"Seth!!" Ryan yelled whipping open his door and slamming it quickly. "I
need your help!"
Seth sat up in his bed and crossed his arms. "Everyone seems to today; first Marissa, now you. Should I just have a sign on my door that says free advice?"
Ryan shot a serious look and continued. "Allison is missing again."
"Again?" Seth said swinging his legs over the side of his bed and frowned. "What do you mean again? Do you mean we don't know where in Orange County she went or where in the state of California that she went?"
"She is in Chino and she is at one of the houses on my old block." Ryan stated nodding his head.
Seth shrugged. "Then she isn't missing then. You know where she is and she is safe."
Ryan shot a frustrated glare at him. "That's the thing Seth, she isn't safe."
"So what you want to go to one of the houses in Chino, where you used to live and go pick her up? That could be pretty hard, how are we going to know which house it is?" Seth said biting his lip.
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Chino and Newport aren't different when it comes to parties. One specific person almost always throws the house parties. They are just slightly more cheep and you usually steal the drinks from anyone."
"You mean there is basically a Chino Holly?" Seth said raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"That's beside the point Seth. I'm calling Luke." Ryan said reaching for the phone.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa; Luke, the water polo playing jerk off that cheated on Marissa in Tijuana? That Luke? Why would you be calling him?" Seth said grabbing the phone and pulling it close to him.
Ryan licked his lips. "If Kurt is going to do what I think he is going to do, which is almost always does, he isn't going to give my sister up without a fight. And I hate to admit it but Seth, we right now could use a water polo jerk right now."
Luke looked over at Ryan who was driving with a rather worried expression on his face.
"I swear to God Chino, if I get shot again . . ."
Ryan looked over at him. "You won't. Most of the guys here like to use their hands."
"That makes me feel better." Seth said from the back sarcastically. "Is it just me or has your entire life past before your eyes?"
Ryan shook his head. "Seth . . ."
"Got it, not appropriate; I'm stopping."
Their eyes fell upon the street that was completely unlit except for one house. The bass from the music blasted their eardrums from the curb. A steady stream of teens around their age flowed in and out of the house going from sober to drunk.
Seth shifted in the backseat. "Oh yea, we can just blend in. Get in get out, pretty simple. I'll wait here."
Luke turned around staring Seth in the eyes intimidating him to get out.
"Ok; looks like everyone is learning something from Ryan here." Seth mumbled as he hopped out of the Rover.
Ryan looked around taking it all in. It had been a while since he had actually gone to one of these parties. "Ok, here's the deal. We stick together, don't take any drinks and don't talk to anyone. We'll find Ally and we're out of here."
Seth and Luke nodded in agreement; both wanted to be out of there.
"Ry!" Some guy from the house yelled. "Hey guys look! It's Ryan! He's back from the dead!"
"Shit." Ryan cursed under his breath and began walking towards the house with Luke and Seth not too far behind him. As they stepped in the door the guy that called stepped in front of them.
"Ryan, dude. Where you been? You're entire family like disappeared. Trey in jail, and Dawn she like, got out of here." The guy grinned. He ran a hand through his dark hair and his grey eyes glared at Luke and Seth. "Who are the preppies Ryan?"
Ryan shrugged. "Friends. You've seen my sister, Chuck?"
The guy or "Chuck" as Ryan put it nodded. "Yeah. You know she called a few days ago. She is around here someplace."
Ryan nodded and scanned the small living room with his eyes looking past the guy in front of him. Ryan looked back at Luke and Seth and shook his head.
"What do you want with her?" Chuck asked suspiciously eying all three of them.
Ryan frowned at him. "Ally is my little sister. I just want to know where she is."
Luke rolled his eyes and pushed past Chuck and into the crowd followed by Seth and Ryan.
Luke looked around the kitchen as Ryan and Seth entered. "Jesus, this is worse than some of Holly's parties." He yelled over the music being blasted all around them. A few girls were half passed out leaning against the walls.
Ryan bent down to look them in the face. He yelled something in one girl's ear barely getting a response. He stood up and looked around the room. "It looks like they are passing something out around here."
Seth licked his lips as his eyes moved around the room from passed out girl to another. "Like what?"
Ryan swallowed quickly. "Roofies; maybe. Come on. Let's find her."
Seth bit his cheek nervously. They had been at this party for close to an hour. It was a pretty small house and they still hadn't found Ally. He didn't want to say anything but maybe she wasn't here. Maybe it was some other party she went to. Hell maybe she did actually, by chance meet a guy named Kurt who lived just outside of Newport. It could happen right?
