Okay so I was going to have a really huge update with like four chapters but as luck would have it something was wrong with the server and I only had time to update this chapter. But be sure to check back tomorrow because there will be some major updating! And Reviewers do your thing. And if you aren't reading it's only getting better from here so you don't know what you're missing. Thanks to all my past reviewers and don't worry I am continuing with this story. So here it goes!

A nervous invite & the setup

That Monday she was getting coffee in the lounge with Summer. "So what was it like hanging with Chino?" Summer said. "Summer I don't like him" She said sitting down. "Oh no" Summer said not believing her.

"No" Marissa said. "Look there's Ryan now" She said pointing at Ryan walking in the lounge and sitting down at a table. Marissa turned Red. "Summer stop it" Marissa said. "You totally like him Marissa. So why don't you just go for it?" She said with a smile.

"It's complicated okay. I gotta go" Marissa said getting up to leave. "Coop your coming over later right? The valley's on and I can't watch it alone" She insisted. "Sure Sum I'll see you later at your house" Marissa said leaving and she walked out of the lounge.

He looked up noticing her leave. He grabbed his stuff and went after her. Meanwhile Summer noticed it which brought a smile to her face.

Marissa was walking down the hall when she heard "Marissa" She turned around and smiled. "Ryan" She said tucking her hair behind her ear. "Hey" He said walking next to her.

"I just had a study break" She said. "Yeah me too" He said. "Right" Marissa said walking towards her locker and opened it. She grabbed her books that she needed for the next class. He leaned up against the next locker.

"So I was wondering if you were going to go the school dance on Friday" He said rather jumpy as if he was nervous. She turned and looked at him. "The Dance? I don't know I didn't really think about it" She said.

"So maybe you would want to go with me?" He said quickly looking for a reaction. She looked at him surprised. "Well I…" She said. "It's totally okay if you don't want to" He told her. She smiled and looked down. She shook her head.

"No um sure I'll go with you as friends" She said with out even thinking looking at him. So she missed Ryan's face fall in disappointment but he quickly hid his emotions. "Right? Of course as friends" He said putting on a fake smile feeling slightly let down.

It felt awkward. She nodded with a smile. "Okay so I'll pick you up at seven thirty" He said. "Okay that's fine" She said. "Alright" He said. The bell rang.

"Well that's my cue I gotta get to Bio but I'll see you later" He said. "Okay" She said. He walked away. She smiled thinking about how nervous he seemed and how stupid she sounded. As friends what was she thinking? She closed her locker and walked to her class.

That afternoon she went to find Summer. "Summer" She said. "Hey Coop what's going on?" She said. "Ryan asked me to the dance on Friday" She said. "Oh my god the dance we have to do like some major shopping" She said.

"What about the Valley?" Marissa said. "This is bigger then the valley. Marissa you're going to the dance. Come on we gotta get going" She said grabbing her hand and pulling her out the door.

So they we're shopping for awhile and Marissa had found a dress within her means and one that she liked. She was looking at a dress. "You know Sum this would be perfect for you" She said lifting it up to show her.

"I don't need a dress" Summer said. "Why not? Your going aren't you?" Marissa said. "I don't know Marissa" She said. "Come on you have to go" Marissa smiled thinking of something.

"And I have the perfect person for you to take" Marissa said with a smile. "Who?" She said. "Never mind that just try on this dress" She said. She took it. "Okay Coop. Whatever you say" Summer said going to try it on.

Later Summer had gone home with her dress and Marissa was on her way to the Cohen's. Kirsten let her in. She went towards the pool house looking for Ryan or Seth.

She went in and found Ryan. "Hey" He said. "Hello" She said. "What brings you by?" He said. "Actually Seth, is he around?" She said. "You came here to talk to Seth?" He said with a laugh sort of confused.

"Yes I did" She said. "He's upstairs. So what's this about anyway?" Ryan said. "Oh nothing I just found him a date to the dance on Friday. I'm gonna go tell him" She said going to leave. He thought about it. "Wait for me I gotta see this" He said following her out.

Seth was at his computer when Ryan and Marissa came in his room. "Hey man" Ryan said. "Ryan. Marissa?" He said. "Seth" She said. "What's up?" He said. "Well Seth do you want to go to the dance on Friday?" Marissa said.

"Look Marissa I know I'm irresistible but I can't do that to Ryan" Seth said spinning in his chair to face them. "Not with her genius" Ryan said smacking him in the head.

"Okay then in that case no there's only one person who I'd say yes to and she's not available so I'll She interrupted him "It's Summer Seth" Marissa said staring at him. He looked shocked.

Ryan laughed. "What time should I be ready?" Seth said. She laughed at his nervousness. "Just be at my house at seven thirty and Summer will be there" She said.

"Should I ask how you accomplished this?" Seth said. "Because I'm that good Cohen. Seven thirty Friday night my house got it?" She reminded Seth. "I'm so there." He said. "Good. So I'll see you guys later" She said leaving them.

Later that night Marissa was helping dry the dishes with her uncle. "So listen I was thinking Friday maybe we can go hang out see a movie or whatever" He said. "Well I can't Friday" She said.

"Ouch no time for uncle Pacey" He said joking. She laughed. "I'm sorry it's just there's a dance at Harbor and I'm going" She said looking at him. He looked shocked.

"I'm sorry what now?" He said. "You heard me?" She said putting a dish away in the cabinet. "Okay so who might this guy be that's taking you?" He said. "It won't make you like him any better if you knew who he was" She said.

"Come on I like Ryan I think he's a nice kid" He said. "Uncle Pacey you hardly know Ryan. And why do you assume its Ryan?" She said. He looked at her. "I don't know I just thought you know you guys have been hanging out a lot lately so I just figured" He said waiting to see if his assumption was right.

"Okay it's Ryan" She said giving in and telling him. He smiled. "Have a good time" He said. "Thank you and maybe we could do the movie thing another time" She said.

"No it's really okay I just figured we could talk or something but you're in High school and the dance awaits" He said turning towards the sink. She thought about what he said.

"It's not that I don't want to talk. There's just nothing to really talk about" She said lying knowing there was a lot of things she could talk about starting with her father. He turned and looked at her.

"I just, I want to know that your okay always that's my only motive" He said. "Well you don't have to worry so much" She said and kissed his cheek. He smiled. She changed the subject.

"So Ms. Potter you know if I didn't know any better I'd think you liked her" She said teasing him.

He laughed and pulled the dish cloth from her hand. "Home work awaits" He said.

"That's fine I'll let you go this time but next time you might not be so lucky. I'm gonna use the computer in the den" She said walking away.

He thought about her and he hoped she was gonna be alright he'd just have to have faith.

In the next update: The Harbor Dance.