all those broken promises | shyland

Chapter Five

"—And then Trinity invited me to sit with her and her friends for lunch," Morgan rambled, scooping a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "They're really nice, Mom; they even invited me to a barbecue next weekend. Can I please go?"

Ryland stabbed his fork into his stack of pancakes as Vicki gave her daughter a smile, "We'll have to see if it's okay with Dad, but I don't see why it wouldn't be. I'm glad you're making friends, honey. We were a little worried you two wouldn't like California."

"It's everything I thought it would be."

Vicki turned to her son, "What about you, Ry?"

"I want to go home."

Her face fell, and Ryland ran his tongue across his teeth, stabbing his stack of pancakes once more, feeling his stomach churn at the thought of putting it anywhere near his mouth. His sister narrowed her eyes at him from across the table, but he stared down at his plate, unwilling to look up and meet her gaze; he knew she wouldn't understand, and he was in no mood to explain it to her.

"You don't like it here, sweetie?"

Morgan answered before he could, "He doesn't get along with Shane Dawson," She filled in, causing Ryland to glare at her. Of course, Shane wasn't the only thing clouding his thoughts, but his sister wasn't completely wrong. Ever since he'd gotten home from Shane's the night before, he had been spiraling, stuck on thoughts of the auburn-haired boy he couldn't help but want to know. "But, I don't know why. He's the coolest boy in the whole school, Mom – and the most popular."

"You don't have to have classes with him," Ryland snapped back, dropping his fork. "God, can you stay out of my life, Morgan? You're a Freshman; you have no business associating with Juniors, let alone somebody like Shane Dawson. This is exactly what you did with my friends back in Colorado."

"The friends you ditched after everything went down?" She snarled, pushing her chair back. "You can't keep blaming everybody else for the mistakes you made, Ryan!" He flinched at the name, but she threw her bowl in the sink and stormed up the stairs to her room to get changed, shouting, "Screw you!"

He didn't miss the look of disappointment flash across his mother's face, "I'm sorry, but she's always forcing her way into my life, Mom." His phone sounded, signaling an Instagram message, and he figured Drew was checking in on him; he would respond later. "I need to breathe for a second without her thinking she can fix every little thing going on."

"Do you have any idea how she's coping?" Vicki responded. "It hasn't been easy for anyone, Ryland. I know it broke you, but it nearly destroyed her too, it nearly destroyed all of us, and she's—"

He closed his eyes, "I'm trying, Mom."

"I know you are, honey, but—"

"Ryland!" Footsteps pounded down the stairs an entered the kitchen, revealing his sister, looking less angry than she had a moment ago, newly dressed in her school attire. "Can Shane please give us a ride to school today?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Wh—"

"Here!"

She shoved her phone in his face, her Instagram opened on the screen, and it took him a second to register that the message he was reading was from the username shanedawson. He drew in a breath, giving her a look as he read over the message.

shanedawson: Hey, Morgs! I was wondering if it'd be okay with your parents and your brother if I drove you both to school this morning. I texted him, but I guess he hasn't seen it yet. It's on my way, so it would be no trouble.