Nothing's Guaranteed

Chapter 2

For what's money without happiness?

Or hard times without the people you love

Though I'm not sure what's 'bout to happen next

I asked for strength from the Lord up above

Cause I've been strong so far

But I can feel my grip loosening

Quick, do something before you lose it for good

Get it back and use it for good

And touch the people how you did like before

I'm tired of living with demons cause they always inviting more

- J. Cole

~~Sydney~~

"China, please don't fall!" I place my hand over my eyes to block the sun. I see her feet dangling directly over the step she had to step up on to look out over the rails. This is her favorite spot on the Pier. She is standing on the same post she used to always stand on when my parents used to bring us down here. My dad would always bend over the rail with her and point out the different types of fish in the water. My mom would always sit on this bench with me and ask about everything going on with me at that time. Every crush, friend, and enemy has been discussed on this bench. A lot of laughs have been shared here, just as much as tears.

Like always, China is trying to ignore me, but I know she hears me. I lay down across the wooden bench and I put my other headphone back in my ear. China finally replies to me, but I can't hear her because I am actually playing music this time.

"Chest to chest, nose to nose. Palm to palm, we were always just that close. Wrist to wrist, toe to toe. Lips that felt just like the inside of a rose...." I start to sing California King Bed by Rihanna to myself. I love her music. It has gotten me through EVERYTHING in my life. The deaths, the heartbreaks, the moves, school, just LIFE. I never understood why her music was what always spoke to me, but then again do we ever understand why some songs just draw our attention more than others.

Have you ever wondered why music is so therapeutic? When I listen to it I go into another world that I would like to stay in forever. It scares me sometimes, because I have never had something make me feel so at peace like music, other than my books, and sometimes my art. Books allow me to escape my world and pretend I have the life of the main character, or another lead character in the story, in a way that is almost surreal. I love the idea of creating a story line where I am in control of everything, or nothing. The author of a story can decide who lives, who dies, who falls in love, and so on. Someone can be added to the story for comedic relief while others can be added to disrupt the peace. Places do not have to exist and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Reading realistic stories are also interesting, but even a real story can be twisted into whatever satisfies your fantasy.

California King Bed starts to come to an end so I pick up my phone to search for a new song. I finally settle on Crush by Yuna and I slide my phone back into my pocket. I listen to the first verse and wait for my chance to harmonize with Yuna and Usher. When my chance finally comes, I sing my heart out only because I really do love this song. Emotions play out through the melody silky smooth like ice cream, and their voices floating on top are two nicely perched cherries.

"That was good." Through my music I hear a guy's voice and I jump a little from how he appeared so suddenly. I uncover my eyes and standing over me is the younger guy from the porch that complimented me on my shoes. Hhm, he's even good looking from this awkward angle. That is how you know someone is actually good looking, when all of their angles collide so perfectly.

"You weren't supposed to hear that." I never let people know that I can sing. I sit back up on the bench and pull one of my earbuds out. When I look up at him he has a smile stuck on his face and it gives me the sudden feeling to smile back. Almost like a contagion.

"Well I enjoyed the little part that I heard." He makes himself comfortable on the opposite end of the bench turning a little towards me.

"Are you stalking us or something?" The small smile is still on my face, but I can also feel the confusion I must be portraying as well.

"Um, no. Sometimes I just like to walk down to the pier...for air." I give him a quizzical look because he sounds unsure. He sees my face and laughs nervously while shaking his head. I release a laugh as well to let him see I am only messing with him and his posture relaxes. "Okay okay, I admit it. I followed you two down here, but only because I wanted to get to know you."

"Well, I don't know whether to find that flattering or creepy. What if I turned out to be crazy, or a psycho killer?" He laughs at me and an eyebrow raises as he tries to read my face to see if I am serious. He seems very nice but I am not in the mood to make a new friend right now. Deep deep down, I really want to ask him politely to leave me alone, but I am still trying not to give off the "rude girl" impression so soon. It has really just been a long day and I want to get my mind off this upcoming year and what to expect from it.

"You don't even look dangerous. If I was walking down the street and I had the choice to walk towards you on one side, or some grown ass man in a black trench coat holding a hammer, I would be on your side in a heartbeat." The smirk that appeared on my face was too hard to conceal so I just let it show. "Oh, I finally get a smile from her."

"Only because your scenario was horrible."

