⚡️

“Just one. I’d do the same for you,” he protested, not sure what else hypothetical wealth was for if not sharing it with his people. “Kinda yeah. Alright, if you say so. You been strictly business at this thing or have you had to time to have fun?”

“That’s what everyone says when they’re broke. What kinda favor are you lookin’ for? I’ll pass it through my financial advisor to see if I can grant your make a wish.” She got in the small line at the burger joint. She would in fact not be betting herself a disgusting hot dog but a bacon cheeseburger sounded good a fuck. “It’s been all business so far. I’m ready to take a break for fun though if you feel like takin’ that on.”

“Right? When I agreed to this little brother thing I thought I was gonna have a cute little best friend for life who wouldn’t give me sass anytime I try to get him to do something for his own good. Maybe we should have opted for a puppy instead.” She shook her head, letting out a resigned chuckle in return. Though she liked to give their crew a hard time and they could annoy the hell out of each other at times she couldn’t imagine life without them.“An obstacle course could be interesting. Or an extreme game of tag. Watching them try to tackle each other down might make my whole year.”

“A puppy would have been easier, cuter, and way more fun. Hindsight is 20/20 right? Next time.” AJ smirked. She was rough around the edges sometimes but that never mattered with their friends and family. She could show up exactly how she was and be accepted without and questions which would never happen outside of their group. The shit they gave each other was all grounded in love. “That’s probably easier to set up on short notice,” she nodded. “By the time they’re done we’d be done with the food, anyway. Or what we didn’t want would be cold. This feels like a win all around.”

**

“You’re a good mom so you have to say stuff like that but I’m pretty sure I won’t be changing my mind about this one.” She couldn’t say too much in regards to her parents, because even though Sid liked Tessa and liked that she made her dad happy, there was a part of her that had a maybe delusional hope that one day her parents would be back together. It was hard not to when their dynamic worked so well; their homes were separate but they were welcome at the other’s whenever, they still had family meals so how could a girl not hold out hope when two people worked that well together? “Obviously not, I wouldn’t be as cool as I was if you two never met.” Sid smiled, it was small, but it was there. She skirted the crying thing, not wanting to go back and forth about the issue and went to a question that dawned on her when her mom brought up she and her dad, “How are you doing? After breaking up with whats his face? You can lean on my shoulder now if you want…cry and feel 10% better about it.”

.

“Ain’t got shit to do with being a good mom, Sid. I don’t have to say anything like that, it’s just the truth. I know it feels life-shattering now but you’re still alive. Which means you’re still having new experiences. You’ll keep having those and making new memories and one day you’ll laugh again. One day you’ll love again, too. Whether it’s with her or someone else. Your story doesn’t end here.” Storm smiled with her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Damn right you wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t have you, your sister, or your uncles. That was worth loving him and the heartbreak that followed every time.” She waved off the concern about her own break up. It had been months and Storm wasn’t one to dwell. “I don’t need to cry about that one. It was the right move and we never got that serious. He and I are better as friends. Sorry, kid. We’re just here for you tonight. No distractions.”

“Oh I’m sorry, did you win the lottery?,” he teased, throwing an arm over her shoulder while they walked. “I should get one favor if you do hit it big, just one I can cash in. Feel like that’s fair. Cool, I think the burger truck had some. Um nobody, I thought you would, hater.”

“See? Look at you already askin’ for favors and I ain’t even won shit yet. I thought you’d be better than that, G. I’m disappointed in you.” She sucked her teeth and looked ahead. Once he couldn’t see her face fully she smirked, though. “I give off hot dog hating vibes? I didn’t know that was a thing I did. This is a safe space, I promise. Whatever you wanna eat, I won’t make fun of you. Swear.”

“Pretty much. I don’t like to start fights I know i’ll lose. That’s what we usually keep Tino around for. But since he’s too busy for me now a days i’m thinking about trying to see if it’s too late to get a refund on him.” She smirked before crossing her arms to give off her own intimidating presence hoping the bitchy vibes were enough to put people off from bothering them in the first place. “We should make them work for it a little though. Nothing in life’s free.”

“You paid for Tino? I hate to break it to ya T, but you got played. I’ve been trying to pay someone to make him disappear. I owe so much to Nadia for that one.” AJ chuckled lightly. She would never admit it but she loved everyone in their crew regardless if they annoyed her sometimes or not. She looked Tara over and gave an approving nod. “You’re still too pretty but I think that works in our favor. People don’t fuck with girls who are so hot it’s intimidating. What are you thinkin’? Obstacle course? That could be funny.”

