Fighting The Riptide.

Ryder saw that she accepted to go with him.great, ill see you in a bit he quickly typed out and sent before he was pushing his phone back into his pocket and getting back to work.

He finished up his last car for the day and he hated that he wouldn't be able to go home for a quick shower but he got most of the oil and grime off his hands and face and well, that would have to do. Ryder put on his helmet and kick started his bike and it didn't take him long to get to Zoey's house. He shut off his bike and pulled his helmet off as he sent her a text letting her know he was out front, not sure if her mother was home or not.

Zoey looked at her phone, smiling when she seen Ryder was outside. She got up and walked down the stairs, opening the door. She sighed when she seen her mom pulled into the driveway. Hopefully she didn't embarass her or anything like that. Zoey walked over to Ryder, "Hey." She said, smiling. She looked over as her mom walked towards them, "I'm leaving." She said to her mom, Victoria.

Victoria got out of her car after a long shift at the hospital. She was surprised to see someone she had seen a few weeks ago in her driveway, Ryder Larson. She was even more surprised to see her daughter with him. Victoria walked over to them, nodding as Zoey said she was leaving. She looked at Ryder who clearly knew who she was and she figured the boy didn't want Zoey to know about who his dad was right away. "And you are?" She asked Ryder, playing if off like she didn't know him.

Zoey looked at her mom, "His name is Ryder and we are leaving." She said. Victoria nodded, "Alright well be careful." She said before walking off. Zoey looked at Ryder, "So are you ready?" She asked, smiling at him.

@ LuckyB

A car pulled into the driveway just after he shut his bike off as Zoey came out and he smiled at her but his smile faltered when he saw her mom, he had seen her just a week ago when his dad drank himself sick and he had to be taken to the emergency room. There was no way she was going to allow Zoey to hang out with him again after tonight, no one wants their daughter seen with the town's drunk's bad boy son.

But Ryder was more than surprised when her mother didn't say anything but just smiled asked him his name, maybe she didn't know who he was but that was a fat chance. His attention shifted to Zoey with a nod and a smile as he handed over his helmet to her."Yeah, if you are."

@ RomanSky

Zoey nodded, "I am ready." She said as she took the helmet from him. She got on the bike with him and put the helmet on. She held onto him as he started toward Parker's house. She was really starting to love his motorcycle and the fact that she could hold him tightly. Not that she was scared, but he didn't have to know that. Zoey pulled away from him as they got to Parker's and took the helmet off, fixing her hair. She handed it to Ryder, then got off the bike. Zoey walked with him to the house, then stepped inside with him.

Parker walked out of the living room, surprised to see Zoey with Ryder, "Well hello there." He teased them. He laughed softly. "My parents are still on vacation so we get the whole house for the rest of the week." He said, smirking as he opened his beer. Evan came walking around the corner, holding a bag of chips in his hands. "Now Zoey Monica is gonna to be very upset with you." He teased her, laughing.

Zoey rolled her eyes at him, "Well Monica can kiss my ass." She said as she walked with them into the living room. She sat on the couch next to Ryder and looked over at him.

@ LuckyB

Ryder flipped Parker off."Where are Mommy and Daddy? Italy? Spain? Leaving their up to no good son all alone." He teased as Parker was the more well off of the three of them, his parents more or less leaving him to fend for himself while throwing all the money they could at him.

Ryder laughed at Zoey's reaction to Evan's Monica remark."Oh, boy. I can only imagine the lecture I'll get from her once she sees me again. Crazy bitch, seriously." He sat next to Zoey on the couch, reaching to steal the bag of chips from Evan."Why don't you be a good lamb for us and go get us a beer." He lightly tapped his foot against Evan's shin. He offered the bag of chips to Zoey.

Evan sighed as he got to his feet then went to the kitchen, grabbing some beers for everyone. He came back and handed everyone a beer, then sat down where he was. He stole his chips back from Ryder and then turned his attention to the tv.

Zoey shook her head when Ryder offered her some chips, "No thank you." She said, smiling. She held the beer in her had, then opened it. "So why are your parents vacationing after summer?" She asked Parker. He looked at her, "They are always going some place." He said, shaking his head. Zoey nodded, then took a sip of his beer. It was so nice to just be able to relax. When she was with Monica she was constantly having to go somewhere.

@ LuckyB

The evening was spent watching tv, drinking beers and eating pizza and chips. Just the four of them having a good time and laughs and it was nice having someone new around to lighten their routine up. It was getting late and while Parker and Evan were occupied arguing over who's party over the summer was best, Ryder sunk down further and looked to Zoey."Does your mom want you home at a certain time?" He didn't want to make an even worse impression on her mom but the longer he was out, the more time he didn't have to go home and hide away from his dad who was no doubt drunk.

@ RomanSky

Zoey looked at him, "No she doesnt really care as long as im not getting into trouble." She said, smiling at him. She wondered why it seemed he was avoiding going home. "So where do you work?" She asked him. She had over heard his friends asking him about work earlier. She ran her fingers through her hair as she listned to him.

@ LuckyB

Before he answered her, Ryder stood up and pulled her up from the couch as well."Come on, let's go to the kitchen and leave these two assholes to argue among themselves." He hit Parker in the face with a throw pillow with a laugh. Once he entered the kitchen, he grabbed a drink from the fridge and popped the top as he hopped onto the counter."I'm a mechanic at Maury's. He basically just lets me come in whenever and if I'm not with those two." He nodded toward the living room."Then I'm usually there." He took a sip of his drink and Ryder hoped she didn't pry too much of why he had to work much less having to work since he was fifteen.

