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"My god could this weather get any hotter" Summer complained joining Ryan and Marissa who had been obviously eating as evidence their half eaten salads before them. Ryan looked at her. Marissa smiled. "Seriously it is so sticky out here" Summer complained. They laughed.

"So where's Seth?" Ryan said staring at her. "I don't know he's probably hiding from the sun or something like that She said joking. Marissa laughed. "You guys don't mind that I'm interrupting your lunch do you?" Summer said. Ryan looked at her weirdly.

Marissa stared at him. "No, of course not as a matter a fact Sum Ryan was just helping with some decorations" She said. "Seriously?" Summer said. "I was only carrying them as She said I don't have a creative bone in my body" He said mocking Marissa.

"Really and how would Marissa know this?" Summer said teasing her. Marissa looked shocked. "Okay Summer that's my cue. I have to go help out so that I'm free later" Marissa said getting up. "Seriously don't forget we have five o clock appointments for manicures" Summer said. "I won't. See ya Ryan "she said not looking him in the face.

He knew Summer had embarrassed her. "Later" He said. She left them. "So how does the gym look?" She said. "Don't know it's off limits until tomorrow" He said. "So you excited?" Summer said trying to have a conversation with him.

He laughed. "About the prom? Do I look like a girl?" He said. "Don't be a smart with me Atwood I get enough of the funny guy from Cohen" Summer said. "Sorry" He said. "I meant about it being the last event before graduation are you excited?" Summer said.

"Well to be honest I haven't really thought about it" he said. "It's gonna be so weird next year it's the first time in years we all be apart. You know I'd probably go crazy if I didn't have Cohen going to school with me next year" Summer said. "I bet he'll still drive you crazy" He said.

"It's gonna be different and I am definitely going to miss not having you guys around" Summer said. "Well I'm only a few hours away" He said. "Yeah I guess but I'm gonna really be lost without Marissa. I mean she's my best friend and a part of me wishes we could all stay at Harbor just to be together but unfortunately life doesn't work that way" Summer said.

"I know it feels like I just got here and poof in a few months I'll be gone again" He said. She stared at him trying to analyze what he was saying. "Well your still gonna come back here" She said. "Yeah but as you said things will be different. People will be gone getting on with their lives when I'm not exactly sure I'm ready to get on with mine" He said being honest.

"I thought you were stoked about Berkeley?" She said. "I am but I guess it's just like you said you just wish you could take it all with you. You know the town, the people, it's going to be weird without them" He said letting it all sink in.

"Probably even weirder without Marissa" She said taking a chance to see if he would open up. He looked at her and thought about it. "Yeah" He said She was surprised to get anything out of him. She nodded. "Probably as weird as if I didn't have Seth with me next year" She said.

He nodded. "Did you talk to her about it?" She said. He looked at her. "We haven't really discussed College and I don't know I sort of don't think it's appropriate. It's not my place sure I'll miss her but I mean I want her to be happy and it sucks that she'll be so far away but I guess I'll get over it" He said.

"And if you don't?" She said. "I have no choice" He said. "There's always a choice Atwood you just have to look for it" she said staring at him. He looked at her and nodded.

"Not where I come from there isn't" he said. "Your not Ryan from Chino anymore your Ryan from New Port" She said with a smile. He laughed.

"So basically I can be the captain of the water polo team and try to kick the new guys a$$ and basically give him a nice New Port welcome" He joked remembering his first party in new port.

"Yeah welcome to the oc bitch. I swear Luke had been saying that since we were in like the sixth grade" She laughed. He laughed. "That I can believe" He said. "Well I should go find Cohen" Summer said. "Yeah I got history to go to" He said getting up.

"It was actually nice having you talk for a change Atwood" She teased. "Well if Seth was here he probably wouldn't let me get a word in" He joked. She laughed and stood up. "That's true" She said with a smile. He smiled back. "Later Chino" She said. "See ya Summer" he said going in the opposite direction.

He thought about what Summer had said and she was right he was going to miss Marissa next year. He threw his books into his locker and shut it he turned and saw her going to hers he figured since he just got out of last period and all he was just gonna go over and talk to her when he saw a guy approach her.

He froze and watched them from afar. "Hey Marissa right?" He said. She turned around. "Yeah Marissa Cooper" She said. "Ben Stiles" He said. "Nice to meet you" She said with a smile.

"So I don't really know many people being this was my first year at harbor and sadly its senior year. Anyway I know this is probably a lost cause because basically everyone I've asked already said no anyway but I was wondering if you had a date to the prom?" He said.

Ryan still stood watching he saw her smile and for some reason he actually felt threatened. "I'd love to go with you Ben but I'm already going with someone" She said. "I figured but I had to try so thanks" he said going to walk away. "Wait So I can't go but you know I have someone in mind if you're interested?" She said.

He smiled. "You would seriously help me?" he said. "Don't thank me just yet. Have you ever heard of Taylor Townsend?" She said closing her locker. "Sounds Vaguely familiar" He said.

"Great come on I'll set up an intro" Marissa said and he followed meanwhile Ryan watched Marissa walk away laughing at something this guy had said. Ryan leaned up against the locker. "What was he doing? Was he actually upset that Marissa was talking to someone else? He needed to get out of there and fast.

