The Summer That Changed It All Chapter 19, an o.c. fanfic

Cooper Cottage - Two weeks later

Marissa's friends had come and gone and she was now upstairs taking a nap. She hadn't talked to Alex much, Jodie was still around but that wasn't the reason why. Alex had stayed clear of Marissa since she got home from the hospital, turned out that when the doctor told her Marissa might not remember things he wasn't kidding. More than half the conversation Alex and Marissa had had that day the other girl didn't remember and it broke Alex's heart.

All she wanted was to hold the other girl and do the things that they always did when it came to the summer but it was hard to when her heart was breaking because the girl didn't remember that the blonde had in her own way asked her back out. For her part Marissa had stayed clear of the blonde not being able to deal with the looks and having her so close yet so far away.

She sat laying on the boat like she always did when she needed to get away when she felt the presence of someone beside her, opening one eye and using her hand to block out the sun she seen Jodie standing beside her.

"What is it Jodie? Here to lecture me again?"

Sitting down next to her Jodie looked out at the water then at her. "She loves you, a lot I shouldn't be telling you this but I'm going to anyways. Looks Marissa she asked her you when u were in the hospital, for a brief moment you two were back together and you not remember has broken her heart into a million little pieces. Try and talk to her, get your girl back Marissa, don't sit here and waste time pondering about everything that's happened. The past is the past leave it there and move forward, spend what time you have left together, actually together."

Marissa now had both eyes open and was staring blankly at the other girl. "Did you just say she asked me out? No she didn't I think I'd remember the her asking me out?"

Jodie nodded. "She did, she didn't want you two to break up in the first place, you know how stubborn she is though. Make it right or at least try, what left do you have to lose, and if you say pride, I don't care I will seriously smack you. You and her need to get over it all, not being with her kills me but I've realised I just want her to be happy and you make her happy." With that Jodie got up and left Marissa to think about everything she had just heard.

That Night

Later that night Marissa was laying in bed when her mother walked into her room without knocking like normal.

"Come on Riss, it's time for the fire your father is already singing, and we got lots of chocolate so get your butt up. I think Alex is already down there to with her guitar, I haven't heard her sing in so long." Her mother tried to pull her out of bed.

"Yeah yeah mom I'll meet you down there in a minute, let me just, grab my sweater and freshen up."

"I'll wait for you in the kitchen then we can head over." Marissa nodded and Julie went to wait for her daughter in the kitchen.

Looking at herself in the mirror the tall brunette sighed and brushed her teeth quickly before brushing her out and putting it up in a loose pony tail. Putting on her sweater and she walked out of her room and towards the kitchen where her mother was waiting. They walked down the back along the dock and back up to the Kelly's cottage where the fire was going and people already singing, bottles of beer in their hands.

There was an empty seat next to Alex, and an empty seat next to her father and one next to her sister, she opted for the one next to her sister shocking everyone except Alex. As Marissa sat down Josh Kelly came out with his guitar and Alex's. "Any requests," he asked as the two girls avoided each others gazes. Marissa had always loved their annual bon fires if for no other than to turn everyone else out and listen to Alex play, something about it made her smile and it had always seemed like every word, every note was being played for her. So as the two Kelly's started to play it was hard for Marissa not to look at Alex and for everyone else to disappear so instead she opted for closing her eyes as just after her sister handed her a stick for her marsh mellows.

"Hey Alex why don't you play us a few things we all have heard great things about that band of yours but what do you say you treat us before you get so famous you won't want to sing at our little fires anymore."

Alex smiled at Eric Edwards who's cottage was on the other side of the lake. "I suppose I could do that for you all." Smiles appeared on the faces of those around the fire except for Marissa.

"Hey." Kaitlyn nudged her. "Hey, wake up Alex is going to sing." Marissa opened her eyes, still stuck in her own dream world though. A world where her and Alex were together, decided to try and take her mind off it she put a marsh mellow on the end of the stick and held it just above the fire.

Another women whispered something in Alex's ear where the empty seat had once been and she nodded back and started to strum her guitar.

"Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Forgetting all I'm lacking
Completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation
You take all of me now...

I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose
There's nothing else to find
There's nothing in the world
That can change my mind
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
There is nothing else

Desperate for changing
Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started
Chasing after you...

Just hanging by a moment (here with you)
Hanging by a moment (here with you)"

She paused for a second strumming the last few chords on her guitar. "Hanging by a moment here with you." She wasn't looking at her but she could feel the other girls eyes on her as she sang the last line. Looking up only for a second their gazes met before both quickly looked away.

"Alex do you think you could play that song I always hear you singing?" Julie asked her.

"I'm not sure if now is a good time for it." She answered honestly knowing what song Julie was talking about.

Laughing a little Julie looked at her. "Dear now is as good a time as any, so come on get to rocking out."

"Mom!" Both Cooper girls said.

"What I rocked out back in the day." She smiled as both girls sunk down in their chairs.

