"Yo, Brett come on, we got to go!" Stella yelled as she came through the door of the apartment. "I'm coming just give me a minute, I can't believe you guys suckered me into this." Sylvie whined from the top of the stairs. "You've been in a bad mood for two months, we need a girls weekend and Vegas is the place." Stella made her way up the stairs.
"Give me your bag I'll carry it down." Stella offered holding her hand out waiting for Sylvie to roll it to her. "I've never been to Vegas and I don't like to gamble, what am I gonna do for fun, watch you guys?" Sylvie was sulking and didn't really want to go but they had insisted. "You'll have fun, we'll get drunk, and maybe find cute guys to dance with. We'll have a blast, now move your ass or we're going to miss our plane." Stella was on a mission to get Sylvie out of the door.
"I got her, let's roll" Stella ordered as she pushed Sylvie into the backseat and slid in behind her. "Tell me again why we have to go all the way to Vegas to cheer me up, it sounds like a waste of money, we could have found something to do here." Sylvie whined. "Because everywhere here we like to go reminds us of the guys who shall not be named, including our damn apartments, so we need a clean slate for the weekend to recharge, so shut it and enjoy your weekend."
"Here drink this" Stella pulled a mini bottle of something blue out of her purse and handed it to Sylvie. "I can't drink this, we're getting ready to get on a plane." Sylvie tried to push the bottle back at her but Emily grabbed it out of her hands, "Uh, yes you can, there's no rule about drinking before a flight and actually I believe there are private lounges just for that." Emily said as she twisted the lid off and shoved it back at Sylvie. "Just drink it" Kim chimed in from the front seat turning around to face the girls in the back. Sylvie reluctantly took it and looked it over, it smelled good and she decided to just chug it. "There are you happy." She said as she tossed the bottle into Stella's lap.
"Almost, here drink this too." Stella demanded as she twisted off the top and shoved it at Sylvie, Kim and Emily were laughing. "Are you trying to get me drunk?" Sylvie questioned skeptically. "Of course not, I'm just trying to put you in tipsy Sylvie mood, you know the adorable fun loving one, not this bah humbug mood you're currently in." Sylvie looked at it a second then grabbed it, "Fuck it" she downed it. "Give me another" she said as she burped and started laughing. "Alrighty then, looks like Brett's getting tipsy!" Kim laughed as Stella pulled out another bottle.
"Shhh, you can't giggle all the way through security." Emily was shushing Sylvie trying to get her to act normal so they would clear security without any issues but Sylvie was extremely happy. "Relax, I'm fine, everything will be okay." Sylvie whispered as she tried to put on a serious face but started laughing as soon as she did.
"Stella, Kim, do something! How do you usually get her to stop laughing?" Emily was really concerned about passing security with her. Stella shook her head and looked at Kim who shrugged, "I never have, it's been a long time since she's been like this, Gabby and Antonio have always been the ones to handle her since I've been around." Sylvie spun around with the most ridiculous serious face "Hey, you said no names and that one is a big no-no, the biggest of them all." Sylvie put her finger in Stella's face and started shaking it.
Emily gave Stella a confused look and mouthed "Who?" at her as Sylvie returned her attention to trying to concentrate on the line ahead of her and act normal. Stella and Kim fell back a couple steps "Gabby's brother, Sylvie and him dated off and on for couple years and last year poof it just ended, she stopped talking about him, and she's been a little off ever since." Stella whispered to Emily as they kept an eye on her making sure she didn't wander off because drunken Sylvie was like a three year old.
"Did she love him?" Emily was curious; you generally don't keep going back to someone if there were no feelings. Stella snorted and Kim choked and started to laugh, "Yeah, they both did and it was obvious, it was the cutest shit you've ever seen, it would make you puke. I think she still does actually." Stella was staring at Sylvie wondering what was actually going through her head because she was so guarded and kept everything in and never let it out.
"He definitely still loves her, not that he would ever say a word." Kim sighed, thinking about how flustered Antonio got whenever the firehouse or paramedics in general were called onto scenes. Stella still didn't know why her and Antonio broke up the last time; she only knew that it had a huge impact on Sylvie. "She's the same, she's a vault with her feelings and crap." Stella sighed.
