“WOAH! Ryan…RYAN! Hey! Look at that freak!”

Ryan groaned and shoved his cousins hand down, which was pointing at some random beachgoers. He was briefly reminded of Luke at the Rooney concert.

“Don’t Point.” He growled at him. “It’s rude.”

Matt raised his eyebrows and smirked, running ahead. They were walking along the pier, heading to their favorite Diner on the beach for some pancakes. Marissa and Summer only laughed at Matt, but Ryan was getting a serious migraine running after his little cousin. It reminded him of Thanksgiving at Chino.

“Sorry” He muttered at 2 suited men who Matt had just run into.

“He’s one free spirit.” Marissa remarked, now looking at Ryan and smiling.

“A pain in the ass, you mean.” Ryan corrected, growling. “Hey!”

Matt had just bumped into a large group of people outside the diner, causing their morning coffees to spill all over them. They glared at him and Matt grinned back. Ryan grabbed his hood, seething.

“Could. You. Stand. Still?” He dragged him inside the door of the diner.

“Hardly.” Matt smiled. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem is…” Ryan trailed off, the word ‘you’ failing on his lips. “Why are you so happy? Didn’t your mom make you come here?”

Matt paused, his smile disappearing and a worried look crossing his face. “Oh…yeah…well…”

Ryan narrowed his eyes.

“Well….pancakes!” Matt raced down the aisle to where Marissa, Summer and Seth were already seated. Ryan grudgingly followed.

“So, how’s Chino?” Summer picked up a menu as Marissa laughed.

“It’s ok I guess.” Matt grinned as Ryan slid into the Booth next to him. “It’s a lot- WOW! They pour your water!” He stared, open mouthed at the waitress who was pouring iced water into the teens glasses.

Ryan felt like hitting him. “Yes, they pour your water.” He muttered, embarrassed.

“Cute” Marissa remarked, still grinning widely.

“Do people burn money here?” Matt asked loudly, people were turning and staring. “’Cause I saw on this cartoon- ow!” He finished, rubbing his arm where Ryan nudged him.

“Just order” Ryan growled at him.

“I want pancakes” He said simply to the waitress.

“Please” Ryan hissed a reminder at him.

“Who are you? My Mother? She gets paid to deal with creeps like me.” Matt retorted, glaring at the waitress.

Ryan frowned. There was something fishy about the whole Matt ordeal. Matt (or any of his family) Have never been the most honest bunch of people, and were known to do anything for their own personal gain. Since learning he could stay for a few days, Matt had been over the moon and had never stopped smiling, where as a minute ago he had been bawling in Ryan’s Poolhouse. What’s up with that?

Ryan had no time to think however, Matt had just cursed loudly as he dropped his phone on the tiled floor.

“Since when do you have a phone?” Ryan muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Matt’s eyelids flickered as he straightened himself on the chair.

“Since... I don’t know… My birthday.”

“Your mom…bought you a phone?”

“Yeah.” Matt muttered causally. After that he sat in silence, not opening his mouth.

-

“If we don’t find him I’m toast.” Jayden whined outside the phone booth. Damon growled at him from inside it. Both were wearing large aviator sunglasses over their pale faces, as they both had headaches from a night of hard drinking. Both had also inherited their fathers raven black hair, unlike their younger brother Matt who had their mother’s blonde locks.

“Would you keep you shirt on?” Damon hissed at him while holding the phone to his ear. “I’m lookin’.” He was thumbing through the phone book, searching for names.

“Well look faster.” Jayden muttered angrily as he leant against the phone booth door.

Damon gave him a menacing glare.

“Or…go at the pace you’re going at…it doesn’t mind me…” Jayden shrugged and hunched his shoulders.

Damon scowled and hung up the phone.

“I got nuthin’” He kicked the phone box in anger. “Where could the brat be?”

Jayden bit his pierced lip. “I dunno…” He fiddled with the zipper of his black hoodie. “He said he was outta state, right?” He asked his older brother, who shook his head.

“He aint that smart.”

“He is.” Jayden mumbled, but was met with another stare.

“I mean…” Jayden went on. “Remember the last time he ran away? We found his ages ago with heaps of cash, Matt’s only lookin’ for people to scab money off, he’s smart, and he knows it. He looks for people he can get more luxury with…”

He trailed off, looking at the ground. He could tell his ramble was getting nowhere.

Damon scoffed. “Are you kidding’ me Jay? We live in effin’ Chino! We don’t know anybody who-“

He stopped, looking straight ahead. Jayden stared at him and followed his gaze.

“What?”

Damon said nothing, just stared at the highway in front of them.

“What is it?” Jayden demanded. But Damon ignored him, instead he pulled out his spare wallet from his jeans pocket and started rummaging in it, cursing.

Jayden watched him chuck out a receipt, condom packet, dime, old piece of paper, a girls number, photo of an ex girlfriend and a beer bottle cap before he pulled out an old business card, which had once belonged to a lawyer.

“Dae…what?”

“Cohen.” He muttered, before glaring at his brother, whose eyes widened as he looked at the card.

“Sandy Cohen, Orange County."

Damon smirked. "How far is that?"

-