OC Fic, For Every Good Memory (1/5)
Title : For Every Good Memory
Author : Helen C.
Rating : I'd say R (M) for language, but of course, I suck at rating stuff.
Summary : Ryan's relationship with his brother was too complicated to talk about -- a series of five drabbles that are *way* too long to actually be called drabbles, so perhaps I should say, a series of five *very* short stories.
Spoilers : Everything up to The Dearly Beloved.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Josh Schwartz. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Eternal gratitude to joey51 for her help on this.
For Every Good Memory I
Ryan wasn't oblivious, he just pretended to be.
Perhaps the whispers and the curious looks would stop, if he ignored them.
His mom had told him that Chino was their new chance, that they needed to fit in and that he couldn't get into trouble.
"…father…"
"…store…"
Most of the kids at school ignored him. Ryan wasn't the first kid to transfer in the middle of the school year; a new face was nothing unusual around here.
"…jail…"
"…killed someone…"
Unfortunately, a few of the older kids seemed to think that it was their job to remind Ryan of "his place." Ryan didn't know why they had taken such an immediate dislike to him, but he knew that fighting with them would only cause more problems, so he kept his temper in check.
***
Ryan was more than willing to do his part to help the family fit in, even though he didn't understand why his mom was so convinced that Chino would be kinder to them than Fresno had been.
But when three of the school's troublemakers cornered him in an alley after school, he clenched his fists and fought back, because he was an Atwood, and Trey and his father had told him that Atwood men weren't sissies.
He didn't understand why these kids couldn't leave him in peace -- from what he had overheard about their families, they didn't really have grounds to start judging Ryan's.
But reasons didn't matter -- not in a three against one fight, not when two of the three had baseball bats and the third was about twice Ryan's size.
Ryan knew how to defend himself, but they were stronger and more experienced than he was, and soon he was on the ground, protecting his stomach and his head as best as he could, like Trey had taught him. He saw one of the baseball bats travelling at an incredible speed toward his head and he closed his eyes, bracing for impact, gritting his teeth fiercely, because these assholes would be glad if he screamed and he didn't want to give them that pleasure.
The impact never came.
Ryan opened an eye cautiously, to see Trey and two of his friends taking on Ryan's opponents.
The fight was brief. When it was over, Trey grabbed the leader's neck -- a kid named Mike, Ryan remembered now -- and slammed him against the wall. "No one messes with my brother but me, understand?"
Mike nodded. When Trey released him, he took a few hesitant steps before making a run for it.
"You okay?" Trey asked Ryan.
Ryan nodded, ignoring the sharp pain under his left eye.
One of Trey's friends kneeled next to Ryan and studied him a moment. "Fuck, Trey," he said at last, "I think they broke his cheekbone."
Trey clenched his fists as his friend added, "And he ain't even crying."
"That's Ryan for you, Turo," Trey said with an approving smile. "Fucker knows when to keep it shut."
Turo gave Trey an undecipherable look, then shrugged. "You should take him home."
Trey nodded, hauled Ryan to his feet and kept a hand on his arm all the way home.
***
Dawn yelled at Trey for not keeping an eye on Ryan, and at Ryan for not even managing one lousy week in Chino without attracting trouble, and at the doctor when he gave Ryan a week off school.
Through all this, all Ryan could think about was the look of pride on Trey's face as he told his friends that his little brother didn't cry.
Nothing else really mattered, he decided.
Part Two
Author : Helen C.
Rating : I'd say R (M) for language, but of course, I suck at rating stuff.
Summary : Ryan's relationship with his brother was too complicated to talk about -- a series of five drabbles that are *way* too long to actually be called drabbles, so perhaps I should say, a series of five *very* short stories.
Spoilers : Everything up to The Dearly Beloved.
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Josh Schwartz. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Eternal gratitude to joey51 for her help on this.
For Every Good Memory I
Ryan wasn't oblivious, he just pretended to be.
Perhaps the whispers and the curious looks would stop, if he ignored them.
His mom had told him that Chino was their new chance, that they needed to fit in and that he couldn't get into trouble.
"…father…"
"…store…"
Most of the kids at school ignored him. Ryan wasn't the first kid to transfer in the middle of the school year; a new face was nothing unusual around here.
"…jail…"
"…killed someone…"
Unfortunately, a few of the older kids seemed to think that it was their job to remind Ryan of "his place." Ryan didn't know why they had taken such an immediate dislike to him, but he knew that fighting with them would only cause more problems, so he kept his temper in check.
***
Ryan was more than willing to do his part to help the family fit in, even though he didn't understand why his mom was so convinced that Chino would be kinder to them than Fresno had been.
But when three of the school's troublemakers cornered him in an alley after school, he clenched his fists and fought back, because he was an Atwood, and Trey and his father had told him that Atwood men weren't sissies.
He didn't understand why these kids couldn't leave him in peace -- from what he had overheard about their families, they didn't really have grounds to start judging Ryan's.
But reasons didn't matter -- not in a three against one fight, not when two of the three had baseball bats and the third was about twice Ryan's size.
Ryan knew how to defend himself, but they were stronger and more experienced than he was, and soon he was on the ground, protecting his stomach and his head as best as he could, like Trey had taught him. He saw one of the baseball bats travelling at an incredible speed toward his head and he closed his eyes, bracing for impact, gritting his teeth fiercely, because these assholes would be glad if he screamed and he didn't want to give them that pleasure.
The impact never came.
Ryan opened an eye cautiously, to see Trey and two of his friends taking on Ryan's opponents.
The fight was brief. When it was over, Trey grabbed the leader's neck -- a kid named Mike, Ryan remembered now -- and slammed him against the wall. "No one messes with my brother but me, understand?"
Mike nodded. When Trey released him, he took a few hesitant steps before making a run for it.
"You okay?" Trey asked Ryan.
Ryan nodded, ignoring the sharp pain under his left eye.
One of Trey's friends kneeled next to Ryan and studied him a moment. "Fuck, Trey," he said at last, "I think they broke his cheekbone."
Trey clenched his fists as his friend added, "And he ain't even crying."
"That's Ryan for you, Turo," Trey said with an approving smile. "Fucker knows when to keep it shut."
Turo gave Trey an undecipherable look, then shrugged. "You should take him home."
Trey nodded, hauled Ryan to his feet and kept a hand on his arm all the way home.
***
Dawn yelled at Trey for not keeping an eye on Ryan, and at Ryan for not even managing one lousy week in Chino without attracting trouble, and at the doctor when he gave Ryan a week off school.
Through all this, all Ryan could think about was the look of pride on Trey's face as he told his friends that his little brother didn't cry.
Nothing else really mattered, he decided.
Part Two