Ryan feels like Little Orphan Annie when she walks in to that rich dude's house. Not that he is a big musical fan but one of the girls at some group home used to sing that tomorrow song over and over again. It didn't make him feel good then and the comparison doesn't do much for him now.
He's lying in bizarrely high thread-count sheets with a large duvet swallowing him. For the first time in a long time he doesn't feel cold. Sandy took the day of work, said he had nothing important to do but Ryan could hear him arguing with some guy through the phone about family emergencies and rescheduling.
The lawyer again has exceeded his expectations. A large glass of orange juice sits by his bedside and Sandy had brought in a stack of Seth's comic books in case he woke up. He had thought to lower the blinds and take his temperature, no one ever did these things for him. On his worst days Ryan figured he wasn't worth the effort. Those worst days were happening more and more now. The gentle knock on the door startles him.
"Uhm...come in." Ryan says uncomfortably. It's their house they shouldn't have to knock. Kirsten opens the door unsteadily trying to balance the tray. Instantly Ryan jumps up to help her. Kirsten looks briefly surprised.
"Thank you Ryan but I've got it. Why don't you get back in bed?" Ryan obeys quickly, unsure of what she's doing.
"I thought you might be hungry." There is an uncertainty in her expression, a wariness. Ryan doesn't blame her. If he was an amazingly rich with the picture perfect life he wouldn't want some poor, dirty kid spoiling everything either.
"Thank you. You didn't have to do all this." Ryan says, almost as uncomfortable as Kirsten.
"Well Rosa made the soup. I'm not much of a cook." Kirsten adds on a smile at the end of the statement but the line falls flat. The soup was fancy looking. Real chunks of chicken swam with large pieces of fresh vegetables, not the watered down kind.
"Do you not like chicken? I'm sure there is something else... " Kirsten trails off mistaking Ryan's shock and wonderment for disinterest. Immediately Ryan's head shoots up.
"No, no thank you this great. Thank you." Ryan takes a huge bite and it's, really friggin hot, but also really friggin good. Kirsten smiles genuinely at that but the smile disappears as the room lapses in to awkward silence.
"I'll uhm leave you to it then." Kirsten says uncomfortably twisting a platinum wedding ring around her polished finger. "Don't worry about the tray I'll come back for it and my son Seth should be home soon. He can be a little....excitable." Ryan nods slowly taking in her hurried nervous instructions.
"Thank you." God he needs to come up with something more to say. Kirsten nods stiffly then leaves the room leaving Ryan with his amazingly good soup and fresh orange juice. He feels bad for not finishing the first glass and quickly drains it before polishing off the soup.
XOXO
"You must be Ryan." Ryan hazily blinks awake to find a brown, curly haired kid sitting on the edge of his bed. Seth Ryan realizes abruptly.
"Wanna play some video games?" Seth's voice breaks a little and the kid flushes. Ryan immediately likes him.
"Sure"
Ryan expected Seth to be different. The kid from the emails was funny and clever so Ryan isn't surprised when Seth is equally as eccentric but he expected more hesitancy. He expected Seth to judge him, a pauper in King's clothes, but Seth didn't care. He didn't ask about McClellan or why Ryan's face was black and blue or why he had nowhere but his lawyer's place to live. For a kid who claimed to be socially awkward he is actually quite tactful.
Kirsten calls them in for take-out an hour or so later. Seth is rambling about some hot chick named Summer when they walk into the kitchen. Sandy has Kirsten up against a counter as he pecks her gently.
"OH god we have company. This is why I never have any friends over." Seth whines throwing open the refrigerator door. Kirsten pulls back instantly when she sees Ryan smacking her head on the counter.
"Ow!" Kirsten rubs her head, flustered. "I'm so sorry Ryan." Kirsten looks genuinely mortified and Ryan can't help a small, amused smile.
"Don't worry about it." Ryan says softly before darting his eyes to the table. The amount of food on the table could feed all the kids at McClellan.
There is a pleasantness Ryan wasn't expecting. Seth and Sandy rapidly exchange barbs and stories both talking over each other loudly. Kirsten is quieter. She's the one who fascinates Ryan the most. Sometimes she smiles in a way that not even Trey could doubt her sincerity. Other times her eyes are cool and distant, uncertain. He's not sure how to feel about her and he's pretty sure she feels the same.
"You ok kid?" Ryan jerks his head up from where he is watching the fading city lights on the Cohen's balcony.
