Sydney to the Max Season 4: Episode 8 - Bitter Sweet Family

Written By: "Fun But Shy Girl", With Input From: Katy Kear, Based on Characters Created by: Mark Reisman

Sydney Reynolds was carrying a large bag down the stairs of her home by herself, when Sophia walked in through the front door and said, "Here. Let me help you with that." As Sophia grabbed Sydney's bag, Sydney said, "Thanks." Then as Sophia began to pull at Sydney's large bag she said, "Whoa. We're only going to be at the cabin for about a week. What did you put in here?" Sydney then said, "Well I know it's just the day after Christmas, but I thought when I meet your brother: it would be nice to get him a present. So I got him a toaster. You said he loves to have bagels for breakfast every morning." Sophia then said, "Well Dylan did when he lived with us. I honestly haven't seen him in awhile." Then Sydney said, "Well he's in his second year of college, so I get it. But this winter break vacation should be good for us. Our parents have been dating for four months now, but we all haven't done anything together before. I'll finally get more time to spend together with your mom, you'll finally get to spend more time together with my dad, and I'll finally get to spend time with your brother." Then Sophia sighed and said, "Yeah. And maybe I finally will too."

Then Max and Angela stepped inside the house as Max said, "Okay girls. T minus five minutes and counting till we hit the road. Sydney, Sophia, did you get a chance to say all your goodbyes to your friends?" Sydney then said, "Hey. We're only gonna be gone for a week." Then Sophia said, "Yeah. Plus we can still video chat with them any time of day." Then Angela with a straight face said, "There's no wi-fi or 5G coverage where we'll be at." Then Sydney and Sophia suddenly looked panicked as Sophia said, "Hold on. Let me download episodes of my favorite shows." Then Sydney stepped out of the room as she said, "And I gotta call Harry. A week is too long without him!" Then Max and Angela stepped outside the house and chuckled a bit as Max said, "Kids." Angela smiled slightly but looked a bit nervous as she said, "Yeah. But... do you think this trip is a good idea? All of us together out in the wilderness?"

Max nodded his head and with certainty said, "Of course. It'll be a great bonding experience. You and me get along. Sydney and Sophia get along..." Then Angela said, "But you've never met Dylan. Oh boy. He's certainly become more difficult in the last two years. I don't know if it's hormonal, or college messed with him, or something else." Max sighed and said, "Growing up in this modern day and age is much more difficult with all the distractions and misinformation that spreads faster now. I mean, growing up was much less complicated when me and Sydney's mom were younger." Then Angela said, "But I thought when you both were in high school..." Then Max said, "Well I'm mostly talking about when we were younger. I mean despite my parents' divorce, things were always cool with me and my mom. And from what she told me, Alisha definitely had a more carefree life when she was in her preteens."

A young girl with dark curly hair and light brown skin named Alisha was walking down the street of her neighborhood humming a tune to herself when she heard the sound of crying nearby. Alisha walked over to the nearby playground and saw an Asian girl with long black hair sitting on the swings by herself. Alisha sat near the girl and said, "Hi there. Is everything okay?" The girl turned her head and said, "No. It's my birthday today, and I'm all alone." Alisha looking sympathetic said, "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. My birthday is actually today too, but my parents are making me have it next week since all our family and friends are gone on winter break this week. Hey. How about we spend our birthday together so we're both less lonely? My name is Alisha by the way."

The girl looked at Alisha and said, "My name is Val. At least, that's what all the kids at my old school called me." Then Alisha said, "Okay Val. Well, why are you all alone today? Do you have a mom or dad or any family members you can spend the day with?" Val turned her head and said, "No. My mom got sick and died, and... I haven't seen my dad in a long time." Then Alisha held out her hand and said, "Well why don't you come over to my place. We can have a small party together there, and you can spend time with my family." Val then reluctantly took Alisha's hand and said, "Well... okay."

