thirteen - A New Path

The distance from Lucas house to Ryan's was a forty five to fifty minute bus ride, a twenty minute train ride and a ten minute car ride.

Ryan Collins didn't have any cash on her to pay for a ride at three in the morning, so her best choice was to take the train.

New York at night was so scary.

It's so busy and filled with light by day, it seems the world has ended when it's hushed in the streets at night.

Not to mention those that lurk in the dark, that's what she was afraid of the most.

But she had her phone on her, with nine-one-one on speed dial.

Ryan walked fast down the steps of the train station. The trains weren't running at the moment, at least not for another two hours.

She jumped the turnstile and took a seat on one of the public benches. Her eyes were wide as she looked around.

She could actually hear the air blowing from within the underground tunnels. There were rats squeaking in the tracks, traveling.

Looking across the platform, there homeless men sleeping on the same bench similar to hers with either newspaper or dirty makeshift blankets covering them.

There were some on her end of the platform also.

Her bottom lip trembled and her mind race. Her eyes began to get glossy as she clamps a hand over her mouth to suppress a choked sob.

Of all things to experience in life or to cross off of a bucket list, traveling by yourself in the city of New York at three in the morning was not one of them.

She pulls her hand away and sighs softly. She wipes away the small tears and turns on her phone, checking the time.

Three ; forty seven, it read. She was in for a long night.

× × ×

It was nearly six ; thirty in the morning by the time Ryan reached her doorstep.

Her home was so deceiving. It was so pretty on the outside, colors painted and up to date. It gives off this whole demeanor that it's nice and cozy with expensive taste detailed on the inside.

But the inside was as plastic as a doll house. It wasn't really home.

She didn't want to believe it, but her definition of home was long gone the day that her mother died.

Her father couldn't replace that any time soon. Even when he was in his good state.

Oh, god. Her father.

This whole time, he hasn't even crossed her mind. She was so focused on surviving the night, she didn't realize that trouble had only started.

She wished she could stay in Lucas house. It felt like home there. There were home cooked meals, a friend to hang out with, a bed to sleep into.

Most importantly, there was love. Even if his father was taking late night shifts at work, there was still plenty of love to give.

She remembered when she had that. That was such a careless time, where Ryan didn't learn to appreciate all that love, nonetheless savor it.

Ryan has always believed that nobody can have the best of both worlds. Not everyone can be beautiful, loveable, rich, and live drama free lives.

Even those who seemed perfect carried the most imperfect secrets or dark tales.

But if she had to choose, she'd rather be the most hideous person than to experience the worst.

Most people buy their way to beauty nowadays, anyways.

Ryan takes a deep breath before exhaling. There was no turning back now.

Who would she run to? The Matthews were a weekend household. Farkle lived too far for comfort, plus regulations at that house were bizarre. No phone a whole hour before bedtime, which was at nine ; thirty?

Maya had too much on her plate at home for her mother to worry about another child.

She just had to think about the possibilities. The glass of water is half full, he was caught on the phone talking about her, maybe he did miss her.

This, could be a good thing.

Ryan forced a smile and walked up the steps until she reached her front door. She rings the doorbell.

As she waited for him to answer the door, a burning pit began to grow in her chest.

What was she thinking? The glass of water is half empty, he kicked her out the house.

He doesn't want her around nor did he miss her. Maybe Debbie Friar took his conversation of out context.

The door opened, revealing Marvin Collins. His eyes were low and tired, crust covering the corners of his eyes.

His eyes went wide when he saw who stood before him. Her features shifted when he slammed the door back in her face.

Her lips were set slightly ajar while her brows were furrowed. Her eyes scanned the door in front of her, the sound of the door being slammed echoing.

If he really missed her like Lucas mother overheard, then why the hell did he slam the door in her face?

Turning at the heel of her foot, she walks back down the steps slowly. What does this mean for her? That she's officially homeless? She's got no one.

''Ryan!'' A deep voice cheered once they saw her. She looked up and found Jimmy leaving his vehicle. ''You're home.''

She smiles at him meekly. Of all of Marvin's friends, Jimmy was the only one who respected her as a human and not as some child. He was even there to support her when her father was being a jerk.

She chuckles dryly when he comes up to her with open arms. Letting him wrap her arms around her, she hugs him back.

''Sorry to kill your buzz, but, I, uh,'' She pulls away and fixed the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder. ''I was just leaving.''

His face grew stern once he furrowed his brows. ''What? Why?''

She opened her mouth to speak when a pair of heavy fabric fell from above her, landing right on top of her head.

She pulls the pair of jeans off of her to look up, finding Marvin leaning out of her bedroom window, tossing out all of her clothes from it's hangers.

''Don't worry!'' He calls. ''There's more where that came from!''

