2 chapters yay!!
omg poor syd that must be horrible and so scary and poor vaughn can't be there cause he is in canada.....
Good thing amelie is there for her and jack can't express how much i now hate jack, syd could have been injured and he didn't even call her back!!
Chapter 34
The morning after her talk with Amelia, Sydney felt much better about herself. She was amazed at how Amelia had so willingly taken a parental-like position in her life without even being asked.
“You’re looking chipper this morning.” Francie smiled when Sydney walked into the rink.
“I am. I had a great talk with Amelia last night.” Sydney smiled.
“Who’s Amelia? Do you have another best girlfriend on the side?” Francie pouted in a hurt tone.
“No.” Sydney laughed. “Amelia is Michael’s mother.”
“Ohhh... why were you talking to her?” Francie asked.
“Well... I haven’t slept in my house for a week.” Sydney cringed.
“Syd! You should have told me, honey,” Francie sighed.
“I know... I know. I just felt.... stupid or something, I don’t know. But Michael gave me this key to his apartment at his parent’s house, so I’ve been sleeping there,” she told her.
“Oh Syd, I’m sorry,” Francie sighed.
“Yeah, but it’s ok. I’m ok now.” Sydney smiled.
“Wow, you must have had one hell of a talk with this Amelia woman,” Francie said.
“Yeah, I guess... it’s more that she was just there you know. I’ve only known her for like six months, but she’s a better parent than my father ever was,” she said.
“Wow, then you know I like her.” Francie laughed.
~*~
After her practices, Sydney went to her house to shower and change before driving back to New Jersey. She had decided that she was going to take Amelia out to lunch as a thank you for their conversation the previous night.
“Sydney, it's so good to see you.” Amelia smiled.
“Nice to see you, too... I was wondering if you were free for lunch? I’d love to take you out as a thank you.”
“Oh, you’re so sweet.” Amelia laughed. “I’d love to go to lunch with you. Just give me five minutes, ok?”
“Sure, take your time,” Sydney said as she stepped inside the house to wait.
“So, how was your practice this morning?” Amelia asked her.
“Good, it was good. I’ve almost got my routine for the Olympics ready.” Sydney smiled.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Is it much different than the one you used at Worlds?”
“Umm, sort of. It’s similar, but not. I mean, I’m still doing a quadruple axel and some of the same moves, but it's different music and... it’s just....”
“I understand.” Amelia smiled. “Can you believe it's only six months away?”
“No.” Sydney laughed. “Well, I can and I can’t. I mean, it feels like I’ve been working forever, but... oh, when I think about it, I get so anxious.”
“Of course, but you’re going to be great, I know it.” Amelia smiled. “Listen Sydney, if you’re coming over again tonight, why don’t you come a little earlier. Bill and I would love to have you for dinner.”
“Oh thanks Amelia, but I think I’ll try and stay at home tonight,” Sydney told her.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like you can’t stay with us.”
“No, no I don’t feel that way at all. It’s just my dad’s coming back this afternoon I think, and... I’ll be ok.” Sydney smiled.
“Okay, but we’d love to have you back again sometime then.”
“Of course,” Sydney promised her.
~*~
The following week, Michael returned and Sydney went down to visit him and attend one of his games.
“Hey kid.” Michael greeted her with a kiss and a tight hug. “I hear you had a rough week.”
“Yeah,” she said with a soft laugh.
“How are ya?” he asked.
“Good,” she nodded. “Your mom is so great.”
“Yeah, I know.” He laughed. “She’s not annoying you is she? Because, I mean, she tends to try to be everyone’s mother.”
“No, no she’s great. We had this great talk one night when I was staying at your place, which I assume she told you about.” Sydney laughed.
“Yeah, she called me. I’m sorry you were so upset.” He sighed as he kissed her head.
“Yeah, I know... but I’m ok now. I’m not afraid of my house anymore.” She smiled.
He laughed. “That is very good to hear. So you’re comin' to the game tonight, right?”
“Absolutely. I think I need to get a Team USA sweatshirt or something. I have no fan gear,” she said.
“We don’t have anything like that. I don’t think, anyway.” He laughed.
