Chapter 9:

Fianna's Plan

It was lunchtime the next day. Fianna was in the cafeteria with Megan and Sharidan. They were talking but she was hardly paying attention, instead she was searching for Todd who was no where to be found.

"So you went on the date last night?" Sharidan said to Fianna.

"Yeah…" Fianna said with a smile.

"So tell us what happened!" Megan exclaimed. "Where did you go? What did you wear? Did he look good?"

"Oh trust me, he looked good. We went to Fresco…"

"HOLY CRAP YOU WENT TO FRESCO?" Sharidan and Megan practically shouted.

"Shh! Why are you shouting?" Fianna said.

"Who went to Fresco?" Phoebe asked coming over to them with Nevra.

"Fianna went on a date with Todd Ryan and he took her to Fresco," Sharidan explained.

"Wait, you and Todd are dating?" Phoebe asked. Fianna nodded. She crossed her arms. "Lucky!"

Nevra sat next to Megan and crossed her legs and blew a pink bubble. "I went to Fresco once. Unfortunately it wasn't with a hot celebrity boyfriend."

"When the heck did you and Todd start dating?" Phoebe exclaimed.

"A few days ago."

"Man, I would kill to be you right now."

"Hey girls." They looked up and saw all five foot ten and a half inches of the sexy, gum chewing Todd Ryan.

"So like, you and Fianna are dating now?" Phoebe said still in disbelief.

"Yup," he said smirking. He pulled up a chair next to Fianna and kissed her lips passionately surprising her by slipping his gum into her mouth. She didn't push him away though, it still had flavor to it.

The other girl looked at them with longing. Some of them Todd had given his gum to, but Fianna had gotten it straight out of his mouth!

"So what are we doing after school babe?" he asked her.

"I want to go to your house," Fianna said.

"Oh yeah, you haven't been to my house yet. We can do that."

"How come you've never taken me there before?" She elbowed him. "You got something to hide?"

He pulled her hair lightly. "Nothing but it's awesomeness."

She rolled her eyes. "You've never heard of the word modesty, have you?"

He snorted. "To me, modesty is a swear word."

"You curse all the time. What's the difference?"

"Modesty is the only one I feel bad saying. You're making me go against my values Fianna."

"What does your house look like?" Sharidan asked curiously.

"I bet it's huge," Nevra said. "Isn't it?"

Todd nodded. "It's pretty big."

"You must live like a king," Phoebe said.

"You could say that."

"We can't go today though, I have a yearbook meeting," Fianna said.

Todd rolled his eyes. "Damn it."

"I'll go instead of her," Nevra said.

"Keep dreaming."

The next day Fianna was in Todd's limo on the way to his house. She'd never been to his house and she was curious about what it looked like. It had to be very big and expensive. Todd wouldn't give her any hints about it and the curiosity was killing her.

"C'mon Todd. Tell me something about your house!" she said.

He smirked. "Nope. You'll have to see for yourself."

She leaned back on the leather seats and let out an exasperated sigh. "Why must you torture me this way?"

Todd laughed and turned her to face him. "You seem pissed at me."

She snorted. "Just a little," she said sarcastically.

He leaned towards her lips so close she could smell his minty breath as he spoke. "I wonder if there's anything I could possibly do to distract you."

She smiled. "I can think of a few things." Just as their lips touched, the limo turned into the gate to Todd's house.

"Here we are," he said.

Fianna's eyes got wide. Todd's house was HUGE. It was the biggest house she'd ever seen, at least in person. Joseph drove the limo around the circular driveway which had a big fountain in the center. Around the house were a bunch of beautiful flower's and bushes and pine trees. This wasn't a house, it was a freaking palace!

Todd snapped his finger's in her face. She looked so amazed it was amusing to him. "So, are you gonna sit here for the rest of the day or do you wanna see the inside?"

