Sydney POV
I toss the dumb, stupid, worthless book into my locker and smash it shut.
Revealing Ellie.
With her stupid mischievous smile.
"I'm not in the mood." I say.
"I know. I'll get right to it. Saw Austin just now." She said.
"Humph."
He's a stupid, slimy piece of—
"He was talking with his boys. But he stopped and talked to me."
I give her a look.
"Do I really have to hear this?" I ask.
"Yes. Yes you do. He asked how you were."
…
Ellie pushed ahead.
"I told him that you were mad, and that he should text you if he wants to know what's up."
I cross my arms.
"He should talk to me. Not text. You let him hide behind his phone."
"He said he'd text!" Ellie said.
"I DON'T CARE!"
Oh crap that was loud.
I look around and everyone is staring at me.
"Sorry." I say quietly.
"Do we need to take this into the janitor's closet?" She asked.
"…No. But ever since we left the movie and he let my hand go, he's been like a ghost."
"I know. You've told me all of this."
"My parents still are giving me weird looks because of what you say." I snap.
"Really? Mom and Dad took what I said hook, line and sinker."
"I'm not sure. You should have talked to me. We didn't eat! Why'd you say we did! We were both hungry and said so! That's probably how they know we lied!" I say.
"What? You'd rather say that we ditched after lunch and went to the amusement park and rode roller coasters until the movie? Plus we left our phones in the car so we wouldn't lose them!"
"…What about Austin's friend. The junior." I say.
He drove us to the amusement park and paid for everything for Ellie.
Austin paid for us.
"Dead end."
"But you kissed!" I say.
"He's a skuzzball. I know when I guy wants to take me for a ride in bed."
"Are you sure?" I ask.
"Yeah. We went to the mall that next Saturday and he told me to come over to his house because his parents were in Quebec."
"It could be innocent." I say.
Ellie gave me her "You're kidding" look.
"Probably not, but you could show some trust."
"You know me. The only person I trust fully is you." She replied in a beat.
"That's sad." I say.
"What? You don't feel the same?"
"No, I have more people." I say.
"Like?" She questioned.
"My Dad, you, and your mom."
She gave me an odd look.
"My mom? Why?"
"She…I don't know. Why don't you trust her?" I turn the question around.
Riiiiiiiinnngggg!
"Shit." We both say, then turning and sprinting to Sikowitz's.
He's gonna make us get on stage and do something.
We stop running right before the door and act composed as we walk in.
Sikowitz looked up, then smiled.
"Girls girls…which one would like to go first?"
I point to Ellie instinctively.
"Sydney! Thanks for volunteering." He smiled.
I roll my eyes and dump my bag at the foot of the stage.
"You will be…"
Why is Ellie sitting next to Austin?
Why is he even there at all?
"GO!"
"Wait, what? I didn't hear you." I blurt out.
Sikowitz's shoulders slumped. "You're a woman that picks strangers out of the crowd and makes nonsense conversations. You can't talk about the same thing twice. Go." He spelled it out slowly for me.
In the crowd, Sinjin laughed.
I'm gonna drill him.
"SINJIN! Why don't you get up here and shut that mouth of yours?"
He quickly ran up on stage and smiled.
"Hi Sydney."
He grabbed my hand.
"EWW! Get your hands off me!" I yelp, making it sound like I'm a woman in the 20's. "When'd you wash your hands last?"
He opened his mouth, and then paused.
"You're a piece of street trash! Off you go! Ellie!"
Sinjin just stood there, gaping at me.
"Move…" Ellie said, stepping up.
Sinjin didn't move.
So Ellie just pushed him.
CRASH!
"Uhhh…OW!" He yelled.
"What kind of felines do you own?" I ask.
"I have Cheshire, tabby and Chinese mix." Ellie played with her hair.
"How dare you suggest such vermin!"
Ellie played along with the shock.
"I don't think you have the right to complain."
"Do you know what this weather does to—"
"STOP!" Sikowitz yelled suddenly.
Ellie and I freeze, and then turn around.
I can't tell what he's thinking.
His eyes are cloudy.
"Sit down. Time for me to begin class."
O…K?
Ellie and I sit down.
Her next to Austin.
I catch his glimpse back once he writes "MOMENT" on the board.
It looks like a mixture of sadness and disappointment.
Uh oh.
