Chapter 2

Lost and Found

It was probably an hour, two at the most, since they left when the phone call came. I had just fallen asleep and was beyond pissed at being woken up for the second time that night. I heard "mom" cuss and then heard a muffled hello as she answered it. "They what?" She shrieked a few seconds later and I was suddenly wide awake. The call was obviously about Ryan and Trey and I could only pray they were ok. I heard footsteps in the hallway coming towards my room and shut my eyes hoping whoever it was would think I was asleep and leave me alone. Of course the exact opposite happened.

"I know you're awake now get up!" The rough voice demanded and I opened my eyes to find AJ standing above me.

"I'm up," I told him as I quickly sat up. I knew better than to disobey him.

"Why didn't you tell us Ryan and Trey were running away?" He asked and I felt a surge of anger run through me. They were running away without me those jackasses!

"I didn't know," I answered truthfully.

"Don't lie to me!" He told me angrily and before I could react he slapped me across the face. I felt tears of pain fill my eyes but I blinked them back. The bastard would never see me cry.

"I just thought they were going out to smoke or something. I didn't know they were running away." I said preparing to get hit again. AJ would never be happy until he got what he wanted but I wasn't going to lie to him. He wasn't worth it.

"AJ sweetie are you coming back to bed?" Mom called sounding completely calm and the opposite of what she should of. She had probably just finished downing a bottle of Vodka or something.

"We'll finish this tomorrow," AJ told me and he turned and left slamming the door behind him. I gingerly touched my cheek and winced. There would be a mark for sure in the morning. Not that it mattered. The only person who cared when this happened was who knows where and obviously didn't care as much as I thought. Mom didn't care, she pretended not to notice when I came out of my room with a bloody nose for no reason and just handed me the box of Kleenex and sent me away. Filled with frustration about my unfair life I punched my pillow then fell onto my bed and buried my face in it hoping to muffle the sobs that were escaping from my mouth.

"Wow I look sexy," I muttered as I stood at the bathroom sink and stared at my tear stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. I quickly splashed some water on my face and pulled my shoulder length blonde hair into a messy bun. I then walked into our kitchen, which was also our living room and dining room, to make some toast and wait for my mom to come home. She had come into my room earlier to tell me she was going to pick up Ryan and I was eager for her to get back so I could yell at Ryan for trying to abandon me. AJ was passed out in his bedroom thank God so I knew he wouldn't have time to finish our "talk". Ryan wouldn't let him near me once he saw the hand print that had formed on my face.

"Dammit Ryan what were you thinking?" I heard my mom ask and I turned to see her standing in the open doorway clearly finishing a bitchfit that had probably started the moment Ryan got into the car with her. For a second I felt bad for him, that is until I remembered I was mad at him. Stupid bastard deserved it!

"I'm not sure ok? I didn't know we were gonna steal the car," Ryan answered loosing his temper a little as he walked into the house. He noticed me and I glared at him hoping he would get the hint I hated him at the moment.

"Well you did and I can't take it anymore! First your dad, then Trey, and now you! Who's next Caydence? I want you gone, I want you out of the house." She told him and we both looked at her in shock.

"What? I know you don't mean that." Ryan said as he glanced at me with panic in his eyes. I wanted to be angry at him still but the thought of him moving out made me want to either cry or kill mom although crying would be the better option.

"You heard her Ryan," AJ said and I jumped as I realized he was standing behind me.

"Don't talk to him that way! You're not our father you have no say over us!" I exclaimed angrily and then realized what I had just said. I was the good one, the one that never had outbursts like that. I felt fear rise up in me at what he would do but he didn't do anything. He just looked at me like he couldn't believe I spoke.

"I've had it with you, you ungrateful bitch! I want you out too," he told me when the shock wore off and I looked at my mom to see what her reaction would be. If she was an actual mom she would have booted his ass to the curb for speaking that way at her children. But remember she isn't one so she just stared at me with a blank expression on her face.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Ryan yelled as he took a step towards AJ his eyes filled with hate. I knew what was going to happen so I grabbed Ryan's arm and held him back.

"He's not worth it Ry, let's go pack our stuff." I said calmly and I glared at AJ and mom as I led him down the hallway.

"Do you have everything you need?" Ryan asked me a few minutes later as he walked into my room to find me putting my good luck bear into the duffle bag he had given me.

"Yeah, hey Ryan, where are we going to go?" I answered as I zipped the bag closed and turned to look at him.

"I'm not sure but I have a plan, what the hell happened to your face?" He asked as he noticed my cheek for the first time.

"AJ wanted to know why I didn't tell them you and Trey were leaving." I answered truthfully.

"That bastard! He has no right to hit you!" Ryan exploded and started to head out the door, no doubt heading to find AJ but I stopped him.

"Let's just get out of here. No more fights." I told him and he looked at me for a second and then nodded. "Bye AJ bye Dawn," I said as I walked past them and followed Ryan out the door grinning at the fact I didn't have to call her mom anymore. "So your genius plan was to take us to a phone booth?" I asked a half hour later as we stood on the sidewalk and he dug around in his pocket for something.

"No," he answered giving me a look, "My plan is to call the district attorney who told me to call him if I had problems with mom." He found the small card that I assumed had this lawyers number on it and hit the buttons on the phone. I tuned out the conversation as I thought of the possibilites of the call. Number one was this guy, or girl Ryan never said, would give us money or something and we would live on our own and live happily ever after. Number two this person adopted us because they always wanted kids and gave us money and we lived happily ever after. And then there was number three where the person didn't care and kicked us to the curb or worse yet made us go back to the house. "Did you hear me?" Ryan asked taking me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

"No," I answered smiling at him and trying to look innocent.

"I said Mr. Cohen will be here any minute." He told me as he shook his head at me and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket.

"You should really quit, it's bad for your health." I remarked and he rolled his eyes and lit it. I always told him that and he always reacted that way. He suddenly threw it to the ground and put it out and I looked in the direction he was to see a shiny black car pull up to the curb. The driver door opened and I expected to see an old scary man or something equal to that emerge since the last scenario I had made seemed most likely to happen but instead a middle aged man with black hair, bushy eyebrows, and a grin spread on his face came over and shook Ryan's hand.

"Mr. Cohen this is my little sister Caydence," Ryan told him and I smiled politely as I shook his hand.

"Please call me Sandy, Mr. Cohen was my father. Now how about we go home," he said and I grinned. He had said home which meant he wasn't going to kick us to the curb! He was offering us a home (well at least that's what it sounded like) and for the first time I felt what I had lost a long time ago, hope.