"Ah, Ms. Chortle! 'Tis great to see you again!" Emily, a friend of the family, smiled at the Chortle family member.
Sydney rolled her eyes. "Hey Emily," she spat out, disgusted by the name. You see, Sydney never liked Emily. She thought that she was a stuck up, spoiled prep.
Emily looked at her with hurt in her eyes. She envied her sister for being friends with the brown haired, green eyed girl known as Sydney Chortle. Emily knew that Sydney had hated her, but it didn't matter. She just wanted to be friends.
"Hey, where's Alana? Isn't she supposed to be here?" Sydney looked around the yard, searching for Emily's sister.
The blonde haired, blue eyed girl gritted her teeth. "She's coming with our dad."
Sydney nodded. "Oh, is that soon?" "Well, kinda. Last time I heard from them, they were in Dublin," Emily informed. "But that was at least an hour ago." Sydney clapped her hands. "Autumn!" she squealed as a small, Siberian Husky pup ran out of the mansion doors.
"Arf, arf!" Autumn barked happily, running up to Sydney.
"Oh. My. God... Syd!!!" Sydney turned as her name was called. She struck a smile when the blonde haired, brown eyed girl approached her, tackling her with a hug. This girl, however, was very short.
"Alana! You haven't met Autumn yet, have you? Well," she said, holding up the pup, "this is Autumn. Look at her little face!" she giggled as Alana had a twisted look on her face.
"Is she going to..." "Nope," Sydney cut Alana off. She knew that she was going to ask if Autumn bites. Alana has been afraid of most dogs after a Great Dane chased her down Lovenli Lane, bitting her in the leg.
"Alana and Emily Torsion, eh?" A male voice was heard by the three girls, and it was coming by the mansion doors.
"Stop hitting on all of my friends, Kale!" Sydney playfully teased her twin.
Kale scowled with a twisted face. "I'm not hitting on them! I'm only eight years old!!!" Kale argued.
Sydney smirked at her brothers red face, glaring at her. "I'd stop glaring, Kale. Your face is gonna get stuck like that sooner or later!" Alana and Sydney cackled madly as Kale angrily stormed back trough the doors of the Chortle family mansion. Sydney and Kale really loved each other, but they make fun of each other every now and then, too.
"Better watch your cute little back, Syd. Kale's gonna get you back good," Lenny warned. Lenny was the eight year old that lived next door to Alana and Emily.
"Sydney, darling! Come and eat dinner. Alana, Lenny, and Emily are aloud to stay if they'd like," Vivian, Mrs. Chortle, smiled, noticing all of the children.
Sydney looked at Emily and mumbled something nobody could make out completely, and grabbed Alana's wrist, pulling her into the house. Lenny, not very fond of Emily either, walked off, leaving Emily to walk home, not wanting to stay at the Chortle household.
"Oh, mum!" Sydney squealed in delight. "Spaghetti, my favorite!!!"
"Thank you, Vivian!" Alana and Lenny smiled up at Mrs. Chortle, instantly trying to satisfy their grumbling tummies.
"Oh, anytime children. Now can anyone tell me where Emily has gone?" she intensely gazed at the three children.
Alana sighed. "Home. She doesn't like being here... she knows we don't like her."
Vivian looked at her daughter. "Sydney, is this true?"
The brunette gulped and began to receive sweaty palms. Sydney nodded slowly, refusing to take even the slightest glance at her mother.
"Daddy!!!" Sydney hollered as Marshall walked into the hallway.
Marshall smiled at his beautiful daughter. "Hello Sydney. Alana, Lenny."
The two kids completely ignored him, still stuffing spaghetti into their mouths.
"I want to go to my track meet!!!" Sydney shrieked, realizing the time.
"Oh God! Sydney, thanks! Lenny, Alana, we've got no time to you home. You're coming with us!" Vivian rushed around the house. Gathering up Kale, the dog, and some other junk they needed. The kids flinched as some glass plates and cups fell to the ground, but dodged them all, reaching the safety of the vehicle. Her parents jumped in, Kale was launched into the very back seat, and Autumn jumped over him and into the back. All of the kids and Marshall jerked forwards as Vivian put the peddle to the meddle right off the back.