Robbie POV
"¿Usted quiere que limpiar los baños al aire?"
Do you want us to clean the outside bathrooms?
"Si. Por favor."
One of the Hispanic cleaning women turned to the other as I crossed to get my keys.
"¡Más rápido con el agua, tenemos que hacer una limpieza más!"
Hurry up with the water, we have more cleaning to do.
"¡Voy tan rápido como puedo! El agua es lento!" The other said.
I'm going as fast as I can! The water is coming out slow!
Sigh.
I scoop up my keys and sneak out the door.
I unlock the Escalade and hop in.
I plug my phone in and start it.
Then I press the One Star button.
"One Star, how may I assist you?"
"Call Cat." I say firmly.
Stupid machine has to be talked at. Not to.
You have to talk at it.
"Calling Cat." The mechanical voice said.
Buzz…Buzz…Buzz…
"Hello?"
"Cat, it's me." I say.
"Robbie! Hey!" She chimed.
"How's it going?" I ask
"Good. Just about to go into a meeting. What's up?"
"I just remembered something."
"What?" She asked.
"Remember that promise you made Sydney about her 16th birthday?"
"The one about the car." She stated.
"Yes. You know Syd's birthday is next Wednesday right?"
She laughed and I can see her smile thru the phone.
"Of course I remembered. February 6th."
"You gonna keep your promise?" I ask.
"I'm going down to the dealer tomorrow to scope things out."
I smile.
"I thought so."
"She's gonna flip out." Cat said.
I laugh.
"As long as she doesn't die, I think we'll be ok."
She giggled. "That's mean."
"Maybe. So a meeting huh?" I ask.
"Yup. You taking the girls to Pasadena?"
"Only Sydney. Ellie has a appointment with a dermatologist apparently." I say.
"Dermatologist?" Cat asked.
"I don't know."
"She looks fine."
"Yeah."
I hear somebody call her name in the background.
"I gotta go. Meeting is about to start."
"Love you." I say
"Love you too. Bye."
"Call ended." The voice said.
I know that you dumb car.
So she's keeping the promise.
I pull into the parent pickup line at Hollywood Arts and park.
I've got a minute or two before the girls come out.
Honestly, I'm not surprised Cat remembered the promise. She nearly passed out a few years ago when my dream I had when Sydney was a baby about a school get together came true.
Unfortunately, the guys she liked never liked her back. Lucky for her that he moved because his father got some big job.
I remember those dreams like it was just yesterday.
There are some kids.
I remain seated, waiting for Sydney and Ellie to come out.
I take a drink of my coffee and check my phone.
No new notifications.
Thump.
I look up to see Sydney and Ellie with their faces pressed against the door.
I laugh and unlock the doors.
"Sorry about that! I was hoping you'd break in!" I joke, getting both girls to laugh.
I didn't get a chance to see Sydney before Cat took her to school. Her brown hair is down; she's wearing a red tank top, with a white cardigan, white shorts and flats.
Ellie is wearing all black.
At least she doesn't look as menacing as her dear mother.
Syd once told me that Ellie scares people in class.
Maybe it's the fact I've known her since she's been born. When I changed your diaper, you can't scare me I guess.
"How was school?" I ask, pulling out into the always dangerous passing lane of the waiting area.
Accidents happen all the time. Parents being stupid, being distracted by their kids.
I can't say I'm much better, but at least I'm careful.
"Fine." Sydney replied.
"Eh. Ok I guess." Ellie offered.
"So it was exciting." I deduce.
That is always their replies. "Eh" and "Fine."
"Not really." Ellie replied.
"Homework?"
"I'll do it at Aunt Jade's later." Sydney replied, brushing her bangs out of her face with a neutral expression.
Something's up with that girl.
She looks mad.
It's eating at her too. She's not all here.
She's thinking about something.
Because she isn't going to Jade's today. That's Thursday, and today is Tuesday.
I kick on the radio, and before long Ellie and Syd are jamming, swinging back and forth with the rhythm of the hip song, which has been on the radio a lot recently.
Ellie crushes the chorus, while simultaneously Sydney hits the high note.
Wow, they're good.
Once the song ends I turn it down and say "Nice. Absolutely perfect."
"Thanks Robbie." Ellie smiles.
"Thanks Dad." Syd smiles too, but kind of self-consciously.
