Ryan followed Acacia like a young puppy would follow its mother, staying completely oblivious to the townspeople and their disapproving looks. It wasn't that he didn't realize they were there, quite the opposite actually, as he greeted almost every person got within a few feet of the pair. No, he was just absolutely clueless of their disapproving disposition toward Acacia's presence and their misplaced concern for his safety. Several times while walking through the aisles of the grocery store, Ryan had to stop himself from sneaking in a bag of candy or a small sixteen ounce tub of ice cream. [i]It would be impolite to do something like that, and not to mention she'd definitely notice it when she gets to the register.[/i]

Since he was thinking about the repercussions of trying to push Acacia's generousness and hospitality, he almost missed her question. [color=B22222]"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah I guess there's my parents. Well... actually... You know what? Forget I mentioned them. We're not on the best of terms right now so I wouldn't be surprised if they just said 'Oh well, it's your fault. Get yourself out of this mess.' and just never called again until it suited them,"[/color] he replied. [i]Not to mention that I still haven't memorized their phone number after all these years and wouldn't be able to reach them without my cell phone, which I can't because it broke in the crash. Lucky me."[/i] [color=B22222]"Besides them, no one else really comes to mind. Haven't really got any friends and I'm not close enough with any other family that might help."[/color] He scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment. [color=B22222]"I'm, uh, sorry for being so much of a burden. If you need anything, just ask and I'll help. That way I won't feel too bad for being a nuisance."[/color]