From Up Here

12

|| Ryker ||        

"Ry? I thought you were taking today off?" 

"Am I not allowed to be here unless I'm working?" I reply, watching my younger sister roll her eyes at me before looking back to the customer she was in the process of ringing up. I look over my shoulder and through the window of the shop where I see Ryan still on her phone out front by the door. I wasn't expecting Sydney to be here today, I thought it was Link's day to manage the shop, and I don't know if I want my sister to meet Ryan. 

The customer walks by me and I give him a fake but friendly smile along with a quick wave as he makes his way out the door. As he pushes the door open the bell chimes and catches Ryan's attention. She turns and holds up a finger when her eyes land on me, letting me know that she's wrapping up her phone call. 

"Is that her?"

I turn back to my sister, who is leaning over the counter to get a better look at the door - or should I say Ryan. "Is that who?" 

"The girl you like? Ryan?" A smirk spreads across her face and she has the same look in her eyes that Link gets when he acts like he knows something I don't, or is trying to annoy the hell out of me. 

"I don't like her. Not like that." These are the same words I've been saying to our brother for days now, but of course he doesn't listen to me.

"That's not what Link said." 

"And what exactly has Link said?" I have a pretty good idea what Link has said. He probably told her that he sent me to a concert with Ryan and now I'm head over heels in love with her and he's to thank for this magical change in me.

She closes her lips tightly and makes a lock motion with her hand before throwing an imaginary key over her shoulder.  I roll my eyes at her childish behavior just as the bell above the door chimes again and I see Sydney's smirk form into a genuine, but slightly suspicious, smile. "Hi, you must be Ryan. I've heard so much about you." 

I groan as Ryan steps closer and gives me a questioning but amused look, "Not from me, from Link." 

"Yeah, he told me all about your work and how you're ideas are really going to brighten up the place. I can't wait to see it." 

"Thank you, that's actually why we're here. I saw this cute display wall at the coffee shop Ryker took me to and I wanted to see if I could incorporate something like that here."  Ryan is speaking animatedly, her eyes getting brighter and her words coming out faster as the wheels turn inside her head. 

Sydney's eyes drift to the small brown bag in Ryan's hands, "He took you to Monica's?" 

"Yeah, have you been? It's great, I can't believe I've never heard of it before." 

"A few times." She answers Ryan but looks at me. I keep my eyes on the hardwood floor to avoid the amusement I know is on my sister's face right now. 

"Do you want a muffin? We got them for our binge watching marathon, but we can spare one." She begins opening the bag in her hands and extends it to Syd so that she can pick one of the many muffins. 

"Thanks." She pulls out a chocolate chip one, "So what are you two binge watching?" 

"Gossip Girl."