I woke up the next morning somewhat confused on everything that had happened the previous day. I remember the bus… Oh yeah! I met that really cool girl yesterday on the bus, and gave her my number. I jolt up looking over to Rocky’s empty bed. I see the clock says 11:30. “Dang, I slept in late.” But I wasn’t too surprised; I stayed up till 3:00 thinking of Sydney. I pick my phone up and see I have a text, a number I don’t know.
?: Hey Best Friend ;)
“Awesome!” I smile dorkily, I put her in my contacts as “My Best Friend Sydney ;)”.
Me: Ahhh! Hey Sydney! #fangirling ;)
Sydney: Hehehe, so whats up?
I think for a second totally forgetting we were leaving today to go on a short tour for four days. I tell Sydney.
Sydney: What! You’re going on tour today!? Thanks for telling me, your best friend, that you’re in a band! Man I was hoping to hang out today :/
Me: Haha sorry for not informing you, bestie. And damn… well the day I get back we will hang, cool?
Sydney: hmm…. Yeah that sounds cool since apparently you have this secret life you never told me about! Haha :)
Me: hahaaha, TTYL?
I text her back with a huge smile on my face.
Sydney: Of course! See ya! Rock it on tour!
I smile, again, get dressed and head out of my room.
*Sydney’s POV*
I put down my phone and get dressed for lunch, I was scheduled to work today but my boss let me off seeing everything that has happened the past couple days, which I was fine with getting work off so I immediately called Hannah up, she is probably my closest friend, and we haven’t really talked for a while. I also texted Riker to see if he was available today but sadly he wasn’t. Well anyway me and Hannah are going out to lunch.
I head over to my closet and pick out a casual summer dress a pair of yellow flats and accessorize. I also grab a jacket since the restaurant could be cold, and I don’t want Hannah to freak out when she sees me. I add a little mascara, I never really put on much makeup, it is a luxury I can live without. Unlike music, my music is my everything, it helps calm me down. Now I will just have to wait for Hannah to get her so we can go for lunch.
*Ross POV*
“Hey, Ross where are you going, we are leaving in less than an hour”
“I just have to go somewhere really quick Rydel”
“Well okay, but make sure you get back by 12:30”
“I will, see ya later” I reply while hopping out the door and taking the keys to the small car, I won’t get back in time if I take the bus. I start up the car and pull out of the driveway before anyone else has a chance to catch me leaving. I start driving down the road in the direction of Candy’s. I park right outside the front of Candy’s and I turn the car off. I jump out of the car and walk into Candy’s, only to find someone other than Sydney at the counter, “Damn” I say as I approach the counter. “Hey, umm, is there any chance Sydney is working today?”
“Oh no sorry, she got the day off because of what happened two nights ago”.
“Wait what? What happened two nights ago???”
“Oh, well, I don’t think she wants me telling people the details, but I will tell you it ended with her in the hospital.” She replied to me, my jaw hung open and my eyes widened, I was here that day, whatever it was happened after I left. I should have just stayed and skipped rehersals, then maybe whatever happened wouldn’t have.
“Is she still in the hospital?”
“Oh no she just got a broken wrist and some bruising.”
“Um, uh, okay thanks” I speed out of Candy’s and start the car up. I sit there for a second thinking of the millions of things that could have happened to Sydney, the possibilities are depressing me and I see that it is now twelve. So I figure I better head back and try to not think about Sydney until we get off tour. But I doubt I’ll be successful.
When I get back to the house everyone is packing their stuff in the van so I go and grab my bags and follow what they are doing. We hop in the car and start driving to the airport.
*Sydney POV*
Hannah picked me up and we went to this Italian restaurant nearby. We just sat down at our table.
“So, tell me what is all this crazy stuff that has been happening to you?”
“Okay well I guess I’ll start with while I was going to work two days ago, I was walking on the bus while thinking about some stuff when R5’s song “All about the girl” Came on the speakers, so between thinking and listening to that song I got really distracted, I wasn’t paying attention and I ran into this guy and knocked him over. I took him to Candy’s to get some ice, and it turns out he is like really awesome, and I really haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since then…” I blush.
“Aww Sydney has a little crush!” Hannah started teasing me.
“Haha, oh shut up!” I smile blushing more, but then I start to get serious, “Yeah well meeting him was good and all and he left Candy’s after a few hours. Anyways, after I closed up the shop, I uh….” I paused for a second and started crying. I try to get my story out between gasps “I was waiting… for the bus when… Derek” Just his name sets me off, now I’m uncontrollably sobbing.
“Oh, sweetie, he didn’t, did he?” I hadn’t told Hannah of my wrist yet and I had it hidden in my coat. I started nodding and pulled out my wrist to show her. Then tears started to stream down her cheeks as well. “God damn him!” she said standing up, the whole restaurant looked our way, so I pulled Hannah back down to a sitting position. At this point I finished telling Hannah about what happened with Derek while I had a constant stream of tears rolling down the bone structure of my face.
I inhale deeply and tell myself to calm down, at some point during my story Hannah had come over and sat next to me, just to hold me and support me while I tried to calm myself down “Well in the end I came to the realization that that won’t be my last encounter with Derek, and I have a feeling that my next will be soon.”
“Sydney, if you want, I’ll stay the night with you in your apartment tonight.”
“Would you? Because I think that is just what I need. Thank you” I sniffle out and hug her.
“No problem. I love you girl.” She smiles cheerfully at me.
*Riker POV*
We are now boarding our plane to leave for Chicago. I am sooo excited for the plane ride! Not. They are so boring… but I guess I can take this chance to text Sydney some more. So I guess that will be pretty cool. We sit down in our seats, my mom, dad, and Ryland sit together, Ratliff, Rydel, and Rocky sit together, and then Ross and I sit together.
I immediately grab out my phone and I send Sydney a text.
*Ross POV*
I sit down next to Riker on the plane. He is all smiles staring at his phone.
“You know you have to turn that off right?” I tell him.
“Oh… I’ll just put it on airplane mode, they don’t make that mode for nothing!” He smiles back at me. Ever since yesterday he has been in an above average Riker mood.
“Uhg” I scoff back. I’m kind of in a sourpuss mood right now, ever since I found out Sydney was hospitalized I haven’t really been feeling too peachy.
“hehehe” Riker giggles next to me. I turn to look at him… who could he be texting? Riker never texts.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
“Oh… um… nothing”
“Who ya texting?” I ask more eagerly.
“Um.. just this girl I met…”
“Oh… I see so your girlfriend?” I wink at him jokingly.
“Not at all! She is just a really good friend, and besides she told me she likes someone anyway”
“Oh yeah? Did she mention his name was Riker?”
“No! Well actually she didn’t say his name”
“I bet if you asked she’d say ‘Riker’” I whisper to myself, saying Riker in a girly voice, but saying it loud enough so that Riker would hear. All he did was look away, and basically brush me away.
“Fine, I’ll just go to sleep” ‘Or just sit here, sleepless, thinking.” I think to myself.