Prologue
For the first time since he was three, Ryan Atwood felt truly happy. He had a stable home, a stable foster family, no money worries, and he didn't have to worry that he'd get beaten up each time he left the house. While these were things that Seth Cohen (and everyone else in Orange County) had never had to worry about, they were usually constants on Ryan's mood. Yet... He smiled, leaning back against his pillow, they had hardly passed through his mind lately.
Things were good. He had a brother now. Sure, he had a blood-brother, Trey, but Seth was more of a brother than Trey ever had been. Ryan rolled his eyes. Trey had never cared if he hurt him - emotionally or physically. Seth did - he cared so damn much. He also had parents. With his father in jail and his mother... well, his mother doing as Dawn did: abandoning, damaging, hurting... they'd never felt quite like real family. Ryan blew out a deep breath. Dawn Atwood... the one unstable thing in his life at the moment.
Shaking his head quickly, Ryan forced his smile back on his face. Just when he was happy, Dawn always popped back into his mind. Then, of course, Marissa Cooper always found her way into his thoughts and then he couldn't help but smile. Ryan sighed in exasperation - could he ever stay with one emotion at once? Of course not, that'd make his life much too easy.
Ryan turned his head to the right to glance at the clock. Wow, almost time to 'wake up.' He smirked then silently cursed his insomnia.
"Ryan!" There was no knock, of course, just a voice warning as Seth entered the pool house. "Mornin'!"
With a cocked eyebrow, Ryan frowned at his friend. "You know, don't you, that my alarm hasn't even gone off, yet?"
"But you weren't sleeping, now were you?" Seth asked with a grin.
"How would you know?"
"Oh, c'mon, I've heard you muttering under your breath about not getting any sleep. I'm not stupid, Ryan."
Ryan merely chuckled. "Oh, really?"
"Hey, c'mon, man," Seth exclaimed with laughter. "Anyway, there's a phone call for you."
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise. "For me?"
"Yup," Seth said with a hint of amusement.
"Is it Marissa?"
"No..." Seth was definitely grinning this time.
"No, seriously... there's actually a phone call for me?"
"Yeah, c'mon, dude, they're not gonna wait forever!"
"But... Who is it?" Ryan asked as he jumped out of bed and struggled to hop into a pair of pants and a button-up shirt.
"I don't know! Now c'mon, let's get going, okay?" Seth questioned impatiently, grabbing ahold of Ryan's arm, pulling him out of the pool house.
As they entered the house, Sandy was there, the phone in his hand, holding it out for Ryan.
Ryan looked at the phone suspiciously before taking it from his foster father. "Hello?" He answered. "Yes, this is he..." Ryan took in a deep breath quickly, then rushed from the room, ignoring Sandy and Seth's looks. His voice turned cold. "Why the hell are you calling me?"
For the first time since he was three, Ryan Atwood felt truly happy. He had a stable home, a stable foster family, no money worries, and he didn't have to worry that he'd get beaten up each time he left the house. While these were things that Seth Cohen (and everyone else in Orange County) had never had to worry about, they were usually constants on Ryan's mood. Yet... He smiled, leaning back against his pillow, they had hardly passed through his mind lately.
Things were good. He had a brother now. Sure, he had a blood-brother, Trey, but Seth was more of a brother than Trey ever had been. Ryan rolled his eyes. Trey had never cared if he hurt him - emotionally or physically. Seth did - he cared so damn much. He also had parents. With his father in jail and his mother... well, his mother doing as Dawn did: abandoning, damaging, hurting... they'd never felt quite like real family. Ryan blew out a deep breath. Dawn Atwood... the one unstable thing in his life at the moment.
Shaking his head quickly, Ryan forced his smile back on his face. Just when he was happy, Dawn always popped back into his mind. Then, of course, Marissa Cooper always found her way into his thoughts and then he couldn't help but smile. Ryan sighed in exasperation - could he ever stay with one emotion at once? Of course not, that'd make his life much too easy.
Ryan turned his head to the right to glance at the clock. Wow, almost time to 'wake up.' He smirked then silently cursed his insomnia.
"Ryan!" There was no knock, of course, just a voice warning as Seth entered the pool house. "Mornin'!"
With a cocked eyebrow, Ryan frowned at his friend. "You know, don't you, that my alarm hasn't even gone off, yet?"
"But you weren't sleeping, now were you?" Seth asked with a grin.
"How would you know?"
"Oh, c'mon, I've heard you muttering under your breath about not getting any sleep. I'm not stupid, Ryan."
Ryan merely chuckled. "Oh, really?"
"Hey, c'mon, man," Seth exclaimed with laughter. "Anyway, there's a phone call for you."
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise. "For me?"
"Yup," Seth said with a hint of amusement.
"Is it Marissa?"
"No..." Seth was definitely grinning this time.
"No, seriously... there's actually a phone call for me?"
"Yeah, c'mon, dude, they're not gonna wait forever!"
"But... Who is it?" Ryan asked as he jumped out of bed and struggled to hop into a pair of pants and a button-up shirt.
"I don't know! Now c'mon, let's get going, okay?" Seth questioned impatiently, grabbing ahold of Ryan's arm, pulling him out of the pool house.
As they entered the house, Sandy was there, the phone in his hand, holding it out for Ryan.
Ryan looked at the phone suspiciously before taking it from his foster father. "Hello?" He answered. "Yes, this is he..." Ryan took in a deep breath quickly, then rushed from the room, ignoring Sandy and Seth's looks. His voice turned cold. "Why the hell are you calling me?"