I turn the radio back on, and the girls half sing, half listen to the next couple of songs as I turn into Ellie's neighborhood and meander to the gated portion.
I park, and everybody piles out, with Syd dumping her backpack in the backseat where Ellie's was.
"I'm home!" Ellie yells as she crosses the threshold, leaving the door open for Sydney and I.
"Hey!" I hear Jade's voice as I hold the door for Sydney.
She slips in and goes to their pantry as Jade pops out of her bedroom and pulls Ellie into her arms.
"How are ya? School good?" Jade asked, rubbing her daughter's arm.
"Fine. Nothing big. Have a form for you to sign." She said evasively.
"Don't tell me you saw Principal Alsek again." Beck said darkly, suddenly popping out from the area of the kitchen.
"It's not." Ellie said, face not giving away anything. "It's for home ec."
"Why?" Jade looked confused.
"We're going to have to take care of one of those baby dolls for a week."
"Those crying ones?" I asked.
"Yeah, and they go to the bathroom and stuff too."
Jade smirked. "That'll be fun."
"Yeah, Sydney will do most of it." Ellie shrugged.
"Oh no I'm not!" Sydney replied, obviously in the pantry.
Beck laughed, and I smiled, causing Ellie to look at me.
"Whatcha looking for kiddo?" Jade called out to Sydney.
"Something chocolate!"
"There are some cookies on the counter!" Jade replied.
Next thing I know, Ellie and Sydney are pawing at a plate covered in aluminum foil.
"Remember when we had to do that project?" Beck asked Jade and I, laughing as we said it.
"Yeah." Jade smiled. "We didn't need forms back then though."
"What happened?" Ellie asked, back at her father's side.
Sydney slid between Jade and I.
"Your mother destroyed both hers, and your fathers." I jump in, smiling.
Jade immediately looked livid. "At least mine didn't get blown up by Sinjin!"
"Hey, I didn't know he was going to do that!" I say defensively, as both Sydney and Ellie are laughing.
"Andre left his at the studio I think." Beck said.
"No, he left it at a restaurant I think." I answered.
"Yeah, 'Left.'" Jade said, with air quotes around left.
"What about my mom's?" Sydney asked.
"She was the only one out of our little group that came back with it in one piece." Beck said.
"She applied makeup to it I swear." I say.
"What about Aunt Tori?" Ellie asked.
"She hadn't come yet." Beck replied.
"How much longer before she did?" Sydney asked.
"A couple more years, 9th grade." Beck answered.
"Yeah, and you kissed her." Jade scowled at Beck.
Ellie and Sydney's jaws drop.
"Oh come on, that was years ago! Let it go!" Beck groaned.
"Why? You're the one who did it!" Jade replied hotly.
"Hey!" I jump between them. "Easy."
"So…you guys were a few years older than us when you kissed Aunt Tori?" Sydney pushed.
"Same year. Freshman year." I say.
"Wow." Was Ellie's reaction.
"I can't imagine you at 15." Sydney said.
I ignore her comment and look to Beck.
"Where are the boys?"
"Your house. They wanted to play games and hit the baseball."
"Ahh." I say.
"Anyway…where you guys headed off to?" Jade asked.
"Rehearsal." Sydney said indifferently.
"Ok. Beck asked.
Then I turn to Syd. "We better get going."
"Yeah."
"Bye!" Jade came in for the quick hug.
Beck fist bumped me and Ellie hugged me.
"Bye Robbie!"
"Ellie, it's Uncle Robbie." I joke.
She knows I don't care either way.
Jade and Beck laugh.
"Bye!" Sydney waved.
They all waved to her, and I shut the door behind us.
The walk to the car is silent, and I pull out while Sydney is texting someone.
"Ok, I know something's up. You wanna talk about it?" I say, turning onto one of the main roads.
"Kinda. I don't know."
"Will a shake change your mind? You got time before rehearsal starts."
A genuine smile crosses her face and she nods.
"Ok!" I say peppily, signaling to the left.
We end up at a Freezy Queen. She gets a large chocolate Freezie and I get a vanilla and chocolate shake.
We're too busy gulping down our treats that we don't talk until we're on the highway.
"Ok, you want to start or do I need to poke around for the right spot?" I joke, starting off this conversation.
I'm pretty good at loosening her up in cases like this.
I have a suspicion based off what happened last week.
