Raising Ryan
Chapter 11 – Sex, Lies and Napkin Girl
The house was quiet when Ryan entered the kitchen. He wasn't sure where everyone was but he chose to gamble on his privacy anyway.
Grabbing the hand held phone, he pulled the napkin out of his jeans pocket and dialed.
"Hello?"
"Hi, um, is Samantha there?"
"Can I tell her who's calling?"
"Ryan."
There were a few moments of quiet while the person on the other end attempted to locate Samantha. Ryan paced in the kitchen waiting for a voice to return on the line.
"Hello? Ryan?"
"Hey."
"Hey! I'm glad you called. So what's going on?"
"Nothing much. Just thought I'd give you a call."
"I was actually on my way down to the pier, do you want to meet me?"
"Um," wincing, knowing full well he was currently grounded from his intimate moment with that bottle of Jack a few days before, he stole a look into the living room before replying. "Yeah, I can meet you. Where are you going to be?"
"Meet me out front of the diner and we'll go from there."
"Cool. See you in a bit."
Hanging up the phone, Ryan stood locked in his spot for a moment. It had been a while since he purposely disobeyed Kirsten, and he was suddenly second-guessing his decision to do so. He was surprised to find himself feeling so guilty. Guilty or not, Samantha was waiting. Slipping out the patio door, he grabbed his jacket and he left.
On the pier, Kirsten stopped at the last florist to drop off a 'thank you' for participating in the charity event. When the store's owner suggested that Kristen select some flowers for a fresh cut bouquet, she moved over to the cooler to indulge herself in the offer. With several flowers already in her hand, she noticed a young girl standing next to her, looking perplexed while studying flower arrangements in the next cooler.
"Go for something that has hot pink, purple and yellow. Those colors always seem to pop," Kirsten encouraged the girl.
Surprised by the stranger's interest in what she was doing, the girl turned to Kirsten and they shared a moment of déjà vu.
"I'm embarrassed to admit, I think I know you, but I can't place from where," the girl greeted politely.
"Me too, um…"
After studying each other for a moment, Kirsten finally put it all together. "Oh wait, you came to the floral show. You're the girl in the purple dress," she smiled.
"That's right! That was me. And you were the lady standing next to the boy handing out the programs. Are you his Mom?"
"Oh, um, no. No, I'm not, exactly. It's a long story but I am his guardian."
"Oh that's nice. I'm looking forward to seeing him again and getting to talk to him a little more."
"I'm sure he'd like that."
"That's good to know. Well, I guess I should go catch up with Ryan," she giggled enthusiastically.
"It was nice seeing you."
"Bye. Oh, and thanks for the advice on the flowers. My Mom's birthday is next week so I came down here for some ideas."
Kirsten was happy for Ryan and she was glad to see a 'nice' girl had taken a liking to him. Unaware of the secret rendezvous, he hoped the girl would keep to her word and call Ryan sometime.
Out front of the diner, Ryan nervously rocked back and forth with his hands in his pockets. He'd looked up and down the pier so many times he was beginning to wonder if Sami had changed her mind.
"Hey Ryan."
"Hey."
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"That's okay."
"So, what should we do? Can I interest you in a Balboa Bar or something? My treat."
"Aren't I supposed to be doing the treating?"
Laughing, "Well, I've been a little forward all along. I'll get this one, next one's on you, okay?"
"Okay," he smiled, following her across the pier.
They picked a bench off to the side, away from the traffic of the pier. Sitting down they quietly munched on their snack and stared at the ocean.
"So Ryan Atwood, tell me about yourself."
"On the first date? Do I have to? I was just starting to like you."
Chuckling, "Oh come on. What's the matter? Afraid I won't still like you after you tell me you come from a place not quite as glamorous as Newport and that you've gotten into some trouble now and then…maybe even stole a car or two…"
Ryan felt a piece of unchewed sugar cone slide down his throat, scraping the sides and causing him to cough. "Four cars actually." He looked questioningly at his new friend.
"Don't look so upset. Gossip runs rampant here just as it would in any small town in the Midwest."
"So that's why you wanted to go out with me…for the shock value. Maybe to get even with your parents…"
"No, no. That's not it at all. I didn't know a thing about you until after the floral show. Of course Blaine's Mom was all too happy about filling my Mom in with all the details of your troubles with her son…who probably had it coming as anyone who lives here would freely admit." She paused a moment, noticing that Ryan's mood had changed. "Ryan, when I met you, you were such a gentlemen to me. You looked amazing in that suit…and from where I'm sitting you're looking good in those jeans too. You can't let these Newpsies make your life for you. They'll try to control you if you let them. I saw a good person the day I met you and that's the person I'm interested in getting to know. I don't care what anyone else thinks."
"You mean it?"
"Absolutely. Now you better eat that ice cream, it's melting."
The sun was setting when Ryan raced up the driveway on his bike and made a detour towards the back yard, dropping his bike in the grass. Bolting around the bushes on foot near the barbeque pit, he came face to face with Sandy and it stopped him dead in his tracks. Out of breath from barreling home on his bike, Ryan couldn't even get any words out.