"Sorry." Ryan says immediately. He doesn't want Sandy to think he's casing the house. Sandy sits down beside Ryan. He looks more at ease here , in a baggy shirt and sweat pants.
"Nothing to be sorry for I love this spot." The silence that follows is comfortable. The gentle hum of the pool filter and the odd shriek of a child the only sound.
"Sandy? What's going to happen to me?" Ryan asks softly. Sandy looks at the nervous little boy beside him trying to suss out if he means in life or in the next few days. His eyes are still sunken and his skin still pale from sickness. Wrapped in one of Sandy's sweaters he looks smaller than he is, fragile.
"I don't know kid." Sandy says softly before hesitantly running a hand along Ryan's back, squeezing the tense shoulder in commiseration.
"But I promise whatever happens you are not in this alone. I'm going to make sure everything works out." Ryan looks up to meets Sandy's eyes which are dark with sincerity. He may not believe that promise from anyone else but he believes Sandy.
"Yeah ok....thanks." Sandy gives Ryan's shoulder one final squeeze before quietly heading inside leaving Ryan to his thoughts.
XOXO
"Mr. Atwood. I'd say it's a pleasure to see you again but you know I hate to lie." Ryan looks up to the sympathetic eyes of Grace Harvell , his social worker. Many people blamed the social workers for the systems many flaws but, truthfully, they tried their best. It wasn't their fault they have a billion cases not enough houses and 5 billion feet of red tape.
"Hey Grace."
"Let me look at you kid." Grace says gently tilting his head up sighing heavily at the bruises and the pallor. She gently lets go before looking Ryan in the, cupping his cheek gently.
"This isn't your fault." She says like she always does before giving him a long hug. Grace is the only person who gives Ryan big, warm full hugs. He tries not to sigh with pleasure or totally melt into his arms. As if she knows she hugs him a little bit tighter not letting go until he relaxes slightly.
"Come on let's go talk to the Cohen's ok?" Ryan nods with a small smile and lets her pull him in to the kitchen where Sandy and Kirsten are waiting for him.
"Well I've found a placement." Grace finally says after a few moments of polite small talk.
"Wells Group Home." There is an apology in Grace's voice as she looks at Ryan. Ryan can feel himself staring at the counter, unwilling to meet the sympathy in Grace's eyes. Wells was one of the stricter group homes where many of the problem kids were sent. Ryan never went but he heard stories.
"Ryan sweetheart, it's just temporary." Grace promises softly forcing him to meet her eyes. Everything is just temporary.
"Well it's the weekend Grace why don't you take him over tomorrow? He can stay with us today he's already settled." Ryan feels Sandy's hand rest protectively on his shoulder. He's just delaying the inevitable.
"Wells is it...nice?" Kirsten asks uncertainly looking at Grace who gives an unconvincing smile.
"It'll be just fine." Kirsten responds with a tight smile before looking back at Ryan. Ryan can feel his face flush and he turns away before Kirsten can read the emotions in his eyes.
"I tell you what you and Seth go down to the pier, get some new clothes some books anything you need make a day of it." Kirsten says as if there is something she needs to make up for.
"No thank you. I can't accept that." Ryan says when she hands him a large wad of bills. Surprise flickers on Kirsten's softened face and she brushes his bangs out of his eyes with a fond look on her face before catching herself and retracting the hand.
"Of course you can now go." She curls his hand around the stack of bills and pats his cheek as he hesitantly turns to go to Seth who is too busy glaring at his parents to take the cue.
"Come on Ryan." Seth says after a long moment, slinging an arm almost protectively around the boy's shoulders and leading him out of the kitchen.
Kirsten watches them go before turning around to Sandy her face slightly pale and nervous.
"Wells...it's safe right. You weren't just saying that he'll be ok?" Kirsten took enough psych classes in college to know that most kids who have been what Ryan's been through would have shut down, turned to drugs, gotten mean or hard. Ryan is still genuine, still tries to prove he's a good person. Kirsten doesn't want him to go anywhere that would put a soul like that at risk. Sandy and Grace try to convince her and themselves that they aren't making a huge mistake. It doesn't go well. Kirsten's hesitant both about allowing Ryan to stay and allowing him to go. Sandy just wants to scoop the boy up and take away every hurt. The telephone blares breaking the tense conversation.
"Hello?"
"Dad. Ryan's gone."
A/N I really love this story for some reason so it will be finished. I actually already had it written and then my computer crashes so rewritting all those chapters is kind of depressing hahaha. I promise it'll happen.
PLEASE REVIEW!