--MacKynzie
--PG-13
--AU--Ryan's mom takes him out of the Cohen household before the Casino Party and ditches him again.
--Not mine, just borrowing.
--If you are interested in more of my stories, they are under the name MacKynzie1. I've written stories on SeaQuest, Star Trek:Voyager, and X-Men: The Movie.
Left Behind: Part 2
Ryan looked up as the bathroom door opened. Seth walked in.
"You okay?" He asked, obviously concerned.
"I'm fine." Ryan grunted, wiping his face with a paper towel. He looked at himself in the mirror. His gaunt face was pale, even more so than when he'd gotten there. He tossed the paper towel into the waste basket. His hands were shaking.
"Ryan?"
"What?"
"I was trying to get your attention…" Seth trailed off, looking even more worried, if that was at all possible.
"Sorry. I spaced for a sec. Let's go." Ryan frowned, brushing past him.
Seth followed, noticing his awkward gait. Ryan was slightly hunched over, his footsteps were a little wandering. He came to the table, swaying slightly. Seth's arms immediately shot out.
"Ryan. Maybe you should go to the doctor or something."
"Yeah, or something." Ryan slid into the booth, not meeting Marissa's intense gaze.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Marissa said.
"I'm just a little nauseous. Nothing to worry about." Ryan mumbled.
"Listen, Ryan, I need to talk to you about your living arrangements." Seth started, he was very nervous for some reason.
Ryan didn't even look up. He still felt sick.
"Look, my parents and me are really worried about you. You obviously aren't well. And even if you were, well…I don't know how to say this without sounding like an idiot." Seth took a deep breath. Ryan still hadn't looked at him.
"We want you to come live with us. Permanently. As a part of the family." Seth let out the breath he had been holding.
"Ryan?"
"I don't need your fucking charity, Cohen." Ryan growled, he just wasn't up to this. His heart had leapt at Seth's announcement, but the reality of the situation hit him quickly. He was dirty. Ugly. Tainted. He had more baggage at sixteen then most had at thirty. Dirty. Ugly. Tainted. Dirty. Ugly. Tainted. If he stayed one week in Newport Beach he'd destroy the whole town. Look at how much damage he's single-handedly caused in the short amount of time he'd been there.
"Ryan! What the hell are you talking about? This isn't charity. This is…I don't know what this. But I know it isn't charity!"
Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Look, Ryan, why can't you just accept that the Cohen's really care about you?" Marissa interjected, not really surprised at his reaction. Ryan was tough nut to crack. "I care about you. I don't want to see you living on the street! The Cohen's care, Ryan, whether you want to believe it or not."
Ryan didn't answer. He straightened up and motioned Seth out of the booth. Seth jumped out of the booth, he had seen the change in Ryan's face. Ryan quickly ran/walked to the bathroom again, Seth in tow. Marissa followed, hot on their heels.
Ryan pushed open the nearest stall and heaved into the toilet. There was nothing solid left. He dry heaved, pains shooting through his abdomen. When he was done, his head ached even worse than before.
Ryan slowly stood, unsteady. He walked to the sink, surprised to see both Seth and Marissa standing in the bathroom.
Suddenly, he spun on his heel and dove to the toilet again. That toast had obviously been a very, very bad idea.
Marissa and Seth stared in surprise, listening to Ryan heave his guts out.
Finally, the harsh sound subsided. Ryan was too tired to even move. He sat on the floor, not caring how dirty it was.
Marissa and Seth moved towards him immediately. They knelt next to him, squeezing in the tiny stall.
"Ryan?" Marissa finally voiced. His head was tilted against the wall, his eyes closed.
"I haven't eaten in a few days. Makes me sick." He said, not opening his eyes. "My fucking mother and her fucking squeeze dumped me in a fucking alley. I was out for awhile, so I haven't eaten." He sighed.
Seth and Marissa stared at each other in shock. In an alley? Had he really just said that his mother had dumped him in an alley?
Seth found his voice. "What happened, Ryan?"
Ryan swallowed, his Adam's apple working furiously. "When she showed up, I knew. I just knew."
"Knew what, Ryan?" Marissa asked, sitting next to him.
"That she would fuck me over."
