Summer had been edgy all day waiting for Marissa to call so that when the phone finally rang she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Coop?" she asked answering her phone.

"Yeah Sum it's me. So…… how have you been?" Now that she was talking to her Marissa didn't know what to say.

Summer thought about being bitchy and replying "Did you mean how have I been this year, last year or the one before since you wouldn't have any idea since you cut us all off" but she held her tongue. No point getting off to a bad start. "Fine. What about yourself?"

Marissa wasn't too sure. This didn't sound like the Summer she remembered. Maybe too much time had passed and they would actually have nothing in common anymore. "Yeah I'm fine."

"Um… so you're coming to LA."

"Yeah. Are you still living at Newport?" Marissa asked.

"No. Seth and I have an apartment in LA not far from where I work."

"So you and Seth still going strong?"

Summer smiled to herself. "Yeah he's still as childish as ever but I love him. So I guess I'm stuck with him. Besides who else would have him?" Summer joked.

Marissa smiled to herself. "Sounds like nothings changed at all."

Summer wondered if Marissa thought she could step back into their lives as if she'd never left and she wanted her to know that it wouldn't be that easy. She wasn't going to waltz into there lives for a couple of days while she did some photo shoot and then waltz out again like she had done all those years ago leaving everyone behind. "Well actually quite a lot has changed but I guess the characters are still the same…… So…. you're coming to LA?"

"Yeah I'll get there on Sunday."

"So … Do you need a bed?"

"No… thanks anyhow…. but the studio is booking something for me near the set."

"Hold on. Did you say studio?"

"Yeah. Don't laugh …but I'm going to have a go at acting."

"Wow. I just figured you'd be coming for a photo shoot and that you'd be gone in a couple of days." Summer explained.

"Nope I'm expecting to be there for at least a couple of months. That's why I wanted to see if we could maybe catch up. I'd love to see everyone again."

"Hang on. The movie your doing its not the new Jake Hammond one is it?" Summer asked.

"Yeah. You must be a big fan of his to take so much interest." Marissa added

"You've got to be kidding. I can't stand him. He's an arrogant arsehole and such a sleaze. But I'm the costume designer."

"What! That's great I can't believe we'll be working together. "

"Yeah... just don't bother telling me if you don't like the clothes. I still suffer from rage blackouts and I don't take criticism well. Just ask Seth."

Marissa laughed. "I'm sure I'll love them all. That's why you were always my favourite shopping buddy. You always knew exactly what looked just right. So I'm guessing you love your job?"

"Well what do you expect. They are paying me to do something I would probably do for free. But please don't tell the studio that. What they don't know won't hurt them." Summer confided.

Marissa laughed. "You're secret is safe with me. So….. How are Sandy and Kirsten?" Marissa asked trying to get Summer to mention him without her having to actually ask.

"Yeah. They are fine. Still living in Newport. They are both sort of semi-retired but I think sometimes they are working harder than ever."

"I don't understand." Marissa queried.

"Well they help Ryan out when he needs them." Summer explained.

"Uh…How's he going?"

"Well unless you've been in prison in Siberia for the last few years you'd have to know about how our Golden Boy is doing."

"Yeah. I have read a few articles about him. He has obviously done really well for himself" Marissa replied and then added "……. Is he happy?"

Summer wasn't prepared to go down this path with Marissa. Sure they had been best friends for years but since she left Summer had grown really close to Ryan. She knew that Marissa had broken his heart and she would do everything in her power to make sure Marissa didn't hurt him again. But then Marissa sounded like she cared so Summer hesitated as she thought about what to say.

"Let's just say he is very successful and leave it at that. I'm sure that must make him happy otherwise he wouldn't push himself so hard." Summer wanted to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about Ryan. If Marissa had issues with him then she should talk to Ryan herself not use Summer as some sort of go between. "So when do you arrive again?"

"I'll be there Sunday. I have to start work Monday."

"Well you'll probably want a decent rest on Sunday to try to get over the jetlag so how about I just see you at work on Monday and we'll make some plans then."

"Okay sounds great……and Sum."

"Yeah?"

"Tell him…….. I mean everyone…. I said Hi."

