17 Years Old

Marissa sat on the back deck of the cottage when she seen the Kelly's walk up the steps, the butterflies in her stomach got worse. She was nervous to see Alex especially after the way she'd left the year before.

"Hi Marissa, how are you? You look amazing."

"Thanks Mrs. Kelly, I'm well, you look amazing yourself." She gave the woman a hug before giving one to Mr. Kelly and then looking around for Alex.

"I'm sorry hun, she's not here she'll be up in a month. Failed math, had to take it in summer school." Marissa looked down. "What's the matter she'll be up before you know it."

"I'm heading back to Newport in a month, for the rest of the summer, got an internship with Summer and we can't pass it up."

That night Marissa couldn't sleep, Mr. Oinky wasn't even helping. She know knew exactly what Alex must have felt when she younger and Jodie didn't come back. Except Jodie had suddenly popped back into her life.

After a few hours of restlessness she decided to get up go sit on the boat. She knew it was going to be one hell of a long month, and an even longer summer. Picking up her cell phone she contemplated calling her but as she was about to press send the though of Jodie and Alex kissing and excluding her all last summer clouded her mind. Forgetting about the call she just laid there and looked up at the stars.

Month Later

Alex pulled up to the cottage in her jeep. She inhaled the fresh scent that was foreign in L.A. Forgetting about her bags, her parents and her hunger, Alex raced down to the dock, almost positive that Marissa would either be there or on the boat tanning.

When she got there, there was nothing but the calm lake and a few birds. She checked the boat, only to find it empty. Sighing she decided to try the Cooper cottage but no one was there. Dejected, she walked about back to her own families cottage and heard laughter coming from the deck.

"Hi sweety, how was the drive."

"It was alright. Hi Julie, Jimmy."

"Hey stranger." Jimmy said as Alex gave Julie a hug.
"Do you know where Marissa is, I've been looking for her all over the place." The parents all looked at each other, know just how much Alex wanted to see Marissa. "What is she okay, did something happen?"

Her mother put an arm on her shoulder. "Marissa left…"

"Mind finishing that sentence mom, don't leave a girl hanging in suspense like that."

Taking a deep breathe Patricia Kelly looked to Julie for support. "Marissa got an internship and had to go back to Newport."

Alex was shell shocked at what she had just heard Julie tell her and it was like a bad dream. "She what? You mean she was here and I missed her?" All the parents nodded as Alex got up and walked down the back steps.

Dock

"I don't know, she's not here." Alex mumbled into the phone trying not to tear up.

There was a sigh before the other person started talking. "There's nothing you can do Alex."

"You don't understand I haven't talked to her in what feels like forever. I miss my best friend Jodie." Alex began to cry. "Not only that you know we left things a complete mess."

"No Alex, she left things like that. I know you guys are friends but.."

"But nothing, who knows when the next time I'll see her will be, if I'll even ever see her again."

There was silence on the phone. "Just calm down, you'll see her again."

"I'm not so sure Jodie."

The rest of the summer went by slowly for both girls. Both constantly wondering what the other was doing but being too stubborn to pick up the phone and find out for themselves. For Alex it was a lot worse and she spent most of her time on the dock or at her and Marissa's 'spot'. The thoughts of last summer running through her mind, just as it had since it had happened the summer before.

One question running through her mind the entire time, would she ever see her best friend again. There was so much she needed to tell her, and show, most of all she just missed her being around.