A/N Sorry this is late…

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"Can I just get an earl grey, Katie? Thanks"

"Coffee, black. Thank you." They said. "You must be a regular." Ethan said as their waitress had walked off with a pad in hand.

"Yeah, you could say that. I work here." She said smiling as they sat on armchairs at Jacobs after their bridge encounter. "So what are you studying at Berkeley?

"Well the first year I was taking Psych, I liked it, and loved learning about all that stuff, but decided it wasn't for me." I'm doing something between landscape architecture and horticulture, I'm not sure what", he said laughing at himself lightly. "It's complicated. Yeah…I know, sounds a little whatever right. "

Marissa smiled back at him intrigued, "Wow, you went from studying to be someone who analyzes people, to like, a gardener"

He laughed, "I'm not going to be a gardener, not that there's anything wrong with that. But yeah, I dropped out of my humanities course as I'm obviously not very good at reading signs am I. For starters, I mistook you for being suicidal."

She chuckled, patronizing him sarcastically, "hey, I was crying and looking down from a bridge, it could happen to anyone."

"Yeah, yeah, smart ass", he responded with a smile, as the waitress came back setting their beverages on the coffee table between them.

"It was sweet though." Marissa responded as she stirred the sweetener into her teacup. "…in a raving lunatic kind of way."

Ethan and Marissa sat there for a good portion of the afternoon getting to know each other. They exchanged stories, sharing little anecdotes, as their laughter filled the air around them. She sat in her respective seat absorbing everything about him, making it so easy for her to want to get to know more. Intrigued by his personality, unafraid to make a fool of himself, he was optimistic and she was easily drawn to him. His physical attributes were a nice addition. Ethan was tall, standing in at 6'2", short and straight brown hair, with an athletic body. He had a clean cut face, with perfect symmetry in his facial structure, but he didn't look common, he had beautiful deep brown eyes that led you into his soul. Everything about him was attractive.

"So why landscape architecture?"

"I think it sounds kind of contradictory, you know, building a natural environment. I don't really know how I became interested, but I'm enjoying it, so I've stuck with it. I prefer it over a built environment, buildings, things like that, just seem too, I don't know, hollow. I don't really have anything against it, I'm just saying."

"Do you live on campus?"

"No, I rent a place on my own, not too far from here. What about you?" He enquired genuinely interested. Ethan found it hard not to be interested as he watched the modest blonde sit across him.

"I live at the dorms on campus, its not that bad, its one of those apartment type set-ups, which makes it almost feel like you have a place of your own." She looked at her watch and noticed the time slip past them, "speaking of, it's getting late I should be getting back."

"Yeah, you're right", he looked as it own watch, "wow it is late, its 5 o'clock", he said mocking her as he produced a smile which she happily returned. "I'm kidding."

"Thanks for this afternoon, its not everyday I meet someone who tries to save me from – well…not jumping off a bridge." She said teasing him.

"Okay, how long are you going to throw that in my face?" he said as he signaled to the waiter to come with the bill.

"I guess until you do something even more outrageous" she smirked.

"You're funny." Ethan replied sarcastically, setting some money on the table.

They both stood up and looked around in a brief awkward silence. "So…" she began looking around aimlessly, and he smiled back at her adorable nature.

"So…" he repeated.

"I'll see you…" she said a little unsure as she grabbed her bag and took a step outward.

"Wait..." he said as she felt a hand lightly grab hold of her arm, and she looked back up at him, hoping for something to happen. "I don't want you to walk out of here and never see you again…" Ethan said softly putting himself on the line.

Marissa couldn't help but be enthralled with his charm. He stopped a waitress and asked to borrow a pen and a sheet off her order pad, and began writing down his number. "I don't want to come off too forward and scare you away, so I'll give you my number, and if you call, I won't hide the fact that I'd be happy about it. But if you don't…then it was really nice meeting you…Marissa Cooper." He finished shyly and handed her the torn sheet.

She gave him a furtive grin and folded the piece of paper to place in her jeans pocket. "It was nice meeting you…" Marissa said as she proceeded on her way out, leaving him standing there to watch her walk away, but looked back at him giving him hope that he made a good impression and that wouldn't be the last he saw of her.

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"We really need to do something…" Ryan proclaimed as they sat becoming entranced by their play-stationing.

"I've been saying that for weeks. But what can we do."

