Sydney POV
"So how's your day been?" I ask Ellie.
She gives me a slightly irked look, and swallows her gulp of water.
"It's ok. Nothing exciting. Just a reminder to get going on my scholarship hunt and the whole college thing. Ugh." She said, then took another swig of water.
"Why? Do you want to go to college?" I ask.
"I dunno…I love being on stage. Watching you do all that music stuff looks awesome and makes me want to do that, but there's also a part of me that wants to go be normal for a few years, go to college, do that whole scene, then come back to acting and music and stuff. I don't know…" She said, and then slumped down to the floor with a frown.
"I see frowning." Austin said behind us, and I turn to see him smirking at Ellie while wearing a black t shirt, running shorts and running shoes with black socks.
Guys have the weirdest fashions.
But it does look good.
"Why the hat?" I ask.
He smiled at me as Ellie said "You're wearing it wrong."
"No, I can wear it backwards if I like. And see, my sunglasses are on the brim. Cool huh?" He smiled, showing off his backwards hat and tinted sunglasses.
"No, quite the opposite of cool actually." Ellie monotoned.
Austin immediately looked to me to back him up.
"It's ok I guess." I say.
"You don't like it?" He immediately said, zooming thru my little white lie.
"Not really no." I admit, going red at the end.
He rolled his eyes and said "It's staying. So get used to it."
"We can do that." Ellie said.
"I'm getting a drink. Either of you want something?" He asked, turning to the vending machines in the vicinity of Sikowitz's class.
"No thanks." Ellie said, waving her water back and forth.
"Peppy Cola please." I smile.
"On it." He smiled, as I pull Ellie to her feet and follow Austin to the vending machines.
"How's your day been?" I ask him.
"Me?" Austin said, swiping his card.
"No, the guy on the other machine." Ellie said sarcastically.
"It's been good. Same old monotony. Gotten a few glances because of my clothes, but that's ok." He shrugged, followed by the thunk of a drink being dispensed.
I reach forward and grab it, only to see it's his Raderade.
"Thank you…" Austin took it from me, flashing a slight smile at the very end.
When I take back my spot next to Ellie she's also got a sly smile on her face.
I thought it was my drink.
He always gets mine first.
Thunk.
"Why are you wearing that? Is it part of your contract?" Ellie asked as Austin turned and handed me my peppy cola.
"No…I like wearing this stuff." He replied.
"You were dressing differently last semester." I say.
"Is that a good or bad thing?" He asked me, looking apprehensive.
"It's neutral. I was just stating fact."
"Well, if you must know, I dressed better last semester because I was trying to catch a certain girl's eye. And now that I am the apple of that eye, I can be me again. Unless you want me to go back to how I was dressing…?"
"You don't have to. I like your look. Minus the hat." I smile.
"The hat stays."
Ellie and I laugh as we start back to the black box and Sikowitz's required meeting.
AS always, walking in, the picture of Mom, Dad and everyone else catches my eye.
I'm almost the age they were then.
They were 17. Mom says that was their junior year.
I bat the image of Dad and Mom, who weren't dating yet out of my head.
You can almost see how much Dad liked her.
"Austin!"
A blonde blur snaps me out of my thoughts and collides into Austin.
"Hi Skylar, how are you?" Austin said simply, and hugged her politely.
I guess we do have to play nice…
"I'm great! How are you?"
"I'm good. Just walking with Syd and Ellie."
Her face contorts to hide her frown.
Stupid siren bitch.
Go try to temptress some other girl's boyfriend.
"That's cool. By the way, I heard about your sponsorship with Deka. Congratulations!" She beamed.
"Thanks!" He said, and then was taken off guard by her hugging him again.
He looked to me, with the expression of a lost puppy that instantly made my anger towards him disappear.
"You look good in their stuff. I assume that's why you're wearing it?"
"No. I'm wearing it because I like it, not because they're paying me to." Austin said.
"Oh. Well I gotta go sit. Text me some time ok?" She beamed at him, then pecked his cheek and dashed off.
I look at Austin, who is frozen in front of the door Skylar just dashed thru.
"I didn't provoke that. That was all her." Austin said in a rush.
"I know. Bitch." I scowl at the door.
"Let me get her back. Slash her tires, something!" Ellie smiled at me.
