Broken Lullaby

"Are you still not talking to me?" Sydney asked Morgan as she parked the car in front of Matt and Val's house. She got a grunt as an answer. "Oh come on, all I wanted was for you and Zacky to spend some time alone."
Morgan still hadn't told her how her date had gone. All she knew was Morgan had seemed pretty happy when she had gotten home last night, that of course, until she had seen Sydney waiting for her on the sofa.
Sydney glanced at the white and beige house next to them. She didn't want to go inside. She didn't want to tell everyone she was going to leave. She didn't want to see to look on Brian's face.

"You have to tell them," Morgan mumbled, now staring at the house too. "They'll never forgive you if you don't." Sydney sighed. Morgan was beyond right. She had waited too long already.

They knocked twice and waited a few seconds before Valary greeted them at the door. Inside, the same mess and loud voices were heard like every time they were all together. Matt, Johnny and Brian stared at the huge tv, playing video games and, as usual, ignoring everything else around them. Michelle, Lacey and Leana stood by the big windows that led to the backyard, talking and laughing. Sydney smiled to herself. There was no sign of Gena.

"Where are Jimmy and Zacky?" Morgan asked.

“They went out to get more beer," Val simply shrugged. Everybody knew that no matter how much beer there was at the house, they always ended up needing more.

Morgan stayed in the kitchen talking to Valary while Sydney grabbed one of the last two beers and joined the other girls, who were now in the backyard.
They were talking about Michelle's wedding, making Sydney immediately frown. Still, it was better than having to face Brian.
She glanced inside the house casually, seeing Jimmy and Zacky returning from their trip to get more beer. Jimmy smiled at her in excitement, showing her the beer crate like it was some kind of trophy.

Lacey looked at her somewhat surprised. “Wow, you’re actually here talking to us and not playing video games with the boys.”

Sydney smiled. Brian was still there, no way in hell she was going to stay in the same room as him. “Yeah, I know, but I’m not in the mood today.”

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Michelle asked, but grabbed Sydney’s arm and forced her out of the backyard.
“When are you going to tell them?” She asked as soon as they reached the kitchen.
Sydney played with the bottle of beer between her hands, not really wanting to answer her. “Oh come on! For God’s sake! What the hell do you want to do? Not tell them you’re leaving?!” Michelle’s voice tone had increase pretty quickly.

“I’ll tell them today, I promise!”

“Who’s going to leave?” Both girls looked at the kitchen’s entrance, seeing Valary standing by the doorway. Sydney sighed, her left hand rubbing her face. “Sydney?” Valary looked directly at her, questioning her like if she was a child who had done something wrong. “Is there anything you want to say?”

This was it.
Sydney drank the rest of her beer. She was going to need some kind of sedative if that conversation was really going to happen. “I’m going to leave. I’m moving to Miami.”

At first it seemed like Valary hadn’t listened to what she had said. She blinked a couple of times and glanced at Michelle, before setting her gaze back to Sydney. “Miami? You’re moving to Miami? Why?”

“Because I have to,” she lied. She decided she was going to lie to everyone. It was hard enough to tell everybody she was going to leave without them knowing the true reason. “I have to be transferred in order to keep my job.”

“Can’t you get another job?” Valary sounded impatient.

“I could, but I would still probably end up having to move to another city. It’s not like every hotel in Huntington Beach is looking for manager.”

“You can’t just leave us.” She crossed her arms. “I’m sure you could find another job in Los Angeles or even closer. When are you going to leave?”

Sydney gulped. “I… I have to… In two weeks.”

“WHAT!?” Val’s sudden yell made her flinch. Where were the beers Jimmy had brought? She would need to drink a lot more if things were going to escalate. “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?! When did you plan on telling us?”

“Telling what?” This time is was Johnny’s time to ask, as he stepped inside the kitchen and took another beer from the freezer. So that’s where Jimmy had placed them. “What’s all the fuss about?” He frowned at Valary’s angered expression.

Before anyone could answer, laughter invaded the kitchen, as Brian and Matt walked in. “Did we interrupt something?” Matt asked, also staring at Val’s face.

“As a matter of fact, you didn’t. Sydney has something to say, to all of us.”

Sydney’s face turned every shade of red. This couldn’t be happening right now. Not with Brian watching her, waiting for her to say what she had to say. She stared at her feet and took a deep, but shaky breath. Okay, now was the time to be a big girl.

“You should call the others. This is important.” She finally mustered the courage to say. If this was the moment, she would rather tell everyone at the same time then having to repeat herself and see the disappointment on their faces over and over again.
She grabbed another beer while Valary yelled at everybody to get in the kitchen.

“I’m leaving Huntington." Sydney decided to take the cold, direct approach. "I’m being transferred to a management position in a hotel in Miami.”

Everybody remained silent. Johnny laughed. "You're joking right?"

“I wish, but it was either that or losing my job."

“You don’t need a job; I can pay for everything you want! I can adopt you!" Jimmy exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. He was trying to lighten the mood, but had failed miserably.

“I can’t believe you’re going to leave,” Matt shook his head. There was real disappointment in his voice, something that Sydney had never experienced coming from him before.

“Is there really no other way?” Zacky asked. Sydney shook her head.

“Why don’t you find another job?” Johnny proposed, but once again she shook her head.

“Fuck this,” Brian snapped.

“Excuse me?” Sydney opened her mouth in shock.

“This is all a bunch of bullshit. I know you’re lying, that’s all you do! This is just another excuse so you can do whatever pleases you without thinking of anyone else!”

“Did you call me a liar?”

Brian laughed. “Wasn’t I clear enough?”

“You!” Sydney screamed and held the beer bottle like she was going to throw it at him, but Johnny stopped her. “If you think I’m lying, then why don’t you tell everybody the truth?!” Her angered face matched his.

Brian opened his mouth to answer her threat, but quickly closed it.
Silence rested within them. Deafening, exasperation-filled silence. He didn’t want to tell the truth, he just wanted to shout at her, to make her understand that she was not the only one that mattered. If she left, she would break everyone’s heart. His included.
But he couldn’t say that he wanted her to stay, just like he couldn’t say that he loved her. That would only make everything worse.

“Come on, I’m dying to hear it!” She kept on provoking him.

“That’s enough!” Valary yelled standing between them.

“It sure is!” Sydney released herself from Johnny’s grip and started for the front door. “You guys want the truth? Here is truth, I deserve to move on too and not just be a bystander as you all go on with your lives!” She yanked the door open and was gone before anyone could say another word.