On Sleepless Roads
Chapter Five
Brendon’s POV
Ryan sat down on the other side of Marti so she was in between the two of us.
Marti shifted uncomfortable and stared down at her hands.
Ryan took a deep breath and a ran his hand through his hair.
“Where were you born?” He asked.
Marti hesitated but then she answered.
“Australia.” She said.
That would explain the accent.
“Was that woman your mother?” Ryan asked.
“Unfortunately yes.” Marti said bitterly.
“When did you move here?”
“When I was seven.” Marti replied.
She sounded really nervous,
But who could blame her?
She did have four guys staring at her.
“Have you always known that you were a Ross?” Ryan asked.
Marti nodded.
“So you knew that we were related and I didn’t!” He said bitterly.
And then to my surprise Marti glared at him.
“I said I knew that I was a Ross, I didn’t say that I knew we were related!” She said.
We were all staring at her in surprise,
And Marti looked like she wished that she hadn’t said anything.
“You never realized that we have the same last name?” Ryan asked.
Marti glared at him again.
“I thought it was just a coincidence!” She said.
She looked dangerously close to tears again.
“You’re mother never told you who your father is?” Ryan asked.
Marti shook her head.
“She never talked about him.” She said softly.
“You don’t have any other siblings do you?” Ryan asked, sounding like he dreaded Marti’s answer.
“Nope.” She said.
Ryan sighed in relief.
Marti’s POV
Try as I might I could not keep myself from crying.
I was being so stupid!
Wasn’t I supposed to be happy?
Maybe I’d have a real family now,
But no, all I could think of was that this was defiantly the worst day of my life.
I don’t know why,
My mother had abandoned me.
And I don’t even like her so why was I so upset about that?
And living with my father couldn’t be any worse.
But I just wanted to be back with my mother!
Could this day get any worse?
Brendon’s POV
“Did your mother ever say anything about your father?” Ryan asked.
Marti hesitated.
“What’d she say?” Ryan asked.
Marti was silent.
“What’d she say?” Ryan asked again.
Marti looked nervous as she answered.
“She, she said that he’s a good-for-nothing asshole that should burn in hell and then some other words that I’d rather not repeat.” She said, blushing a bit.
Ryan looked like he didn’t know what to say.
While I on the other hand, was trying hard not to laugh.
I couldn’t help it, it was funny!
“Your mom never got married?” Ryan asked.
Marti got a distant expression on her face and looked back down at her hands.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She said.
“So she did get married?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” Marti repeated firmly.
“Why not, was the guy bad?” Ryan asked.
Spencer, Jon and I were all staring at him.
Why wouldn’t he drop it?
Marti didn’t answer.
“Is she still married?” Ryan asked.
I glared at him,
And so did Marti.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” She said for the third time.
“Was he a jerk?” Ryan asked.
“Ryan!” Spencer, Jon and I all said in unison.
He ignored us.
“Did he have any kids?” He asked.
Luckily the phone rang just then,
I jumped up and ran into the house to answer it.
It was Ryan’s dad.
“Hey Brendon, is Ryan there?” He asked.
“Yup, just a second.” I said.
You’d think he would’ve just called Ryan’s cell.
“Ryan, it’s your dad!” I said, coming back out into the garage.
Ryan jumped to his feet and came into the house.
“Brendon, Jon, can I talk to you for a second?” Spencer asked, slowly inching outside
I nodded and followed him to the side of my house where Marti couldn’t see us.
“Dude, why is Ryan being like that? I mean, I can understand being upset because he just found out that he has a sister, but why is he being such an asshole?” Spencer asked.
Both Jon and I shrugged.
“I have no clue but he better knock it off, he’s going to make her cry!” Jon said.
“I feel bad for her, being abandoned by her mother and then Ryan acting like this.” Spencer said, his voice dropping down to a whisper.
“Hopefully he’ll stop.” I said quietly, thinking.
Ryan’s POV
“She’s my sister!” I said angrily.
Dad sighed loudly.
“Well, yes, she is.” He said slowly.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” I cried.
“We never wanted you to know!” Dad said, sounding as angry as I felt.
“So you were just going to pretend that she never existed?” I yelled.
“She was never supposed to show up!” Dad said bitterly.
“So you knew about her all this time!” I said.
Dad didn’t say anything.
“Did you know about her before today?” I yelled.
Dad sighed loudly.
“Yes, I knew about her, I’ve known about her for a long time.” He said.
“Fuck!” I said loudly.
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“I don’t know if you’d even remember it, but years ago your mother and I split up for a while, only about a week. During that time I met Jill. We had a thing, but then your mother and I got back together. About a year later she contacted me to tell me that she’d had a baby girl.” Dad said hesitantly.
“Does mom know?” I asked.
“Your mother knew about Jill from the beginning.” Dad said.
“And she was fine with it?!” I yelled.
“Ryan calm down!” Dad said angrily.
“No, you’ve been lying to me basically my whole life, I’m not going to calm down!” I yelled.
“Your mother wants to talk to you!” Dad said.
He was getting too angry to speak now.
“Ryan, are you there honey?” Mom asked.
“Yes, I’m here.” I said.
“Honey I know you’re upset and I know that we should have told you about Marti.” Mom said.
“Yeah, you should’ve!” I said angrily.
“I know, I know, and honey, we’ll talk more about this, but for now, how’s Marti?” Mom asked.
I was amazed that she actually cared,
She didn’t seem to hate Marti.
Even though Marti is her husband’s kid from a different woman.
“She’s, okay.” I said hesitantly.
I didn’t actually know if she was okay.
And my mom picked up on that.
“She is still with you, right?” Mom asked, sounding alarmed.
“Yes, she’s still with me!” I said with a sigh.
“I’m not going to lose her!” I added.
“I know, she just has a reputation for taking off.” Mom said.
She does?
Oh God, that would have been useful information to know before!
At least Brendon, Spencer and Jon were still with her!
“What are you guys going to do with her?” I asked.
Mom sighed.
“Well we’re still trying to work everything out, but she’ll defiantly be staying with us.” Mom said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Ryan! We can’t make her live out in the streets! Her mother obviously doesn’t want her so we’ll take her in!” Mom said sharply.
“I know, I’m sorry.” I said.
“This is hard on all of us. You’re father and I aren’t quite done talking yet, can you and Marti hang out at Brendon’s for a little while longer?” Mom asked.
I sighed loudly.
“Yeah I guess.” I said.
“Thanks honey, we’ll talk more later, I promise!” Mom said.
“Okay, bye.” I said, hanging up the phone.
Great, I feel so much better now,
Can’t you just smell the sarcasm?
I walked out into the garage and stopped dead,
There was no one there.
“Hey, guys?” I asked, walking into the middle of the garage.
Brendon, Spencer and Jon all came back into it.
“Yeah?” Spencer asked.
“Where’s Marti?”
Ryan sat down on the other side of Marti so she was in between the two of us.
Marti shifted uncomfortable and stared down at her hands.
Ryan took a deep breath and a ran his hand through his hair.
“Where were you born?” He asked.
Marti hesitated but then she answered.
“Australia.” She said.
That would explain the accent.
“Was that woman your mother?” Ryan asked.
“Unfortunately yes.” Marti said bitterly.
“When did you move here?”
“When I was seven.” Marti replied.
She sounded really nervous,
But who could blame her?
She did have four guys staring at her.
“Have you always known that you were a Ross?” Ryan asked.
Marti nodded.
“So you knew that we were related and I didn’t!” He said bitterly.
And then to my surprise Marti glared at him.
“I said I knew that I was a Ross, I didn’t say that I knew we were related!” She said.
We were all staring at her in surprise,
And Marti looked like she wished that she hadn’t said anything.
“You never realized that we have the same last name?” Ryan asked.
Marti glared at him again.
“I thought it was just a coincidence!” She said.
She looked dangerously close to tears again.
“You’re mother never told you who your father is?” Ryan asked.
Marti shook her head.
“She never talked about him.” She said softly.
“You don’t have any other siblings do you?” Ryan asked, sounding like he dreaded Marti’s answer.
“Nope.” She said.
Ryan sighed in relief.
Marti’s POV
Try as I might I could not keep myself from crying.
I was being so stupid!
Wasn’t I supposed to be happy?
Maybe I’d have a real family now,
But no, all I could think of was that this was defiantly the worst day of my life.
I don’t know why,
My mother had abandoned me.
And I don’t even like her so why was I so upset about that?
And living with my father couldn’t be any worse.
But I just wanted to be back with my mother!
Could this day get any worse?
Brendon’s POV
“Did your mother ever say anything about your father?” Ryan asked.
Marti hesitated.
“What’d she say?” Ryan asked.
Marti was silent.
“What’d she say?” Ryan asked again.
Marti looked nervous as she answered.
“She, she said that he’s a good-for-nothing asshole that should burn in hell and then some other words that I’d rather not repeat.” She said, blushing a bit.
Ryan looked like he didn’t know what to say.
While I on the other hand, was trying hard not to laugh.
I couldn’t help it, it was funny!