The two of them sat in Ryan's living room, doing what they do best. The sun had set on the two of them, having a non-productive day. Empty cans of coke and half eaten pizza lay around them, and the sight of the pair was almost pitiful. Their gaming drowned out the argument Sarah was having with Roy on the phone in her room; Ryan had actually reached point and gotten so used to it, he could easily tune out their incessant fighting. She walked out to main area having slammed the door behind her.

"Ugh!" She screamed frustrated.

"That seemed to go well", Seth answered with sarcasm as he knew best.

She walked over a dropped herself on the couch. "You guys have been doing this all afternoon, you know."

"4 hours –"

"…and 34 minutes." Seth said finishing Ryan's sentence.

"I need to get out of here…" she thought out loud. "We should do something, go out. Do something."

"Oh yeah, what'd you have in mind."

She thought for a moment, "It's Saturday night, we can go hit a club or something, we can go to where I work, you won't need to be carded because you're with me…"

"I don't know…" Ryan said a little hesitant, as Seth was beginning to be convinced.

"Hey, it's better than sitting here all night." He figured.

"Great, so we'll go!" Sarah said quickly uplifted and got out of her seat. "You should call and get Summer," she continued as she proceeded back to her room to find something to wear.

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"Coop, you've got to come." Summer begged over the line in desperate need for reinforcements.

"I'm pretty beat, I'm not sure I'm really up for a club tonight. Actually let me rephrase that, I'm not sure I'm really up for a club that has Sarah in it." She said lightheartedly.

"I don't want to go without you it won't be as much fun. Plus, we wouldn't be the fantastic four without you, not Sarah."

Marissa tried to argue as she had begun to clear dishes back at her apartment, "Sum, I don't want to be fifth wheeling again."

"You're not fifth wheeling…take someone, ask Kyle." Summer persisted to plead with her to ensure she didn't have to go into this thing alone, as Marissa considered the possibility of just bringing her roommate along with her, but realized Kyle mentioned she would be heading out. "I can't, she's got a date, I forgot."

"Are you making this up so you don't have to come?" She asked a little skeptical.

"Kyle having a date is not far fetched Summer." Marissa laughed back into the receiver and sighed. "Okay…forget it…I'll go", she said giving into her.

After Summer had hung up she fiddled with the torn paper she had left in her pocket. She got it out and relayed the numbers repeatedly in her head; unsure of whether she should or she should decide against it. With the phone in her hand she dialed the first few numbers then cancelled again. In her second attempt, she entered the entire sequence and waited with a smile on her face in hopes that the person she was after would pick up.

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The phone line went busy, after an attempt to call, no answer. Ryan hung up the handset with no luck, as Marissa's number faded back into the screen.

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Marissa nervously waited for someone to pick up the line. She leant up against the wall and slid down like a young teenager that was beginning to grow an infatuation; unsure of how meeting this one person after one afternoon could have an effect on her. It kept ringing, with each ring, her anticipation grew.

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Walking out of her room Sarah quickly did a twirl out by the end of the hallway in her Saturday night best. Decked out in her True Religion denim mini, an embellished top that advertised her assets, topped off with threatening stilettos, she looked amazing. He looked her up and down from the points of her shoes to the tips of her ponytail.

"You look great." Ryan said earnestly with his verdict.

Sarah went over to the coffee table and picked up her clutch. "Thanks, you're not too hard on the eyes either." She laughed, but wasn't at all kidding as he stood confident in distressed jeans and a plain black v-neck tee.

"You ready to go?"

"Absolutely."

"Seth and Summer are already downstairs", Ryan mentioned as he opened the door for her like a true gentleman, as she stepped out the door.

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"Hello", the voice answered, and she could tell it was just the person she had been looking for.

Her mouth became dry and her confidence began to drain from her like fluid. "Hi, uh…Ethan?"

Never having forgotten her voice from their long conversation earlier on, he easily recognized the caller on the other line. "Marissa Cooper." He answered with a knowing smile. "I was hoping you'd call…"

"You were?" She said a little too eager and he chuckled softly.

"Yeah, I was…So what do I owe the pleasure…"

She could feel herself become a little red in sheer moments, "I just wanted to ask if you had plans tonight…a friend of mine is making me go to some club-" she hesitated, "no that sounded stupid…" she said now covering the phone, and chastising herself softly, totally unaware it was loud enough for Ethan to hear.

