AN: I know that it's been awhile since I posted to this, but I was having a hard time articulating my thoughts. I'm also still having issues with my laptop :( Anyway I hope you all like this. PLZ R&R!
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Chapter 11: First Days
Sandy and Kirsten were awake early one morning and started to get everything ready for the day. Sandy started to make up some breakfast now that they were fully stocked up on food and Kirsten started upstairs towards the boys' rooms. She went into Seth's room first and pulled open all the blinds.
"Wake up, Seth."
"Too early," she heard the muffled reply from under the covers.
"Maybe you should've gotten to bed earlier last night then." She pulled the covers off the bed. "You knew you had to be getting up before the crack of dawn."
"Mom," he grumbled as he tried to pull the covers back over him.
"Your father is down making us all up some breakfast," she informed him. "If you're not downstairs within ten minutes, I'm going to send him up here with a bucket of water."
"You wouldn't." he turned over and glared at her.
"Try me." She started out of his room. "Ten minutes."
She walked next door into Ryan's room and saw him climbing out of bed and going towards his dresser.
"Hey, you're up."
"You trying to wake up Seth woke me up," he mumbled.
"Sandy's making us all some breakfast so I'll see you downstairs in about ten minutes,"
Ok," he nodded as she walked out of his room and he started to get ready for the day.
Ryan slowly came downstairs and walked into the kitchen as he smelt the freshly-brewed coffee. Sandy was setting all the food out on the table when he walked in, but he saw no sign of Seth or Kirsten.
"Come and get it, kid." Sandy spotted him there. "I made plenty."
"I think you made too much," Ryan sat at the table as he spotted the heaping platters of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and pitchers of orange juice.
"I figured you boys needed a hearty breakfast for your first day."
"You are going to be late," they heard Kirsten as she followed Seth stumbling into the room. "Now sit down and eat something."
They all piled their plates full of the breakfast that Sandy had prepared as Kirsten tried to get them excited for their first day. Now that they were settled into the new house, she knew that it was hitting them that they were the new kids in a very big school where they knew no one. After they all finished eating, they all cleaned up the kitchen and Seth and Ryan went to go get their bags.
"I have to go to work now," Sandy kissed Kirsten as the boys came back downstairs. "You boys have your student IDs? You can't get any lunch without them."
"We have them," they both answered.
"Have good days at school. Good luck today, Ryan."
After school, Ryan had his first therapy session. Sandy had gotten the name of a very respected therapist that helped other foster kids adjust to their new surroundings. To say that Ryan wasn't looking forward to it would be an understatement. He barely talked to them whenever they brought it up, so they just stopped mentioning it in front of him.
Ryan silently climbed into Kirsten's car and said nothing the entire ride to the school. Seth kept up most of the chatter now that he was fully awake. When they pulled up to the school, both of the boys reluctantly climbed out of the car.
"Good luck today." Kirsten told them. "You'll be fine."
They watched her pull away and looked up at the massive school before them. It looked a lot more intimidating now that the school was crawling with huge crowds of students.
"Well let's crawl into the pit," Seth told him as they started into the school. "At least we have each other, right?"
"Right," Ryan mumbled as they maneuvered their way through the halls to try to find their lockers.
They emptied their bags of the things that they wouldn't need for their morning classes and went to search for their first class. They were lucky to get a few classes together, and thankfully one of them was first period. They finally found it just before the bell rang and grabbed the last two seats near the back of the class.
"Hello everyone, welcome back." The teacher got up from the desk as he held a clipboard of papers. "When I call your name, come up to the front and you'll be given a Netbook."
One-by-one all the students were called up to get their computers and sat back down. The teacher then handed out the semester syllabus's and started going through it.
"Do you think we can get on internet sites on this?" Seth asked.
"Only if it's your student site," the girl behind them told him. "Or if it pertains to your schoolwork."
"Uh, thanks." Seth glanced back at her.
"Are you guys new?" she asked them.
"Yes,"
"Silence, please." The teacher interrupted them as he continued to outline the course for the semester.
By lunchtime, Ryan didn't think he would be able to get through the rest of the day. It had been such a long time since he was in school regularly. He wasn't sure if he would be able to last through this for the rest of the school year.
He got into the lunch line behind Seth and once they were through the checkout they chose a table to sit at by themselves away from all the other kids.
"Want to risk skipping the rest of the day?" Seth looked over at him.
"Can't," Ryan shook his head. "Kirsten will be picking us up after school, and I have my first therapy appointment anyway."
"So can I ask-why don't you want to go to therapy?"
"It doesn't work." Ryan stated harshly.
Seth was quiet the rest of their lunch period as they both just pushed the food around on their trays in front of them. They separated once they exited the lunch room and went to their perspective classes.
Kirsten returned to the house after dropping the boys off at school and finished cleaning up the kitchen from the morning. She had just finished loading up the dishwasher when the doorbell rang. She turned on the dishwasher and went to go greet whoever was at the door.
"Sophie," she stared in shock at her mother-in-law.
"Kirsten," she greeted her icily.
"Come on in," Kirsten led her in. "We didn't know you were coming."