Ryan smiled as he saw that Chuck guy again, dancing in a corner with some girl. Luke looked over at him and frowned as they made their way out of the house.
As soon as they stepped outside Ryan turned on the guy and pinned him against the white siding. "Charlie, you and me have been friends for how long?" Ryan growled into his ear.
Chuck squirmed nervously. "Since forever Ry." His voice cracked as he spoke.
"And you know that my sister and I are tight. Really tight, right?" Ryan's lips curled into a smirk as Chuck quickly nodded. "So you know if anything happened to Ally I would hold you responsible because you should be looking out for me and my sister."
Chuck's eyes widened. "Ryan, you wouldn't want to hurt me. We're like brothers." The guy pleaded in Ryan's grasp, wriggling. Ryan's grip on his collar was too tight.
"Yeah well she is my sister. Blood. She comes first. Spill. Where is she?"
Chuck stared into Ryan's ice cold eyes. His gaze fell onto Luke and Seth, finding no sympathy. "Alright! Alright. Just let me go!" Ryan's hand fell to his sides. "Cellar. Kurt is throwing a little party in the basement. But you didn't hear it from me."
Ryan's eyes flashed as he turned to signal they all should go to the backyard. They ran to the back and quickly jumped the fence. Ryan whipped open the big rotting wooden doors with ease and ran down the steps.
"Kurt, I feel sick." A tiny moan from one of the darkened corners whined.
"Shhh . . . You'll feel better soon. Drink this. It's for your tummy."
"Ally?" Ryan said flipping on another light. Seth and Luke tip toed down the steps, looking into the room.
The cement floors were dirty and the air around them was thick with smoke. Seth breathed in. It smelt like cigarettes and pot, not that he had ever really been around it. Even with a few lights on the room was dimly lit but he saw a few people in the room; a few girls, a few guys, and Ally lying on the floor, shading her face from the light.
A guy standing beside her with mouse brown hair walked over to Ryan and smirked. "Well, well, well. It's little brother Atwood. Weren't you in juvie? Oh wait; you became a charity case didn't you? Got taken in by some Newport losers; right?"
"Shut up Kurt." Ryan spat back at him. "Just let me get my sister and I won't mess up your face like last year."
Kurt snorted. "That was a fluke. Besides I don't think Ally wants to go with you. She likes it just fine here."
Ryan's eyes narrowed. "You and I both know Ally can't choose now. What are you passing out here? Roofies this time?"
Kurt gritted his teeth. "I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout Atwood. Everyone knows I stopped dealing a long time ago."
"Daddy? I want to go home." Allison murmured as her eyes fell closed.
Seth pushed past some of the guys and knelt down beside her. His fingers brushed her short hair out of her eyes. His eyes looked at her body that lie in his arms; put into an unnatural sleep.
Ryan's eyes moved back to Kurt who rolled his eyes at Seth. "Everyone knows you should mess with you're friend's family. It isn't right."
Kurt's eyes flashed. "This isn't Newport Beach here. It's not black and white around here. It is only survival and not getting caught. I though you would know that Ryan."
"Just leave his sister alone and we'll be gone." Luke said pushing Ryan out of the way frustrated.
Kurt smirked and turned his back to them walking over to where Allison and Seth were. "Why would I do that? I kind of like her." Kurt's foot quickly connected with Seth's side; his steel toe smashing into Seth's ribcage.
Ryan and Luke quickly ran to help Seth but were quickly stopped by Kurt's friends, or rather Ryan's old friends. Ryan's eyes traced over the faces of his friends, each like stone, unfeeling and uncaring.
"A little privacy here."
Some of the guys looked back at Kurt who was standing over Seth who was holding his middle, rocking back and forth. Their eyes moved back to Ryan knowing that Kurt would first beat Seth to a pulp then well, it would be Allison's turn. Their eyes lost their fire. The five guys smirked at Ryan and moved out of the way.
Kurt's eyes widened as Ryan and Luke closed in on him. Seth slowly rose to his feet, his arms still around his middle. Allison lied a few feet away unmoving. He quickly scooped her into his arms. Red and blue light's flashed through the small dingy window. Sirens filled the air making stopping Ryan in his tracks. Luke quickly backed off.
"Run!!!!!" A voice from upstairs screamed.
Seth scrambled up the cement steps with Ryan and Luke on his heels. "At least no one got shot." He wheezed.