“Ohh, that sucks.” She sighed. “Maybe I should get one and sew the words ‘Vaughn rocks’ on it.”
“Don’t,” he said very seriously.
“And, oh my god, I could get one for your mom and sister too, and we could be your groupies.” She smiled.
“I’d break up with you,” he told her sincerely.
“No, you wouldn’t.” She laughed.
“Yes, yes I would,” he said.
“Alright.” She sighed. “I won’t. But it would still be cool.”
“For you! I’d die of humiliation!” he exclaimed.
“Nah,” she waved him off. “You would if I told your team about the figure sk-”
Sydney was cut off by Michael clapping his hand over her mouth and hissing. “Shhhh!”
“Sorry,” she giggled through his hand. “At least there aren’t any pictures, right?”
“Thank god.” He groaned.
“Aww, but your mom would be so happy. Well, I mean she is happy, I told her.” Sydney smiled.
“YOU DIDN’T!” he gasped.
“Oh yeah, totally.” She smiled.
“When did you tell her?”
“When we had lunch,” Sydney told him.
“God, please stop hanging out with my mother. It’s dangerous,” he told her.
“Dangerous?” She laughed.
“Yes, for me,” he said.
“Aww. But at least we get along, right? We don’t hate each other.” She smiled.
“Yeah I guess...,” he mumbled.
Chapter 35
“Syd, oh my god! Syd, guess what!” Francie shouted excitedly.
“What?” Sydney laughed.
“You’re nominated for a Kids’ Choice award and a Teen Choice Award for favorite female athlete!!”
“Really?” Sydney laughed.
“Yes!!! You gotta go, ok?” Francie told her.
“Why?”
“Because it's good press and it's FUUUUUN!! Plus, how often are you nominated for an award.” Francie smiled.
“But don’t they slime you at the Kids' Choice awards?” Sydney asked.
“Eh.” Francie shrugged.
“If I get slimed, I’ll kill you!”
“So take Michael and use him as your slime protector.” Francie told her.
“Ohhh, I should take Michael!” Sydney said. “When are the award shows?”
“They’re both the same week – the first week of August.”
“Alright, I’ll check with Michael tonight then,” Sydney said.
“Great!”
~*~
“Soo... have you ever been to LA?” Sydney asked Michael over the phone that evening, during their nightly conversation.
“Umm, once on a layover. But we never left the airport. Why?”
“Well... Francie told me today that I’m nominated for a Teen Choice Award and Kids’ Choice award, so I thought it’d be fun if we go together, so we can, like, see the city or something,” Sydney told him.
“Whoa, you’re nominated?! Awesome!” he said excitedly.
“Yeah, I guess.” She laughed.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Well... it’s just... I dunno, I never win anything and...”
“Oh yeah, you’re right Syd, you never win anything. What are those gold medals you have again? Ohh right, they’re made out of chocolate,” he teased.
“Shut up!” She laughed. “I’m serious, though. I never win any of this stuff.”
“Maybe you will. You never know,” he said. “Anyway Syd, I’d love to go with you, but do you know when it is?”
“First week of August. We’d fly out to LA the 4th. The Kids’ Choice is on the 5th, and then the Teen Choice is on the 7th,” she told him.
“Ummm, alright, I think I have a game the fourth, so I’m not sure if I can make the Kids’ thingie, but I can definitely make the Teen Choice,” he told her.
“That’s great. Thanks so much.”
“Of course, Syd. I’d love to be there, you know that,” he told her.
“Yeah, I know.” She laughed.
~*~
Michael had forgotten that he had a game on the fourth and the fifth of August, so he was unable to get to LA until the sixth. So, Sydney went to the Kids’ Choice awards alone. She was very nervous about going, because she had never been to an awards show before and it had been years since she actually watched the Kids’ Choice awards on TV. She decided on wearing a casual sundress that she didn’t particularly love, just in case she got hit with flying slime.
When she arrived on the red carpet, she was practically trembling. Flashbulbs were going off in her face and random celebrities were passing by. What made her feel even more embarrassed, was that people were looking at her as if she was an alien. Just as she suspected, no one recognized her. She slowly made her way down the carpet, hoping to just get inside and take her seat when she heard someone calling out her name.
