Blooming Passion Trilogy: Extras

Extra Chapter 2

"Not Entirely Impossible" from Blooming Passion

Ramona's P.O.V. (from Ryan's)

It was as Ramona was walking up to Ryan's house that day, just after she dyed her hair an electric blue for the chance she required every six weeks or so, that her phone vibrated with a text from him. She already had a feeling she knew what it was going to say since she was supposed to be back an hour ago.

"You okay??"

She laughed to herself at his concern. Or perhaps he missed her, but that thought was terribly inconceivable.

She was at the door, raising a fist to knock a few times. It was as if Ryan had already been on the other side with how quickly he opened it. She stifled a laugh, even though she was nervous about how he'd react to the change she knew was drastic.

The first thing she noticed the man do was squint, especially because the sun shone on the fresh, bright dye.

"Can I come in?" she asked after he stood there, motionless, for a long while, staring at her hair. He didn't reply nearly as quickly as he opened the door.

"Why so drastic?" his eyebrows jumped up. And his eyes didn't move anywhere else.

"You answer my question and I'll answer yours."

Ryan's eyes finally darted from her hair to her face. He clearly registered her question when his face looked panicked and apologetic. He quickly jumped to the side for her, "Oh, shit. Yeah."

Ramona stepped past him silently, moving to the stairs. Then he repeated, "So why so drastic?"

"I need the change," she simply replied.

"I really liked the red," Ryan blurted back.

"I need the change," she repeated herself, shaking her head and going upstairs quickly. She heard him follow.

"Sorry to ask," he began hesitantly, "but why? How does this help you?"

Ramona was in the guest room he let her use, throwing her bags on the bed. She turned to look at him, leaning on the doorway with his eyes still glued to her. His stare made her feel a bit self-conscious. Did he not like it? That was when she realized him blurting "I really liked the red" might've been his disapproval. It made her feel worse than it should've.

"It's change," she replied to him. "I like change. I need it. That's all I can really tell you. I don't know how else to answer that question."

Then Ramona shrugged, peered at him a second more in hopes of getting more from his mind, but gave up after another second and started back downstairs. Once again, he followed. Though it took him longer to do so this time.

Within the next half hour, they were in the living room, being as chilled as they could given the circumstances that surrounded them with Shawn and, well, their own growing relationship. Ramona took to focusing on the guitar Ryan had gradually been teaching her - she was beginning to fall in love with music all over again because it took her to a place she needed to go, far away from reality. It was a place where Shawn didn't exist, and most of all where her conflict between Shawn and Ryan didn't.

Ryan was sitting silently beside her, though after some time she felt his eyes on her. She very well could've been imagining it, but something about his stare was so familiar that she just knew he was looking at her just then. Looking into her soul somehow, with an unfamiliar warmth.

Ramona started to look up from the stringed instrument, and just in time managed to catch him look away frantically. Though the TV wasn't on, so it was even more awkward. His eyes landed on the blank wall beside it, in fact. She almost laughed at him but was able to stifle it...though nothing could stop her from smiling. Finally, Ryan glanced back at her with timid eyes, and for once she felt a bit more in command. It was an odd feeling, especially when his cheeks grew a bit red.