" I can't believe they were cool with me staying, where did you find these
people?" Brooke was making the couch in the corner into her bed; she
finished and started to look around the room in more detail.
"I told you, Sandy's my lawyer. He came down to talk to me and took me home for the weekend, when I went home no one was there so he brought me back again. Long struggle over juvy and here and between his wife and him until they decided to adopt me. . . mom came half way through and then left." Ryan came out of the closet with an extra pillow and blanket
"Typical, she hasn't gotten better I take it?" Brooke walked over and laid on Ryan's bed. Sandy had brought in chips and snack food and it seemed like old times, complaining about mom, hiding from dad and eating crap. It was fun.
"Nope, did you really think she could? Anyway you've had a long day, why don't you go to sleep?" Ryan was closing all of the blinds and heading for the light switch.
"Well, well, well, look whose back to big brother. I guess the money doesn't change some people." She smiled as he got defensive and tried to show her he was still tough.
"Whatever, I'm going to sleep." Ryan kicked her off of his bed and crawled under the covers.. .but tomorrow we talk."
Brooke walked over to her bed and lay down, but she couldn't sleep. There was so much racing through her head; Jack and his memories, memories of Ryan, her situation, her Aunt, an if she really had a place in Ryan's new life. That was the most serious one, if she belonged with him anymore. . . he had always been her sanctuary, a safe place for her, but now all of this had happened with the Cohen's and didn't seem like she could just drop in whenever anymore. With the unhappy thoughts floating in her mind she drifted to sleep, over come by exhaustion and tired from running for the past month.
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Yo, Ryan, Brooke!" Seth was calling from outside the pool house.
Ryan and Brooke had been talking for the last six hours almost, catching up on things in life. Nothing else exciting had really happened that the other didn't know about. It was all typical to their kind of lives.
"It's swimming time my friends, lets go!" Seth jumped into the pool and tried to sound coaxing to the others, Marissa was sun bathing on one of the chairs and Seth splashed her.
"Seth! Do you not realize the quality of this body? It needs a tan and I intend to get a good one before winter!" She moved her chair back and glared at Seth.
"Is she for real?" Brooke and borrowed one of Marissa's two pieces and it fit nicely, though the straps had to be tied back because Marissa was taller than her.
"Yup, though she's not as bad as some people are here." That got a look of disbelief from Brooke and Ryan headed to the pool, along the way he picked Marissa up and threw her in.
Brooke stood at the edge of the pool looking at the happy family picture in front of her. She watched as Ryan smiled and kissed his girlfriend, he deserves this. He needs this kind of life after the hell he went through, mostly for me. Damn, I don't think I fit in here anymore. Just then Ryan looked up and saw the sad look on her face, he realized she had a lot to deal with and he couldn't help her handle it.
"What's wrong? Can't you swim?" Seth's calling snapped Brooke back to reality.
"Yeah, can't you swim?" Ryan had a smirk across his face and Brooke just smiled before she walked on to the diving board. Ryan tried to guess what she was going to do as she started the approach.
Brooke did a cartwheel and then jumped into a perfect arch above the water before diving in, making barely a splash.
"Oh, I guess you can." Seth had a shocked look on his face, but he started to swim around again.
"The Y offered free lessons if the swimmer would work for them part time, so Brooke can kick ass in a pool." Ryan laughed as she swam over to him and pulled him under; "Oh it's on" He called when he resurfaced. Suddenly the pool was filled with shrieks and splashes as everyone tried to pull everyone under.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A week had passed since Brooke jumped into the Cohen's life, and things were starting to go back to normal, then Julie got back from her vacation and learned about their new neighbor.
"So Kirsten, I hear you found someone else to shelter. What's wrong with her? Jail bird? Drug addict?" Julie came bursting into the Cohen house and started to interrogate Kirsten.
"No, nothing like that. Brooke is a perfectly fine teenager and doesn't want any trouble. I also don't see how this is any of your business." Kirsten could feel her neck growing hot as her temper rose. Julie was always smug about situations like these, questioning and accusing when there was nothing to worry about, then she would go and spread some horrible rumor around town that the Cohen's had an prostitute living under their roof.
"Well if I'm going to be neighbors with you, I might as well know what kind of riff raff is living here." She looked around the living room to see if there were any signs of some horrid creature tearing the place apart.
