13 Years Old

Alex Kelly stood on the balcony of her family's cottage, from there she could slightly see the Cooper cottage. She was waiting for them, it had been a little over a year since she had seen Marissa Cooper and a lot had changed in a year.

After waiting for about a half hour Alex decided to head down to the boat where her parents were relaxing. When she got to the boat she flopped down and stared up at the sky.

"No sign of them yet darling?"

Alex shook her head. "Nope."

Her mother looked over at her and smiled. "They'll be here soon they probably just hit traffic."

As if to spite what her mother had said it was now 10 p.m. and there was still no sign of the Coopers. Their dinner was ate in silence as Alex wasn't very talkative, it was like the summer she lost Jodie all over again, except this time much worse.

"Why are you sitting out here, it's cold and you don't have a sweater on bozo."

Alex smiled and answered without turning around. "I'm not a clown thank you, do you see my hair being different colours." Marissa laughed and sat down next to Alex. "Waters nice tonight." Alex said as her feet dangled off the edge of the dock and into the water.

To her surprise Marissa slipped off her sandals and put her feet into the water. "Oh it is nice tonight." Marissa laughed. "You can close your mouth now."

"It's just, what about the fish aren't you scared their gonna totally bite your toes off."

The brunette playfully hit the blonde on the arm. "Shut up, I was young and stupid."

"What are you now, a year older and still stupid." The blonde stuck her tongue out.

"You're the stupid one, and I'm not mature. So you gonna tell me why your sitting out here this late?"

"Not late, it's only ten, shows how mature you are, and I was just thinking."

"About?"

"None of your business."

"Don't make me push you in the water." She threatened.

Alex laughed. "Seriously you need to stop with that threat, you've never once pushed me in the water so the threat loses any impact." Marissa huffed. "I was just thinking about something I needed…"

"You needed…"

"To tell you." The blonde fumbled.

Marissa was intrigued. "Oh and what's that?"

She wasn't ready to tell her just yet. "I missed you."

"I knew it, and I missed you too." The two girls hugged, and when they pulled away Marissa spotted the ring on Alex's finger and smiled.

Month Later

"You're starting a band? That's so cool." The two girls were floating on their inflatable chairs in the lake tanning.

Alex nodded. "I don't think you'd like it though."

"And why do you think that, not like you ever think anyways blondie."

Alex laughed sarcastically. "It's not exactly you're type of music. Which means it's not bubble gum pop."

"I have a wide variety of musical tastes thank you."

"Going from Barbie Girl, to Genie in a bottle, to Spice Up your life, and we can't forget a little Backstreets Back." Alex laughed finding herself highly amusing. Marissa raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Duh you totally forgot one, and it's not bubble gum pop, it's just pop."

Alex rolled her eyes. "What did I forget?" She smiled and tipped Marissa's chair, causing the brunette to fall into the water. "Oops I did it again."

"I was thinking more along the lines of, Bye Bye Bye." Marissa dunked Alex's head into the water.

After a few minutes the girls stopped play fighting. "That was a good one Cooper, I have to admit."

"Thank you, I learn from the best."

An hour later the girls were still laying around in the water, and Alex was asking Marissa about life in Newport.

"So you and Luke, are a couple now? Like a dating, boyfriend and girlfriend couple"

"Mhmm." Marissa nodded while she soaked up the sun.

There was silence between them after that until Mrs. Kelly and Julie came down a half hour later and got them for dinner.

It was the last day of summer before the two families headed their separate ways and Marissa hadn't heard from Alex since they're argument two days ago. Which wasn't over much of anything but Alex had just snapped and Marissa was never one to take anyone's crap, not even from Alex.

She didn't want to leave without the two of them sorting things out, and clearing the air. Normally she would have just ran over to the other cottage but because of the rain she decided to call first and lucky for her, because Alex wasn't there. Figuring Alex was at the dock she grabbed an umbrella but still got soaked and for nothing because Alex wasn't there.

Standing dripping wet on her balcony wondering where Alex could possibly be, Marissa started off into the distance. The rain had died down a bit and it was a little clearly and through an opening in some of the trees she seen something move and then she heard a faint splash. Taking her chances of it being an evil rabbit Marissa decided to see what was going on.

Alex sat on a rock, in the rain, trying to skip stones. She had found this spot a couple years ago when her and Marissa and some of the other kids were planning manhunt in the forest. A small clearing where no one could find her, not even Marissa. A place for her to go and clear her head, to just think and relax without the world of judgement or her parents breathing down her neck.

"You're going to get sick if you stay out here any longer." Her heart felt like it was about to stop.

"How did you find me?"

Marissa stood next to Alex, who was sitting on a rock. "Seen something move from my balcony and hoped it was you."
"What if it was evil deer, or a bear?"

"Decided to take my chances. Alex want to tell me what's been going on with you all summer?"

Alex blushed but was thankful for the rain and the fact it was ridden by darkness. "It's late we should head back inside." She went to get up. "Aren't you coming?"

"Not until you tell me whatever it is that's on your mind and has been on your mind all summer."

"How do you even know something is?"

Marissa gave her a look that said it all. "Sit, and talk."

The blonde sat back down on the rock and motioned for Marissa to sit on the one that was next to it. They sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Marissa wasn't going to push, she knew that didn't work so she sat, trying to patiently wait it out.

"I like girls."

"You what?" Marissa was taken aback. "But I thought you had Chris?"

"Chris is short for Christina." Marissa was speechless. "Well I think I like guys, and girls. I'm totally okay with it if you don't want to talk to me anymore. Okay so I'm not okay with it but its your choice, and I'll probably be pissed but yeah you know what I mean."

To Alex's surprise Marissa leaned forward and hugged her. When she pulled away she gave her a good smack upside the head though. "I'm glad you told me but if you ever keep something this big from me again I'm totally pushing you into the lake. Oh and Alexandra, I still love you."

Alex smiled. "What did I tell you about calling me that. I told you when we were 7 that only my mom can call me that. So now, you're going to pay the way you always do." With that said Alex pushed Marissa into the lake but knowing full well what the blonde was going to do Marissa brought Alex with her.

"So we're good?" Alex asked as the two girls stayed in the lake.

"Always."