Title: Apples and Trees

Description: Ryan is in danger of following in his brother's footsteps.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to The O.C.. Not for profit.

Chapter 6

A week later, Ryan was at home alone, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and bored out of his mind.

Ryan needed to find a job, and soon. Not just because he was bored. He couldn't just sit around the house and do nothing, mooching off the Cohens like some people (cough, Hailey, cough). Like his mom said to Trey way back when: if you're not going to school, you'd better get a job. Oh, god, when did he start taking advice from his mother? Trey certainly never did. He never did get a real job. Until he came to Newport and got the job at The Bait Shop, that is. In Chino, after he quit school and left home, he made his living stealing cars and other things. Ryan certainly wasn't about to be like Trey.

As much as he resisted it, he couldn't deny that his mother was right in this instance. While he was in school, he did need someone to financially support him. But now, there was no reason he couldn't get a full-time job and support himself. He should get a job and support himself, as much as possible, anyway. So he'd been looking, unfortunately without any success. The only jobs to be had in Newport, it seemed, were temporary holiday jobs, like at the mall, dealing with the obnoxious holiday shopping crowd. No thank-you. Ryan wanted something more permanent; something that would last for the next eight months or so before the next school year started.

And he needed to find something soon. He was bored to death already, and it had only been a week. A week of no school, no job, and not seeing much of Marissa, or Seth and Summer. They were still all busy with their new lives and he didn't see any more of them now than he did when he was still doing home schooling. And Sandy and Kirsten were busy liquidating the Newport Group. They wanted to get it finished by the end of the year.

Since he hadn't been able to find anything in Newport, Ryan had found himself thinking seriously of leaving town, just for a while. Not running away, just – what do they call it? – a strategic withdrawal. He'd make sure he was back in time for school. He was beginning to think that he really needed this, and not just to find a job. He needed to get away for a while, away from this place, out of Newport. Be by himself, rely only upon himself.

It was actually what Sandy said last week that put the idea in his head. He knew that Sandy didn't really mean "my way or the highway", like it sounded. He knew that the Cohens would never ask him to leave. But it did get him thinking about what it would be like to leave, at least for a little while. He'd been thinking about it casually off and on since Sandy said it. There was really no reason not to leave. Nothing really tying him here, at least not until school started up again next fall.

He didn't have classes to attend. He didn't have a job to get to. He wasn't on probation any more, so there were no restrictions on his travel. Seth and Marissa didn't need him. Seth had Summer and he was getting along fine at school without Ryan there (except for the Dean Hess crap). Marissa had her new school and her new friends. She wasn't drinking any more and she seemed to be handling her family situation just fine.

The more he thought about it, the more attractive the idea became. He had some money saved, from his various jobs plus his allowance plus some gift money he got for his birthday and Christmas. It should be enough to tide him over until he could find a new job. Plus, he knew that if he got into any trouble, financial or otherwise, he could always come back. He had a safety net. That made it a whole lot easier.

Ryan could imagine himself doing what Trey did, or at least what he started to do: get a job, get his own place. Well, maybe not an actual apartment, but at least rent a room by the month or something. He didn't need much. After all, he was going to be 18 in less than six months. He could easily be doing something like this after he turned 18. You know, if he wasn't coming back to finish school.

And it wouldn't be like when he left to go back to Chino with Theresa. This time, he didn't have anyone that he had to take care of except himself. He could go anywhere, do anything. And he had to figure that Seth wouldn't run away this time. He had Summer and school, and he and Ryan hardly ever saw each other these days anyway. Ryan would take his cell, keep in touch. And he was definitely going to be coming back. The Cohen family should be fine this time, not fall apart like they did before.

But, then, Ryan thought, what about the holidays that were coming up? Maybe he should wait until after. Ryan was waffling. It would be nice to spend the holidays with the Cohens and Marissa. But, on the other hand, that would mean waiting an entire month. And he still hated Christmas. You couldn't erase 15 years of horrible holidays with two better ones.

And actually, thinking back, these last two haven't exactly been smooth sailing, either. Between the shoplifting, drinking, and almost getting arrested that first Christmas, not to mention the I love you fiasco that New Year's Eve. And then last year, with the revelation of Caleb's affair that resulted in Lindsay. Maybe it would be better just to skip the holidays altogether.

After some more studying on the matter, Ryan made a decision. He decided to leave Newport, for a while. Obviously, Sandy and Kirsten weren't going to like this. After a short struggle with his conscience, Ryan decided the only way to do it was to leave without asking their permission. After all, he was almost 18.

Ryan got up from the bed and started to pack his duffle bag. He figured that he might as well do it now. The sooner the better. Before he chickened out. He was leaving them a note. And he was taking his cell phone. It would be fine.

To be continued.