Chapter Ten: The Reunion
Marissa sat a bit uncomfortably on the bed as she watched a turbulent Marcello pace around the room with his cell phone glued to his ear. She felt really awkward sitting there in a room that wasn't her own, with another person who didn't inhabit it either. But then again this level of discomfort was becoming almost natural for her as of late. She watched as Marcello became more flustered and shut his cell phone once more. It had been about twenty minutes since they had been in the hotel, but it felt more like four hours.
"Oca! I don't understand where the hell she is or why in the world she isn't answering her phone!" Marcello looked down to Marissa. She was sitting on the plush king sized bed, but couldn't quite get comfortable on it. He saw how awkward she felt, and he knew that Summer's absence wasn't helping at all. He paced a bit more, and wasn't sure what to say. Marissa finally agreed to speak with Summer, and in return she was no where to be found. This was poignant and frustrating.
He opened his mouth to speak again, but still was unsure of what to say. What was his problem? He never was at a loss for words. Marissa looked up with her lost, sad blue-green eyes and shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know what to say either. "I'm going to call her again." Marcello informed her and flipped his cell phone open once more.
Marissa nodded, she was glad that he wasn't going to try to speak to her, because after the last day and a half, she wasn't sure she could think of any other sentences to formulate. It took a lot out of her to face her Mom and Bray, and she was depleted. Besides, she was already nervous about seeing Summer as it was, and the fact that she wasn't there only made her doubts flare up more. Something deep inside her had told her that her mother wasn't being completely honest with her for a while now, but could she trust someone she hadn't spoken to in years either? Marissa looked up and met eyes quickly with Marcello. He looked really nervous, and she felt sad for him. She knew he was only trying to help, but his anxious demeanor was making her feel less and less like she should be there.
The phone once again kicked to voice mail and Marcello went on another rampage, "Bella, where they hell are you?! Marissa is here, as in, IN your hotel room. But YOU aren't here? What is wrong with this picture? Get here now." With that he shut his phone again and plopped down on the bed next to Marissa. "I'm sorry Marissa, I don't know where she is…"
Stopped in mid sentence, Marcello and Marissa's attentions were drawn to the clutter and voices outside the door of the hotel room. "Cohen, would you stop, my key is not in my back pocket, it's in my purse."
"Gawd Summer, did you have to shove me? My bones aren't even done growing yet; if you break any of them they might not ever develop correctly. I mean you don't want to deprive me up the full strapping man I can be do you?"
"Can it Cohen, you were done growing years ago." The two in the room looked to each other with wide eyes and couldn't help but let out a little laugh. It was quite amusing to say the least, and really brand new to both of them..
"And you call yourself a Pre-Med major. It's a common fact that the average man continues to grow until he is 21 years of age, which means I still have a few months to go." Seth continued to ramble and Summer rolled her eyes. In the mean time Ryan took the key card from Summer's hand and shook his head. He hadn't been around the Seth/Summer banter in awhile, and the novelty was already wearing off.
Marissa and Marcello continued to giggle. But then suddenly something clicked in Marcello and he realized what was happening. Summer's boyfriend Seth had come to Italy. But the question is, why? Instantly he remembered Summer talking about how skittish Marissa was, and too many people might cause her to run away again. He stood up and pulled Marissa up to stand with him. "Hey, maybe we should leave, and wait for them to get settled." He spoke as quickly as he could. There were two entrances to the room, and he planned on taking her out towards the other direction. But before Marissa could protest the door flung open and first revealed one of the most amazingly good looking men, Marcello had ever seen. He stopped for a moment and gawked at him. He suddenly forgot where he was going.
Behind Ryan, the quarreling couple continued, "Cohen, if you get any taller, that only means you'll get lankier, and I'm not about to marry someone that looks like a scrawny orc! I'm already much shorter than you as it is, and if…"
"Summer, I'm so proud of you, you made a Lord of the Rings reference!" Seth looked at her and beamed. He moved in to wrap his arms around her, "My baby is learning…"
The two were lost in their Coheny world and in the mean time Ryan had finally been given the chance to lay his soft blue eyes upon her. He was taken back, because he hadn't expected to see her standing there. And to him, it felt like the world had stopped turning, and the voices of his two best friends had faded from his mind almost at once. He willed himself to move forward and greet her by wrapping his arms around her small frame, but it felt like his feet were bound to the carpet below him. It was a battle between his head and his heart, and at the moment he had no idea which would triumph.
Instead of moving, he stood there, and an awkward silence formed between the two that once were so close. She looked even better than he had remembered. Not even her goddess-like appearance in his dreams could do her true justice. The real thing was better than his memories could ever come up with. She was beyond beautiful, and any doubts that Ryan had possibly had about coming vanished instantly. A small, content smile formed on the edge of his lips and in his eyes as he looked at her entire form. Finally, after what seemed like a year he reminded himself to breathe as he spoke just one word, "Hey."
Marissa was standing next to Marcello, but due to the circumstances before her, she wouldn't have known it. Everything else seemed dull and her eyes fell immediately into Ryan's. Something was definitely familiar about those eyes and suddenly she felt her stomach do flip flops. Was she remembering something? She stayed silent, studying his defined features slightly, then getting trapped into those eyes again. She didn't know what to say, or how to greet him. For all she knew, her last encounter with him was in Tijuana. "Hey," she responded, and tried hard not to blink. The gaze she was in, felt amazing, and she didn't want it to end. There was something so comforting about him, that she just couldn't explain. She was intrigued and knew that this feeling was something she didn't want to go away.
About mid stare, Marissa blinked, losing the trance they had between them and Marissa's mind wandered to a real memory that seemed so vivid…
It was completely dark outside, and Marissa was waiting at the end of her driveway for Luke. They were off to some party yet again and Marissa was wearing her favorite pair of low rise blue jeans and her new white designer tank top that showed just the slightest bit of mid driff. She was texting away on her cell phone to Summer when she heard the click of a lighter and looked up. Her eyes widened and immediately she knew he wasn't from around here; his attire alone told her that. He was wearing black jeans, a simple white t-shirt, a grey hoody and a black leather jacket. He was straight out of a James Dean movie, with a simple leather chocker to top it off. She half smiled and watched as he noticed her as well, cigarette unlit. .
"Who are you?" She asked bluntly, she was used to getting what she wanted, and let's face it he was practically in her back yard anyway, so she had no problem asking in the way that she did..
