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Panz, aren't we all?

SVOC Luva, you just gotta keep reading. :)

Here is Chapter Four.

Disclaimer : No...not mine...sniff

Walking home alone was one of Ryan's favourite things to do. That was the only time that he could observe other people without them observing him in return as though as he was some sort of criminal. At the same time he was away from a place he had to call home, where his drunkard mother and her drug-addict partner weren't very welcoming to him. Although he didn't like what Trey did, somehow he wanted Trey to be there, at least he had someone to talk to. But that didn't really matter that day, he had a very nice talk with Kirsten and for once he actually felt important. He wondered when they were going to meet again, but he did not put any high hopes on it - after all, what would a lady from the higher society wanted to do with him?

Kicking the can on the street, he walked home slowly - hoping the journey wouldn't end.

When Kirsten arrived home, she was dead tired. Caleb gave her a day off to take a break, he sure would be surprised the next day to see her even more worn out. She started to think of the excuses she could use for tomorrow as she walked into the house.

"Hey honey, where have you been? I called your office and Caleb said you were on leave. I tried home and your cell but none worked." Sandy was relieved that his wife was home, but he could sense that she has had a long day. He regretted posing questions as soon as she came in, but there was nothing he could do but to wait for her answer now.

Kirsten put her handbag on the couch and ruffled Seth's hair as he said something about ''her husband's being very obedient tonight'' to her and got back to his game. She smiled back and turned to Sandy and said, "I had a long day hun, let me get my bath first and I'll tell you everything later okay?" She gave Sandy a peck on the cheek and headed upstairs, massaging her own shoulders. She didn't like to keep Sandy on hold but she really needed a bath to refresh herself. After all, she wasn't even sure if Sandy would approve the idea of meeting the boy who stole from her. Taking a bath would be a good idea as she could use a little time to figure out what to say to Sandy and Caleb.

As Ryan reached the outside of his house, he let out a heavy sigh.

'Here goes,' he thought. He took out his daily earnings from his pocket and carefully divided the amount of money that he had. He knew he had to save some for himself - his mom and A.J. were the last people on earth who knew what "allowance" is. He didn't take much for himself, just enough to get himself lunch and hopefully dinner for the next day. He placed the money that he wanted to keep into his left pocket, and flattening the surface so that A.J. would not be able to notice that there was something in it.

Just before he unlocked the door he could hear his mother screaming. And just a few seconds after that he heard the crashing sound of glass against the closed door. Without wasting any more time, Ryan opened the door just to see A.J. throwing Dawn onto the floor and hitting her.

"STOP! Stop it! Get off her A.J.!" Ryan was struggling to pull him away from her. 'God, is he heavy,' he thought as he continued to pull. By now, A.J. was getting really irritated and turned to hit Ryan in the face. Ryan fell to the ground and A.J. continued to punch him to the ground. As Ryan was clutching his stomach in pain from the punches, A.J. continued to kick him, causing him to wince in pain. Dawn could do nothing but watch.

"So you want a piece of me ay boy! You don't come into the picture when I'm giving your mother a lesson! You hear me!" shouted A.J. in between kicks. Ryan was in so much pain that he could not answer. He could see his blood staining the floor as he continued to feel A.J.'s soles on top of him, producing more pain with every strike. For one moment he thought he was going to die. Just as A.J.'s had enough, he grabbed Ryan by the collar and pushed him against the wall.

Breathing down his neck, Ryan could smell the alcohol from A.J.'s breath. "Where's the money?"

His hands trembling, not with fear, but with hesitation, he handed over the money from his right pocket. A.J. snatched it from his hands and started counting. When he was satisfied he let Ryan go and stepped out of the house, slamming the door. Ryan just slipped to the ground, silently praying nothing in him was broken.

The house was quiet all of a sudden, all Ryan could hear was his mother crying. He crawled painfully towards Dawn and slowly asked,

"You okay?"

Dawn continued to cry and told her son in between sobs,

"You have to leave this house Ryan. If you don't A.J.'s going to kill you sooner or later. Look at you, he came this close to putting your lights off!" she sounded a little bit more angry by then.

Ryan didn't understand. Where could he go? And to leave Dawn behind with A.J.? As Ryan's knees and palms were on the floor, Dawn held his face and gave him a hard slap.

"Aren't you listening? I said LEAVE!" She slapped him one more time, "RYAN!"

Ryan didn't have the time to think what was best for him and his mother. She was so desperate on wanting him to leave that his legs obeyed her as he walked out the door. He walked down the street - not knowing where to go - with tears of anger falling down his cheeks. He was in pain, yet he felt numb. Feeling his left pocket, he was somehow a little glad that the money was still there. But he wasn't about to let A.J. get away for the things he did to the family. He would find a way to get him out of the house, but not just yet - he was in no condition to face him at that moment. All he wanted to do now was to runaway, and find a place where he could rest.

