Ryan closed his eyes peacefully for once in the whole day. Seth, thank God,
had taken those psychotic twin cousins out for ice cream, Vickie was
unpacking in the pool house, which he wasn't quite sure if he was all that
comfortable with, but he figured he was live with it, Sandra was off with
Kirsten shopping, getting the whole enjoyment of Orange County in one day
seeing she would be leaving, and Granny and Grandpa Cohen were baking in
the kitchen.
Ryan could smell the aroma making its way into the den where he was resting. His mother never baked, or cooked, or cleaned for that matter. Seth and Sandy had banned Kirsten from even attempting to bake so this was the first time he had actually smelt something that deliciously mouthwatering come from that kitchen. He couldn't take it any longer, he had to go see what his Grandparents (wow, his grandparents, he loved thinking that) were up to. He shot up from the couch and bolted into the kitchen.
"Rick." Granny Cohen greeted him smiling as she looked back down into the bowl she was mixing.
"No, its Ryan!" her husband corrected. "I'm sorry; she has a sort memory when it comes to new names. In a day or so she'll know your name down pact."
Ryan smiled. It wasn't all that bad; it was a little old lady. What was he going to do about it, other than gently correct her? So he ignored it. "What are you baking?"
Granny looked up at him smiling. "Oh, yes, you have also been exposed to my daughter in law's cooking skills, am I right?"
Ryan nodded sheepishly.
"Come here dear boy, you can help!" Granny said beckoning to him with both hands. "It's my special sugar cookie recipe. It's Seth and Vickie's favourite."
Ryan slowly walked over to her and stood beside her. She was so sweet. He had never really met his own grandparents before, mainly because they supposedly didn't approve of his mother's life. For once, he felt wanted in the Cohen's family. Sure he knew Sandy and Kirsten wanted him, but the rest of the family basically just put up with him.
Granny looked over at her husband who was cracking eggs into a bowl. "Samuel, Brian is so quiet."
Grandpa snickered. "His name is Ryan, sweetie."
"Oh, well he is!"
"Maybe he has nothing to say." Grandpa shrugged looking over at Ryan shaking his head. "How old are you boy?"
Ryan's head snapped up from mixing the bowl that was in front of him. "Sixteen."
Samuel nodded. "A good age, sixteen is. Where did you come from?"
Ryan swallowed. "Uh . . . Chino, sir."
Samuel shook his head furiously. "I will hear nothing of this 'sir' business. That might be ok for Mr. Nichol," he scoffed at the mention of Seth other grandfather, "but not for me. It is either: Grandpa, Grandpa Cohen or Sam, take your pick."
Ryan nodded. Wow. Why wasn't all of Seth's relatives like this? Why did they welcome him with open arms, and not Caleb Nichol? Why couldn't they live in Newport?
"So how did you come to met my son and come here?" Sam asked smiling.
Ryan felt the colour drain out of his face as he heard Seth's words echo in his ears. *Don't mention the fact you were arrested . . .*
Ryan swallowed nervously. "Uh . . . well . . . you see . . ."
"Oh dear, that's ready!" Grandma Cohen giggled grabbing the bowl from Ryan taking all attention away from him.
Grandpa Cohen smiled. "So where exactly is Chino? I have never heard of it before."
~*~
Ryan raced to the front door as he heard Seth walk in.
"Seth!!!"
Seth grinned. "Hey dude. I have never gotten a welcome that enthusiastic from you before."
The twin's eyes shot daggers at Ryan as he spoke to Seth. "We have to talk about how I came here."
One of the twins scoffed. "We know how you came here Ryan."
Ryan looked down at them shocked.
"Yeah, didn't daddy say that we shouldn't tell Granny that Ryan was arrested, twice, in about two weeks?" The other agreed.
The color Ryan and Seth's face drained.
The twins smiled the exact same grin. "I think Granny should know that she will be sleeping in the same house as a convict, don't you think so Lucy?" Laura, the twin on the right asked.
Lucy nodded as she walked past Ryan. "We'll pray for your soul cousin Ryan."
Ryan's jaw dropped. "Seth, they are pure evil."
"But they were so cute when they were babies." Seth said shocked as he watched them go up the stairs giggling.
Ryan shook his head. "Well, what am I supposed to do? If they tell them, your Granny won't like me anymore and I don't really want to go blind thanks."
Seth shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we should ask dad when he comes home tonight. He's going to have to break it to them sometime right?"
Ryan nodded sighing with relief.
"Hm . . . is that the scent of my favourite cookies in the world?" Seth asked as he walked to the kitchen.
Ryan followed him stopping in the doorway taking in this scene.
Seth wiggled his fingers over the cookies that were cooling on a rack.