With his cigarette still in his mouth and unlit, Ryan responded, "Whoever you want me to be."
Marissa became instantly amused and smirked. "Okay."
Their gaze never left one another, and Ryan continued to study her as he finally lit his cigarette. Marissa broke the stare only to look at her house behind her, to make sure no one was watching.
"Hey, can I bum a cigarette?" She smiled again and waited for him to respond. Marissa wanted to know more, and it was the only way she could think of to interact for now.
Ryan raised a brow and walked over to her. He gave her a cigarette and then instead of offering his lighter he offered his lit cigarette instead. Marissa hesitated only for a moment before leaning in close, taking a drag off her cigarette to light it against his own. She could have sworn she saw a spark. She smiled once it was lit, and backed away to where she was standing before.
"So what are you doing here, seriously?"
"Seriously?" Ryan started and then took another drag off his cigarette before walking towards her. Speaking in a raspy, quiet voice he continued. "I stole a car. Crashed it. Actually my brother did. Since he had a gun and drugs on him, he's in jail. I got out and my Mom threw me out. She was pis sed off and drunk, so Mr. Cohen took me in."
Marissa took it all in and smiled. "You're their cousin from Boston, right?"
Ryan smirked himself, "Right."
"Coop!" Suddenly both Ryan and Marissa were snapped out of their gaze as Summer realized what was going on. She instinctively pushed Ryan a bit out of the way to let her petite yet vicious body pass by. Unlike Ryan she didn't hesitate to immediately fall forward and wrap her arms around her best friend. "Oh my gawd Coop, I am so glad you are finally here."
As Summer hugged her, Marissa took a moment to let it sink it what was happening. She hesitated at first, because she hadn't hugged anyone like this in what felt like a lifetime. But as she could feel the genuine warmth coming from Summer's body and embrace, she finally exhaled and wrapped her own long arms around her friend and hugged her back.
As the two young women enfolded into each other, the rest of the room stood still. Ryan and Seth seemed to be holding their breath, and Marcello could feel his eyes start to swell up with tears. It was quiet, and not even Seth was brave enough to speak for fear on ruining this moment for his girlfriend.
Although Marissa's eyes had closed as soon as she felt comfortable enough to hug Summer back, Ryan's eyes remained glued to her. He ran his vision up and down her body. Perhaps he was looking for the bruises and cuts he had scene in his last dream, or maybe he was just taking it all in that it was really her. It didn't matter, all he knew was that he was there, and she was ok. Or at least she seemed to be.
After a few moments, Marissa started to get a little uncomfortable. It was a bit much for her and so she started to pull back a bit. However, Summer wasn't quite ready to let her go yet and just held tighter. Marissa's eyes fluttered open, and a genuine smile fell upon her lips. Forced to still be in the embrace she turned her head and looked at Ryan. Their eyes met once more and she felt her body get goose bumps, despite the fact of being so close to Summer. Why was she feeling this way? After a moment longer, Marissa had to break from his gaze again, it was too intense. And at that time she noticed that not only was he staring at her, but so were Marcello and Seth.
"Gawd Coop, I had forgotten how freakishly tall you are." Summer stepped down from being on her tip toes and smiled into her friend's eyes. "I need a step stool just to properly hug you!" She giggled and straightened out her clothes. She was ecstatic that her best friend had finally come around and came to talk to her. Her mind was going around in circles like crazy as she decided what should happen next. But then she just shook her head. She was there, finally. She then took her time to look her best friend up and down, studying every aspect to her. After some consideration she asks, "Have you lost weight?" She looked pretty concerned as her hands found her way to her hips accusingly; Marissa was skinny enough as it was.
Marissa wasn't sure what to say. She shrugged and suddenly felt like she was the main attraction at a freak show. She subconsciously found her long arms trying to cover up her slender body and looked away. "I don't know, I … "
"She's freakin' gorgeous!" Marcello interrupted and moved over to the girls with dazzling eyes. He placed one hand on either of them and pulled them into an awkward group hug. "I wouldn't change a thing; willowy will never go out," stated the extremely skinny gay man.
And for the first time, Ryan and Seth's attention was no longer on the girls, but on the stranger in the room. Without words they looked at each other, Ryan raising a brow and Seth mouthing the word, 'willowy?' They both shrugged at one another and then turned back to the trio in the middle of the room. Who was this guy, and what was he doing here?
"Bella, I'm so happy for both of you!" Marcello continued to speak in his thick Italian accent. He moved to hug just the brunette and then leaned back and swatted her in the shoulder. "Why the hell were you not answering your phone? We were going crazy here!"
Seth's eyes grew wide. Who did this guy think he was, hitting his girlfriend? "Ryan did you see that?" He pointed a bit exasperated. He wasn't really alarmed by the way he used physical expressions to get Summer's attention, but more jealous of the banter they obviously seemed to have.
Ryan was too busy trying to figure out who Marcello was to really pay attention to Seth. Maybe his first dream was on the right track; maybe Marcello was Marissa's boyfriend. "See what Seth?" He said quietly and quickly. Immediately he regretted encouraging his brother to elaborate.
"He hit her!" He said with a mock shock in his voice. "Normally I know it's my job to stand up for my lady love, but don't you think this is normally your kind of thing?" He looked to Ryan with an expectant look in his eyes, hoping that he would be the one to break up the affection in the room. "You have more practice, you know with the whole physical thing… no, not the horizontal tango, we all know that I have experience in that now too, but I mean with the whole hitting, shoving thing. Maybe you could just give him a glare."
Ryan did in fact form a glare in his blue eyes, but it was not directed towards the Italian man, instead he looked at his brother and shook his head. No words were needed, Seth returned the look and frowned, knowing what his brother was thinking without him speaking it audibly. Ryan then turned his attention back to the others and took a step forward. He felt somewhat awkward being there, as if this wasn't his place. But he still wanted some of his questions answered.
Before he could speak, Summer had looked over Marcello's shoulder and saw Ryan approaching them and moved towards him to cut him off. "Ryan…" she began, suddenly thinking of what would be best to say and do. She wasn't expecting for everyone to meet like this, and so she really had to think on her toes. "This is my friend, Marcello."