"I wanted to surprise all of you." Sophie glanced around the foyer.
"Well Sandy's at work now, and I dropped the boys off at school a little bit ago."
"School has started already then?"
"Today was their first day," Kirsten led her into the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Sure," Sophie Cohen stood at the counter and watched as her daughter-in-law poured her a mug of coffee.
"I'll call Sandy and see if he's able to leave work," Kirsten went to the portable phone and dialed a number.
Sandy rushed home at his lunch break. He didn't want to leave Kirsten alone in the company of his mother for too long, so he took the rest of the day off. He walked inside and found them both in the kitchen.
"Ma," Sandy greeted her. "What a surprise."
"Tell me about it," he heard Kirsten.
"Well I wanted to surprise you all and I wanted to meet my new grandson." Sophie smiled at her son.
"As I'm sure Kirsten has already told you, they're both in school right now."
"Yes, their first day."
"Why don't I order us some lunch and we can catch up?" Sandy picked up the phone.
Sandy and Kirsten spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Sophie commenting on every aspect of their lives; the drastic move, the house, how Kirsten organized the house, and so forth.
"I'd love to stay here and listen to you put us down some more, but I need to pick up the boys." Kirsten grabbed her purse. "I'll drop Seth off here before I take Ryan to his appointment."
"All right," Sandy watched her leave and turned to his mother. "You can be a little nicer to her. She is my wife and the mother of your now two grandsons."
"Isn't this all a little sudden?" Sophie looked at him. "You guys just picked up and left your home without any notice."
"Why do you have a problem with that? You didn't like Newport."
"I don't like California at all, but this is where you've decided to raise your family."
"That's right, we did. It was a mutual decision."
"Was it also a mutual decision to have you be the only one working?"
"Kirsten has decided to take a little break from working while she figures out what she wants to do now."
"And has she figured anything out yet?"
"Right now, all she knows is that she enjoys being here for Seth and Ryan when they need her," Sandy told her. "By the way, if I were you I wouldn't act like this in front of Ryan."
"And why is that?"
"Kirsten is the first mother figure that he's had in a very long time. He is very protective of her. There's no telling what his reaction would be if he overheard you talking about her how you usually do."
"Dad! I'm home!" they heard Seth as the front door opened and he came into them where they were seated at the kitchen table. "Nana."
"Sethela," Sophie embraced her grandson. "So how was your first day at a new school?"
Sandy went to get out snacks and a drink for Seth as he told them about his day.
Ryan and Seth walked out of their last class for the day and went to unload their bags at their lockers. They silently walked down the hall and out of the school to wait for Kirsten to arrive.
"Finally we can speak English again," Seth stated. "What kind of teacher makes you speak just Spanish in her class?"
"A Spanish teacher," Ryan looked at him strangely.
"And seriously, homework on the first day in every class?"
"It's not really homework." Ryan informed him. "We just need to look through the semester syllabuses and make sure that we can access the class work from the student site."
"It's still homework." He stated as Kirsten pulled up to the curb in front of them.
"Ryan gets the front seat," she told them as they started to climb in. "I'll drop you off at home Seth. Your father is there."
"Why is he home so early?" Seth asked from the back seat.
"We have a special guest."
"Who?"
"Your nana,"
"Nana's here?"
"She showed up this morning after I dropped you guys off."
"Oh," Seth was silent for the rest of the car ride.
Kirsten came to a stop at the curb in front of the house and Seth climbed out. Kirsten pulled away again and glanced at Ryan as she drove towards the therapist's office.
"So how was school?" she asked him.
"Fine," he mumbled.
"That's it? All I get is a fine?"
"It's just been awhile since I was in school for an entire day."
"How long has it been?"
"I'm not sure. At least a year I think."
"Well you need to get used to it again."
They were silent for the rest of the car ride as the radio softly played some music. After a couple minutes, Kirsten pulled into a business complex and parked in one of the closer empty spots. She looked over at Ryan who was sitting motionless.
"Well are you ready for this?" she asked him.
"No." he mumbled.
"Come on," Kirsten opened her door and Ryan slowly did the same as they both climbed out of the car. "The first one is always the worst one. Once you get through this one, it will get easier each time you have to come here."
"How long do I have to come?"
"I guess that's up to the doctor." Kirsten told him as they walked inside and approached the glass window. "But I'd say that it will most likely be at least once a week."
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked as she spotted them standing in front of her.
"Ryan Atwood for Dr. Thomas." Kirsten told her.
"He's just finishing with another patient. If you'll have a seat, I'll let you know when he's ready for you."
"Thank you," Kirsten led Ryan to some nearby seats as they waited.
Kirsten tried to assure Ryan that it wouldn't be that bad. After what seemed like hours to Ryan, the door opened and a young kid walked out past them and an older man followed as he took a folder from the receptionist.
"Ryan Atwood, you can come on back now." He announced.
Ryan slowly stood up and followed him to a back office as Kirsten stayed behind in the waiting area.
AN: So what'd you guys think? I know that it's a short chapter, but I wanted to give you guys something after not posting to this for a long while. I'll try to make the next chapter longer for you guys. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. PLZ R&R!
