Chapter 7
A Phone Call"How is it possible that they fall asleep that quick?" Angel groaned as she crawled over her little brothers car seats in order to get out of the car. Ashton and Adrian barely stirred as Ryan took them both into his arms. James woke up when Marissa picked him up but immediately fell back to sleep. Chino was barking up a storm from inside the house.
"Chino! Hush it up!" Ryan hissed as he pushed open the back door with his foot after Marissa unlocked it. Chino hopped around excitedly, Angel grabbing him by the collar.
"Come on you crazy animal," she tugged him up the stairs with her and into her room. Ryan took the twins into their bedroom. He sat down in the rocking chair in the corner and waited for Marissa. He looked down at the boys. Adrian was rocking back and forth against Ryan's chest. It was something he had been doing since he was an infant and Marissa and Ryan still couldn't figure out why. Ashton was sort of humming. That was his trait. Ryan sighed. He had the bouncer and the hummer.
"James go down okay?" he asked as Marissa came in the room. She nodded and eased Ashton out of his arms. They pulled on the twins' pajamas and set them down in their 'big boy beds'.
"Maybe we'll get a full night sleep huh?" Marissa pushed Ryan gently on their way back to Angel's room.
"Hopefully," Ryan yawned.
"It was your fault you know that right?" Marissa teased him.
"Yeah yeah," Ryan pushed her back. The two poked their heads into their teenager's room. She was curled up next to Chino in the middle of her bed, already asleep.
"And she accused her brothers of falling asleep fast," Marissa whispered.
"Night Angel, night Chino," Ryan whispered, ready to close the door.
"Night Daddy. Night Momma," Angel whispered, half asleep. Chino wagged his stubby tail and lifted his head slightly.
"We're so lucky," Marissa observed as they closed the door of their bedroom behind them. Ryan pulled his shirt off over his head.
"Yeah," he agreed, yawning again. Marissa jumped slightly as the phone started to ring shrilly.
"Who's calling so late?" Ryan wondered out loud.
"Should we let the machine get it?" Marissa asked. Ryan lifted the receiver off of its perch.
"Hello?"
"Ryan?"
Ryan paused for a second, stunned.
"Caden?"
"Caden?" Marissa quickly scrambled up on the bed next to Ryan, pressing her ear to the back of the phone.
There was a long sigh on the other end.
"Yeah, it's me."
"Where the hell are you Caden? We haven't heard from you in over 6 months! Your mom and dad don't know what to think anymore!" Ryan yelled, not quite sure how to start out a conversation.
"Shhh! Honey! The babies!" Marissa scolded gently.
"Is that Marissa?" Caden asked.
"Yeah, it's Marissa. Where are you Caden?" Ryan repeated. He was stunned. Not only because Caden was calling him but because he sounded sober. Ryan hadn't seen or heard Caden sober since, well since he was fifteen.
"I'm in Newport," he breathed softly.
"In Newport?" Ryan repeated.
"Yeah. I got in last night. I wasn't quite sure how to go about confronting my parents," he said. His voice sounded tired. But now Ryan was sure that he wasn't drunk.
"Caden…your sober," he said it as a half statement, half question.
"For almost 6 months now. I visited a treatment center in Los Angeles and I just wanted to let my mom and dad know that I was doing okay," he replied. Ryan had trouble believing it was true. Caden had never stuck to his promises. He wondered if this was all an act and was too afraid to get too excited about it.
"I don't know if now's great Caden. Your sisters in town for a couple of weeks," Ryan said.
"Helena?" Caden asked.
"No, Priscilla. Yes Helena!" Ryan stated sarcastically. Caden was quiet on the other end.
"Are you going to call your parents man?" Ryan asked.
"I was wondering if you could call my dad," Caden said.
"You've got to talk to him," Ryan said strictly.
"Please Ryan," Caden sounded desperate. "I really need you to do this one thing for me."
"Why should I Caden?" Ryan snapped, growing upset again. "All your mom and dad ever wanted was for you to stop drinking! For you to stop using narcotics. That was all they ever asked of you but did you ever do that one thing for them?"
"Ryan. Look its different now. I want to tell them that I'm getting treatment. That I'm getting better now!" Caden said, clearly growing upset himself.
"Why don't I believe you?" Ryan asked.
"Look, could you just give me my dad's number? I'll call him myself," Caden gave in, not sounding too happy about it.
"Fine," Ryan gave up. It was late and he wasn't particularly in the mood to get into it with his 18-year-old, apparently sober, nephew. He gave him the number then hung up. Marissa looked at Ryan, her eyes a bit wider then normal.