The word 'friend' rang in Ryan's ears. Surely if he was more to Marissa, Summer would have been smart enough to inform him now. Suddenly he felt the tightness in his chest relax; a tightness he hadn't even realized had formed until it had released. He smiled and extended his hand. "Hey man, I'm Ryan." The two of them shook hands and Summer beamed.
Marissa took a step back and watched as all the introductions were being made. This was not what she had expected; all she wanted was to talk to her best friend and learn the truth of her past. But she remained patient and quiet.
"And this is Cohen." Summer moved over to Seth and placed her hands on his chest with a smile.
Seth stepped forward, standing tall and trying to stick out his next to non existent chest. "Seth Cohen, Summer's boyfriend, Cohen." He added on and reached out to shake his hand just as Ryan had done. Once contact was made, Seth and Marcello locked eyes and began to size each other up. They were next to the same height and so it was easy to just gawk at one another.
Finally Marcello broke the staring competition and smiled. "It's nice to meet both of you." They continued to watch each other and it wasn't until Summer pushed through and broke their contact that the two boys looked elsewhere.
Although Summer was busy making introductions, her main focus remained on Marissa. She observed her as she watched as everyone did their meet and greets. She was sheepish and quiet, unlike the Marissa she once new. Suddenly she realized that all these people in the same room were probably making her more nervous than she ought to be. She had to do something quick.
"Well boys, Coop and I have a lot of catching up to do, so maybe you should go get settled into your own room, and we can all catch up once you have overcome your jet lag." She moved towards Seth first, placing her hands on his chest and started to push him towards the door.
"What?! Summer, aren't I staying here with you? You don't honestly think that Ryan and I are going to share a room." Seth started to complain.
"We all know you have already walked in on him changing Cohen, so this will just be old habit." Summer continued to try to get the boys out the door, in the mean time turning to grab Ryan by the arm and dragging him along with her.
"That is something I'd like to see." Marcello piped in with a grin, thinking of walking in on either of the two boys changing, preferably together. He grinned and moved over to the bed and plopped down on it, not even considering the fact that Summer was going to kick him out too.
Marissa watched the scene before her, hoping that she would feel some sort of sense of familiarity with the interactions, but to her dismay all of this was brand new to her. She moved over to Marcello and sat down next to him on the bed.
"Summer, that is not true… ok maybe that one time, but it was a mistake and it was like six years ago!" Seth protested, trying to stay in the room. He wanted to be a part of whatever was going to happen as well. "Ryan, tell her we are staying. It would be more natural for Ryan to bunk up with Marissa anyway, and who cares where that other guy sleeps."
Marcello's mouth dropped open and he acted offended by placing a hand to his chest. "What?!"
As soon as the words escaped Seth's mouth, everyone in the room regretted it. Ryan immediately looked to Marissa, who had already briefly caught his eye but then immediately started to blush and looked down, playing with the hem of her shirt. "Seth, come on." Ryan said in a quiet voice. He understood what Summer was trying to do. And as much as Ryan wanted to be there with them, he knew that they had to take things slow. A lot of things had definitely changed because there was a time not too long ago when it would have been Ryan who was staying.
"Cohen, you are such an assface!" Summer reached out and swatted him hard, just as Marcello had done to her moments earlier. And of course Seth noticed it right away. He looked to Marcello and gave him a look that said, 'see, she is mine.'
Although he was pleased with her actions, he of course still had to complain. "Ow woman, not so hard, you already hit me there!" He rubbed his shoulder and looked down at her. By the look in her eyes he knew that he had to leave, but not without more protest. "Well why does he get to stay?" He looked up and nodded towards Marcello. Even Ryan paused for a moment so he could hear why he got to remain and not them.
Summer looked to Marcello, who had already made himself comfortable by sprawling out on the bed and then looked back to Seth and Ryan. She didn't have time to explain how Marcello fit into all this. If it wasn't for him, she might not be in the same room with Marissa right now anyway.
Apparently she took too long to come up with an answer, because Seth continued. "Have you been cheating on me, Summer Nicole Roberts?"
"What!? Gawd Cohen, no!" She rolled her eyes at the most ridiculous accusation she had ever heard. Then she heard laughter coming from Marcello and she shot him a look that could castrate him.
"Seth, we are right across the hall..." Ryan began. He was the only one that had noticed that Marissa was standing up, looking a little skittish and uncomfortable.
Marissa was beginning to feel like an outsider. She knew that they were all there for her, but it was a little too much for her to handle right now. Besides they were arguing because of her, and that was the last thing she wanted. She hadn't slept a wink, and she was tired and so she decided to just end this for now. Reaching for her purse she stood up and without really making eye contact with anyone she began to speak. "Hey guys…"
Summer gasped and then turned towards her best friend. At the same time Marcello scrambled to get out of bed and reach Marissa. Both parties assumed Marissa was going to run just like the last time too much was going on.
"You guys need to go!" Summer demanded referring to Ryan and Seth. She then looked up to Marcello too. "Maybe you should go too, and I will stay with Marissa." She was panicking. She knew her Coop all too well, and the last thing she wanted was for her to run again.
"What? Why!?" Marcello demanded to know. He turned to Seth, and found he looked pleased by Summer's decision.
Ryan shook his head. He met eyes with Marissa again, and longed to just take her and hold her. There was so much going on, and all he wanted was to be there with her.
"Look, I'm not running ok?" It appeared the Cooper girl understood their fears. "I'm just tired. I've been up all night, and right now I should just sleep. I think… I think we could all use it."
"But you can't go back to Julie's! She won't let you go if you do." Marcello explained.
"No Coop, you can just stay here, I'll make the boys go, and you and I can have some serious needed bonding time."
Marissa looked around the room. Everyone was staring at her, and she was beginning to feel like she had right after the accident. So many doctor's observing her, she felt like a guinea pig.
"No." Marissa began. "You are already here Summer, and I don't want to oppose. I'll just go get a room to myself." She paused and searched through her purse. Pulling out a credit card she spoke, "I'll just use Julie's credit card." She tried her attempt at a little smirk. She had been so dependent and trusting of her mom the last three years, it was extremely new and refreshing for her to be on her own. And yet at the same time, it was incredibly frightening. But she was pushing through it, she wanted to do this, and she would.
Summer smiled at her best friend. She was proud of her. She wanted to insist that she stay with her, but she also knew that if she were going to do this right it had to be on Marissa's terms. "Ok Coop, why don't we go down stairs and see if you can get a room on this floor. Then we can all rest and once rejuvenated you and I will have a talk."
