TItle: A New Life.. Yeah, the title sucks. It reminds me too much of that Keith Urban song, which is titled "Better Life". I couldn't think of anything, and everything I could think of had already been taken, so I guess this is the title. Get used to it, hahaha.

Summary: Following the abandonment of Ryan and Summer, Seth and Marissa seek comfort from whom neither had ever anticipated: each other.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Rating: Clean, or "K", I guess it would be.

Pairing: Seth/Marissa

A/N: Thanks so much, guys! The reviews really mean a lot to me. It was a lot better than I was expecting, which was something along the line of: "Seth and Marissa? Eww..". So that was a nice surprise! This next chapter was initially meant to be split into two.. but I decided to combine them, because they are probably my two worst chapters. haha- Don't let that keep you from reading! Please don't.. maybe I shouldn't have said anything? hahaha. Anyway I hope you enjoy!

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Seth sighed while flipping aimlessly through a comic book. The whole point of reading was to distract himself, but he found that to be a very difficult task. Three months ago was the day that Summer left. It's been three months, and he still feels the same exact way as he did that day. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever get over her. He pictured himself sixty years in the future, sitting on a rocking chair, flipping through old pictures of her.. Wait- rocking chair? That's a bit feminine.. Recliner. Yes, that suits him nicely..

"Seth?" Kirsten Cohen knocked on the door softly before opening it, allowing herself inside. "You have a visitor."

Before he had the chance to respond, Marissa appeared in the doorway beside his mother. Her hands were nervously tucked away in the pockets of her denim skirt. Her natural wavy, blonde hair fell just below her shoulders, slightly covering up her red halter top.

"Hi Marissa.." he said, watching as his mother turned around and dissapeared through the open doorway, leaving the two alone. "What brings you here?" Aside from Ryan and Summer, she was the last person he expected to see.

"I just came to see how you were," she replied, walking further into the room. "I don't know if you've noticed, but today marks the third-"

"..month since Summer's been gone, I know." he finished her sentence and looked down, attempting to hide his pained expression.

She studied his face, or anything that wasn't hidden behind his mass of dark curls. There was something different about him. He wasn't the same quirky, sarcastic Seth that she used to know. His face was expressionless, and the eyes that used to have the ability to light up a room were now dark and meaningless. "Are you okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"No." he replied truthfully, shaking his head. "I'm not."

"We have something in common." she said uneasily while sitting down next to him on the bed. "In a months time, I lost my boyfriend and my best friend. I think that you're the only other person in this world who could possibly understand how I'm feeling.. That's why I came."

He slowly looked up at her, his eyes containing the slightest bit of hope. She was the last person he had ever expected to seek comfort from.

Things change.

Three more long months passed by. Seth and Marissa's visits became more frequent.

Ryan and Summer's names came up less and less. They finally began to accept that they were gone. That chapter of their lives was over. They weren't coming back.

Seth and Marissa had similar goals: To survive the last few months of high school and get as far away from Newport as they possibly could. They were both convinced that there was no hope left for the fantastic four.. and they were right.

Letting go of the past was the hardest thing that either of them had to face, but with eachother's help, they knew they could do it.

I don't stop breathing everytime the phone rings
My heart don't race when someone's at my door
I've almost given up thinking you're ever gonna call
I don't believe in magic anymore
I just don't lie awake at night
Asking God to get you off my mind
It's gettin' better all the time

(A section from) "It's getting better all the time" by Brooks and Dunn

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As time passed, Seth and Marissa began to seek new areas of comfort. As much as they both appreciated the other's friendship, they found themselves wanting more. Neither were ready to move on with different people, but they began to miss the sexual parts of a relationship. A friend simply could not replace a girlfriend or a boyfriend.

One Saturday night in late April, Marissa confessed this to Seth. She was relieved to find out that he felt the same way. In their eyes, there was one simple solution: friends with benefits.

May 31, 2006.. Seth and Marissa tossed their royal blue graduation hats up in the air along with the rest of their class. It was over. After surviving four years of utter torture, it was finally over. Neither of them could be any more thrilled. They were preparing themselves for a long night of celebration. Tomorrow they could figure out what to do with the rest of their lives.

June 1, 2006 was a day that would not be forgotten. Marissa woke up at 7 a.m. and immediantly ran to the bathroom with her hands clasped over her mouth. What was happening? She couldn't even remember the last time she had a taste of alcohol.. so why was she vomiting?

Later that day..

Seth was lying down on his bed, stroking Capain Oats' plastic back, and thinking. The rest of his life was all up in the air. It was his deciscion. What did he want to do? He could take after Summer and Ryan and flee to the other side of the country, traveling to new and unfamiliar places and escaping from the shallowness of Newport. He could hop onto his boat and sail to wherever the wind takes him. It all sounded so appealing.. And it was his deciscion. Now that he was eighteen years old, he could not be held back by his overprotective parents.

"Seth?"

He looked up to see Marissa standing by the door frame, peering cautiously into the room.

"Marissa?" he set Captain Oats down on the end table and stood up. "You can just come in.. you know that."

As she stepped further into the room, he noticed that she was a wreck. Usually, every hair on her head was positioned perfectly, swaying down her delicate face.. but not today. It was pulled back into an uneven ponytail, resting on her right shoulder. Her pale face displayed no visible makeup, and her outfit was not cordinated. Her eyes were red and blotchy. Evidently, she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked. All of his previous thoughts slid to the back of his mind as he gave her his undivided attention.

"I'm pregnant." she replied, not wasting any time. Her face showed no emotion. It had already sunk in, and she was not going to spend anymore time crying.

"Wh-what did you just say?" he asked, already knowing the answer to the question. He just couldn't believe it.. he didn't want to.

All he could think about was I'm too young for this
Got my whole life ahead
hell I'm just a kid myself
how'm I gonna raise one

All he could see were his dreams going up in smoke
So much for ditching this town and hanging out on the coast
Oh well, those plans are long gone

And he said
there goes my life
there goes my future, my everything
might as well kiss it all good-bye
there goes my life...

(A section from) "There goes my life" by Kenny Chesney

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A/N #2: hahaha.. Sorry, I'm sure you are all probably bored of hearing from me. I just had a few things I wanted to say... First off- to all who made it to the end of the chapter: Congratulations! I know what you're thinking, I do, I swear I do: "Another pregnancy story!" RIght.. and I will agree that there is a lot- A LOT- of stories that include some sort of pregnancy storyline. So why did I put it in there? I just think that it's essential.. for where I want this story to go. You'll see. Keep reading and you'll find out why I needed to add that. Hopefully, you aren't too upset with me. hahaha, Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated- good or bad. Thanks!