Avoid Complications Rodrick.

" Is that him? " Eddy asked, looking over his young sisters shoulder, who was staring at her phone happily. He knew it was stupid to ask, because her face told him the answer he was looking for.

Eddy pulled back, giving her her space.

" Yeah its him...."

" Well then. Answer it dummy." Eddy laughed and walked towards the large group of family and friends, all seemed unhappy but somehow seemed better.

Cynthia walked over to the other side of the church, slowly opening her phone and pressing the talk button. To hear his calming teenage boy voice on the other side.

" Rodrick?"

Rodrick smiled, hearing her voice.

" Cynthia.."

Cynthia smiled, listening to the way he said her voice so tenderly. It was a sound she had missed incredibly.

" I'm sorry. Rodrick. For how I treated you.. It was so wrong of me.."

" Hey, don't sweat it. I could of chosen a better set of words.. Ya know?"

" I suppose.." She sat down on the ledge of the stone building.
Unable to figure out what to say in the moment.

Rodrick sighed in the phone, speechless too. He even had a card with things to say on it, since he wasn't the most smartest guy around. He figured he should write down what to say so he wouldn't mess it up.
He looked down at the card and nodded.

" So how are you?"

" Oh besides the fact that I'm with my entire family and my parents are ready to kill me and my brother? I'm okay."

" I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you today.."

" Hey.. this is just what I needed Rodrick. Don't think this isn't going to go un-noted"

" What do you mean?" He asked, his face flushed with redness, if his mind was right.. He was right to blush.

" I mean, I'm uplifting the whole ten dates thing.."

Rodrick's mouth dropped hearing the words hiss from the other end of the cellular device. He hadn't expected that, and hadn't written a good response on his papers.

" ... Rodrick? Fucking.. Phone.." Cynthia mumbled, looking at her phone; assuming she'd lost connection.

" No. I'm here.. Sorry." He said, snapping out of his shock and started to scramble around his room, trying to act like he hadn't just tripped on his own bed.

" What was that?"

" What? Nothing." He quickly covered, standing up.

" Well, I kind of have to go.. But can I call you later..?" She asked, biting her lip.

" Why did you say it like that?" Rodrick asked. Sitting against his bed on the floor.

" Because, I think since we wont see each other for a while.. We could try taking this phone conversation up a notch.." She whispered, trying her best to sound sexy.

Rodrick's mouth once again fell open and he closed his eyes leaning back.

" You mean like.. phone.. sex?" He whispered, looking over to make sure no one was hovering over or around him, listening to his conversations.

" Mhmmm.." She whispered, smiling biting her lip, looking over at the crowd of people she couldn't stand for much longer without some sort of break and if the phone was that kind of break she needed then so be it.

Rodrick sighed.

" I don't know Cynthia.. I'll.. I'll talk to you later.. Bye.." He said.

" Oh.. Yeah.. Kay.. Bye Rodrick" She said, and smiled.

Rodrick fumbled with his phone and shut it, looking at it, completely surprised at the turn of that phone call. He rested his head against the mattress of his bed and closed his eyes.
Whispering to himself under his breath.

Cynthia quickened her pace to the fleeing crowd, they were heading over to her grandparents home for the after ceremony, and the actual burial.
She skipped her way to Eddy, who sitting on his bike pulling on his leather jacket. It was run down and used, black and faded. It was one of his most beloved things he owned. Aside from his cowboy boots. He looked like a total greaser. Which was something Cynthia never understood. Eddy had always loved the past, like the 70's and 60's he was just drawn to it.

" Hop on sissy."

Cynthia rolled her eyes smiling. She got on the back of the motorbike ignoring the sound of the men and women scowling down at her, she held onto her brother tightly as he started his bike, the bike ran smoothly.

She looked around smiling, Eddy drove through one of the parks, passing by all the art on the street and all the things she never got to see anymore.

Eddy pulled up to the house, and looked back at her.

" So?"

" So what?"

