A/N: Hey guys! This chapter takes place the night before the first one. (I'm going backwards.) Get it? Okay, so that's settled and on with the show!
Mirage
The night previous…
"Jesus Christ, Ryan. What the fuck is up with you? I can't keep covering for you! The Cohen's are going to kick us both out." Theresa paced back and forth, unrelenting.
"I know, I know. Look, I'm sorry. It'll just be a little longer, I swear." Ryan held his hands out, trying to placate her.
"A little longer." Theresa smirked. "She knows how to hook you, I'll give her that. Why are you doing this? For her no less? You are so easy."
"Fuck, Theresa. Don't you think I know that? She's my mom. You'd do the same for your mother. She needs me." Ryan responded, burying his face in his hands, his sleeve riding up.
"What the fuck is this?" Theresa's voice had changed. Ryan looked up to see her striding purposely towards him. She stood in front of him. Theresa yanked his sleeve and grabbed his arm.
"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me! She's burning you!" Theresa exclaimed, her fury reaching a new height.
"Let it go, Theresa. It's none of your business." Ryan said quietly, ripping his arm out of her grasp.
"None of my business, none of my business? We're best friends, Ryan. Or at least we used to be. So excuse me for caring that your mother is putting her cigarettes out on your hands!"
"It's not like that Theresa. You don't know what you're talking about." Ryan protested. Unconsciously staring at his hands and forearms that bore his mother's imprint.
"Oh, your little tests of manhood? That makes it okay?" Theresa practically shouted. Ryan stared at her, disbelieving. Theresa smirked at his expression.
"You'd be surprised what Trey babbles on about when he's trashed."
"Whatever, Theresa. Look, I can handle this. She just needs to get back on her feet. We can make this work." Ryan stated, weariness creeping into his voice.
"Who are you trying to convince, Ryan?" He looked away, knowing she was right. He had to end it with his mom. Unless he wanted to go to jail or a wooden box, that life had nothing for him. He made one last go at it.
"She's my mom."
"No she's not. She's a little girl that got strapped with two kids and a deadbeat husband. You know what? My mom would never ask me to throw away the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. My mom wouldn't make me give her every dime I had for her next fix!" Theresa retorted, her words reaching a new crescendo.
"Hey guys--?" Seth bounded in, skidding to a stop. It didn't take an Einstein to feel the tension in the room. "Am I interrupting…?"
"No, Seth. We're done. What's up?" Ryan stated, standing up and effectively blocking out the fuming Theresa.
"Dinner's ready." Seth stated slowly, looking from one to the other.
"Go. I'm not hungry." Theresa snapped, spinning on her heel. The bathroom door slammed shut.
Ryan looked after her. He shook his head trying to forget the truths she had flung in his face. It was his mother after all. His mother. Just because she had no clue. Just because her life was easier. Just because her mother never left her kids alone for days at a time with no food and no money. Just because…
"Ryan?" Ryan's head snapped around. Seth was still standing there. He frowned and shrugged in the direction of the bathroom.
"Must be PMS." Ryan stated matter-of-factly. He started towards the main house. He was hungry and he would need a full stomach for tonight.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure…" Seth trailed off and followed Ryan into the house. Crossing the pathway, he glanced back. He would definitely be talking to Theresa later. Something had been going on with Ryan lately and he planned to find out what.
"Good meal, huh, boys?" Sandy Cohen asked exuberantly. Seth looked up from the desert he was working on.
"Well, yeah, Dad. You can't go wrong with Chinese takeout."
"This is true." Sandy laughed. "I gotta finish up some work. Your mother should be home around 10:00."
"Okay." Seth yelled around a mouthful of pie. Ryan glanced at Seth from the pile of dishes he was washing.
"You know, Seth, you could help me out here." Ryan said facetiously.
"Yeah, well, Ryan, I believe we have already discussed this. You're the brawn and I'm the brains. And right now my brain desperately needs this infusion of apple pie. Geez, do I have to tell you everything?" Seth whined, barely understandable.
Ryan grinned, biting his cheek. Seth didn't need any encouragement.
"So, what's up with you and Theresa? I mean you guys looked pretty intense there."
"Nothing, Seth." The pair looked up as Theresa stepped through the patio door. "Ryan, here, has some personal issues that he needs to work out." She announced, heading for the open cartons of food.
"Okay…And this is news?" Seth stated, ignoring the daggers Ryan was shooting at him.
Ryan threw the towel he was using onto the counter. "Enjoy your chat. I'm going to bed." He threw a glare Theresa's way and stalked out of the kitchen.
"What's up with him?" Seth questioned, serious now. Theresa shook her head.
"Why don't you ask him about his mother." She spat the last word out. "Good night."
Seth shook his head. "Drama, drama, drama."