2 Weeks Earlier
"Where's the car?" Ryan asked, dubious.
"We're going to it." Dawn answered shortly. Ryan rolled his eyes, how the woman managed to get an attitude this early was beyond him.
Dawn gave the driver directions as they drove off. Ryan sighed, staring back at the Cohen home. Why did she have to screw up everything? But who was he kidding, it was either his mother or Child Services. There was no way the Cohen's would have taken him in for good. He was dangerous. An unpredictable wild card that could destroy their family.
They drove for sometime, the houses gradually getting smaller, the lawns more unkept. Ryan frowned as they reached the address. It was a K-Mart parking lot.
"Thanks." Dawn threw some bills at the driver and they got out.
Ryan scanned the lot, searching for their car. There. The ugly rust bucket was fairly inconspicuous next to the other ugly rust buckets that were parked in the lot.
"Why didn't you just drive your car?" Ryan questioned as they walked to the car. They came upon it and Ryan immediately saw the answer. The car was packed with boxes.
"What happened?" Ryan knew he wouldn't like the answer.
"I told you I left A.J." Then again…
"Did he throw you out?" Ryan questioned.
"Maybe. Like the bastard could do any better." Dawn snorted. "And those goddamn snobs in Newport Beach. It's a good thing I got you out of there. I can't have my baby corrupted." She smiled, patting his cheek.
They squeezed in the packed car.
"Did you sell my stuff?" Ryan asked, he already knew the answer.
"Well, I gotta eat, don't I?" Dawn huffed.
It was getting dark and Ryan had a feeling they'd be camping out in the car tonight. Ryan frowned, they were heading out of Chino.
"Where're we goin'?" Ryan asked.
"You are going fishing." Dawn said seriously.
Ryan's frown deepened. She couldn't be serious. He hadn't been fishing in awhile.
"Mom, come on. I can't do that. If I get caught…what with that car thing on my record…I'll be in deep shit. Don't you have anything? What happened to that job at that laundry mat?"
"I quit, they were stiffing me. You've never been caught. You're doing this." Dawn's tone said there was no sense in arguing. "Besides, I gotta give him something." She muttered.
An alarm went off in Ryan's head. "What are you talking about? Give who something?"
Dawn glanced over at him, lighting a cigarette. "Who do you think? Even with you 'working' we won't have enough to get a place. A.J. moved into an apartment near our old place. He's won't take me back; especially if I got you in tow without givin' him something."
"Mom! What the hell? I thought you were tired of that scum bag!" Ryan exploded. She couldn't be serious.
"Ryan, shut your mouth. A.J. is a good man. If you could learn to keep the hell out of his way, he wouldn't have to knock sense into you." Dawn said, exasperated.
"Whatever." Ryan sighed, putting his head against the window, watching the business district come into view. It was still light out, the office stiffs walking to their cars, or out to the bar to bitch about their day with the other wage slaves. Basically, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Hence, fishing.
Ryan lit his own cigarette, pondering the best place to start. He hadn't been out here in awhile.
"Hey, Ry, why did you stop doing this anyways?" Dawn questioned. She had had no idea he was picking until one of his friends had mentioned how good he was. Until then, she'd had no idea he always managed to keep the refrigerator stocked. Of course, when she found out that he had money…Well, needless to say she needed money.
"It's not nice." Ryan grunted. Once she found out, Dawn badgered him for money, which was okay, because she was his mother and they were pretty much poor. And besides, shouldn't she be able to buy herself something nice once and awhile? Then one day he came home, something he rarely did during the day, and found her old pusher making himself at home. And that was end of Ryan's moneymaking.
"Pull in up here." He didn't want to argue with her, they really did need money. Ryan would worry about the A.J. factor tomorrow.
"How long will you be?" Dawn asked. Ryan shrugged, that would depend.
"Do you have enough for a parking garage?" She couldn't just sit in a parked junker for an hour, not in this neighborhood.
"Yeah, I think so."
"There's a garage at the corner. Stay in the car, this shouldn't take too long." Ryan said, opening the door.
"Okay. Good luck." Dawn smiled. Ryan forced a half smile and got out of the car, watching his mother pull away. Ryan finished his cigarette and flicked the butt away. He looked at his hands, hoping he hadn't lost his magic.