" You and your boyfriend okay?"

Cynthia smiled and nodded.

" You know, I noticed you looking at all the street art when we went past it."

" So?"

He laughed,
" Just made me wonder, have you been painting?"

She shook her head no.

" Well I mean, I did do one a few weeks ago but I tossed it.."

"Why?"

" It wasn't very nice.." She confessed, her voice going quieter as she played with the string on her purse.

" Hey, don't get upset about it" Eddy said, putting his hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Cynthia looked up at him and nodded.

" Eddy?"

" yeah?"

" Why did you leave.." She asked, her voice even weaker than before.
He nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

" Lets walk and talk. Come on." Eddy mumbled and turned, walking towards the backyard of their grandparents.

" So?" She asked, wanting to know his reason.

" I've never been good with pressure. You know that, and when mom and dad told us that Miranda.. Was sick and I would be basically looking after you and Lilly.. You were both little kids. Babies practically. I got scared and ran. I wasn't ready to give up my life just because mom and dad couldn't be good parents."

" So you willingly let me take all that pressure? You couldn't even ask me to just help you? Eddy. Why .. Why would you do that?" her voice was getting louder and louder.

" Because I didn't want to be responsible! I wanted to go out with my friends. See the world!"

" Oh is that why?" She snapped, crossing her arms.

" yeah. It is. That's what I've been doing! Seeing the world."

" Want to know why I think you left me, to take all of that weight? Because you, didn't want to look after us. You didn't care. You still don't care. And the second this fucking funeral is over. Your gone and out of our lives. AGAIN. Aren't you!?" She yelled at him, her anger exploded. Finally, she could say the things she'd always wanted to say to Eddy, instead of trying to get him back into her life she had to accept that he wasn't ever going to be in it. Just like Miranda was dead.

She had to brace it and accept it.
Eddy stood there speechless, he couldn't argue with her, because he knew it was the truth he didn't want to look after them because he hadn't cared then. But now, he didn't know anything about his sisters because of it. He had no family because of his reckless ignorance.

" That's not, true."

" Bull shit Eddy. I see how you light up when you drive off on that bike."

" I don't want to be out of your life!"

" Well I have wanted you to be in mine! For years! Ever since you left, the less you came home the more hated you and the more I missed you! But now Eddy. Now I'm just accepting the fact that your a selfish guy who doesn't care if his sisters are dead or alive."

" That's not true either!"

" And what, I'm supposed to believe that because why?"

" Cause I'm here."

" We both know that's not why your here. So whats the real reason?"

Eddy closed his mouth and stood there, once again unable to reply to her. He looked at his feet quiet, his eyes going red as he heard her walk off.
He had never been yelled at, not by his sisters anyway.
Not by Cynthia, Cynthia had always loved him, and always defended him, sticking to his side no matter what. She didn't even blame him when he first left, she only wanted him back.

He'd lost his entire family, and now he couldn't even try to get the pieces back together, because it was all messed up.

Cynthia stormed into the house and walked up to her room and landed on the bed, the soft mumbled of everyone downstairs became a white noise and she drifted to sleep. Her outburst had worn her out. The day had worn her out, she just wanted to be with Rodrick, in his arms so sweetly, in a loving embrace he'd given her once before, and no hug or cuddle had compared to it since.

Mrs. Daniels walked up to Cynthia's room, she had witnessed from a far the fight between her and her brother. When they were younger the two had been inseparable and seeing them get along so well at first... She knew something was wrong, and for the first time in a long time, Mrs. Daniels was ready to face Cynthia's problems.

" Cynthia?"

The sleeping girl woke up, dazed and confused, she looked over her shoulder and sat up.

" mom..?"

" Are you okay?"

" Yeah, it's just been such a tough day.." She whispered, sitting up properly, fixing her dress as her mother sat by her. Mrs. Daniels nodded and brushed a piece of her daughters curly brown hair back.

" It's been some tough years. Sweetie."

Cynthia nodded.

