Bad Behavior Chapter 16

Welcome To The Ranch

Squinting against the morning sun, Sandy and Kirsten had to peel themselves out of bed. The boys might be cut out for that late night stuff but they were feeling their age when they looked at the clock and saw that it was nine a.m. and time to get moving. Only four short hours and Ryan would be leaving again.

Dressed in their pajamas and robes they shuffled down to the kitchen in search of coffee, the first step to waking up.

"Does it seem awfully quiet in here to you?" Sandy asked.

"I'm sure the boys slept in. Ryan said he didn't sleep the night before. Why?"

"Well, it's his last four hours at home. I guess I'm just shocked they aren't up playing video games or at least eating cereal or something."

The comment stopped Kirsten in the kitchen doorway and gawked at Sandy while her half-asleep brain attempted to process the information he just gave her. Two more steps into the kitchen she stopped dead in her tracks a second time.

"That is NOT a note on my counter. Please tell me that is not a note."

"Oh boy," Sandy admitted, frowning at the piece of notebook paper.

Rushing to the window, Kirsten saw the doors to the pool house wide open. "He did NOT do this! I don't believe this. I do not…he looked me right in the eyes last night and lied to me! Don't show me that. I don't even want to read that. I don't want to hear about how sorry he is but he just had to do this. I can't believe this!" she fumed.

"Honey, just calm down a minute," Sandy soothed, picking up the note and reading it.

"How could he do this? After what he said to us last night…he promised us Sandy! He promised! Not only did he promise us, he promised in court that he wouldn't take off during his pass. UGH! I feel ill!"

"You really need to read this Honey."

"I…do…not…want to read it."

"Then I'll read it to you, this is important. Listen…" Sandy read out loud:

Sandy and Kirsten,

Please don't panic! Seth and I ran down

to the pier to look at comics and get some

Balboa Bars. I promise I'm coming back!

Can we order Pad Thai for lunch?

Thanks,

Ryan

Kirsten stared blankly at Sandy still trying to make sense out of her morning.

"You were right Honey. It's worse than we thought. They're off reading comics and eating Balboa Bars and it's barely nine o'clock on a Saturday morning! Really, we've failed as parents."

"Give me that! It doesn't say that…does it?" Snatching the note from Sandy's hand, she read it for herself. "Oh my God," she groaned with guilt.

Sandy couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Talk about jumping the gun, Kirsten had Ryan all but packed up and gone. "Poor Ryan, the kid is probably down on the pier having fun with Seth and yet his ears are flaming because his foster Mom is at home having a rage blackout over nothing."

Still moaning, Kirsten crossed her arms on the counter and laid her head down. "That…just scared the crap out of me. I thought for sure he took off."

"I really think Ryan has changed. That sounds cliché, I know. I never told you this but before his hearing, he admitted to me he was scared. I really think he gets it now. Something about this last trip to Juvie, it's like it put him over the edge with taking control of his life. I really believe this is what he wants."

"Good morning! Let's go rise and shine!" Seth broadcast from the foyer.

"In here Seth," Sandy answered.

"We brought some bagels. Ryan had a taste for 'em."

"What's wrong?" Ryan took one look at Kirsten and figured there was bad news on the horizon.

Embarrassed, she raised her head and admitted the truth.

"I…jumped to some conclusions this morning. I walked in here and saw the note on the counter…I thought you left and I panicked."

"You really think I'd leave?" Ryan asked rather surprised. "We left early, I just didn't want to wake anyone up."

"I hadn't had my coffee yet, I saw the pool house doors open and it was so quiet in here, no video games, nothing. I noticed the note and…I panicked that you'd left us. It's all me Ryan. You didn't do a thing wrong."

"I told you last night that I was done running. I meant it."

"I'm sorry. I'll work on toning down my 'mom-ness'."

"No don't do that. I never had that. It's nice to know people care and that they'd actual notice and miss me if I were gone."

Sharing a knowing smile, Kirsten thought it was a good time to get off the subject.

"So, since you and Seth had Balboa Bars for breakfast, what kind of bagels did you guys bring home?"

"Bagels? Oh we got all kinds," Seth jumped in, emptying the bag of bagels into their usual basket.

Kirsten watched Ryan, who had suddenly gone quiet, and she regretted telling him the truth. Suddenly bagels just didn't matter any more.

As expected, Thai Palace delivered a lunch that rivaled some of the largest buffets in town. Kirsten had to be creative in the refrigerator in order to fit all the leftovers in it. With less than an hour to go before Ryan left, she was still feeling guilty about the morning's events. Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, she set off for the pool house to make sure the air was clear before he left.