"Alright, let's do this." Ryan took a deep breath and set off down the street eyeing for a good mark, the easier the better. Men were better targets, purses were hard to grab. There! Ahead of him, a man walking hurriedly, his ear glued to a phone. He was holding the phone in his left hand, which probably meant he was left handed and would have his wallet in the right pocket of his high-priced trench coat.
Ryan quickened his pace to catch up with man. Coming to a corner, the man and several others waited for the walk signal. Perfect. Ryan came to the corner, standing abnormally close to the man, on his right side. Casually, he pivoted as if to check out something behind him. Ryan's hand shot into the man's pocket, successfully retrieving his wallet. The suit looked down, he must have felt something. Ryan moved a step away. "Sorry." Still facing the other way, he raised a hand in greeting and said a loud, "Hey." Ryan looked out of the corner of his eye, the man had quickly dismissed him, yelling into his phone about TPS reports.
The light changed and the crowd moved to the other side, leaving Ryan behind. He walked a few steps back, stopping underneath an awning. He opened the wallet, hoping for the best. 80 bucks, not bad for two seconds work. Ryan pocketed the money, and checking to see that no one was looking, dropped the wallet at his feet.
Ryan pulled out a cigarette and began scopeing the street for his next mark.
****
Dawn put her head against the seat, sighing. She adjusted the mirror to look at herself. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks had a sunken in appearance. God, what had she become? Things were much simpler back when she was young and actually believed that life had dealt her a better hand than her own mother. Things were a lot more complicated now. What kind of mother was she? Forcing her kid to commit a crime. Dawn sighed again, looking at her hands, they were shaking.
She reached into the glove box and pulled out a plastic baggy that from the outside appeared innocent. A white powder, a rolled up bill, a small mirror, and a single edge razor blade. The makings of a good time. Dawn cut some of the powder, thinking how pissed Ryan would be if he came upon her. Self-conscious, she looked around. The garage was empty. Dawn hunched over and snorted the lines she had made. Ahhh. She no longer had a care in the world.
****
Well, that's it for now, more up soon. TTFN
MacKynzie
--PG-13
--AU--Ryan's mom takes him out of the Cohen household before the Casino Party and ditches him again.
--Not mine, just borrowing.
--If you are interested in more of my stories, they are under the name MacKynzie1. I've written stories on SeaQuest, Star Trek:Voyager, and X-Men: The Movie.
Left Behind: Part 2
Ryan looked up as the bathroom door opened. Seth walked in.
"You okay?" He asked, obviously concerned.
"I'm fine." Ryan grunted, wiping his face with a paper towel. He looked at himself in the mirror. His gaunt face was pale, even more so than when he'd gotten there. He tossed the paper towel into the waste basket. His hands were shaking.
"Ryan?"
"What?"
"I was trying to get your attention…" Seth trailed off, looking even more worried, if that was at all possible.
"Sorry. I spaced for a sec. Let's go." Ryan frowned, brushing past him.
Seth followed, noticing his awkward gait. Ryan was slightly hunched over, his footsteps were a little wandering. He came to the table, swaying slightly. Seth's arms immediately shot out.
"Ryan. Maybe you should go to the doctor or something."
"Yeah, or something." Ryan slid into the booth, not meeting Marissa's intense gaze.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Marissa said.
"I'm just a little nauseous. Nothing to worry about." Ryan mumbled.
"Listen, Ryan, I need to talk to you about your living arrangements." Seth started, he was very nervous for some reason.
Ryan didn't even look up. He still felt sick.
"Look, my parents and me are really worried about you. You obviously aren't well. And even if you were, well…I don't know how to say this without sounding like an idiot." Seth took a deep breath. Ryan still hadn't looked at him.
"We want you to come live with us. Permanently. As a part of the family." Seth let out the breath he had been holding.
"Ryan?"
"I don't need your fucking charity, Cohen." Ryan growled, he just wasn't up to this. His heart had leapt at Seth's announcement, but the reality of the situation hit him quickly. He was dirty. Ugly. Tainted. He had more baggage at sixteen then most had at thirty. Dirty. Ugly. Tainted. Dirty. Ugly. Tainted. If he stayed one week in Newport Beach he'd destroy the whole town. Look at how much damage he's single-handedly caused in the short amount of time he'd been there.