"The new riff raff you're speaking of is my sister." Ryan entered from the patio door and glared at Julie. She wasn't too fond of Ryan already, and he was sure she would be pleased to know his family had now moved in. . .well, sort of.
"Oh, I see." Julie blushed a little, made another quick sweep of the room and left.
"That woman, she drives me crazy!" Kirsten could stand Julie most of the time (for Jimmy's sake) but lately she was really getting on her nerves.
"Tell me about it, she hates my guts and I'm dating her daughter. . . not something that mixes well with each other." Ryan poured four glasses of iced tea and put them on a tray.
"How's Brooke doing? Anything she needs?" Kirsten opened the door leading to the pool for him.
"Fine, she seems to like it here. And she loves to swim, so when we're all out at school, she goes down to the beach. It works." Ryan called to the others and they all swooped down for some refreshing liquid, all but Brooke.
Whenever Sandy or Kirsten was around, she always hesitated. I guess you can't blame the poor girl, she hasn't had an easy life. Kirsten tried to think of what Brooke and Ryan had been through as kids, never having a safe place. . . worrying if they would have enough food. . . fearing their own dad. Then it hit her, which's why she doesn't talk to Sandy; she's scared of him. Who wouldn't be? Her father, the one who's supposed to protect you, hurt her the most. My god, I can't imagine what she has to deal with; maybe I should talk to her. Kirsten wandered back inside to find Sandy.
. . . . . .
"So, you like it here?" Seth was drifting passed Brooke on a floating chair.
"Yeah, not bad. A little different from what I'm used to, but not bad Cohen." She smiled as the sun hit his very white body and laughed to herself, he would get so hurt in Chino.
"Kids, I forgot to tell you, tomorrow is the Fall Formal. Why don't you all go looking for something to wear at the mall, and don't worry Brooke, this one is on us since we're making you go." Kirsten shut the door on the last words.
"A what? I don't know if I should go, not exactly elegant here." Brooke was a little shocked by all of this; she wasn't used to the rich life at all.
"No prob, you should have seen Ryan at the first thing, no elegance what so ever!" Ryan tipped Seth's chair in his difference.
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll fit right in, I'll help you pick out the right kind of dress, it'll be fun." Marissa swam to the edge of the pool and got out.
Yeah, I can hardly wait to make a fool of myself in front of the entire town!
"I told you, Sandy's my lawyer. He came down to talk to me and took me home for the weekend, when I went home no one was there so he brought me back again. Long struggle over juvy and here and between his wife and him until they decided to adopt me. . . mom came half way through and then left." Ryan came out of the closet with an extra pillow and blanket
"Typical, she hasn't gotten better I take it?" Brooke walked over and laid on Ryan's bed. Sandy had brought in chips and snack food and it seemed like old times, complaining about mom, hiding from dad and eating crap. It was fun.
"Nope, did you really think she could? Anyway you've had a long day, why don't you go to sleep?" Ryan was closing all of the blinds and heading for the light switch.
"Well, well, well, look whose back to big brother. I guess the money doesn't change some people." She smiled as he got defensive and tried to show her he was still tough.
"Whatever, I'm going to sleep." Ryan kicked her off of his bed and crawled under the covers.. .but tomorrow we talk."
Brooke walked over to her bed and lay down, but she couldn't sleep. There was so much racing through her head; Jack and his memories, memories of Ryan, her situation, her Aunt, an if she really had a place in Ryan's new life. That was the most serious one, if she belonged with him anymore. . . he had always been her sanctuary, a safe place for her, but now all of this had happened with the Cohen's and didn't seem like she could just drop in whenever anymore. With the unhappy thoughts floating in her mind she drifted to sleep, over come by exhaustion and tired from running for the past month.
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Yo, Ryan, Brooke!" Seth was calling from outside the pool house.
Ryan and Brooke had been talking for the last six hours almost, catching up on things in life. Nothing else exciting had really happened that the other didn't know about. It was all typical to their kind of lives.
"It's swimming time my friends, lets go!" Seth jumped into the pool and tried to sound coaxing to the others, Marissa was sun bathing on one of the chairs and Seth splashed her.
"Seth! Do you not realize the quality of this body? It needs a tan and I intend to get a good one before winter!" She moved her chair back and glared at Seth.
"Is she for real?" Brooke and borrowed one of Marissa's two pieces and it fit nicely, though the straps had to be tied back because Marissa was taller than her.
