Good question! I think by that episode, Ryan wanted to get back together with her - at least eventually. I mean it was him who asked, "Are you saying it's over?" I think it would have been really interesting if she would have gone with her dad for the summer and then chosen to go to college somewhere else in the fall as you say - maybe the Northeast much to Ryan's disappointment. And she could start dating someone else ... I guess she and Ryan could keep in touch and remain very close friends, and he could stay single but still have sex (lol, one night stander!Ryan is thoroughly hot and entertaining to me for some reason; plus he'd be doing it since he can't be with the girl he wants to be with) and she can think she's falling for this new guy and Ryan could act like he supports it since he thinks this guy makes her happy, but deep down, it's tough for Ryan to stomach because he wants her and feels in his mind like he messed that chance up their senior year of high school (it would be interesting for him to have some sort of guilty complex where he thinks she deserves better than him).

In fact, Luke could be Ryan's college roommate and he can notice that Ryan seems a bit detached and lonely and he can be the one who drags Ryan to parties and gets him having one night stands. I do think that Ryan is more responsible than that, but for the sake of fanfiction at the very least, it would be interesting to read about Ryan sort of turning into a party boy in college (he can start drinking too). What would Marissa and the Cohens think if they knew what he was really doing at Berkeley? Anyone want to write the fanfic?

I agree with you on Jimmy.

Some really interesting ideas there I've always loved seeing RM go from friends to a romantic relationship, they did it in season 2 and it worked so well. What's so great about when they're friends is that they don't get as much drama, so we get to see them happier