I roll my eyes and lead the way inside Sikowitz's room.
We all sat down in the second row just as Sikowitz appeared with blue scripts.
"Alright everyone, settle down and you won't be here for very long. I know you have precious social lives to attend to. Here I have the scripts to our first play of the semester, which are yours for the taking. Auditions are in 2 weeks after school. The specifics are in handouts beside the booklets. Once you get one of each, you may go."
The class rose up and rushed the front.
Ellie made a move to join the scrum, but I hold her back and sit her back down.
"That was easy." Austin said, then looked to me. "Hey, I've got to get my sister from school but then I'm coming over to your place. That cool?"
"Yeah, I don't see why not." I say.
"Cool." He smiled, as Ellie darted up again.
I groan and frown at the group of people in front of the stage.
"How are you?" Austin grabbed my hand, causing me to turn back around and see him smile.
"I'm good. Kinda boring day, but good."
"Good. I can change the clothes if you really want me to." He said.
"It's up to you." I say.
He smiled and rolled his eyes.
"Before you two start making out in front of everyone, here." Ellie said, making me jump.
She got us scripts.
"Thank you!" Austin hopped up and smiled, taking them and handing me my copy.
"No problem. See you back at home." Ellie said.
He nodded to her, smiled at me then disappeared out the door.
"You made him go." I say.
"No I didn't. He left on his own." Ellie fired back at me.
I frown at her then sip my peppy cola on the way to my car.
Where we have to wait for 15 minutes for traffic to clear out.
To make matters worse, every radio station had bad music or commercials.
Ellie just fiddled around on her phone with a sour look on her face the entire time.
I don't think Aaron ever replied.
Guys are so stupid.
I swear, if Kevin, Matt or Corey ever pulls a stunt like this, they're so dead.
"Finally, we can relax…" Ellie said, pulling open the door.
To the sound of wailing.
We both rush inside and bust into my mom's room, where Olivia is screaming her head off and her mom is bouncing her.
"It's ok…It's alright baby…"
Poor girl.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Mom answered my unasked question by saying "She was lying on the couch with her dad, but she rolled off him and onto the floor."
Ellie and I both cringe as Olivia keeps wailing.
I hear the front door open again and a moment later dad poked his head in.
"Still mad?"
Still?
"Still?" Ellie blurted out.
"Shh!" Jade and Mom told her.
Tori nodded and kept cooing to Olivia, who is getting quieter.
"What's wrong daddy?" Corey poked his head inside the door, still wearing his backpack.
"Olivia fell earlier. It's ok bud." Dad said.
"Go put your stuff in your room honey." Mom added on.
Corey silently walked towards the stairs.
"Poor baby…" I frown, and reach out to her.
"Not now." Aunt Tori snapped, then said "Sorry, she won't like it."
I nod.
Makes sense.
Ellie made a move towards my room, and I follow her up.
…
"Hey Sydney." I hear Matt say.
"Hi Matt. How are you?" I ask, still following Ellie.
"Good. Tired."
"I hear you there. I'm going to stretch out by the pool and do nothing for the rest of the day." Ellie said, plopping her backpack and purse onto my bed.
"I like that plan." I say.
"Why's Olivia crying?" Kevin popped up from nowhere.
"She fell off the couch."
"Oww." Kevin said.
"That must have hurt." Matt added.
"Not to mention the shock of it." I say, throwing my bag next to Ellie's.
"Yeah…wait. Is she not crying anymore?" Ellie said.
Quickly, Corey zoomed downstairs, followed by the rest of us.
"—it's ok. You won't fall again. We promise." Corey said softly.
Olivia stubbornly didn't move in her mom's arms.
"She's probably in a bad mood." Dad hypothesized, sitting next to mom now.
"Can't blame her either." Uncle Andre said, bringing in a bottle full of apple juice.
Her dad's voice made her turn around.
"Hey…I'm sorry baby."
Olivia made a loud whining noise, and her dad took her and gave her the bottle.
"That's right. Your bottle." He smiled, as Olivia turned away from him and started in on her bottle.
"I'm going to change." Ellie said.
I turn to follow but Ellie's mom said "Wait!"
I turn to see everyone but Olivia's parents coming to us.