Sydney and Sophia stepped into a cabin followed by Max and Angela. As the four looked around Max said, "Wow. This place looks great. Two bedrooms, a huge living room with a fireplace, and more forest paths to explore than we could've ever hoped for." Then Angela said, "Okay. Sydney, Sophia. You'll be sharing the larger bedroom with me, so put your sleeping bags in there. Dylan will be sharing a room with Max when he gets here." Then a blonde haired nineteen year old male walked into the cabin and said, "Oh good. I finally found this place. GPS totally stopped working for me five miles back." Angela then approached Dylan and hugged him as she said, "Dylan. Good to see you." Dylan hugged Angela back a bit reluctantly as he said, "Mom." Then Sophia approached Dylan as she said, "Dylan. Hey." Dylan then glanced at Sophia as he said, "Yo. Hey sis."

Then Max approached Dylan with his hand out as he said, "Hey there Dylan. I'm Max. It's so good to finally meet you." Dylan then said, "Cool. So where am I sleeping? I just had a long drive, and I gotta crash." Angela looking slightly disappointed said, "Uh, the bedroom to the right. You'll be sharing with Max." Then Dylan quickly headed to the bedroom as he said, "Yeah. Cool." Then as Dylan walked into the bedroom, Sydney looked at Sophia confused as she said, "Is this normal for him?" Sophia then said, "I don't know. Mom invited him over for Thanksgiving this year, Fourth of July, and Easter, but Dylan never chose to come. This honestly the first time I've seen him in over a year." Sydney then turned her head towards the bedroom Dylan was in as she said, "Hmm."

Alisha and Val walked into an apartment as Alisha called out, "Mom. I'm home! I got a friend with me." As they stepped into the home Val said, "You live with your mom?" Alisha nodded her head and said, "Yeah, and my dad. My dad is at work though, but my mom is always home on Saturdays." The two girls walked into the kitchen and saw Alisha's mom sitting at the kitchen table looking at an electronic device. Alisha's mom then turned to look at the girls as she said, "Well hello there. What's your name?" Val titled her head down slightly as she said, "Val." Then Alisha said, "It's her birthday today too mom, and I thought we could have a super small party together here before my big party next week." Then Alisha's mom said, "Well Val, I don't want to take from any celebrations your parents might have planned for you."

Alisha then said, "Val said she doesn't have any parents." Alisha's mom looking a bit sympathetic said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Well what about other family members?" Val then said, "I don't have any family." Alisha's mom then said, "Well... who lives with you at your home?" Val then said, "I don't have a home." Alisha's mom then stood up and said, "Excuse us." Alisha's mom then pulled Alisha into the nearby room and said, "Alisha, where did you meet this girl?" Alisha then innocently said, "At the playground. Why? Is something wrong?" Alisha's mom then got out her cell phone and said, "Go play with Val in your room and make sure she doesn't leave. I need to make a phone call to the police right now."

Sydney was walking down a small path near the cabin towards a lake. Sydney saw Dylan sitting near the lake playing a handheld video game. Sydney then waved her hand in front of Dylan and said, "Hey." Dylan then glanced at Sydney as he said, "Hey. What's up?" Sydney then said, "Um... I just wanna make sure everything is okay. You haven't said anything to me till just now, and have barely said a word to your family." Dylan then looked away as he said, "Everything's fine." Sydney then took a deep breath and said, "But everything's not fine. Sophia is your sister and she said you two have barely talked in two years. I mean doesn't that bother you?" Dylan then looked right at Sydney and bitterly said, "She'll be fine. She's got all of my mom's attention. She always did. And word of warning. If your dad marries my mom, she'll probably act like you don't exist either."

Then Dylan got up and began to walk away when Angela suddenly came down the hill and said, "Is everything okay?" Dylan then looked at Angela as he said, "No, it's not. Why are you sending your boyfriend's daughter to check up on me instead of yourself?" Angela then said, "I was about to, but... Dylan, what's going on? You come to stay with us but you barely talk." Then Dylan looking angry now said, "Isn't that the way you've always liked it though. When I was in high school dealing with all sorts of problems, you were so freaking focused on Sophia and dealing with dad, but somehow I didn't matter." Angela suddenly looked shocked as she said, "Dylan, I... I mean you were in high school and your grades were fine without my help. Sophia was younger than you, and your father..." Then Dylan interrupted Angela and said, "Yeah, dad split on us because you screwed up your marriage, just like you screwed me up too!" Then Dylan stormed away as Angela and Sydney (who had been listening) remained standing and stunned.

