Life Of Ryan › Season 1 › Ep. 106

Following his X-Games disappointment, Ryan finds himself right back in the middle of the drama at home. While at lunch with Casey and Taylor, Ryan tries to clear up what was said between Tony and Julia. But no one can understand why Tony would say something to jeopardize Ryan's new relationship. Ryan wants it to work with Julia but there just seems to be so much tearing them apart. Ryan goes to Tony's house to confront him about what he said. Tony's adamant denial that he ever said something disparaging about Ryan causes Ryan to really think about whom he trusts more, his longtime friend or Julia. Ryan calls Julia to let her weigh in, but the conversation turns wicked. Ryan is angry and frustrated when he returns home, explaining to his mother and Taylor that it is just over between him and Julia. Ryan was trying to be so nice, and she is just crazy. He doesn't need that in his life right now. Ryan takes Taylor's advice and thinks about what's really important to him in a girlfriend right now. If he's honest with himself, the most important thing to him is that a girl really hit it off with his friends. Julia definitely fails to meet that requirement, since Tony refuses to ever speak with her again. And Casey also thinks she's just too high maintenance; the two are fighting too much too early on for there to be a future. Ryan drives to Julia's house and tries to let her down easy. She's hurt, but understands. But Ryan's confrontations aren't over yet... he has one more stop to make at Tony's house. Ryan tells his pal that he should never have taken the word of a girl over his best friend's word and apologizes. Tony knew Ryan would come to that conclusion. All's well that ends well, as Ryan finally decides to pack in his search for a girl and focus on other things.

Ryan isn't the only Sheckler to journey into the dating world, however. Game night at the Sheckler house turns to something more serious when Gretchen tells Ryan and Shane that she is stepping back into the dating pool. Ryan thinks back to his parents' good times together as he tries to cope with his mother moving on with her life. He wants her to move on, but he doesn't quite know how it will feel to watch her with another man. A talk with Casey helps him realize that he is one of a minority of kids in his situation that would be supportive of their mother in this new phase in her life. That's pretty awesome. That night, the boys see their mother getting ready for a date -- a totally new experience for them. Gretchen is nervous about her sons meeting the new man in her life. It is a big step for her and an important one for the whole family. Ryan and Shane greet Gretchen's date, Bruce, at the door and give him the once-over. They are warm and welcoming as Gretchen makes her escape. The guys pontificate on how strange it is that mom is usually the one watching them go on a date, not vice versa. That night, the boys wait up for Gretchen, who does make it back by "curfew". Gretchen tells her boys that she had a very good time and would like to continue seeing Bruce in the future. The next morning, Bruce wins some major points in Ryan's eyes by sending a beautiful bouquet of flowers to his mother. It seems as if he has accepted the fact that his mother is moving on in her life.