But to him, her apprehension just made her that much more endearing. "It's not stupid", he said trying be sincere and reassure a now startled Marissa, "besides, we got past stupid when I ran at you like a madman" Ethan continued, trying to ease the situation, in which case she felt the knots created on her insides had begun to untangle itself and she laughed at his attempted humor. "So as you were saying, a friend of yours is making you go to some club…now your turn…"

"…and I just wanted to ask if you'd like to come with me…" she continued, her verbal pace speeding up as she became much more nervous with each syllable, "I mean if you want, as friends, and like just hang out, but if you're not busy…"

"Am I making you nervous?" He said playfully, his grin so obvious and easily transmitted.

Marissa shook her head as she combed her hair with her fingers, because in truth he really was.

"I'll pick you up in half an hour", he said finally giving her an answer and putting her out of her misery.

Now exposing her teeth as her lips paved way for a smile, "Okay…half an hour then" she said calmly trying to disguise her excitement and was on her way to hang up when Ethan called out to her.

"Marissa?"

"Yeah?" She asked innocently.

"You know as much as I loved picking you off that bridge, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask for an address this time", Ethan asked, coy.

She laughed, and once revealing her location she hung up and quickly proceeded to her bedroom to get ready. As much as it wasn't a date, in which she had already made that clear to herself, Marissa felt jittery, the same excitement and anticipation you would feel if it had been.

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"Cohen, you are never allowed to drive this convertible again", Summer stated as Seth was in total control of the wheel and under-speeding; Ryan and Sarah had been sitting quietly in the back as the pair out front would argue without fail. "Remind me to introduce you to someone…"

"Oh yeah and who's that?" Seth asking merely to humor her.

"4th Gear!" She spat out. "Oh! Parking, parking, parking!" Summer, as she tried to usher him toward the metered vacancy while she flailed her arms about. "Vamos!"

Seth quickly hurried to park once he heard Summer yell in Spanish.

The night felt promising, but what it had promised was known to no one. With clear skies and the stars pinned up overhead, the air was crisp and inhaling it stimulated the body. A long line formed outside of the Lotus Garden, a name concocted by Sarah's sibling; people anxious to get inside and become part of the rhythms that burned through the walls. The mix of ethnicities with one common goal, and that was to drink and dance until dawn would arrive.

"Max!" Sarah yelled out grabbing Ryan's hand to drag him towards the front of the line, with Summer and Seth footsteps behind. A large man who looked like he may have been a ring leader of a motorcycle gang in a previous life, was the gatekeeper to this popular nocturnal venue.

"Sarah", he boomed back with a smile on his face as he gave her a quick hug.

"How's tonight like?" She asked standing on her tiptoes to get a quick glance of the other side.

"Get in there and find out", he said encouragingly

"They're with me" she said whilst looking over her shoulder to indicate the three people behind her.

Max nodded his head and greeted them, patting Ryan and Seth on the back with his oversized hands. Sarah took a step and headed on in with Ryan close by her. As the three she came with were already inside, Summer became impatient as she hoped that Marissa would turn up already, poking her head out by the door she caught sight of a blonde who had with her a tall, brown haired male who had his hand on the small of her back as he guided her to the front.

Summer seemed a little confused but knew she would press for information once they got in, "Oh, they're with us too" Summer said to Max, who laid his hands once again on Ethan's shoulder giving his approval and the go ahead to proceed, while people groaned as they felt they were cutting in.

Sarah hadn't actually ever mentioned the type of club her brother ran, but it was the furthest place Death Cab would ever be heard. The music pumping through the sound system and the monster speakers were all of the hip-hop genre, as the wannabe Beyonce's and the hopeful Usher's, grinded up against the closest person near them of the opposite sex.

"Wow…this is uh, so not what I expected." Seth said gaping.

Ryan just flicked his eyebrows up in agreement. Sarah however who was no stranger to this scene was rhythmically stepping to each beat as she walked and swayed her hips from east to west, as she led the two guys toward the bar. Summer watched where they were headed and forced Marissa and her new friend to follow, as she grabbed Marissa's hand to take her two steps ahead, is when she began her ambush.

"Who's he?" She asked into Marissa's ear to overcome the Fat Joe track gracing the joint.

Marissa just smiled, "We just met…"

Summer smiled widely becoming intrigued and excited at the same time, "He's hot! I want details later once I can hear myself think again."

"Okay!" Marissa conceded, now taking two steps back to be in line with Ethan's side. Ethan seemed to take the similar but more subtle rhythmic steps that Sarah had earlier, with less hip of course, erasing any signs he had no idea how to handle this place, and Marissa smiled finding herself more and more attracted to him, as she quickly became aware that he was a good dancer.

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