The truth about her past

Marissa was in History class when she received a note from the guidance counselor calling her to her office. She excused herself from class and went. She walked up to her office and knocked. "Come on in" She said. She opened the door.

Joey looked up "Hello Marissa" She said. "Ms. Potter you wanted to see me?" Marissa said. "Yes you can have a seat if you'd like" She said. She sat in the empty chair. "So Marissa you've been at Harbor for a few days. How's it going so far?" Joey said trying to make her feel comfortable.

"It's okay I guess." She said shrugging her shoulders. "Do you enjoy your classes?" She said. "Yeah there okay" Marissa said not really knowing why she would be called out of class to discuss how she was adjusting to Harbor.

"Marissa I wanted to talk to you about your transfer actually" She said. And there it was the one thing Marissa feared that everyone would know. "So you know" Marissa said sadly. "Yes I do. Do you want to talk about it?" She said concerned.

"What's there to say?" Marissa said looking down and closing off. "You can tell me how you feel? Maybe work from there" She suggested.

Marissa stayed silent. "Okay I won't push you. I just want you to know that I'm here if you want to talk and whatever you say to me is just between us okay?" She said. "Okay" Marissa said.

"So you can go now" She said. "Okay" Marissa said quickly leaving. Joey pushed her hair back. She hit the phone button. "Yeah make an appointment for me with Marissa Cooper's uncle. Yeah I really need to speak with him. Thanks" She said. An hour later the secretary got back to her and told her he would be available tomorrow.

The next morning Marissa was leaving for school. Pacey came walking in the kitchen. "Good morning Marissa you're up early" He said grabbing a cup of coffee. "Yeah I thought I'd get an early start to school this morning" She said zipping up her bag.

"You know I'm going that way I could give you a lift if you want?" He said. "That's okay I'd rather walk but thanks Uncle Pacey. See ya later!" She said walking out. He smiled.

A little while later Pacey was walking through the Halls of Harbor headed to the guidance office. Today being the big meeting with Marissa's counselor which he hadn't mentioned to Marissa he figured it was better of that way.

He found the office talked to the receptionist and she told him to wait in the office and the counselor would be right into see him. He smiled and thanked her. He waited for a few minutes until he heard the door click open.

"Hello you must be Marissa Cooper's uncle..." She said. He lost it after that he didn't even have to look at her to know it was Joey. "It's nice to meet you" She said turning around and getting the biggest shock of her life.

"Pacey? How'd you find me?" She said shocked that he was in her office. "I didn't apparently you found me" He said with a smile. She was trying to put two and two together. "Wait Marissa she's your niece?" She said.

"Yeah she's Julie's daughter" He said. "What are the odds?" She said with a smile. "It's strange really I haven't seen you since..." He said. "High School I know it's been a long time" She said. "Yeah it has" He said looking at her.

"Okay so not that it isn't great that your here but there is still Marissa we have to discuss" She said. "Right of course. Is she in trouble or something?" He said. "No it's nothing like that I was just concerned when child services contacted me about Marissa's situation" She said. He looked at her confused.

"What situation Joey?" He said unaware of what was going on. "You don't know?" She said. "Would I be asking you if I did?" He said sounding concerned.

"Well apparently Marissa was involved in a case involving her mother being abused by her husband which is Marissa's father. Marissa heard what was happening an according to police reports she was afraid he was going to kill her so called the cops on him. "She said.

"In the mean time all this was going on he was according to her statement choking Julie and she felt she had to do something so Marissa tried to go after him. Which only made Jimmy angry and made him lash on Marissa even more and eventually physically abusing her as well" She continued.

"According to Police Marissa claimed that he almost choked Julie to death and thankfully the police showed up in time to find Marissa a little knocked around but thank god stable" She saud.

"But unfortunately Julie didn't agree with her story when the cops showed. She told them that she was trouble and it was simple case of her father showing her who was running the house" she said.

"They both claim that Marissa was troubled and always made up stories for her amusement. So Marissa's claim didn't hold up" She said.

"Are you telling me that Jimmy hurt my niece? I mean couldn't they tell from her school records that she was a good kid?" He said suddenly feeling all sorts of emotions but mostly anger that Jimmy could do that to Marissa.

"They looked into that but Marissa had a lot of absences and her grades where good but just average really" she said with a shrug of shoulders.

"My guess the absences were so she didn't have to deal with people asking questions and I think that night she just got fed up and couldn't take it anymore. I'm sorry Pace I didn't think you didn't know about it" She said.

"Well I didn't but you know what he's going to hear from me" He said getting up. "Pacey don't I told you so you could try to talk to Marissa. Look this is obviously affecting her and something needs to be done she won't talk to me so I thought she would talk to you" She said stopping him.

"See that's the thing she won't talk to me about it. I mean I knew something was up when Julie asked if Marissa could stay with me for awhile but neither of them have told me why. Julie just sort of brushed it off as Marissa needing to start over some place new. I've tried to talk to her but she just won't" He said.

"Well do you know someone she will? Because she can't go on like this forever" She said. "No but I can try again?" He said. "Good if anybody could get anything from someone its you" She said.

"Yeah I should go get to work" He said. "Right well thank you for listening" She said. "Well thank you for caring" He said. She smiled and he hugged her.

"Maybe I'll see you around preferably not in another ten years" He said with a smile. "I hear you own the blue fish" She said. "I do indeed" He said.

"Good for you pace. I'll have to come down sometime" She said. "Yeah we can catch up" He said.

"It's good to see you Pacey" She said. "Yeah same here" He said walking out. She smiled thinking about him.

What a small world she thought...