“You think I’d get greedy? Ouch. Pretty sure I know you well enough to know it’s not a regular thing. I’m good on the tacos, but I don’t know, some people are anti-hot dog. What do you want though money bags?”

“Some people change when money’s involved,” she shrugged. “You heard a’ those people who win the lotto and suddenly everyone’s tallyin’ up every favor or nice thing they ever did and think they’re owed pat of the pot? Sometimes it’s the ones closest to you.” She sucked her teeth and shook her head at the thought. “I’m not picky, hot dogs are fine. Who’s givin’ you shit about hot dogs anyway? Fuckin’ losers.”

*

Storm answered the question Sid had been struggling with asking out loud, too afraid of the answer. Bridget wasn’t happy, she wasn’t happy, so had she made the right decision? “Well that’s bullshit, what’s the point? Like so much has to be right just for something to work even when the two people are perfect for each other, it’s not fair. I don’t know if I could do relationships or anything again, it’s not worth this part. "No…” Sid was being stubborn now, practically pouting as she denied something that couldn’t be denied in reality, “Think about it, ma. When was the last time you saw me cry…” She lifted her head up so she could see Storm’s face, “Exactly.”

.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but I don’t think you’ll think that forever. The point is you get to experience love like that while you’re alive. So much shit in the world is fucked up and terrible, if you can get somethin’ good like that, even if it eventually ends, it’s worth it. I mean, look at your dad and me. You think we’d be better off if we never met?” It might not help her now. When you were in the shit you had to feel the shit, after all. “This won’t be forever, baby. If the good times don’t last forever that means neither do the bad times. This too shall pass and all that shit.” Storm looked at her with a skeptical face, not willing to give into this tough guy shit she definitely did learn from her father. “Just ‘cause it’s been a while doesn’t mean you can’t do it. No one would know if you let yourself fall apart in private. You could do it with me and I’ll be here and hold you or you can do it alone if that’s what you gotta do. But I promise you’ll feel better if you let it out. Not 100% better, but maybe 10.”

“I don’t mind getting my own. I just didn’t want to get into any of those lines without some back up in case people got pushy or started cutting. I need someone to do the trash talking for me.” Tara replied with a chuckle. “Should we get one of everything? Just in case? You know the rest of the gang will end up circling us like vultures at the first sign of food.”

“You need muscle. Say less.” AJ squared her chest and pumped herself up as much as she could. It was hard to look intimidating when her arms were more bone than muscle but she could throw down with the best of ‘em. “Parasites, every last one. You’re right, though. What’s the point of makin’ all this money off dumb rich kids if I can’t use it to feed our friends?”

“You could’ve just left that as a nice gesture, I don’t really care where you got the money,” Gabe said with a shake of his head, chuckling as he looked over at AJ. “That’s a yes, in case that wasn’t clear. There’s a taco truck that looked pretty good. Would you call me a freak if I said I kinda want a hot dog?”

“Nah,” she shook her head. “If I left it out then you’d think I’m gonna start payin’ for shit left and right. You gotta know it’s just ‘cause today was a good pay day so you don’t get greedy. Would I call you a freak for wanting a hot dog? No. For wanting a taco and then an additional hot dog? Also no, the fuck? eat what you wanna eat, weirdo.”

**

“Yeah, I know but the beginning lost her some point. Doesn’t  matter now.” Sid gave a weak shrug because it really didn’t. “She was amazing to me.” Sid wasn’t trying to paint herself as some selfless martyr, though part of her did break it off because she knew Bridget never would even if it was obviously hard balancing her time in LA trying to get her music career off of the ground and maintaining their relationship, there was as just as big of a part that knew she desired more out of a relationship than Bridget could give from so far away and she deserved what she desired. Still, she wasn’t sure that didn’t make her selfish so that part she hadn’t ever said out loud and she was quiet for a while afraid her mom would see her as heinous, but that thought couldn’t survive long because she knew how Storm felt about she and AJ, “I hated long distance. It wasn’t enough and I hated when she’d stay in when she should have been out networking just so we could have dates on facetime. If I had a bad day and wanted to vent I felt guilty for burdening her when she had so much going on and if she vented to me it was just frustrating not being able to help, I don’t know…long distance sucks. It just felt like why are we doing this anymore? It started to feel like…like holding on for dear life and that shouldn’t be, right?” Sid shook her head, “I know I should, I just can’t. I guess I’m like dad in that way.”

.

