In the Beginning 7
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.
AN : Written for finlee, who wanted, "Ryan helps an old lady - who turns out to be the most feared woman in Newport Beach (but is actually very nice-she just likes people to be uncomfortable around her)."
Many thanks to joey51 for beta'ing this.
Chapter 7
Two weeks came and went.
Ryan's bruises faded, and his headaches eventually disappeared-and not one second too soon, either.
He met Bill Allworth, the Cohen's family doctor, who lectured him on the necessity to avoid blows to the head-as if that wasn't a given, Ryan thought-and eventually received a clean bill of health.
The police arrested a suspect that Mrs. Thyls identified as her aggressor. Ryan still couldn't remember the face of the guy and wasn't required to testify again.
"He'll probably get away with a slap on the wrist," Sandy told Ryan. Ryan wasn't sure what to think about that. Sure, the guy has hit an old woman and sent Ryan to the hospital, but, well, Ryan had met Sandy because he had helped his brother to steal a car, and had stolen more than his fair share of handbags, back in the days. Not everything he had done was in his file, thankfully.
***
Classes started, and while Seth tried to argue that he couldn't go to Harbor wearing a cast, the Cohens were having none of it, much to his displeasure.
"What's the point of being hurt if it doesn't even allow you to be excused from school?" Seth asked one morning.
"I think the point is to avoid being hurt at all," Ryan replied. "Or else I misunderstood everything you and your parents have told me in the last two weeks."
Harbor was as uptight a school as the town was, and Ryan mostly kept to himself, and to Seth. He didn't need trouble, and the best way to avoid trouble seemed to be becoming invisible.
Ryan was a master at that game.
He avoided Luke, avoided Marissa, kept his head down in class, contributing only enough to prove to the teachers that he was awake and intelligent enough to be there, but not so much as to draw any attention of any kind to himself.
He easily fell into a routine, and mostly found it enjoyable.
He had fun with Seth, he was working hard to catch up to his classmates, and for the first time in his life, he was actually doing his best to keep out of trouble, and managing.
Oh, sure, there were a few discreet incidents with water polo players, but once Luke finally realized Ryan was no longer interested in Marissa, he left him alone, and his cohort followed suit.
Would wonders ever cease?
***
Just as Ryan was starting to cautiously relax into his new life, he came home one day to find Seth waiting for him in the kitchen, excited and smiling.
"What's up?" Ryan asked as Seth waved a card at him.
"Dude!" Seth all but yelled. "You've been summoned to the Scary Lady's manor!"
Trust Seth to be melodramatic, Ryan thought, before the words sunk in.
"What?" he yelped-that is, calmly said.
"She sent a card," Kirsten threw in, more calmly. "She's inviting you over for tea."
She seemed as bewildered as Ryan felt, which didn't make him feel any better. He had thought she'd said everything she wanted to say, and that he'd never see her again, aside from a few Newport functions, and he had been fine with it. And now, he was supposed to go to her place?
Willingly?
"Dude, this is so cool," Seth said, smiling broadly. "You've got to take notes, once you're inside the lion's den. And pictures. We need to get you one of these tiny digital cameras, like they use in Alias, and-"
Kirsten cut him off, frowning, and Seth pouted and protested, while Ryan silently reflected on how weird his life had become.
***
Much to Seth's displeasure, the Cohens didn't buy Ryan a tiny camera-or any camera at all.
They didn't say much about Mrs. Thyls' invitation, either. Sandy looked amused, shrugged and said, "I'll drive you." Kirsten frowned a lot, but didn't say anything other than, "She's an old woman and she did a lot for the community, so…" She didn't add "be polite," for which Ryan was grateful.
And now, here he was, in front of Mrs. Thyls' house-which was as big as any other house in Newport, but Ryan didn't recognize Caleb Nichol's style in this. It was more… elegant, less overbuilt than any other house in this town, in some way he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Less ostentatious, maybe?
He rang the doorbell hesitantly and the door opened before he could even pull his finger back, revealing a stern-looking, tuxedoed, grey-haired man.
"Yes?" the man asked.
Ryan dropped his arm and had a fleeting thought for Seth. He had the feeling that his friend would just love this situation.
"Mrs. Thyls is expecting me," he said, keeping his tone neutral despite the look the man was giving him.
It was the same kind of look Trey usually reserved for the likes of AJ.
"Enter," the man said, stiffly, taking a step back to allow Ryan in. The whole scene seemed to come from an old movie, and Ryan mentally shook his head and fought the urge to burst into laughter.
A butler.
An obnoxious butler-was there any other kind?
And was there really nothing these people wouldn't do to show how wealthy they were?
The butler showed him to a room and left on a disdainful, "Please wait here."
