A/N: I'm mean..Yep. But right now I'm completely hyper (Thanks, Pepsi Co!) and my football guys are going for the big 3-0 tonight. And because I wrote like a mad dog yesterday. Yeah, but besides that...I think it's been long enough.
She had no idea how to deal with the thoughts that were running through her mind.
Her mother...was dead.
The scene of the news played over at least a million times in her head, and kept her from her dreams, which instead turned into nightmares. She couldn't sleep, so she did what she could in the middle of the night: read her first edition Alice in Wonderland book that her mother bought.
Her father had called after the news to school, requesting that the sisters take the rest of the week off to cope. Francie, Will, Eric, and Michael did not show up for classes the next morning.
She couldn't even read anymore, having read the book six times through the night. The words became a blur. She looked over at her nightstand and to her clock; it read 9:00 A.M.
She sighed, only figuring out one way to clear her thoughts, running.
After five miles she finally decided to stop, taking in the steady drizzle as she sat on a bench. She looked at her surroundings, seeing only a couple of people walking.
If only they had the slightest clue what she was going through, the pain she didn't want to express. She wanted to be tough, for her mother. Not once had she ever seen her break down, even during times of the divorce.
Sydney got back up, not wanting the tears to escape, and began to sprint again. She stopped at an intersection that connected to the highway. Waiting for the signal, she looked around, and then stood there, stunned. She looked at median that began, seeing black pieces of medal and window shards. Her body began to shudder with sobs as she broke down, walking over to a wall and leaning against it, beginning to cry uncontrollably.
"Miss, are you okay?"
She sobered up as quickly as she could when she heard the question. Pushing herself off the wall, she looked at the man and tried her hardest to force a smile. "I-I'm fine, I just was thinking."
"Are you sure?" He asked, and then looked at her wet appearance. "Do you need to come inside my store and dry off?"
"No, its okay," She said, taking in a deep breath as she tried to control her composure. "I was just heading home."
"Okay, be safe, conditions aren't going to get any better," He said with a comforting smile on his face.
"Thanks," She said through the forced smile, walking past the man. Thankfully, the signal to walk across the intersection was on, and she walked briskly, making sure not to even glance at the spot. Once she went into a full sprint, she let herself begin to cry, again.
xxxxxxx
"Dad, I'm not moving."
"Sydney, you're not staying here!" Jack said in an angry tone. "You and your sister cannot stay alone, especially with all of these expenses."
Sydney narrowed her eyes. "Yes, we can, dad. I'm going to start working."
"Working now is not going to help."
She glared at him, then thought back to a conversation between her and her mother when she just started high school.
"Sydney, would you come here for a second?" Irina asked from her study.
Sydney got up from doing her homework, walking into her mother's study to seeing her writing away on a piece of paper.
Seeing Sydney, Irina smiled. "Sit, please." At this, Sydney took a seat on the opposite side of the table. "Sydney, I want to tell you very important," The nod that came from her daughter urged her to continue. "If anything ever happens to me, I want you to take this," She said, sliding the paper that she finished up writing over to Sydney.
"What's this, mom?" She asked, looking at the numbers, names, and such written on the piece.
"It's an account, made specifically for you and your sister. If anything ever happens to me, I want you to have it. Use it on whatever you need to, student loans, a car, jewelry."
"But mom..." Sydney trailed off as she read the paper. Her eyes got wide when she saw the amount. "Two-two...Million?"
"Yes," Irina smiled warmly. "Now Sydney, this is our secret. And if I ever found out you used that, you'll be in trouble," She smirked.
"But if something happens to you?" Sydney asked, looking up from the paper to her mother.
"Hush, hush, just as a precaution. You'll probably have grey hair when that happens," She grinned.
She gulped, now knowing exactly what that money would be used for. "Dad, I'm going to support Nadia and myself."
"That's nonsense!" He yelled out, grabbing his cell phone. "Now I'm going to call and get a nanny."
"We don't need babysitters!" Sydney lashed out, making Jack hang up the phone. "Dad, just leave!" She yelled out once again, before crying and looking down.
Seeing his daughter like this, he didn't even know what to think. Then thinking back to what Irina had told him one day, all suddenly fit into pieces. "Sydney, okay, but just calm down. If you need me, just call," He said, and left.
"Nadia!" Sydney yelled upstairs to her sister. In a matter of moments, Nadia was down the stairs, looking at her sister. "Come on, we're going to the bank."
It was time for Sydney to be strong, for her and her sister.
xxxxxxx
They told the sisters that the casket would be closed, because of the damage done to their mother's body. Both thought it was best, not even thinking they could stand next to the casket all day seeing their mother's body covered in scars.
But they stood, as proud as they could, all through the day at the wake at the funeral home. Dozens of people came, and they both lost track, knowing at the middle of the day that more than two hundred people had already come to show their respects. Sydney didn't even know half of these people, but she smiled as best as she could as the strangers paid their condolences. Eric, Francie, and Will were already there most of the day, deciding to leave for a short while when hunger was calling.
Many people stopped by which pleased, but also pissed Sydney off. One was Arvin Sloane, and even though she tried to remain calm for her sister, her blood was boiling at the sight of the man her mother had an affair with. When he decided to place a 'comforting' hand on her shoulder, she nearly lost it, until looking at Nadia's sympathetic gaze.
Two of Sydney's teachers also stopped by to pay their respects: Mr. Dixon and his family, in which she was on the verge of tears when she gave the large man a hug. She didn't know why, but could tell that whenever she would need someone to talk to in the future, Dixon would be there for her.
Also, Mr. Lennox stopped by, telling Sydney that she didn't have to return to Cross Country at all if she didn't want to. But the thing that Jim Lennox did not know that running was Sydney's escape, and after smiling through a strained sob, she told him she'd be back as soon as possible, not wanting to let her team down.
Only one person hadn't come the afternoon that was turning into the evening hours, and that was Michael Vaughn. Sydney couldn't help to check the entrance to the room at least every minute to see if he would come through. Finally, the moment came, an hour before the wake would end. She didn't even notice him as the line was getting longer and she was preoccupied. Finally, when it was his turn, he took the chance first to hug Nadia since Sydney was busy talking to another person.
When Sydney finished, she had to hold in another sob as she looked over to the entrance one more time, before looking down at the floor.
"Sydney," He whispered quietly, as if not to break her from the chance.
"Vaughn?" She sobbed once again as she said his name, looking up and deep into his green eyes. There was a moment's silence between the two before Sydney couldn't take it anymore and wrapped her arms around Vaughn's neck, finally letting the tears go that she had been holding in all day. He whispered into her ear, quietly calming her down as his hand sent smooth strokes up and down her back.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't be here earlier," He said in the hushed tone once they finally broke away.
"It's okay," She said, looking over to her sister, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. Looking back to Vaughn, she grabbed his hands and ran her thumbs across the back of his hands.
An hour had passed, and Vaughn never left her side; he either had his arm wrapped around her waist or he grasped her hand with his, making sure she knew that he was by her side.
They walked out onto the parking lot together, Michael agreeing to take her home once she finally admitted that she needed the company.
"Vaughn, I don't think I can do this."
"Do what?" He asked softly as they made their way to her house.
"I don't think I can live without my mother."