Girl Meets Ryan Matthews

43.

Ryan found Auggie and Josh in the kitchen, coloring.

"Oooh, Auggie, can you pass me a blue?" Ryan asked, picking up a barely touched scrap of paper.

They sat there coloring for a peaceful minute before Maya and Riley came back to interrogate Shawn.

"I need to talk to you," Maya stated, looking up at Shawn.

"Did you not just hear our song?" Cory asked, offended. "Oh we all heard it," Ryan chimed in, pointedly staring down at his drawing as to avoid his Dad's look.

"Hey, Ryan, that's really good," Josh commented, pointing his own crayon at Ryan's paper.

He drew Josh, doing the best shading and blending that Crayola would provide.

"Thanks, Josh."

"Why do you make Riley feel bad?" Ryan heard Maya question, loudly. Ryan looked up from his paper awkwardly.

"I don't mean to," Shawn replied. Ryan looked at Riley who was staring at her shoes. Ryan rolled his eyes, leave it to Maya to do things the awkward way.

"Well you do," Maya began to sound choked up, "And that's not cool with me. Cause I'm her best friend," Maya held Riley's hand. "So I just wanted to tell you that."

Ryan looked to Auggie and Josh awkwardly.

"Ryan, can you draw me?" Auggie asked. Ryan smiled and grabbed the crayon box. "Sure, what color do you wanna be?"

--

"Do all adult men need naps?" Ryan asked as he pulled a box of extra Christmas decorations from the hall closet. He handed it to Josh. "I think so?" Josh replied. They walked down the hall into the living room and began decorating Alan with the lights and tinsel.

"Should we be doing this?" Auggie asked when they were about halfway done with the box. Ryan and Josh shared a look.

"Absolutely."

"What's the difference between having an older daddy and having a younger daddy?" Auggie asked.

"Financial stability, mostly," Ryan said. Josh elbowed him while Ryan laughed.

"Younger daddy doesn't fall asleep in the middle of a party?" Josh suggested. Ryan rolled his eyes as the three of them looked to Shawn and Cory who were asleep next to Alan.

Maya got up from where she was sitting next to Riley on the bench and leaned over Shawn.

"How could you possibly not like Riley?" Ryan sighed. "Maya please stop asking that."

Maya just narrowed her eyes more. "How could you like Ryan more? I mean, she's Riley!" Ryan sat back, offended. Josh and Auggie tried to comfort him.

"Maya!" Riley stopped her. Shawn looked up at them both, confused. "What is she talking about?"

Ryan looked at Josh and whispered, "Should we leave?"

Josh shook his head. "I think we'd make it more awkward."

"Whenever you come over," Riley said, "You always find some excuse not to talk to me and spend a lot of time with Ryan, and then you leave."

Could Ryan make a break for it?

As the conversation progressed, Ryan slid down the couch until he reached the floor. Josh lifted his legs while giving him a 'really?' look. Ryan army crawled behind the couch to the kitchen table.

"Dinner's ready!" Topanga called. Ryan popped up next to his mother with a smile, earning a shout from her. Amy just laughed and high fived him.

"Who taught you to be so sneaky?" Topanga asked as everyone gathered around the table.