Chapter 0014: Jolt to the heart
It had been some time since the Cohens had attended a function, and it was the first one Ryan was to attend. Kirsten had been a little anxious about it, but Sandy and Ryan had assured her that it was inevitable, given the status of the family (and Caleb), and that it would all be alright.
She supposed they were correct.
As usual, Sandy looked dashing in his suit, Seth looked itchy and she had picked out a slick dark green dress. Ryan, though, Ryan looked more stoic than ever.
"Are you sure you want to come? You don't have to" – she fussed over him as she straightened his tie. He looked at her and smiled tightly.
"It's okay. Really. I'll go, I'll hang out with Seth and Anna, I'll get something to eat" – he paused – "It'll work out"
"Dad– Dad is going to be there"
"I assumed so" – he said quietly. She sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I won't let him drag you away to–" – he looked at her across the mirror and she couldn't end her sentence.
"It'll be fine, Kirsten" – Ryan turned and she let her hand fall – "Worst comes to worst, I'll ask Seth to drive me back" – she snorted.
"He'll like that, I'm sure, he doesn't really like these things"
"Don't worry"
"I can't help it" – she confessed. He looked himself in the mirror again but said no more.
Down in the kitchen, Seth and Anna were munching on leftover Chinese from lunch, and Sandy was spreading cream cheese on a bagel. Kirsten stared at them, in their beautiful suits and dress, and cleared her throat.
"Want one?" – Sandy asked after a beat.
"No, I would not. Don't you remember what happened the time I had a snack before last year's Valentine's Day party?"
"You ruined your dress and wouldn't talk to me for days, how could I forget?" – Sandy replied dutifully. Seth snorted and Anna slapped his arm.
"Exactly, so, please be careful"
"Ryan? Bagel? Chinese?" – Sandy offered anyway, much to Kirsten's annoyance.
"No, thank you, I'll just have some water, I guess"
"Wise, wise" – Seth piped up, chomping on a greasy spring roll – "You haven't seen mom going off the handle about stains yet, and you don't want to, ain't pretty"
"I just want everyone to look nice, is that so wrong?" – she demanded.
"Yes" – Seth and Sandy said in unison after stopping for a second to think about it. She huffed and accepted a bottled water from Ryan.
"You're horrible"
"But you love us" – Sandy said sweetly, sliding over to kiss her cheek. Mercifully, he didn't have cream cheese or crumps on his lips.
"Just a little bit, I suppose"
"Good to know where you stand, ma" – Seth chirped, finally putting the Chinese down. Kirsten had to roll her eyes.
"Are we all done now? Let's go, please"
"We are definitely driving separately" – Seth announced.
"Yes, we know, dear"
"I don't like it when you call me that"
"Too bad. Ryan, are you coming with us?"
"Sure?" – he said slowly, glancing at Seth, who simply shrugged.
"Eh, good luck with that, man, you know how dad drives"
"Excuse me? How do I drive?" – Sandy grinned mischievously at the teen.
"Like an old lady"
"Ha, ha, ha"
"I know, I'm hilarious"
"Oh dear" – Kirsten said under her breath as Anna giggled and Ryan smiled – "You're both hilarious, is that better? Now let's go before we're late!"
"So, kid, ready for your first Newpsie shindig?" – Sandy asked as they pulled out of the driveway.
"As ready as I can be"
"Don't worry, they don't bite. Much. Now, the girls, the girls I can't speak to"
"Sandy"
"Well, Anna is a great girl, and–" – he stopped talking abruptly and Kirsten frowned in confusion. Glancing back, Ryan was looking out the window.
She didn't know how to feel about her husband keeping her brother's secrets, though she was sure it was nothing bad. Given Sandy's little smirk, she assumed it had to do with a girl, and she felt odd about the little stirring in her at the thought of her baby brother having a girlfriend. Seth had a girlfriend now (and what a sweet, smart girl Anna was), why not Ryan?
That did not sit well with her, for some reason, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it, she could only hope he picked a good girl, not a wild one like– Well, like most Newport girls seemed to be.
"Welcome to the dark side" – Kirsten heard Seth whisper to Ryan and Anna as the fivesome stood near the entrance of the party.
"The dark side looks very formal" – Anna piped up with a coquettish grin.
"And oddly colorful" – Ryan continued.
"In a way" – Sandy added.
"Can we not, please?" – Kirsten requested.
"Is that Julie Cooper?" – Sandy motioned to the red head being a little ignored by a group of Newpsies.
"Well, that's kinda mean" – Seth commented – "I mean, it's the Newpsies and all, and it's Julie Cooper, but..."
"I'm gonna go over there" – Kirsten stated – "Save me a seat?" – she asked Sandy, who grinned widely and kissed her cheek.
"Always"
Kirsten walked over to the Newpsies and put on a smile. Time for battle. God, the things she did for her friends.
"Ladies" – she greeted, putting herself beside Julie.
"Kirsten!" – one of them exclaimed – "I didn't realize you were coming!"
"Did I give that impression?"
"Oh, no, of course not, we just– I mean, you haven't been coming around since–" – she cut herself off so abruptly a deaf man could understand her meaning.