''What the hell is this?'' Jimmy yells, his eyes squinted while looking up as Ryan was quick to retrieve her clothes off the ground.

''I told her what would happen if she went to that dance-''

''She's just a kid, Marvin!'' He exclaims furiously. ''You can't stop her from living the life she's suppose to have because you fucked up yours!''

''You're life is just as fucked up, pal!'' He fires back. He then went inside to retrieve more of Ryan's clothing. Her duffel bag was getting heavy, and she hasn't even gotten any of her shoes yet.

''But this isn't my kid,'' He begs to differ. ''Plus, I can stop at anytime,'' He begins to laugh. By the way he was acting, he was mocking him. ''I still know my right from wrong. I still have control!''

He eyes him expectedly once he's returned with a whole drawer in his hand, tossing out her underwear. ''Where's yours?''

''Fuck off!'' He spat. He then went back inside to get another drawer.

Jimmy rubbed the point of his chin and called, ''Listen, hey, man, she needs her father! She needs her family!''

He came back and threw the clothes and the wooden drawer out the wooden with more than anger. Rage.

''Watch it,'' Jimmy urges the brunette that was too distracted from picking up the items of clothing to notice the piece of furniture falling nearly on top of her. He pulls her closer to his side, letting drawer fall to the ground.

Jimmy looks back up and scolds, ''That could've hit her!''

''I don't want her!''

Ryan Collins tried her hardest to avoid eye contact in this argument as much as possible. But she couldn't bare to avoid contact with her father any longer.

She looked up with wide eyes, her chest heaving quickly.

''Wh-what?'' She stutters, blinking rapidly.

Jimmy slapped his arms to his sides. ''Come on, you don't mean that.''

''Yes, I do,'' He confirms with the nod of his head. ''She looks exactly like her.''

Her heart sunk more to the endless pit of her stomach. Is this how he really feels? He was sober after all.

''You don't get to put that on her,'' Jimmy points a finger at her, taking a step forward. He knew very well of the incident that killed Ryan's mother.

He also knew that, that death took a hard toll on the Collin family.

''I'm reminded of her, every time I look at her.''

His voice was soft and fragile. He did mean it.

''That's all the more reason why you need her around,'' Jimmy attempted to convince.

He shakes his head vigorously. ''I messed up, big time when it came to Esra. It doesn't help that I keep messing up with her too.''

''It's never too late to fix it with me!'' Ryan cries, stepping into the conversation. ''Please, just try, daddy! Don't give up on me, please!''

The daddy card usual swoons any father over. But not this one. Not this time, at least.

He shook his head.

''But where am I gonna go?'' She cries harder. ''I have no one but you, please, dad!''

She couldn't believe him when he leaned back out of the window, closing it shut.

''Dad!'' She calls. ''Dad!'' She repeats even louder. But he wasn't coming out anytime soon.

She threw her stuff to the ground and paced herself in a circle, throwing her hands into the roots of her hair.

Jimmy came up from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. ''Hey, don't worry. I'm gonna go talk to him, okay?''

She didn't know who he was trying to assure. They both knew very well there wasn't going to much of talking, nor convincing.

He's had days to make up his mind and today was official.

Ryan Aaliyah Collins was disowned from the last piece of family she had left.

Jimmy hesitated. She was still crying. He didn't want to leave her out here by herself, even if it was for a moment.

But he had to do something.

He gave her shoulder one last squeeze before running up the steps, knocking on the door.

''Marvin, it's me!'' She heard him call. ''Open up.''

Ryan exhaled harshly when her phone vibrated. Ripping it from the back pocket of her jeans, she unlocks her phone to her chat with Lucas.

scott mcfriar

where are you?

She texts him back, telling him that she went home.

scott mcfriar

before anyone woke up?

i heard you fighting with your mom. It's fine, Lucas. Everything is gonna be fine.

scott mcfriar

everything's fine with your dad?

She wasn't sure if she should make things obvious with a 'yup.' Or to keep things hidden as always with a simple, 'yeah.'

uh huh. Don't worry.

scott mcfriar

are you sure? Because if you actually need a place to stay, i can talk to my mom.

it's fine, honestly. And if i did need a place to stay, i would not come back to yours for a while.

scott mcfriar

so you're done with me?? Just like that??

all from love, hun 😙

scott mcfriar

you wanna meet up on the way to school?

Her mind went blank. Another thing that hasn't crossed her mind, Riley was going to confront her bully.

She was going to miss such an important stage in her life.

What a best friend, she is, huh?

actually, me and my dad are gonna take the day off for the two of us. text me how it goes and tell Riley that i'm sorry that i couldn't make it, but i always believed in her. 

And with that, Ryan turned off her phone and d around to find Jimmy walking back up to her with all of her shoes, along with a bag of items that belong to her.