They got out of the limo and Todd unlocked the door for them to come in. The inside was even better than the outside. The ceilings were very high. The stairs stopped halfway up then parted on the left and right to different sections of the second floor. There were beautiful chandalier's. The coolest thing was there was an actual waterfall on the other end of the hallway.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a bark followed by padded feet running down the hallway. Astro ran over to them and jumped up to her. She bent down to rub his head. "He's cute. You didn't tell me you had a dog. What's his name?"

"Astro. He's a schnauzer."

She giggled as Astro licked her hand. "Ew, dog spit," she said standing up wiping her hand on her skinny jeans.

One of the servants, Dave, came down the hallway. "Good afternoon Mr. Ryan. Your parents aren't home."

Todd snorted. "Good."

"They'll be home around seven. Can I get you and Miss Fianna anything?"

"I'll just have a Sprite for now. Fianna?"

"Um, same thing." After Dave left she turned to Todd. "Can I see the rest of your house?"

Todd gave her the grand tour of his house showing her everything he thought worth seeing. Fianna was amazed by it all. Todd had more than she could ever dream of having, HD flat screen TV's in every room, servants for pretty much everything (although his parent's had taken half of them away), and the latest cell phones, iPods, etc. He was so lucky.

Now they were sitting on the living room couch. Fianna had wanted to hear some of the songs he'd written so he was singing one of out of his notebook to her. Todd could really sing. She never would have thought he could before, but his voice was incredible.

"You like it?" he asked when he was finished.

"I love it. You have an amazing voice," she said. "Play one on the piano."

"Come sit with me." They went over to the big Yamaha piano on the other side of the room and he pulled out the music he'd written for one of his songs. He started to play the song he'd written about her when he first started to really like her and after a few measures he sang the words.

"She steps to the groove
Her body in tune
She stops the whole room
She got to everybody
The red of her lips
So hard to resist
The curve to her hip
I gotta tell somebody

I'm helplessly falling into your eyes like whoa
I'm hopelessly in love for the first time like whoa
Gotta make you my baby
Wanna make you my baby
Gotta make you my baby
Wanna make you my baby

My baby
She throws me a sigh
A wink in her smile
I stopped and I died
Could she be looking at me
With nothing to prove
She's making her move
And as she walked through
Leaned in to tell me something"

It was such a sweet song. "That was amazing," Fianna said.

"I wrote it about you."

"You did?"

"You remember that day we were in the music room and you caught me playing for the first time?" She nodded. "I couldn't stop thinking about you when I got home, so I wrote this about you."

Fianna felt so touched by that. He cared for her enough to write a song for her. A really sweet passionate song at that. She kissed his lips as hard as she could. "Thanks Todd. I love it. Are you gonna put it on your album?"

He nodded. "Of course. It's one of my best." He sighed remembering that his parent's wouldn't let him make the album. "If only my parents would let me do it. I can't believe my bastard of a father went through all the trouble of getting me signed, and won't even let me make the album now," he said angrily.

Fianna looked at him for a moment. He looked really upset about it. She wondered if his hatred for his parent's was for another reason besides cutting him off from his show and record deal. "Todd, why do you hate your parent's so much?"

Todd rested his head in his hand. "They ruined my life. Why else would I hate them?"

"So that's it? Just because they took away your show and record deal and servants? I mean, not that those aren't good reason's but there isn't anymore?"

Todd looked at the painting on the wall. It was of the Las Vegas skyline done by some famous painter Yolanda had bought it from years ago. There was more than that. There was a lot more, 16 years of reason's why he hated them. He sighed. "Yeah, there's more."

"But they've given you everything a person could ask for. Why would you hate them?"

Todd snorted. "Yeah they've given me everything alright. As soon as I ask for it, it's right in my hand no matter how impossible it is to get. But they never cared for me like real parents."

Fianna was surprised by that. When she'd met Yolanda and Jordan they seemed so nice. "What do you mean?"

"I mean they were never there for me. Its one thing to give a person everything, which I'm not complaining about by the way, and it's another to just be there for a person. All they ever did was party with every celebrity in the world, travel and not take me with them half the time, and spend time on every show they could possibly be on."