Love it/hate it/let me know. More to come. I promise. Really there will be more. Geez, do you people ever let up?!
MacKynzie
Mirage
The night previous…
"Jesus Christ, Ryan. What the fuck is up with you? I can't keep covering for you! The Cohen's are going to kick us both out." Theresa paced back and forth, unrelenting.
"I know, I know. Look, I'm sorry. It'll just be a little longer, I swear." Ryan held his hands out, trying to placate her.
"A little longer." Theresa smirked. "She knows how to hook you, I'll give her that. Why are you doing this? For her no less? You are so easy."
"Fuck, Theresa. Don't you think I know that? She's my mom. You'd do the same for your mother. She needs me." Ryan responded, burying his face in his hands, his sleeve riding up.
"What the fuck is this?" Theresa's voice had changed. Ryan looked up to see her striding purposely towards him. She stood in front of him. Theresa yanked his sleeve and grabbed his arm.
"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me! She's burning you!" Theresa exclaimed, her fury reaching a new height.
"Let it go, Theresa. It's none of your business." Ryan said quietly, ripping his arm out of her grasp.
"None of my business, none of my business? We're best friends, Ryan. Or at least we used to be. So excuse me for caring that your mother is putting her cigarettes out on your hands!"
"It's not like that Theresa. You don't know what you're talking about." Ryan protested. Unconsciously staring at his hands and forearms that bore his mother's imprint.
"Oh, your little tests of manhood? That makes it okay?" Theresa practically shouted. Ryan stared at her, disbelieving. Theresa smirked at his expression.
"You'd be surprised what Trey babbles on about when he's trashed."
"Whatever, Theresa. Look, I can handle this. She just needs to get back on her feet. We can make this work." Ryan stated, weariness creeping into his voice.
"Who are you trying to convince, Ryan?" He looked away, knowing she was right. He had to end it with his mom. Unless he wanted to go to jail or a wooden box, that life had nothing for him. He made one last go at it.
"She's my mom."
"No she's not. She's a little girl that got strapped with two kids and a deadbeat husband. You know what? My mom would never ask me to throw away the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. My mom wouldn't make me give her every dime I had for her next fix!" Theresa retorted, her words reaching a new crescendo.
"Hey guys--?" Seth bounded in, skidding to a stop. It didn't take an Einstein to feel the tension in the room. "Am I interrupting…?"
"No, Seth. We're done. What's up?" Ryan stated, standing up and effectively blocking out the fuming Theresa.
"Dinner's ready." Seth stated slowly, looking from one to the other.
"Go. I'm not hungry." Theresa snapped, spinning on her heel. The bathroom door slammed shut.
Ryan looked after her. He shook his head trying to forget the truths she had flung in his face. It was his mother after all. His mother. Just because she had no clue. Just because her life was easier. Just because her mother never left her kids alone for days at a time with no food and no money. Just because…
"Ryan?" Ryan's head snapped around. Seth was still standing there. He frowned and shrugged in the direction of the bathroom.
"Must be PMS." Ryan stated matter-of-factly. He started towards the main house. He was hungry and he would need a full stomach for tonight.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure…" Seth trailed off and followed Ryan into the house. Crossing the pathway, he glanced back. He would definitely be talking to Theresa later. Something had been going on with Ryan lately and he planned to find out what.
"Good meal, huh, boys?" Sandy Cohen asked exuberantly. Seth looked up from the desert he was working on.
"Well, yeah, Dad. You can't go wrong with Chinese takeout."
"This is true." Sandy laughed. "I gotta finish up some work. Your mother should be home around 10:00."
"Okay." Seth yelled around a mouthful of pie. Ryan glanced at Seth from the pile of dishes he was washing.
"You know, Seth, you could help me out here." Ryan said facetiously.
"Yeah, well, Ryan, I believe we have already discussed this. You're the brawn and I'm the brains. And right now my brain desperately needs this infusion of apple pie. Geez, do I have to tell you everything?" Seth whined, barely understandable.
Ryan grinned, biting his cheek. Seth didn't need any encouragement.
"So, what's up with you and Theresa? I mean you guys looked pretty intense there."
"Nothing, Seth." The pair looked up as Theresa stepped through the patio door. "Ryan, here, has some personal issues that he needs to work out." She announced, heading for the open cartons of food.
"Okay…And this is news?" Seth stated, ignoring the daggers Ryan was shooting at him.
Ryan threw the towel he was using onto the counter. "Enjoy your chat. I'm going to bed." He threw a glare Theresa's way and stalked out of the kitchen.
"What's up with him?" Seth questioned, serious now. Theresa shook her head.
"Why don't you ask him about his mother." She spat the last word out. "Good night."
Seth shook his head. "Drama, drama, drama."
Love it/hate it/let me know. More to come. I promise. Really there will be more. Geez, do you people ever let up?!
MacKynzie