It's Saturday night, I have no social life and that's just how I like it.
The Zoloft must really be kicking in because this chapter is angst free.
Really... I promise... I know, I know, there must be something wrong with me.
Maybe I'm mellowing in my old age. Nah, I don't think so. People like me
just become increasingly bitter as we age... and we start collecting cats.
Lots and lots of cats...
Chapter Seven
The shrill tones of the "Batman" theme broke the silence in the Range Rover. Sandy looked at Seth before answering it.
"Can you please leave the ring tones on my cell phone alone?"
"Very "Seussian" of you Dad, but no... There's a reason why you can download different rings from the internet. I'm just taking advantage of a service..."
Sandy pressed the talk button.
"Sandy Cohen"
"Sandy, this is John... I might have something. Can you meet me at the bus station?"
Sandy tried not to get excited, but this was a possible lead. The first one they had.
It took them eight and a half minutes to get there. It was taking all of their self control to remain calm.
"It's probably nothing." Seth repeated over and over to himself.
"It's probably nothing." Sandy's mind told him.
"Please God, let it be something." They both whispered.
John met them outside the station. Sandy turned off his emotions. He was now in full lawyer mode. Seth jammed his hands in his pockets, shuffling from one foot to another.
"John... What do you have?"
"I've got a ticket clerk who's pretty sure Ryan got on a bus to Sacramento the day he left your home."
"His home too." Seth added quietly.
"Anyway." John continued. "He remembered selling a ticket to a blond haired kid. Said the kid didn't care where the bus was headed, he just wanted the first one leaving the station."
Sandy tried not to let his disappointment show.
"A blond kid getting on a bus is pretty thin, John..."
"I know, but he said the kid's face was pretty messed up, like he'd been in a fight. He recalled the kid wearing a leather wrist cuff. It's not something you see in Newport very often."
Sandy closed his eyes and thought about what the private investigator said.
"The kid's face was pretty messed up, like he'd been in a fight..."
...He had opened the door of the pool house just as Seth had lunged at Ryan. He watched as Ryan put his hands up.
...In that moment Sandy had forgotten he had two sons. He had one son and the juvenile delinquent he brought into his house.
...He pulled Ryan away from Seth, screaming at him never to touch his son again.
...His fist connected with the side of Ryan's face. His eye and cheek began to discolour immediately.
...His fist connected with the side of Ryan's face. His eye and cheek began to discolour immediately.
...His fist connected with the side of Ryan's face. His eye and cheek began to discolour immediately.
"The kid's face was pretty messed up, like he'd been in a fight..."
It wasn't a fight.
It was a beating.
A beating he was responsible for...
"We have to go to Sacramento, Dad."
John cut Seth off.
"We don't know if he's still there. I'll fly out and see what I can find..."
Sandy caught the disappointed look on his son's face.
"You can fly out, but Seth and I will drive. Ryan's been gone for three weeks and that's three weeks too long. I fucked things up and I have to fix them. I need my son home... I have to bring him home..."
The investigator nodded.
"Call me when you get there. I'll keep you posted in the mean time."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ryan gave up all pretense of trying to sleep. He quickly made his bed and wandered to the table to put the Captain Crunch away. He decided to fill his own bowl with cereal, sloshing milk over top. He used his spoon to bat down the floating rectangles.
Ryan looked at the box. Two and a half pounds of corn flour and sugar comfort food. The red box and smiling Captain had represented good times in his life. Dawn being sober enough to provide groceries. The Cohen's excessive choices of breakfast cereal. His job. His new start.
He quickly finished eating and washed the bowl. Opening the fridge, he threw a few things into his lunch pail and filled a thermal cooler with water and ice, refilling the ice trays before putting them back in the freezer.
It didn't take long before he was ready to go to work. It took him longer to brush his teeth than it did to run his fingers through his short hair. He really did look like a kid. Double checking to make sure he had enough change for the bus, Ryan grabbed his hard hat, lunch pail and thermos. He was just locking the door when he heard a small voice behind him.
Mandy was standing there with a chastised looking Michael.
"Mr. Marty, I'm sorry for coming into your house..."
Ryan looked at Mandy before he crouched down, putting him at eye level with the boy.
"I accept your apology buddy. You can come and visit me anytime, but you have to tell your mom first."
Ryan lowered his voice to a loud whisper.
"If you don't tell your Mom where you are, then she'll worry. It's her job to look out for you."
Michael nodded solemnly.
"Does your mom ever worry about you?"
Ryan felt his jaw tighten. Dawn? Worry about him? Not in this life time. Kirsten? He didn't know where he stood with her. It didn't matter now anyway.
Mandy noticed Ryan's discomfort.
"Let's go Michael. Mr. Marty has to go to work and I have to get you and Sam to swim practice."
She smiled at Ryan and led her son to the SUV.
"Bye Mr. Marty... See ya later!"