Todd was swept off into a flashback of when he was only six years old, less than a year after he'd had his first acting experience. He'd just gotten a new race track and remote control cars to ride on it. He'd set up the pieces and the track ran all over the living room. There were two cars and it would be no fun to race alone.

He ran around the house trying to find Jordan who turned out to be in the hallway straightening his collar. "Daddy, I set up the race track you got me."

Jordan glanced down at him. "That's nice son. Have fun."

Todd handed him one of the remotes. "Can you play with me?"

"I'd love to Todd, but your mom and I are going to a cocktail party down in Hollywood Boulevard and we're about to be late."

Yolanda came over to him in a red dress. "Ready to go honey?"

"Mommy, why can't you and daddy stay here and play with me?"

Yolanda fluffed her curls. "We're busy right now Todd. Go play by yourself for a while." After giving him a quick kiss on the forehead leaving a red lipstick mark on him, she and Jordan were out the door.

That happened often. In fact, there were rare times when it didn't. Yolanda and Jordan were always so busy and rarely ever made time for Todd. Sure they gave him everything he wanted, but what they never gave him was their love which left him resenting them.

He was swept off into another flashback. It was only last year when he was fifteen and he's asked his father to teach him how to drive.

"I don't have the time to teach you right now Todd. I have a meeting with Steven Spielberg today."

"You can teach me another time can't you?"

"I doubt it."

Todd leaned against the wall and glared at him. "What about mom?"

"You know how busy she is directing Burlesque."

"If you don't want to why don't you just come out and say it?" Todd exclaimed angrily.

"Don't use that tone with me Todd Ryan. If you want to learn that badly, have someone else teach you."

And he did. He had Tyler's parent's teach him since Tyler was also learning as well. He still had Joseph to drive him around everywhere, but occasionally he did take one of his parent's cars and go somewhere himself.

Fianna thought about that. She never would have guessed that his parent's were like that. No wonder he resented them so much. She could have said something comforting, a kind word to make him feel better about it. Instead she said "You know how to drive?"

Todd laughed. "Yeah I do. Joseph doesn't drive me everywhere you know."

Fianna laughed as well. "Well since you never drive yourself anywhere, I just didn't think you knew how to drive."

"So now you know. My parent's are bastards."

"At least you have both your parents. Try having a dad who's been sentenced to 20 years of federal prison in Florida."

Todd raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Are you serious? What the hell did he do to get 20 years?"

Fianna sighed. "Apparently he had some secret life behind our backs. I was only seven when it happened, but I remember the police breaking into our house and they cuffed him and took him away. I know he killed a few people and gave teenager's drugs. I haven't seen him since."

"Wow, that's rough. Don't kids that have criminal parents turn out to be criminals?"

Fianna giggled. "Sure and I came here to steal all your money and valuables."

"He's got a good ten years left, what are you gonna do when he comes back?"

"I won't take him back. I don't think I can forgive him for something like that."

Todd remembered what he had said about her that day they were talking about each other's eyes, how she didn't trust people. "Is he the reason you don't trust people?"

Fianna nodded. "And when I was in like, fourth grade these girls who I thought were my friends completely humiliated me in front of the entire class. So I trust close to no one."

"You didn't trust me at first right?"

"I didn't but you proved me wrong." She kissed his lips and he gladly pulled her closer and deepened their kiss.

Before they could seriously get lost in each other, Dave came in and cleared his throat.

Todd glared at him. "What do you want? Can't you see we're busy?"

"Would you like me to take your drinks Mr. Ryan?" Dave asked.

"If I say yes will it get you to leave faster?" he said rolling his eyes.

Dave ignored that and picked up their empty sodas. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Fianna shook her head. "No thanks."

Todd sighed impatiently. "You have five seconds to get out of here before I have the security guards personally escort you out." Dave left and Fianna shook her head at Todd. "What?" he asked. Fianna just gave him a disapproving look and it frustrated him. "What?"

"Do you have to be so mean?"

"Well…you saw how he just walked in here like that interrupting us. He could have waited but no, he just had to come in. I fire people like that."

"You don't have to be so hostile though, goodness."