"Ryan! What the hell are you talking about? This isn't charity. This is…I don't know what this. But I know it isn't charity!"
Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Look, Ryan, why can't you just accept that the Cohen's really care about you?" Marissa interjected, not really surprised at his reaction. Ryan was tough nut to crack. "I care about you. I don't want to see you living on the street! The Cohen's care, Ryan, whether you want to believe it or not."
Ryan didn't answer. He straightened up and motioned Seth out of the booth. Seth jumped out of the booth, he had seen the change in Ryan's face. Ryan quickly ran/walked to the bathroom again, Seth in tow. Marissa followed, hot on their heels.
Ryan pushed open the nearest stall and heaved into the toilet. There was nothing solid left. He dry heaved, pains shooting through his abdomen. When he was done, his head ached even worse than before.
Ryan slowly stood, unsteady. He walked to the sink, surprised to see both Seth and Marissa standing in the bathroom.
Suddenly, he spun on his heel and dove to the toilet again. That toast had obviously been a very, very bad idea.
Marissa and Seth stared in surprise, listening to Ryan heave his guts out.
Finally, the harsh sound subsided. Ryan was too tired to even move. He sat on the floor, not caring how dirty it was.
Marissa and Seth moved towards him immediately. They knelt next to him, squeezing in the tiny stall.
"Ryan?" Marissa finally voiced. His head was tilted against the wall, his eyes closed.
"I haven't eaten in a few days. Makes me sick." He said, not opening his eyes. "My fucking mother and her fucking squeeze dumped me in a fucking alley. I was out for awhile, so I haven't eaten." He sighed.
Seth and Marissa stared at each other in shock. In an alley? Had he really just said that his mother had dumped him in an alley?
Seth found his voice. "What happened, Ryan?"
Ryan swallowed, his Adam's apple working furiously. "When she showed up, I knew. I just knew."
"Knew what, Ryan?" Marissa asked, sitting next to him.
"That she would fuck me over."
2 Weeks Earlier
"Where's the car?" Ryan asked, dubious.
"We're going to it." Dawn answered shortly. Ryan rolled his eyes, how the woman managed to get an attitude this early was beyond him.
Dawn gave the driver directions as they drove off. Ryan sighed, staring back at the Cohen home. Why did she have to screw up everything? But who was he kidding, it was either his mother or Child Services. There was no way the Cohen's would have taken him in for good. He was dangerous. An unpredictable wild card that could destroy their family.
They drove for sometime, the houses gradually getting smaller, the lawns more unkept. Ryan frowned as they reached the address. It was a K-Mart parking lot.
"Thanks." Dawn threw some bills at the driver and they got out.
Ryan scanned the lot, searching for their car. There. The ugly rust bucket was fairly inconspicuous next to the other ugly rust buckets that were parked in the lot.
"Why didn't you just drive your car?" Ryan questioned as they walked to the car. They came upon it and Ryan immediately saw the answer. The car was packed with boxes.
"What happened?" Ryan knew he wouldn't like the answer.
"I told you I left A.J." Then again…
"Did he throw you out?" Ryan questioned.
"Maybe. Like the bastard could do any better." Dawn snorted. "And those goddamn snobs in Newport Beach. It's a good thing I got you out of there. I can't have my baby corrupted." She smiled, patting his cheek.
They squeezed in the packed car.
"Did you sell my stuff?" Ryan asked, he already knew the answer.
"Well, I gotta eat, don't I?" Dawn huffed.
It was getting dark and Ryan had a feeling they'd be camping out in the car tonight. Ryan frowned, they were heading out of Chino.
"Where're we goin'?" Ryan asked.
"You are going fishing." Dawn said seriously.
Ryan's frown deepened. She couldn't be serious. He hadn't been fishing in awhile.
"Mom, come on. I can't do that. If I get caught…what with that car thing on my record…I'll be in deep shit. Don't you have anything? What happened to that job at that laundry mat?"
"I quit, they were stiffing me. You've never been caught. You're doing this." Dawn's tone said there was no sense in arguing. "Besides, I gotta give him something." She muttered.