Seth sat up in his bed and crossed his arms. "Everyone seems to today; first Marissa, now you. Should I just have a sign on my door that says free advice?"
Ryan shot a serious look and continued. "Allison is missing again."
"Again?" Seth said swinging his legs over the side of his bed and frowned. "What do you mean again? Do you mean we don't know where in Orange County she went or where in the state of California that she went?"
"She is in Chino and she is at one of the houses on my old block." Ryan stated nodding his head.
Seth shrugged. "Then she isn't missing then. You know where she is and she is safe."
Ryan shot a frustrated glare at him. "That's the thing Seth, she isn't safe."
"So what you want to go to one of the houses in Chino, where you used to live and go pick her up? That could be pretty hard, how are we going to know which house it is?" Seth said biting his lip.
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Chino and Newport aren't different when it comes to parties. One specific person almost always throws the house parties. They are just slightly more cheep and you usually steal the drinks from anyone."
"You mean there is basically a Chino Holly?" Seth said raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"That's beside the point Seth. I'm calling Luke." Ryan said reaching for the phone.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa; Luke, the water polo playing jerk off that cheated on Marissa in Tijuana? That Luke? Why would you be calling him?" Seth said grabbing the phone and pulling it close to him.
Ryan licked his lips. "If Kurt is going to do what I think he is going to do, which is almost always does, he isn't going to give my sister up without a fight. And I hate to admit it but Seth, we right now could use a water polo jerk right now."
Luke looked over at Ryan who was driving with a rather worried expression on his face.
"I swear to God Chino, if I get shot again . . ."
Ryan looked over at him. "You won't. Most of the guys here like to use their hands."
"That makes me feel better." Seth said from the back sarcastically. "Is it just me or has your entire life past before your eyes?"
Ryan shook his head. "Seth . . ."
"Got it, not appropriate; I'm stopping."
Their eyes fell upon the street that was completely unlit except for one house. The bass from the music blasted their eardrums from the curb. A steady stream of teens around their age flowed in and out of the house going from sober to drunk.
Seth shifted in the backseat. "Oh yea, we can just blend in. Get in get out, pretty simple. I'll wait here."
Luke turned around staring Seth in the eyes intimidating him to get out.
"Ok; looks like everyone is learning something from Ryan here." Seth mumbled as he hopped out of the Rover.
Ryan looked around taking it all in. It had been a while since he had actually gone to one of these parties. "Ok, here's the deal. We stick together, don't take any drinks and don't talk to anyone. We'll find Ally and we're out of here."
Seth and Luke nodded in agreement; both wanted to be out of there.
"Ry!" Some guy from the house yelled. "Hey guys look! It's Ryan! He's back from the dead!"
"Shit." Ryan cursed under his breath and began walking towards the house with Luke and Seth not too far behind him. As they stepped in the door the guy that called stepped in front of them.
"Ryan, dude. Where you been? You're entire family like disappeared. Trey in jail, and Dawn she like, got out of here." The guy grinned. He ran a hand through his dark hair and his grey eyes glared at Luke and Seth. "Who are the preppies Ryan?"
Ryan shrugged. "Friends. You've seen my sister, Chuck?"
The guy or "Chuck" as Ryan put it nodded. "Yeah. You know she called a few days ago. She is around here someplace."
Ryan nodded and scanned the small living room with his eyes looking past the guy in front of him. Ryan looked back at Luke and Seth and shook his head.
"What do you want with her?" Chuck asked suspiciously eying all three of them.
Ryan frowned at him. "Ally is my little sister. I just want to know where she is."
Luke rolled his eyes and pushed past Chuck and into the crowd followed by Seth and Ryan.
Luke looked around the kitchen as Ryan and Seth entered. "Jesus, this is worse than some of Holly's parties." He yelled over the music being blasted all around them. A few girls were half passed out leaning against the walls.
Ryan bent down to look them in the face. He yelled something in one girl's ear barely getting a response. He stood up and looked around the room. "It looks like they are passing something out around here."
Seth licked his lips as his eyes moved around the room from passed out girl to another. "Like what?"
Ryan swallowed quickly. "Roofies; maybe. Come on. Let's find her."
Seth bit his cheek nervously. They had been at this party for close to an hour. It was a pretty small house and they still hadn't found Ally. He didn't want to say anything but maybe she wasn't here. Maybe it was some other party she went to. Hell maybe she did actually, by chance meet a guy named Kurt who lived just outside of Newport. It could happen right?
