Disclaimers in Chapter 1
A/N: If you'd like to read this fic even sooner and hang-out with all sorts of cool OC fanfic readers and writers, join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCfanfiction
Chapter 5:
Ryan was awakened by a light tapping on the pool house door. He knew automatically that it wasn't one of the Cohen's. Sandy usually just banged on the door and then walked in, Kirsten tended to knock once and then call to him, and Seth, well Seth was dead and remembering that sent shockwaves of pain through Ryan's body.
The tapping hadn't stopped. Ryan groaned. It sounded feminine. Anna maybe? Ryan was embarrassed by the memory of calling her in the middle of last night. He got up anyway, and pulled the drapes away from the windows. Marissa. Ryan seriously considered not opening the door, sheer politeness made him actually open it.
"Did I wake you?" Marissa asked. "I thought you'd be up."
"I had a bad night," Ryan told her. "I didn't fall asleep until almost three."
"Oh, sweetie I'm so sorry. For everything," Marissa apologized.
"It's fine," Ryan said monosyllabically. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm staying with my mom," Marissa reminded him.
Ryan almost asked her if they had heard Sandy and Kirsten last night, but he decided he'd rather pretend the whole thing didn't happen.
"I just wanted to check you," Marissa explained. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Really? 'Cause when my Grandma died-" Ryan interrupted her.
"Your Grandma? My brother was killed. My best friend in the world is dead and you want to tell me about your grandmother?!" Ryan exploded. Marissa backed away from him in fear and Ryan couldn't care less.
"I'm sorry," Marissa said softly. "I was just trying to help you."
"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" Ryan screamed. "You want to help someone? Go help fucking OLIVER! Go home, get out of here Marissa!" Ryan commanded. He watched Marissa flee with grim satisfaction.
"Ryan? Marissa?" Kirsten peeked out of the kitchen. "I heard you arguing honey, is everything okay?"
"' Cause you're the only one allowed to start fights around here?" Ryan grumbled sarcastically. Ryan asked sulkily. Kirsten crossed the yard to stand with him.
"What are you talking about?" Kirsten was puzzled.
"I heard you and Sandy last night. The whole neighborhood heard," Ryan said emotionlessly.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. That must have been so scary-"
"Kirsten. I'm not a child," Ryan interrupted.
"I'm sorry sweetie. This is just a stressful time for all of us," Kirsten pointed out.
"Stressful? Stressful?! Seth is dead and you basically accused Sandy of murdering him!" Ryan yelled at his foster-mother. He expected Kirsten to storm off, he wouldn't have been shocked if she'd slapped him, he did not expect her to burst into tears. Ryan hugged her uncomfortably, "I'm sorry Kirsten."
"No. You're right," Kirsten sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I was out-of-line last night and I owe Sandy a huge apology." Kirsten walked back towards the kitchen.
"Oh Ryan?"
"Yeah?"
"You might want to think about apologizing to Marissa," Kirsten advised.
"You're right," Ryan agreed. "Let me just go get dressed first."
"Good idea," Kirsten laughed.
A/N: If you'd like to read this fic even sooner and hang-out with all sorts of cool OC fanfic readers and writers, join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCfanfiction
Chapter 5:
Ryan was awakened by a light tapping on the pool house door. He knew automatically that it wasn't one of the Cohen's. Sandy usually just banged on the door and then walked in, Kirsten tended to knock once and then call to him, and Seth, well Seth was dead and remembering that sent shockwaves of pain through Ryan's body.
The tapping hadn't stopped. Ryan groaned. It sounded feminine. Anna maybe? Ryan was embarrassed by the memory of calling her in the middle of last night. He got up anyway, and pulled the drapes away from the windows. Marissa. Ryan seriously considered not opening the door, sheer politeness made him actually open it.
"Did I wake you?" Marissa asked. "I thought you'd be up."
"I had a bad night," Ryan told her. "I didn't fall asleep until almost three."
"Oh, sweetie I'm so sorry. For everything," Marissa apologized.
"It's fine," Ryan said monosyllabically. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm staying with my mom," Marissa reminded him.
Ryan almost asked her if they had heard Sandy and Kirsten last night, but he decided he'd rather pretend the whole thing didn't happen.
"I just wanted to check you," Marissa explained. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Really? 'Cause when my Grandma died-" Ryan interrupted her.
"Your Grandma? My brother was killed. My best friend in the world is dead and you want to tell me about your grandmother?!" Ryan exploded. Marissa backed away from him in fear and Ryan couldn't care less.
"I'm sorry," Marissa said softly. "I was just trying to help you."
"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" Ryan screamed. "You want to help someone? Go help fucking OLIVER! Go home, get out of here Marissa!" Ryan commanded. He watched Marissa flee with grim satisfaction.
"Ryan? Marissa?" Kirsten peeked out of the kitchen. "I heard you arguing honey, is everything okay?"
"' Cause you're the only one allowed to start fights around here?" Ryan grumbled sarcastically. Ryan asked sulkily. Kirsten crossed the yard to stand with him.
"What are you talking about?" Kirsten was puzzled.
"I heard you and Sandy last night. The whole neighborhood heard," Ryan said emotionlessly.
"Sweetie, I'm so sorry. That must have been so scary-"
"Kirsten. I'm not a child," Ryan interrupted.
"I'm sorry sweetie. This is just a stressful time for all of us," Kirsten pointed out.
"Stressful? Stressful?! Seth is dead and you basically accused Sandy of murdering him!" Ryan yelled at his foster-mother. He expected Kirsten to storm off, he wouldn't have been shocked if she'd slapped him, he did not expect her to burst into tears. Ryan hugged her uncomfortably, "I'm sorry Kirsten."
"No. You're right," Kirsten sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I was out-of-line last night and I owe Sandy a huge apology." Kirsten walked back towards the kitchen.
"Oh Ryan?"
"Yeah?"
"You might want to think about apologizing to Marissa," Kirsten advised.
"You're right," Ryan agreed. "Let me just go get dressed first."
"Good idea," Kirsten laughed.