"Seth! Don't touch those!" Granny yelped swatting his hand away and turning toward the open to pull out another batch. "They are still hot and I don't want you to ruin your dinner."
Seth rolled his eyes. "If mom is cooking, I need to ruin my dinner."
Granny reached into a bowl full of flour and threw a dash of it into Seth's face. "Don't touch and I am cooking."
Seth, whose face was pure white from the flour, turned toward Ryan, who was cracking up into hysterics. "Not a word."
Ryan shook his head and brushed Seth's shoulder off as Seth rubbed his face.
"Seth?" a voice from the sliding glass door said out of nowhere. "Say cheese!"
Seth looked up to see Vickie in the doorway grinning with a camera in hand, snapping his picture and running back to the pool house.
"Shit!" Seth cursed as he ran after her with Ryan on his heels laughing. "That's going to be used at the family reunion this year!"
"Seth! Watch your language!" Granny called from the kitchen, turning back to the cookies.
Ryan quickly pushed Seth out of the way and ran into the pool house after Vickie laughing, locking the door behind him. "Are you seriously going to use that for the family reunion?"
Vickie looked up from the laptop that she had brought along and nodded. "Yup."
"Seth is going to kill you." Ryan laughed collapsing on his bed smiling.
Vickie shrugged. "I have been threatened with death before and yet I'm still alive."
Seth pounded on the glass door shooting glares warning her not to print it.
She smiled as the picture popped out of the printer and waved it in front of him. She looked over at Ryan and frowned. "You're part of the family now right?"
Ryan shrugged. "I guess so."
"Well, I'm making a big collage for the next family reunion in Miami, which is where I live and I just realized; we don't have any pictures of you. Well we do have that one portrait of you guys during Christmakah, but we don't have any candid pictures, and that's the only type I use." Vickie explained picking up her camera.
"Oh!" Ryan yelped getting up from his bed. "No, I'm not very photogenic."
Vickie rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be a photographer; I can tell you are very photogenic, unlike Seth over there." She motioned to Seth, who was now leaning against the pool house door, hitting it with his head.
Ryan chuckled. "No, not right now."
"Come here." Vickie said throwing her arm over his shoulder and smiling. A flash blinded him for a second making him blink like crazy as she walked over to the computer and brought it up on screen.
He followed her and looked over her shoulder, smiling as he looked at it. She was a good photographer. She looked over at him. "You want one?"
He nodded unable to take his eyes off the screen. It was the first picture he was proud of since he came here. He looked like his old carefree self.
She handed him one of the two. "There. Oh, and one of Seth, you know, if you ever need to blackmail him or something." She replied winking as she opened a box that sat on the couch and threw both of the pictures in.
Ryan leaned them against his alarm clock smiling.
"Come on, we better unlock the door before Seth gives himself a concussion." Vickie giggled watching Seth, who was now huddled outside the door still hitting his head against the door.
~*~
Ryan entered Seth's room cautiously. Seth had called him up not too long ago and this time it worried him.
Seth nodded. "Ok, we have to discuss the gruesome twosome."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "They are your favourite cousins. I don't think you should call them that."
Seth shook his head. "My favourite cousins would not threaten my best friend and brother. My favourite cousin is now Cousin Dave because he promised to bring me a signed 1st edition Legion when he comes down tomorrow. He's flying in from New York."
Ryan scoffed. "You can't just change like that. Besides isn't that bribery?"
"I don't know." Seth shrugged. "Ok this is what we are going to do. At dinner, the twins will be set far away from you. If at any time before we talk to my dad, someone brings up where you came from or how you met my dad, we change the subject."
Ryan looked confused. "Why do you say we? If I change the subject don't you think it would like suspicious?"
A knock on the door interrupted Seth's reply.
"He means me." Vickie explained as she sat on Seth's bed.
"You will never be alone. Ryan, you will be escorted everywhere to avoid the twin's pranks." Seth explained.
"Pranks?" Ryan asked, his eyes moving from Vickie to Seth.
Vickie nodded. "One time I brought my old boyfriend. They put set mousetraps in his bed."
Ryan swallowed. "And these are twelve year old girls?"
Vickie shook her head. "They were nine when they did that."
"Imagine what they can do now." Seth swallowed. "They moved past whoopee cushions when they were three. So at that rate, they are a few steps short of serial killers."
Ryan shot a look at Seth. "Thanks for comforting me."
The door bell interrupted them again. Seth flew to the window and spun around. "It's Uncle Max and our cousins!"
Ryan looked over at Vickie. "How many cousins?"
"Six and his new girlfriend who is in her late twenties, which is disgusting." Vickie gagged.
Ryan closed his eyes. "Just . . . great."
