Sydney doesn't talk about it. She doesn't elaborate. Her dying is as far in to the story as she goes. Axel and Miles don't pressure her into talking, they don't ask any more questions. They'll wait until she's ready, and won't mind if she never is.
"I hope you boys like spaghetti bolognese." Beatrice says as she puts the food down in the centre of the table. "It's Sydney's favourite."
Beatrice starts to fill up everybody's plates and for the first time in a while, Axel, Miles and Sydney get to enjoy a good home cooked meal.
"Mmh grandma, did you change the recipe? This tastes even better than before."
"Nope. It's because you've been gone too long, that's why. You're tastebuds start to change."
"Grandma, did you just make that up?" Jasmine says as chuckles.
"Child, don't accuse me of lying. I just know these things."
"Whatever you say grandma." Jasmine says as she continues to eat her dinner.
Fortunately, Beatrice doesn't bring up college again and instead takes the time to embarrass Sydney. She talks about how she was as a young girl. All the shenanigans she got up to in her earlier teen years. She doesn't go beyond that. Which makes the boys wonder whether that was around the time Sydney got sick. 15 years old. That's where the stories stop.
They learn more about Sydney's family and upbringing. Sydney's parents divorced when she was 4, right after her sister was born. She doesn't talk to her dad much, he's happy with his new family across country. And her mom travels a lot for work, so Sydney's spent most of her life with just her grandmother and baby sister. She had a happy childhood. She may not have gotten everything she wanted, but she had everything she needed. And that was enough.
"I can't help wondering where that other friend of yours is." Beatrice says, right when dinner ends. "The one you always used to talk about on the phone. Julian was it?"
Her heart breaks at the sound of his name.
"Yeah, Julian."
"Was he not able to make it?"
Sydney shakes her head. "He passed, grandma."
"Oh Sydney, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good now. It was hard losing him, but I had the guys with me so that made it a little easier." Sydney smiles at Axel and Miles.
"Well thank you boys for taking care of her while we couldn't."
"Of course." Miles says.
"No need to thank us."
"Julian's amazing, you would have loved him." Sydney says as she holds onto her letter J necklace.
"I already did. From all the stories you told me, I could tell that he was someone special to you."
"He is."
Beatrice sighs as she looks at her granddaughter. "You've grown so much Sweet Syd." It's a nickname from her childhood. "And yet you haven't changed one bit."
•••••••
When night falls, Beatrice tells Sydney to blow up the air mattress and set it up in her room.
She remembers how when she was younger, she was never allowed to host sleepovers or to go to them. And now, she has two boys sleeping in her bedroom. She laughs at the thought.
The boys change into a pair of pyjamas they had bought earlier, while Sydney goes through her old closet and pulls out a matching set.
They end up talking for most of the night, like they were kids having a slumber party, when Axel suddenly remembers something.
"Oh shit. Remember that girl you guys tried to bite?"
"Please don't bring that up." Sydney says as she covers her face with her hands.
"No, it's good. When you guys ran off, she gave me her number."
"She did what?" Miles says, the jealousy clear in his voice.
"Not for me" Axel laughs. "For Sydney."
"Oh." They both reply.
Axel rummages through his jeans and picks the piece of paper out from his pocket, handing it over to Sydney.
"Blair." She reads. "Cute name."
"So...are you going to call her?" Miles asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No."
"What, why not? She seemed really interested." Axel says.
"I don't know if I want to be in a relationship. Especially with everything that's going on."
"Well at least text her." Axel suggests. "It's been a whole 24 hours."
"And who's fault is that?"
Axel sheepishly looks away.
"Fine, I'll text her. But don't expect much to come out of it."
Sydney and Blair text all night. The boys are pretty sure something is going to come out of it.
••••••••
Sydney doesn't want to get too caught up in her childhood home and neighbourhood, because if she does, she won't be able to leave. The longer she stays, the more danger she's putting her family in, so after 3 nights at home, she finally decides it's time to go.
"So soon." Beatrice says, with a pleading look on her face. She didn't want to see her granddaughter leave again.
"Yeah. Classes are starting up soon."
She hugs her grandma and tries to memorise the warm and comforting feel of her arms around her.
But before she gives her little sister a hug too, she gives Jasmine her ring.
"Grandma's ring." She gasps as Sydney slips it onto her finger. "Sydney are you sure?"
"Yeah I'm sure. But this ain't permanent. I'll be back to get it later, I just want you to keep it safe for me."
The ring is a promise that she'll come back again.
Now she hugs Jasmine.
"Don't do this again." Jasmine says. "Don't go and come back a year later. Weekly phone calls aren't enough. We really missed you Syd."
"I did too. I just got so caught up in everything. But I promise to visit soon, okay?"
"Okay."
"I love you guys." Sydney says as she backs away from the door. All three of them wave as they make their way to the car.
This won't be the last time I see you.
YOU ARE READING
Infinite Miles
Teen Fiction"Because you Miles, are infinite." It was never supposed to go that way for Axel and Miles. And it was definitely not supposed to end like that too. But this is the story about what happens after the end. Follow Axel, Miles and Sydney through their...
