I don't want your love. You don't know the meaning of the word. Sometimes, I think you have no feelings at all."
" Marissa, please don't be like this."
" Like what, huh? Don't tell you the truth? You know I was never anything but honest with you, and you threw it back in my face. When I begged you not to leave, what did you tell me? Think about that."
" I didn't mean it."
" Yeah, you did. I'm not going to let you walk all over me again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than talk to you. Come on Alex," she said, turning to look at Alex, who was watching their exchange, her expression surprised. Alex followed her quickly.
Summer and Jodie returned with their ice creams, and had to look around for a while to see where Alex and Marissa were. Walking over to them, Summer said,
" Coop, I should warn you, I just saw..."
" Kate? Yeah, me too," said Marissa, angrily. " She thinks she can just pretend nothing happened."
" What! I always said that girl was crazy."
" I know, Sum, and I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."
Summer had always refrained from saying, " I told you so" about Kate, so just nodded.
Jodie and Alex were looking really confused, and Jodie, not liking the fact that more attention was being paid to other matters than her, decided to direct their attention towards her once more.
" I'm guessing that was your ex, Marissa."
" Yeah. Unfortunately," she replied.
" The girl is a psycho," said Summer.
" I gathered, by the way you're both reacting to her. So what the hell did she do?" asked Jodie.
Marissa looked uncomfortable.
" I'd rather not talk about her."
Jodie nodded in understanding, dropping the subject immediately. " Summer, I want to teach you to surf," she said.
" What makes you think I don't already know?" asked Summer.
Off Jodie's look, she said, " Fine, you're right. I don't know how. I don't want to learn, either."
" Come on, Summer, it'll be fun."
" Go on, Summer," said Marissa. " I'd like to see you try and surf."
" Don't think you're getting away with watching," said Alex. " You have to learn too!"
They all got up, preparing themselves, Kate forgotten for the time being.