Ya know what? I have the best readers here. I know it's been a while, and
uh, sorry!! I just had the biggest writer's block ever . . . and I don't
think it's gone yet. *you might have to reread the whole thing to remember
what this is about . . . lol . . . and this might be a little short. I need
to ease back in to writing
Chapter 8
"So, who was it?" Terri asked, picking up another French fry.
"Salesman . . ."
"I hate those people. They just annoy me so much."
"Yeah," Sydney replied slowly. Her mind was still at pause. Then she shook herself mentally. Get a grip, Bristow . . . Sloane's here. He might get to your friends . . .
--
"Be careful," Sydney said without preamble.
Terri stopped, her hand resting on the door handle.
"What?"
"Be careful," Sydney repeated. "You know . . . it gets crazy during this time. The crazed Christmas shoppers and all."
Terri grinned. "Well, I could use my newly learned skills to knock 'em down."
Sydney laughed, relieved. "I'll see you tomorrow."
After staying in front of Terri's house for a few more minutes, she turned out of Terri's driveway and back onto the dimly lit road.
--
"Miss Brown?"
"Yes?" Sydney turned from the blackboard.
"When's the essay due?"
"Next Tuesday."
"What's it supposed to be about again?"
"Trevor, I have only answered that question five times," Sydney replied, exasperated.
"I'm sorry," came the genuine response.
Sydney sighed and said, "The composition is about appearance versus reality. Anything that happened to you that pertains to the topic."
"Appearance versus reality?" called another student.
"OK. What happened to my attentive students?" Sydney questioned seriously.
"They're too excited over vacation," Trevor responded, tapping his pencil eraser against the desk.
"And I'm not? OK. Appearance versus reality. Just what it says. You write about an event in your life - I'll give you an example. Let's just say there's this girl who's going out with a guy. He seems like the perfect guy, until she catches him with another girl. There's appearance versus reality for you. The guy isn't what she thought he was. Of course, there are better examples, but the bell's going to ring soon, and I want you to copy all this down," Sydney announced.
Just then, the bell rang. The students filed out of the classroom haphazardly.
"Bye, Miss Brown."
--
"You assigned them an essay? Now?" Terri asked incredulously, looking up from a test she was grading.
"So?"
"So?" Terri repeated. "Hello, Lily! It's less than two weeks till the holiday vacation! Do you want to be swamped with work the whole time?"
"Ya know, that makes sense," a male voice interrupted.
"Patrick," Sydney said before she could stop herself.
"What's up hun?" he grinned, unwrapping his lunch.
"Oh, nothing," Sydney replied lightly, turning towards Terri, who rolled her eyes.
"Where were you last night?"
"Why?" Sydney retorted, not liking his tone of voice.
"I called," Patrick replied patiently.
And what? Am I supposed to stay home all day just because I think you might call? Sydney thought angrily. Out loud, she said sweetly, "Oh, I probably went out."
"Probably?" Patrick raised his left eyebrow.
"Well, when you called, I could either have been anywhere in my house, not wanting to pick up the phone, or it could have been later . . . when I went out," Sydney responded nonchalantly. "So what about you? What have you been doing these days?"
"You just saw me yesterday," Patrick said slowly.
"Well, then you saw me too. And why'd you call?"
Terri stood up and stretched.
"Guys, as entertaining as this is, I have to go. I'll see you later, Lily."
Sydney nodded and waved goodbye.
Patrick ignored Terri.
"So? Why'd you call?" Sydney repeated impatiently.
"Can't I call to check up on my girlfriend?"
"Oh please," Sydney scoffed. "Don't make it sound as if we're the students here."
"What are you talking about? What's up with you, Lily?" Patrick asked, half-curiously, half-angrily.
My name is NOT Lily! Sydney fought the urge to scream.
"Why are we having this conversation?" Sydney questioned.
"OK. Fine. Listen. I called you last night because my parents want you to come over again. Tomorrow night. Dinner. Can you make it?" Patrick sighed.
"Tomorrow night?"
Patrick nodded.
"Well -"
"Please, Lily? My parents love you - almost as much as I do. But in a whole different way, of course," Patrick said quickly.
Sydney stifled a snort, but she relented.
"Fine. Tomorrow night."
"Seven o'clock. I'll pick you up," Patrick offered.
"Nah, it's all right. I'm a big girl. I can drive myself."
"But -"
"I'll be careful. Oh hey, did I tell you I've been taking martial arts classes?" Sydney said deliberately.
"Our teacher is like superman," she praised, half gagging on her own words. She watched Patrick for any signs of recognition.
"Uh, really? Superman . . . " he said uncomfortably.
Gotcha, Sydney snickered.
"So um, I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Are you OK?" Sydney asked, watching him pick up his sandwich.
"I'm fine. I got hall duty," Patrick replied hesitantly.
Is that guilt I hear? Sydney thought. Then she herself felt a pang of guilt. Was it right to play mind games? But - screw him, Sydney rolled her eyes. He deserves it.
"Hall duty? The period's almost over," Sydney responded, glancing pointedly at the clock hanging on the wall.
"I have to go . . . to the bathroom," Patrick said, flustered.
Sydney almost laughed out loud at his appearance.
"With your sandwich?" she called, right before the door closed behind him.
It was then that she let out her giggles, and collapsed on the sofa.
