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Marissa had stayed hanging out with Ryan all night. Eventually Seth and Summer had called it a night and Seth went back to Summer's. Ryan of course told Seth he'd cover for him. They left Ryan and Marissa playing video games. The sound of a game ending could be heard. She laughed. "You totally killed me" She said. "Well I can't help it I've mastered this game" Ryan said taking a sip of his water beside him.
"You just keep being full of yourself" She said. Her eyes drifted toward the clock it read three thirty. "So is Seth gonna get caught if he's not home before they wake up?" she said. "Nah Sandy and Kirsten probably won't even notice he's gone if not I'll come up with something" Ryan said. "Yeah because we all know how well you can lie" She said sarcastically.
"Funny" He said turning back to the game. "So your not gonna get in trouble if they find me still here right?" she said. "Of course not it's not like we're Seth and Summer" Ryan said. She nodded. "Right" She said turning her attention towards the game. Ryan glanced at her from the side. She smiled and they finished playing. Marissa left around six to go home get some sleep and eventually start the new day.
Saturday morning was kind of tiring for Ryan he had to pull a shift at the New port group with Sandy and he knew he shouldn't have stayed up all night it probably didn't help having to work the next day. He handed Sandy over some work. "All done" He said. "Great Job Ryan you're a life saver. You know what are we gonna do when your off at Berkeley next fall?" Sandy said.
"Find some other senior you can sucker into doing an internship with you" He said joking. Sandy laughed. "Quite the comedian" He said. "Well I have lived with Seth long enough so" He said. "Alright well you take off and enjoy the rest of your Saturday there's not many left until graduation" He said. "Right thanks Sandy I'll see you at home" Ryan said turning to leave the office. Sandy watched him go remembering just how Ryan had changed since the first time he saw him and he smiled knowing he was happy.
With the traffic he was home in a half hour and he had planned on crashing for a few hours so he slowly and quietly went towards the pool house. He smiled claiming victory when he got past the pool and entered his room. "Finally I've been waiting dad said you left like an hour ago" Seth said. Ryan glared. "You know Seth some of us have to actually work. And just what was so important that you felt the need to track me down?" He said.
"Well for starters you didn't pick up your cell" He said. "Yeah my battery died and it's on the charger "Ryan said going to take it out of the charger and putting it in his pocket. "Well done Atwood just when a brother is trying to reach you" Seth said. Ryan laughed.
"Seth now would be the time to tell me what you want to say" He said. "Well I just wanted to know if mom and dad noticed me gone last night?" He said. Ryan sighed. "Seriously? That was the big emergency? And it necessary for you to track me down?" Ryan said. "Well its important so?" He said.
"Seth if they did don't you think I would have said something? Or at the very least they would have said something?" Ryan said. "Your talking in code Ryan just help a brother out. Did they realize or not?" He said. Ryan looked at him amazed. "Get away from me" Ryan said.
"Come on you can go back to your whole attitude and brooding image later just give it to me straight" Seth said. "No Seth like I already told you your parents don't know that you were gone last night" Ryan said. "Seriously?" He said. Ryan nodded. "They didn't even notice me missing from breakfast?" He said. "Kirsten had some early yogalates class and Sandy had left before I did so no they didn't" He said. "You didn't even have to lie for me?" Seth said.
"Nope which is probably good anyways because your dad sees right through me so you would probably still be in trouble. So congrats man" Ryan said. "That's so awesome" Seth said sitting down on a nearby chair. Ryan took off his shoes. "Seth don't you have somewhere to be?" Ryan said. "Oh no Summer's dress shopping with Marissa" He said. "Right" Ryan said throwing himself back on the bed. "You know your looking kind of tired" Seth said. Ryan rolled his eyes.
"You have a late night or something? And was it with dare I say it Marissa?" Seth said. He knew he hit the right nerve because Ryan forcefully sat up. "You know I don't appreciate the tone" He said. "I'm not saying anything" Seth said with a laugh. "Good so keep it that way" He said.
"It's just come on Ryan it's obvious that you like her" Seth said. "Seth I don't like Marissa and I would appreciate it if you didn't constantly make us have the same conversation over and over again" Ryan said. "I'm sorry man but aren't you at least a little bummed that she's not gonna be here next year?" Seth said. "Of course but that doesn't mean I like her. She's been my friend for a long time Seth" He said. "I don't buy it" Seth said. "Good because you don't have to now get out so I can crash for an hour" He said. "Ryan" He said.