An alarm went off in Ryan's head. "What are you talking about? Give who something?"
Dawn glanced over at him, lighting a cigarette. "Who do you think? Even with you 'working' we won't have enough to get a place. A.J. moved into an apartment near our old place. He's won't take me back; especially if I got you in tow without givin' him something."
"Mom! What the hell? I thought you were tired of that scum bag!" Ryan exploded. She couldn't be serious.
"Ryan, shut your mouth. A.J. is a good man. If you could learn to keep the hell out of his way, he wouldn't have to knock sense into you." Dawn said, exasperated.
"Whatever." Ryan sighed, putting his head against the window, watching the business district come into view. It was still light out, the office stiffs walking to their cars, or out to the bar to bitch about their day with the other wage slaves. Basically, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Hence, fishing.
Ryan lit his own cigarette, pondering the best place to start. He hadn't been out here in awhile.
"Hey, Ry, why did you stop doing this anyways?" Dawn questioned. She had had no idea he was picking until one of his friends had mentioned how good he was. Until then, she'd had no idea he always managed to keep the refrigerator stocked. Of course, when she found out that he had money…Well, needless to say she needed money.
"It's not nice." Ryan grunted. Once she found out, Dawn badgered him for money, which was okay, because she was his mother and they were pretty much poor. And besides, shouldn't she be able to buy herself something nice once and awhile? Then one day he came home, something he rarely did during the day, and found her old pusher making himself at home. And that was end of Ryan's moneymaking.
"Pull in up here." He didn't want to argue with her, they really did need money. Ryan would worry about the A.J. factor tomorrow.
"How long will you be?" Dawn asked. Ryan shrugged, that would depend.
"Do you have enough for a parking garage?" She couldn't just sit in a parked junker for an hour, not in this neighborhood.
"Yeah, I think so."
"There's a garage at the corner. Stay in the car, this shouldn't take too long." Ryan said, opening the door.
"Okay. Good luck." Dawn smiled. Ryan forced a half smile and got out of the car, watching his mother pull away. Ryan finished his cigarette and flicked the butt away. He looked at his hands, hoping he hadn't lost his magic.
"Alright, let's do this." Ryan took a deep breath and set off down the street eyeing for a good mark, the easier the better. Men were better targets, purses were hard to grab. There! Ahead of him, a man walking hurriedly, his ear glued to a phone. He was holding the phone in his left hand, which probably meant he was left handed and would have his wallet in the right pocket of his high-priced trench coat.
Ryan quickened his pace to catch up with man. Coming to a corner, the man and several others waited for the walk signal. Perfect. Ryan came to the corner, standing abnormally close to the man, on his right side. Casually, he pivoted as if to check out something behind him. Ryan's hand shot into the man's pocket, successfully retrieving his wallet. The suit looked down, he must have felt something. Ryan moved a step away. "Sorry." Still facing the other way, he raised a hand in greeting and said a loud, "Hey." Ryan looked out of the corner of his eye, the man had quickly dismissed him, yelling into his phone about TPS reports.
The light changed and the crowd moved to the other side, leaving Ryan behind. He walked a few steps back, stopping underneath an awning. He opened the wallet, hoping for the best. 80 bucks, not bad for two seconds work. Ryan pocketed the money, and checking to see that no one was looking, dropped the wallet at his feet.
Ryan pulled out a cigarette and began scopeing the street for his next mark.
****
Dawn put her head against the seat, sighing. She adjusted the mirror to look at herself. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks had a sunken in appearance. God, what had she become? Things were much simpler back when she was young and actually believed that life had dealt her a better hand than her own mother. Things were a lot more complicated now. What kind of mother was she? Forcing her kid to commit a crime. Dawn sighed again, looking at her hands, they were shaking.
She reached into the glove box and pulled out a plastic baggy that from the outside appeared innocent. A white powder, a rolled up bill, a small mirror, and a single edge razor blade. The makings of a good time. Dawn cut some of the powder, thinking how pissed Ryan would be if he came upon her. Self-conscious, she looked around. The garage was empty. Dawn hunched over and snorted the lines she had made. Ahhh. She no longer had a care in the world.
****
Well, that's it for now, more up soon. TTFN
MacKynzie