"But it made sense, so I think it was successful." I roll my eyes at him still smirking. "So you have a name or are we still too much of strangers?" Should I tell him my name? Or should I keep acting weird? Something is very calming about him though. I feel at ease and I barely know this guy at all. When he sees me pause he speaks again. "My name is Kyle, and yours?" I hear the hint of hope hanging on the end of his sentence and I go ahead and give in.

"Sydney."

"Kidney?" I know he heard me. I roll my eyes even though I am still smirking.

"I know you heard me the first time." He starts chuckling and shakes his head.

"You are a piece of work." I roll my eyes and turn to check on China. What does that even mean? "No, wait, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant that here I am trying to make you laugh and all I can get is a smirk out of you."

"It's not really that easy to make me laugh." I say it nonchalantly. It is the truth. Life is not that funny to me.

"Wow, well we are going to have to change that. When I am around people I like for them to laugh and be happy. I feel it is my job. I want people to always feel comfortable in my presence." I don't say anything, I just look away from him and check on China again. When he realizes that I am not going to respond, he moves on. "So, you live in my building now?"

"Yes, I do. With my sister, Chasity. You know her?"

"You mean that fine ass woman that lives on the second floor? THAT'S your sister! No wonder you are so cute. You look just like her!" Now he is all excited and grinning. I am stuck on the fact that he just called me cute. I mentally smile at the thought but then shake it off. I look nothing like my sister though. She's so beautiful and she turns heads as she walks down the street. When she lived with us, before she went off to college, guys would always leave her gifts on the doorstep, she would always be on the phone talking to guys, and one guy had to have a restraining order put out against him. He was probably pretty harmless but my parents wanted to take all precautions even though all he did was follow her everywhere.

"You're sweet but I look nothing like my sister. Wish I did, but I don't." I shrug it off and look down at my phone to avoid looking at him. Sometimes being around Chasity makes me notice my appearance more and I start to feel self conscience and awkward. Even though she is not here now, just mentioning her makes me realize how plainly I am dressed around this cute guy. He is probably giving me compliments just to be nice. I really do like clothes and shoes, but in the pass year I have been dressing more monotone. Dressing how I feel.

"You don't see it, but I do." His voice breaks me out of my own thoughts but I continue to look down at my phone. "Only thing different about you are your eyes. Yours are prettier than hers." I look up shocked that he mentioned them. Has he really been paying that much attention to my face? I can't help but feel a little flattered. "Aye, but don't let that s**t go to your head now, alright?"

Now that makes me laugh, the last thing I am is cocky. "Nothing goes to my head. I try to stay humble."

"Mhm, I can tell." He twists his lips. "At least I finally got you to laugh though. And I will do it again, and again, and again. Just watch." My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket, and I pull it out to see that Chasity is calling me.

"Hello?"

"Syyydddd! Where are you guys?"

"Down at the Pier. Are you back at your apartment?"

"Yes ma'am, but I will come to you guys. So don't move!"

"Okay, bye."

"Addioss!" She's always saying things in a sing song voice. I guess that is something we have in common, even though I can actually sing a little bit, whereas Chasity can not hold a note. A good thing I gained from my grandmother.

She sang to me all the time when I was younger, and after China and I had to move in with her when my parents died. Around the time that we lived with her in Maine she taught me how to sing, and I do it whenever I want to calm down. It is a better stress reliever than my old therapist.

"Was that her?" He asks me with a smile on his face. He really is smiling from ear to ear over my sister, and I bet he has never spoken to her a day in his life. See the effect she has on guys?

"Yes, why do you care?" He gets off the bench and starts tootsie rolling.

"Cause that's my baby mama!" After his little dance routine my laughter reaches a new level. I did not expect him to do that. He just called MY sister HIS baby mama? He is probably seventeen and she is twenty-six. He really is dreaming and my sister probably does not even know how he looks.

"One, do you KNOW how old the tootsie roll is? Two, she is tewnty-six. She would never be your baby mama." He shakes his head at me and starts to look like he is really disappointed in my doubt and lack of support.

"Come on Syd, jealousy is so overrated. You can be my second baby mama if you want to be. There is enough Kyle to go around!" I look at him like his mind has just jumped out of his head and started doing the tootsie roll itself. He is so crazy. I can definitely say I have never met anyone like him before. His personality seems fun and relaxed, like he does not want to do anything more than make you laugh and enjoy his company. "I bet everybody calls you Syd, don't they?"

"Yea, easiest and most common nickname I guess."

"I will have another one for you by the time school starts. Trust me! You attending Chi-town?"

"Yea, for my senior year."