"Hey man" Seth said coming into the pool house. "Hey" Ryan said. "So what's with the gazed look?" Seth said. He glared at him. "Everything okay?" He said. "Its fine" He said a little too quickly for Seth's liking.

"Come on man what's up?" Seth said. "Nothing" Ryan said. "Wouldn't have anything to do with Marissa talking to that guy today would it?" He said. Ryan looked at him. "His name's Ben" Seth said. "That's none of my business Marissa can talk to whoever she wants" Ryan said trying to seem like he didn't care.

"I don't know him that well just that he's only lived here for a year he's in my chem. Class. He seems nice enough" Seth ranted. Ryan nodded. "It's really none of my business you know whoever Marissa wants to date is up to her" Ryan said.

Seth laughed. "Am I actually seeing this? Ryan Atwood Jealous?" Seth said. "No" He said. "Really because you seem jealous to me" Seth said. He chuckled. "You keep saying that and you won't be able to talk" Ryan said darkly.

"Ouch okay so come on you like Marissa. So what?" Seth said. "I never said I liked Marissa" Ryan said. "Yeah but the jealousy look says it all man" He said. Ryan glared at him. "You know it doesn't have to be a bad thing. You guys have known each other since you came to town, your good friends that's how it usually starts" Seth said.

"Or in your case where you suffer in silence before the girl ever notices you" He teased. "Yeah and trust me you don't want to follow my lead. If you got something to say then say it don't wait for the new kid to move to town in order for you to have a social life" Seth said joking.

Ryan smiled remembering how he first encountered Seth. He figured he should try honesty for a change he owed Seth that much anyway. "The truth is I don't know what I feel?" Ryan said sadly. Seth nodded. "Well it definitely seems like your coming to a decision" He said. "It doesn't feel like that" Ryan admitted.

"Look you just have to figure it out" Seth said. "Right because things are always that easy for me" He said. "Actually some things are you just prefer to over analyze them" Seth said. Ryan laughed. "I could always count on you to bring me back down to earth" Ryan said.

"Yeah you could always count on Marissa too. You might want to throw that into the mix while your at it" Seth said leaving Ryan to figure out his thoughts.

This wasn't the first time when he thought of the idea of him and Marissa but those thoughts usually never leaded anywhere and they would eventually would go away and he would choose not to act on them. So what was different this time?

Did he really want more? Or was he just afraid of not having her around next year? Was this all just because his life as he knew it would be different in a matter of a few months or could he actually have genuine feelings for Marissa Cooper? He didn't know but Seth was right he had to figure it out.

Later on he was lost in his thoughts when his cell went off. He snapped out of it and picked it up. "Hello" He said. "Ryan hey" She said "What's up?" He said. "Okay so about the limo you think we can possibly squeeze in two more people?" Marissa said.

He was confused. "Um yeah I guess. Why What's up?" He said. "Nothing its just I sort of felt bad for Taylor. She had mentioned that she hadn't found a date and then today at school this guy Ben came up to me" She said.

"Yeah I saw" He interrupted and immediately wished he could take it back. "You saw?" She said confused. Think of something quick Atwood. "Yeah I was talking to Ms. Hadley and was coming from her class just as you guys were walking away. "Oh" She said.

"So continue" He said. "Right so Ben has only been in New port for a year and he couldn't get a date so after declining his offer I sort of felt bad for the guy and offered to set him up with Taylor" She said. Ryan laughed. "Does he know Taylor?" He said.

"No but apparently he wants to get to know her so I told him I would find out if they could squeeze in too" She said. "Well its fine with me you know there's just us Seth and Summer so they can if they want" Ryan said.

"Great I'll just text Taylor and let her know" Marissa said. "Uh huh" He said sort of dazed. The line went silent. "So I guess I'll just talk to you later" She said. "Sure" he said. She hung up feeling like it was weird between them.

Ryan went for a walk towards the pier and ran into Summer coming out of one of the many shops. "Hey Atwood" She said. "You're not with Seth?" He said. "No I had to pick up my shoes I had them dyed to match my dress" She said holding out the bag.

He nodded. "Right" He said. "You okay chino?" She said noticing something was wrong. "Yeah" He said. "You don't look okay" She said. "Thanks for the compliment Summer" He said sarcastically she playfully hit him.

She smiled. "Look I know you usually don't talk or whatever because that's your thing but you can talk to me if you want to" she said. "I'll keep that in mind" He said.

"Because you know even though Coop and I are like Best friends I'd still like to think that over the years we've become friends too" She said. Ryan smiled. "We have haven't we" He said. "Yes Ryan we have" He said.

"Yeah that's just weird you calling me Ryan" He said joking. She laughed. "Okay so stop the brooding for a minute and drive me home my feet are killing me" She said. He laughed. "Come on" He said. She smiled and walked beside him to the car.

Marissa was in her room when she heard a car pull up. She looked out the window and saw Summer get out and wave as the Cohen's range rover drove away. Summer came traipsing up the steps.

"Hey" She said throwing her bag on the bed. "You could have called me to come get you instead of calling Seth" she said. "Actually it was Ryan" Summer said. Marissa bunched up her face in confusion.

"I ran into him by the pier and he offered to drive me home" She said. "Oh" She said. "I'm gonna order a pizza my dad called and said that your mom and him are going out tonight" Summer said. "Okay" Marissa said. Summer went to find the phone.

What you have to look forward to in the next chapter: It's prom night need I say more!