"Well maybe alcohol is the key? Lets try." Emily laughed as she got Sylvie's attention to come to them. "Brett, how drunk are you?" Foster asked trying to judge if questioning her then would work. "Just a smidge, I only had six little drinks." She giggled as she held her thumb and first finger up and tried to show her. "Will you play a game with me, pretty please?" Emily asked. Sylvie nodded her head and gave a big smile. "Okay, it's rapid fire questions and you have to answer right away without thinking about your answer, okay?" Emily was hoping this would work. Sylvie nodded her head, "Okie dokie." And gave a thumbs up.
Emily thought a moment, "Okay…what's your middle name?" Sylvie frowned, "Jean, this isn't fun questions" she whined.
"Just keep answering, they'll get more fun" Stella told her.
"Favorite animal growing up?"
"Bunny, Floppers"
"Who was your first kiss?"
"Bleh, Harrison." Sylvie made a puke face.
"First guy you slept with?"
"Harrison, boring, I don't like this." Sylvie was getting antsy.
"Stop it, you're fine. Have you ever been in love?"
"Yes." She nodded her head definitively.
"How many times?"
"One." She held up one finger and frowned.
"Are you in love now?"
"Yes." Sylvie rolled her eyes.
"With who?"
"Tonio." Sylvie slapped her hand over her mouth and looked terrified. "You tricked me, that's not fair." Sylvie looked pissed.
"I'm sorry, we thought it'd be funny." Stella tried to comfort her; she looked like she was ready to cry. "That's personal and I'm drunk, you're not, I wanna go home." Sylvie demanded as she tried to leave the line.
"No, you're staying with us, look were already at the front only a couple more people." Kim grabbed her hand and pulled her back toward them and pointed to the front. "Look, we won't use that information and we'll all get drunk after we land and we'll all forget it even happened. Okay?" Sylvie went quiet and looked between the three, she was thinking hard, "Fine but as soon as I'm sober, you guys owe me the most personal things you're hiding."
Stella snorted, "You loving Antonio is hardly a secret, everyone knows, plus I know there's something even bigger and more personal you're hiding." Emily smacked Stella's arm. "Do you want her to walk away? Just say yes and she'll forget later." Emily hissed at her. "Fine, yes, okay later we will tell you something, geez."
"Hey, wake up were getting ready to land." Kim shook Sylvie to wake her up. She peeked one eye open and looked at Kim and shut it really quick, "I still remember what you bitches did, I wasn't drunk enough to forget. You still owe me your best secret." Sylvie yawned and sat up.
Emily and Kim looked at Stella, "Fine, when we're sufficiently drunk later at the hotel." Stella agreed rolling her eyes. "Good and this time I'm not drinking until you already have several in you." She said determinedly.
…..
"Come on Sylvie, we've already had four shots, just take one!" Emily begged as she tried to get Sylvie to start catching up with them. "Nope, not until you're drunk enough to tell me your secrets." Stella stood and grabbed the bottle and poured her, Kim, and Emily another shot, "This is ridiculous, can't we just tell you?" Stella was getting impatient, she wanted to go dancing and have a good night. "Nope, you know my secret, I want to know yours but it has to be the truth so you need to be drunk." Sylvie teased.
"Ugh, this is stupid, he doesn't even live in Chicago anymore, why does it matter if anyone knows?" Stella was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol and she could feel a defensive mood coming on. Sylvie glared at her, "you think it hurts less or the feelings are suddenly gone because he decided to leave? That's not how it works and I've tried to forget him but I can't, just because you can forget Kelly like he never mattered doesn't mean I can."
Stella slammed the bottle down and stood up, "Bitch, why don't you tell us what really happened between you and Antonio if you're the expert on relationships all of a sudden." Stella could feel her buzz and her mouth wasn't going to hold back. Kim and Emily sat back watching the exchange between the two completely shocked. Sylvie shut up really quick and darted her eyes to Kim. "He walked away, he didn't love me." Was all she said as she cast her eyes to the floor.
"You're kidding right? What the hell did he say to you to make you think that because let me tell you, he was a mess after he stopped seeing you, I actually thought you ended it again and I was pissed for awhile at you." Kim admitted.
