Ryan was sitting down at one of the tables in the room set up for the gathering after the funeral. He had just gotten a glass of soda and was sipping it. The people started to fill the room. He saw the Coopers come in. Julie and Jimmy went to the bar to get something to drink while Marissa came and sat down next to Ryan.
"Hey," Marissa said to Ryan.
"Hey," Ryan said back. He really did not know what to say. There was this awkward silence between them until Summer and Seth came over to the table where they were sitting.
"Dude, you wouldn't believe how creepy some of the people are," Seth stated. He was standing in front of Ryan.
Summer sat down next to Marissa and asked, "Hey, Coop. How are you?"
Marissa turned to Summer and gave her a look, and then turned the other way.
"Okay, then," Summer said.
The kids all sat down at the table. Seth was sitting next to Ryan and Summer was sitting next to Marissa. They watched people file into the room, waiting for someone they knew, in order to break the silence.
Finally, it happened. Ryan's mother walked into the room. She looked very presentable, considering what she was normally seen wearing. Dawn Atwood had a simplistic black dress on with short sleeves and some black pumps. Her hair had been dyed blonde, and she no longer permed her hair. She looked as if she had gotten some semblance of a life since she had seen Ryan the last time - nearly two years ago.
She walked over to where her son was sitting with his friends. She said, "Hello, Ryan."
"Mom," Ryan replied. Although he tried not to show it, deep down, he was happy to see her again - to know that she was all right, and for her to see what he had made of himself.
"I'm sorry about your brother, but he had it coming, didn't he?" Ryan's mother said. She tried to smile to make the best out of a bad situation.
"Do you want to sit down?" Ryan asked her. His mother sat down at the table across from the kids. No one said anything to anyone.
Finally Seth broke the silence, and said, "Hey did you know Ryan wants to be an architect?"
Dawn smiled smugly and replied, "Still have that dream?"
"Yeah, I do," Ryan answered.
"He's in like A.P. Physics, and Calculus - " Seth stated. Ryan glared at him. "Sorry, I'll shut up now."
"You've done real well for yourself," Dawn said to her son.
"Thanks, Mom," Ryan replied.
After that the table became silent again. Dawn had a cup of coffee in her hand. The kids all just had sodas. Once again, no one could think of anything to say. Dawn sat at the table and admired her son. She knew then that relinquishing Ryan to the Cohens' care was the best thing she could have ever done for him. "He will be something someday," she thought to herself.
Then Sandy Cohen came over to the table. He had been talking with the Coopers for awhile; however, while hearing Julie Cooper talk about her latest shopping trip was fun, he needed a change in conversation, so he decided to see what Ryan, Seth, Summer, and Marissa were doing. He walked over to the table, and noticed that Ryan's mother was sitting there, so he thought he might reintroduce himself.
"Dawn Atwood?" Sandy said. He shook her hand. "Sandy Cohen, remember me?"
"How could I forget?" Dawn replied nicely.
"How are you these days?" Sandy asked, trying to make conversation.
"Good. I'm good. I have a job at a restaurant a town over from Chino. I've had it for... about a year now," she answered. "How are you and your wife?"
"Well, I am running my own law practice now, and Kirsten is... well, Kirsten," Sandy told Dawn. He did not want to have to tell her that his wife was now getting help for alcohol abuse.
"Is she here today?" Ryan's mother asked.
"Uh, no. She was extremely busy today. Her father just died," Sandy said. He could see all the kids look at him, especially Seth. They all knew the truth about what was happening to Kirsten, but they all knew not to say anything - it was not appropriate.
"Well, I'm sorry to here that," Dawn said.
It was then that Ryan saw her - Theresa. It seemed as if she were glowing, and there was this ora around her. She had on a very conservative black dress with some nice high-heeled shoes. Theresa noticed Ryan too. He got up from the table he was sitting at, and went over to talk to her. Marissa watched him go. Although she knew that she could not stop him, it pained her to watch him go to her.
"Theresa, hey," Ryan said.
"Hey," Theresa replied.
"Don't you live in Atlanta?" Ryan asked. He thought it to be a little weird that Theresa would know about the funeral when she was supposed to be living in Atlanta.
"I had to move back home - my mom needed me," Theresa explained. She hoped that Ryan would not probe anymore into her personal life. "So how are things?"
"Well, Trey got out of jail, he tried to rape Marissa, but she got away, so he really just attacked her... Um... Kirsten's father died, she went to alcohol rehab - don't ask, and Marissa shot my brother when he was attacking me, so yeah - things are going well," Ryan replied sarcastically.
"I'm sorry," Theresa told Ryan.
"Nah, it's okay. Things will get better, right? I mean they always do," Ryan said.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, I'd better go. I just wanted to stop by and say 'hi'," Theresa replied.
"Take care," Ryan said.
"You too," Theresa told him as she walked out the door.
Ryan went back to the table. He felt a little better after he talked to her. He always felt better after he talked to her about something important. He sat down where he was sitting before and did not say a word.
"What was that about?" Seth asked.
"Uh, she just wanted to say 'hi', and see how things were. She figured that a lot was going on right now," Ryan said.
"That's cool, man," Seth said. He went on talking to Summer after that.
Marissa was not okay with it though. She did not like Theresa coming back into Ryan's life because she was afraid that it would lead to last year all over again, and she did not want that. Although she knew that when she shot Trey, that would change everything between Ryan and her forever, she did not want Theresa to come into Ryan's life, and change what Ryan and she still had left - their friendship.