Feeling like the Cooper girls needed her, to at the very least get their mother to be quiet and stop embarrassing them Alex started to play.

"Could you whisper in my ear
The things you want to feel
I'll give you anything
To feel it comin'
Do you wake up on your own
And wonder where you are
You live with all your faults

I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Yeah we're gonna let is slide

Don't you love the life you killed
The priest is on the phone
Your father hit the wall
Your ma disowned you
Don't suppose I'll ever know
What it means to be a man
Something I can't change
I'll live around it

I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Mmmmm slide

And I'll do anything you ever
Dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that, fall
May put your arms around me
What you feel is what you are
And what you are is beautiful
May do you manna get married
Or run away

I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
Yeah slide

And I'll do anything you ever
Dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that, fall
And I'll do anything you ever
Dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that, fall

Oh Oh Oh slide
(Just slide between the sheets of all the beds you never knew)
Yeah slide
Why don't you slide into my room
Just slide into my room
Oh, we'll run away, run away, run away"

By the time she finished she could feel Marissa's eye averting hers. It was their song, something that meant the world to them both. Before either of them had a moment to process anything Josh spoke up. "Oh girls before I forget Jimmy and I set the tent up in the Cooper back yard for you two, and your mothers brought all you need down for you so it's ready to go." Both girls gulped and looked down then up at their fathers and said thanks. It was tradition how could they forget after the fire they slept in the tent, well they stayed up talking in the tent.
"Well I guess this party is winding down once again." Eric slurred a little as people yawned a little and finished their beers. "What do you say to one last one kiddo."

Alex nodded. "I'm cool with that what shall it be."

"Oh, I know." Her mother piped up. "What about that one I've been hearing you work on, you've been singing it and humming it and playing it around the house so let's hear it." Not normally one to be nervous Alex nodded, definitely feeling the butterflies in her stomach as she glanced over at Marissa and figured she had nothing to lose.

"So maybe I've got a lot to learn.
Or maybe I'm just hangin' on my words.
Maybe it's not a big concern.
But, if I raise my hand will I understand why
I'm better with you?

So maybe there's not a lot to say
Or maybe i've grown doin' things my way (Yeah)
Or maybe things will be okay.
But if I get it together and do something clever,
I'll make it better with you

So tell me, where did I go wrong before you?
Before you came along, well it seems like i was lost.
You showed me how to do things right, now I'm,
so glad that now you're mine.
So let me say it all again.

So maybe there's not a lot to do.
or maybe I'm just makin myself confused.
Or maybe i've got nothin' to lose.
But if I get out of line, just tell me you're mine, and how
I'm better with you.

So tell me, where did I go wrong before you?
Before you came along, well it seems like I was lost.
You showed me how to do things right, now I'm, so glad that now you're mine.

So use me, don't let me screw it up.
I believe you lord, I need your touch.
Just a little spice of you could never be too much
I believe you lord, I need you now
to make it better all somehow.
To make it better all somehow.

So tell me, where did I go wrong before you?
Before you came along, well it seems like I was lost.
You showed me how to do things right,
now I'm, so glad that now you're mine.

So use me, don't let me screw it up.
I believe you lord, I need your touch.
Just a little spice of you could never be too much.
I believe you lord, I need you now
to make it better all somehow.
To make it better all somehow"

By the time she finished both girls were looking directly at each other and it was if they were the only two around and there was no one else in the world. They stayed that way staring at each other, the song long since over as people started saying goodnight and getting up and going back to their own places. Even as Kaitlyn tried to say something to her Marissa stayed focused on those blue eyes she loved so much, scared to breathe in fear of breaking the moment.

Finally the two girls looked away as Julie said something to Marissa causing her to nod and get up. As she walked off she looked back over at Alex who was now being hugged by her tipsy mother. Once back at their cottage Marissa went upstairs to change before grabbing and extra blanket and her pillow and going downstairs to the tent.

Laying down on the air mattress that was in there and looking around at all the candy and cookies she was fully prepared to be sleeping in the tent alone. Laying on her back she heard rustling outside and instinctively brought the blanket up over her head and laid still, letting out a small scream as she heard someone or something open the tent.

"Relax Cooper I'm not a bear, or deer or evil rabbit. I really don't think they can undo tent zippers but hey these days you never know. Well move over I'm not sleeping out in the rain."

Still a little shocked the brunette moved over as Alex closed the tent up and laid down her pillow, before laying down next to Marissa. Both girls stayed quiet as they heard the wind start to pick up and the rain that had just started start to get a little heavier.

For a few minutes that seemed like forever there was an awkward silence neither girl knowing exactly what to say.

"How are you doing? Healing okay?" Unable to find her voice Marissa nodded. "How are you?" She finally asked.

"Oh you know I've been a lot better." Marissa nodded.

The girls fell back into an awkward silence before one of them did something the other wasn't exactly expecting.