Summer thought back over the phone call with Marissa. She knew she would have to tell Ryan about it and she didn't know how he would react. Marissa was obviously still interested in him but Summer wasn't sure in just what way.

Somewhere along the line they had all just stopped talking about her, it seemed easier. Thinking back the last time she had heard Ryan mention her name had been a few years ago at Christmas when Seth in typical, Seth crassness, had given Ryan a subscription to just about every magazine that Marissa had ever been on the cover of. Ryan had barely spoken when he had unwrapped the pile of magazines many of which had her on the cover. He hadn't yelled at Seth or laughed or anything. He just quietly thanked Seth and said something about Marissa would appreciate him increasing the circulation of her magazines and then went quiet and everyone just moved on to the next thing and didn't mention it again.

Ryan sat at work and for about the fifth time that day he picked up the phone to call Summer and then put it back down again. He wanted to know if she had spoken to Marissa yet but he didn't want her to know just how preoccupied he had become. He knew that one of the reasons he was so successful was that he could manage to focus on what needed to be done and block out everything else. But he couldn't block out the thought of Marissa. Even after all this time. He'd achieved nothing all morning so he figured he would go over to the studio and have a look at the project they were having problems with and who knows maybe he could accidentally (or on purpose) run in to Summer while he was there.

"Ryan. What are you doing here?" Summer smiled as he entered her office.

"I had to come and look over something so I thought I'd drop by and see if you wanted to go to the canteen and grab a late lunch.

"Actually, I've already eaten but why don't you pull up a chair and I'll pour you a coffee."

"Thanks. So. How's work been?"

"Are you really interested or are you just fishing for info?" Summer smiled at him as she placed the mug of coffee in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon Chino. I know you too well. I'm not as silly as I look. Just because I hang out with Cohen doesn't mean I have totally lost my feminine intuition. I mean you hang out with him and you're still normal, well basically."

"Okay. So maybe I'm just a little interested if you had any more unusual calls today?" he looked at his coffee and then back up at Summer giving her one of his trade mark half smiles.

"Yeah. She rang about 15 minutes ago. If you'd been a little earlier you could have spoken to her yourself."

"No. I don't think that would have been a good idea at all…. You know I think she may have tried to call me yesterday too."

"Really."

"Yeah. I had a message that went sort of 'Hi um never mind' and that was it and it was from a blocked number so I couldn't call it back."

"Yeah. Well that sounds like her. Her phone definitely has a blocked number. I guess she maybe gets hassled by fans so she is probably careful about who she gives it to. I forgot to ask her for it."

"So what's the deal. Is she really coming to LA?"

"Yeah and it's a good thing you're sitting down because you'll never believe it. It's not at all what I thought."

"What do you mean?" he frowned. She now had him worried.

"Don't worry. Nothing wrong. It's just I figured she would be flying in one day and out the next with a photo shoot in the middle."

"And. isn't that what's happening".

"Nope. She's going to be working right here. She's signed up for the role of the model in "Fashion Victim", the new Jake Hammond movie that starts next week. So she'll probably be around for a couple of months."

Ryan sat there stunned. Marissa in LA for a couple of months. He had thought if she was just here for a day or two then he could either avoid seeing her altogether or maybe just say hi and goodbye because she would be gone too quickly for it to matter. But two months.

"Ryan. Are you still with me?" Summer asked waving her hand in front of his eyes.

"Um Yeah Sorry. I …ah… that just… that just took me by surprise."

"I told you. So do you think we need a family meeting to discuss this?" Summer asked.

"Discuss what?"

"Well I think from the way she spoke, that she is hoping we will all go back to being friends again but I'm not so sure if we should let that happen. I mean it's not like I am going to ignore her or anything, but I think she needs to apologise for what she put us through. You especially."

"I'm a big boy Summer and it was all a long time ago. I think we have all moved on since then. You never know she may have turned into another Julie".

"That's exactly what Cohen said. I think you two spend too much time together. But seriously, she seemed pretty interested in what you were up to. Do you still think about her?"

He took a deep breath and looked at the dregs in his coffee cup.

"Every day". He sighed.