" Mom..?"

" yes?"

" Why did you slap me?"

" I.. I was so upset that you ran off like that in the freezing cold.. then you were with some boy.. I.. I lost it.. And I haven't forgiven myself since."

" You've completely shunned me out of your life. Mom."

" I know.."

" Why?"

" I don't know.. I guess loosing Miranda, and Eddy..."

" You'd think you'd suffocate me and Lilly. Instead of ignoring us."

" I would of thought so too, but I know that Eddy left because of how much we suffocated him what with responsibility and trying to constantly control his life, and Miranda, we never expected her to fall in love with Hayden, of all people.."

" And what? Your afraid of me falling for Rodrick?"

" A little.. Yes.."

" Why?"

" I cant loose you, Cynthia. You and Lilly are all I have now."

" Eddy's not dead. Mom."

" Technically no, he isn't.."

The two grew quiet, looking everywhere but at each other.

" Can I make you a deal?"

Cynthia shrugged.

" If you start painting again, I'll stop expecting so much of you, and let you date whoever you want."

Cynthia bit her lip.

" I'll think about it."

Mrs. Daniels, raised her eyebrow

" Whats there to think about?"

" Well, I don't know.. If I want to paint.."

" Why not?"

" Miranda got me started on it.. And.. I haven't really painted since she was diagnosed.."

" Then what a perfect time to start again, but instead of because of Miranda, how about.. For. Miranda?"

Cynthia looked up at her mom.
" Alright.."

" Yeah? Okay.. Come on, every ones leaving and it's time for dinner."

Cynthia nodded and closed the door behind her mother and quickly began to change.
Cynthia slipped out of her dress, letting it gently fall to the floor she took a quick look at herself in the mirror.
Wondering if this was going to be the last time she'd ever really be a virgin, or if this was the last time she'd ever have a small touching moment with her mother, or ever hug her brother again.

Cynthia shook her head and pulled on a different outfit. Putting on her shoes once again she hid her phone in her bra and went downstairs.
She sat across from her brother Eddy and beside her mother, she looked at all her family, amazed that they were having a civilized meal. Hayden wasn't even hysterically crying anymore.

She looked over at her mother who was whispering to her father. Who then looked at Cynthia and smiled, standing up.

" It appears, that even under the circumstances of today. Cynthia has good news." her father boomed over the table, grabbing the families attention.

She rolled her eyes and stood up.

" When we get home, I'm going to continue painting, there's even a course after school at the collage I think I'm going to take.." She said taking a gulp of water and sat back down.

Hayden smiled at Cynthia, she had half expected him to conbust in a fit of raging tears. Miranda painted too, but was much better than Cynthia.
The rest of the night was different to her, they cherished the memories of Miranda and talked about her, how much they loved her and knew she was in a better place.
The works, they were up for hours, Cynthia had snuck off early to call Rodrick, but when he didn't answer; Cynthia tried her best to smile.

But the grossest twinge of sickening worry tightened in the pit of her stomach. It was unlike him to answer his phone at eleven, even if he was asleep he would answered her, he always answered her calls, unless someone answered and told him he was busy or what not.
Cynthia bit her lip and tried to contain herself, keep herself from over exaggerating the possibilities. She repeated one line over and over until it got her to go bed.

" His battery died.. That's all.. His battery died... That's all.."

Rodrick sat on the leather couch, fully awake and his battery fully full. Not that he had it with him, he'd left in his van when he ran into the girls house. Nervously sitting there, drinking the cold beer can he had been offered.

" So how long till she's gone?" The female asked from the kitchen, bringing in two tall glasses of wine in her small manicured hands.

Rodrick looked over his shoulder at her, and shrugged.

" What do you want with me?" He asked. Trying to sound less scared then he was, he was an idiot to of come in the first place.

" I want, one night of you Rodrick Heffley, and believe me, I'm going to get it." She threatened, sipping her wine and looking in his eyes with her shivering cold ones.