Todd crossed his arms. "I'm not hostile."

Suddenly Fianna thought of something. "Your parent's took everything away from you because you're rude and self centered, right?"

"Or so they claim," he said raising his eyebrow.

"Then to get it back, why don't you just stop?"

"Huh?"

"Look, in order to get your life back just prove them wrong. You know, don't be so harsh towards everyone, stop firing everyone who doesn't do every little thing for you, use some manner's, don't curse your parent's out…" she went over what she just said and realized she had just made Todd sound like a very bad person. "Geez, why do I like you so much?"

"You mean, actually be nice?" He made it sound like she said get in a bathtub full of cockroaches.

Fianna nodded. "Exactly. In fact, how about you do something nice for your parents before they get home?"

Todd continued to stare at her. "Did you just miss that whole conversation when I said I can't stand them?"

Fianna sighed. "Come on Todd. Your parents took everything away from you because they think it'll teach you some kind of lesson right? Make them think you already learned it by doing something nice for them. I know. You should make dinner for them."

Todd shook his head. "Absolutely not."

She took his hand. "It's not that bad, just do it. I make dinner for my mom all the time."

"No," Todd said stubbornly.

"Don't be so difficult."

"N-o."

"Why not?"

He sighed. "I don't know how to cook." Fianna started laughing and he glared at her. "What? It's not funny! I've never had to cook for myself before so I never bothered to learn."

"But you went out of the way to learn how to drive right?" she said still laughing. She kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, it's not hard. I'll help you." They stood up and went to the kitchen where the chef's were about to start making a gourmet dinner.

Todd cleared his throat to get their attention. "All of you get some stuff out to make dinner for us…" Fianna shook her head. "What?"

"We're doing this on our own."

"But…"

"Alright people, clear out. Take the rest of the day off and don't come back until…11 o' clock tonight," Fianna said to his servants. They all immediately got their things and left figuring since she was Todd's girlfriend, they can take orders from her.

Todd looked back and forth between Fianna and the chefs in disbelief. "What the…you can't order my servants around like that!"

Fianna put her hands on her hips and smirked at him. "I just did. Now Todd Ryan, what's the first thing we do here?"

Todd leaned against the wall and shrugged. "Get a drink from the wine cellar and spent the night getting stoned," he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "No. Wash your hands."

The washed their hands and Todd got the recipe book off a shelf. They flipped through it and found a good recipe for chicken stir fry that they had all the ingredients for. They took a bunch of vegetables out of the refrigerator that Fianna was going to cut up, and chicken breast that Todd was going to cut up. But the chicken was cold a slimy and he thought the vegetables would be less messy.

"Hey Fianna?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I cut up the vegetables?"

"Why?"

"I don't want to get my hands messy."

Fianna rolled her eyes then switched places with him. "You're such a priss."

Afterwards they put all the vegetables into a frying pan and Todd stirred them while they cooked, but he was holding everything at arms length afraid of getting burned.

Fianna found some rice in the pantry and thought it would be a good side. She noticed Todd stirring the pan weird. "What are you doing?"

"I'm stirring the vegetables like you told me to."

"Why are you holding it like that?" she said starting to laugh.

"This stuff is hot and if you haven't noticed I have flawless skin. I can't be in a picture with burn marks all over me."

Fianna found that to be extremely hilarious but let it slide since she used to cook like that when she was younger. "Anyway, I found some rice that we could serve with the vegetables."

"That's nice. How do you make it?"

"Just put it in a pot with some water," she said pouring the rice into a pot.

Soon the dinner was finished and was sitting on the stove so it would be kept warm. To be honest Todd actually had fun with it. Having Fianna there made it interesting.

Not long after they heard the door open and his parent's came inside. They went into the hallway to greet them. "Hi mom, hi dad," Todd said.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Ryan," Fianna said.

"Hi, did you have a good time?" Mrs. Ryan asked. They both nodded.

"What did the chef's make for dinner, it smells good in here," Mr. Ryan said.

"Actually, Fianna and I made dinner," Todd said.

