Chapter 2

"What do you know about Ryan Siris?" Caleb asked Tyler, Pogue, and Reid at the local hangout – Nicky's. Dingy, old, scarred floors and tables were placed haphazardly around the room while foosball and pool tables took up the other half of the room. Nicky, a middle aged man, the size of a bulldozer, with a gut to match, didn't put up shit in his place. He was bald, had tattoos, but had a knack for creating delicious food and being fair on all accounts no matter who was in a scuffle. You get in a fight; you take it somewhere else because you just got kicked out – literally or figuratively. You break stuff and get into a fight, you better find another place to hang because you and all parties involved are banned until you are put into Nicky's good graces again – usually takes about a year or two. The Jut box was in of the middle the main room, and was constantly pumping out classic hits, from the Rolling Stones to Joan Jett, regardless of the tunes or how old they were, crowds were drawn in, tables shoved back, and inadvertently a dance floor forms.

The Ipswich Boys frequented the spot weekly, guzzled down pounds of fries, wings, and burgers while discussing any and all interests that were safe for open ears. Pogue, sipping on his drink thought for a second then shrugged. "Nothin', why?"

"She's kind of hostile." Reid added.

Tyler whispered his reply, "Has reason to be, keeps people away. Smartest girl in our class, and advanced for her age."

"Meaning –"

"Meaning" Tyler started, "she's a year younger than use, and she had a bad break-up."

Reid chuckled, "WE have all had those, well except for Poguey boy here who decided to settle down early."

"Bite me."

"Rather not – might catch something." He said ducking a fry that was catapulted at his head.

Ignoring them Caleb turned towards Tyler. "What's so bad about the break-up?"

Tyler picked up a wing, cleaned to spotless and chose his words carefully. Not that he and Ryan were friends by any means, but gossiping about this type of stuff never was his thing. "Apparently some prick dumped her after she refused to sleep with him. Rumor has it - rumor has it that he knocked her around a little, threatened some, especially about if he couldn't have her than no one would. That type of shit. Since then she's never dated, never looked at a guy with interest. Might be too afraid, even though it was two years ago. He was a senior when she was a sophomore. I think she was 15." Pogue and Reid stopped bickering and picked up that last bit of the conversation. Caleb was furious. They all were.

"Where's the asshole now?" Caleb asked slowly.

"Why is he still breathing?" Reid asked at the same time.

"At Yale, last someone mentioned it, which is also the same time I caught all this information. Apparently he's big man on campus, comes from old money and throws his weight around a lot."

"Name?"

"No clue. Look, I get it, he's a fucker. But that's all I know. Ryan's kept to herself, and in the classes we're in together she keeps to herself. I talk to her every now and then but getting her to actually open up about something is like pullin' teeth from a jacked up shark. She's not like the majority of us."

"Meaning?"

"She's here on scholarships."

Nodding, they all understood. "So, people look down on her." Loosening his tie, and shrugging out of the scarlet jacket, he headed to the pool tables. Tyler, Reid, and Pogue followed suit and they played a couple of games. Making ridiculously bets and talking about nothing in particular before it circled around to Ryan again when Caleb stated out of the blue, "I've seen her in the library."

"Works there." Tyler stated easily taking his shot, sinking a solid in a corner pocket.

"Kate and I have seen here at the Restaurant by the Cove." Pogue added as taking his shot.

"Volunteers at the shelter." When they all looked at him, he shrugged. "What? I don't get it though - why work so much?"

"What else will she do?" Caleb asked him, sinking the eight and calling the game.

"I dunno. A waste to spend all that time working." He stated easily, walking back to the

"You aren't going to ask her out are you?" They gathered there things and looked at Reid. Before anyone said anything Caleb broke in again and said. "Let me rephrase that, don't ask her out."

"Why the hell not?"

Tyler spoke up, pushing his way through the doors of Nicky's, walking to his Hummer. "Not your type. No inflated chest, she has a brain. She has morals."

"Plus, her vision isn't lacking." Pogue added.

"Up yours." They piled into the Hummer. He wasn't going to ask her out anyways, was just curious. "Party tonight?"

Chimes of "Hell yeah," echoed past the blasting metal music.

"No trouble Reid." Caleb warned him. But Reid's mind was elsewhere, though he glared at the front seat for good measure.

The party was wild enough. A bunch of high school kids in a large field near the cliffs. Many were getting high as kites and drinking too much for their own good, but it didn't stop them. For the life of her, Ryan didn't understand the allure of drinking too much and not being able to remember what happened the next day. She stumbled over the terrain as she headed to the bonfire. Being the only true source of light, she focused on it rather than the shadows. She heard the loud music and kept passing couples who were rushing to their cars to finish the heat the alcohol, marijuana, and whatever substance they got their hands on brought upon them.

