In a small town gossip travels fast. Ben wasn't being discrete in his questioning and asking people about strange happenings and more specifically the Searle boys. He had raised some eye brows. Aaron and Mike were still very popular, despite a week of bad press and Ryan was on the rise. Girls wanted to get with him, and guys wanted to be where the girls were. Ryan was having a hard time remembering all his new "friends" names. People were trying any way they could to ingratiate themselves to him. Needless to say, it didn't take long for word of Ben's questioning to get to Ryan. The night after several people told Ryan about Ben, he laid awake thinking about what to do. Ryan was feeling good, he had managed to humiliate his brothers and was on the path to popularity. He was confident, maybe even overly confident. Ryan decided that he could use Ben. Ryan looked over at his sleeping brothers, as quietly and carefully as he could Ryan grabbed Aaron's phone. Ryan found Ben's number and sent him a text, "Looking for answers" Meet me at the picnic tables at the park." It didn't take long for Ben to respond he'd be there. Ryan cleared the texts from the phone, got dressed, and snuck out of his house.
Ben lived closer to the towns central Park than Ryan's family did, so he arrived there first. Ryan could see him sitting on a picnic table under one of the few lights in the park. Ryan was able to get fairly close before Ben noticed anyone else was there. "Aaron?" Ben called out trying to make out who approaching. "No," Ryan responded, "not Aaron." Ben looked a little panicked. "You've been asking a lot of weird questions Ben" Ryan continued, "questions about my brothers, about me." "Where is Aaron" Ben asked his voice shaky. Ryan looked at him taken a back a bit, "my brother is sleeping at home, like you should be. Yet here you are." There was an awkward silence between the two boys. Ryan broke it, "you're losing your hair and you've gained weight that you can't lose." Ben's eyes bulged, how did Ryan know that? Ben nodded his head. "I can help you fix it," Ryan went on, "but you need to help me."
Ben couldn't tell if Ryan was fucking with him. He looked around the park, he couldn't see far but he was fairly sure they were alone. Ben didn't believe Ryan could actually help him, but he was curious to see where this was going. "What do you mean?" Ben asked his courage was returning. "Ben, I've been at the bottom of the social latter for my whole life," Ryan stated matter of factly, "I want you to help me climb, and knock a few of your buddies down." Ben couldn't figure out what Ryan's angle was, Ben knew Ryan was smart and was a little worried he was tricking him, but Ben couldn't see how yet. "How are you going to help me? What do you want me to do? What do you mean? You're fucking with me?" questions flowed from Ben's mouth faster than Ryan could keep up with them. "Let me worry about all that," Ryan interrupted, "you do what I ask and you're problems will get better, disobey me and they'll get worse." Ben's initial reaction was to beat Ryan up right there, he looked around the park again to make sure they were alone. "Yea, I'm sure you can help me" Ben was not buying it. Ryan thought quickly, "Tomorrow at lunch, sit with me and I guarantee that by the end of the day you'll see improvements." The two boys stared at each other in silence for a moment, before they both turned and went their separate ways.