On Sleepless Roads
Chapter Four
Marti’s POV
“So you are his cousin!” Jon said.
Seriously, what was wrong with this guy,
Had I not already said that I’m not Ryan’s cousin?
“Nope.” I said.
Both Jon and Spencer looked confused.
“A very young aunt?” Spencer asked.
You’d think that they would say the obvious one,
But no, apparently that one was too farfetched to believe.
But me being Ryan’s aunt would be very believable…
“Nope.” I said.
“Someone who just happens to have the same last name as him?” Spencer asked hopefully.
“Nope.” I said again.
The look they gave me told me that they finally realized who I was.
Brendon’s POV
As soon as I walked back out to the garage I knew something had happened,
Jon and Spencer were staring at Marti with horrified expressions.
And Marti looked like she wanted to die.
“So, what’s happening in here?” I asked slowly, tossing the bag of chips to Jon.
He didn’t even try to catch it and it fell onto the floor.
Good thing it wasn’t open,
I would have killed him if it was.
“Um are you guys okay?” Ryan asked.
Jon nodded while Spencer shook his head.
Marti didn’t move.
“What happened?” I asked.
They were starting to freak me out.
“Do you know what her name is?” Jon asked, pointing at Marti.
“Um yes, it’s Marti.” Ryan said as if he were talking to a three year old.
But seriously, why would Jon ask a stupid question like that?.
“No, I mean her full name!” Jon said.
Ryan shook his head.
“No.” He said and looked expectantly at Marti.
She didn’t say anything.
“And your full name is?” He asked impatiently.
Maybe I was imagining it but I thought that Marti looked scared.
“Martini Lila…” She hesitated.
“Last name!” Jon said.
Marti glanced at him, then at Ryan and then at the floor.
“Last name!” Jon repeated, a little louder this time.
“Ross.” Marti said quietly, not looking up from the floor.
“Oh God!” Ryan said, burying his face in his hands.
Marti was still staring at the floor so it was impossible to see what her facial expression was.
“Oh God!” Ryan repeated.
He sounded really angry.
But I couldn’t blame him,
He just found out that he has a sister,
Who’s thirteen,
And from another woman.
“Shit!” Ryan said loudly, leaving the garage.
He turned the corner and was out of sight,
And then we heard a big crash.
Without speaking both Jon and Spencer got to their feet and ran outside,
Leaving me with Marti.
Who I was pretty sure was crying.
My first reaction was to hug her.
But then I realized that she might not be that comfortable with that.
After all, she’d just met me ten minutes ago.
“Come, sit down!” I said, beckoning her with my hand.
Marti looked up, her eye filled with tears.
She looked scared but she came over to the couch and sat down.
I sat down next to her, careful not to be too close to her.
“So you’re for sure Ryan’s sister?” I asked.
She nodded slowly, looking miserable.
“How do you know for sure?” I asked.
“My mom said she was leaving me with my father, his father!” She said.
It was hard to keep myself from hugging her now,
She sounded so hopeless and alone.
“Have you always known that he’s your brother?” I asked.
I wasn’t really sure what would be good to ask her and what wouldn’t be,
Guess I’d find out.
“No.” She said, sounding even more upset.
Then it hit me,
Ryan was upset about this,
But so was Marti.
Maybe even more upset than he was,
Which would make sense.
After all, her mother had just abandoned her with her father who’d she’d never met,
And his wife who might even hate her,
And then on top of that all, she just so happened to have an older brother who was famous.
And she was only thirteen, she was going to have to live with this for a long time.
At least Ryan was out of the house,
He only had to deal with this part time.
But Marti was going to have to live with this until she moved out.
Ryan’s POV
As soon as I was outside I kicked over a garbage can.
Luckily it was empty so Brendon wouldn’t kill me.
But I didn’t really care about that right now,
I had a sister!
Who’s only thirteen!
And from another woman!
And both my parents seemed to know this!
So why the hell hadn’t they told me?!
Didn’t I deserve to know that I had a sister?
What were they going to do,
Try and hide that little piece of information from me forever?