It wasn’t Storm’s job as a mom to tell her kids what they should or shouldn’t do or feel. She made space for Sid to explain her thinking if she wanted to and she didn’t say a word until she was done. Without conscious thought, she squeezed her arms around her and held her a little tighter. “That makes a lot of sense, Sid. I’ve never done the long distance but it always sounds hard as hell. And you deserve a relationship that gives you what you need. You made the right choice. And yeah, that shit can still hurt when you know it’s the right thing.” She thought back to the break up with Ace that actually stuck. They loved each other and always would but they had to adjust to what life was like for them now. It was the right move that that didn’t make it hurt any less. “I think you’re tellin’ yourself some kinda bad ass story, there. Do you ever feel your eyes water and hold back because you think it’s the strong thing? Better yet, you got a movie that makes you cry a little? I raised you, you know. I know you got tears in your body.”

**

Sid only curled more into her mother when Storm began to scratch her arm, “I guess it was…” She sighed at both the statement and the question because she should have enjoyed it and yet, “I dont know, maybe but I don’t think so. She said honestly, Storm already had Sid pegged from the moment she walked into the door anyway, "I know you didn’t like her all that much, but I loved her mom. Love her, present tense.” It at least felt like some weight was lifted off of her shoulders in that moment, just laying down the heaviness of pretending. I feel like I either want to fight the world or cry myself to sleep, but I can’t do either.“

.

Storm let out a heavy sigh as she pulled her into her arms a bit tighter. Heartbreak was a bitch regardless of how it came about. “It’s not that I didn’t like her, baby. I didn’t like when she made you feel bad but I’m your mom, that’s a given. You love her and she treated you well then I’m good. I’m gonna ask you somethin’ you don’t have to answer. Why’d you end it with her if you love her still? The shit about not holding her back don’t sit right with me. That’s her choice to make, ain’t it?” She knew that feeling all too well. When she and Ace would break up Storm took it out on the whole world. “I got somethin’ that might help with the fighting we’ll try it tomorrow if you want. But, baby, if you need to cry you gotta let that shit out. It only gets worse if you hold it in.”

**

Sid knew she was pushing her luck, her mother was far from an idiot on her worse day, and maybe part of the comfort that came with the thought of going there that night was because she knew Storm wouldn’t ever force her to speak on something she didn’t want to. She shook her head while she put her feet up and cuddled into Storm, laying her head on her mother’s shoulder, I got drunk, danced at a few sets, won people over with my shining personality, borrowed a boat from some richie with Nadia, all of the things I’m supposed to do and…I’m exhausted, even eating food sounds like a chore so no thanks.“

.

Storm lifted her arm to bring Sid into her side as she leaned into her. She finished off the last sip of her drink and set the empty glass on the side table. With her free hand she lightly scratched Sid’s arm to help her relax. “Sounds like you had a perfect day in the life of a Rosewood kid. Good for you. Did you enjoy any of it?” The verbiage wasn’t lost on her. Not once did she say she had a good time and if the thought of eating seemed exhausting... she knew what this was. 

**

“And I’m chilling at my mom’s house because I technically still have a room here and a key, and I come over all of the time. Stop acting like I’m being weird. Nothing’s going on. I was having fun, then I wasn’t so I left. The festival itself was fine I guess,” She shrugged, “If you were expecting someone over or something I can just go to dad’s.”

.

The look she gave Sid said more than she would have with words. They both knew she was here for a reason and she wasn’t just randomly hanging out at home. She wasn’t a cop though, she’d let it ride. “Whatever you say, kid. Nah, I’m not expectin’ anyone, stay. You want somethin’ to eat?” 

**

Sid put up a good effort, a great one even but pretending to be unaffected and cool for a whole day and night was a lot and she didn’t have it in her, so she left. Home wasn’t really an option as she wanted to give Nadia and Tino the place without having to worry about her and Sid was tempted to go to her dad’s but half way there decided to go to her mom’s place instead; she couldn’t really put it into words, but the idea of being there brought her more comfort so that’s what she did. She hadn’t exactly expected to actually run into Storm figuring she’d be out or something, “Hey mom. So are you…you all good?” She asked, half changing the subject and half checking in herself as she headed to the couch to sit.

.

Storm’s brow rose questioningly. “I’m chilling in my house like I do all the time. Yeah, I’m good. I asked about you. What’s goin’ on?” She was happy to see her daughters whenever she could but it didn’t make it any less weird that she’d shown up out of the blue. It had to be something ex-related but Storm wouldn’t force anything out of her.