Stepping into the pool house, she found Ryan sitting Indian-style on the floor in front of his open suitcase.

"Hey Ryan. Gonna take your comics with you?"

"Maybe. I don't know if they'll confiscate them. Sometimes stuff like that is considered contraband."

"Really? Huh. Here I would think they would encourage you guys to do some reading."

"Everything in my suitcase is new," Ryan observed. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know, but I wanted to. Besides telling a woman not to shop is like trying to stop the earth from spinning…that's just not going to happen," she chuckled.

Ryan didn't laugh. He just kept staring at the suitcase.

"What's wrong Ryan? Are you nervous?"

"You don't trust me."

Kirsten's heart broke. She knew what she had said that morning hurt his feelings but she had no idea it had cut his this deep.

"This morning wasn't about trust Ryan…it was about losing you."

Fidgeting with the laces on his boots, his eyes searched the open suitcase. "So, then you were lying last night when you told me not to worry about the custody case?"

Nodding, "Yeah. It's pretty much all I can think about. I've dreaded that hearing more than anything else. It will break my heart if I have to let you go."

Turning to Kirsten he saw the tears in her eyes even though she faked a smile.

"Will you do something for me?"

She nodded, wiping her eyes. "Sure."

"Help me fight to stay here. Talk to Sandy after I'm gone. Tell him I want to talk to the judge myself and tell her I want to stay here. You know me. I've always had to fight for myself and if I don't do this and she sends me back to Chino, I'll regret it."

"Okay. I'll talk to Sandy."

"Time to hit the road," Sandy announced, clapping his hands together in the doorway. "You ready kid?"

"Yeah," Ryan answered, standing up.

Before he could even steady himself on his feet, Kirsten pulled him into a hard hug. "You take care of yourself, we're going to miss you. We can do this right? It's only two weeks."

"Why does it sound like you're trying to convince yourself more than me?" Ryan mocked.

"Oh hush!" Kirsten laughed.

"Thanks for caring. That means a lot to me."

"You be careful over there. Be good."

After zipping his suitcase shut, Ryan wheeled it over to Sandy. "I'm ready."

On the driveway, Sandy loaded the suitcase into his trunk while Seth and Ryan said their goodbyes.

"Make sure you drop me a letter okay? I want to hear all about this place."

"Yeah, sure."

"This will be a piece of cake man compared to the time you've already served. By the time you get there it'll be almost three o'clock and that means it's almost dinnertime and once you eat dinner it's almost time for bed and then today is already over. One day down already. You'll be back here before you know it."

Ryan smirked at Seth's twisted logic. He had an answer for everything. "Stay away from Blaine while I'm gone alright?"

"No argument here. Take care man. The Playstation and I will be waiting for you."

Finally, the time had come when they could stall no longer. The Ranch was waiting.

Doing his best to hide his emotions, Ryan got in the car and kept his head down. He had an hour and a half to contemplate what was waiting for him, how much his foster family would miss him and what a nightmare his custody case was going to be when he returned. Watching the pavement speed by outside his window, he tried to remind himself 'one day at a time'.

Surprisingly the car ride went by quickly considering there was very little conversation. Sandy had tried to keep Ryan sidetracked but he just wasn't in the mood for it. He was more interested in just staring at the countryside. Ryan had never seen so much open space before. Chino was crowded and every inch of Newport was developed. It was interesting to just see grass.

Ryan felt himself tense up when they passed the sign to The Ranch. It wouldn't be long now. Turning on a private driveway, they stopped at the security station.

"Nature of your business today Sir?"

"Dropping off."

"Name?"

"Atwood, Ryan."

"Okay. Continue up to the main house, I'll let them know you're coming."

"Thank you."

The driveway seemed endless as it curved through trees and bushes. After about a mile's drive, they came to a clearing with a huge farmhouse.

"I guess this is it," Sandy said in passing, as he parked the car.

Swallowing nervously, Ryan stepped out of the car and looked around. "But, this is a house. This can't be it."

"Ryan Atwood?"

The voice came from a women coming down the front steps of the farmhouse with a clipboard in her hand. Sandy and Ryan exchanged a brief look before turning back to the woman.

"Hello, I'm Gina. I'll be Ryan's sponsor. Welcome to The Ranch," she greeted, smiling.

"This is it?" Ryan asked, confident this wasn't the big picture.

"This is just the beginning. Come on, let's get you settled and I'll give you a quick tour. Dad, you can stay long enough to help Ryan get settled if you'd like, but after that I'm afraid we'll have to say goodbye."

