Chapter Two

"Kirsten, listen to me! You didn't expect me to leave him there!" Sandy raised his arms, and slapped them at his side in discomfort and aggravation- simply because his wife was being so unnaturally inconsiderate.

"I also didn't expect you to bring your case into my household." Kirsten maintained a tense, yet very calm, and monotone voice while discussing the issue with Sandy. Kirsten closed her eyes, and inhaled. " Sandy! You don't even know him- why do you trust him? How can you assume that he's a good kid?" At this point, Kirsten blew her top of. Sandy hadn't seen her so upset with him in a long while.

"Kirsten," Sandy paused, searching for a way to persuade her correctly- he assumed granting her a free guilt trip would be nifty. "If you allow this boy to live on the streets, you'll regret it forever." Sandy shrugged, and went to hug his wife. He wrapped his arms around her petite body, and he kissed her forehead, "Just think about it, okay? Please, don't make any hasty decisions. A person's future depends on you." Sandy, obviously proud of himself- seeing that Kirsten was deep in thought. He nodded, and lessened his tight grip in his wife's waist.

"Damn you, Sandy." Kirsten whispered, with a small smile, lingering on her face.

"What's the matter?" Sandy asked, repeating her cute, yet oddly obnoxious smile.

"You're just such a thoughtful man, that's all." Kirsten started to shake her head, and she closed her eyes, still smiling. She gently touched her forehead, as if by doing so, she'd be absolved of all her problems and burdens- including the ones at work, home, and now the new addition, Ryan Atwood.

Sandy scrunched his nose dismissively and asked with utter sarcasm, "Me?" Sandy then plastered a completely stupefied look on his face. They both laughed intently, until Seth came in and barged in on the jolly moment.

"What's up, familia?" Seth asked, oblivious to the fact that he was about to be told about a brother. Kirsten's face hardened as she pooled for a few words to tell Seth to simply sit down, let alone announce Ryan's stay. Sandy looked at Kirsten, who was struggling, but trying to cover it up nevertheless. Seth's eyes widened, as if willing his parents to say something- anything would be good. "You can't be pregnant. Can't possibly be an alcoholic. Can't have cancer. Can't be flying to the moon. Okay, fine, I'm all out of guesses. What's up familia?" Seth repeated in the same impatient, and expectant voice.

"Sit down, Seth." Sandy touched his son's shoulder, and said in a stern voice that withdrew no evident reaction from Seth. He obediently sat down, and with the biggest, possibly most annoying puppy dog eyes, begged for a bone- except unmetamorphically speaking, he begged for the juicy news. Kirsten sat beside Seth, and smiled, as she touched his arm in a motherly gesture.

"Well, son," Kirsten paused, grinning from ear to ear, but Seth saw right through it- it was nothing as glowing and precious as her usual, real smiles, "I'm out of words. Sandy, you take it from here." Kirsten nodded, and sighed. She wasn't proud of the fact that she couldn't tell her own son, but she wasn't ready to speak it to the world.

"Alright Seth. Here's the deal," Sandy spoke in a orderly voice, as he swiftly sat down, and got straight to business. "Your mother, and I, have decided to take in a boy into our household. And that's it." As Sandy finished, Ryan as if on cue, came into the kitchen. Ryan hesitated, as he stood frozen seeing the family was having a discussion.

"Funny how you can always tell you're being talked about." Ryan smiled, and presented his luggage. Sandy got up abruptly, with a concerned look on his face. "No Mr. Cohen, it's okay. I can't invade your privacy- I've already made your work hell and I don't want to bug you anymore. I'll live somewhere else, it's really no big deal. I'm surprised that you even considered taking me in. I can't burden your wife, or even your son with my staying here. Just doesn't feel right." Ryan announced, already packed up to leave.

"No, Ryan," Kirsten spoke frantically, as she too got up, "You can't leave. You haven't even seen how life is around here. You owe it to Sandy to see at least that. If you don't like it, we can't stop you." Kirsten finally said, worried.

"We want you to stay here." Sandy then said right after Kirsten.

"Why?" Seth spat out quickly, unintentionally, but Sandy returned him a cold glare that made him melt in his seat.

"I," Ryan hesitated, and tried desperately not to respond to the twister of feelings that was going about inside him, "I," Ryan tried to breath, but more then anything he wanted to sit down. He hadn't yet been accompanied by such a situation- and never had he had so many emotions being evoked inside of him, particularly confusion. Life was so simple- he stole cars, fled, then laughed so hard about it with his brother, Tray. It was painstakingly difficult to attempt a good life, when his old life was full of empty promises, devious hate, and unbearable angst. Through much revision in his mind, a re-run of his life in a mini slideshow in his conscience, and much contemplation, Ryan shrugged and looked specially at Seth- looking for acceptance from his 'brother'. "I'll stay?" It played differently in his mind. He would pronounce these two words with sheer confidence, not hesitation. But he couldn't help how he felt- for once in his life he wasn't 120 sure- he was afraid.

"Oh, Honey, that's great." Kirsten smiled gently, and went to hug Ryan to celebrate the absolute bliss.

The End.

They all lived happily ever after.

As if. Although Ryan's conflict and resolution was evident, with staying at the Cohen's, he was still clueless about life. But that wasn't the biggest point. His soon to be, perhaps not yet legal brother, showed obvious signs of passionate dislike towards Ryan.

"Seth, why don't you show Ryan around?" Seth smiled and jumped up.

"Whoop-dee-doo!" Seth said sarcastically, in a schoolgirl, squeaky voice. Ryan controlled his intolerable craving of punching Seth (the macho-I-don't-know-who-I'm-dealing-with-punk). Ryan smiled at the idea, and with superficial happiness followed Seth. Seth let Ryan up the stairs, and briefly showed him the rooms, until he came upon his own.

"This is my palace." Seth grinned. Already Ryan and Seth were starting to hate each other with a burning craze.

"Seth, can we talk?" Ryan asked, as he stood outside Seth's room- while Seth made himself comfortable on his bed.

"For a moment, yes." Seth replied.

"Okay, since I'm going to be staying here- can we not live on a war ground?" Ryan asked.

"Oh dearest Ryan, what do you possibly mean?" Seth asked quite sarcastically in an English accent.

Ryan exhaled and shrugged, "You don't have much friends at school- do you?"