Ryan waved and started walking towards the bus stop, the hole in his heart getting a little bigger. Despite his resolve to never look back, he couldn't keep memories of the Cohens away.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Summer and Marissa sat side by side at the salon, getting their nails done. Marissa had been so distant lately. "Hell," Summer thought. "This is one of the first days she's been sober."
Marissa appeared to be avoiding Summer the last few weeks, seemingly content to busy herself with parties at Holly's beach house. She turned to Summer.
"Are you doing anything tonight? I mean, we haven't hung out in a while..."
Summer looked up from watching the manicurist paint her nails.
"What did you have in mind? A little Fred Seagal perhaps?"
Marissa shook her head.
"Fred Seagal's clothes suck, besides, there's something better happening."
Summer raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"A bunch of us are getting together up in Huntington Beach. Ted's cousin has a place there. It's secluded.... There'll be lots of margs...."
"Who's Ted?"
Marissa smiled.
"He's a guy I've been seeing. C'mon Sum, you have to come with me. You'll get to meet Ted... He's got some gorgeous friends..."
Summers cell phone rang just as both girls nails were finished. She flipped open her phone, cradling it with her shoulder as she fanned her nails in front of her.
"Hey Cohen... What's up?"
Summer didn't miss Marissa's surprised look.
"That good news, right?"
She turned her back on her friend.
"Okay, call me when you get there..."
Summer snapped the phone shut and carefully dropped it into her purse.
Marissa put her arm on the shorter girl's shoulder.
"Are you and Seth still together?"
Summer eyed Marissa coolly.
"Does that surprise you Coop?"
"No.... Well... I just thought that... You know..."
"What? That I wouldn't figure out what you did? That you would try to ruin the best thing that ever happened to me, just to get back at Ryan? You'd try to take away the only family Chino has?
"It's not like that Sum..."
Summer stepped closer to Marissa, her rage growing.
"It "is" like that Coop. You didn't get what you wanted, so you just had to make sure Ryan lost everything. You didn't care who you hurt. Not Chino, the Cohens or even me. We were friends... We were best friends..."
"We still are Summer. It can be like it was before Ryan, before Seth..."
Marissa started to sound desperate, but Summer wasn't buying it.
"Listen to yourself... You're pathetic. What you don't realize is that Seth and I are okay, the Cohens are going to find Ryan and you have nothing..."
Anger replaced Marissa's desperation.
"Fine. Live out your stupid little fantasy with your loser boyfr..."
Marissa got no further, effectively silenced by a vicious right hook that sent her sprawling gracelessly to the pavement.
"You're the only loser Coop."
Summer turned back to the salon and walked through the door.
"Suki, I broke a nail..."
Chapter Seven
The shrill tones of the "Batman" theme broke the silence in the Range Rover. Sandy looked at Seth before answering it.
"Can you please leave the ring tones on my cell phone alone?"
"Very "Seussian" of you Dad, but no... There's a reason why you can download different rings from the internet. I'm just taking advantage of a service..."
Sandy pressed the talk button.
"Sandy Cohen"
"Sandy, this is John... I might have something. Can you meet me at the bus station?"
Sandy tried not to get excited, but this was a possible lead. The first one they had.
It took them eight and a half minutes to get there. It was taking all of their self control to remain calm.
"It's probably nothing." Seth repeated over and over to himself.
"It's probably nothing." Sandy's mind told him.
"Please God, let it be something." They both whispered.
John met them outside the station. Sandy turned off his emotions. He was now in full lawyer mode. Seth jammed his hands in his pockets, shuffling from one foot to another.
"John... What do you have?"
"I've got a ticket clerk who's pretty sure Ryan got on a bus to Sacramento the day he left your home."
"His home too." Seth added quietly.
"Anyway." John continued. "He remembered selling a ticket to a blond haired kid. Said the kid didn't care where the bus was headed, he just wanted the first one leaving the station."
Sandy tried not to let his disappointment show.
"A blond kid getting on a bus is pretty thin, John..."
"I know, but he said the kid's face was pretty messed up, like he'd been in a fight. He recalled the kid wearing a leather wrist cuff. It's not something you see in Newport very often."
Sandy closed his eyes and thought about what the private investigator said.
"The kid's face was pretty messed up, like he'd been in a fight..."
...He had opened the door of the pool house just as Seth had lunged at Ryan. He watched as Ryan put his hands up.
...In that moment Sandy had forgotten he had two sons. He had one son and the juvenile delinquent he brought into his house.
...He pulled Ryan away from Seth, screaming at him never to touch his son again.
...His fist connected with the side of Ryan's face. His eye and cheek began to discolour immediately.
...His fist connected with the side of Ryan's face. His eye and cheek began to discolour immediately.
...His fist connected with the side of Ryan's face. His eye and cheek began to discolour immediately.
"The kid's face was pretty messed up, like he'd been in a fight..."
It wasn't a fight.
It was a beating.
A beating he was responsible for...