They probably weren’t expecting her to show up at our doorstep!
Serves them right!
Not telling me about her!
“Hey Ryan, are you okay?” Spencer asked, coming up behind me with Jon.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine, never been better!” I said sarcastically.
Spencer and Jon looked at each other and then back at me.
“Why the hell did they never tell me?” I asked, kicking the garbage can again.
“I mean, they both know!” I said, coming dangerously close to yelling.
“Well maybe they didn’t want you to know…” Jon said slowly.
I felt like hitting him.
“But I had a right to know!” I yelled.
“Yes you did, and they should’ve told you.” Spencer said, nodding.
I knew what he was doing,
He was letting me vent.
And then he’d try to get me thinking rationally,
I loved and hated him for it at the same time.
“And what the hell am I supposed to do about it?” I said.
I didn’t even care if Marti could hear me,
She’d get over it.
Brendon’s POV
Marti was still crying.
We could hear Ryan yelling.
But thankfully, we couldn’t make out what he was saying.
I’m sure he wasn’t saying how happy he was.
And then it was silent.
That meant that Ryan was finished venting and Spencer was getting him to think rationally.
Apparently it worked.
Because five minutes later Ryan, Spencer and Jon all came back into the garage.
Ryan looked a lot calmer.
I wondered what Spencer had said to him.
Ryan’s POV
By the time I finally stopped venting Spencer and Jon were leaning against the house.
Now it was time for Spencer to calm me down,
This is how it always goes.
“I’m not saying that this isn’t fair to you, but think of Marti. I’m sure the kid woke up today thinking that this was going to be like every other day. She probably didn’t think that she’d be meeting her father for the first time and meeting his wife and son.” Spencer said.
I just stared at him.
“So just go in there and ask her a few questions, you might find that you actually like her!” Spencer said.
He did make sense,
And I couldn’t really do anything else right now.
Short of calling my father and freaking out on him.
Which I’m sure would not be a good idea.
“Okay, fine.” I said, taking a deep breath.
Spencer smiled and I followed him and Jon back into the garage.
“So you are his cousin!” Jon said.
Seriously, what was wrong with this guy,
Had I not already said that I’m not Ryan’s cousin?
“Nope.” I said.
Both Jon and Spencer looked confused.
“A very young aunt?” Spencer asked.
You’d think that they would say the obvious one,
But no, apparently that one was too farfetched to believe.
But me being Ryan’s aunt would be very believable…
“Nope.” I said.
“Someone who just happens to have the same last name as him?” Spencer asked hopefully.
“Nope.” I said again.
The look they gave me told me that they finally realized who I was.
Brendon’s POV
As soon as I walked back out to the garage I knew something had happened,
Jon and Spencer were staring at Marti with horrified expressions.
And Marti looked like she wanted to die.
“So, what’s happening in here?” I asked slowly, tossing the bag of chips to Jon.
He didn’t even try to catch it and it fell onto the floor.
Good thing it wasn’t open,
I would have killed him if it was.
“Um are you guys okay?” Ryan asked.
Jon nodded while Spencer shook his head.
Marti didn’t move.
“What happened?” I asked.
They were starting to freak me out.
“Do you know what her name is?” Jon asked, pointing at Marti.
“Um yes, it’s Marti.” Ryan said as if he were talking to a three year old.
But seriously, why would Jon ask a stupid question like that?.
“No, I mean her full name!” Jon said.
Ryan shook his head.
“No.” He said and looked expectantly at Marti.
She didn’t say anything.
“And your full name is?” He asked impatiently.
Maybe I was imagining it but I thought that Marti looked scared.
“Martini Lila…” She hesitated.
“Last name!” Jon said.
Marti glanced at him, then at Ryan and then at the floor.
“Last name!” Jon repeated, a little louder this time.
“Ross.” Marti said quietly, not looking up from the floor.
“Oh God!” Ryan said, burying his face in his hands.
Marti was still staring at the floor so it was impossible to see what her facial expression was.
“Oh God!” Ryan repeated.
He sounded really angry.