“Your mom never got married?” Ryan asked.
Marti got a distant expression on her face and looked back down at her hands.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She said.
“So she did get married?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” Marti repeated firmly.
“Why not, was the guy bad?” Ryan asked.
Spencer, Jon and I were all staring at him.
Why wouldn’t he drop it?
Marti didn’t answer.
“Is she still married?” Ryan asked.
I glared at him,
And so did Marti.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” She said for the third time.
“Was he a jerk?” Ryan asked.
“Ryan!” Spencer, Jon and I all said in unison.
He ignored us.
“Did he have any kids?” He asked.
Luckily the phone rang just then,
I jumped up and ran into the house to answer it.
It was Ryan’s dad.
“Hey Brendon, is Ryan there?” He asked.
“Yup, just a second.” I said.
You’d think he would’ve just called Ryan’s cell.
“Ryan, it’s your dad!” I said, coming back out into the garage.
Ryan jumped to his feet and came into the house.
“Brendon, Jon, can I talk to you for a second?” Spencer asked, slowly inching outside
I nodded and followed him to the side of my house where Marti couldn’t see us.
“Dude, why is Ryan being like that? I mean, I can understand being upset because he just found out that he has a sister, but why is he being such an asshole?” Spencer asked.
Both Jon and I shrugged.
“I have no clue but he better knock it off, he’s going to make her cry!” Jon said.
“I feel bad for her, being abandoned by her mother and then Ryan acting like this.” Spencer said, his voice dropping down to a whisper.
“Hopefully he’ll stop.” I said quietly, thinking.
Ryan’s POV
“She’s my sister!” I said angrily.
Dad sighed loudly.
“Well, yes, she is.” He said slowly.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” I cried.
“We never wanted you to know!” Dad said, sounding as angry as I felt.
“So you were just going to pretend that she never existed?” I yelled.
“She was never supposed to show up!” Dad said bitterly.
“So you knew about her all this time!” I said.
Dad didn’t say anything.
“Did you know about her before today?” I yelled.
Dad sighed loudly.
“Yes, I knew about her, I’ve known about her for a long time.” He said.
“Fuck!” I said loudly.
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“I don’t know if you’d even remember it, but years ago your mother and I split up for a while, only about a week. During that time I met Jill. We had a thing, but then your mother and I got back together. About a year later she contacted me to tell me that she’d had a baby girl.” Dad said hesitantly.
“Does mom know?” I asked.
“Your mother knew about Jill from the beginning.” Dad said.
“And she was fine with it?!” I yelled.
“Ryan calm down!” Dad said angrily.
“No, you’ve been lying to me basically my whole life, I’m not going to calm down!” I yelled.
“Your mother wants to talk to you!” Dad said.
He was getting too angry to speak now.
“Ryan, are you there honey?” Mom asked.
“Yes, I’m here.” I said.
“Honey I know you’re upset and I know that we should have told you about Marti.” Mom said.
“Yeah, you should’ve!” I said angrily.
“I know, I know, and honey, we’ll talk more about this, but for now, how’s Marti?” Mom asked.
I was amazed that she actually cared,
She didn’t seem to hate Marti.
Even though Marti is her husband’s kid from a different woman.
“She’s, okay.” I said hesitantly.
I didn’t actually know if she was okay.
And my mom picked up on that.
“She is still with you, right?” Mom asked, sounding alarmed.
“Yes, she’s still with me!” I said with a sigh.
“I’m not going to lose her!” I added.
“I know, she just has a reputation for taking off.” Mom said.
She does?
Oh God, that would have been useful information to know before!
At least Brendon, Spencer and Jon were still with her!
“What are you guys going to do with her?” I asked.
Mom sighed.
“Well we’re still trying to work everything out, but she’ll defiantly be staying with us.” Mom said.
“Why?” I asked.
“Ryan! We can’t make her live out in the streets! Her mother obviously doesn’t want her so we’ll take her in!” Mom said sharply.
“I know, I’m sorry.” I said.
“This is hard on all of us. You’re father and I aren’t quite done talking yet, can you and Marti hang out at Brendon’s for a little while longer?” Mom asked.
I sighed loudly.
“Yeah I guess.” I said.
“Thanks honey, we’ll talk more later, I promise!” Mom said.
“Okay, bye.” I said, hanging up the phone.
Great, I feel so much better now,
Can’t you just smell the sarcasm?
I walked out into the garage and stopped dead,
There was no one there.
“Hey, guys?” I asked, walking into the middle of the garage.
Brendon, Spencer and Jon all came back into it.
“Yeah?” Spencer asked.
“Where’s Marti?”