1I'm Good to Go

Hey, thanks for all the reviews, truly, I am so unsure where I want to really go with this story, now, I am just building a plot I guess or maybe I am just rambling on like Seth. Anyway, I do have a few ideas in mind for the future, but I just enjoy writing this story. Hey, also check out my other story I have going on now, "Isn't Half as Fun as Growing Up Can Be" and keep up the reviews, and I will keep the story up.

The next day Ryan was again banned from going to soccer practice because of his mouth yesterday Sandy had said. The coach had already stopped him in the hall and asked why he wasn't there yesterday. Ryan just said he had some family stuff to take care of and that he didn't think he would be able to make it today. The coach was not happy and said that he was going to have to work his ass off when he came back to practice.

When Ryan came home that day, he was surprised that Sandy wasn't home. After Sandy had "left" the office, he had been home way too often. During the summer he could get away with anything, Kirsten and Sandy were always at work, or meetings or dinners and when they weren't at work, they were in bed, and they never noticed when the kids left or when they came back. Ryan liked that, because he was sure if they knew the kinds of stuff he had pulled this past summer, he would have been grounded for a lot longer than a week.

Ryan really wanted to go to that bomb fire this weekend, and he was sure if he pissed Sandy off any more, it would be a definite no, not that he had much of chance of Sandy saying yes as it was.

After Ryan finished his homework, for the first time since the beginning of Senior Year, he retreated to the couch with a book. Lorraine was the first one home and the first thing she did was jump over the couch onto Ryan.

"What's up loser?" Lorraine asked pointing to his book questionably.

Ryan jumped and then exclaimed "Ow!"

Lorraine sat on his legs and picked up the remote off the coffee table.

"Would you mind getting off my legs?" Ryan asked becoming annoyed.

"Naw, I'm good" Lorraine said putting more pressure onto his legs.

Lorraine finally settled on a television station, and of course it was playing the hit show, The Valley.

"I refuse to watch this," Ryan stated.

"So don't." Lorraine shot back.

"You're grounded anyway, you shouldn't be watching TV. at all."

"Oh okay, because we always obey our parents" Lorraine smiled.

"C'mon, I don't want your dad to come home and see me watching TV; I want to go to this bomb fire this weekend."

"Yea, I already asked him and he told me no, she if he tells you yes, I will flip, but don't count it."

"Neither one of you are going," Sandy said stepping into the family room and scaring both Lorraine and Ryan, "Lorraine turn off the TV. and go do your homework."

"What about him?" Lorraine asked turning off the television and pointing to Ryan.

"Why can't I go? I was grounded for a week, my week is over on Thursday," Ryan testified.

"I never said you were still grounded, I just don't want you going to the bomb fire."

"Why? What is the difference if I go there or some party or something like that?"

"Because the last time you went to a bomb fire, you came home at two o'clock in the morning, and you smelled like alcohol and marijuana."

"But..." Ryan started but was immediately cut off by Sandy.

"But, you weren't using them, good, I'm glad, but I don't want you to get tempted." Sandy said and then changing the subject, "Is your homework done?"

"Yea" Ryan stated obviously upset,

"Good, you can come help me make dinner." Sandy told Ryan, before heading for his bedroom to get changed.

"Great" Ryan said to himself.

After dinner, Ryan and Seth were still not on speaking terms, and Ryan knew Seth would never be the mature one and come and talk to Ryan, so Ryan knew he had to take the inactive. So after finishing loading the dish washer with Lorraine he headed upstairs and knocked on Seth's door and opened the door.

"Well Hello there," Seth said sarcastically as Ryan stepped into his bedroom, "I don't think I gave you permission to enter my space of solitude."

"Seth, stop acting like such a child, now seriously what is really up with you?"

"What's up with me? Hmm… Where should I start? Should I start with the fact that ever since I broke up with Summer, you have like totally forgotten that I even exist, or the fact that when you do seem to notice me for like a millisecond, you blow me off, for your oh so cool, shaved chest friends." Seth spat out quickly and cold heartedly.

"Seth, you overreact about everything, I did not blow you off, I simply said I would catch up with you later and I have not ignored you the last two months, we have hung out a couple of times"

"God, Ryan" Seth mocked throwing his hand to his hurt and falling onto his bed, "kill me now master, you have graced me with your presence a couple of times and I am questioning you," Seth scorned, "please, Ryan, just have me executed, I deserve it."