As Summer talked, she had linked arms with Marissa and headed out the door. Marissa took a deep breath, for the first time in a very long time, something felt natural to her. Having Summer by her side was all reassuring. They moved on, leaving the three boys behind staring at the girls before them as they left. Once the door shut out their vision they all looked to each other uncomfortably.
"I'm going to get some rest." Ryan began and headed for the room across the hall.
Marcello and Seth were the ones that remained. Seth crossed his arms, indicating he wasn't leaving. And Marcello looked around. "My stuff is already here."
Seth looked and noticed that along with Summer's things were Marcello's as well. "You may have won this round…." Seth squinted his eyes in a menacing glare, "But I'll be back after my much needed rest, and ready for battle." With that Seth followed out the door in tow with Ryan, but not before looking back and attempting to give Marcello a death glare. The door closed and all Marcello was left to hear was Seth banging on the door for Ryan to let him in.
A couple hours later… although everyone was attempting to sleep by laying in their various own hotel beds, no one seemed to be having any real success. In a room all to herself, Marissa lay on the king sized bed, still in her clothes. She was on top of the covers just staring at the ceiling. She had pleaded with herself to shut her eyes and get some indisputable rest, she was after all exhausted. But her mind kept turning and turning. She was excited, and nervous and was just trying to make sense of everything by herself. She was failing miserably.
In a room across the hall, Summer and Marcello were both laying on their sides, back to back also still in their clothes and on top of the sheets. Both had thought the other was sleeping and stayed quiet out of respect to the other. But if they would have turned around they would realize that it was a lost cause for both of them as well.
And finally in a room across from Summer and Marcello's and adjacent to Marissa's, forming an invisible triangle in the hallway, two brothers lay in double beds with the lights off and the curtains drawn.
Ryan had actually been able to doze off for a bit here and there, despite his mind running wild. He had finally seen her, and it wasn't just a dream. He had more than enough going on in his head, but his will to lay in peace was actually winning out slightly.
Seth on the other hand, hadn't even tried to sleep. He was only laying in the darkness because Ryan had threatened him. The only way he conceded to let him in the room in the first place was if he just shut up and went straight to bed. Apparently Ryan didn't want to talk about his feelings; he didn't want to share how he felt about seeing Marissa for the first time in three years. Seth really shouldn't have been surprised because Ryan was never one to share anything. But in Seth's opinion if he wasn't going to talk, Seth should at least be able to.
His legs started jittering a bit in bed. It was as if being quiet this long was the worst punishment on this planet, and he couldn't take it any longer. He burst! "Do you realize that there is only one bed in Summer's room? ONE bed. That means that they are sleeping side by side right now, where I should be. And she tried to deny that there was something going on. Who is she kidding? You can't sleep in the same bed with the opposite sex and NOT have anything go on. Well maybe Mom and Dad can, I would like to think they really have only done the hanky panky once to conceive me. But for normal people, it has to be impossible."
It was dark, and so Seth couldn't see Ryan roll his eyes. Seth was surprised he didn't get any sort of reaction out of him. Not even a 'shut up Seth' or some kind of menacing threat. And so when the room remained quiet, he continued, "I know you are awake." Seth sat up, and faced Ryan in the darkness. "Seeing Marissa even threw me for a loop, so I can't imagine what its doing to you. It's like the first time Superman ran into Lana Lang after being in Metropolis…."
Still no response.
"Maybe you should go over there and try to talk to her. She is right next door ya know. Summer says she wants to talk to her first, but she is busy playing with her boy toy over there now isn't she? You should take advantage of the situation and go over there and…"
THUD.
Suddenly Seth felt something heavy and hard fly against his chest, causing instant pain. He yelped in anguish and fell back onto the bed. "Was that your shoe?" He coughed out.
Across the hall… neither Summer nor Marcello were yet to be sleeping. Although Marcello was up all night with Marissa, he was too excited to sleep. As for Summer, her brain was on overload on everything she wanted to say to Marissa once given the opportunity. After at least an hour of complete silence, both parties at the same time let out a long sigh.
Summer laughed and turned around so that she could face Marcello. At the same time Marcello giggled and twisted around towards as well. "I thought you were sleeping Bella, though I should have known better."
Summer groaned a bit and shook her head. "I'm trying to, but my brain is on frequency overload. My thoughts are banging around like I'm on some jacked up street drug like speed or something."
Marcello laughed and shook his head. "You mean like that episode where Cloud got addicted to caffeine pills?"
"Ewww. I'm so much hotter than Cloud."
"Of course you are. Besides what kind of name is Cloud anyway?" Marcello smiled and they both fell silent for a moment. "I hope I didn't cause problems between you and Seth. If you want I can get my own hotel room, or I guess I could sleep in my own apartment for a change."
"What and miss out on all this fun?" Summer smiled, to assure him that she wanted him there. "Don't worry about Cohen, I'm going to let him squirm a bit. But he'll find out sooner or later that you're gay. And until then he needs to learn to trust me."
Another silence fell between them showing they understood one another. They lay there thinking and remaining silent when their individual thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door.
"I'll get it." Marcello informed her.
"It's probably Cohen with some kind of excuse that Ryan is snoring or something."
Marcello laughed and rolled out of bed and moved over to the door. As he opened it he smiled. "Marissa, did you sleep well?"
At the sound of Marissa's name, Summer shot out of the bed with excitement.
"Kind of." Marissa admitted and then looked up to Marcello with a soft smile. "Is Summer awake?"
Marcello pushed the door open further to let Marissa come into the room, showing that Summer indeed was awake and alert, and now sitting on the edge of the bed.
"We woke up a few minutes ago." Summer lied because it didn't matter to her that she hadn't gotten any sleep.
Once more a silence filled the room. Both Marissa and Marcello stood there awkwardly, and Summer searched for something to say. Marcello looked between the two girls and realized that as much as he wanted to be there, this was their time, and he needed to leave.
"I actually have a lot to do. I haven't been to my apartment in what seems like decades, my fish are probably all belly up." He shuffled his feet and moved over to Summer. "Why don't you call me later, and maybe we can all do dinner."
Summer looked up to him and mouthed the words 'thank you.' Marcello smiled and nodded, then leaned to kiss her on the cheek. He then stood up and moved to hug Marissa quickly. "I'll see you gorgeous ladies later." And with that, Marcello excited the room, shutting the door behind him.
