AN: Well, I don't have internet access on the weekends, so here's tomorrow's scene. Sunday's scene will be appearing on Monday. This is for alopecia. Probably not what you wanted, but it's all I could get done.

Ryan was grateful when the foreman honked the horn on his truck to signal that it was time for lunch. He pulled off his hard hat and ran a grimy hand through his sweat-plastered hair.

"Hey, kid, the boss wants to see you," one of the men said.

He felt a pang of worry but didn't let it show. He grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and made his way through the cluster of men toward the truck where the foreman was sitting on the bumper.

"Hey, Atwood," The man greeted him with a tired nod.

All the men were tired. They were behind schedule on this project and despite their long hours and overtime, they weren't making much progress.

"Hey. Larry said you wanted to see me?" Ryan asked, gulping from the water.

"Yeah, yeah. We're going to pull some extra shifts this weekend. We were only planning on having the masons come in, but you're a hard worker and I think you would actually get some work done and not just run up overtime hours."

Ryan was startled. He glanced behind him at his laughing coworkers. "Yeah, I could really use the money."

The man patted him on the back and dust flew off both of them. "You're a good kid. A hard worker. I'm going to let you oversee things this weekend, the wife is making me drive her up to the hills so we can 'talk'."

"That doesn't sound too good," Ryan said sympathetically.

"Believe me, it's not. Anyway, the boys respect you, they know you know what you're doing and if they give you any shit, let me know, okay?"

"Sure."

"It'll only be a few guys. I'm hoping you can finish the first floor and start on the second so we can get the electricians in next week."

"I'll give it a shot, man," Ryan nodded.

"Good. Now go get some lunch, you're making us all look bad," The man said, rubbing his massive potbelly.

Ryan laughed and walked over to sit with his coworkers. Kip had saved him a seat on an overturned barrel and he sat down, finishing the bottle of water.

The work was hard but the men made it tolerable. Jerry was the resident practical joker. He was known for spiking the kool-aid with vodka and switching peoples lunches at every opportunity. The boss was easily amused, but the day they came in and found that all the hammers on site had been hidden, he'd been so wracked with laughter that he couldn't even reprimand him convincingly.

Ryan was closest with the oldest man on the job, though. Kip was a family man, he had four kids, two in high school and two in diapers thanks to his third wife. He was quiet, too, but he was tough. Kip didn't treat him like a kid, like the other guys, he treated him like an equal. Actually, most of the men did, but they'd scold him for smoking and tease him about his fear of heights whereas Kip had defended him a few times from the verbal barbs about his age and what they called his 'baby face'.

"What was that all about?" Kip asked in his gravelly growl.

"He wants me to keep an eye on things this weekend," Ryan replied. "He's letting me work."

"Most people say he's making them work. You act like it's a blessing or something," Jerry laughed.

"I need the money, man. Until I find a second job…" Ryan muttered.

"You're going to get a second job? Where, kid? You spend almost 10 hours a day here, you don't have time for a second job. I thought you were going back to school?" Kip asked suddenly.

"I don't…" Ryan started.

"Look, I know things are tough for you right now, but everyone here knows that you're too fucking smart to drop out of school. You're seventeen and you could run this place yourself…" Jerry echoed.

Ryan stared at him.

"Atwood, don't end up like us. Old and wrinkled with back problems and rough hands. You need to take charge of your future and…"

Ryan gave them a patient smile. "Guys, I don't need a lecture, okay?"

"Somebody needs to smack some sense into you. Your girl know you're not going back to school?" Kip growled.

"We've talked…"

"You should talk more. Don't make me call your father," Kip threatened.

"Everybody, it's time to go back to work!" The boss announced. Bottles and bags flew from all directions at the man who ducked and retreated to the safety of his truck.

"Kid? I mean it," Kip warned.

"I know you do, Kip. Let's go finish that rafter," Ryan said.