“Sydney!! Sydney, over here!”
She looked in the direction of the person’s voice and saw a girl around the age of twelve holding a mic with a Nickelodeon logo on it, waving frantically at her. “Sydney, over here please!” the girl shouted.
Slowly and feeling rather embarrassed, Sydney walked over to the girl. “Hi,” she said timidly.
“Oh my goodness, it’s Sydney Bristow! You’re the best figure skater ever!” the girl said half into the camera next to her and half to Sydney.
“Oh, I’m not, but thanks...,” Sydney laughed nervously.
“You’re nominated for female athlete of the year. Are you nervous?” the girl asked.
“Um kinda, but I’ve never been to an awards show before,” Sydney said.
“Ohh well, you look great! I love your dress.”
“Thanks.” Sydney smiled.
“So, is Michael with you?” the girl asked as she craned her head around, as if looking for him.
Sydney laughed again, shocked that the girl was asking about him. “Um no, he’s not. He wanted to come, but he has a game tonight.”
“Oh, that sucks. Well, good luck Sydney. It was nice meeting you!” The girl smiled.
“Thanks, it was nice meeting you, too,” Sydney said as she walked away from the girl who was already flagging down her next interview candidate.
Once inside, Sydney was directed towards a side seating area where all the nominees could sit away from the screaming children, who were flooding the main floor of the arena. Upon looking around the seating area, Sydney began to feel incredibly star struck at the celebrities she was surrounded with. A few of them were talking to each other, but mostly they were just on their cell phones. She smiled to herself at how cool she felt at that moment before looking out over the crowd and watching all the over-excited kids.
The show started not too much later, after she was seated and the arena became just as loud as ever with music blaring and kids screaming. Sydney watched the stage as celebrities and kids presented awards to other celebrities. Half way through the show they came to her category: Favorite Female Athlete. The award was being presented by two kids from a Nickelodeon TV show Sydney didn’t recognize the name of, but she listened as they listed her name as well as the name of three other athletes.
“The winner is Sydney Bristow!” one of the kids announced over the screams of the crowd of children.
Sydney was utterly shocked when she heard her name. Slowly, she got up from her seat, grinning like an idiot as she made her way towards the stage. When she reached the podium where the kids were standing holding out her bright orange award, she felt more nervous than she had in her entire life. She smiled and quietly thanked the girl who handed her the award before stepping up to the podium.
Looking out over the crowd of thousands of screaming kids, Sydney’s stomach did a nervous flip-flop. “Um... thank you.” she began hoarsely, before she cleared her throat. “Thank you to all the kids who voted for me! You guys rock, thanks!” she managed, before she was ushered off-stage by the two kids who gave her the award.
Once backstage, a very chatty girl around ten came up to her and began talking about ice skating. Sydney gladly talked to the girl for fifteen minutes before someone who Sydney assumed was the girl’s parent dragged her away. A stage hand came up to her and tried to direct her towards the annual burping contest held at the award show. Sydney politely declined.
~*~
Sydney was rudely awakened at seven the next morning by the phone in her hotel room ringing loudly. She groaned and groped for the phone. “Hello?”
“Miss Bristow there is a Mr. Vaughn down here requesting to...”
“Oh, send him up!” Sydney said excitedly.
“Alright, Miss Bristow.”
Quickly, Sydney bolted from bed and brushed her teeth and fixed her hair before she heard a knock at the door. “Hiiii!” she squealed as she threw herself into Michael’s arms.
“Hey.” He laughed. “I heard you won.”
“Oh yeah.” She giggled. “It was crazy.”
“Mmm, well, my mom taped it for me to watch.” He smiled.
“Great. I was such an idiot though! I had no idea what to say.” She groaned.
“I’m sure you were perfect.” He smiled as he kissed her sweetly.
“So, how were your games?” she asked.
“Won one, lost one,” he shrugged.
“Ohh, that’s not too bad. So, are we going site seeing today?” She smiled.
“Yes, but I think I need an hour nap first. It’s so early,” he whined.
“Aww, poor baby.” Sydney sighed as she pulled him towards the bed.