And then there were two.
This was the moment Summer had been waiting so long for. She had thought about what she had wanted to say since the moment she decided she was going to come find her. So why was it that she was speechless now?
Marissa was still standing in the middle of the room. She tucked her long hair behind her ears and waited for Summer to speak. She didn't know how to react with her, because now she didn't know what the truth was of how their friendship had ended.
"Ok this is like an episode from on of Seth's ridiculously creepy sci-fi movies. It's weird and I don't like it." Summer laughed, using humor once more to break the ice. She quickly moved over on the bed, patting the spot next to her, indicating for Marissa to join her. "This shouldn't be weird, we are best friends!"
For a moment Marissa hesitated, but after seeing Summer's bright welcoming eyes, she smiled and moved over to the bed. "That's the problem, for the last three years I thought you were a skank ass whore who slept with my boyfriend, NOT my best friend." Marissa laughed, stating the obvious as she sat down.
Summer pretended to be offended, but then quickly chuckled along with Marissa. She had to note that Marissa's choice of words were definitely something she would had used as well. Perhaps they weren't as estranged as she had thought they were.
"Well if your Mom wanted to make up some story of me sleeping with some boyfriend of yours, she could have at least used a better name. Please like I would sleep with someone named Koby." Summer raised her brow and the two girls continued to laugh.
It felt good to laugh, and for the first time in three years Marissa felt more at home than ever. The girls continued with their chatting and light jokes, and Marissa finally realized how stupid she had been to ever believe that Summer would ever try to hurt her like that. She didn't even need proof, in her heart she knew that she was the best friend she could have ever asked for.
"So let me get this straight. There was never a Koby, and apart from Luke, the only guys I ever dated in high school were ones my mom disapproved of?" Marissa couldn't help but smile. "I always knew I had it in me."
"Well…" Summer began. They hadn't really gotten into any real details of Marissa's history, Summer knew she had to keep this light before diving into anything real. But at the same time if Marissa asked she didn't want to lie or hold any truth from her. Julie had done enough of that. Still, she would try and save all the drama about Ryan, Oliver, Trey & Volchok for later. They had so much to cover, and Summer knew that she was in for a long journey. Not only did they need to talk about the boy drama, but what about her father, and all the stuff with Caleb and getting kicked out of school and… and…. Summer shuddered at the thought, it wasn't going to be easy. But for now, she had to give her at least the stuff they could laugh about, to let her know what her life was really like sans the drama. And so she contined, "They weren't all guys." Summer met Marissa's eyes and waited for a response.
"Wait, what!?" Marissa let out a laugh, thinking Summer was completely joking. She leaned towards her, and pushed her playfully. "That's a good one Summ."
But when Summer didn't laugh or explain herself further, Marissa's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "Oh my gawd, I'm a lesbian?!"
Summer smiled and shook her head. "I wouldn't say that exactly. Alex was pretty brief; she didn't stand a chance against Ryan. I think she was just there for you, and at that time it's what you really needed. You know the whole, rebellion, living on your own, breaking all the molds type of thing. It's a good way to deal with drama. Not to mention you loved to pis s off Julie."
Marissa thought about everything Summer had said, and shook her head. It was kind of shocking, but only left her wanting to know more. This is exactly what she wanted, someone to tell her the truth. And despite what her Mom or doctor's thought, it was good therapy for her; it was not overbearing at all.
"I'm so glad you are here Summ." Marissa leaned over once more and embraced her petite friend. This time the hug had no hesitations or reservations. It was a true Cooper/Roberts squeeze.
"I'm glad you're glad Coop." Summer hugged her back, and the two remained in the embrace awhile longer.
"So tell me more! What kind of adventures did you and I get into? Did we throw the coooolest parties? Why did my mom and dad divorce? How in the world did you end up dating SETH COHEN!?" Marissa laughed and pulled back. The excitement in her eyes was enchanting and definitely contagious.
"And here I thought you would be more interested in your own love life." Summer laughed. To be honest, she wasn't even sure how she ended up with Seth Cohen, it just happened. She paused for a moment and started reminiscing in her head about her own dramas: The kissing booth twice, Seth's cowardly escape at the end of that first year, Zack, the comic book, the Brown debacle. They seemed faint compared to what Marissa had had to face, but real nonetheless. "I blame it all on Atwood." She finally concluded with a laugh. "If he would have never came to town to shake things up, I would have easily been married to some handsome and rich investment banker or something. "
Marissa made a face, and once more laughter filled the room. And then there was his name. Marissa had definitely wanted to know more about Ryan Atwood, the boy with the most potent gorgeous blue eyes she had ever remembered. All this time she had wondered why nothing had happened between them. And now she knew that something had. Summer had let it slip that they had dated, and her current memory was sharp. But how serious were they? She couldn't help but remember the way he looked at her just hours before. It was intense, and she couldn't help but think Summer was leaving a lot out juicy details.
"You don't want to know about that right now anyway. My and Cohen's tragic tale will come up sooner or later. Until then, there has to be some weird thought or memory you are dying to help me straighten out. What's most important to you? Ask away." Summer had no idea what she was getting into when she urged Marissa to ask questions.
Marissa opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Did it really matter anyway what had happened between her and Ryan? Summer had done pretty good avoiding the topic up until now anyway. So there must be a reason for it. Either that, or maybe it wasn't as serious as she had thought… or hoped. And besides she had Bray now, so why did it matter. But that didn't explain why Ryan was there, and she wanted to know.
Summer waited for Marissa to speak, knowing she was trying to come up with the courage to ask her something huge. She braced herself for it, suddenly regretting her offer. She studied her friend carefully and noticed that her eyes continued to look up towards the door. Ryan. Summer thought. Even with no memory of the last three years, Marissa's thoughts were still focused on Ryan. She should have known.
"Ok Coop, I know what you are thinking." Summer sighed. "Yeah, you and Atwood were pretty intense for awhile." Summer started to explain to her. "But even before the accident…" She paused as she noticed Marissa flinch at the sound of the word accident. Summer hesitated and searched for more words to tell her. No they weren't officially together. But when were Ryan and Marissa ever truly NOT a couple?
Just as she began to explain something more there was a loud knock at the door.
Summer groaned lightly, knowing that knock just as well as she knew her boyfriends voice. She wasn't ready to give up her alone time with Marissa yet. She looked to her friend and smiled. "Just ignore it, he'll go away."