But I couldn’t blame him,
He just found out that he has a sister,
Who’s thirteen,
And from another woman.
“Shit!” Ryan said loudly, leaving the garage.
He turned the corner and was out of sight,
And then we heard a big crash.
Without speaking both Jon and Spencer got to their feet and ran outside,
Leaving me with Marti.
Who I was pretty sure was crying.
My first reaction was to hug her.
But then I realized that she might not be that comfortable with that.
After all, she’d just met me ten minutes ago.
“Come, sit down!” I said, beckoning her with my hand.
Marti looked up, her eye filled with tears.
She looked scared but she came over to the couch and sat down.
I sat down next to her, careful not to be too close to her.
“So you’re for sure Ryan’s sister?” I asked.
She nodded slowly, looking miserable.
“How do you know for sure?” I asked.
“My mom said she was leaving me with my father, his father!” She said.
It was hard to keep myself from hugging her now,
She sounded so hopeless and alone.
“Have you always known that he’s your brother?” I asked.
I wasn’t really sure what would be good to ask her and what wouldn’t be,
Guess I’d find out.
“No.” She said, sounding even more upset.
Then it hit me,
Ryan was upset about this,
But so was Marti.
Maybe even more upset than he was,
Which would make sense.
After all, her mother had just abandoned her with her father who’d she’d never met,
And his wife who might even hate her,
And then on top of that all, she just so happened to have an older brother who was famous.
And she was only thirteen, she was going to have to live with this for a long time.
At least Ryan was out of the house,
He only had to deal with this part time.
But Marti was going to have to live with this until she moved out.
Ryan’s POV
As soon as I was outside I kicked over a garbage can.
Luckily it was empty so Brendon wouldn’t kill me.
But I didn’t really care about that right now,
I had a sister!
Who’s only thirteen!
And from another woman!
And both my parents seemed to know this!
So why the hell hadn’t they told me?!
Didn’t I deserve to know that I had a sister?
What were they going to do,
Try and hide that little piece of information from me forever?
They probably weren’t expecting her to show up at our doorstep!
Serves them right!
Not telling me about her!
“Hey Ryan, are you okay?” Spencer asked, coming up behind me with Jon.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine, never been better!” I said sarcastically.
Spencer and Jon looked at each other and then back at me.
“Why the hell did they never tell me?” I asked, kicking the garbage can again.
“I mean, they both know!” I said, coming dangerously close to yelling.
“Well maybe they didn’t want you to know…” Jon said slowly.
I felt like hitting him.
“But I had a right to know!” I yelled.
“Yes you did, and they should’ve told you.” Spencer said, nodding.
I knew what he was doing,
He was letting me vent.
And then he’d try to get me thinking rationally,
I loved and hated him for it at the same time.
“And what the hell am I supposed to do about it?” I said.
I didn’t even care if Marti could hear me,
She’d get over it.
Brendon’s POV
Marti was still crying.
We could hear Ryan yelling.
But thankfully, we couldn’t make out what he was saying.
I’m sure he wasn’t saying how happy he was.
And then it was silent.
That meant that Ryan was finished venting and Spencer was getting him to think rationally.
Apparently it worked.
Because five minutes later Ryan, Spencer and Jon all came back into the garage.
Ryan looked a lot calmer.
I wondered what Spencer had said to him.
Ryan’s POV
By the time I finally stopped venting Spencer and Jon were leaning against the house.
Now it was time for Spencer to calm me down,
This is how it always goes.
“I’m not saying that this isn’t fair to you, but think of Marti. I’m sure the kid woke up today thinking that this was going to be like every other day. She probably didn’t think that she’d be meeting her father for the first time and meeting his wife and son.” Spencer said.
I just stared at him.
“So just go in there and ask her a few questions, you might find that you actually like her!” Spencer said.
He did make sense,
And I couldn’t really do anything else right now.
Short of calling my father and freaking out on him.
Which I’m sure would not be a good idea.
“Okay, fine.” I said, taking a deep breath.
Spencer smiled and I followed him and Jon back into the garage.