7

"Wow.. Single mom? Marissa I had no idea.." Seth said shortly and in awe after gulping down the bit of food that was in his mouth. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she took a sip of her drink, playing with the straw in between her lips before setting it back down.

"Really?" she started as she tilted her head at him curiously. "I mean I just figured since your mom and my mom are friends that everyone would know about.."

"No, definitely not," he muttered sarcastically as he stared back at her from across the table. "I mean your mom was kind of short on details about a lot of stuff concerning you these past few years.. guess it kinda makes sense now.." She nonchalantly rolled her eyes before taking another big bite of her burrito into her mouth, no real response of any kind arising, catching Seth off guard. "Thats it?" he asked, astounded at her lack of hostility at the news that her mother had kept her life shamefully hidden from her former friends.

"Well what am I supposed to do? Get mad at her?" she asked plainly, setting her container down on the pavement with a sigh. "I mean the woman is basically my lifeline here. Plus, I'm not really surprised by anything she does anymore." Seth let out a soft chuckle at her.

"I guess after your mom sleeps with your ex-boyfriend, everything else is kind of a walk in the park huh?" She smirked at his dry comment, even though it was completely true.

"Something like that.." she responded with a fading smile, her mood changing serious. "I mean, I guess its not like anyone from here is really in my life anymore. Not like anyone cared enough to call.."

"And by anyone you mean Ryan?" he interrupted her, his words blunt and straight to the point, catching her completely off guard. She had never really been that close to Seth, but their conversations were always so easy going. They really had nothing to lose or gain with each other, they were just the connection and confidant of the ones they truely loved. That had always connected them some how. He waited for her to retort back, but her silence gave him the yes he knew was coming without her actually saying it. She bit her lip subconsciously as she stared back at him. "Come on, someone was going to have to mention him sometime."

"Oh, dont you dare act so smug," she shot at him as she scoffed at his attitude and poked him with her index finger.

"I dont know what thats supposed to mean.."

"Riiight," she called out sarcastically as she rolled her eyes and picked back up her food from the ground. "You trying to tell me you werent waiting for me to mention Summer?" His mouth dropped into a large oval as he tried to feign awe at her comment. Seth stuttered a few weak defenses before she raised her eyebrows and silenced him. He let out a soft sigh as he poked his utensil through the order of mexican rice that sat next to his burrito.

"God we're pathetic.." he said pointedly as he stared down at his mushy and quickly become cold thai.

"Hey- I think your using we a little to freely here Seth," Marissa said defensively as she stared over at his dejected silhouette. "I've done a lot since back then. Did I mention the kid and the Rhode Island and the job?"

"Thanks Coop," he sarcastically retorted as he brought his head back up to look at her with a reluctant smile, "you really know know how to make a man feel better about himself."

"Aww," she cooed out giving him an apathetic look before bring her hand up and playfully ruffling his black curly hair, "Pathetic's not that bad. Girls secretly like pathetic. And thats always been your strong suit." He shook his head at her, pushing her hand away from his head and turning his attention back to his food. She did the same as they both sat in silence and ate for a few moments. Both of them thinking to themselves about nothing and everything at the same time. Both of them knowing that the person next to them had been there through and experienced everything in the life of the one person they truly loved for the past five years when they couldnt.

"How is she?" Seth suddenly broke the silence but didnt look up from his dinner.

"She's.." Marissa hesitated with her answer for a split second. What was she supposed to say? Summer is happily engaged to some rich executive and the wedding is in June? No, that would break Seth's heart, and maybe turn away the only person from her old life, excluding her mother, that she had even seen. "She's good." She saw his head nod slowly out of the corner of her eye and felt her stomach tighten. It was time to ask about Ryan and her mouth couldn't make the words go. For her, she wasnt sure if she wanted to know, because even if Seth politely lied for her sake, she would see the truth with her own eyes at some point anyways. Another long pause hung between the two of them before, to Marissa's relief, Seth broke the silence once again.

"Ryan's good too."

She nodded her head and let out a small, short breath. She wasnt sure if she was scared or happy. Scared that maybe Seth's saying Ryan was good was the same kind of good Summer was. Or happy because Ryan was happy.

"Thats good.." she responded, finally looking over at Seth. "I'm glad he's happy.."

"Well I wouldnt exactly say that.." Seth muttered more to himself than to her, but she still heard it all the same. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she was about to question what it meant when the loud ringing of her cell phone rung out from her purse. "Spongebob theme song? Impresive.." he said sarcastically as he watched her frantically dig through her purse.

"Yeah Aiden picked it out.." she explained shortly right as she found her cell phone. FIipping it open and hearing the concerned voice of her mother on the other line, suddenly all thoughts of Ryan were out of her head. As she hung up the phone she abruptly stood up as she hurriedly explained the situation to Seth. "I'm so sorry, that was my mom. I promised Aiden I'd be home when they got back and they're about to head back.."

"Its fine Marissa," Seth assured her as he stood up next to her. If he was completely honest with himself, he was very surprised that Marissa hadnt returned right back to their conversation when she hung up the phone, dying to see what he meant by his comment. He knew he would have if she would have said something like that about Summer. The Marissa he used to know would have done it too, but she was different now. Good different. He could tell even by his brief conversation with her.

"Well," Marissa started awkwardly as she stood in front of him. "I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," he responded shortly with a nod of the head. He felt as though he needed to say something, just to let her know he was there for her as a friend while she was here. God knows he himself could use a few friends himself these days. "We should hang out sometime. You gotta be pretty lonely when all you have to rely on for some adult, stimulative conversation is Julie Cooper." She let out a small laugh, completely agreeing with him on that one, as she moved towards her car.

"Yeah, call me sometime."

Seth watched as she got into her car and started it up, throwing her a friendly wave as she pulled out of her parking stall. As she zoomed off into the distance, the magnitude of the entire situation hit him. Marissa. Cooper. Is. Living. In. Newport. Woah. Immediately he picked up his cell phone and called the number of the only person he knew that might have coronary over this. The dull ring over the line made him grow anxious, the talkative gossipy part of him that just wanted to explod when he had a secret took over and he just wanted to scream when he heard the line click on and the even robotic tone of his voicemail click on.

"Holy shit Ryan, you are not going to believe who I just saw.."