"We have to go to Sacramento, Dad."
John cut Seth off.
"We don't know if he's still there. I'll fly out and see what I can find..."
Sandy caught the disappointed look on his son's face.
"You can fly out, but Seth and I will drive. Ryan's been gone for three weeks and that's three weeks too long. I fucked things up and I have to fix them. I need my son home... I have to bring him home..."
The investigator nodded.
"Call me when you get there. I'll keep you posted in the mean time."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ryan gave up all pretense of trying to sleep. He quickly made his bed and wandered to the table to put the Captain Crunch away. He decided to fill his own bowl with cereal, sloshing milk over top. He used his spoon to bat down the floating rectangles.
Ryan looked at the box. Two and a half pounds of corn flour and sugar comfort food. The red box and smiling Captain had represented good times in his life. Dawn being sober enough to provide groceries. The Cohen's excessive choices of breakfast cereal. His job. His new start.
He quickly finished eating and washed the bowl. Opening the fridge, he threw a few things into his lunch pail and filled a thermal cooler with water and ice, refilling the ice trays before putting them back in the freezer.
It didn't take long before he was ready to go to work. It took him longer to brush his teeth than it did to run his fingers through his short hair. He really did look like a kid. Double checking to make sure he had enough change for the bus, Ryan grabbed his hard hat, lunch pail and thermos. He was just locking the door when he heard a small voice behind him.
Mandy was standing there with a chastised looking Michael.
"Mr. Marty, I'm sorry for coming into your house..."
Ryan looked at Mandy before he crouched down, putting him at eye level with the boy.
"I accept your apology buddy. You can come and visit me anytime, but you have to tell your mom first."
Ryan lowered his voice to a loud whisper.
"If you don't tell your Mom where you are, then she'll worry. It's her job to look out for you."
Michael nodded solemnly.
"Does your mom ever worry about you?"
Ryan felt his jaw tighten. Dawn? Worry about him? Not in this life time. Kirsten? He didn't know where he stood with her. It didn't matter now anyway.
Mandy noticed Ryan's discomfort.
"Let's go Michael. Mr. Marty has to go to work and I have to get you and Sam to swim practice."
She smiled at Ryan and led her son to the SUV.
"Bye Mr. Marty... See ya later!"
Ryan waved and started walking towards the bus stop, the hole in his heart getting a little bigger. Despite his resolve to never look back, he couldn't keep memories of the Cohens away.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Summer and Marissa sat side by side at the salon, getting their nails done. Marissa had been so distant lately. "Hell," Summer thought. "This is one of the first days she's been sober."
Marissa appeared to be avoiding Summer the last few weeks, seemingly content to busy herself with parties at Holly's beach house. She turned to Summer.
"Are you doing anything tonight? I mean, we haven't hung out in a while..."
Summer looked up from watching the manicurist paint her nails.
"What did you have in mind? A little Fred Seagal perhaps?"
Marissa shook her head.
"Fred Seagal's clothes suck, besides, there's something better happening."
Summer raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"A bunch of us are getting together up in Huntington Beach. Ted's cousin has a place there. It's secluded.... There'll be lots of margs...."
"Who's Ted?"
Marissa smiled.
"He's a guy I've been seeing. C'mon Sum, you have to come with me. You'll get to meet Ted... He's got some gorgeous friends..."
Summers cell phone rang just as both girls nails were finished. She flipped open her phone, cradling it with her shoulder as she fanned her nails in front of her.
"Hey Cohen... What's up?"
Summer didn't miss Marissa's surprised look.
"That good news, right?"
She turned her back on her friend.
"Okay, call me when you get there..."
Summer snapped the phone shut and carefully dropped it into her purse.
Marissa put her arm on the shorter girl's shoulder.
"Are you and Seth still together?"
Summer eyed Marissa coolly.
"Does that surprise you Coop?"
"No.... Well... I just thought that... You know..."
"What? That I wouldn't figure out what you did? That you would try to ruin the best thing that ever happened to me, just to get back at Ryan? You'd try to take away the only family Chino has?
"It's not like that Sum..."
Summer stepped closer to Marissa, her rage growing.
"It "is" like that Coop. You didn't get what you wanted, so you just had to make sure Ryan lost everything. You didn't care who you hurt. Not Chino, the Cohens or even me. We were friends... We were best friends..."
"We still are Summer. It can be like it was before Ryan, before Seth..."
Marissa started to sound desperate, but Summer wasn't buying it.
"Listen to yourself... You're pathetic. What you don't realize is that Seth and I are okay, the Cohens are going to find Ryan and you have nothing..."
Anger replaced Marissa's desperation.
"Fine. Live out your stupid little fantasy with your loser boyfr..."
Marissa got no further, effectively silenced by a vicious right hook that sent her sprawling gracelessly to the pavement.
"You're the only loser Coop."
Summer turned back to the salon and walked through the door.
"Suki, I broke a nail..."