"And it looks like Sydney Chortle is in the lead!" The announcer reported. "And here comes Calvin Cambridge right up behind her! Look's like it's going to be a close match, folks.
"Come on Sydney!!! You can do it!" Alana cheered for her best friend. All the participants were really fast for eight year olds.
"Come on, Syd. You lose, you end up with me..." He was trying to tempt her to lose.
Sydney grunted, picking up speed. "I'll pass on that date, Cambridge. I've got better things to do than spend my day with a loser!"
Calvin glared and picked up speed as well. The two were about neck-and-neck, so it was practically impossible to tell who was going to win.
Alana saw her sprinting friend smirk. She smiled, shaking her head. "Come on Syd! You're going to win this!!!" Lenny looked at her. "How do you know?" he asked curiously. Alana looked at him and blinked. "Whenever she smirks like that in a meet, she's about to-" Alana was cut off by the loud screams of the roaring crowd as Sydney picked up speed. "Pick up speed," she finished. "WOO!" Lenny yelled as Sydney ran through the finish line, grabbing a bottled water. Her family excitedly ran out of the bleachers.
"Sydney!!! You did it!!!" Lenny hugged her.
"Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it without your tremendously loud cheering," she laughed.
Lenny looked at Alana. "It was all her screaming, by the way."
Alana wacked him in the arm. "Shut up, Lenny! You're sounding like Calvin!"
The boy frowned. Being compared to Calvin Cambridge was the last thing you wanted to hear coming from anybody.
"Come on, Lenz! She's just kidding," Kale appeared from the shadows.
"WE'RE WHAT!?!?!?" Sydney yelled in anger at her parents.
"I'm sorry, Sydney! That's where your father got a new job offer which can make us get more money an-"
Vivian winced as Sydney began to yell at her. "Money doesn't bring happiness, Mum! What are you, bloody greedy or something!?!?!"
Marshall held his breath. "Sydney Rae! Get upstairs and start packing NOW! And don't come down until we let you!!!"
Sydney bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back tears. Once they began to roll out, she ran up into her room and slammed the door.
"Stupid parents, stupid job, stupid America!" Sydney cried, holding a picture. It was a picture of her, Lenny, and Alana. She held it to her chest and slipped it into a pocket of her suitcase. "I'm going to miss you," she cried softly into a pillow on her bed. Little did she know, Kale was standing right next to her.
"Syd," he cooed. "It's going to be fine. You're awesome enough to make more friends..."
"But it's not the same, Kale! I'll never see them again!" Sydney cried some more.
Kale had no choice. He picked up her suitcase and carried it downstairs, feeling very sorry for his twin sister. The truth was, he knew she was afraid, and he was too.
"So, you ready kids?" Vivian asked before they boarded the plane.
Kale nodded while Sydney bit her bottom lip. "I want to go home!"
"We are going home," Marshall patted her on the back.
Sydney made a face. "No Daddy, I meant back at our real home, where all my friends and my track field..."
There was no use trying to convince her into wanting to move to America. Vivian sighed and loaded everyone onto the plane. As it took off, Vivian seemed kind of nervous. She didn't know what it was going to feel like riding a plane carrying a baby.
Sydney sat next to Kale, and some empty seat.
"Is this 36 A?" A boy asked.
Sydney looked at him. He was eight years old. Had black hair, bright green eyes, and pale skin. She smiled at the sight of him. She always seemed to be attracted to boys with black hair... "Yes, it is, actually."
The boy smiled and sat down in it. Sydney thought he had a gorgeous smile. "You're Sydney Chortle, right?" he tilted his head to the side.
She stared at him in amazement. "How'd you..."
"I watch a lot of your track meets. I lived in Ireland, too, but I'm moving to America. I'm Robert Bennet, but feel free to call my Bobby." he smiled at her. She smiled back and held out her hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Bobbert!" she laughed.
"That's an... interesting way to put it," he chuckled. The two talked more and eventually became the best of friends, yet little did they know they were going to become neighbors...