"Ok, Seth, just shut up, see this is why I can't stand hanging out with you."

Seth shot up from his lying down position into a sitting one, "Oh, so now you can't stand to hang out with me, that's cool…, just get out of my room dude."

"Seth, c'mon, I didn't mean it like that." Ryan tried to explain.

"Right Ryan, it get it man, you're just too damn cool for me now, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, you can't stop the inevitable, not even me."

"Seth, see you don't even listen to people, you just assume everybody has something against you."

"Ok Ryan, you have the floor buddy, talk" Seth said and then realized how ironic that sounded, "This should be humorous." He mumbled to himself.

"Seth, the other day I just didn't want anything to start between you and those guys, but they are my friends, so if you can't get along with them, I'm sorry and I'm sorry if I'm not dropping everything and everyone for you these days but Seth, you know you can always count on me, I am here man."

"It seems like it," Seth mocked.

"You're my brother; I would put everybody before you, in a serious situation."

"Thanks, I'm grateful."

"Do you take anything seriously? Because Seth, I am being serious."

"I take my friendships seriously, my bonding with a certain friend, my trust and loyalty with that friend; Yea I take that seriously, actually rather seriously. But to him, it is all a big joke; I'm a joke to him."

"You are so immature; I don't know why I wasted my time talking to you."

"Yep, I am immature and a waste of time; Thanks buddy, anything else? I mean I got that I am annoying to hang out with, I don't take anything seriously, I overreact about everything, dude you got to have more…"

"Wow, get a life, not everyone is against Seth, so stop thinking that the world is just out to get ya, because its not, we all have better things to do." And with that Ryan dismissed himself and left a "bam" as the door slammed behind him.

Seth plopped back on his bed, god he hated this, he just wanted the old Ryan back, his best friend, his only ally, now all he had was a brother, a brother, who he knew would be there if he needed him, but that wasn't good enough for Seth, Seth was used to having everything he wanted, and he wanted Ryan as his best friend, but all those bridges were way past burned.

Ryan walked down the hall to his new, dark gray colored bedroom and proceeded to slam that door. He hated this, he hated the fact that Seth thought he hated him; he hated the fact that Seth and him were constantly fighting and arguing over the stupidest things, he hated the actuality that Seth and him were becoming more like Trey and him back in Chino. He hated that they didn't feel comfortable around each other anymore, that they didn't talk anymore, that they didn't bond anymore. He hated it all, and he wanted the Seth that he knew back. Maybe it is my fault though, maybe I got caught up with Marissa and Luke and the Soccer team that I did forget that Seth was even around. Now, I just need to try to fix our friendship.

Ryan finished writing the note and slipped it under Seth's door as he headed downstairs. He planned on leaving early for school so that he could talk to his coach and catch up on some work he had missed when he decided to bail out on all of his afternoon classes. As he entered the kitchen, Lorraine was on her way in from surfing.

"You're up early," She commented as she headed for the fridge and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"I have stuff to do," Ryan barked back.

"Great, who is going to cover for me?"

"Not me, I'm out, where is your dad? I need to make sure it is okay I go to soccer practice," Ryan asked.

"He is still out catching a few more ways, but I am sure it is okay."

"Right, see ya." Ryan said as he folded up the paper he had been reading, grabbed messenger bag and headed for the front door.

Seth finally woke up after hitting the snooze buttons way too many times. Shit, 7:23 Seth thought, I was supposed to get up more than a half hour ago. He immediately rubbed his eyes and rapidly undressed in his adjoining bathroom, and jumped into the shower. Exactly eight minutes later, he was out of the shower and half way dressed, just standing at his closet door looking for a shirt to sport. By 7:40, he was fully dressed, his hair looked half way decent and his teeth were carelessly brushed. As he opened his door to go down stairs, he finally spotted the note that had been slipped under his door early that morning. He picked it up and tried to make out what it had said.

Seth,

I had some stuff to do this morning and I took the car, so you need to find a ride. I have practice after school, so bring your set of keys, and you can drive it home. See ya at school.

Ryan

Damn it Seth thought, I had to wake up late today didn't I? Now I need to find a ride.

After no luck with the ride situation, Seth hoped on his skateboard and started to head to school. After getting half way to school, he realized that was the last place he wanted to be. So he turned around and headed to the numbered streets.

Ryan was sitting in the library before school, when Marissa spotted him.

"Hi, where have you been lately?" She said as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and too k the seat next to him.

"Uh, grounded," Ryan stated still concentrating on his school work.

