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The lunch table had felt quiet recently. Not due to Wyatt's recent coming out, half the team had heard enough from Molly to accept it. Wyatt had actually been doing better, he hadn't let the comments in the halls get to him, not when his friends constantly had his back. That wasn't their problem anymore, it was that they had been missing someone, an empty seat beside Carter that made them all concerned.
"He's seriously not here, again?" Wyatt asked, noticing the seat that was yet again open for the third time that week.
"Dude, I don't know what's going on with him." Carter stated, his and Mollys hands tangled together beneath the table. "He's been completely MIA for like two weeks and when he is around its like he's not himself." Carter felt like his best friend was drifting away, he had told Molly of this and she had only hoped he was just going through something of his own.
"He's missed four practices, we have playoffs soon and I kinda need my defensive line in that shit." Wyatt stabbed at his plate, he had spoke nothing but the playoffs recently, coming down hard on himself and his team.
"I'll go to his after school and—"
"We have practice." Wyatt said, reminding the center who sighed loudly.
Molly perked up, "I can do it." She told them, hoping to defuse some of the tension at the table. "Just tell me his address and I'll go over there after school. Ryan loves me, I'm sure I can help some."
"Babe, you don't—"
"I need him at practice tomorrow, can you do that?" Wyatt asked and Molly nearly rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Cap, I can do that." She retorted, rubbing her thumb against Carters knuckles reassuringly.
—
Molly had skated up to the house that Carter told her Ryan lived at. She hadn't ever been to his house, she'd never heard anything about his parents. So, what she saw wasn't expected. It was like junk hoarder central, old car parts and toys thrown across the lawn without a care.
She kicked her board up into her hands, frowning at the crushed beer cans by the steps. Don't make assumptions, Molly brought her fist to the door, knocking.
Seconds after she knocked she could hear a cry from inside and then the door swung open. She shouldn't have been surprised to see Ryan, but she was.
"Molly?" Ryan glanced back, the cries settling and he stepped outside. "What, um, what're you doing here?" He asked, leaving the door cracked open and his hand on the handle.
"Everyone's worried about you." She answered, forcing her eyes to stay on him and not wander through the crack of the door.
"I'm fine." He told her, but the bags beneath his eyes said otherwise. "I'm just.."
