Chapter 9
Love comes at the most unexpected time and at the utmost impossible people. He had promised her to be there when ever she was lonely. Whenever she need someone just to listen. Someone that understands. Ryan stared into the nothingness as his pencil dances on his sketch book.
The buzz of his silent phone killed the intimate joy his hand was having with the wooden thing called a pencil. "Hello." Ryan said absently as he looked down at the incomplete picture of his little faerie princess his hand had conjured up into a drawing.
"Hey Ryan." The familiar woman spoke on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry to call on a short notice, but are you by any means free tonight? I know it's a school night and all, but I'll tell your father you'd be sleeping over. The catch is, you have to take care of one little brat." Piper said diffidently.
Ryan's hand unintentionally stopped as if they are too filled with joy to move. "I have nothing to do. Sure, I can babysit Andy, Mrs. Halliwell." He spoke with such congeniality. His lips stretched from ear to ear as his mind seized every single opportunity he could to just be with her.
"Another thing Ryan. Can you be here before six?" Piper asked.
"Sure thing, Mrs. Halliwell." Ryan uttered. If it were up to him, he could go there right there and then and be with her. "I'll be there before six." He said before the lady on the other line bid good bye and hung up.
His wide smile grew even wider as his hands continued to dance to complete the sketch of the lovely two year old kid who made his heart melted that fine day in the park. She seemed so happy yet, she was surrounded with fear. Fear that no child should have ever see or know of.
He glanced at the time on his watch and packed his things in his backpack. With the smile still plastered on his face, he walked back to his house before going to the Halliwell Manor. In a way, he was glad that both of Andrianne's brothers were away in college, or he would not be needed. Although sometimes staying over means an awesome time with Wyatt and his absurd fascination with football and cars, at least he had an advantage of being a person with a drawing skill and an endless imagination.
As his feet reached the steps of his front house, he heard the sound of Linkin Park humming through the stereo, just loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to cause disturbance. "Hey dad. You're home early." Ryan said as soon as he saw his father.
"Hey." He said from the couch a little startled. "Where were you? School finished hours ago right?" He said questioning his son. He knew he was never a trouble to anyone especially himself, but he just had the urge of asking as a father to a sixteen years old teenager.
Ryan reacted with a cough of laughter. "Don't worry dad. I was at the park. Sketching." He said as he went to sit beside his father. Growing up in the household of an absent single father sometimes makes him miss his touch. "Mrs. Halliwell called in for a favor to baby sit her daughter. You don't mind right?" He asked.
Ryder just shook his head. He knew her even when he was still in high school. Assuming that his son had not already known the story behind Andrianne and Chris, he smiled. "Sure. That little girl is special. She's brilliant." Ryan just replied with a nod.
"I'm going to change." Ryan said as he stood up.
"Ryan." Ryder said before his son even has the opportunity to walk. "Your grandfather called. He wants you; he wants us, to have dinner with him this weekend. Do you want to go?" He asked. Ryan nodded as he smiled.
"I'd love for grandpa to see me as his grandson." Ryan replied. Although he had been in his grandfather's class and was thought by him, he had never called Ryan as his grandson. But he never had a grudge against him. He knew all that was needed was time. He was disappointed to have his son, a young man with such potential, having a kid as such a reckless age.
Ryder was a little shocked with his son's reaction. "You're not angry?" He asked. Ryan just shook his head.
"Come on, dad. How long has it been when you two last met? You never even went to the PTA meets, because grandpa was there." Ryan spoke. "You're a successful surgeon; and you raised up a son all on your own. He just needed time, dad."
"How come you're so smart?" Ryder said to his son as Ryan just chooses to ignore his father's other witty remarks. "Don't hurt that little girl or your uncle, Uncle Nadim and I will personally hurt you." Ryder said with a make belief stern tone.
Ryan shook his head as he held back his laughter. "That sounds so wrong." He said. "Oh, and just in case you come home early again tomorrow, after school I have a dance class, so, I'd be back a little late. But I'll try to make it back before dinner, so that my father would not starve to death." Ryan quipped.
"Very funny, Ryan. Now, shoo. Go take care of someone's daughter." Ryder shot back. "Finally some quiet in this house in sixteen years." He said. "Wait, it was always quiet. At least I get to have the pizza all to myself tonight." He winked at his son.
"Bye dad." Ryan said as he heads for the door. "Don't open the stove. And don't burn the house down." Ryan said laughing. Ryder just smiled to himself.
Even he could not believe how could he have raised a kid with such manner and gentleness. He was all alone and struggling. He was not there for him all the time and he was not the greatest father in the world, yet his son. He could not have asked god for a better one. At times it felt almost like his son was raising him instead of the other way round.
*******
The clock's hands were pointing at five forty when Ryan rang the door bell. Honestly, he had been there earlier, yet it would seem like he was looking forward to babysitting if he had rang earlier to him. "Hi Ryan." Andrianne greeted him as she opened the door. "Mommy, Ryan's here." Andrianne said then she went back to the conversation she was having on the phone.
Piper came down the stairs all dressed up and smiled at Ryan. "Thank you so much for babysitting at the last minute." Piper said. Ryan was glad he was asked to. "Princess, I'm going." She said as Andrianne ended her call and came to her mother.
"Mom, Jeremy will be coming over later." Andrianne informed as she placed a kiss on her mother's cheek.