~
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A/N: Another chapter done! I'm proud! I'm getting so much inspiration (mainly because I still have a few relatives over)! And so much feedback! Thanks you guys! You are the greatest!!
REVIEW!
~Toodles!
Ryan could smell the aroma making its way into the den where he was resting. His mother never baked, or cooked, or cleaned for that matter. Seth and Sandy had banned Kirsten from even attempting to bake so this was the first time he had actually smelt something that deliciously mouthwatering come from that kitchen. He couldn't take it any longer, he had to go see what his Grandparents (wow, his grandparents, he loved thinking that) were up to. He shot up from the couch and bolted into the kitchen.
"Rick." Granny Cohen greeted him smiling as she looked back down into the bowl she was mixing.
"No, its Ryan!" her husband corrected. "I'm sorry; she has a sort memory when it comes to new names. In a day or so she'll know your name down pact."
Ryan smiled. It wasn't all that bad; it was a little old lady. What was he going to do about it, other than gently correct her? So he ignored it. "What are you baking?"
Granny looked up at him smiling. "Oh, yes, you have also been exposed to my daughter in law's cooking skills, am I right?"
Ryan nodded sheepishly.
"Come here dear boy, you can help!" Granny said beckoning to him with both hands. "It's my special sugar cookie recipe. It's Seth and Vickie's favourite."
Ryan slowly walked over to her and stood beside her. She was so sweet. He had never really met his own grandparents before, mainly because they supposedly didn't approve of his mother's life. For once, he felt wanted in the Cohen's family. Sure he knew Sandy and Kirsten wanted him, but the rest of the family basically just put up with him.
Granny looked over at her husband who was cracking eggs into a bowl. "Samuel, Brian is so quiet."
Grandpa snickered. "His name is Ryan, sweetie."
"Oh, well he is!"
"Maybe he has nothing to say." Grandpa shrugged looking over at Ryan shaking his head. "How old are you boy?"
Ryan's head snapped up from mixing the bowl that was in front of him. "Sixteen."
Samuel nodded. "A good age, sixteen is. Where did you come from?"
Ryan swallowed. "Uh . . . Chino, sir."
Samuel shook his head furiously. "I will hear nothing of this 'sir' business. That might be ok for Mr. Nichol," he scoffed at the mention of Seth other grandfather, "but not for me. It is either: Grandpa, Grandpa Cohen or Sam, take your pick."
Ryan nodded. Wow. Why wasn't all of Seth's relatives like this? Why did they welcome him with open arms, and not Caleb Nichol? Why couldn't they live in Newport?
"So how did you come to met my son and come here?" Sam asked smiling.
Ryan felt the colour drain out of his face as he heard Seth's words echo in his ears. *Don't mention the fact you were arrested . . .*
Ryan swallowed nervously. "Uh . . . well . . . you see . . ."
"Oh dear, that's ready!" Grandma Cohen giggled grabbing the bowl from Ryan taking all attention away from him.
Grandpa Cohen smiled. "So where exactly is Chino? I have never heard of it before."
~*~
Ryan raced to the front door as he heard Seth walk in.
"Seth!!!"
Seth grinned. "Hey dude. I have never gotten a welcome that enthusiastic from you before."
The twin's eyes shot daggers at Ryan as he spoke to Seth. "We have to talk about how I came here."
One of the twins scoffed. "We know how you came here Ryan."
Ryan looked down at them shocked.
"Yeah, didn't daddy say that we shouldn't tell Granny that Ryan was arrested, twice, in about two weeks?" The other agreed.
The color Ryan and Seth's face drained.
The twins smiled the exact same grin. "I think Granny should know that she will be sleeping in the same house as a convict, don't you think so Lucy?" Laura, the twin on the right asked.
Lucy nodded as she walked past Ryan. "We'll pray for your soul cousin Ryan."
Ryan's jaw dropped. "Seth, they are pure evil."
"But they were so cute when they were babies." Seth said shocked as he watched them go up the stairs giggling.
Ryan shook his head. "Well, what am I supposed to do? If they tell them, your Granny won't like me anymore and I don't really want to go blind thanks."
Seth shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we should ask dad when he comes home tonight. He's going to have to break it to them sometime right?"
Ryan nodded sighing with relief.
"Hm . . . is that the scent of my favourite cookies in the world?" Seth asked as he walked to the kitchen.
Ryan followed him stopping in the doorway taking in this scene.
Seth wiggled his fingers over the cookies that were cooling on a rack.
"Seth! Don't touch those!" Granny yelped swatting his hand away and turning toward the open to pull out another batch. "They are still hot and I don't want you to ruin your dinner."
Seth rolled his eyes. "If mom is cooking, I need to ruin my dinner."