Marissa laughed and looked to the door. "How do you even know who it is?"
"I heard that Summer!" Seth whined and then knocked again.
Summer looked to Marissa, tilting her head to the side and shrugged as if to say, told you.
"Come on Summer, Ryan and I are starving, all we've had are those disgusting flight meals, they didn't even have pudding!"
Summer sighed. She knew she couldn't keep this up forever. She would get more alone time with Marissa later. Besides, she had to admit her stomach was growling too, she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday.
"I swear Cohen, if I didn't know Sandy and Kirsten, I would just assume you were raised in some sort of barn in the mid-west." She got up off of the bed and moved to open the door. As soon as she opened it, she noticed he was solo. "Where's Ryan?"
"Ignoring me." Seth said as he pushed his way through the room, expecting to see Marcello. "Marissa!" He smiled and moved over to hug her.
The look on Marissa's face was of shock, but she hugged him back and laughed. She realized that if Summer and Seth had dated for the last six years, obviously she and Seth had a friendship more than the mere silent neighbor relationship they had had before. "Hi Seth."
Summer turned around after closing the door again. She watched as Seth hugged Marissa. A small tear formed at the corner of her eye. This was real, it was happening. Instantly all of Summer's annoyance with Seth vanished.
"Coop, if we don't feed him, he just gets more and more strange." Summer laughed and moved to sit next to her again. Now, all three of them were sitting on the bed.
Seth couldn't be happier, and he showed it by bouncing up and down a bit on the mattress.
Although all three parties had smiles upon their faces, the room felt a bit awkward again for some reason "Hey if you guys are hungry, I know all the best spots to eat." Marissa smiled and stood up with her purse.
"I knew Cosmo Girl was good for more than just vodka fire bolts and high fashion costumes!" Seth got off the bed and joined Marissa.
Marissa looked at him completely confused and looked to Summer for an explanation.
"Not important, I'll tell you later." She shook her head and stood as well. Seth opened his mouth to protest and Summer continued. "Cohen, go and get Ryan, I'll call Marcello and we'll all go grab some food."
Seth opened his mouth again, this time to protest about Marcello but Summer cut him off again. "Now Cohen."
A defeated Seth went across the hall and knocked on the door and Summer turned to face Marissa. "Are you sure you are up for going out?" She had to be sure before she dialed Marcello's number.
Marissa watched the banter, or abuse rather, between Seth and Summer and couldn't help but enjoy it. In fact, she couldn't wait to get more of it. "With all of you?" Marissa asked with a smile. "Definitely."
The next few hours were some of the most incredible moments of Marissa's life. At least from what she could remember anyway. Not only were Seth and Summer extremely entertaining, but throwing Marcello into the mix of things made them ridiculous. Marissa hadn't remembered laughing so hard in her entire life; she laughed so hard her stomach hurt. She was even brave enough to try some of her own jokes and taunts here and there. It felt good and natural, and to her surprise they had laughed at her in return. She smiled and couldn't help but know that deep down this is what it was supposed to be like. There was something about knowing she was surrounded by people who loved her, who wanted what was best for her, people she trusted.
Marissa had taken them to one of her favorite spots, which obviously didn't even come close to the likes of Joseppi's restaurant. In fact, she had told Summer that this was a place Julie would NEVER set foot in. It was just outside of Formello, the town where Marissa lived. A Ma & Pa type place, completely opposite of the trendy, touristy restaurants most would find in Rome. It was the type of place where they wouldn't think twice about taking four hours for dinner, making sure they were stocked plenty with bottles of great Italian Vino, and the help had no problem sitting down with the guests to chat and make sure they were happy. The restaurant had been around for years, and for good reason, along with the staff, the food was superb. It just wasn't fancy enough for Julie, or romantic enough for Bray. And yet it was just perfect for Marissa.
Because it was a small town, most of the people didn't speak English. It was fun listening to Seth, Summer and Ryan trying to communicate what they wanted to eat and drink. Seth would use gestures that seemed quite inappropriate, and Summer complained that everyone should be forced to learn English anyway. But to Marissa, Ryan was her favorite. He got quite embarrassed when the owner came out and asked him in Italian if everything was ok, and he had no idea how to respond. He turned slightly pink and mumbled a bit, and Marissa couldn't help but think how adorable it was. Marissa had learned enough of the language by now to get by, and when Marcello was done laughing at them he would act as interpreter. It was all quite amusing. Her favorite part of the evening was some where between the third and fourth course when Marcello 'outed' himself to everyone in Italian. Something about a Kingsley Six, Marissa could understand that much. By looking into Ryan's eyes he was sure he understood what Marcello was trying to say; only Seth was still left in the dark. Overall it was an amazing even. She had noticed that Ryan was quiet most of the time, but the few times he did speak Marissa surely listened.
Marissa was having the time of her life. She hadn't even noticed the missed calls she had on her cell phone. Not that she would care even if she did see them. Tonight was too perfect to ruin it with her drama. Sure there were a few awkward moments, where Marissa would ask a question about some inside joke the others had. They would look at her sadly and get all quiet and she realized she should already know the funny story. But someone would save the moment quickly, usually Marcello because he wouldn't know the account either. Marissa knew that there was so much she didn't know, but she also knew that this was the group to help her figure it all out.
Before they knew it, it was getting close to midnight. Summer had finally given in and told Seth that he could stay with her in her room. And so Marissa offered to let Marcello stay with her for the night. There was no need to have him drive all the way back to Rome at this hour she informed him. And so all five tired yet satisfied characters set off back to the hotel.
It was sometime in the middle of the night, or more like early morning and things seemed to finally be quiet. Seth and Summer were sound asleep in Summer's bed in their typical position. Seth was spooning Summer, holding her close into him as she nuzzled her back side up against them. His head fit perfectly into the crook of her neck, and they were both breathing rhythmically in time with one another. It seemed the only time they truly were at peace and not bickering was when they were dead to the world.
Across the hall, things weren't quite as serene. Marissa tried not to toss and turn too much, knowing that Marcello was fast asleep next to her, but it was getting difficult. She was restless, and even though she had managed to get about an hour or two of sleep, she had awoken from another nightmare. She was still tremendously tired, and she had just had a fantastic evening, but for some reason she still couldn't manage to stay asleep. Things were just so unsettling. When she was surrounded by her new-old friends things seemed to make sense. But once she was alone, her mind began to wander frantically again.