"Oh, but you can come to that bomb fire this weekend though right?" Marissa asked looking at him intensely.

"Actually, I don't think so," Ryan answered sympathetically.

"What? But you're sneaking out right?" Marissa asked seductively.

"I don't know Marissa," Ryan replied finally looking up from his work with an annoyed look on his face, "I am sure their will be many more parties, I don't think it will matter much if I miss one."

"What's your problem? You usually jump at the chance to party."

"I don't know, me and Seth still aren't talking and I kinda feel like it is my fault, I just want to try to mend things with him." Ryan said softly.

"It's Seth, it's not your fault, he will get over it soon." Marissa said rolling her eyes.

"I don't know, I think it is time for some long delayed Seth-Ryan time."

"Whatever, I got class." Marissa said as she stormed off.

Seth finally reached his destination and placed his skateboard up against the apartment buildings walls that were in dying need of a new paint job, as he pounded on Alex's door. He knew it was going to take a lot to get Alex up at 8:30 in the morning. Seth did not subside on the pounding and just as he was about to literally knock the door down, a disheveled Alex came to the door.

"Oh my God, what do you want Seth?" She asked beyond incredibly annoyed, "It is like…" she thought for a second, "I don't know but way too damn early, shouldn't you be in school anyway?"

"Yea, uh, no, I am ditching today, so I thought I would come and surprise you," Seth smiled, "Surprise!"

"I don't like surprises, and I hate them even more when they are at the crack of dawn." Alex stated clearly aggravated.

"C'mon, we can go to breakfast, my treat."

"No I don't do breakfast, now leave and come back in like twelve hours, better yet, DON'T COME BACK!" and with that Alex slammed the door and left Seth their bewildered.

He knew that girls weren't the best morning people, but he had never saw Lorraine, or Summer or even Marissa this cranky in the morning. Now what was he going to do he thought, unless he went back to school, he could still make it for second period.

Seth didn't have much a decision to make, it was either go home and get busted for skipping school, walking around for the next six hours, or going back to school and sitting around for the next six hours.

He went with the only logical choice, school. As he was going through the parking lot and heading towards the quad, he spotted the same three boys that he had encountered yesterday. They too spotted him, and Alex's brother called him over.

"Seth, what's up man?" He greeted placing his blunt in the other hand and giving Seth a "guy" handshake.

"Just trying to find a reason to skip school," Seth said with seriously.

The three boys just chuckled, "hey, you know you can always chill with us, we were thinking about going down to the pier," Alex's brother offered.

Seth thought about it for a millisecond before replying, "I'm down, I have nothing better to do."

Evan and Grant rolled their eyes. They had no idea why Wilson was even be so damn nice to this kid. I mean c'mon, the first day they met him, he was trying to get them to join some comic book club. Doesn't that say enough?

Seth, Wilson, Evan, and Grant all walked down to the pier and spent the day under the boardwalk getting stoned, well except Seth of course. They sat their and talked about everything under the sun. Including, how they even got into Harbour, with their track record, but Seth found out that only Wilson, Alex's brother went to Harbour. He was actually quite intelligent and when he had gotten accepted freshman year, he didn't have the record he had accumulate over the past three years. Evan and Grant did not go to Harbour, but they had met Wilson, who had to do work study at Harbour, taken out the trash one day, when they were picking it up. Evan who was nineteen and Grant who was seventeen were assigned garbage pickup with no pay by the court almost a year ago. Wilson was beyond close to being kicked out of Harbour though, he rarely attended classes, or even work study after school. Dr. Kim already gave him a two weeks warning, the he either attends all of his classes, and work study or he is gone.

Seth rolled into the house a little after 4:00, and Ryan and Lorraine were both still at soccer practice, which he didn't mind, because after yesterday, he didn't think he was going to be talking to Ryan in a long, long time and Lorraine was just way too cool for him, well according to her she was, but Seth would have to agree.

Once Lorraine and Ryan came home and Kirsten and Sandy arrived home from work and wherever Sandy had decided to wander too, they sat down for another family dinner. It was the only time that they all sat together besides the quick morning breakfast that everyone tried to grab in fifteen minutes. As everyone started to seat themselves around the table, Sandy scrunched up his nose and announced, "Someone smells like marijuana?" He immediately turned to Ryan who of course lashed out, "I am not smoking weed!" Sandy reluctantly dropped the subject, he would have to watch for my signs before he made any accusations.