She smiled and said "Poke."
"It's a guy."
A shocked and horrified look crossed her face.
"Ellie told you."
"No she didn't. I just didn't recognize the expression on your face. And that's usually the problem with teenage girls." I joke. "So what's the problem? Guys not noticing you?"
"No…just not the right one." She said.
"Why not?" I play dumb.
It's the guy sweetheart. Not you.
"I don't know. I've tried talking to him…"
"Did he talk back?"
"Yeah, but he seemed nervous."
I laughed.
"What's so funny?" She snapped.
"Nothing." I say quickly. "You're a pretty girl, it makes sense he's nervous."
"Not the prettiest girl in the class. I'm not even as pretty as Ellie…"
"Hey." I say strongly. "You're more beautiful than Ellie. I know you're self-conscious about your body. You'll fill out. It's not you ok? It's him. Not you."
"Are you sure?" She asks.
"Absolutely. Is that all that's wrong?"
"Yeah…but…"
"But…" I lead her on.
"I…I wanna see if I can sing."
"You can sing. You mean go talk to an executive or something?" I ask.
"Yeah. But I don't want Mom to know."
"Why not?" I ask again.
"Because…she's all famous and great. I don't want to be treated like her daughter. I'm me. I just wanna find out if I'm good." She said quietly.
"You're good. But this isn't about the singing. This about your mom isn't it?"
"I…I know she wants me to sing and be like her…but I'm afraid if I don't like it…she won't love me!" She suddenly wailed.
I stopped at a stoplight and pull her into a hug, where I see she's crying.
"Syd…calm down sweetheart. Your mother loves you and will always love you. You could be a secretary and she'd be proud of you and love you ok?"
"But she's always giving me tips…what if I disappoint her?" She wailed.
"You won't." I say calmly. "She just wants you to get better. This process was easier for her because she wasn't famous at your age like you are. She just had to get noticed, which she did like Aunt Tori, Aunt Jade, Uncle Beck and Uncle Andre ok? Your mom only wants you to be happy. Now, would she love to see you follow in her footsteps and act and sing? Sure? But she would hate herself if you kept on with it not because you like it, but because you think you have to. She just wants you to be happy ok?"
She suddenly hugs my side.
"Thanks daddy."
"Anytime Syddo. And I mean it ok? Just be you. Do what makes you happy. We'll figure everything out."
She smiled widely, showing her teeth like she does when she believes what she's hearing.
"So what's on tap for rehearsal?' I ask as she hastily applies a little makeup from her purse.
"Line run thru and character tests. Nothing big."
I smile and shake my head.
"What?" She asked.
"You sound like your mother."
"I do not." She said.
"Yeah, you do. I would know ok? I've known your mother for years. Long before you came along." I smile, parking.
We both hop out and start towards the theater.
"And Kevin and Corey?"
"And Kevin and Corey." I smile.
We reach the set soon after, and Sydney gives me a quick hug.
"Bye dad."
"Later Sydney. Break a leg. Your mom will pick you up at 7." I say.
"Ok!"
"Bye!" I wave, as she sees her friend and dashes off.
I fiddle with my phone on the walk back to the car, then jam out to my music until I cut off the ignition.
The girls say my music sucks.
They like pop. I'm more of a rock guy.
PING!
I smile to myself.
PING!
The boys are hitting.
…
"DUDE!" I hear Matt yell.
"What happened?" Corey asked.
"I… I don't know." Kevin said.
"You whiffed! How'd you whiff on that?" Matt asked.
"I don't know? It just hung there!"
I laugh and approach the gate.
"You swung right under it!"
I knock on the gate.
"Uhh guys? No friendly fire ok?" I say.
"Daddy!" Corey yelled.
I open the gate and Corey smashes into me.
"Hey bud. How are you?"
"I'm great!" He beams
I look up and see Kevin staring at his bat.
"I overheard what just happened. Did you seriously whiff?"
"Uhh…yeah."
"It was hilarious!" Matt laughed in the background.
For half a second Kevin had a look like he wanted to bludgeon Matt.
Can't blame him. Tough crowd.
"How were you guys' days?" I ask.
"Good!" They all said.
"Great. I'll go ahead and get you guys a drink ok? You guys keep going."
"Thank you!" They all yelled.
I smile and hop inside the back door.
Kids.
PINGG!