Alisha and her mother sat in the living of their home as the watched two police officers on the other side of the room talking to Val. As the event continued, Alisha looked at her mother and said, "Are they going to take Val away?" Alisha's mother then said, "Normally, yes, but it would be to a foster care placement center. Fortunately since I am a licensed social worker, I was able to talk the authorities into letting Val stay with us for awhile until a proper foster care home can be found." The two police officers then walked over to Alisha's mother and said, "That'll be all. We'll keep in touch." The two police officers left as Val approached Alisha and her mother and asked, "Am I in trouble?" Alisha's mom then said, "No Val. Now, how about we set you up to stay the next few nights in Alisha's bedroom."

Sydney sat in the cabin with Sophia, as a startled looking Sophia said, "He said all that!?" Sydney looking a bit upset said, "Yeah. I mean... when he was in high school, did Dylan seem troubled or ignored by your mom?" Sophia then said, "I don't think so. I mean... maybe, but... I was still a kid, and Dylan was a teenager. He seemed to be doing fine." Sydney then said, "Well sometimes when people seem to be fine, they're actually hurting inside." Dylan then walked into the cabin and said, "Watch out. I'm getting my things and heading out of here." Sophia then stood up and said, "Dylan, wait. We need to talk." Dylan angerly looked at Sophia as he said, "What's there to talk about? You do your life with mom and this maybe new family you're starting, and I'll deal with my new life at school in Texas." Sophia then got in Dylan's way with tears in her eyes as she said, "But it's not right Dylan. You're my big brother and... I miss you. We used to do everything together when I was little and... what happened?" Dylan sighed and said, "It's not your fault Sophia. Look, when mom and dad started fighting a lot... it was rough for both of us. But for some reason, mom spent more time with you, and for some reason... I didn't matter anymore."

Sophia then said, "You did matter Dylan. Look, you were in high school and already becoming independent. I was still struggling in school, and... Sydney didn't even know this, but... I was struggling with my emotions. I was crying in my bed every night over mom and dad splitting up, and I had to go to a therapist several times a week for months. I was a wreck, and mom I guess was just more concerned about me." Then an angry Dylan said, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean mom had to freaking abandon me." Sophia then said, "You know what? Okay. Mom made a mistake. But she keeps trying to make up for that. She keeps inviting you home now, and you don't come!" Then Dylan angerly said, "It's too late. Mom should've known better to begin with." Sophia then sounding more bold said, "What do you expect mom to be!? Superwoman or something!? You're 19 and do you have everything figured out!? You were born when mom was 18! Imagine how overwhelming that was for her. Then add a dysfunctional marriage and trying to succeed in a tough job, and you should be glad she was able to hold onto her freaking sanity." Then Dylan said, "Well would a simple apology be too hard to ask for!?" Then from the nearby bedroom, Angela stepped out and said, "I'm sorry Dylan."

Sophia turned to look at her mother as she said, "Mom? Were you in the bedroom this whole time?" Angela stepped towards Dylan as she said, "I'm sorry I had you at such a young age Dylan. I'm sorry I didn't build a strong foundation for a proper family unit with your father before you were born. I'm sorry I didn't realize you were in so much pain as a teenager. And I'm sorry for all the other ways I hurt you that I didn't realize." Tears then appeared in Dylan's eyes upon hearing those words as he approached Angela and said, "I... I'm real messed up mom. I've felt so alone for so long. I don't have any real friends in college. I can't hold onto any girlfriend for more than a month, and... I feel like a major screw up." Angela then stepped closer to Dylan as she said, "I know Dylan. And I'm sorry I'm partially to blame for that. I can't take back the time we lost and the times I ruined for you. But I promise I'll do everything I can going forward to make them better." Then Dylan and Angela suddenly broke down crying as they began to hug one another. Sophia made a small smile, as Sydney smiled too while discretely stepping out of the cabin.