Zoey leaned against the counter as she listened to him talk, "Have you worked there long?" She asked him. She was curious to know more about him. He seemed to keep a lot of things hidden, not that it bothered her. Zoey looked through Parker's parents liquor cabinet and found a bottle of vodka, "So why does Monica hate you so much?" She asked as she poured some vodka into the glass and put some juice from the fridge in with it as a mixer. If anything she would just stay here and tell her mom she got drunk and didn't want to risk going home. Her mom had heard plenty of stories about her going to parties. She was glad her mom was okay with it as long as she didn't do anything stupid.

@ LuckyB

Ryder nodded as he picked at the label on his drink."Yeah, for a few years. I enjoy working on cars and the odd bike that comes in." He shrugged as he really had no other choice in the matter, not a lot of places let fifteen year old's work especially during off season and to get a summer job for the on season was a nightmare. Ryder laughed at her next question."That depends, what's her reasoning for hating me?" He could only imagine the tales she had spoken about him to Zoey and anyone else that would listen of what a delinquent Ryder was.

Zoey shook her head, "I don't really know. She just said she doesn't like you and that i shouldn't hang out with you. Then again is is Monica and she hates pretty much anyone." She said as she took a sip of her drink. It was just the perfect mixture to where the juice hid the taste of the alcohol. "So do you have any terrible things that i should know about? Perhaps a dead body buried in your backyard." She teased him, laughing softly. She highly doubted that because to her Ryder seemed like a perfectly normal guy.

@ LuckyB

"The real reason Monica hates me is because I went out on a date with one of her friends and it was terrible like it was the worst date I've ever had. And yeah, maybe I was a bit of a jerk to her after but she just couldn't take the hint that I wasn't interested and Monica just couldn't believe that I didn't wanna be with her friend. Plus, I think Monica also hates that I can't stand her because she's the Queen Bee." Ryder shrugged as he ran his hand through his hair. He also wouldn't deny that he's had a few small run ins with the cops, breaking and entering, vandalism and the odd fight here and there but nothing too serious.

Though, the next question threw Ryder off because no one would want to delve into the messy life that he had. He didn't even wanna deal with it most of the time. There was no way to tell some attractive girl that his mom ran off before he could remember her name and his dad only remembered him when he was wailing on him from time to time."I think the real question is what are you hiding? Hm. Cute girl comes to small town to finish her last year of high school? Screams scandal if you ask me." Ryder teased with a smile.

Zoey smiled at him when he asked about why she moved there. She bit her bottom lip lightly, "Well part of the reason i came here was to spend some time with my mom." She explained. "The other reason is i had a pretty bad break up with my last boyfriend." She said, shrugging. "Like broke the windows out of his car bad." She said, before downing the rest of her drink. "But he totally deserved it I would never normally do that." She said, watching him for a moment. "My dad got worried that i was not spending my time being productive and now i'm here." She said, laughing softly.

@ LuckyB

That was a little surprising to Ryder, the act itself, not that it was another reason she had came here because no one ups and leaves their high school for their senior year to come especially there."I'm glad to know that's not an everyday thing for you." Ryder laughed as he swung his legs a bit."But I'm sure there's a few boys around here that would bring that out in you in no time." He teased thinking about her first encounter with Mark.

@ RomanSky

Zoey smiled, "I hope they don't. I'm trying to avoid those kind of people though. Which is why have chosen you. So don't let me down okay?" She asked, as she mixed herself another drink. Zoey looked at him, "You don't what to know why I did it?" She asked. Most people always asked why she would do something like that. Maybe he really didn't care. Zoey took a sip of her new drink then sat on the counter next to him. She could steal here the guys arguing in the next room. "Do they always do that?" She asked.

@ LuckyB

Of course Ryder was curious to know but he also wasn't the one to press for details about events that most were trying to put behind them. Ryder shrugged with a smile."Only if it's a mindblowing tale." He craned his neck toward the living room and nodded with a laugh."Yeah, sometimes we make up reasons to argue just to pass time." He gently nudged her with his foot."C'mon, let's go break them up."

Zoey smiled, "Its really not that appealing." She said as she got down from the counter. She grabbed her drink then walked into the living room with Ryder. Parker shoved Evan and put him in headlock. Nothing too aggressive just enough to annoy his smaller friends. Zoey giggled at the site of Evan trying to get free.

@ LuckyB

"Is that the worst thing you've ever done? Smash a few windows of a deserving ex?" Ryder asked with a smile as they entered the living room, Parker had Evan in a headlock and Ryder gently shoved the two boys, causing them to topple to the floor in a heap of limbs."If we're gonna all crash here, I'm gonna run home and get Apollo." He said as he realized if he stayed, Apollo hadn't been out nor feed since before school.

Zoey nodded, "Yes that is the worst." She said, smiling. She looked at Ryder when he talked about Apollo. Who is Apollo?" She asked him. Parker stood up, "Yea man go ahead and go get him. You can use my car if you want." He said. He knew that Ryder didn't drink that much. He looked at Zoey, "Are you drinking liquor? Dear god that should be interesting." He said, shaking his head. Zoey laughed softly, "I will be fine, shut up." She said as she shoved Parker slightly. She looked at Ryder, "I'll come with you." She said as she set her drink down. Parker and Evan stared at Ryder when she said that. They knew that meant she would have to go to his house. Nobody went to Ryder's house.

@ LuckyB