She didn't know why she came, usually Saturday she was serving tables at The Cove, but she was called out because it was slow. She felt trapped in her dorm so she thought she'd catch up with Devlin, one of her few friends in her classes, who typically spun the music at parties around campus. Before she left to set up, Dev picked out Ryan's wardrobe, mixing and matching their clothes, telling Ryan she needed to live more, and have fun. Blowing her hair out of her eyes, Ryan berated herself on the high heeled boots she had splurged on four years ago, but she needed to get out of her 'bubble' apparently. So she borrowed a pair of khaki skinny pants, paired them with the boots and a deep red corset style shirt Dev pushed on her. It hugged her body, and she had to remember not to tug at it, or pull the sleeves that were off her shoulder up. She felt out of place as people looked at her. Staring ahead though, her military style duster fluttered around her ankles, she drew the wide hood down around her face as much as possible. Her hair was scrunched with product, and fell around her shoulders, her bangs though were straight and trained to sweep across her forehead and down the side of her face. As she drew close the bonfires harsh heat she tried to hear the waves crashing against the rocks below, wanting to feel their comfort when she caught the conversation of two girls.

"Who are they?"

"There here." her companion told her. Kate Tunney, Pogue's girlfriend, "some say they're the descendants of the original settlers. People call them the Sons of Ipswich."

"If you believe in that type of stuff." Ryan chimed in, lowering her hood, auburn hair flickered in the firelight, and her eyes seemed to be more radiant than before. "Most girls, only want to date them for their good looks, and swimmer bodies. Witches blood is only a perk."

"Ryan –"Kate said heatedly. "I'm not that type. But, this is Sara, she's a transfer. Sara – Ryan. Surprised you're here girl."

"Dev is here somewhere; she dressed me up and told me I needed to get out. I was supposed to meet up with her at some point."

"Far end, spinning on her tables."

Nodding, Ryan put her hood back up. She began to walk away, but turned and glanced at Kate. "I never thought you were with Pogue because of his looks and superficial things."

"Thanks."

Ryan walked away knowing Kate was one of the few girls at school who only wanted to be with Pogue because of who he was.

"Who were you talking to?" Pogue asked. Watching the figure, which was obviously female walk away, causing the green eyed monster to go back to sleep.

"Ryan."

Shocked they all looked to where she disappeared into the crowd. "Why would she be here?" Pogue wondered, looking at the others.

Kate shrugged. "Something about meeting up with Devlin." When they all gave her blank stares she laughed. "It's a girl you don't know." Tyler broke away from them to catch up with Ryan. He heard Kate make introductions to her new roommate. Reid mentioned something about his grandma, that caused Tyler to shake his head before their words were drown out by the music. Reid seemed to be more screwed up in the head as of late, he definitely wasn't on top of his game, especially if he was comparing beautiful women to his grandmother. Spotting Ryan, Tyler saw she was talking to a girl with jet short black hair that was spiked. Multiple piercings blinked in the firelight, and her pixie face was flushed with heat. Fingers moved deftly over the turn tables the poured out Rob Zombie, and the Franchise Boyz. Must be Devlin, he wondered, and was oddly transfixed on her. Blinking a couple of times, he saw that Ryan looked rather hot in what she wore, when she turned and caught his stare, she said something quickly to her friend before taking her leave. Devlin stared at him, shook her head, flicked him off, and resumed her spinning.

Slightly abashed by the hostility that radiated from Dev, Tyler sought to catch up with Ryan. Calling her name three or four times she finally stopped and turned to glare at him. "What?" She said frustrated. She had enough of people. She had enough of the Sons of Ipswich. "Would you leave me alone?"

"What?"

"You, and your so called brotherhood. Leave me alone. Before Thursday you barely spoke to me. Now all four of you, well three as Pogue has better things to do, are seeking me out. Reid more than all of you." Ryan thought back to the numerous times the past couple of days when he would just randomly pop up. "Look, I'm telling you I've got nothing either of you want. Please. Just stay away. I've got to go" And hide, she thought, as she hurried away leaving a stunned Tyler standing in the fading firelight.

"I'm telling you, something is up with her."

"Like what?" He asked toweling his hair dry. Skin still wet with beads of water, his boy was honed from the hours of swimming. He was already reamed about popping up around Ryan, he couldn't help it though. For some inexplicable reason he was becoming more drawn to her. He didn't care about an old boyfriend, who should be sent to a special corner of hell for beating up on a woman, but that was neither here nor there. What was more important was the unusual tug he felt like he was supposed to be around her. They were right; he shouldn't pop up and scare her. He shouldn't even be interested in her, but there was something alluring about her inconsequential way of life. Add in the physical attraction that caused his body to tighten to the point of eruption – he was screwed.

"I don't know, but I'm going to do laps."

"I'll come with you."

Tyler shook his head in amusement. "Dude, you just took a shower."

"You're point. I'll take another one." Dropping his towel he grabbed his suit of the bedpost and changed. In a matter of minutes that were walking to the pool. All he needed was a good long swim to get his mind away from her.