Thank you guys so much for the amazing response to this story! I know that I just posted the last chapter, but I wanted to post this tonight because I will be gone all weekend. BTW, check out a new story from converses rolled down, called "Just let it bleed" while I'm away. It's awesome.

I totally love where this chapter went. Please don't let the reviews stop now! Let me know what you think so I have lots of love when I get home.

xoxo Jules

And so the angst continues...

Chapter 1: "Is this just fantasy-"

Ryan POV: I wish I would've known

What was I thinking letting the whack job, walking STD, and coke addict come with me? They're just going to bring me down.

"Shit!" I said as a car sped past me and flung mud into my face causing my last cigarette to go out.

"That's going to be us one day man." Seth said patting me on the back.

Damnit, he was so quiet for a minute I forgot he was there.

"What? Gangsters in old beat up cars with gold teeth?" I asked Seth

"Ha, real funny. So what I was thinking when we bust outta this place we don't need to work."

"Oh yeah?" I asked still mourning the loss of my cigarette

"Yeah, see you can send Summer out on the street corner and there's like what, 500 a client? Then there's Marissa, I mean, we all know she deals so how much money is that!" Seth said grinning foolishly.

"'s all well and good man till the cops bust out asses for dealing and pimping."

"Yanno." Seth said shrugging.

I didn't comment, thankful that the conversation was over. Right then a cab pulled up to the side of the road. Marissa stepped out, her body swaying from side to side.

"You alright there Cooper?" Seth asked not bothering to help.

Marissa nodded before nearly fainting in my arms. Shit? What do I do now!

"Seth, get the door!" I ordered

"Your wish is my command."

I everyone stared at me as I dragged Marissa down the hallway, everyone's reactions of stone. People like us have this way of turning their hearts off. The expression of emotion of any kind is a bad thing. Emotions show vulnerability, and if you are vulnerable you are just going to get walked on. Usually it was everyman for himself, but it was different when it came to Marissa. There was something about her.

We followed the long hall until we got to Marissa's room. Seth pushed the door open and I helped Marissa onto her bed.

"So do we like, just leave her here or something?" Seth asked me

I looked at Marissa trying to put the memories that seeing her like this, drudged up in the back of my mind. I had to take care of my mom like this all of the time when I was younger.

"No, we have should probably wait for her to wake up before we leave her..."

I've waited for people to wake up before, ... I remember when I found her, lying there dead on the kitchen floor. It was my fault. I saw what she was like when I went to school that dad. I should have stayed with her. I should have helped her...

"You don't have to stay man." I told Seth

I feel like if I take my eyes off of her she will disappear... just kinda fade away yanno? I just kinda feel like I need to protect her. I felt her cold clamy forehead with the back of my hand... she had a light dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose... I never noticed before. Her eyes would flutter open and closed, big, blue, glazed over... She seemed like a small child. I think that we are all children still in our own respects.

"What the hell happened?" Came a voice from the doorway.

I turned to see Summer in the doorway fixing her short skirt and wiping a substance that I didn't dare question from around her mouth.

"She's on something. Coke or smack probably." I said still not taking my eyes off of her fragile frame.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked turning to face Summer

"She is my roommate." Summer said sitting down on the bed adjacent to Marissa's.

I had almost laughed when I heard that Summer Roberts and Marissa Cooper were roomies. They couldn't have picked two more polar opposites.

"Is she alright?"

The genuine concern in Summers voice surprised me.

"She should be." I said as I scooted up on the bed beside Marissa to provide more space in the cramped room. Seth came all of the way in as well and closed the door.

I jumped as Marissa began to stir.

"No!" She mumbled turning over. "No, stop... No!" She said again. "I don't want it!" She said straining against a non-existent force.

I was caught off guard by the sudden outburst. What was she talking about? I had no clue... That was one thing here that nobody talked about, their pasts. Marissa was no exception. Sure there were rumors. She'd been using since she was six, her first line at eleven, but nobody knew the real story.

"It's okay." I said grabbing her arms and pinning them above her head as her limbs began to flail. "Does this happen a lot?" I asked Summer

Marissa was no longer making noises but she was flipping around violently on the bed.

"Sometimes during the middle of the night. I try to hold her down the best that I can... It's like she's having a nightmare that she just can't wake up from or something." Summer explained.

"Does she wake you up?" Seth asked without having an actual point.

"I don't sleep." Summer said quickly looking away from Seth and I and down to the street.

As suddenly as it began Marissa became still... her body was drenched in sweat as she relaxed back in her bed. A large gasp escaped her body. Memories of my mom came flooding back to me, I let go of her hand...

There was an awkward silence, nobody was quite sure what to say.

"So what's it? Like five weeks now till we get outta here?" Summer asked

"Yeah, I guess it is." I said for the first time glancing away from Marissa, although for only a second.

"We've got to make a plan." Seth said

Hum, how about you get some serious counseling, and Marissa go into detox, and Summer go to sexaholics anonymous? That's what I was thinking anyway, but I went a safer route.

"Yeah man." Was all that I said

"So I was thinking that we could do this totally stealth, like black body suits and all!" Seth said excitedly

"Or I could steal the keys from a guard when I'm feeling them up," that's one thing about Summer, she is blunt to say the least "and then Marissa can pry open the gate, cause she's so good getting off her house arrest bracelet and stuff, then that will be it."

You might ask why we have to escape from a place like this if it's a "house". Answer, you have to sign out wherever you go, if you aren't back or haven't checked in with two hours people will go looking for you. If we leave in the middle of the night then that gives us more time to get away, and then that's it. This whole think is ridiculous for me because I can just walk out of here in a month... It would be so easy for me to walk away, leave them... I would probably do it too... but they need to get out of here just as much as I do.

I glance down at Marissa again. The freckles....

The first two chaps were Ryans POV, but the next may be Summers, that's what I'm planning now. What do u think? I get Ryans birthday keeps changing, so I am going to say right here right now he will be 18 in five weeks and then that's it. lol

Its totally 2 am here and I have school tomorrow and was late today so I've gotta jet, let me know what you think!

xoxo Jules