Hetty and Ryan: Overcome

Work Complication

"Maybe we shouldn't walk out together," reasoned Hetty.

"Good call." Ryan couldn't care less at this point what anyone at school thought about them, but he cared a great deal about preserving Hetty's own feelings of dignity and integrity. He thought she might be furious with him for what he had revealed to Mariana and Rosalia, but she had appeared fairly calm during their exchange a few moments before.

"I'll go out first. I have to call Brooke real quick, then I'll follow you to your place?"

"Perfect." A ballooning excitement swept over him that he couldn't contain, and he started poking at Hetty's side with a giant grin.

She fended him off, giggling. "Stop it, not here!"

He ripped himself away from her with great difficulty, then headed into his office to wait for what would certainly be the most torturous five minutes of his life. He plopped down in his desk chair and swiveled in a circle several times, not knowing what to do with himself. Then he snatched up the receiver of his work phone and dialed Jason's classroom.

"Hey, man! What's going on?" Jason answered with his usual exuberance.

"Hey," Ryan laughed into the phone.

"You sound happy. Does it have to do with a certain special someone? Wink, wink."

"Maybe. Wait, did you hear something?" Ryan asked his friend, now serious.

"Dude, the whole staff's been talking about you two since you all left for the retreat last week."

"Talking... about what?" Ryan inquired, now nervous.

"About you and Hetty, going to a cabin together. Dude, you haven't exactly been subtle these past months. Everyone can see it written all over your face when you're around her."

"Jesus Christ." He clasped his forehead in his free hand.

"I mean, she's been playing it a little cooler than you have, but like, the energy between you two is real clear to everyone. But just so you know, it was Tiffany who really started fanning the flames."

"What?"

"Don't freak out. I wasn't sure if I should say anything to you before, but... She said she saw you guys together at Maggio's a few weeks back."

"Together? As in, having dinner with my mother? We went to eat with my mom a few weeks ago when she was in town. My mom adores Hetty and practically forced her to go."

"Um, well not exactly. It was more like she saw you guys together, as in - hot and heavy moment outside the restrooms."

"Oh. Well, fuck me then."

"Yeah. She didn't say anything to anyone for a while, as far as I know. But when it got out that Hetty was pregnant... well, let's just say that the seed has been planted in everyone's head that it's not outside the realm of possibilities that... Hetty is pregnant with your baby?"

Ryan's free hand crashed to his desk in shock, making a loud bang.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Ryan groaned. Although Rosalia had broached this question at the retreat, it hadn't occurred to him that everyone at Walnut Grove had formed the same suspicion. "Jason, we never slept together. Yeah, there's been a lot of loaded interaction between us, but we never took it that far - not even close. We never even kissed. I know what moment in Maggio's you're referring to, and it was hot and heavy, but that was as far as we took it."

"What's were you doing outside a restaurant bathroom that was hot and heavy that wasn't kissing?"

"I don't know!" Ryan exclaimed, somewhere between defensive and exasperated. "Standing too close together, trying not to kiss, I guess!"