"It was all Todd's idea," Fianna said trying to give him all the credit. "And he did most of the cooking."

Todd's parents looked at him in disbelief. "You cooked?" Mrs. Ryan said in astonishment.

Todd nodded. "Yeah. I cook all the time, just…when you're not here. Go in the dining room and I'll get you some food."

"Are you staying for dinner Fianna?" Mr. Ryan asked.

Fianna shook her head. "No, I have to head on home now."

Todd wanted her to stay. He wasn't sure if he could do this on his own. "But…"

"We'll be waiting Todd," Mrs. Ryan said as they went into the dining room.

Fianna went to the door and Todd followed her and put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. "Why are you leaving me here alone?"

Fianna took his face in her hands and kissed his lips. "It won't be that bad. Don't you ever have family dinners with a nice respectful conversation?"

"It's rare. When we do have family dinner's it's far from a nice conversation."

"Todd just serve them dinner, be nice, talk about your day. Then, when dinner is over you can even wash the dishes."

Todd shook his head. "I draw the line at washing dishes."

"Well then who's gonna do it? Your maids won't be back until 11:00," she pointed out. "If you want your stuff back you'll do it." She kissed him again. "It won't be that bad."

He smirked. "I think I need another kiss to convince me."

She kissed his lips very passionately. "I'll call you."

"Bye." She left and he closed the door behind her, and then went to the kitchen to serve his parents dinner. He got plates for them and put them in front of them in the dining room. "Chicken stir fry and rice is for dinner," he said when he came in.

"This looks delicious Todd," Mrs. Ryan said.

"Thank you so much," Mr. Ryan said.

Todd went to get himself a plate then sat down with his parents. He watched them eat for a moment and they weren't throwing up with disgust. Fianna must have known what she was doing. "Do you like it?" he asked.

"It's great. Where in the world did you learn how to cook like this?" Mr. Ryan asked.

"Um…Food Network?" it came out as more of a question than an outright statement.

Todd remembered what Fianna said about making a nice conversation. "So, how was your day?"

"Really long. I had some meeting's with a few directors' today," Jordan said. "Not to mention there were bills to play."

"I might be starring in another movie with Johnny Depp," Yolanda said. "What about you?"

"You know, usual Sunday. I woke up around 12:00 and basically spent the day with Fianna."

"You really like this girl, huh?" Jordan said.

Todd looked down at his food not expecting this to turn into a conversation about his relationship. "Yeah, I do. She's a nice girl."

"She's very pretty," Yolanda commented.

Todd thought about Fianna's long flowing hair, her soft cream colored skin, big green eyes, and her soft glossy lips. "She sure is." She was more than pretty.

"How's school been?"

Todd snorted. "Long and boring."

"Are you making any friends?"

Todd had more than enough friends at that school. He was a celebrity so people followed him around like lost puppies, but he decided not to point that out to them. "I have a lot of friends."

Their dinner continued with a pretty random conversation until they were all finished. Todd went around and got their plates.

"Thank you so much for the dinner Todd," Yolanda said.

"Is this going to become an everyday thing?" Jordan asked.

Todd let out a sarcastic laugh. "Of course not!" He realized what he said and softened his face. "I mean, only occasionally. I'm glad you liked the dinner." He took the plates into the kitchen and started to wash them. For some reason he felt very degraded actually standing here washing dishes. But he knew he had to. He realized Fianna was right, if he wanted his life back he had to prove to his parents he wasn't a bad guy. Eventually he started having too much fun in the water and ended up splashing around playing in it like he was three years old again.

Yolanda was walking past and heard him laughing and came in. "Todd, what are you doing?"

Todd stopped what he was doing and turned the water off. "Nothing." He hid his soapy hands behind his back but it didn't do any good because his shirt was covered in soap and water and so was the counter and floor.

Yolanda looked at him for a moment but figured he had everything under control. "Okay."

This turned out to be a pretty long chapter. For some reason the idea of someone like Todd trying to cook is hilarious to me. The lyrics were "My Baby" by Jesse Mccartney. I can't think of original lyrics so thank you Jesse.