"Hey," Sandy greeted. "You're looking a little guilty there kid. Anything you want to tell me?"
Realizing he wasn't going to get out of this entirely, "I went for a bike ride, down to the pier. I lost track of time."
"The pier? I thought you were grounded."
"I was…I am."
An uneasy silence consumed the patio.
Returning his attention back to the dinner cooking in front of him, "Kirsten just walked in. I don't think she knows you were gone. It's time for dinner. I want you to do inside and sit down."
Swallowing hard, Ryan nodded. "Okay."
He felt equally as awkward in the kitchen in Kirsten's presence. Seth, who was normally a good diversion for times like this, was sitting quietly at the table just waiting for his Dad to bring the main course in.
"Oh, Ryan, there you are. It's time to eat honey. Sit down."
Taking his seat at the table, Kirsten noticed his demeanor but tuned it out. She knew he tended to brood when he was being punished. But her interest was perked when Sandy walked in from the patio and set the plate full of chicken down on the table. She could see Ryan tense up and she noticed Sandy studying him as he set the plate on the table.
"Alright you two, what's going on?" Kirsten asked point blank before standing in front of them both with her hands on her hips, expecting an answer.
"Ryan?"
Ryan only closed his eyes and lowered his head. Not a good sign.
"Sandy?"
Taking a deep breath, "I wasn't going to say anything because I thought it was harmless enough. He went on a bike ride today even though he was supposed to be grounded."
Ryan's thumb stroked the tail of his fork as a distraction.
"Ryan, we talked about this. You were grounded for a week. Why did you go out?"
"I just went for a ride. I'm going stir crazy sitting in my room."
"Where did you go?"
"Just…out riding."
Forcing Ryan to keep his story straight, Sandy sat down at the opposite end of the table and interjected his version of the events. "Ryan, you told me you went down to the pier."
That information was the missing piece to the puzzle…but no one, except Kirsten had the rest of the pieces.
"The pier? You went down to the pier, knowing you were grounded?" she pressed. Ryan nodded. "What did you do there?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"No. I didn't do anything. The only thing I'm guilty of is leaving."
"And lying."
The words hung in the air like storm clouds and they caught Ryan's attention.
"Ryan, I was at the pier today."
"So?"
"So…I happened to run into someone…someone you showed an interest in. The girl in the purple dress. Ring a bell?"
It rang a bell, with Seth, unfortunately. "You snuck out of the house to go see napkin girl?"
"Shut up Seth!" Ryan warned. "Alright. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I snuck out and I'm sorry I lied to you. Okay? It's just that…"
"It's just what?"
Stalling, "She likes me, for me. And she talks to me. She's different, I can tell. I didn't want…I didn't want to lose the chance to get to know her."
Unable to control his mouth, "I'm sorry, did you say 'know' her or 'bone' her?" Seth inquired, bringing Ryan to the brink of rage.
"I thought I told you to shut the fuck up!"
"Hey!" Sandy reprimanded. "That word, and what it represents, will not be used or discussed at the dinner table. Is that clear?" He waited for both boys to acknowledge him with a nod.
Returning his focus back to his dinner, "Guess Ryan is a little protective of napkin girl," Seth mumbled under his breath.
Sandy and Kirsten exchanged a look. Now what? Ryan broke a rule, but he was also being honest and came clean. Part of this situation required a punishment and part of it required praise. Sandy was relieved when Kirsten took over the reigns.
"Okay Ryan. I understand why you did what you did. Do you understand that leaving the house was wrong?"
He nodded.
"Because you were honest with me, I won't extend your grounding. But…if you pull that again, you'll get two extra weeks instead of one. Do you understand?"
He nodded again.
"Okay. Eat your dinner."
That night, Kirsten turned down the blanket as she and Sandy prepared for bed. Removing her robe, she hung it in the bathroom and shuffled across the room and into the bed next to Sandy, who'd already made himself comfortable.
"Quite a day huh?" he asked.
"Boy you're not kidding."
"Think he really likes this girl?"
"He seems to. I found it odd that he got upset when Seth brought up them sleeping together. Ryan would never have thought twice about taking a girl to bed."
"He said this one talks to him. Maybe she makes him feel appreciated."
"Maybe. Then again, maybe he's the one that's changing."
Sandy thought about his wife's observation and thought it was a good time to bring up his conversation with Ryan.
"I hadn't had a chance to tell you this yet, but Ryan and I had a talk."
"You did? About what?"
"Yesterday morning he flinched really hard when I reached past him to get a coffee mug. I felt terrible. I just didn't think. I especially didn't think something like that would startle him."
"What did he say? Did he explain anything to you?"
Nodding, "He did. I was glad you didn't worsen his punishment today after he'd been honest because he was honest with me too. I don't want him to stop talking to us."
