Something About Ryan

Nine

"But mom-" I sniffed.

"Callie, baby, I love you, more then anything in the world. I'll be fine soon, a couple of months that's all I'm asking." She faintly squeezed my hand. One day she was fine, the next Che was coughing up blood.

I hugged her, burying my face in her hair. "I love you mommy."

After leaving the hospital I headed back to my dad's place. My heart was heavy and I just needed time to my self. It wasn't long before I was pulled in a ball u see my covers and fast asleep.

The next morning I was awakened by a stream of light. Which was highly unusual seeming that I got up before the sun did. Groggily, my eyes peeled open to face the clock on my night stand.

"Oh gosh!" I cried. Why hadn't my alarm gone off? School had started fifteen minutes ago.

I shuffled into the adjourning bathroom splashing water on my face. It wasn't until I walked down stairs with sleep still in my eyes that I noticed a smiling Mary-Jane siting at the kitchen table feeding her three year old son. "Oh, good morning, how'd you sleep?"

"Are you kidding? I was supposed to leave almost an hour ago."

"Oh, your father came and cut you and Brice's alarms off. We both thought you two could use they day off." Translation, after they'd shipped our mother off to some place where she had no friends or family.

I plopped down at the table across from her and rested my head on the cool marble top and groaned. "I got up for nothing."

"I could make you breakfast if you'd like."

"No, I think I'm just gonna go back to sleep."

"Well, okay. If you need anything ask Amelia or myself. She should be around here somewhere for today."

"Yeah." I denoted. I didn't need some fancy house keeper doing things that I could do with my own two hands and feet.

When I finally woke up, it was a little after one, I'd slept almost the entire school day. I hadn't even realized how exhausted I'd been.

My father wife was a stay at home mom and worked from here, so she was siting down stairs in her office while her son sat playing with blocks.

"Callie!" He grinned.

He was one of the few people in this house that I could tolerate. Who his parents were wasn't his fault. "Hi Rider." I waived to him and he followed me out. MJ sent me a silent smile and wave while on the phone.

"Callie look, look what I made!" He said excitedly as he pulled me over to the stainless steel fridge, showing me a painting he'd made. It was just a bunch of sloppy circles and spots in mixed colors of blue and green.

"Wow Rider that's great." I pulled open the fridge hunting for something edible and non-vegetarian, settling on day old fettuccine from the other night.

Rider ran off down the hall in the direction if his playroom, leaving me to eat in peace. I flipped through a magazine as I sat at the island scarfing down my breakfast/lunch.

Brice had came in from the side kitchen door. He was all sweaty. "Hey Cal!"

"Ew, do not touch me with your man-child funk." He shook his sweaty hair in my direction before siting down beside me. He looked a lot older then twelve, he was nearly taller than me.

"How are you feeling about mom?" He said quietly.

I shrugged. "Don't bring it up."

He sighed and got up. "Whatever, I'm gonna take a shower."