"Kitchen. Sit please." Mom smiled at me.
Ok…
I take my normal seat, and everybody fills up the rest of the seats.
"How was your first day at school? How'd it go?"
"Good." Matt said.
"Okay I guess." Ellie shrugged.
"I learned about multiplication!" Corey beamed.
ALREADY?!
"Already? Seems early for that bud." Dad said behind mom.
"Nope. 2 times 2 is 4!" Corey beamed.
"Very good man." Dad smiled, causing Corey to smile wider.
"How about you Sydney?" Aunt Jade asked.
"It was ok. Got Sikowitz's new scripts."
"Oh. What's the new play about?" Mom asked.
"I don't know. Haven't looked at it yet." I say.
"When are auditions?" Aunt Tori asked, just as the door opened and made it's trademark beeping sound.
"Hello?" a high pitched voice called out
"In here Sammy!" Mom called back.
Yay they're here!
A moment later Austin and Sam popped around the staircase.
Sam then spotted me, and tackled me into a hug.
"Hi! How are you?" I smile, hugging her back.
"Good." She smiled back, then hugged me again.
"Drinks are in the garage if you want one sweetie." Mom smiled at Sam, who then dashed off.
"Hey Austin." Jade said.
"Hi. How's it going?"
"Good. Olivia's in a bad mood." Dad said, frowning.
"Oh no. What happened?"
"She rolled off her dad and onto the floor in front of the couch." I say.
"Ow! I can't blame her then. That'd ruin my day too."
"Hopefully her bottle will make her feel better." Aunt Tori said.
"Here ya go!" Sam's peppy voice said.
I turn to see her holding a peppy cola for me and smiling.
"Thank you!" I smile.
She smiled back, then followed Corey upstairs without another word.
Leaving everyone else looking at the stairs.
"Uhhh…" Mom said, then looking up to my dad.
"Tell me now and I can stop them. Otherwise he's not going to like it." Dad said darkly.
"I…can't? But she just went!" Mom said.
"Maybe they're better friends than we thought?" Austin hypothesized.
"Simple plan. Marry Sydney before Corey can make a move on Sam." Ellie said.
"ELLIE!" I say quickly.
I hear a couple of stifled laughs, and glance at mom to see her smiling.
"She's got a few years to wait." Austin said, and then looked to my mom. "Sorry."
"I'm not commenting." Mom said, causing Austin to look antsy.
A moment of silence followed.
"Ok, well I'm going to go lie out by the pool and be lazy. See you all later." Ellie got to her feet and walked upstairs.
"Don't spy on them!" Aunt Tori hissed to her.
Ellie waved back at her, then kept going up stairs.
"Where's Olivia?" Austin asked.
"Here. She's still really fussy." Uncle Andre said, walking out of Mom and Dad's room.
"Aww. Why are you fussy?" Austin asked, as Andre joined the rest of us.
Olivia immediately went from still and eyes closed, to thrashing around and eyes open.
"Whoa! Easy…he's here, he's right here!" Andre scooped her up and pointed him out.
Austin immediately looked embarrassed.
"Agaaaa…" She grabbed for him.
"Hi. Are you having a bad day?" Austin asked, grabbing her and smiling.
Olivia just plopped onto his chest and made a quiet sound.
"I know. Bad days are awful." Austin said, causing everyone to laugh.
"I don't know what it is about you, but she always wants you." Mom said.
"Weird." Austin said.
"I think she likes him." Aunt Tori said.
"Huh?" I look to her.
"I think she likes him. Like a little baby crush." She clarified.
"Well that's awkward." Matt said.
"Nah. Sydney is still my number one. But you don't know that because you can't understand me." Austin said, looking at Olivia.
Olivia immediately made a happy sound and stretched out.
"Sorry Olivia." I say.
Mom and Dad laughed, along with Austin and Corey.
"So how was rehearsal Austin?" Aunt Tori asked.
"It was fine…how'd you know about that?"
"Me." Ellie said, appearing in her bikini.
"Word travels fast apparently." Austin said.
"AGA!" Olivia yelled.
"What? Please don't yell." Austin said.
"Don't look at Ellie. That's what she means." Aunt Jade said.
Everyone immediately started laughing.
"Everybody is a critic…" Austin grumbled.