Sandy shared the story Ryan had told him of the soda, the spill and the smack that sent him to the floor. Kirsten could only sit and shake her head as the story evolved from bad to worse.
"I'm not sure he'll ever trust me," Sandy stated softly. "I can see he tries, he wants to. But I think he's just going through the motions. He's always got his guard up."
"Don't give up on him Sandy. He's come a long way since he's been with us."
"Oh I'll never give up on him. But I think he's the one that feels defeated. It's humiliating to him. What those people put him through…" His words trailed off. It hurt too much to consider the truth. "Just when I think I'm gaining his trust, something happens, like the coffee mug, and it sends us back to the beginning."
Laying her head on Sandy's shoulder, "You know, there was a time when he came to me and you praised the fact that he was comfortable enough to talk to me. He told you this story about the soda. That's how it starts Sandy. He trusted you with this piece of his life. That's a good start."
"It is."
Snaking through the house in the dark, Seth found himself at the door to the pool house. Seeing Ryan's light was still on, he let himself in.
"Ever heard of knocking?" Ryan grumbled without looking up from his book.
"Yeah, but it's overrated." Having learned his lesson in the past, Seth skipped taking a seat on Ryan's bed and promptly parked himself in the Warden's chair, immediately drawing Ryan's attention.
"What?"
"Well, couple things, actually. First, I wanted to say…I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"You know, for making fun of napkin girl at dinner."
"She has a name Seth."
"I know. But I sort of like calling her napkin girl. It has mystery to it. Anyways, I'm sorry."
"Fine. What else?"
"Well, I was wondering…were you serious when you said you could get me laid or were you just messing with me?"
Lowering his book down onto the bed, Ryan glared at Seth, who continued to babble.
"I'm just asking because sometimes I never know whether or not you're being serious."
"Right. I always keep a loose girl in the closet for emergencies."
"A loose girl?"
Getting irritated, "A girl who'll fuck anybody…look, if you're that desperate I'm sure your Mom has some lotion in the house somewhere and I seriously doubt your right hand has any other plans tonight." Closing his book, he tossed it on the floor and stood up from the bed. Realizing Seth wasn't countering his wisecrack, he turned and found him sitting quietly, picking at the wicker under his hand. He was such a poster child for self-pity. "Come on man. I told you, when it's meant to happen…"
"I know, I know. But what you don't get is that for a guy like me, it'll never happen like that. Girls like you. They don't treat you like fungus. They look at you and they want to do things to you. Girls look at me and wonder if I'm in Special Ed. You're confident when you talk to them. You know what to do with them and I don't know anything. See what I mean? Unless there's an intervention from a higher power, or at least you running some interference, I'm going to die a virgin, Ryan."
"What happened to finding a piece of ass you can love?"
"No, that was for you because you get an over abundance of ass. I can afford to be less choosy."
"You're serious? You don't care about the girl, you just want to get laid?"
"Yes. For ten minutes I want to be you."
"Don't ever refer to me as a quick trigger because I'm not."
"Sorry."
Ryan looked at his pathetically girl-challenged foster brother and took pity on him. "All right, I'll get you hooked up. But it's going to have to wait until I'm done being grounded. If you're Mom gives me two more weeks for another screw up, I'll go insane."
"You mean it? You'll really help me…get a girl."
"She won't be the love of your life, but yeah. We'll think of something."
"Okay. I can wait. I've waited this long, what's another few days."
"I'm sure it'll be a long few days for me," Ryan complained.
Carrying two take out bags full of food, Kirsten plunked them down on the table and noticed Ryan's voice in the air. Glancing out the open patio door, she found him sitting on a patio chair with his back to her, talking on the phone. She was surprised to hear how laid back he sounded, even laughing at times. Walking up to him, she tapped him on the shoulder causing him to whirl around with his smile fading away at the sight of her.
"Can you hold on a second?" Ryan asked the person on the other line. Standing up he cupped his hand over the phone, lowered it and turned around to face Kirsten, expecting certain scolding for being on the phone.
"Who's that?"
"Sami."
"Do I know who that is?"
"Napkin girl."
"Who?"
Rolling his eyes, "Purple dress girl."
"Oh! I see. Well, tell her that you have to go because you have to set the table and…" Kirsten continued to give instructions as Ryan tried to protest ending the call. "IF…you're a good boy and you do as you're told, you can invite her to dinner sometime after you get ungrounded."
That was a pretty good deal. Raising the phone to his head, "Sami? I have to go. I have to set the table for dinner. No, I don't, it's a girl chore, but I sort of got…grounded…and I'm trying to make the Warden happy. I know. Maybe you could, come by for dinner sometime? Okay. Cool. I know. I will. I know. Bye."
Kirsten waited patiently in front of Ryan to make sure he ended his call. "What was all of that at the end?"
Suddenly regretting letting Kirsten eavesdrop, "She said to stay out of trouble and do what I'm told because she'd like to see me again."
"Aw."
"Don't even…"
"Come on Romeo. Time to set the table."
(TBC)…