Granny reached into a bowl full of flour and threw a dash of it into Seth's face. "Don't touch and I am cooking."
Seth, whose face was pure white from the flour, turned toward Ryan, who was cracking up into hysterics. "Not a word."
Ryan shook his head and brushed Seth's shoulder off as Seth rubbed his face.
"Seth?" a voice from the sliding glass door said out of nowhere. "Say cheese!"
Seth looked up to see Vickie in the doorway grinning with a camera in hand, snapping his picture and running back to the pool house.
"Shit!" Seth cursed as he ran after her with Ryan on his heels laughing. "That's going to be used at the family reunion this year!"
"Seth! Watch your language!" Granny called from the kitchen, turning back to the cookies.
Ryan quickly pushed Seth out of the way and ran into the pool house after Vickie laughing, locking the door behind him. "Are you seriously going to use that for the family reunion?"
Vickie looked up from the laptop that she had brought along and nodded. "Yup."
"Seth is going to kill you." Ryan laughed collapsing on his bed smiling.
Vickie shrugged. "I have been threatened with death before and yet I'm still alive."
Seth pounded on the glass door shooting glares warning her not to print it.
She smiled as the picture popped out of the printer and waved it in front of him. She looked over at Ryan and frowned. "You're part of the family now right?"
Ryan shrugged. "I guess so."
"Well, I'm making a big collage for the next family reunion in Miami, which is where I live and I just realized; we don't have any pictures of you. Well we do have that one portrait of you guys during Christmakah, but we don't have any candid pictures, and that's the only type I use." Vickie explained picking up her camera.
"Oh!" Ryan yelped getting up from his bed. "No, I'm not very photogenic."
Vickie rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be a photographer; I can tell you are very photogenic, unlike Seth over there." She motioned to Seth, who was now leaning against the pool house door, hitting it with his head.
Ryan chuckled. "No, not right now."
"Come here." Vickie said throwing her arm over his shoulder and smiling. A flash blinded him for a second making him blink like crazy as she walked over to the computer and brought it up on screen.
He followed her and looked over her shoulder, smiling as he looked at it. She was a good photographer. She looked over at him. "You want one?"
He nodded unable to take his eyes off the screen. It was the first picture he was proud of since he came here. He looked like his old carefree self.
She handed him one of the two. "There. Oh, and one of Seth, you know, if you ever need to blackmail him or something." She replied winking as she opened a box that sat on the couch and threw both of the pictures in.
Ryan leaned them against his alarm clock smiling.
"Come on, we better unlock the door before Seth gives himself a concussion." Vickie giggled watching Seth, who was now huddled outside the door still hitting his head against the door.
~*~
Ryan entered Seth's room cautiously. Seth had called him up not too long ago and this time it worried him.
Seth nodded. "Ok, we have to discuss the gruesome twosome."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "They are your favourite cousins. I don't think you should call them that."
Seth shook his head. "My favourite cousins would not threaten my best friend and brother. My favourite cousin is now Cousin Dave because he promised to bring me a signed 1st edition Legion when he comes down tomorrow. He's flying in from New York."
Ryan scoffed. "You can't just change like that. Besides isn't that bribery?"
"I don't know." Seth shrugged. "Ok this is what we are going to do. At dinner, the twins will be set far away from you. If at any time before we talk to my dad, someone brings up where you came from or how you met my dad, we change the subject."
Ryan looked confused. "Why do you say we? If I change the subject don't you think it would like suspicious?"
A knock on the door interrupted Seth's reply.
"He means me." Vickie explained as she sat on Seth's bed.
"You will never be alone. Ryan, you will be escorted everywhere to avoid the twin's pranks." Seth explained.
"Pranks?" Ryan asked, his eyes moving from Vickie to Seth.
Vickie nodded. "One time I brought my old boyfriend. They put set mousetraps in his bed."
Ryan swallowed. "And these are twelve year old girls?"
Vickie shook her head. "They were nine when they did that."
"Imagine what they can do now." Seth swallowed. "They moved past whoopee cushions when they were three. So at that rate, they are a few steps short of serial killers."
Ryan shot a look at Seth. "Thanks for comforting me."
The door bell interrupted them again. Seth flew to the window and spun around. "It's Uncle Max and our cousins!"
Ryan looked over at Vickie. "How many cousins?"
"Six and his new girlfriend who is in her late twenties, which is disgusting." Vickie gagged.
Ryan closed his eyes. "Just . . . great."
~
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A/N: Another chapter done! I'm proud! I'm getting so much inspiration (mainly because I still have a few relatives over)! And so much feedback! Thanks you guys! You are the greatest!!
REVIEW!
~Toodles!