"Seth I don't want to talk about me and Marissa we are not in a relationship and there's just nothing there so please just drop it" Ryan said. "Okay alright I'll leave let you get some sleep but I'll be back later to hang" He said. "Wonderful" Ryan said falling back against the bed. Seth exited the pool house.
"So you guys have fun after dinner?" Summer said loudly so that Marissa who was in the changing booth could hear. "Umm you know we pretty much just hung out playing video games all night" She said straightening out the dress and stepping out. She looked at Summer for approval. "No" Summer said handing her another dress.
Marissa went back in. "So you meeting up with Seth today?" Marissa said zipping up the dress. She leaned out Summer shook her head. "Yeah probably later he wanted to hang out with Ryan for awhile it seems they haven't really spent much time together. "Well you and Seth are in a relationship which consumes time and Ryan does have that internship" Marissa said coming out again.
"Yeah so I just told him we'd meet up after or something you know give them a chance to like play ninja games or like read comic books or watch Spiderman or something." Summer said. "Okay for the record Ryan doesn't like Spiderman we seen it in the movies and he thought it totally sucked and there is no persuasion in the world that could get him to watch that again" Marissa said with a laugh stepping back out. Summer stayed silent. "Okay what?" She said. A smile crept to her face. "Coop that's it" Summer said. "What's it Sum?" She said.
Summer pulled her toward the mirror. "The dress you have to get this one Coop it's totally you" She said. Marissa observed herself she had to admit it was a really beautiful dress It had spaghetti straps and was crème colored with not much detail except for a few beads towards the top of the dress but it dropped to the floor in the most elegant way but wasn't one of those poofy Cinderella dresses it was simple and it was Marissa. She smiled.
"What do you think Coop?" She said. "I think I found my prom dress" She said. Summer smiled. "Great now we just have to find shoes" She said. Marissa stared at herself for a few more seconds and then went back in to change. She walked out of the dress shop dress in hand in search of shoes.
The shopping spree had lasted pretty much the entire afternoon and Marissa when she had got home placed the dress on the hook on the back of her door. Summer had gone into her room to answer Seth's incessant text messages.
Marissa sat down at her desk and flipped open her laptop. As soon as she signed on an im popped up and she smiled. It was from kid chino. "Hey" He said. "Hey Ryan" She responded. "So how was dress shopping?" He said. She laughed. "It was nice" She said. "Yeah. Were you successful in finding one?" he said. She smiled. "With Summer's help I managed" She said.
"That's good it is getting closer to prom you know?" he said. "Yeah I was practically the last one to get my dress. I just kept putting it off. I guess I was just avoiding it" She said. "Avoiding what?" he said. "The end of High school I guess I just didn't want to let go. I thought if I got my dress it would be real" She said. "Sort of how you felt when we got our acceptance letters" He said understanding what she was saying.
She looked towards her dresser which hid the truth. "Yeah but I guess I'm just going to have to accept it" She said. "Accept what?" he said. "That not everything stays the same sometimes things change" She said. "It doesn't have to" He said. "Yeah it does its called growing up and I guess I'm starting to realize that now" She said.
"You're bumming me out Cooper" He said. She laughed. "Well I'm sorry but technically you started the conversation" She said. "That's right I did and now I vote we end it" He said.
"Okay whatever you want" She said. "You see how fast I could persuade you to do something?" He said. "That's so not fair" She said. "lol" He wrote. "Laugh it up" She said. "Okay I'm sorry" He said. "Oh said with such enthusiasm" She said sarcastically. "Well we can't all have School spirit" He said.
"Hey just because I'm apart of the social committee does not brand me as a cheerleader" she said. "Yeah because who would you cheer for the water polo team?" He said. She laughed. "Does harbor even have cheerleaders?" He said. "No instead it plays host to smart a$$ transfer students from Chino" She said. "Hey now" He said. She laughed.
"I'm sorry I know how much it pains you to talk about harbor because you're just going to miss it so much" She said kidding. "Well I guess in a way I am" He said. She looked at his words. "Seriously?" She said. "Yeah I mean its sort of how my life began in New Port" He said. "Right" She said. "And now we graduate in a few weeks and it's suddenly gone" He said. "Now who's bumming who out?" She said. "lol" He said. "Trying to lighten the mood" She said. "Thank you you're to kind" He said. "Well I am" She said. "You're so sure of yourself" He said. "Yeah but that's why we've stayed friends" She said.