Shooting another quick look at Sandy, Ryan waited to hear his response to the 'Dad' comment.

"Sure, I'd like that," he played along, making Ryan smirk at their little secret.

They followed Gina into the farmhouse, which was rather nicely decorated inside. Passing through the foyer, Ryan noticed a hallway with many coats hanging on the wall. Each hanger had a name above it and he noticed 'Atwood' on the very first one.

Pausing at the doorway to what Ryan assumed was the family room, he noticed several other boys sprawled out on the furniture watching a college football game. When a commercial came on, a few of the boys glanced at Ryan and started whispering amongst themselves. Suddenly feeling twice as nervous, Ryan moved on to catch up with Gina who had already started up the staircase.

The second floor, also very homey in décor, was loaded with hallways and doors. Walking across the upstairs foyer, Gina opened a door on the right side of the hallway, exposing a rather large bedroom with three sets of bunk beds in it.

"And here we are. Ryan, this is your room, also called your dorm. You're in dorm 3. There are six total dorms here, with six boys per dorm, that's thirty-six boys working on The Ranch at any given time. You have five other roommates, which you'll meet soon. While I realize you guys are all a bit too grown up for bunk beds, due to space limitations here at The Ranch, we have to use them. This bottom bunk by the window is yours. Your bed is to be made every morning before you come down to breakfast. Your roommates did it for you today but starting tomorrow that chore is all yours."

Ryan walked over to his bunk and looked out the window. What sort of place was this? Glancing down at his pillow he noticed a piece of paper with drawings and signatures on it. Picking it up, he tipped it toward the window for a better look.

"That's a little 'Welcome' card from your roommates. They're a wacky bunch. I think you'll like them. So, Ryan, you get the bottom three drawers in this dresser, the closet over here is shared space. The guys are pretty good are working out it out. If you need more room, just ask your bunkmates to move their stuff down a little and they'll do it. Shoes go in the closet, however your work boots will stay down in the mud room."

"Work boots?"

"Kirsten got a pair for you Ryan. They're in your suitcase," Sandy explained.

"So that's about it for now. Any questions?"

"Is this really where I'm going to be staying for the next two weeks?"

"Of course. Let's see something here," Gina answered, flipping his file open. "Ah, yes, you're coming to us from the Juvie in Chino…rough place."

Ryan nodded, embarrassed.

"You don't have to be ashamed here Ryan. The boys you saw downstairs are in the same boat you are. The Ranch is the first step to a fresh start."

"The house is beautiful," Sandy observed. "Compared to Juvie, this is like heaven. I've often felt Juvie wasn't right for certain kids."

"That's very true. The Ranch is a very special place. Certain kids, like Ryan, who come from an abusive background really seem to thrive here. We do things a lot differently than they do at Juvie. I think Ryan will do just fine here," she smiled again. "And that leads me to some important details and some rules. Ryan once your Dad signs your release, you will be in the custody of The Ranch for the next two weeks. The rules here are actually very easy to follow. You're expected to complete your chores, which will consume about sixty to seventy percent of your day. You and your roommates work together in the house as far as keeping it clean, preparing meals and cleaning up after meals. Your laundry is your own responsibility. Of course, there's no fighting or back talk allowed. Attempting to flee The Ranch prior to your release date will land you right back in the Chino Juvie. We have meetings every afternoon to discuss anything and everything the boys want to discuss, including problems within the house or among roommates. Honestly, most of the boys living here right now, including the other dorms have been very good. They normally work out their own differences just by talking to each. What else? Your family is not allowed to visit once they leave The Ranch. The next time you will see them is when you are released. You can write to them every day if you want and you can receive mail from them, so that's a good way to keep in touch while you're here. Also, by completing your chores and simply doing what you are supposed to around here, you can earn phone privileges. It's not much, it's a five-minute phone call, but they are nice when you get one. That's about it. The rest you'll figure out as you go." Handing the clipboard to Sandy, "Dad if you can just sign right here for me please."

Doing as he was told, he handed the clipboard back to Gina.

"Oh, I see you're not an Atwood."

"Um, no I'm not but I'm Ryan's foster father. He's been part of my family since July. I brought a copy of his current custody papers for your records so there's no confusion," he explained, reaching into his coat and removing an envelope for Gina.

"Oh that's perfect! I'll keep that in his file. So…Ryan, I'm going to give you guys about twenty minutes to get your gear stowed away before it's time to say goodbye. Then it'll be time to meet your roommates downstairs. Any questions?"

"I'm okay," Ryan replied, a bit more shaky than he expected.

