NOTE: I do not own any of these characters… you can thank FOX. If you have any questions or comment you can e-mail me at liverbrain22@hotmail.com
(Thanks for the Reviews!)
Chapter Twenty Two
"Well here I am. I don't know how to say this.
The only thing I know is awkward silence.
Your eyelids close when you're around me to shut me out.
Don't shut me out."
Freakish – Saves the Day
"I'm Jess." Jess said, handing her hand out to Seth. Seth shook it and turned to look at Ryan. "I'm a friend of Ryan's." She added.
"Yeah, she's a friend." Ryan repeated.
"Oh, a friend? From Chino?" Seth asked. Both of them nodded their heads and Ryan handed her some food. "So Ryan, is your friend staying for dinner?"
"Uh—" Ryan began to say something, but Jess cut him off.
"No, I was just leaving." She replied, handing the food back to Ryan. "I better go home…" She started to leave but was held back by Ryan.
Ryan took out his right arm to stop her. Seth stared at him in awe. He had enough strength in his arm to hold Jess back. This was something new, Seth thought to himself. Ryan ignored Seth's stare and threw his body towards the doorway. "You're not leaving, Jess. We need to talk."
"Talk, Ryan? Ryan Atwood…talk? Is there something I'm missing here?" Seth questioned, his hands on his hips.
"Ryan, this has nothing to do with you." Jess stated.
"What has nothing to do with him?" Seth asked.
"Jess, it's my Mom that is causing all of this shit to happen. If it wasn't for her…" Ryan trailed off and the room went silent.
"Well, I can't stay here and you know that. I'll just crash at a friends place if my dad is still pissed off." She told him.
"Hello? What are you guys talking about!" Seth shouted out to the both of them. Ryan and Jess ignored him and continued to stare each other down. "Again I go unnoticed." Seth mumbled to himself.
"At least stay for supper?" Ryan asked. Jess stared at her feet and shrugged. "Sandy's good at…stuff like this. He could help you." Ryan stopped and waited for Jess to respond, but she didn't.
"Uh, Ryan…can we, uh, talk…" Seth asked. Jess took the cue and walked away from them. "Just for a minute…" Seth said, walking out of the poolhouse. Ryan followed him. "Okay, so, what's going on?"
"That's my mom's boyfriend's kid, Jess." Ryan explained. He told him all about how Luke and him went over to Chino to go 'hang' with her. Then he told Seth about his Mom being pissed drunk and John hitting Jess. "She'll die there, Seth. If not physically then emotionally…I know what it's like…"
"Well…I don't think Mom is going to let another teenager in this house." Seth joked. "But I think you should at least tell them what's going on." Seth advised him.
"Yeah, I should have told them sooner…But I didn't know what to do. Everything is just crazy right now and I have a lot of shit going on…I just don't want her to go back to my Mom. I know what it's liked to have to live with her…I thought she changed…" Ryan trailed off looking pass Seth and at the ocean. He thought he owed it to Jess to help her. It was the Atwood luck that was striking her and she wasn't even an Atwood.
Kirsten looked over from the kitchen window at Seth and Ryan; who were outside the poolhouse talking to each other. She knew something was up because Ryan was doing all the talking and Seth was just standing there nodding his head. She didn't know if it was the wine she was drinking that was causing her to see such a thing, or if it was actually happening. Ryan was opening up more to Seth these pasts months, Kirsten thought to herself. She decided to go outside and get them to help her with supper.
"Hey boys, can you come inside and help me unload supper? It's getting cold!" She yelled out, dangling from the patio doors.
"Tell them…" Seth mumbled to Ryan as he walked inside the house. Ryan retreated back to the poolhouse to get Jess.
"What's for dinner?" Seth asked, peeking through the containers that were laid out on the table.
"A little bit of everything." She replied, sipping her wine. "So, what were you two boys up to?" She questioned. Sandy came into the kitchen to help unload the food.
"Guy stuff…" Seth lied.
"Guy stuff?" Sandy repeated. "You know, I'm really good at 'guy stuff'. I happen to be a guy myself…"
"I haven't noticed…" Seth mumbled to himself.
Ryan came walking into the kitchen with Jess behind him. "Uh, Sandy…Kirsten…"
"Ryan—Jess, I didn't know you came to visit Ryan." Sandy then turned to Ryan. "You're grounded, remember. No guests, but I will make an exception."
