I'll Be Your Friend, I'll Help You Carry On

three

“You told me that your entire family knew about us, and they were perfectly fine with it!” Chantal yelled at Sidney.

She paced up and down the room as her fingers combed through her now messy black hair. Her breathing was heavy and erratic as Sidney wrapped his muscular arms around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest and pressing a kiss to her hair.

“Your sister hates me, and she doesn’t even know me. What does she think I am? Mon dieu…” She whimpered into her boyfriend’s built chest.

Sidney frowned, lines etching into his face. Chantal had been wide eyed and wide mouthed when Taylor had yelled. She had stared at her and stuttered out a few unrecognizable words before she looked at Sidney and shook her head, walking back into the house.

Sidney had been pissed. He didn’t get pissed off often, but that was definitely one of those times. He could not believe that his fourteen year old sister had assumed such terrible things about his girlfriend, let alone use the word ‘fucking’.

When the fuck did she start using words like that?

Watching his girlfriend shake her head and walk back into the house without talking to his family hurt more than he thought it would. It was not the way he wanted their first meeting to go; not at all.

“Tal, it’s fine. My parents are talking to her to find out what’s wrong. Please calm down, baby,” Sidney whispered to her, sitting down, with Chantal in his lap, and rubbing her back.

The tears slowly stopped streaming out of her eyes and her breathing slowed. Slowly, her eyelids closed and she fell asleep leaning against Sid’s shoulder.

Sidney sighed and laid he her on their bed, pulling the covers over her, and turning off the light. He walked out of the room, quietly closing the door, and walked down the hardwood stairs. He could hear tinkering in the kitchen, and as soon as he walked in her saw his mother putting away dishes.

“Mom, what are you doing?” Sidney asked, going over to the set of bar stools they had placed at the counter, sitting down.

“I saw the dishes, I just wanted to help,” she said quietly, turning around and facing her oldest child.

Sidney plunked his head into his hands and let out a loud sigh, “What is Taylor’s problem?”

Trina looked at her son, “I really don’t know. We didn’t tell her because we thought you should tell her. You’ve always been so close, and she loves you like no one else. We knew she’d be upset, but we didn’t think this upset.”

Sid nodded and stared at his mother, “Where is she now?”

Trina pointed to the front door, “Your father took her outside to talk to her.”

Sidney nodded and got up, walking towards the front door. He slipped his sandals on and opened the door, seeing his sister and his father sitting on the front steps. His sister was sitting there with her elbows on her knees as Troy was rubbing her back and quietly talking to her.

“Hey dad, mom needs you,” Sidney said to his father, walking closer to them.

Troy looked up at his son and nodded, kissed his daughters forehead, and stood up. He walked into the house as Sidney sat down beside Taylor.

“Taylor… I don’t even know what to say. I don’t … I don’t understand.”

Taylor shook her head and rolled her eyes, “I don’t like her, there’s nothing else to it.”

“You don’t even know her! You took one look at her and judged her without even speaking to her!” Sidney yelled.

Taylor stood up, “Don’t yell at me! You’re the one that never told me you had a girlfriend!”

Sidney stood up this time and stared his sister in the eyes, “Thanks to you, my girlfriend just cried herself to sleep. She wanted so much for you guys to like her, and you ruined it Taylor.”

Taylor shook her head, making a ‘pfft’ sound, “I didn’t ruin anything. You did, by not telling me.”

“I thought you already knew! If I had known that you didn’t, I would have told you! It wasn’t a secret, it’s my relationship!” Sidney yelled, throwing his hands up in the air and walking down the front steps.

“It’s a stupid relationship! Have you looked at your so-called girlfriend? She’s a puck slut; someone who only wants you for the money. She doesn’t want you Sid!” Taylor yelled at her brother, causing him to stop and turn around.

Sidney narrowed his eyes at Taylor and walked right up to her, so she would have to look up at him.

“If you ever call Chantal a puck slut again, I will never talk to you again. I don’t care if you’re my sister; right now you’re being a bitch.”

With that, Sidney walked back into his house, slamming the door and kicking his sandals off. He bounded stomped towards the stairs as he fumed and ran his hand through his hair.

He had never in his life yelled at his sister like that, but calling Chantal a puck slut was the last straw.

“Sid? What happened? Where’s Taylor?” Troy asked as he walked out of the kitchen, his wife following him.

“I don’t fucking care where Taylor is. I don’t understand what her problem is, and I don’t care anymore. Send her home before she ruins everybody’s time,” Sidney said, bounding up the stairs.

He walked straight into his and Chantal’s room and unbuttoned his jeans. Throwing them off to the side, he walked over to his drawers where he pulled out a pair of loose sweatpants.

Sidney climbed into his bed, pulling the covers up and cuddling into Chantal. He kissed her forehead and smiled as she stretched and slowly opened her eyes.

“What happened?” She asked, rubbing her hand over her eyes.

Sidney pulled her hand to his mouth and softly kissed it, “Don’t worry about it.”

Chantal groaned, “Sidney!”

Sidney kissed her lips softly and smiled at her, “I will defend you until the day that I die.”