"To be honest I don't even remember how it started" He said. "In the driveway" She said remembering with a smile. "Right I know that part but I mean I can't even pinpoint when we actually became actual friends" He said. "Well for me I guess it was cotillion" she said. "Right" He said. "You totally had my back after that whole thing with my dad happened" She said. "I did" he said. "I guess that's when I realized that you were meant to be in my life" She said. He looked at the screen. "And you were meant to be in mine" he said. She looked at her screen with a smile. "So you agree then it was the cotillion?" She said.
"I guess it was but I actual want to say it was the first day we met" He said. "You mean the "who are you? Whoever you want me to be moment" She said teasing him. "Okay so I was trying to play it cool" He said. She laughed. "Yeah because you know you're just so cool. You're like James dean" she said. "Rebel without a cause" He said. "Exactly" She said. "Well James dean was pretty cool" He said. "Yeah I guess he was" she said.
"Marissa" she heard her mother calling her. She sighed. "Gotta go my mother's calling me" She said. "Say hi to Julie for me" He said. "Keep it up" She said. "See you later" He said. "Sure I'll meet you at the diner at seven bring Seth" She said. "Bring Summer" He said. "See ya soon Mr. Rebel without a cause" She said. He looked at the screen signaling the girl next door had signed off and he smiled and shut his laptop.
Meanwhile in Summer's room She was now talking to Seth on her cell. Summer is laying on the bed. "So we gonna met up at the diner?" She said. "Sure sounds like a plan" he said. "Okay well bring Atwood okay because Marissa's going to so we'll just meet you guys there" she said.
"Any luck on the dress?" He said. "She got one yes" She said. "That's good I guess" Seth said. "Seth why are you so excited that Marissa got her dress?" She said. "I'm not of course I just you know I'm happy for her" He said. "Seth leave Ryan and Marissa alone how many times does Ryan have to tell you that their just friends" She said.
"Well I would accept that if it were true but there's no evidence there" He said. "Really because I would say three years of being friends is enough evidence" She said. "I'm just worried for him that he's gonna miss his shot I mean she is leaving and we don't know what's going to happen" Seth said. "Seth just because she's going to school somewhere else doesn't mean she won't be involved in our lives or Ryan's for that matter. I mean god Cohen there like best friends" She said. "I believe there's more to that" He said.
"Ugh Cohen come on just leave your opinions to yourself and let them enjoy what little time they have left together" She said. "Summer I just" Seth said. "Seth no leave them alone this is none of your business unless Ryan and Marissa tell you otherwise. Which isn't going to happen so I will see you at the dinner with Atwood at seven don't be late" She said hanging up.
Marissa entered. "What did Seth do?" She said. "Nothing he can just be a handful sometimes but so anyway we're meeting the guys at the diner at seven" she said. "I know I told Ryan" She said fidgeting with perfume on Summer's dresser. She turned away to spray herself with it. "Of course you did" Summer whispered.
"Did you say something?" She said looking at Summer. "No Seth just wanted me to tell you he was glad that you found a dress" She said. "Yeah that's a little creepy" Marissa said weirdly. Summer laughed. "Well Seth is a bit strange" She said. "Sum the guy reads comic books and never socialized with anyone until Ryan came along" She said. "I would watch it you know because Ryan is no better with those comic books I mean sure he started reading them to have something in common with Seth but he's just as bad always wanting to go to the comic book store. The boy is hooked" Summer said. She laughed. "That's totally true" She said. Summer laughed.
"How did we get stuck with them?" She said. Marissa looked at her. "Well you're stuck with Seth I'm not stuck with Ryan because we don't have a relationship" Marissa said. "Right you have a friendship" Summer said almost wanting to hear it from Marissa.
Marissa got quiet. "Right so I'm gonna grab a jacket I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes so where not late" She said leaving. "Totally changed the subject so Seth was right" She said getting ready to leave.
She forgot that she had left her hoodie in Marissa's room and she peaked in to find that Marissa had already gone downstairs. She looked around and figured the maid had put it in one of the dressers. She found it in the top drawer but knocked a few papers to the floor. She brushed her hair behind her ear and picked it up.
She froze when she noticed the Berkeley symbol. "Marissa applied to Berkeley?" she said out loud to herself. "Summer" She heard Marissa calling and rushed to the drawer and put it back and shut it. "Coming Coop" She said rushing downstairs. Summer felt it wasn't her place to say anything she would just let it sit for awhile before talking to her about it.
What you have to look forward to in the next coming chapter Summer shares her concerns of Marissa with Seth but doesn't come clean about knowing about Berkeley. Seth and Summer do some scheming.