20 years later...
Twenty -year old Ryan Hansen walked down the busy streets of New York City. Her brief case clasped in her left hand and an armful of folders in her right. Ryan may only be twenty years old, but she was one of the main reporters for one of the most popular teen magazines in the united states, she was the main editor and she was a frequent visitor to MTV studios for the latest updates on different musical groups or stars. She dashed into her office in a large building and dropped the papers and folders on her desk and the brief case beside them. She smoothed out the gray suit she was wearing for the important meeting she should have been in three minutes ago.
Quickly she shuffled down the hall trying to sort through a stack of memos and reports that had been written and reports that needed to be made. She opened the door to meet her clients she had an interview with. Without looking up from the papers she walked inside and began talking.
" I apologize for being late, my name is Ms. Ryan Hansen." She brushed a piece of her carmel blonde hair away from her blue eyes as she looked into the eyes of someone she had not seen in many, many years The ruffled blonde hair was so familiar to her it made her smile.
" Ryan?" He asked with a large grin on his face.
" Nick!" she squealed setting down her papers and jumping into his arms for a hug.
" Nicky did we miss something?" A man in his early twenties with wild blue tips asked.
" AJ this is my best friend from years ago, Ryan Hansen, our parents are best friends." Ryan's smile faded, Nick quickly noticed his mistake and changed it in a hurry. " I mean, they were friends, up until a few years ago..." Ryan closed her eyes to push out the memories of the accident.
She smiled and sat at the head of a large cherry wood table. " Okay we are all here on professional matters..."
The door open and a young women walked inside timidly. " Ms. Hansen, Your brother is on line one, he claims it's urgent." The women nodded and exited the room.
" I'm sorry I have to take this call, I'll only be a few minutes." Ryan walked over to the corner of the room where a glass table and a company phone rested. " Yes Ashley what is it? Jacob's? He is the one in Hudson right? All right, I'll pick you up around 6:30. Okay fine 8:30 at the latest. Okay, I love you too. See you later. Bye."
Ryan hung up the phone and returned to the table. " How is your little brother?" Nick asked looking fully amused.
" He is good, He is fourteen, and since... well you know, I've had to raise him myself. He was twelve when it happened." She let it trail off and returned to shuffling some papers.
" Okay so where to begin, Everyone knows the reason we are here, correct?" Reagan read the top of a contract. In bold letters was the word Jive.
" Yes we are leaving Jive to join Blue." Blue was not only the magazine and the small MTV news series but it was also the name of the new record company, that also held such artists as Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Boys 2 men, 98 degrees, Jessica Simpson and many other artists.
" Okay here is the contract, read it over ask your questions and sign the bottom. And tomorrow we do an interview on Blue television. Any questions?"
Ryan began to stand up as Nick raised his hand. " Yes?"
" Would you want to go out for maybe an ice cream before you pick up Ashley?" He asked shyly.
Ryan smiled and nodded her head. " Sure, that would be great."
Nick picked up a pen and signed with a smile on his face. Ryan sat in her quiet office staring at the silver frame that rested on her well-organized desk. Nick had bought her the frame over in Europe when his music group had just started. It was covered in curves and well-rounded corners that made the frame look exquisite and intriguing. In the frame was her mother, father, eight year old Ryan and two year old Ashley. A tear rolled down her cheek. The accident had happened two years ago, her father Jordan Hansen and her mother Jessica, were murdered.
Ryan remembered everything in detail. She was eighteen years old and her brother was twelve. Ryan was standing outside of Somerville Middle school, waiting by her car for Ashley. She seen him come out of the building with a wide smile on his face, he ran to her waving a graded paper in his hand. She remembered it was his fourteen-page report for science. Ashley had been failing Science poorly, and their father was very disappointed, since their father was a Science professor in college. He handed her the 100% paper with a wide happy grin. They climbed in the car and talked before pulling out of the school parking lot. Ashley had picked up a couple cases of CD's that lay on the floor. The one he put in was etched in her mind. It was a Back street boys CD. They drove home each one trying to out sing the other. They laughed as they pulled into their driveway. Ryan pulled her keys out of her purse and headed towards the front door. They were both excited to tell their parents about things that had happened that day. Ashley with his paper, and Reagan with her new job. Even though without any references or experiences, Ryan was offered a job at Blue. A very high and important job. But as they neared the door and seen it ajar, Ryan's heart began to beat faster. She pushed the door open and looked at the stairs leading to the main floor of her house.
Ryan let a few tears escape from her eyes as she remembered what had happened next. The Stairs were covered in deep red blood, she remembered covering Ashley's eyes with shaking hands. Then with him by her side they ran up the stairs to see what had happened. Ryan remembered seeing her mother lying on their nice white carpeted floor, bloody, and lifeless. Ashley had begun to scream and cry. Ryan held him tightly and let her eyes search the scene for her father, who was just as bloody lying in the dining room.
A knock on Ryan's office door brought her back to the present. " Come in!" She called wiping the last remains of tears off her face. Nick walked in nervously.
" Ready for that ice cream?" he whispered.
" Yeah lets go."
They walked outside and climbed into Ryan's Black convertible VW bug. " Cute car" Nick laughed as she pressed the button for the hood to go down. Since it was still daylight out Reagan slipped on a pair of sunglasses and adjusted her mirrors.
They drove down the street towards the ice cream parlor. " Let me try to guess your favorite ice cream." Nick smiled.
" You use to know it better than you knew yours." She laughed.
Nick went to the counter and ordered two cones of chocolate. He handed her one and they satin the booth. "See I still know what it was." He said taking a lick of his ice cream.
" Actually Mr. Carter it is Vanilla." She laughed as he rolled his eyes.
" Since when?" He replied.
" Since you still know what it is!"
Nick smirked noticing the little dot of ice cream a little below her bottom lip. " Stay still" He whispered leaning forward. He put his lips on the little dot of ice cream and moved them up to her lips. When he leaned back slowly he laughed at her shocked look. " Sorry, you had some ice cream."
Ryan blushed and smiled just leaving it at that.
.