After Hannah Baker- Zach Dempsey's New Life

5: The Bear

My mom texted me at 2 asking me to come downstairs. Ryan had fell asleep so I walked down the stairs very quietly so I wouldn't wake up The Bear. 

I walked outside and smiled at my mom. "All of the lights are off," Mom chuckled when I walked out. 

"Yeah, Ryan's a sleep and so is her dad," I nodded. 

"Okay," she smiled, "Go to bed," she said then walked down the driveway. I nodded then walked back inside. 

When I shut the door I heard glass break. I slowly walked into the kitchen where The Bear was now walking around trying to drink all of the whiskey out of the bottle. He saw me then stopped. "Who the hell are you?" he slurred angrily. 

"I'm Ryan's friend," I said slowly edging myself towards the stairs 

"You are not going up there!" he yelled. 

"Okay," I held my hands up. He chugged the rest of the whiskey then hit it on the counter so it would break. When it broke he turned to me with an angry face. 

"Are you her boyfriend?" he asked.

"No, just friends," I said quickly. 

"Then why the fuck are you here so late?" he asked. 

"We were at a party and she wanted me to stay the night," I answered before Ryan came running down the stairs. 

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked standing between The Bear and I. 

"This little prick tried to sneak in here!" he screamed. 

"He was already in here," Ryan sighed, "He went to go talk to his mom," she said then started pushing me to the stairs. 

"He's not going up there with you!" he yelled. 

"He is going up there with me!" Ryan yelled back then pushed me up the stairs. 

We both ran up the stairs. Ryan slammed her door than locked it. She pulled her phone out of her pocket while running up the spiral stair case. I followed her up the stairs. 

"Where are you?" she asked into the phone then paused. "Because Bear broke a whiskey bottle and tried to hurt Zach," she said when I sat down next to her. "Yeah he's drunk," Ryan laughed then stood up. "Where are you?" Ryan asked again. "Why are you in L.A.?" she paused. 

I could hear her mom respond this time, "Because somebody needs to be making fucking money Ryan!" she yelled. Ryan stopped pacing then hung up on her mom. Ryan slowly laid down on the bed next to me and sniffled. 

I laid down next to her then wrapped my arms around her slowly. "Are you okay?" I whispered. She nodded and sniffled again. 

I rubbed her back while she put her head on my shoulder. 

I woke up the next morning to banging on Ryan's bedroom door. Ryan looked at me then stood up. She walked down the spiral staircase. "Who is it?" Ryan yelled. 

"Open this fucking door!" Bear yelled. 

Ryan came back up then sat down. "You don't have to go home any time soon, do you?" she asked. 

"Mom wants me home tonight," I nodded. 

"Okay, hopefully he's passed out by then," she sighed then sat down next to me. 

"I can ask my mom if you can stay the night, if you want," I said sitting up. 

She shook her head, "My mom should be coming home tonight and I don't want her being alone with Bear," she mumbled then put her head on my shoulder. 

"Okay, just text me if something happens," I said then wrapped my arms around her. 

...

I left Ryan's house around five, after Bear passed out. 

I texted Ryan the next morning and asked her if she needed a ride to school but she didn't respond so I just brought May to school and went to school myself. 

When I got there I started looking for Ryan but she wasn't there. I texted her again but i didn't get an answer. 

Maria walked over to where I was leaning against my locker. "Where's your girlfriend?" she asked with a smile. I rolled my eyes and ignored her. 

"I heard you two were living together," she continued. "Knocked her up already?" she asked. 

"Why do you care so much about Ryan?" I chuckled putting my phone in my pocket. 

"Because, I don't want you getting trapped in a relationship with her," she answered. 

"You don't even know me," I chuckled then walked away. 

I texted Ryan all throughout the day with no response, so I was concerned at three o'clock when the bell rang. I got in my car and went to pick up May to drop her of at home. 

"Are you and Ryan dating?" she asked when I drove away from her school. 

"Why would you ask me that?" I chuckled. 

"Because Mom and Dad think you like Ryan," she said. "And Ryan's cute," she kept talking. 

"She is cute," I mumbled. 

"You like Ryan," she giggled. 

"What's your point?" I chuckled.

"Does Ryan like you?" she asked. 

"Why do you care May?" I chuckled. She shrugged when I pulled into the driveway. 

She climbed out then watched as I climbed out and shut the door. "Can you tell Mom that I'm running over to Ryan's?" I asked her. She nodded. "I'll be back in an hour," I said then turned to walk down the road. 

I walked to Ryan's slowly while texting her to tell her that I was coming over. 

When I got to her house, police car was parked in the driveway and Bear was being pulled outside by a police officer. Ryan's mom peaked out the door after the police officer drove off with Bear in the backseat. 

I walked up the driveway then looked at Ryan's mom when she opened the door wider to look at me. "Is Ryan here?" I asked slowly. 

"She is but I don't think she wants to see anyone," she whispered. 

"Can you ask her to reply to my messages?" I asked. 

"I will," she said then shut the door. 

I sighed then walked home. 

May was laying on the drive way drawing with her chalk. I chuckled then slowly laid down next to her while grabbing a piece of chalk. 

"You were only gone five minutes," May giggled when I twirled the chalk around. 

"She wasn't home," I lied. 

"Okay," she smiled. "Mom is making chicken," she started talking. "That means broccoli," she grimaced.

"I'll eat your broccoli," I chuckled then looked up when Mom walked over to us. 

"Was Ryan not home?" she asked. 

"Nope," May said then shook her head. 

"Do you like Ryan?" Mom asked slowly crouching down next to me. I looked up at her then chuckled. 

"Mom," I sighed then set my piece of chalk down on the ground next to May again. 

Mom held her hands up then stood back up. "Just wondering," she chuckled.