Meanwhile, Sandy sat awkwardly in Teresa's kitchen and watched her dodge questions about Ryan and all things pertaining.
"So, how was the transition back here?"
"Oh...you know."
"Where is Ryan, by the way?"
"He, uh—he's at—sorry, excuse me just a second. I think I hear my...brother's pager going off." She scurried away just as Kirsten and Seth entered the kitchen.
"Fix the old GPS, Seth?" Sandy asked sarcastically. "What the hell happened? I thought you guys were going to ditch me."
"It was guy stuff," Seth replied, prompting odd looks from both parents. "I mean...guy to, um, woman stuff."
"Tell you later," Kirsten whispered as she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm sorry about...what happened in the car. I was just anxious." He smoothed back her hair and smiled.
"Me too."
"What happened in the car?" Seth asked.
"Just guy stuff," Sandy replied mockingly.
"I'm really not liking this insinuation that I'm a guy," Kirsten protested.
"I'm sorry, 'guy to woman' stuff," Sandy corrected himself.
"So, where's Ryan?" Kirsten asked, folding her arms and pretending not to be inspecting the kitchen.
"We were just getting to that when Teresa was beckoned by a silent and invisible pager," Sandy muttered. Teresa reentered the kitchen smiling uneasily.
"Hey, Seth. Can I get you guys something to drink?" They declined her offer and the silence returned. Kirsten cleared her throat.
"So, Teresa, how have things been going?"
"Okay," she nodded.
"And where's Ryan?"
"He...um..." Sandy took the lead as her eyes darted nervously.
"What's going on, Teresa? Is everything okay with Ryan?"
"He left," Teresa said bluntly. "I have absolutely no idea where he is." Kirsten's heartbeat quickened.
"Left, you mean, like...for the day?" Sandy put his hand at the small of her back to steady her.
"Eddie was pretty mad upset when he heard that the baby might have been Ryan's. He...um...he had some of his friends, uh...they waited outside one night and when he came out they all just started beating on him. Five or six guys. And...when they finally left, Ryan left, too. He got some of his stuff and he said that he couldn't handle being back here. And then he just...walked out."
"How long ago?" Sandy asked, holding onto a shaking Kirsten with more strength than before.
"Wednesday," Teresa replied, looking ready to cry.
"You didn't think to call us?" Kirsten asked. "He's been gone for four days and it never occurred to you to give his parents some notice?"
"I called his mom," Teresa said meekly, the words stabbing Kirsten like a knife. "She hasn't seen him."
"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" Sandy asked quickly to divert Kirsten's wounded attention.
"No. Nobody's seen him anywhere."
"Ryan would just leave you," Seth, silent until then, remarked softly. "He makes too much of an effort to be reliable. He wouldn't leave after all the trouble he went through to get here." Teresa glanced away.
"I'm not pregnant." A silence fell over the small room. "I saw how mad Eddie was and I was scared for Ryan so I had an abortion and told everyone that I miscarried and that they tested it and found out it was Eddie's. But Eddie couldn't get through to his friends and they assaulted Ryan anyways."
"How did you leave that part out the first time you told us this?" Kirsten asked angrily.
"I thought you would be mad."
"Yeah, well, you thought right." Kirsten left the kitchen and went out through the front door, trying not to cry. The story didn't even fucking make sense. It sounded like a play or something. A bad play. And who would believe that an impoverished, irrational teenager had actually had an aborted fetus tested for DNA? It was fucking ridiculous. She stared down the block at the row of identical houses and hated these people for corrupting Ryan. He was a kind, smart, caring kid. He had such great potential and such good intentions, and now he was nowhere to be found. She leaned against the car and tried to compose herself. Suddenly Seth appeared beside her.
"I know Dad's supposed to be the one following you out here, but he switched into lawyer mode. He's interrogating the hell out of Teresa." She couldn't help but smile.
"Never run away, Seth, promise me that?" His expression turned oddly serious and he nodded.
"Sure, Mom." He folded his arms and squinted up towards the sun. "You think we'll find him?" She nodded in clarification.
"We'll find him."
--------------------------------------------
Okay! That's it for now...let me know what you're thinking. Personally, I think it's weird. But that's what I think about everything I write, so some honest opinions would be lovely. ;) You guys are so amazingly kind and I LOVE your reviews because you're so nice and you make me feel quite happy. ;) Let me know if you're interesting in my continuance...;)
Thanks!
