In The Fastlane

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

*Sydney's P.O.V*

"Hello?" I heard my aunt speak cautiously through the phone. I wetted my lips with my tongue wondering whether or not I should go through with my decision. I mean I knew what choice was obvious and right but I didn't want to take it. I wanted to stay in my run down apartment that costs enough money that I need a job to afford it. After all Abbey was the one to help me discover it. I didn't want to live with my aunt, I didn't want to be near her or my whiney cousins for that matter.

"Hi, Aunt Linda?" I said.

"Sydney. Is there anything I can help you with? I mean its quite odd for you to call me out of the blue with no reasoning,"

"I do have reasoning," I replied trying to hold make the harshness in my tone.

"Would you care to tell me?"

"I wish I didn't have too," I attempted to speak under my breath. I heard my Aunt clear her throat and wait for me to speak up. "I need a place to stay,"

"What happened? Lost your job to the march of the penguins?" I heard her detrimental cackle at her own ridiculous pun. In all honesty I would enjoy giving that woman a high five, in the face, with a chair, made of steal. "Doesn't surprise me one bit, sweet heart. I knew you'd be crawling back to me. I just didn't expect it to come so soon."

"Well," I croaked. "I am."

"What about your parents? How come your not expecting them to be your knight in shining armour?"

"They live in the united states. You can't honestly expect me to pick up my whole life here and move across the country, can you?"

"Don't use that tone with me," She scolded.

"What tone? This is how I speak, Aunt Linda."

"Wait until I get my hands on you; you'll be a wonderful addition to the cleaning ladies." My heart sunk to the bottom of my chest and my fingers trembled across the off button. I kept telling myself inside and out that this was my only choice. All my friends had turned on me and I wouldn't leave such a huge burden on Niall to carry me around like some lost puppy while he was living the dream. It sounds truly ridiculous.

"When can I move in." I stated more has a rhetorical question-obviously not wanting to hear her answer.

"Tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow?"

"The sooner the better. You wouldn't want to end up homeless would you?"

I let silence engulf the conversation as I listened to her harsh breathing into the phone. She disgusted me in everyway possible. I could just imagine my whiney cousins yanking on my hair and going through my belongings. My Aunt lived on the outskirts of the city-she was never a city girl. She said I was foolish for leading such a unsettled life here. I didn't blame my parents for losing contact with me, I was a failure in my families eyes. But that honestly didn't matter to me in the moment; I just needed to wait it out at my aunts until a job opening would pop up.

"Thank you for the offer. I'll be there first thing in the morning." I spoke lowly. I turned off my cellphone before she could speak another word and slumped back into my bed. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to blatantly shut out the noises of the ventilator. March was coming around the corner so soon enough I wouldn't need it much longer. I opened up my eyes to glance around the room already becoming sentimental thinking about my departure. I had been in this same apartment since I was twenty. So many memories were withheld here. I missed the penguins more than anything as well. I wondered how Niall's and I's penguins were doing. I left one of my work friends to deal with them. If my boss every saw me within five feet radius of that place she'd probably blow a gasket.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and got up. I had to fill my stomach with something-otherwise I would starve.

As I finished serving up some oatmeal in a bowl my ;and line began to hum. I didn't get many phone calls straight to my home phone. My eye brow cocked in curiosity as I strided towards the ringing. I slowly picked it up whispering a weary greeting into the speaker.

"Syd!" I heard a cheery voice yelp through the phone.

"Hey Niall," I said as happy as I could. I didn't want to alarm him. He definitely had enough on his plate; worrying about me would not be a great addition.

"Everything alright?"

"Course. Why wouldn't it be? How are you?"

"Exhausted. We've been gone for what? 24 hours; and I'm alright drained to the bone,"

"Sounds like your living the dream," I slightly laughed.

"You know it. How's the kids?" Niall liked to call our penguins our kids because it made him feel like a sophisticated parent. He was an odd one; but his question just made me even sadder. My lungs twisted into a knot, not allowing any air to come in or out.

"G-good. How's the animals?"

"You mean the lads?" He laughed loudly. I missed that laugh. "Harry and Louis are obnoxious as ever but other than that we're getting along just fine."

"Remember; its only been twenty four hours,"

"Let's not remind me."

"I miss you," I spoke quietly after a few seconds of silence.

"I miss you too, Syd." He sounded as if his voice was about to crack. I knew I had to get off the phone before one of us cried. Our attachment had gotten a bit over the top lately. We were so used to being with each other every second such a drastic change really took a hard hit on us both. "The boys and I are stopping for lunch. So I've got to go. Don't miss me too much. I'll be back before you know it."

"Same to you. I'll see you soon."

"Bye," He said before we both hung up. I left the phone on my side table cradling the mushy oatmeal in my hand. This had definitely been an eventful morning. I switched some channels catching glimpses of some interviews with one direction; just taunting me to an extreme.

I finished my oatmeal, placed the empty bowl in the sink and decided to go for a run.

A run would help me sort out of my thoughts until I had to leave and live with my aunt for who knows how long.

I wasn't prepared for what I knew was coming.