Lionel & Ryan Become Friends

Lionel and Ryan are the two youngest original Young Tribulation Force members. In the second book, Second Chance, they decide to stay together the night after the rapture because they are frightened. They first go to Ryan's house, and decide to set up a tent in the back yard since Ryan doesn't want to go inside after his parents died. Here is a little preview of that part.

The Daley's kitchen was similar to Lionel's own. He could hear Ryan dragging stuff from the garage to the backyard, and he hoped the boy would invite him to stay. Lionel would have to go home and get some of his stuff, but he didn't want to be in his house any more than Ryan wanted to be in this one.

 

Lionel found a bunch of snacks and soft drinks and went directly into the backyard from the kitchen. He wondered if Ryan would be too shy to invite him. "You want some company tonight?" Lionel offered.

 

"You'd stay with me?"

 

"Sure! I don't want to be alone tonight any more than you do."

 

Once the tent was set up - snacks, flashlights and all - the boys headed toward Lionel's house, just over a mile away. Ryan wasn't saying much. Lionel had never been a big talker either, but when he wasn't talking he felt like crying, and he assumed Ryan felt the same. "I guess we don't have to worry about going to school tomorrow," Lionel said.

 

"Yeah. I heard on the news that enough students and teachers and parents disappeared that it might be a long time before school opens again."

 

Lionel snorted. "So we can be thankful for a little good news in all this mess." That wasn't really funny, of course. This was a nightmare from which neither of them would awaken.