"Do you think it's true?" Marissa asked, running her fingers through Ryan's hair. "Do you think he's better now?"
"I don't know. But we have to hope. For Seth and Summer. And Priscilla and Helena and Christopher and Matt and Amanda."
"Okay," Marissa kissed his cheek. "Let's hope."
The loud ringing of the phone through the master bedroom awoke Summer with a jolt. Seth's hand snaked out from under the sheets and tugged the phone off of the receiver before Summer could overcome her disorientation.
"Hello?" Seth asked groggily, disoriented himself. Summer quickly went under the covers and crept up next to Seth, pressing her ear against the phone as Marissa had a while ago. There was a long, awkward pause.
"Hello?" Seth repeated, fully awake now.
"Hey Dad," Caden answered softly.
"Caden?" Seth asked fully shocked.
"It's me Dad. It's Caden," he said, fearing what was to come.
"Caden!" Summer cried, hysterically yanking the phone away from Seth. "Caden! Are you okay?" Summer's motherly instincts took over before the angry side of her had a chance to.
MEANWHILE IN PRISCILLA AND HELENA'S ROOM…
Priscilla held Captain Oats tightly to her, stroking the plastic horses' mane.
"You still sleep with that thing?" Helena asked in mock disgust as she pulled a pink plastic horse out of her bag.
"Princess Sparkle!" Priscilla gasped excitedly as her sister tossed it to her. "I haven't seen her in forever!"
"It's sad," Helena said, propping her head up on her elbow on the sleeping bag on the floor. "I don't know what I would do without that silly thing. I always said I would give her to you one day and then you'd give her to Amanda but I got…emotionally attached."
"Same here," Priscilla giggled and set Princess Sparkle next to Captain Oats on her nightstand. The phone rang, surprising the both of them.
"I wonder who's calling so late," Helena rolled over in her sleeping bag to stare at the phone perched on Priscilla's desk. The phone rang a second time and then stopped.
"Someone answered it," Priscilla yawned. Helena got to her feet and slowly picked up the receiver, quickly covering the mouthpiece with her hand.
"Helena!" Priscilla whispered, hopping off of the bed. Helena's face dropped.
"I'm better Ma. I promise that I am getting treatment, I'm getting better!" Caden's voice sounded unfamiliar and strange in Helena's head. She quickly realized that her twin didn't sound drunk. Priscilla pressed her ear against the phone.
"How come I am having such a hard time believing you?" Summer snapped on the other end. She was crying.
"Will you and Dad give me another chance?" Caden half asked, half begged. "I'm really trying this time." Summer sensed the sincerity in his voice but it was lost on Helena who was now livid and couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.
"Why is this time any different then all of the other times you've promised Caden? Huh? How about all those other times you gave us false hope!" Helena cried hysterically into the phone.
"Helena? Is that you?" Caden asked.
"Duh!" Helena snapped. "You need to leave our family alone!"
"Helena! Stop it!" Seth was back on the other end now. "Hang up the phone." Priscilla took the phone away from her sister and slammed it down on the receiver before she could yell something at their father that she would definitely regret later. Helena collapsed into her little sister and started to cry.
"You need to come over tomorrow so we can talk about this," Seth said, a serious tone taking on his voice.
"Are you for real Dad?" Caden asked carefully.
"You still remember where we live right?" Seth's tone was lighter this time.
"Of course I do. Thank you Dad. So much. I promise that you and mom won't be disappointed this time," Caden said a quick goodbye before hanging up. Seth collected Summer into his arms. She was still crying.
"He sounds better," Seth rubbed Summer's back gently. "He really does sound serious about this. We have to support him."
"Support him? Support him? Seth what do you think we've been doing for the last 18 years of his life!" Summer cried.
"I know honey. We have to try one more time," Seth whispered.
"I am so tired of trying one more time," Summer growled gently. She didn't want to come off as being angry at Seth. Because frankly he was the only one that had been with her during this whole ordeal. Well besides Ryan, Marissa, and Helena anyway.
"We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow," Seth said.
"Yeah," Summer gave in. "We'll just have to see."
Okay guys...I'm busy now until around the 1st of August so I am really sorry about the lack of updates there's going to be. But hopefully while I am away I will be able to write a few chapters free hand. I am also working on An Uncertain Summer so don't worry! I think I'll also be posting a new Dawson's Creek story if anyone wants to watch out for that. HAPPY READING!
Dru619
PS. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as I have been!