"Yup, though she's not as bad as some people are here." That got a look of disbelief from Brooke and Ryan headed to the pool, along the way he picked Marissa up and threw her in.
Brooke stood at the edge of the pool looking at the happy family picture in front of her. She watched as Ryan smiled and kissed his girlfriend, he deserves this. He needs this kind of life after the hell he went through, mostly for me. Damn, I don't think I fit in here anymore. Just then Ryan looked up and saw the sad look on her face, he realized she had a lot to deal with and he couldn't help her handle it.
"What's wrong? Can't you swim?" Seth's calling snapped Brooke back to reality.
"Yeah, can't you swim?" Ryan had a smirk across his face and Brooke just smiled before she walked on to the diving board. Ryan tried to guess what she was going to do as she started the approach.
Brooke did a cartwheel and then jumped into a perfect arch above the water before diving in, making barely a splash.
"Oh, I guess you can." Seth had a shocked look on his face, but he started to swim around again.
"The Y offered free lessons if the swimmer would work for them part time, so Brooke can kick ass in a pool." Ryan laughed as she swam over to him and pulled him under; "Oh it's on" He called when he resurfaced. Suddenly the pool was filled with shrieks and splashes as everyone tried to pull everyone under.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A week had passed since Brooke jumped into the Cohen's life, and things were starting to go back to normal, then Julie got back from her vacation and learned about their new neighbor.
"So Kirsten, I hear you found someone else to shelter. What's wrong with her? Jail bird? Drug addict?" Julie came bursting into the Cohen house and started to interrogate Kirsten.
"No, nothing like that. Brooke is a perfectly fine teenager and doesn't want any trouble. I also don't see how this is any of your business." Kirsten could feel her neck growing hot as her temper rose. Julie was always smug about situations like these, questioning and accusing when there was nothing to worry about, then she would go and spread some horrible rumor around town that the Cohen's had an prostitute living under their roof.
"Well if I'm going to be neighbors with you, I might as well know what kind of riff raff is living here." She looked around the living room to see if there were any signs of some horrid creature tearing the place apart.
"The new riff raff you're speaking of is my sister." Ryan entered from the patio door and glared at Julie. She wasn't too fond of Ryan already, and he was sure she would be pleased to know his family had now moved in. . .well, sort of.
"Oh, I see." Julie blushed a little, made another quick sweep of the room and left.
"That woman, she drives me crazy!" Kirsten could stand Julie most of the time (for Jimmy's sake) but lately she was really getting on her nerves.
"Tell me about it, she hates my guts and I'm dating her daughter. . . not something that mixes well with each other." Ryan poured four glasses of iced tea and put them on a tray.
"How's Brooke doing? Anything she needs?" Kirsten opened the door leading to the pool for him.
"Fine, she seems to like it here. And she loves to swim, so when we're all out at school, she goes down to the beach. It works." Ryan called to the others and they all swooped down for some refreshing liquid, all but Brooke.
Whenever Sandy or Kirsten was around, she always hesitated. I guess you can't blame the poor girl, she hasn't had an easy life. Kirsten tried to think of what Brooke and Ryan had been through as kids, never having a safe place. . . worrying if they would have enough food. . . fearing their own dad. Then it hit her, which's why she doesn't talk to Sandy; she's scared of him. Who wouldn't be? Her father, the one who's supposed to protect you, hurt her the most. My god, I can't imagine what she has to deal with; maybe I should talk to her. Kirsten wandered back inside to find Sandy.
. . . . . .
"So, you like it here?" Seth was drifting passed Brooke on a floating chair.
"Yeah, not bad. A little different from what I'm used to, but not bad Cohen." She smiled as the sun hit his very white body and laughed to herself, he would get so hurt in Chino.
"Kids, I forgot to tell you, tomorrow is the Fall Formal. Why don't you all go looking for something to wear at the mall, and don't worry Brooke, this one is on us since we're making you go." Kirsten shut the door on the last words.
"A what? I don't know if I should go, not exactly elegant here." Brooke was a little shocked by all of this; she wasn't used to the rich life at all.
"No prob, you should have seen Ryan at the first thing, no elegance what so ever!" Ryan tipped Seth's chair in his difference.
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll fit right in, I'll help you pick out the right kind of dress, it'll be fun." Marissa swam to the edge of the pool and got out.
Yeah, I can hardly wait to make a fool of myself in front of the entire town!