Finally she threw the sheet off of her that she had draped around her stomach and turned to look at the clock. 5:03 am. Perfect. She turned her head to see Marcello was still sleeping and got up. Looking around, she tried to decide what to do, seeing how sleep definitely wasn't an option. She couldn't bother Summer right now, and at this hour there weren't many places she could go. As a breeze blew her long blonde hair off her shoulder she turned towards the open door. She had forgotten that Marcello had opened the door to the balcony before they had went to bed. She had forgotten they had a balcony at all. She reached down and pulled the long sleeved t-shirt she was wearing earlier off of the nearby chair and placed it over her head. She had borrowed a pair of Summer's pajama's which were simply a pair of pink silk pants and a matching tank top. Though they fit her around the waste, the pants were more like capris on her, rather then the length they should be.
Clad in her silk pajamas and her blue shirt, she pushed open the door and stepped outside. It was a cool but clear early morning and the Roman streets below her were seemingly peaceful. The sun had not yet risen, but there was a soft glow indicating it soon would be. Up and off to her left, she could see a sliver of the Vatican's dome, and to her right and a few blocks away, she looked down and could vaguely see an older man sweeping the walk in front of his small café. She smiled and took a seat in a chair putting her legs up on the railing of the balcony. At this hour things did appear to be a bit more simple. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting the breeze blow over her face.
In the room next door, Ryan abruptly shot up out of bed in a cold sweat, gasping for air like he had just come up from the bottom of a pool. At the same time, his eyes flew open and he found himself breathing heavily. His naked chest was covered with his own perspiration and he collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh. Nightmares. Again. He turned and reached for his watch that was laying on the bed stand and groaned softly when he saw that it was 5:04 am. Realizing how warm he was, he kicked off the bedding and rolled up into a sitting position hanging over the side of the bed, putting his head into his hands. Going back to bed was not an option, not right now. He would rather suffer and stay awake than to see the images he just saw flash through his mind again. Reaching over to grab his clothes, he stood up to dress himself. First his wife beater, then he put on his hoody. Then, he moved over towards the door and pushed it open. Instantly he felt the breeze cool his clammy skin, and he stepped out onto the balcony.
Marissa jumped a little as she heard the neighboring door slide open, letting out a little gasp as she did. Ryan heard her and turned quickly to find her sitting on the balcony, his balcony. Was he dreaming again? "Hey?" He spoke, looking from her, back to his door, and to her again.
"Hey." Marissa spoke timidly with a soft smile. There was an awkward moment at first as they tried to figure out what was going on, and then Marissa realized how they were at the same place. "Adjoining rooms." She nodded and smiled.
"Adjoining balcony." Ryan concluded and nodded back. As he looked at her again, he felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn't be. She looked so small and innocent sitting in the chair looking up to him. "I'm sorry, I'll let you…"
"No, its ok… stay." Marissa instructed him. She didn't want to be alone, and besides it was his balcony too. Without words Marissa stood up out of her chair and pushed it over towards Ryan a bit. She then moved over to the next chair and sat down, giving him a place to sit next to her.
Ryan hesitated. For some reason he felt like he shouldn't be doing this. He thought of Summer, and the disapproving look she would surely be giving him. But before he could even truly contemplate what was right or wrong he found himself sitting in the chair and half smiled. "Thanks."
Marissa just nodded at first. She brought her legs up into her chair, hugging her knees to her chest. After watching him sit down, she glanced out at the streets below them again. When she got enough courage to look at him once more, she glanced his way, and then met eyes. She laughed at how ridiculous they were acting. It was like they were fifteen years old. Obviously neither of them knew what to say, so Marissa took the initiative and attempted to start the conversation. "Why are you up so late?" She asked him softly.
Ryan had sat down, but tried carefully not to stare at her like he had done before. It wasn't until she asked him a question that he brought his full attention to her. "Couldn't sleep."
"Nightmares?" Marissa asked, resting her head upon her knees, continuing to look his way.
Ryan grew quiet. How did she know? Was it that obvious? He ran a hand through his short blonde hair and looked away for a moment.
When he didn't answer right away Marissa continued to speak. "Me too."
With her words, Ryan turned to face her once more. Their eyes met again, blue on blue and another understanding was produced. After a few moments the intensity of their stare grew more powerful. This time it was Marissa who broke away. She shivered lightly and rubbed her legs through the cloth of her thin pants.
"Are you cold?" Ryan asked, but before she could answer, he was already pulling off his hoody.
"I'm ok." Marissa answered. But after the words left her mouth he was already handing her his sweatshirt. She accepted it and smiled. "Thanks." She looked at it for a minute, reading the words "Berkley' written across the front and then slipped it over her head. It was large on her and instantly warmed her body. She tucked her knees a bit closer to her chest, and allowed the sweatshirt to cover them as well. Looking over to him she laughed. "Are you sure you will be ok. Those wife beaters don't hold in much heat." She teased him, but couldn't help but admire his arms at the same time. They were definitely a lot bigger than she had remembered.
"I'm fine." He smiled to assure her. It was cold, but he could handle it. Besides it was worth it seeing her in his clothes. He laughed at himself a bit and shook his head. Why did this seem so weird? It was as if they were meeting all over again. "So uh, did you get to talk to Summer earlier?" He wanted to know.
Marissa nodded and once again smiled. "It was really nice," she admitted but then ended there. She wasn't sure how much she should really talk about. She didn't even know how much Ryan knew, and she surely wasn't going to be the one to tell him. She was already embarrassed enough as it was that she had lost three years of her memory. It was even harder to admit it, especially knowing it was three years she had spent with him.
"She tells me we dated." Marissa looked to him, waiting to see what his reaction would be. Perhaps from it, she would be able to sense how serious they were together.
Ryan looked stunned. He wasn't expecting that at all, and if Summer had to tell her about them, did that mean that she didn't remember any of it? He wasn't sure how to react. He felt miserable; sure she remembered Summer, but she didn't remember any of his and her relationship. Quickly he looked down to his lap and shrugged. "Uh, yeah, off and on." It killed him to know that she didn't remember any of it. Sure sometimes he even wished that it would be nice to forget some of the, well not so good times, but all of it? Suddenly he felt a little sick to his stomach.
