PART VII
6:15 PM
"What do you think I should wear? Skirt? Pants?"
Marissa was almost at her wits end. Who knew preparing for a date was hard. Well, it wasn't really that hard when she dated Ryan. Maybe the fact that she liked Alex was making her anxious and more over unsure. Luckily, Summer and Kaitlin were around to help her.
They received some sort of comedic entertainment in return.
"I think the skirt will do perfectly." Jodie suggested out of the blue.
She was rummaging through the clothes with the other girls.
"Right. If my sister was a slut, something she's definitely not."
"Skirts make your legs look sexy. Marissa's not slutty. I just want Alex to notice her a little bit more. AW!"
"Marissa, take the pants. We don't want you to be too accessible." Summer glared at her girlfriend who replied with a shrug.
Ever so suddenly, Jodie decided to go to her second favorite room in the Cooper house, the kitchen.
Her most favorite room was the guest room.
"You should tell her not to be pervy around her friends. It's…" Marissa thought of the word but couldn't quite place it.
"Creepy? Disgusting? Demented? Certainly psycho." Kaitlin replied with a shiver.
She thought of herself with kinky Jodie taking advantage of her innocent state.
Right…
Innocent…
6:15 PM
She watched as Alex Kelly suited up for her date. The date was good enough reason for her to drop by. Seth and Taylor already gave her the go ahead about who the date was. They assumed that Alex would have trouble telling her.
They were right.
Things were silent as she watched Alex finish up with her outfit.
"It's Marissa…" She finally heard the blonde mutter.
She let out a smile and continued to watch her friend.
"Aren't you going to say something?" Alex turned to her, fully dressed.
The blonde was looked gorgeous.
"Was she who sent you the letter?"
"No…"
"Then why are you in a date with her?"
"I asked her out."
"Why not go out with the letter sender?"
"I don't know her. Besides, she said it was enough that I know she loved me. As it turns out, I have a thing for Marissa Cooper." Alex plopped next to her.
The blonde didn't get a reply. She turned to the blonde next to her and asked.
"What are you smiling about?"
"You're cute when you're in love."
"Stop teasing me Lindsay. I'm not in love with Marissa."
"Well, not yet."
"Well, it's making me confused."
"How so, Miss Kelly?" Lindsay turned to side to face her friend.
"If I do pursue Marissa, yes, she's nice and all but what if she never loves me back? I mean, someone already loves me. Why not love those who love me? What if I lose the chance to get to know someone who already loves me?"
"Does that person want you to love them back?"
"I… I don't know… She didn't say…" Alex had a small smile on her face.
Lindsay knew the blonde was simply frustrated now.
"You know what, if that sender really loved you, they would have written their name? I mean, for all we know they're just making look away from the obvious."
"Huh?"
"Marissa Cooper is into you."
"You're joking…"
"I'm not. She's been into you since… forever. Maybe Ryan wants you to look away from her. After all, you'll be seeing each other after high school. You two are going to the same school."
"Marissa isn't INTO me. She's straight. She dated Ryan."
"Now she's dating you."
"That's…" Alex stopped to think.
She was indeed going on a date with Alex. But it was just a friendly date.
"She's going as a friend."
"Fine…"
"Fine…"
7:00 PM
"Aren't you coming?" The boy asked as he combed his curly hair.
"Nope. I'd rather stay here." She smiled resting on her couch.
"Wouldn't you want to see the fruits of your labor?"
"Knowing that relationship is starting to bloom is enough for me. I know Alex won't let Marissa go just like that."
"Are you sure?" Her other friend asked.
"Lindsay made sure Alex looks for Marissa and Marissa only. I'm sure what we did was enough."
RING! RING!
The boy moved out of the living room and took the call. The two girls stayed silent knowing it was one of their cohorts.
"The mini-Cooper just called." Seth emerged from the kitchen.
"Alex just picked Marissa. They're on their way to the party. We should go too." He added waving goodbye to his friend.
"Are you sure you're going to be fine here?"
"I'm Anna Stern. I'll be fine." She smiled and gave Taylor a kiss on the cheek.
7:00 PM
Two days before clearance day
"I want you to put this on her locker."
"Why?" Seth asked rubbing the back of his head.
"I need to do something for Alex."
"A love letter?" The boy's eyes threatened to pop out with his surprise.
"It's a love letter alright. But, Kaitlin wrote it."
"The mini-Cooper?"
"Well… She likes Alex. But, she knows Marissa likes her, very much."
"The mini-Cooper is setting herself aside."
"They both mean a lot to her."
"Wait… Wait… What if Ryan finds out? He'll freak!"
"I promised Kaitlin I'll take the fall. No one else should know. Kaitlin doesn't even want Summer to find out. Let alone Marissa and Alex."
"Fine. I'll do it. Taylor would ask a lot though."
"I'll tell her about it. We need her to help too. Keep this secret, Seth."
"I promise."
11:20 AM
Earlier today
"Hey, I'm going to go ahead."
"Take care, Kaitlin."
She smiled and went out of the Cafeteria. The walk back to the classroom was uneventful. She thought of Alex and Marissa.
"This is the right thing to do." She let out a sad smile and turned see Alex out at the school quad.
"I love you, you know. But what I feel isn't what you feel deep inside. You love me because I am there for you. Not because you loved me like a lover would. You look at me like I was the sister you never had. Yet, unconsciously, you look at my sister, with a love that I can't even describe."
Kaitlin walked away.
1:20 PM
Earlier today
Kaitlin quietly watched the graduates take their seats. She knew Marissa was alone with Alex backstage.
BUZZ. BUZZ.
Anna: Ryan's asking about the letter.
Kait: I can't have Johnny learn about it from him.
Anna: I'm going to make up excuses. Don't worry. You can just sit down and relax.
Kait: Thanks…
Anna: You love her too much to let her go, you know that right?
Kait: My sister would be happy… They would be happy… That's enough…
5:00 PM
Earlier today
"I thought you said you were in with her love her?" Ryan asked almost screaming to her ear.
She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. It would blow her cover. She wouldn't have that.
"I am."
"Then why did you do that? If you love her, why did you push her away from you and not pull her to you?"
"Because I love her."
"You love her? You love her enough to be with someone else?"
"What makes you think she's going to be happy with Marissa? What makes you think Marissa is going to be happy with her?"
Anna turned to Ryan with annoyance in her eyes.
"I know so, Ryan. I know so."