~*~
For the whole day, they went to the ‘touristy’ spots in LA, including Rodeo Drive and a WB studio tour. The following day, Sydney was frantically trying to find an outfit to wear to the Teen Choice Awards that evening.
“Syyyd. That looks fine,” Michael groaned into the pillow he was trying to suffocate himself with.
“Are you sure? It’s not too...” she groaned as she looked in the mirror.
“It looks perfect, just like the other three things you had on. Well, except the first one. That was too dressy,” he told her.
“Are you sure this isn’t too casual?” she asked him in reference to her top and jeans.
“Syd, Ashton Kutcher is going to be there wearing a beer t-shirt and a trucker hat.”
Sydney laughed. “That’s true. Sorry, I’m being neurotic.”
“Eh, it’s ok. I’ll just keep playing with this,” he said as he picked up her Kids’ Choice award, which was also a kaleidoscope.
“Aw, you’re cute.” She smiled as she kissed his forehead. “So what are you wearing?”
“Uh...,” he said as he looked down at his clothes. “This?”
“Michael! Those are wrinkled!” she whined.
“I know, chill out, I was kidding,” he told her. She hit him with a pillow.
After dressing and Sydney obsessing over her makeup and hair for half an hour, she and Michael took the car they rented to where the Teen Choice Awards were being held. Walking down the red carpet hand in hand, they were much more recognizable than when Sydney was alone. They could hear mutterings about their Sports Illustrated cover. Even one girl from the crowd had it with her and was holding it out for them to sign.
A man Sydney didn’t recognize flagged them down for an interview and asked them general questions about their sports and the Olympics. Once inside, Michael started to laugh as he subtly pointed to one side of the arena. When Sydney looked in the direction he was pointing, she saw Ashton Kutcher, complete with green trucker hat and Demi Moore on his arm.
“Oh god,” Sydney laughed as she put her arm around Michael.
“There are so many famous people here,” Michael whispered to Sydney.
“I know... I feel out of place.” She laughed.
“Yes.” He nodded.
They continued walking around the crowd of celebrities, while waiting for the show to start. Twice, an actor came up to Michael and started talking about Team USA hockey and the NHL. Both times, Michael was absolutely floored and Sydney found his reactions adorable.
“You are so cute.” She giggled as she squeezed his hand while they sat down in their seats.
“What?” he asked, sounding slightly embarrassed.
“Nothing.” She smiled.
“Well, they recognized me!”
“I know.” She laughed. “That’s why you’re cute.”
“Okay.” He laughed. “Ohhh right, I forgot to tell you. You win.” He smiled.
“What?” she gasped.
“Francie called me. Apparently, they tell everyone who won like a week before the show, but she never told you on purpose. But she told me,” he smiled.
“Get out! I do not win.” She laughed.
“But you do.” He smiled.
“Oh my god!” she gasped with her hand over her mouth. Michael leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“I haven’t quite figured out how we’re getting the surf board home yet, though.” He laughed.
“Oh god... I can’t believe I won... what is wrong with the world?” She laughed.
“What do you mean?”
“I dunno...” She shrugged. “How come I’m winning?”
“Because you’re awesome.” He smiled. She laughed and shook her head. “You are!”
“Okay...,” she sighed. “But I’m thanking you when I get up there.”
“Ohhh right, I forgot to tell you. You win.” He smiled.
“What?” she gasped.
“Francie called me. Apparently, they tell everyone who won like a week before the show, but she never told you on purpose. But she told me,” he smiled.
“Get out! I do not win.” She laughed.
“But you do.” He smiled.
“Oh my god!” she gasped with her hand over her mouth. Michael leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“I haven’t quite figured out how we’re getting the surf board home yet, though.” He laughed.
“Oh god... I can’t believe I won... what is wrong with the world?” She laughed.
“What do you mean?”
“I dunno...” She shrugged. “How come I’m winning?”
“Because you’re awesome.” He smiled. She laughed and shook her head. “You are!”
“Okay...,” she sighed. “But I’m thanking you when I get up there.”
She won, twice!!!
She deserves it after all she is been thought! Where is Jack? Is he dead without us knowing it?
:lol:
Amelia being like mother to Sydney is something really good despite what Vaughn thinks. But I'd love to hear embarrassing stories about him :angelnot:
