Matching Smiles (Ryder)

[KATHERINE BETHANY MILLIGAN]

♥ Katie Milligan



It's never the GLORY, it's never the SCORE

It's not about seeing who's less and who's more...


Sometimes, she wasn’t so certain that this had been her brightest idea but the moment she saw the cat, Katie knew that she had to get it. Not for her of course, but for her eldest brother. After all, he had just graduated police academy and at the moment, the young girl could not help but to feel under the impression that she might be the only one who would congratulate him. Well, out of her family that is. As they got progressively closer to his little apartment though, Katie had just about convinced herself that she was going to like the cat. Cats were nice animals and they could take care of themselves, plus they were fluffy. Cats were also bigger than hamsters (even though she still considered Ryder a criminal for not liking Snickers) and they were smaller than horses (an animal that Katie had now convinced herself that Ryder was terrified of). Peering into the carrying bag now, two big blue eyes just stared back at with judgment and annoyance, “I think you guys will get along great,” she commented now, informing the cat.

Honestly, the cat and her brother had the same frown. This totally was going to work. Katie was still very much under the impression that Ryder didn’t know how to properly smile. He was always giving her these weak ones or half smiles that looked more forced than anything which was saying something since she knew that Ryder did actually like her despite all of her adventures and ‘crazy talk’. The young girl still wasn’t fully convinced that her eldest brother believed her evil elf theory and she knew if she took that theory to Kris that he would probably just laugh in her face. How crazy her family had gotten and she still didn’t quite know how to deal with it. Maybe everything would get better now though since it was summer. There wasn’t any school or sports that they had to worry about, Kendell was back from college and as far as she knew her neighbor and Ryder were still happily dating. Still, that was only for the summer and once again, school would take over their lives again. Katie didn’t really want that to happen, she didn’t like everybody growing up on her either. She actually missed when they were all still together, Ryder living with them and Kendell next door all the time, no fights between anybody. Well, the last part was probably hard to ask since Kris always seemed at odds with the rest of them. She did like to believe that he was finally getting over that.

The cab had stopped a block away, and Katie deemed it a fine enough spot to get out, “Here’s fine, um, how much do I owe you?” Forking over the money, she quickly got out of the cab now and grabbed the one back containing as much cat supplies that she could have afforded and then her second bag/carrier thing that actually contained the cat itself. Last but not least, a shinny balloon that said ‘congrats graduate’ because well, who wouldn’t want a balloon? Well, probably Ryder since it wasn’t manly but she wasn’t taking no for an answer. Blue eyes glanced down at the piece of paper for a moment with her mother’s scrawl on it. Sometimes it still seemed a little odd to Katie that out of all the people in the family who knew were her half brother lived; it was her mother who wasn’t even related to him at all. She glanced around for a moment before spotting the street she needed, and started heading towards it, “You know, I think you really are going to like him. You guys have matching smiles. Plus, I bet his house is a lot better than the animal shelter. It will be all peaceful and quiet.” Turning down the street, Katie just kept on walking until she came to the number that she needed. Okay, she could do this, sure she didn’t call ahead of time but worst thing that could happen is that he isn’t home…that or some other girl is there. But those were worst case scenarios that couldn’t quite happen. So with that, she rang the doorbell. The sound must have disturbed the cat too, for it poked its head out of the top of the and stared grumpily at the door.


Cause when you find out how FAST and how FAR

You'll know it's not how much you have...

It's who you are...♥

NOTES: |GRUMPY CAT IS THE CAT|
OUTFIT: | leopard print jeans, white shirt with 'c u after class', maroon aeropostale hoodie, brown boots|
MUSIC: |It's Who You Are - AJ Michalka|
TAGS: |Ryder Williams|

[RYDER NATHANIEL WILLIAMS]

Work was exhausting especially being a rookie. He knew there were just certain amounts of hazing you went through when you started but they seriously made them do everything. The other cops were practically sitting on their asses eating bonbons each day. He was exaggerating to be sure but that was definitely what it felt like. The only thing that seemed to calm him down was maintaining his workout routine, it wasn't like he had much else to do with his time. He had chosen the Windom police force because his siblings were here, he didn't want to move out of town but the problem with a small town police force meant not a whole lot to do on a day to day basis other than drive around and look for something to do.

It was mostly handing out speeding tickets or patrolling the streets and businesses. Anything particularly exhilarating was generally handed off to a special department anyway, homicide or narcotics. After a year or two on the force he figured he might specialize but for now he just needed to get a feel for his new career and make sure he'd done the right thing with his life. Taking the juice carton out of the fridge he undid the cap and drank directly out of it, the benefits of living alone meant not having to worry about sharing, or lectures for that matter. After putting it back he pulled his shirt off and collapsed on his bed.

Now that he had a real job he could probably afford a better place than a studio apartment where everything was just piled into one big room but it was something to worry about later, now he wanted to nap. He had barely lay down and closed his eyes when her heard the door bell ring and he groaned slightly. Typical. Sitting up he ran a hand through his blond hair which, while still short had grown a lot since graduation.

“coming” he muttered standing up and didn't bother to grab his shirt as he headed for the doorway, who could it even be anyway? It must have been the wrong door or something. Opening it he blinked in surprise to see his sister standing there. “Katie?!” he asked. “Hey..” he didn't remember her saying that she was coming over, she had seemed to be relatively busy with whatever teenagers did in the summer time.

His eyes fell from her to the carrying bag she had in her hand and he looked confused for a moment before he looked back to her “You got yourself another pet!?” he asked in surprise “don't you think you've got enough responsibilities already?” Snickers and Starburst seemed like enough work for any kid to handle now she had something else? Well, she loved animals he supposed and he couldn't blame her for that even if he was partial to them on most occasions.

[KATHERINE BETHANY MILLIGAN]

♥ Katie Milligan



It's never the GLORY, it's never the SCORE

It's not about seeing who's less and who's more...


Could it be that he wasn’t home? Katie felt like this might be taking longer than usual, although she had no idea how long it took her oldest brother to answer the door other than the fact that he had a habit of doing so half naked. Or at least, that was how it had been back home, before the Fight and him moving out and everything else, “I…feel like he should be home.” Katie informed the cat now, glancing down at it as it stared back up at her begrunginly. After all, she had been that sister who ended up calling in his block to see that he was off work. Although, he was a twenty something year old who was perfectly capable of going out after work, to hang with people and such. Though the idea felt rather like a foreign concept, the idea of Ryder socializing with anybody else other than this girlfriend seemed a little weird but maybe he finally got friendly. Katie eyed the doorbell again, wondering if she should read it again when the cat’s ears twitched. Shortly followed, sound could be heard on the other side of the door.

The door unlocked and sure enough, there was her brother, standing there half naked and clearly surprised to see her there, “Katie?! Hey…” Maybe she really should have called ahead. For a moment, Katie leaned to the side, glancing around him just to make sure that she wasn’t going to see a half naked girlfriend either. But it seemed as if she was safe from interrupting any of fun that he might have been having. Judging by the look on his face though, he probably had been sleeping, or was about to sleep. And people say that teenagers couldn’t figure anything out. Good old deductive reasoning, “Why do you always answer the door half naked, Ryder?” she asked now, generally curious but then she grinned as well, “And hello to you too.” Well, she definitely caught him by surprise but at least there was no angry yell right afterwards, plus, he did technically say that she could visit him whenever she wanted the last time they spoke, after she accused him of having cancer and dying. The conversation might have gone on a little longer until he took notice of the bag of goodies that she had, actually, Katie wasn’t even sure if he realized that in the other back hanging from her shoulder that there was indeed a cat staring at him.

“You got yourself another pet? Don’t you think you have enough responsibilities already?” Funny how he was so quick to assume that she got another animal. Boy, was he about to be in for a rather big surprise.Actually, Katie might have taken another animal but deemed her parents seemed stressed out as it was with Ellie, and Kris was acting all funny and strange. The Milligan household was not a safe environment for the introduction of yet another animal, not quite yet at least. Placing the bag down, Katie then reached into the other back and gently took a hold of the cat before holding her out to her brother now, “Surprise! I got her for you.” The cat looked as grumpy as ever yet thankfully she made no move to try and murder either of them, only remain still and not struggling, “See? You two have matching smiles,” Katie went on with a grin now. Although, that wasn’t really the only reason, “I remember you getting all depressed after Kendell went away to college so I figured you needed another friend to keep you company, so this way you can’t get all angsty and depressed again. Cause…that’s not fun Ryder. So…yeah, I bought you all the stuff you need more or less and I took care of her adoption papers for you too so…she’s all yours! What are you going to name her?” Wow, she really needed to learn how to breathe when she was excited.


Cause when you find out how FAST and how FAR

You'll know it's not how much you have...

It's who you are...♥

NOTES: |GRUMPY CAT IS THE CAT|
OUTFIT: | leopard print jeans, white shirt with 'c u after class', maroon aeropostale hoodie, brown boots|
MUSIC: |It's Who You Are - AJ Michalka|
TAGS: |Ryder Williams|

[RYDER NATHANIEL WILLIAMS]

“I'm- not” he hesitated though he supposed all things considered he technically was as his sister put it 'half naked' “I don't like to wear a shirt when I'm sleeping” he said simply “Which is what I was doing” he pointed out not that it mattered now, he was awake and there was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep now even if he wanted to. He had a bad habit when his sleep was interrupted of not being able to fall back asleep.

He listened to his little sister explain about the pet that she had not gotten another one for herself but instead she had bought it for him. His blue eyes stared at her blankly for a moment not understanding the joke. Maybe he was still asleep and this was all some sort of horrible nightmare. As she kept going on and on about this cat and the things he needed to take care of it his eyes widened in surprise and he realised quickly that she was not joking at all.

“Wait... what?” He said “mine?” he stared at the animal with confusion and it stared at him back. Matching smiles? “you're hilarious...” he muttered grumpily but he didn't reach for the cat “Are you serious... I- I don't even know what to do with it” he said. He had never had a pet in his life and the other ones he'd been around had been others peoples pets. She had seen his reactions to her own pets why on earth would this have seemed like a good idea.

“I don't have time to be depressed” He said in regards to being without Kendell. Yes when she had first left it had sucked and he'd been pretty down but now, with working there wasn't a lot of time to think about much else. “Name her?” he asked and stared again at the cat. Right, it was his he supposed she needed a name like anything would. “I uh.. I don't know I guess I'll have to think about it” he admitted. “Come on bring her inside” he said.

[KATHERINE BETHANY MILLIGAN]

♥ Katie Milligan



It's never the GLORY, it's never the SCORE

It's not about seeing who's less and who's more...


He looked less than thrilled with her choice of words for him, "I'm-not...I don't like to wear a shirt when I'm sleeping...which is what I was doing." Ryder had sounded so matter o fact with his argument that Katie nearly rolled her eyes. If becoming a real adult made you this serious, she never wanted to grow up and loose her sparkling personality, "It's like, the afternoon!" she argued right back with a grin, "And there's no need to be grumpy." Actually, there probably was since she woke him up, Katie seemed to have a real natural talent for interrupting her brothers at times when they just wanted to be left alone. Boys were so broody, the young girl couldn't quite understand why people wanted to spend their whole time with them. That seemed like such a drag, although to be fair to Ryder, he was way better than when he first showed up on their doorstep or well, she supposed it was the hospital. Katie never really heard the full story, mostly because she was too distracted with introducing herself right off the bat to him.

The way he kept on staring at her though while she talked, Katie really was beginning to believe that he had woken up from a rather deeps slumber. Honestly though, it's not as if she had been speaking a different language, it was still english! And then, it was like everything magically clicked, "Wait...what? Mine?" Maybe if she nodded realllll slowly, he'd understand her. Katie grinned, nodding her head enthusiastically, hardly met with the same level of appreciation, especially when it came to her obvious statement. "You're hilarious...Are you serious...I-I don't even know what to do with it?" A slight sigh escaped her, this was not how she saw the whole thing going on in her head. It's not as if she were giving him a hamster or anything, "It's not an it, Ryder, she is a she." Katie retorted now, "And, it's a cat! They take care of themselves, all what you really need to do is feed her. Honestly, you're acting like I just told you that you're about to become a father." Or at least, she figured this is how he'd react, guys and babies were often a horrible combination, or at least, right when they found out.

When he informed her that he didn't have any time to be depressed, she wasn't sure if she entirely believed him, "You're in law enforcement, they always have high suicide rates! I can't have you dying, at least you don't look like you have cancer any more." As his gaze returned to the cat now though in her hands, Katie just watched him for a moment, hoping that he was slowly caving into the whole idea. "Name her? I uhhh I don't know I guess I'll have to think about it. Come on, bring her inside." A happy squeal nearly escaped Katie as she grabbed the stuff and brought it inside before dumping it by the door, just on the other side. Blue eyes glanced around, Ryder's apartment seemed so...plain. Maybe it was a good idea that she got him a cat, he needed some sort of flare. Gently, she placed the cat down on the ground now. It took a few steps before stopping again, glancing around. Probably getting a feel for the area before it ran and sprang onto the sofa and curled up, staring back at them. Katie felt herself grin, "You know, her face may say no but I think she really likes it here."


Cause when you find out how FAST and how FAR

You'll know it's not how much you have...

It's who you are...♥

NOTES: |GRUMPY CAT IS THE CAT|
OUTFIT: | leopard print jeans, white shirt with 'c u after class', maroon aeropostale hoodie, brown boots|
MUSIC: |It's Who You Are - AJ Michalka|
TAGS: |Ryder Williams|