He was obviously too well-groomed to add, "Don't start a fire," but it was written all over his face.
Seth was definitely going to get a kick out of this.
Ryan stood in the middle of the room, taking in the flowery wallpaper and the wooden furniture. He didn't think anything in this room cost less than the house he had lived in back in Chino, except perhaps the cushions on the couch, and he wasn't so sure about that either.
And to think that he'd been impressed by the Cohens' house…
"Ah, Ryan," Mrs. Thyls called from the door, startling him. "I'm glad you came."
The way her invitation had been phrased, Ryan hadn't been left with much of a choice-he didn't know how she had made "Would you join me for tea?" sound like an executive order, but she had managed.
Of course, she had worked hard to deserve the title of Newport Beach's most feared woman…
"Erm," he said. "Thanks for inviting me."
"My pleasure." She came in the room and sat down, gesturing for Ryan to follow suit. "John will bring us tea in a moment."
There was a pause. Ryan wondered if he should fill the silence, but he had no idea what to say, so he went with his favorite strategy and kept quiet. He couldn't say anything stupid if he didn't say anything at all and besides, Mrs. Thyls had been nice to him so far and he didn't want to change her mind and get on her bad side.
The butler came in just as Ryan was starting to get truly uncomfortable. He served tea, keeping a scornful look firmly planted on his face all the while. Mrs. Thyls smiled serenely at him when he left. For a second, Ryan felt like he was stuck in a strange dream, or back in the hospital, disoriented and hallucinating slightly.
He waited for Mrs. Thyls to take a sip of her own drink before tasting his. He had never drank tea before, and he refrained from grimacing at the first taste.
"So, Ryan," Mrs. Thyls said.
He smiled nervously, taking another sip-better this time. Clearly, it was yet another acquired taste.
"How do you like Newport so far?"
"It's fine," Ryan said. Was this really what she wanted to talk to him about? What was this? The unofficial welcoming committee? Because as far as he was concerned, Luke and his cronies had already done a good job of showing him how things were done in Newport.
Like tea, Newport seemed to be an acquired taste-and Ryan hadn't been around long enough to acquire it yet.
She snorted. "Fine, huh."
He shrugged. What did she expect? He'd been abandoned here by his mother, and he didn't have to like it. The only people he owed anything to were the Cohens.
He certainly didn't owe Mrs. Thyls anything, despite her standing in the community.
"I think I like you," she said when he didn't elaborate. "I like people who can keep it shut."
The better for you to insult them? he thought uncharitably, and felt ashamed immediately. She had always been nice to him, and he had no reason to bad-mouth her, even privately.
She was looking at him, probably waiting for an answer, and this time, he felt compelled to give him one. "I don't know what to say."
"Most people don't, when I'm around," she stated, almost proudly. "I just wanted to make sure that someone other than the Cohens welcomed you into town, and I didn't think our little chat at the hospital had been enough."
Ryan glanced at his rapidly-cooling cup of tea, thinking about the look of barely-veiled contempt half his teachers bestowed on him when their eyes fell on him, the hostile whispers of the jocks when he was walking down the hallways. And about Kirsten and Sandy, sitting with him in the hospital, and Seth, who tried to share his parents like he would share toys; eager and generous and sincere, as if he couldn't just keep such wonderful people all to himself and he wanted Ryan to enjoy them too. "I appreciate that," he said. "I do, it's just… you don't have to do this."
"I don't do anything I don't want to do, young man," she said firmly. "I'm sure you must have heard stories to attest to that fact."
He nodded, biting back a smile.
Seth had used fairly colorful words when he had told Ryan some of these stories.
"Good. Now, Sandy tells me you're interested in architecture?"
Wondering where that was coming from, Ryan nodded. "Sure."
"Good," she said. "My husband was an architect, you know. He built this house himself." She got to her feet. "Come on," she said. "Time for a tour."
***
An hour later, Mrs. Thyls lead Ryan to the door. Kirsten was waiting in her car, and Mrs. Thyls smiled smugly.
"I once told Caleb Nichol exactly what I thought about these atrocities he calls houses that he builds," she said. "Kirsten tried to defend him. We had words."
Ryan was about to jump to Kirsten's defense when Mrs. Thyls added, "She's a great woman, Kirsten, but her father is another matter."
Ryan could only agree with that assessment.
"Well, I'm sure I'll see you around, Ryan."
"Thanks for the tour," Ryan said. Her husband had obviously had a gift when it came to house building.
He climbed into the car and Kirsten waved at Mrs. Thyls when she pulled back.
Ryan shot a look behind and saw Mrs. Thyls standing there, watching them as they went away.
"Did it go well?" Kirsten asked.
"Yeah," Ryan said, softly. "It went well."
Epilogue