Matter of Time
Ryan likes living with the Cohens, he really does, but he knows why he's there. He symbolizes something to each of them. For Kirsten, he's her proof that she's not as judgmental or hypocritical as the women she associates with. He's her proof that she's not like Julie Cooper. For Seth, he's something new and exciting, something that abhors Luke and the other jocks as much as he does. Sandy is whom he's most important to though, because to him, Ryan is his younger version, someone to save. Ryan is Sandy's way to save himself.
Ryan knows it's only a matter of time before they see what his mother sees. Soon enough Kirsten will tire of looking bad in front of the Newpsie ladies. She'll want him gone because she's finally in her father's good graces and will want to stay there. Seth will see that he isn't the answer to his problems. He'll notice that brothers are supposed to keep you out of trouble but all Ryan seems to do is get him into it. Sandy will finally see that he can't fix him and will send him off to social services, defeated and upset by his failure; but Sandy won't have to wait long before another needy kid comes along.
So even if Ryan said he'd unpack, all he's really doing is moving things from his bag onto the selves behind his bed. His room is surrounded by glass walls and he hasn't slept well since he moved there, almost as on edge as he was at home around A.J. Seth is great, but Ryan isn't used to being the one in charge. The adoring way Seth looks at him is how he guesses he must have looked at Trey. He can see why Trey hated it.
Now he wonders just how much patience and tolerance the Cohens really have. How many more drunken accidents from his mom, or people like Donny he introduces their son to will finally set them off. He wishes he had a cigarette but he promised Kirsten he would try to quit, and there's really no reason to give them one more thing to hate him for. He's already burnt down a house and gotten Seth in a fight for that.
He's only lived with them a short time and he's sadly grown used to not having so many bruises. That will all change when they ask him to leave. He'll be property of the government - #0382965. He's been alone most of his life, but he's come to like having people who care about him around. All that will change, because it's only a matter of time before this high-class family notices they have a low-class street urchin on their hands and send him away.