"Ooooo, and we live in the same building together? I can annoy you all the time now." Oh man. I roll my eyes and kick myself mentally. Of course the first friend I accidentally make is annoying and bothersome. "I do have to go though. My older brother supposed to be visiting us today and I hate to miss his visits."

He stands up from the bench and he pauses like he is waiting on a hug. I give in and finally stand up with him to say goodbye when a moving figure standing behind him catches my eye. When I focus in I recognize him as the guy that ran into me in the hallway. Kyle has started talking again but I am honestly not looking at him or paying attention to what he is saying. I am looking over his shoulder, watching the guy stand by his sister and smiling down at her. Before I realize it, the guy looks up and I quickly avert my eyes back to look at Kyle. When I glance back he is watching us, so I look away again. I catch on to the last of what Kyle is saying.

"---because when I see you at school---"

"I thought Chi-town was big? How do you even know we'll run into each other?"

"Please, just because a building is big does not mean the actual classes can't be small. If you went there all four years you pretty much know everyone in your class." I shrug; it makes sense.

"I went to private school freshman and sophomore year when I lived here before I moved to Florida." Kyle looks amazed at the fact that I was in Chicago before now.

"Wait why'd you move to Florida?" I pause before responding. What do I say besides "my parents died." That could put such a damper on the conversation and I hate the pity people feel for me once I tell them my parents are no longer with me. I have just met Kyle and I don't want him to suddenly look at me with sadness and concern every time we talk. Although I get the feeling Kyle would do everything in his power to make sure I enjoy life even under my circumstance of having to live without my parents anymore. Before I can formulate a good reply he changes the subject. "Is this your sister too?" I realize China is now standing beside me. She is giving him a quizzical look like he is a complicated question on a math quiz.

"My little cousin. China this is Kyle, Kyle this is China."

"Heellooo pretty lady!" He takes a bow towards her. She smiles shyly and shakes his hand not saying anything. Only shy when new people come around, other than that you can not shut her up. "How old is she?"

"Twelve years old. Don't fall for her shy act. Once she gets to know you, you can't shut her up."

"That is so not true!" She backs up from me and puts her hands on her hips. She sticks her tongue out at me and I roll my eyes.

"There she is. That's the China I know. But hey, if you have to go we are not going to hold you. My sister is here anyways." I can see Chasity walking towards us now. Kyle's head swiftly turns to try and find where she is walking from.

"Damn, I don't have the child support right now, so she can't see me or she is going to start bugging me about it. I will see you at school, and don't be a stranger alright?" I wave bye, laughing as he walks in the direction Chasity is coming. When he gets past her he turns back around and starts grinding. Oh my gosh, what is wrong with him? I try to control my laughter as Chasity gets closer.

"Your friend is weird." China says this to me as we watch his dance routine. Chasity is oblivious to what is happening behind her which makes it even funnier.

"Girl, I barely know him. But he's cool I guess."

I grab China's hand and I lead her in Chasity's direction. She breaks away and runs to give her a hug. I just keep my same slow stroll over to them.

"Ohh Chine-Chine you have gotten soo big, and you just get prettier and prettier everyday!" I hear China laugh as I am still slowly making my way over to them. "Come on Syd, any slower and I think my gray hairs will start coming in." When I reach her I give her a big hug. When I am ready to let go Chasity grip me tighter and squeezes forcing me to stay in her embrace. The longer she holds me the more I feel tears try to form in my eyes. Fortunately, she release me from her grip before the tears can form and finally steps back from me a little. I notice slight tears in her eyes and I can tell we are feeling and thinking the same thing.

Suddenly my anger at her for abandoning me flies out the window. For the moment, we are two sisters with no parents that only have each other to help remember the good times. In this moment, I feel us grow closer, and although I am not completely ready to forgive for never hearing from her, I am ready to start. The silence begins to thicken and I shake myself out of the deepening trance we both seem to be stuck in.

"Hey Chasity. Nice to see you....how you been....blah blah blah. You know I hate introductions." She nods her head in an understanding way.

"Me too! That's why we are related." She loops her arm through mine and we start to walk off towards one of the restaurants nearby. For some reason my mind switches back to the guy standing on the Pier with the little girl. I don't know why but I turn around to see of he is still there.

Chasity is talking in the background, but I am tuning her out as I watch the guy still look after the little girl, who I assume is his sister. He looks up and we make eye contact before I can look away. Embarrassed, I start to grin like an i***t and he grins back. I turn back around quickly trying to hide...whatever just happened...

What did just happen?