e-Bae

3

Ryan pounded down the steps, ready for school. Her laptop bag swung against her hip in time with the bounce of her feet. Entering the kitchen, she grabbed a granola bar from the basket on one of the counters, yawning from her lack of sleep the night before. Peeling open the wrapper, she made sure that the flyers in her hand didn't get crinkled, wondering if Toby's moms were yelling at him for disappearing last night. As she chewed, she watched the entrance, waiting for Ross to get back from his morning jog. He was the only one of the Owens children that had a car, and he made sure to rub that fact in her face. Hearing a door slam, she straightened her posture, ready to see her brother, and hopefully get some sort of greeting.

"You need to listen to me, son," Ryan heard, the exasperated voice of her father echoing in the kitchen. Sighing, she shuffled to a stool to sit on, preparing herself for the daily argument. Pulling out her phone, she stuck her headphones in her ears, only to give the appearance she wasn't listening when she really was.

"I'm not your son!" Ross exploded, and Ryan flinched from where she sat. This was a topic that usually wasn't brought up, and she was grateful that her mother was asleep and couldn't hear this. She already went through enough.

"Ro-," her father began.

"No!" Ross shouted, and she heard a sudden thud. Wondering if he made a dent in the wall this time, Ryan slumped in her seat and traced a pattern on the kitchen island.

"Stop sugar coating it. You know that I'm the bastard, the child that was a mistake. I know that mom wanted an abortion."

There was silence, and Ryan heard angry footsteps hit the stairs, and a slam of the door. The sharp sound echoed in the house, and she could imagine the tired look on her father's face. Yesterday was one of his only days off, and as a pediatrician, he barely had time to eat and sleep, much less spend with his family. Pulling her headphones out, she wrapped them around her phone before stuffing them in the bag.

It was time for her daily pep talk.

* * *

Pushing open the door, Ryan hesitated before sticking her head in. The room was messy, as always, and clothes littered the floor. Posters of bands and movies hung from the walls, some defaced with permanent marker mustaches, others covered in tiny little words and numbers that she didn't understand.

"Get out."

Sighing, Ryan entered the room fully and shut the door behind her. Ross was face down on his bed, his various sketch books covering the rest of his unmade comforter. Moving over a couple of them, one hit the floor, and Ross shot out of bed. She had bent to pick it up, but the crazed look in his eyes made her drop it and let him grab it.

"Are you trying to spy on me? Who sent you?" he asked, glancing around as if the person would reveal themselves.

Watching him with concern, Ryan glanced at the slightly open book in his hands. Drawings littered the pages, the number three being pressed into almost every corner and surface. A dull panic built up in her, but she pushed it down. Maybe she was watching too much Criminal Minds.

"No, but we need to go to school," she said calmly, watching as he jerked a hand through his red hair, the pale fingers getting tangled in the russet strands. She knew he hated those features, the features he shared with his biological father.

"I'm not going. Get out," he said, and ran a hands through his hair again. Biting her lip, Ryan glanced him over. Dark bags bruised the translucent skin under his eyes, and his already pasty skin tone looked paler than usual. His cheeks were hallowing in, probably from his refusal to come to dinner with the family. Ryan knew it hurt her mother, and would hear her pleading with Ross to eat something until the late hours of the night.