Val was wearing a set of pajamas as she was setting up a sleeping bag in Alisha's room. Alisha's mom then stepped into the room and sat down near Val as she said, "So how are you doing Val?" Val then said, "Fine m'am. Thank you again for letting me stay here." Alisha's mom then said, "You're welcome. However... I just have to ask... why were you living on the streets? You could've walked into any police station and gotten help." Val then said, "I... I didn't know. I always thought that kids are only supposed to live with their moms and dads. My dad is gone, and once my mom died, I thought I just didn't have a home anymore." Alisha's mom sighed and then said, "Val, there are indeed many children out there that live with their moms and dads. But there are many other kinds of families too. Some kids live with aunts, uncles, grandparents, or even a step-parent like I had." Then Val said, "What's a step-parent?" Then Alisha's mom smiled and said, "When one parent leaves, but your other parent marries someone new and that new person becomes your step-parent."

Then Val looking confused said, "Wait. You can have a new parent that replaces your old parent?" Alisha's mom scooted closer to Val and said, "Not exactly. You see my mom died when I was just a little younger than you. Years later my father married a new woman and she became my step-mom. But she didn't replace my biological mom. She'll always have a special place in my heart. In fact I know I'll never forget her because I named my daughter Alisha after her." Val then said, "Wow. Alisha is named after her grandmother?" Then Alisha's mom said, "Well, me and her father thought hard about it. It was either that or naming her... well... your name actually." Val then said, "You were thinking of naming Alisha 'Val'?"

Then Alisha's mom made a small smile and said, "Yeah. After my sister I never knew... Valicity. A name for someone that is truly amazing, and awesome. The name is meant for a girl that is lovable and kind; who is selfless and cares about others more than herself." Val looked surprised as she said, "I didn't know that's what my name meant." Then Alisha's mom said, "It's a pretty name. You should go by that instead of your shortened nick-name. Anyway, I think Alisha is probably about done with her shower. I'll step out of here now and let you two get some sleep." Then Val said, "Okay. Thank you for letting me stay here again m'am." Alisha's mom smirked as she said, "You can stop calling me m'am now Valicity. How about you just call me by my first name... Sydney. And you can call Alisha's dad by his first name too: Harry. Now remember to get some sleep. Tomorrow is New Years Eve, and I want you to have plenty of energy for the last day of 2041."

Sydney sat with her dad on a bench outside of the cabin talking together. As they sat, Sydney said, "So how much longer should we stay out here? It's starting to get dark." Then Max said, "As long as those three need some time to talk. Plus, it's nice to look up at the stars every now and then." Sydney smiled and said, "Yeah. You know... I didn't do much, but... seeing Dylan and his mom start to work things out... it made me so happy for them. I mean... I still want to be a song-writer, but... maybe on the side I could get into a line of work one day that helps families heal over problems." Then Max said, "Like a therapist or a social worker?" Then Sydney said, "Yeah. I mean... if someone ever stumbles into my door one day needing help, I'd like to know how to help them." Max leaned in and gave Sydney a kiss on the head, followed by saying, "That sounds great Syd."

Then Sophia, Dylan, and Angela stepped out of the cabin as Angela said, "Mind if we join you?" Max smiled as he said, "Of course." Angela then sat next to Max, while Sophia and Dylan sat in separate chairs near the bench. Dylan then looked at Max as he said, "Mr. Reynolds, I want to apologize for my rude behavior earlier. I..." Max then interrupted Dylan and said, "It's okay. So... your mom says you like to bike ride." Then Dylan said, "Yeah. I go to a big college campus, so bike riding really helps me get to class faster." Then Sydney said, "Well my dad owns a bike store. Maybe he could help you get a better bike to ride around school in." Then Dylan said, "Really?" Then Sophia said, "Actually he brought a few with him in our van. You could have a chance to test a few out tomorrow." Then Dylan said, "Sounds cool. By the way Sophia... you still super slow on a bike? Because the days of me slowing down for you are far behind me now." Sophia smiled as she said, "Oh, I am a speed demon now. Sydney can tell you." Then Sydney said, "Well I'll show you who the real speed demon is tomorrow." Sophia laughed as she said, "Oh, I am making you all eat my dust tomorrow." Everyone then began to laugh as the night continued on.

THE END

Coming Soon:

*Episode 9 - Grave Expectations - When several characters begin making very dangerous choices, it's up to their friends to step up and help them before it's too late.

*Episode 10 - You've Got Resent - Sophia faces great difficulty as she tries to sort out how she is going to deal with her ever changing family and friends.

*Episode 11 - What Dance Come May - Three school dances in three time periods result in many turning points for our favorite characters.