Hello. I think i may be hitting dry a litte with this story. Please review if you read it. It keeps me going. Anyhow, thank you all for reviewing. RYAN/MARISSA slightly in this chapter. There will be more stuff later. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!

Chapter 5: "There's nothing good that lasts forever"

That night Marissa couldn't sleep. She went outside into the Cohens back yard and slowly swung her feet slowly back and forth in the water. She didn't hear footsteps behind her.

"Hey." Ryan said, his voice raspy as he joined her. "Waiting around for Rodrigo?" He asked

"No." Marissa said staring up at the sky. "Big boys can take care of themselves."

There was a silence between the two.

"What did you think of Kirsten?" He asked

"She was nice. Pretty, …" She trailed off. "This place is amazing Ryan. I never believed that there was anything like this. I mean, it's not even the glitz or glam. It's how the air smells, and the fact that the men don't wear bullet proof vests under their shirts." She said looking around. "I don't know, I think I may have found something better."

"Does that mean that you are thinking about staying?" He asked meeting her eyes

"Are you kidding me? Rigo would kill me." She said.

"Can't do things for other people Marissa." Ryan said looking out to the ocean. "One day you've got to start doing things for yourself too."

Marissa sat for long after Ryan went back inside of the pool house contemplating this. Sometime during the night, she didn't exactly remember when, she made her way back to the pool house and fell asleep.

The day around noon Seth came in.

"DUDE!" Raul said when the sun poured in the window.

"Guys it's like twelve thirty. We have food in the kitchen." He said. "Come on. Let's get up, we're loosing daylight here!" Seth said.

They all groaned as they climbed out of bed and made their way into the Cohen house.

"Hi guys." Kirsten said when they came in. She was looking at Marissa particularly though. "Sandy is at the office, I told him that you had some friends along with you that would be staying as well." She said directing her comment towards Marissa.

"There's food if you want to help yourself to it." Seth said trying to be polite. "Or not." He said as none of the four moved.

"Come on! I got all of this food, someone has to eat it." Kirsten said smiling

"Thank you." Ryan said grabbing a bagel and taking a seat.

Rodrigo and Raul followed in suit doing the same grabbing a bagel and orange juice and sitting down, saying polite "Thank you's."

"Do you want something Marissa?" Kirsten asked looking at her… daughters, bony frame.

"No thank you." She said.

"Are you sure?" Kirsten asked looking concerned.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Marissa said just taking a seat next to Summer who had just arrived.

Raul gave Kirsten the 'just leave it look,' politely. Kirsten just nodded.

"Your hair would look awesome with highlights." Summer said staring at the girl to her left.

Marissa was not sure what to say in response.

"Well boys." Kirsten said breaking the awkward silence. "Seth is going to go take you out today, I guess Summer will be tagging along, and I'm going to take Marissa. Does that sound good to everyone?" She asked

Everyone nodded. Breakfast went on silently until Rodrigos beeper went off.

"I'll be right back." He said heading out to the front of the Cohen house.

"Me too." Marissa followed him out

Everyone except Raul exchanged glances.

"Que hubo? (what is going on?)" Marissa asked Rodrigo grabbing his arm

"I got some business back in Chino." He said.

"I thought that you were going to stop that stuff." Marissa said looking at her feet. "It's dangerous."

"I have to do this Marissa. I will be back. You got everything here. Give me two days."

"I don't want you to get locked up Rigo."

"I won't." He tried to convince her

"Mejor no. (Better not)" She warned.

"I promise." He said kissing her

Marissa re-entered the house alone.

"Where is Rodrigo?" Kirsten asked

"He had to go back home. His mother is sick." Marissa said sitting down at the table once again, glancing at Ryan then looking down at her feet.

"You guys want to head out now?" Seth asked looking back and forth from Raul to Ryan. "You guys ever been on a boat?" He asked grinning.

"I worked on a fishing boat one Summer. I hated it." Raul said

"Well then maybe we'll stick to dry land, how about that?" Seth said leaving the house, Summer following close behind, and then Rodrigo.

"Thanks again for breakfast Ms. Cohen." Ryan said again before he left, smiling at Marissa as he walked out.

Marissa and Kirsten were unsure of what to say to each other.

"Today, um… I was going take you to meet Jimmy."

"Jimmy… who you told me about yesterday?" She asked turning to face Kirsten

"Yeah." She said smiling. "Do you want to go get dressed and then we can head out?"

Marissa looked down at herself and then back up at Kirsten

"This is all that I brought." She said.

Kirsten nodded.

"We'll pick up something on the way." She said

Kirsten and Marissa walked into the store.

"What size do you wear?" She asked looking Marissa up and down. Marissa shrugged.

"0 I think. It's been awhile since I got clothes." She said.

Kirsten skipped over to a rack.

"I've always wanted a girl to shop for. What about this?" She asked holding up a plain red t-shirt.

"It's nice." Marissa said glancing at the price tag. "Woah, that one shirt cost more than like my entire wardrobe!" She said

Kirsten shrugged.

"I'm treating you. You need to get something nice to wear." She smiled.

Kirsten became concerned when they could not find pants for Marissa that would stay around her waist, and that were long enough that it didn't look like there was a flood. Kirsten was aware of her daughters non-existent frame but decided that it wasn't her place… yet

Summer, Raul and Ryan sat at the crab shack

"So what's it like in Chino? Have you ever been shot?" Summer asked leaning forward both elbows on the table.

"Summer!" Seth said shoving her

"What?" She asked

"It's alright." Raul said smiling

"I've been shot." Ryan said. "Actually the bullet only grazed my arm." He said finishing off his lobster.

"That was the best meal ever." Raul said putting his fork down

"Good thing that my mom didn't cook this morning." Seth said, "You wouldn't have lived to see this meal."

Kirsten and Marissa pulled up in front of Jimmy's apartment building

"Here we are." She said taking off her seat belt.

Marissa re-situated her skirt and shirt before she stepped out of the car.

"Does he know that we're coming?" Marissa asked before she went any further.

"No." Kirsten said taking a deep breath. "He doesn't."