"Don't be up too late. And please don't bully Ryan." Piper replied as she kissed the top of Andrianne's head. Ryan just smiled at the comment about himself. Not a minute later a stunning Leo joined them before he and Piper depart to their destination. .
Ryan looked over at the living room table that are scattered with Andrianne's books. "A lot of home works?" he questioned her as he trailed the younger girl and sat himself on the couch. Andrianne just shook her head. "That seems a lot." He said.
"Those aren't mine." Andrianne said while gathering up the books. Ryan sighed. He knew exactly what she was doing. He had been doing the same thing since he was in the 5th grade but he was surprise that they have start to plagiarize at a way younger age.
"Drea, you know that what you're doing is not right, right?" Ryan asked. Andrianne just smiled guiltily at the older guy as she took the books to her room. "Drea, you have to stop doing other people's work for them especially if they are from grades above yours." Ryan said raising his voice a little so that he would be heard.
"Don't shout old man. Come on up." Andrianne said inviting her baby sitter to her room. "Its fun and I only take things that I know to do." Andrianne smiled as Ryan sat on her study chair. "What?" She questioned his smirk.
"You do realize that your room resembles a library rather than a room." Ryan said.
"A library is a room. A very huge one." Andrianne said as she packed her things for school for the next day. "Half of these books, I have yet to touch. But I'll try to finish tem all one day." Andrianne spoke with such determination and arrogance in her voice.
"Okay, basically you are smarter than your classmates and the teachers have no clue that you are doing their work? And what do you get out of doing their work anyways?" Ryan asked. "It's not like you are trying to get into the cheer team, because you are already in the cheer team, you are not getting paid, and you have nothing to lose if you don't do it."
"It's called satisfaction." Andrianne said. "Plus, the teachers would not even think I would do it anyways. Cheer, dance and reader's circle. I mean where would I even find the time?" Andrianne spoke cunningly.
Ryan smiled as he shook his head. "Mine was paid in respect and money and sometimes protection. What are you charging?" Ryan asked a little interested.
Andrianne smiled. "Promise you won't laugh." Andrianne said as Ryan uttered the word promise. "It usually ranges anything between comics and books, unless a very hard or important one, then it could go up to first copy, or limited edition things." Andrianne said.
Amazed Ryan looked around her room. "These are the trophies?" Ryan asked. Andrianne just nodded. "Which one is your favorite so far?" He asked.
"We'll this one is kind of aged a little, so be careful. And it was not given for my knowledge; I found it in the back yard, buried." Andrianne said as she crouched down and fished for her Jane Eyre book. "It's special."
Ryan flipped through the book and saw a little note on the back cover. "Dy, you never know how painful it was for me to see you dying in front of me every day, even though we just met. Maybe fate was jealous for us to be together but I know that destiny will make us meet again. In a different time and circumstances. There will always be a place for my Andrianne, my wizard, my friend. Love, Nadim." He read aloud. "God, you two must really be in love back then." Ryan said making a face.
Andrianne smiled. It was not love, but the bond of friendship that was build over the time became so strong that it was confused with the feel of love. "Friendship and love are not to be confused, Ryan." Andrianne said as she dragged the older boy back to the living room.
"Who's Jeremy?" Ryan asked suddenly as they sat on the sofa and flipped the television on aimlessly. Andrianne just looked at him. "I mean, who is Jeremy to you?" he said rephrasing his question.
"Why you ask?" Andrianne questioned him back. Ryan just shrugged. "He's my dance partner, but you already know that. Your question should be is Jeremy my boyfriend? Then the answer is no." Andrianne said. "Why?" Andrianne asked.
"No reason. Just asking." Ryan said as he forced his eyes to stay on the television set. "Why is he coming here?" He asked after a few second of silence passed.
"Do I smell jealousy?" Andrianne teased the older boy beside her. Ryan's cheek almost instantly crimsoned. "Ryan, I don't need to be an empath to know that you like me. But please, control yourself a little. It's like screaming in my head." Andrianne laughed as she shook her head and then leaned on to his shoulder. "He's coming for practice. We have a competition in two weeks time." She said gently. "It's not that I don't like you, it's just that, I don't want to hurt you out of the future circumstances."
"Let me guess, I'm like a brother because I'm nine years older than you." Ryan spoke as their eyes locked. Andrianne shook her head.
"Nadim was technically 24 years older than I am. And that does not stop us dating." Andrianne said sarcastically. Ryan rolled his eyes. "No it's not your age. And it will never be you or me, it's just the circumstances will always be in the way." She said as the door bell rang.
"Saved by the bell?" Ryan questioned her. Andrianne shook her head.
"We'll continue this counseling session back soon, Mr. Peer Association Secretary." Andrianne spoke as she went over to the door to open it. "Jeremy, come on in." Andrianne said as she smiled at the older girl who drove him there.
"I'll pick you up at eight. Don't be too late." Kelly Justine said as she drove off.
"Sorry, she's a little cranky today and she had to drive me here." Jeremy apologized. "Your brother's home?" He asked as he saw the back of Ryan's head in the living room.
"Nope that's Ryan Smith, my baby sitter." Andrianne said a little loudly so that Ryan would hear.
"Andy, you do know that, he's my tutor right?" Jeremy said a little frighten to near Ryan.
Andrianne laughed. "He's tame tonight. He won't bite." Andrianne said. "And he knows that you're here to practice and not for tutoring." She said as he pulled the young boy to the living room. "Be nice." Andrianne warned Ryan as she disappeared to her room for a quick change.