Everything Happens At 2:04 AM

Chapter Forty-Eight: It's October.

The one time I accept being in Youtube video and I can barely refrain from laughing.

I headed over to the kitchen as Victor started his introduction once more without my interruptions. Tapping away at my phone, I set it up against a fruit bowl as the rings of the video chat blared through the air. 

"Where are you?" Is the greeting I get from Sydney.

"I'm doing great Syd, how about you?" I sarcastically questioned, noticing her curly hair was styled in a low bun, "I'm home, people are over. We're having a game night."

"Wish I could be there."

"Wish you were here too. It should be illegal to work on Thanksgiving weekend."

"It's not Thanksgiving for Americans like it is in Canada. But you don't celebrate Thanksgiving." She reminded me.

"No, but I get to see my sister thanks to school breaks and my brother decided to visit so it's a win for me and them and a loss for us, hon."

Sydney stared at me a moment longer, shaking her head, her eyes blinking rapidly. My confusion furthered when she started fanning her eyes. "I have a face full of makeup. I can't get emotional over this."

"You know you want to cry." I jested. 

"I'm on my period that's why. Fuck of-Your nails," She said in the midst of a distraction and just like that her tears were gone. Her instant change should have furthered my confusion but at that, I wasn't surprised. "I love the colour, oh my God."

I shot her a beam, wiggling my blue acrylics when I took in her surroundings. Most of the time she was on a tour bus or a hotel but where she held her phone up looked like she was in a dressing room. "Where are you?"

"Houston. I have a show in a few hours."

"How is it?" I asked, sitting on a stool.

"Traveling around the country sometimes makes everything seem like huge blur."

"Oh, I totally get you on that," I recalled, remembering screenings I would show up to for past movies. I snapped my fingers when I remembered why I initially called her. "I booked the flights."

"I told you we could pay!"

"Weekend at Punta Cana," I practically sang, grinning so hard my cheeks were starting to hurt. "Can't wait."

"Octavia."

"Beach time." I pointed at her, getting off my chair to spin on my feet. "Water time. Relaxation time. Summertime in the winter."

"Octavia." She repeated, still slightly annoyed.

"Time with you. My best friend, my sister, my other half-"

She rolled her eyes all while glancing at herself above the camera, probably inspecting herself in a mirror. "Your other half could have partially paid."

"Well, I like spoiling my friends," I said with a shrug, observing the types of chips Krystal had left on the counter in bowls. I ate one and immediately cringed at the taste, spitting it into a napkin and tossing that in the garbage. "Ignore that."

"Was already going to." She drawled. "As long as we can at least pay for the hotel."

"Fine," I concluded. "Just the hotel. Only that. Wait, can we stay at a resort? If we stay at a resort, I'll pay fo-"

"Octavia!"

I shrugged again, deciding right then that the chips were better than I originally thought, taking another. "We'll find a compromise."