Then he felt something else in his pocket. He took the hard material out and realized it was Kirsten's business card.

"Call me if you need anything" he remembered her words. His steps stopped as he glanced at the phone booth in front of him.

"Remember, trust no one, and look after yourself. Do not bow down to anyone". Trey's words to him before he left for prison placed Ryan in a dilemma.

'Should I?' Ryan thought as he fiddled the card in his hand. The taste of blood in his mouth and his tired body was tempting him badly.

'Damn you, Trey' were the words in Ryan's head as he walked past the phone booth, keeping the card into his pocket.

This wasn't his day at all.

"Seth Cohen!"

Seth recognized that voice. The last time he spoke to her she was very keen on sending him away. He wondered if the stain was removable.

"Summer! What a pleasant surprise! What is it that I can do for you now this time?"

Summer threw the shirt that he poured soda on the other day to him.

"It's still there!"

"Wow! Isn't that great! Now you'll have a permanent color shade on it! Hey, you have any more of these, I could pour more soda on them and we can start a business."

"Cohen, the only people who would want you for a business partner would be those as mentally challenged as you!"

"Alright, alright, so what do you want me to do?"

"I don't care how you do it, but I want you to get me a new one. Otherwise, you'd better put that 'Saddam' plan of yours into action!"

Without giving him a chance to respond, she stormed off, leaving him with the shirt.

Just then, Luke - Seth's most disliked water polo player - passed by and saw Seth him the shirt.

"Move away, queer." Luke snarled.

"At least I don't shave my chest." answered Seth.

"What did you say?"

"You didn't hear that Luke? I said that you look great in that vest."

Just as she was about to leave her desk, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey honey, just calling to check up on you. Are you sure you don't want to take a break? You shouldn't have gone down to the orphanage to see those kids yesterday, we could have done that together on the weekends."

She loved it when he was concerned. Kirsten didn't like lying to Sandy, he was, as a matter of fact, the only person she could trust. However, she figured out that telling her husband about her meeting with Ryan wasn't necessary, after all it's not like she was going to see him everyday.

"Yes honey, I'm fine. I just wanted to see those kids, since I had the time. But we could go again this weekend if you want."

"Yes, but..."

"Listen, I've got to go now..." Kirsten interrupted him as she saw Caleb at her door. She wasn't going to let her husband hear another lie.

"Alright, see you at home. I love you." was all Sandy managed to say.

"Okay, I love you too."

Caleb entered her room just as she hung up.

"Kiki I need you to contact Ms Jenson about the contract. She was supposed to call up yesterday, but then again, that's Ms Jenson. Do you mind?"

"No, no, I'll give her a call."

"If I'm not mistaken Kiki, you look even more tired than yesterday. Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, dad."

"Very well then, I'll be out from the office today. You can handle the reps from Flagston Coorperation when they're here."

"Where are you going?" Kirsten was relieved Caleb did not ask her where she had been yesterday.

"I uh...I need to meet up with another client. He couldn't make it here due to unforeseen circumstances. Goodbye Kiki."

As Caleb left, Kirsten couldn't help but feel that she wasn't the only one who was keeping secrets.

"Hey, hey mister?" A little girl holding a lollipop was now waking Ryan, who spent his night on the cold, steel bench next to the lamp post. As he got up, the sight of dried blood on his shirt scared the little girl away. Her scream did not help Ryan, who now felt as though there were people knocking his head with hammers as though it was a set of drums. His body ached as he struggled to sit up. He silently thanked the girl for waking him, although he felt like he should have been left to die - if that was possible. Burying his head in his hands, he tried to recall the events that happened less than 24 hours ago.

A.J...the money...Dawn kicking him out of the house...

Whatever that happened last night, it sure had to cool off by now, or so he thought. Pulling out some money from his left pocket, his appetite shifted his gaze to the hotdog vendor across the street. If he was lucky, he might be able to get some chilly dogs without scaring 90 percent of the customers away, if he was as much as the other 10 percent. He zipped his jacket to cover his bloodstains and washed his face with the water of the fountain nearby. 'I should look pretty decent by now,' he thought. Even though he was still sore from the beat-up last night, he limped his way to the vendor to get his feed.

He wasn't entirely full, but it was enough to last him for a couple of hours. After all, he was going to walk back home and pretended nothing has happened. It was always like that - he would runaway, come back, and earn his keep again.

As he took the corner to his house, he saw something very unusual in front of his house.

Ryan froze.