He sets her stuff in the ground and goes back to his vehicle.

Her nostrils flared. After fighting with her father for the whole neighborhood to see, he was going to leave her, not even helping her by recommending a place or asking if she was okay?

She tilts her head to the side when she saw him return, reaching for her shoes and her duffel bag.

''Come on,'' He waves, gesturing her towards his car. ''Let's get you home.''

× × ×

It was silent in the car ride over to Jimmy's house. It wasn't entirely awkward, but it definitely wasn't at all comfortable.

''Uh,'' Jimmy blurts out as he twists himself to look back just as he was parking. ''Home sweet home.''

It was a townhouse, just like the one she used to live in.

Pointing a finger towards the window, she asks softly, ''You're letting me live here? With you?''

He chuckles softly. ''I didn't think, I was that bad of a guy.''

A corner of her lips quirk into a faint smile as she shakes her head. ''Your not. It's just, you don't even know me.''

''Trust me, Ryan Aaliyah Collins,'' Once the car was parked, he turned off the ignition before turning to face her from the driver seat. Ryan was seated in the back. ''I know enough.''

''Fine,'' She straightens her back. ''How about the fact that I don't know much about you?''

He arches his brows. ''Much? Awe, see we already got a start.''

He was waiting for her to smile. He wanted to see her smile, she's had it too rough for her to continue frowning.

He bops his head to the side. ''Listen, why don't you get comfortable and then we can spend the day just one on one. We could even go out to eat.''

She cocks a brow and smirks. ''What do you have in mind?''

''Let's see,'' He breathe out, looking away as he pretends to think. ''I know a Dairy Queen around here, or we can kick it back with some Chinese?''

''Ooh,'' She winced. Her smirk was suppressing her smile and he knew it. ''Decisions, decisions.''

He chuckles.

Ryan removes herself from the vehicle and went towards the trunk, until Jimmy beat her too it.

''Nada,'' He blocks her from getting anymore closer. ''Go inside, explore for a bit. I got you.''

Lifting her hands in surrender, she backs away chuckling softly, ''Okay.''

''Wait,'' He stops her. Once she turned on the heel of her foot, he tossed her his spare of keys.

Ryan went up the stairs and unlocked the home.

And she must say, for a drug dealer, he had taste.

She took a peak inside the living room.

Her head moved all around, trying to find the tv that wasn't set up.

Turning around, she went up the stairs, walking down the hall to find the room she was going stay in.

There three rooms on the second floor. One was open, the glossy surface on the walls indicated it was the bathroom. The other two were had the doors closed, one with a lock on it.

It was smart to say that the room belonged to Jimmy's.

So Ryan went to the other room and was satisfied with what she saw.

She was also contempt with the fact that there was a tv in her room.

She walks over to the bed and sat at the foot of it. Everything was so clean, so perfected and in place.

The house itself looked like everything was stage like a museum. Looked like nobody rarely even lived here.

''This was the guest room,'' He informs her once he approached the open door. He had managed to carry everything except for the bag of small necessities.

''Is this gonna be temporary?'' She asks with a cocked brow.

''If we can't find any other family member to take you in,'' He shrugs his shoulders as she sets everything on the floor. ''Then no, this would be permanent.''

Nobody in her family was going to take her in. Marvin's side of the family lost touch with him years ago when he was in his addict phase.

Her mother side of the family wouldn't want to take her in either. Ryan was a supposed mistake.

But she wasn't going to stop Jimmy from trying. He held a lot of determination.

''And if I do stay here,'' She pursed her lips. ''Then what?''

''Then, I'll talk to your dad about taking full gaurdianship,'' He explains as he walks over to take a seat next to her.

''Can I ask you something?''

''Shoot.''

She was so nervous to ask him this. This probably wasn't her place to say, but then again, this was going to affect her life.

''If you end up becoming my guardian, I want you to get a real job,'' She spoke fast.

Yet, he managed to hear every word. He slowly nods his head. ''Okay. Can I ask why?''

''I don't want to have to lie whenever I talk about you.''

Ryan knew that she would have to explain to her friends eventually her home life situation. Maybe even to Cory and Topanga. But, she wants everything to be calm and collective when she gets to that chance.

He nods his head. ''Okay. Deal.''

That smile that Jimmy was waiting for finally appeared. ''Really? You would do that?''

''If that's what you really want-''

''It is,'' She accidently blurts out.

He looks at her for a moment before he chuckles. ''Then, alright. I'll do that.''

She smiles wide, showing off her pearly whites. ''Thank you.''

Taking the keys from off of the bed, he smiles as well. ''Anything, Ryan. Don't be afraid to ask.''

She tilts her head to the side, ''Anything? So if I ask to smoke some-''

''Amything with limits,'' He corrects sternly.

She giggles a genuine laugh.