"Actually Sandy, uh – she's been here all day…Since last night." Ryan admitted.
Seth grabbed some food onto his plate. "You know what, I think I'm going to eat in my room tonight…I'll make it a little ritual…Every time Ryan comes home with a girl." He told them and then walked off. There was no way he was staying to watch how it was going to turn out. Although, it could turn out good, Seth admitted. Maybe he would just ease drop a little through the vent from his room.
"Since last night?" Kirsten repeated. "She came home with you from Chino?"
Ryan nodded his head and looked at Sandy. "I lied, Luke and I didn't just leave before anything happened. My mom and her Dad came home and they were both pissed drunk. John hit Jess and I took her home with me. I couldn't let her stay there."
"Ryan, you should have told us!" Sandy said. "Are you okay?" He asked Jess.
"I'm fine. It was nothing." Jess replied. "I should go back home, anyway. My Dad is probably worried sick." She lied. She knew her dad probably hasn't even noticed or at least cared enough to know if she was alive or dead.
"Sandy will drive you back home. But first, you must eat something." Kirsten said. There was no way she was letting another teenager into this house. She liked Ryan, she loved him like he was her own child, but there was no way she'd let another teenager into this house.
Jess nodded and sat down next to Ryan at the table.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jess was back in Ryan's poolhouse sitting down on his bed. "Thanks for supper."
"Are you sure you're going to be okay? I mean, like does your Dad hit you a lot?" That was the real question Ryan wanted to ask.
"No, Ryan…he doesn't. It's just that when he drinks…He's just not himself and I understand that." She stopped talking as Sandy came into the poolhouse.
"Ready?" Sandy asked.
"Yeah." Jess said and then left the poolhouse with Sandy. Ryan followed them to the car. "I'm fine, Ryan. You don't have to come back to Chino to drop me off…I don't want anything to happen. I'll talk to you later." Jess said and then climbed into the car. Ryan nodded and back away from the car as it left the lane way.
Ryan walked back to the poolhouse and found Seth sitting on his bed. "Hey buddy…So want to play some Playstation?" Seth asked.
"Can't…grounded. Besides, I was about to call Marissa." Ryan replied. He didn't really want to talk to Marissa right now, but he knew that he had to explain his odd behavior these past few days.
"Well in that case, I'll go scram." Seth said and then left the poolhouse to go play Playstation by himself.
As soon as Seth left, Ryan picked up the phone and dialed Marissa's number.
"Hello?" Marissa answered the phone.
"Hey…" Ryan replied. "How are you?"
"Fine."
"Look, I called to just tell you what's been going on…"
"Have you been ignoring me?" Marissa asked.
"No, I haven't. It's just that when you came over last night…Jess was here and I didn't want you to find out and I was stressed out and I didn't mean to yell out at you like I did." Ryan babbled on. "I just haven't been myself with everything that's been going on…"
"Who's Jess?"
"My Mom's boyfriend's kid."
"Oh…" Marissa mumbled. "So what you said last night…Did you mean it?"
"I don't know anything right now, Marissa." Ryan admitted. "I'm not sure if I want to be in a relationship…and it's not you…it's me, Marissa. I don't want to hurt you."
"Ryan, how could you possibly hurt me?" Marissa questioned. She didn't understand what Ryan was talking about.
"Nothing…I just wanted to let you know that I just wanted to be friends, okay? Can we be friends?" Ryan asked.
"I guess… I mean, I love you, Ryan…"
"Marissa…" Ryan began.
"No, Ryan, I'll be your friend but I want you to know that I'm still in love with you and I know what you're thinking. Oliver didn't have anything to do with this, okay? Since you came to Newport I knew there was something about you that I liked. I can't quite explain it…it's crazy." Marissa laughed nervously. "But, I will be you friend if that's what I have to do."
"Okay." Ryan replied. "Well, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow then." Ryan said.
"Yeah, want me to come and pick you guys up?" She asked.
"Uh, I think Summer is picking up Seth…so…"
"Yeah, sure, no problem. I'll see you later then." She said and then hung up the phone.
Ryan put the phone back on its cradle and flopped down onto his bed. He raised his right arm and looked at it. He was started to get feeling in it and smiled to himself. He wiggled his fingers and watched them moved. He felt like a baby discovering its movements.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