"Okay then, I'll leave you guys to it and I'll be back in a few." With another smile she left the room.

"Did you know this place was like this?" Ryan asked Sandy.

"I had no idea it would be this nice. I'd heard that it's nice but I never knew anyone that actually came here. What do you think about it?"

"I think I'm more nervous here than I was at Juvie. She's so nice and…my bed has a window. I get the feeling this place is one big grey area. Yeah it's nice and all but I feel like I'll be stepping over boundaries I won't even know are there."

"Ryan this is the sort of place that's more about introspect than discipline. I think the sole purpose of this place is to help you decide what you want from your life. Granted, I think we know pretty much what you want in the immediate future, but maybe you'll learn even more while you're here."

Pulling his new t-shirts out of the suitcase, Ryan straightened them in his dresser drawer. "Maybe. I guess I'll have to wait and see. Tomorrow will bring a lot of new stuff."

"It'll be interesting to meet the guys don't you think?"

Ryan shrugged, still emptying his suitcase. "I guess so."

Sandy studied him a moment. "Are you still scared Ryan?" he asked point blank.

Sitting back on his heels, Ryan stopped fussing with the clothes in the drawer and dropped his head momentarily. "Every time I think I'm doing better, something happens. I'm not afraid of this place, or the guys, or even the work. I'm just worried something will happen to jack me up again and…"

"And what?"

"And it'll affect my custody case," he answered quietly. "That's the big picture Sandy. I don't want to go back to Chino."

"So guys how are we doing in here?" Gina interrupted.

Caught off guard, Ryan turned around rattled, "Um, I guess I'm not getting off on the right foot. I didn't finish unpacking. We were talking."

"It's okay Ryan. I know getting settled is tough. You can come back up later and finish it. And…I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's time to walk you out Mr. Cohen so Ryan can go meet his roommates."

"Sure, I understand," Sandy acknowledged crossing the room.

"Sandy," Ryan paused. "Don't take this the wrong way but…I'm going to stay up here and finish unpacking."

Sandy understood. Ryan didn't want to watch him drive away without him and he couldn't blame him. "C'mere kid." Sandy wrapped his arms around Ryan for a hearty hug. "It's going to be okay Ryan, all of it."

Ryan held onto Sandy and kept his head low so Sandy couldn't see the sadness in his eyes. Nodding he pulled away from Sandy, remembering that Gina was watching.

Putting his hands on both sides of Ryan's face, Sandy swiped his thumbs over his cheeks to wipe away the moisture. Tipping Ryan's head down he kissed the top of his hair. "You're gonna be just fine kid. I'll see you real soon okay?"

Blinking nervously, Ryan nodded.

"Who knows, when you get back maybe you can teach Seth how to do laundry…or teach Kirsten how to cook something without burning it!" he joked.

Ryan laughed and then nodded again. He knew Sandy was right and things would probably be okay. He just wished he were already on his way home.

"Okay. Gina, it was a pleasure to meet you. Please take good care of him for me, he means an awful lot to us."

"Oh absolutely! Thank you for coming up with him Mr. Cohen." Shaking Sandy's hand for the last time, she watched Sandy give a wave to Ryan before he left the room.

"It's pretty cool here Ryan, I promise you'll like it here."

Ryan nodded, still looking at the floor.

"So let's leave your suitcase for now, oh, grab your work boots though. We'll put those in the mud room for later and let's head down to meet your roommates."

Doing as he was told Ryan reached for his brand new work boots and followed Gina down the stairs. The trip to the mud room was postponed when they were stopped outside the family room doorway.

"Hey Gina, can we have him now?" one of the boys inquired.

Smiling at Ryan she walked into the room with Ryan in tow. "Guys, this is your new roommate. This is Ryan."

A chorus of 'Hey man's' filled the room. The boy that originally spoke up wanted to get more out of Ryan. "You watch college football at all?"

"Um, I used to but I've been away from it for a while so…"

"Well come on man, grab a seat."

Not sure what he would be allowed to do just yet, Ryan looked to Gina for direction.

"I'll tell you what Ryan, give me your boots. I'll put your name on these and get them in the mud room for you. Go ahead and sit with the guys for a bit. There's only another half hour before you guys have to start making dinner."

Nodding, Ryan handed over his boots and sat down tentatively.

"You'll get used to it around here man. I know it feels weird in the beginning but his place is actually pretty cool. Aw look at this! Interception!"

Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all. Ryan could only go with the flow and see what the rest of his stay would bring. It was definitely going to be interesting.

(TBC)…