Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

12.

Later on, after school, Ryan was trying to sleep in his bed. Maya opened her door and shoved him out of his bed.

"Unnnng," Ryan groaned from the floor.

"Get up Mr. I-Swear-Now, bay window time." Maya called as she walked out the door.

Ryan pushed himself up and dragged himself to Riley's room. He followed Maya into the room and promptly flopped onto his sisters bed.

"I think of this as a personal challenge,  issued by Missy Bradford, to grow up and to grow up fast. So, what do I do?" Riley said. Ryan let out muffled groan from his position face down in the blanket.

He rolled over into his back to better take part in the conversation.

"Nothing," Maya replied.

"Give me advice, you're a genius at this. Grow me up," Riley said, attempting to convince Maya. When prompted why, she only came up with the meger reply of, "Because everyone else is."

"That's not the way I see it."

"Ryan's growing up! He swears now!"

"Riley," Ryan pushed himself up onto his elbows, "I use grown up language to sound more mature,"

"Yes, exactly. Grown up." Riley said with a  nod of her head.

"Honestly? Being a child using words too adult for me is one of the most childish things I could possibly do. Heck, I'm no better than a second grader!"

Ryan flopped back into the bed.

"What do you mean by that?" Maya asked.

"I knew this one kid in the second grade, when I was in the second grade, not now," This earned a laugh out of them, "I knew a kid who swore a lot. He always sounded so grown up to me, but really he was just being childish as one could be. The same goes for Missy." Ryan was waving his arms in the air with no real reason. "By choosing to act more adult than she's ready for, she's just proving herself to be more childish!"

Ryan dropped his arms so they landed on either side of the bed. Maya put her hands on Riley's arms.

"Exactly, Riles. Listen to your brother, just because Missy has decided to grow up fast doesn't mean you have to."

Ryan put his entire arm up to point to the ceiling. "In fact, that makes you the more mature one in this situation."

Riley looked at the both of them, still panicked.

"What if Lucas takes her to a scary movie?" Riley worked herself into a slightly panicked slightly jealous rant.

In the end, she confessed she wasn't ready to be alone with Lucas, but she really didn't want him to be alone with Missy.

She was jealous. No, jealous was too strong a word.

She was concerned. For a lot of reasons, really. Ryan could tell.

"I just, I don't want him taken away from us. She's bad news. Teach me how to flirt."

Ryan rolled his eyes and got up from the bed.

He walked over to Riley and put his hands on her shoulders.

"As your big brother, I veto this idea."
She rolled her eyes. "You're not that much older than I am." Ryan shrugged and walked away, back into his own room, calling over his shoulder, "Maya, don't let her flirt."

Maya saluted his back. "Aye-aye, Captain Childish Curser."

Ryan rolled his eyes.