"So, how was the transition back here?"
"Oh...you know."
"Where is Ryan, by the way?"
"He, uh—he's at—sorry, excuse me just a second. I think I hear my...brother's pager going off." She scurried away just as Kirsten and Seth entered the kitchen.
"Fix the old GPS, Seth?" Sandy asked sarcastically. "What the hell happened? I thought you guys were going to ditch me."
"It was guy stuff," Seth replied, prompting odd looks from both parents. "I mean...guy to, um, woman stuff."
"Tell you later," Kirsten whispered as she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm sorry about...what happened in the car. I was just anxious." He smoothed back her hair and smiled.
"Me too."
"What happened in the car?" Seth asked.
"Just guy stuff," Sandy replied mockingly.
"I'm really not liking this insinuation that I'm a guy," Kirsten protested.
"I'm sorry, 'guy to woman' stuff," Sandy corrected himself.
"So, where's Ryan?" Kirsten asked, folding her arms and pretending not to be inspecting the kitchen.
"We were just getting to that when Teresa was beckoned by a silent and invisible pager," Sandy muttered. Teresa reentered the kitchen smiling uneasily.
"Hey, Seth. Can I get you guys something to drink?" They declined her offer and the silence returned. Kirsten cleared her throat.
"So, Teresa, how have things been going?"
"Okay," she nodded.
"And where's Ryan?"
"He...um..." Sandy took the lead as her eyes darted nervously.
"What's going on, Teresa? Is everything okay with Ryan?"
"He left," Teresa said bluntly. "I have absolutely no idea where he is." Kirsten's heartbeat quickened.
"Left, you mean, like...for the day?" Sandy put his hand at the small of her back to steady her.
"Eddie was pretty mad upset when he heard that the baby might have been Ryan's. He...um...he had some of his friends, uh...they waited outside one night and when he came out they all just started beating on him. Five or six guys. And...when they finally left, Ryan left, too. He got some of his stuff and he said that he couldn't handle being back here. And then he just...walked out."
"How long ago?" Sandy asked, holding onto a shaking Kirsten with more strength than before.
"Wednesday," Teresa replied, looking ready to cry.
"You didn't think to call us?" Kirsten asked. "He's been gone for four days and it never occurred to you to give his parents some notice?"
"I called his mom," Teresa said meekly, the words stabbing Kirsten like a knife. "She hasn't seen him."
"Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" Sandy asked quickly to divert Kirsten's wounded attention.
"No. Nobody's seen him anywhere."
"Ryan would just leave you," Seth, silent until then, remarked softly. "He makes too much of an effort to be reliable. He wouldn't leave after all the trouble he went through to get here." Teresa glanced away.
"I'm not pregnant." A silence fell over the small room. "I saw how mad Eddie was and I was scared for Ryan so I had an abortion and told everyone that I miscarried and that they tested it and found out it was Eddie's. But Eddie couldn't get through to his friends and they assaulted Ryan anyways."
"How did you leave that part out the first time you told us this?" Kirsten asked angrily.
"I thought you would be mad."
"Yeah, well, you thought right." Kirsten left the kitchen and went out through the front door, trying not to cry. The story didn't even fucking make sense. It sounded like a play or something. A bad play. And who would believe that an impoverished, irrational teenager had actually had an aborted fetus tested for DNA? It was fucking ridiculous. She stared down the block at the row of identical houses and hated these people for corrupting Ryan. He was a kind, smart, caring kid. He had such great potential and such good intentions, and now he was nowhere to be found. She leaned against the car and tried to compose herself. Suddenly Seth appeared beside her.
"I know Dad's supposed to be the one following you out here, but he switched into lawyer mode. He's interrogating the hell out of Teresa." She couldn't help but smile.
"Never run away, Seth, promise me that?" His expression turned oddly serious and he nodded.
"Sure, Mom." He folded his arms and squinted up towards the sun. "You think we'll find him?" She nodded in clarification.
"We'll find him."
--------------------------------------------
Okay! That's it for now...let me know what you're thinking. Personally, I think it's weird. But that's what I think about everything I write, so some honest opinions would be lovely. ;) You guys are so amazingly kind and I LOVE your reviews because you're so nice and you make me feel quite happy. ;) Let me know if you're interesting in my continuance...;)
Thanks!