"It really doesn't matter anymore does it, he's in Seattle half way across the country and we obviously weren't meant to be." She pouted. Kim caught Sylvie's eyes and held her gaze, "It matters because he left because he couldn't stay in the same city as you." Kim gave her Antonio's secret, the one she swore to keep. Sylvie stared at Kim as she picked up the bottle and started chugging, not knowing how to process the new information and wishing she had never started the conversation.
"Whoa, slow down there slugger" Emily said as she grabbed the bottle from Sylvie's hand and held it in her lap. "Screw this, I'm going." Sylvie said as she marched to the door. Kim jumped up and blocked the door, "No, I want to know what he said." She demanded as she held her hands up to block her. Sylvie stared at Kim a moment and groaned, "Ugh, this is so stupid, he said he was going on a blind date and that we would talk later, then he never called." Kim looked at Sylvie confused, "he never went on a blind date, he moped for months and then decided to take the job in Seattle."
Sylvie spun around and looked at the girls, "nope, enough about me, Kim what's your secret?" Kim sighed, "I sleep with Adam all the time as friends with benefits." Sylvie and Stella laughed. "Yeah, that's more obvious than Brett's feelings for Tonio, you two think your slick leaving two minutes after each other from Molly's, FYI you're not." Stella reached over and gave Sylvie a high-five. "Otis owes us a hundred dollars." Sylvie chuckled. "You cannot tell anyone, please." Kim begged, "There's so much paperwork to fill out and it's not a thing." Stella looked at Sylvie and they both laughed, "Yeah, not a thing, right okay, your secrets safe." Stella said sarcastically.
Sylvie turned to Emily, "Your turn." Emily turned a dark shade of red and covered her face while shaking her head. "I can't." she squeaked out. "A deal is a deal, out with it Foster." Sylvie demanded. Emily peeked between her fingers and shook her head. "Nope, you promised." Sylvie was not letting a single one of them off the hook. "I have a thing for detective Upton." She looked at Kim and Kim laughed, "You know she's straight right?" Emily nodded her head, "trust me I know, I tried to ask her out and failed." The girls busted out laughing, "Stop it guys, it's not funny, it was embarrassing." Emily threw a pillow at Stella; she caught it and stuck her tongue out at Emily. "Well what's your secret? You think mine is so funny, lets hear yours."
Stella's face went blank and she looked at Sylvie and shook her head. "You owe me." Sylvie pointed out. Stella didn't want to let this secret go but it had been eating at her for months and she knew she needed to talk to someone about it if she ever wanted to be friends with Kelly again. She looked at the three sets of eyes in front of her, she knew all of them loved her and would keep her secret. Stella let out a sigh, "I thought I was pregnant earlier this year and it scared the crap out of me, I couldn't see a happy future with Kelly and I ended it with him after I found out I wasn't." she was looking at the floor scared to look up and see her friends judging her.
"We need to talk." Sylvie stood and grabbed Stella's hand and dragged her through the door into Stella's adjoining room as Kim and Emily watched curiously. "Who told you? Gabby? Obviously, she was the only one who knew." Sylvie was pissed. Stella was looking at Sylvie as if she lost her mind, "what are you talking about? Told me what?" Sylvie stopped and glared at her a moment and realized she was telling the truth. "Umm, that I went through the same thing last year with Antonio but I realized that was what I wanted and I wanted it with him and I was on my way to tell him but he told me he was going on the blind date." Stella let out a deep breath and sat on the bed.
"Why didn't you tell me? Or him?" Sylvie shook her head, "I thought he didn't love me." She shrugged her shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me about Kelly?" Stella stood and moved toward the window pretending to be interested in something else. "I didn't want you to think I was a horrible person for thinking Kelly would make a horrible partner, he'd probably make a great dad but it would be sporadic and he's never gonna be ready to settle down." Sylvie nodded completely understanding.
"Geez, we're a mess aren't we?" Sylvie laughed. "Nothing in this room leaves it, okay?" Sylvie didn't want her whole story out, she loved Kim but she was Antonio's best friend and knew she told him everything. "Deal." Stella walked to Sylvie and wrapped her in a hug.
"Now lets go get wasted and dance." Stella shouted as she pulled Sylvie behind her to round up the others.