Ryan smiled as he saw that Chuck guy again, dancing in a corner with some girl. Luke looked over at him and frowned as they made their way out of the house.
As soon as they stepped outside Ryan turned on the guy and pinned him against the white siding. "Charlie, you and me have been friends for how long?" Ryan growled into his ear.
Chuck squirmed nervously. "Since forever Ry." His voice cracked as he spoke.
"And you know that my sister and I are tight. Really tight, right?" Ryan's lips curled into a smirk as Chuck quickly nodded. "So you know if anything happened to Ally I would hold you responsible because you should be looking out for me and my sister."
Chuck's eyes widened. "Ryan, you wouldn't want to hurt me. We're like brothers." The guy pleaded in Ryan's grasp, wriggling. Ryan's grip on his collar was too tight.
"Yeah well she is my sister. Blood. She comes first. Spill. Where is she?"
Chuck stared into Ryan's ice cold eyes. His gaze fell onto Luke and Seth, finding no sympathy. "Alright! Alright. Just let me go!" Ryan's hand fell to his sides. "Cellar. Kurt is throwing a little party in the basement. But you didn't hear it from me."
Ryan's eyes flashed as he turned to signal they all should go to the backyard. They ran to the back and quickly jumped the fence. Ryan whipped open the big rotting wooden doors with ease and ran down the steps.
"Kurt, I feel sick." A tiny moan from one of the darkened corners whined.
"Shhh . . . You'll feel better soon. Drink this. It's for your tummy."
"Ally?" Ryan said flipping on another light. Seth and Luke tip toed down the steps, looking into the room.
The cement floors were dirty and the air around them was thick with smoke. Seth breathed in. It smelt like cigarettes and pot, not that he had ever really been around it. Even with a few lights on the room was dimly lit but he saw a few people in the room; a few girls, a few guys, and Ally lying on the floor, shading her face from the light.
A guy standing beside her with mouse brown hair walked over to Ryan and smirked. "Well, well, well. It's little brother Atwood. Weren't you in juvie? Oh wait; you became a charity case didn't you? Got taken in by some Newport losers; right?"
"Shut up Kurt." Ryan spat back at him. "Just let me get my sister and I won't mess up your face like last year."
Kurt snorted. "That was a fluke. Besides I don't think Ally wants to go with you. She likes it just fine here."
Ryan's eyes narrowed. "You and I both know Ally can't choose now. What are you passing out here? Roofies this time?"
Kurt gritted his teeth. "I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout Atwood. Everyone knows I stopped dealing a long time ago."
"Daddy? I want to go home." Allison murmured as her eyes fell closed.
Seth pushed past some of the guys and knelt down beside her. His fingers brushed her short hair out of her eyes. His eyes looked at her body that lie in his arms; put into an unnatural sleep.
Ryan's eyes moved back to Kurt who rolled his eyes at Seth. "Everyone knows you should mess with you're friend's family. It isn't right."
Kurt's eyes flashed. "This isn't Newport Beach here. It's not black and white around here. It is only survival and not getting caught. I though you would know that Ryan."
"Just leave his sister alone and we'll be gone." Luke said pushing Ryan out of the way frustrated.
Kurt smirked and turned his back to them walking over to where Allison and Seth were. "Why would I do that? I kind of like her." Kurt's foot quickly connected with Seth's side; his steel toe smashing into Seth's ribcage.
Ryan and Luke quickly ran to help Seth but were quickly stopped by Kurt's friends, or rather Ryan's old friends. Ryan's eyes traced over the faces of his friends, each like stone, unfeeling and uncaring.
"A little privacy here."
Some of the guys looked back at Kurt who was standing over Seth who was holding his middle, rocking back and forth. Their eyes moved back to Ryan knowing that Kurt would first beat Seth to a pulp then well, it would be Allison's turn. Their eyes lost their fire. The five guys smirked at Ryan and moved out of the way.
Kurt's eyes widened as Ryan and Luke closed in on him. Seth slowly rose to his feet, his arms still around his middle. Allison lied a few feet away unmoving. He quickly scooped her into his arms. Red and blue light's flashed through the small dingy window. Sirens filled the air making stopping Ryan in his tracks. Luke quickly backed off.
"Run!!!!!" A voice from upstairs screamed.
Seth scrambled up the cement steps with Ryan and Luke on his heels. "At least no one got shot." He wheezed.