---
OK. THAT WAS pathetic. Sorry!! I felt that I had to get SOMETHING out soon . . . and it sucks.
Chapter 8
"So, who was it?" Terri asked, picking up another French fry.
"Salesman . . ."
"I hate those people. They just annoy me so much."
"Yeah," Sydney replied slowly. Her mind was still at pause. Then she shook herself mentally. Get a grip, Bristow . . . Sloane's here. He might get to your friends . . .
--
"Be careful," Sydney said without preamble.
Terri stopped, her hand resting on the door handle.
"What?"
"Be careful," Sydney repeated. "You know . . . it gets crazy during this time. The crazed Christmas shoppers and all."
Terri grinned. "Well, I could use my newly learned skills to knock 'em down."
Sydney laughed, relieved. "I'll see you tomorrow."
After staying in front of Terri's house for a few more minutes, she turned out of Terri's driveway and back onto the dimly lit road.
--
"Miss Brown?"
"Yes?" Sydney turned from the blackboard.
"When's the essay due?"
"Next Tuesday."
"What's it supposed to be about again?"
"Trevor, I have only answered that question five times," Sydney replied, exasperated.
"I'm sorry," came the genuine response.
Sydney sighed and said, "The composition is about appearance versus reality. Anything that happened to you that pertains to the topic."
"Appearance versus reality?" called another student.
"OK. What happened to my attentive students?" Sydney questioned seriously.
"They're too excited over vacation," Trevor responded, tapping his pencil eraser against the desk.
"And I'm not? OK. Appearance versus reality. Just what it says. You write about an event in your life - I'll give you an example. Let's just say there's this girl who's going out with a guy. He seems like the perfect guy, until she catches him with another girl. There's appearance versus reality for you. The guy isn't what she thought he was. Of course, there are better examples, but the bell's going to ring soon, and I want you to copy all this down," Sydney announced.
Just then, the bell rang. The students filed out of the classroom haphazardly.
"Bye, Miss Brown."
--
"You assigned them an essay? Now?" Terri asked incredulously, looking up from a test she was grading.
"So?"
"So?" Terri repeated. "Hello, Lily! It's less than two weeks till the holiday vacation! Do you want to be swamped with work the whole time?"
"Ya know, that makes sense," a male voice interrupted.
"Patrick," Sydney said before she could stop herself.
"What's up hun?" he grinned, unwrapping his lunch.
"Oh, nothing," Sydney replied lightly, turning towards Terri, who rolled her eyes.
"Where were you last night?"
"Why?" Sydney retorted, not liking his tone of voice.
"I called," Patrick replied patiently.
And what? Am I supposed to stay home all day just because I think you might call? Sydney thought angrily. Out loud, she said sweetly, "Oh, I probably went out."
"Probably?" Patrick raised his left eyebrow.
"Well, when you called, I could either have been anywhere in my house, not wanting to pick up the phone, or it could have been later . . . when I went out," Sydney responded nonchalantly. "So what about you? What have you been doing these days?"
"You just saw me yesterday," Patrick said slowly.
"Well, then you saw me too. And why'd you call?"
Terri stood up and stretched.
"Guys, as entertaining as this is, I have to go. I'll see you later, Lily."
Sydney nodded and waved goodbye.
Patrick ignored Terri.
"So? Why'd you call?" Sydney repeated impatiently.
"Can't I call to check up on my girlfriend?"
"Oh please," Sydney scoffed. "Don't make it sound as if we're the students here."
"What are you talking about? What's up with you, Lily?" Patrick asked, half-curiously, half-angrily.
My name is NOT Lily! Sydney fought the urge to scream.
"Why are we having this conversation?" Sydney questioned.
"OK. Fine. Listen. I called you last night because my parents want you to come over again. Tomorrow night. Dinner. Can you make it?" Patrick sighed.
"Tomorrow night?"
Patrick nodded.
"Well -"
"Please, Lily? My parents love you - almost as much as I do. But in a whole different way, of course," Patrick said quickly.
Sydney stifled a snort, but she relented.
"Fine. Tomorrow night."
"Seven o'clock. I'll pick you up," Patrick offered.
"Nah, it's all right. I'm a big girl. I can drive myself."
"But -"
"I'll be careful. Oh hey, did I tell you I've been taking martial arts classes?" Sydney said deliberately.
"Our teacher is like superman," she praised, half gagging on her own words. She watched Patrick for any signs of recognition.
"Uh, really? Superman . . . " he said uncomfortably.
Gotcha, Sydney snickered.
"So um, I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Are you OK?" Sydney asked, watching him pick up his sandwich.
"I'm fine. I got hall duty," Patrick replied hesitantly.
Is that guilt I hear? Sydney thought. Then she herself felt a pang of guilt. Was it right to play mind games? But - screw him, Sydney rolled her eyes. He deserves it.
"Hall duty? The period's almost over," Sydney responded, glancing pointedly at the clock hanging on the wall.
"I have to go . . . to the bathroom," Patrick said, flustered.
Sydney almost laughed out loud at his appearance.
"With your sandwich?" she called, right before the door closed behind him.
It was then that she let out her giggles, and collapsed on the sofa.
---
OK. THAT WAS pathetic. Sorry!! I felt that I had to get SOMETHING out soon . . . and it sucks.