"Well, I'm here, as is the rest of my family" – the women turned as one to the Cohen table, where Seth was talking everyone's ears off already – "Did Marissa and Kaitlin come as well?" – she asked Julie directly, and the red head straightened up in place.
"Kaitlin stayed back at home, she's still so very young, you know, but Marissa is around somewhere, probably off with Luke and Summer. They are such good kids" – she tacked on, looking superiorly at the Newpsies.
"They are. Would you like to join us? We still have some room" – Julie blinked, as if surprised, and nodded casually – "If you would excuse us, ladies, I fear I must return to my family" – she waved them goodbye and Julie followed her.
"Thank you" – Julie said briefly.
"Any time" – she frowned when she noticed Ryan wasn't in his seat anymore. Sandy looked up from his drink and winked.
"Hey, Julie"
"Sandy" – she looked around and sat on the lone chair beside Anna – "Hello, children"
"Mrs. Cooper" – Seth waved awkwardly and Anna extended a hand.
"Hello, I'm Anna"
"Hello" – her eyes fell on the obviously empty seat between Seth and Kirsten.
"I fear Ryan has left us for the cool kids" – Sandy announced as Kirsten asked for a glass of wine.
"Oh?"
"He went off with Luke" – Seth added.
"I wasn't aware they were friends" – Kirsten mused.
"They are both in the soccer team" – Julie pointed out lightly.
"Ryan said he'd come right back" – Seth turned to his mother – "I don't think he's gone off to do coke in the bathroom, mom, he's probably just saying 'hey' to the other jocks"
"I did not think he was going to do such a thing!"
"Well, duh, it's Ryan, have you met him? Besides, Luke is a jackass, but he's really not that bad"
"Luke is a perfectly nice boy" – Julie objected.
"Sure, if you're not me" – Seth shot back.
"So! Julie, how about that barbecue?"
"What barbecue?" – Seth snorted.
"Jimmy and I were trying to make it happen, but then we never got around to it, so how about it?"
"Oh, that. Well, you know kids, Marissa always has some party or another, and of course I have my–" – she paused – "Well, I have been a little lighter these days" – she finished, only a tad quieter.
"Ryan could make stuffed mushrooms again" – Seth said after a beat – "Those were good"
"Oh, don't go and make work for him" – Kirsten asked.
"He likes it! He said so"
"As long as you help him..." – Sandy trailed off with a smirk. Seth groaned as Anna snorted at him.
"That's what you get" – she stated pointedly.
"Oh look, it's– Oh crap, it's granddad and Ryan" – Kirsten instantly looked that way and had to grimace for a moment when she spotted her brother looking down and their dad walking over, his expression somewhat smug.
"Good evening, everyone" – Caleb said, his eyes flickering from person to person, stopping for a beat on Julie – "Kiki"
"Dad. Ryan, honey–"
"I'm going to introduce him to some people" – Caleb interjected, putting a heavy hand on the teen's shoulder.
"What?"
"Might as well, it's his first party, after all, it's as good an opportunity as any"
"Dad–"
"It's okay, Kirsten" – Ryan told her. His sudden smile was painful to watch, stilted and practiced – "I'll be right back"
When had he had the time to acquire a Caleb Smile?
"I'll bring him back in time for the dinner" – Caleb added – "Or he could sit at my table–"
"I... I would rather eat here" – Ryan said evenly. Caleb frowned at him fleetingly then masked it with the ease of a Newport longtime resident.
"Very well. We'll be right back" – Ryan threw the Cohens a final look before allowing Caleb to guide him away.
"So, how long should I wait before I go and rescue him?" – Seth asked, almost to himself.
"Five minutes?" – Sandy replied.
"Dinner will be served soon" – Kirsten stated softly – "If dad doesn't–"
"We'll go and get 'im, mom, don't worry" – Seth tried to reassure her, but she was already feeling a terrible amount of guilt in the pit of her stomach – "I'll make a scene, whatever, granddad will be happy to see us leave"
"Nothing that would require us to bail you out, please" – Sandy chided playfully.
Kirsten let their conversation wash over her as she turned her head to search for Ryan and Caleb. It wasn't difficult to find them, nor was it hard to see the hard lines of Ryan's shoulders, and the smile he had firmly in place. Caleb's shining pride was also very easy to spot, even from afar, as he motioned to Ryan every few moments, no doubt listing his many qualities and academic accomplishments.
"Hun?" – Sandy whispered in her ear.
"Sandy–" – she shook her head and looked back at Ryan.
For the first time since he first came into her house, she utterly hated to see him smile.
A slightly sad chapter =( Sorry guys.
Anyway. This week I managed to write two chapters and I was really happy with the result so I decided to celebrate Women's Day with this Kirsten chap =D Also yes, Kirsten's fears come to life with Caleb dragging Ryan around, which- God damnit Caleb.
The next cycle of chapters are all without dialogue, so hold your breath for those and some much needed quiet analysis on what's been going. Ryan continues trying to get a life of his own (good for him), Kirsten makes a sudden decision, and Seth and Ryan share a tense afternoon (haven't written Sandy's next chapter yet).
I just had this vision of for realsies unrelated one-shots in which Ryan (or someone else) is a Long Lost Relative/Child. Might take a while to write or even structure, but just putting it out there (never knew I liked this trope so much lol but the possibilities...)