Marissa nodded and looked away as well. His look didn't really tell her anything, and his words definitely didn't either. They were exactly what Summer had told her, with no real detail. And if she thought things were awkward before, they were nothing compared to what they were now. She searched for something in her head to change the topic to, but it was like her soul wanted to know more, and fought out the awkwardness. Without even realizing it she continued, "Were we off or on when…" she trailed off, wishing immediately that she hadn't said that out loud. Maybe she shouldn't ask anything. She probably didn't need to know, it didn't matter now anyway, it was so long ago.
Ryan looked to her again. She seemed somewhat frightened, and he felt guilty if it was him that was making her feel that way. Even without finishing her question, Ryan knew what it was that she was asking. Problem was, he wasn't really sure how to answer it. Were they officially dating when Volchok had decided to run them off the road? No. But did he still love her? 100. Still, he didn't think that is what she was looking for. "When it happened, you were leaving." Ryan thought that he had answered her question well enough, but if he would look at Marissa he would realize he hadn't. But, he couldn't look at her, not for very long anyway. He didn't realize how hard this was going to be.
"Right." Marissa responded, but wasn't exactly sure what she was responding to. She was told she had been in a car accident, but she had no idea that he was driving; she was completely clueless to any of the night's events. She wanted to ask him more questions, but for some reason she held back. Was she just too scared? You would think that after all this time she would just want to know.
They both looked out towards the streets, and from behind the tips of the furthest buildings, a glow continued to form as the sun began to rise. The silence between them was both awkward and nerve racking. Marissa wished she felt more comfortable, and Ryan longed for it to go away. Out of the corner of his eyes, Ryan glanced at Marissa, but it seemed now she couldn't even look his way. He sighed lightly.
Marissa longed for more information. Why was she feeling the way she was feeling, and what had happened between them? She didn't even know how they had started let alone how they ended or anything in between. She rubbed her legs again as a chill, not from the breeze but from within, continued to maker her shiver. She took a deep breath, getting enough courage to ask him more. But instead of what she really wanted to ask coming out of her mouth, something else did. "I can't believe Seth and Summer are dating." She turned to him and laughed, but not directly meeting his eyes this time. "How did that happen?"
Ryan exhaled with relief. He was sure that she was about to ask another serious question, one Ryan wouldn't know how to answer. "That was definitely interesting. Be glad you don't remember." He laughed and shook his head. Thinking she would laugh along with his statement. He turned to face her, but instead of seeing a smile, Marissa just looked away. "I didn't mean…"
"It's ok." Marissa quickly answered. She knew that he didn't mean it the way it came off, but what he didn't realize was Marissa would kill to remember anything from that time.
Ryan felt like the biggest jack ass on the face of the earth. He continued to watch her, and saw her raise her hand to wipe away a single tear that had formed in the corner of her eye. Without thinking, Ryan reached over and placed his hand lightly on her leg, trying to give her comfort.
Marissa felt her leg heat up, and instantly to follow her entire body warmed. She turned her head back around and looked at him. Suddenly no more words needed to be spoken. She smiled softly to him, and to her surprise he smiled back.
The sun had risen just enough now to peak over top of the buildings, and as Ryan looked at Marissa, the rays hit her face perfectly. He couldn't help but think that she looked like an angel. He didn't want to have to speak any more. He knew he would just mess up again. Instead, he just wanted to show her that he loved her, and that he was there for her. And he thought, by the look that she gave him, she understood. He leaned a little bit closer, not thinking of anything else. To him, she was the same Marissa he had always known, her memory was in tact, and they were sharing a moment. No one and nothing else mattered.
But unfortunately for Marissa, she wasn't the same person she always was. She had a new life, and didn't remember her old one. For a few more moments, they continued to stare at each other. Their gazes locked into one another, and once more Marissa felt like she didn't want to blink, for fear of breaking it. She felt as if Ryan was moving forward towards her when suddenly she jumped. Her cell phone, set on vibrate had gone off in the pocket of her pants.
When she jumped, Ryan blinked and pulled back. What was he doing? What had he almost done?
Marissa pulled the phone out of her pocket and read the word 'Bray' on the caller ID. He had called a few times the night before while they were at dinner, but she had ignored them all. And just like the others she hit the ignore button again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
"No of course." Ryan spoke and moved his body away from her. Suddenly he could feel all the affects of the rising sun, and he felt extremely hot. He was both thankful and at the same time extremely perturbed by the interruption. Once again he found himself torn and confused when it came to Marissa Cooper. He knew that he couldn't do this, she barely knew who he was, and things could never be the same between them. He had just gotten caught up in the moment.
Marissa wasn't sure what had just happened. Was he going to kiss her, or was she just imagining it? Suddenly she felt guilty because she realized she had wanted him to kiss her. But why? She didn't understand these feelings or where they were coming from. She felt them in her heart, but they didn't make any sense in her head at all. All of the words her mother had told her of the past, mixed in with what Summer had told her, all entwined with her emotions that she didn't understand was making her nutty. She knew Summer was telling her the truth, but she didn't know enough of that truth yet. And she couldn't help but feel weird, seeing how she had believed her mother for so long. She didn't know what to do, but after this moment she knew she needed to know more, and needed to know it very quickly.
"I… I should probably go and take this call." She held up her cell phone, indicating what she was referring to and started to move to get up.
"Yeah ok." Ryan responded, not looking at her again. "Jet lag. I should get some more sleep."
Marissa nodded and they both stood up. Not realizing how close they were together, they were shocked as they stood and their bodies brushed against one another. They paused and met each others looks for just a moment and then Marissa quickly turned around and retreated back into her room.
Ryan stood there staring at her as she walked away, his hearth heavy with sorrow and confusion. Perhaps, he thought, he shouldn't have come. After she had gone inside he took a deep breath. He sat back down and let it out slowly. Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to be able to sleep again.
Inside Marissa took a deep breath and leaned up against the door to the balcony. She looked to her phone and shook her head. She flipped it open, but instead of checking the multiple number of voice mails she had waiting for her, she pressed the off button and shut her phone down. She didn't want it going off again. Moving over to the bed once more she sat on the edge and let her breath out. She looked at the clock again, it was almost 6:00 am, she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, but she couldn't go back outside right now either. Laying back down she sighed, she would just lay there until someone else awoke, and then she would ask Summer to help her make sense of all of this.