Icing on the Cake

SEVENTEEN

That same evening, Sylvia was up in her room after dinner. No one had told her that Jaden had come to the house so she was not aware of it. Presently, she was thinking of the next day, precisely her date with Jaden. Why she had agreed to it, she didn’t know. And to think he would be going home soon. She sighed heavily.

Her room door opened and she jerked slightly.

Sidney peeped into the room and asked, “Need some company?”

Sylvia smiled and sat up on her bed. She nodded and put a pillow on her laps. Sidney returned her smile and entered her room. He walked to her sofa and sat down.

“So, what were you thinking?”

“Is that necessary?”

Sidney didn’t answer immediately. When they were teenagers, he had been the over-protective brother. He practically drove away all the male friends Sylvia had then and had even beaten some who had the nerves to approach Sylvia after he had warned them off. He had been that way till Sylvia was about nineteen. Then, he’d stopped.

“I guess not,” he replied finally. “So, how have you been all this while?”

Sylvia shrugged. “I’ve been better. I didn’t ‘run away’ from home. I went to work several times with mum and I’m learning much. And I... made a friend.”

At Sidney’s hitched-up eyebrow, she said, “Jaden, my so-called bodyguard.”

Sidney chuckled. “You caused it.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I never thought you’d call him a friend. With all the way you were irritated about the thought of him and ranting of how you’d still maneuver your way out of the house with him here, I’m really surprised.”

“Well, let’s just say I judged the book by the cover. I followed mum and dad’s principle and was friendly to him a little bit and then, we started talking and well, I didn’t even expect myself to call him a friend.”

Sidney nodded and looked down. He looked up again at Sylvia and managed a smile. He didn’t need to interfere in her private matters anymore but yet he wanted to. He already knew what was going on with the little Sylvia had said. And she would probably fall in love with Jaden, that’s if she hadn’t already done so. He sighed silently. He didn’t want his sister getting hurt again after Dave.

She had called him when she had broken up with Dave, and although she had tried to not sound hurt, he had heard the hurt in her voice when she had called him then. Though, he had been glad the loser was out of the picture. Now, he guessed she was old enough to know what and who was good for her and who she wanted. He wouldn’t interfere anymore. He’d just let things be.

“He was here today.”

Her eyes widened a little before they went back to their normal size. He was watching her. If he had not been looking, he wouldn’t have noticed.

“Jaden?”

He nodded, still watching her reaction.

“Oh! Did he say what he came to do?” she asked as normal as she could.

He straightened in the sofa. “He didn’t actually tell me but I guess he just came to visit.”

Sylvia nodded. “Did the both of you talk?”

“Yeah, we did.” He paused for effect. “He’s a nice guy, full of talents you wouldn’t believe he has.”

Sylvia’s eyebrow arched up in question. “Really? I didn’t know of any of his talents; except for a good instinct, a strong trait of stubbornness, and a very high ego. Though, I don’t even know if those are talents.”

Sidney chuckled. “Don’t tell me you weren’t nice to him when he arrived here.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

A short laugh escaped Sidney. “Oh, Sylvia! When are you going to stop?”

Sylvia grinned. “Soon.”

“Well, if you must know, he knows how to play the guitar like a pro and he learnt how to play the sax really fast. Then, he can sing a teeny little bit and when he played the piano, oh-my-God, if he wasn’t a guy I would’ve fell in love with him that very moment. And to think he said he hasn’t played the piano for three years.”

“Wow.”

Sidney shook his head and relaxed his back against the sofa. “He has a wonderful gift.”

Sylvia still shook her head, smiling. “Of course, he has.”

Sidney looked at her and arched a brow.

Sylvia drove the smile away from her face. She didn’t want Sidney to know she liked Jaden. She snorted lightly. “If he had the ability to touch the heart of someone like you, then of course he has a wonderful gift.”

“And what kind of heart does someone like me have?”

“The hardest kind of course.”

“Me?”

Sylvia snorted. “I thought I’ve mentioned that you’re hard-hearted before?”

Sidney didn’t reply. He chuckled and with a graceful move, he got up and rushed to Sylvia. She wasn’t fast enough so he gathered her in his arms and did what she hated but yet enjoyed. He tickled her. She laughed and struggled to get out of his grip but she didn’t succeed. Next, she tried tickling him. She aimed at his abdomen and tickled until he released her. He laughed and sat on the bed while she glared amusingly at him, breathing heavily.

“Now, what kind of heart do I have?” Sidney asked when he started breathing steadily.

She was about to return a nasty answer but rethought it. She huffed, folded her arms across her chest, and threw her face the other way.

Sidney laughed. “So, you still behave like this?”

“Like what?”

“Childish.” At her frown, he decided to rephrase it. “Playful. Not in the immature sense of course, just that you’re acting light-hearted and all that. Someone who saw you at mum’s office would be very surprised to see you acting like this.”

She unfolded her arms and smiled. “Yeah, I know. And now that I think of it, it’s been long we sang together.”

“We might try that tomorrow.”

She twisted her lips. “Um... tomorrow, I won’t have the chance.” She looked at Sidney in the eyes. “I have a date tomorrow, with Jaden.”

“Oh! I forgot. Yeah, Jaden told me.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, just so I’d know,” he said, repeating what Jaden had said. “But it’s totally up to you. I’m not going to stop you.”

For a while, Sylvia just stared at him. Back then when she was still in secondary school, she wouldn’t have had a say in this. But that was then anyway, this was now. He has changed, totally. And she appreciated it.

Sidney’s face softened as he looked at Sylvia. He realized he missed his sister a lot. He missed the fun they had when they were little and were not arguing about boys and dating. The only thing he couldn’t understand was why Sylvia never dated any guy after he left for the States. It was after she graduated that she called him to say she was dating Dave.

Sylvia knew the exact moment Sidney’s face changed and she hugged him before he became macho again. Sylvia startled him by hugging him; she could tell by the way his body became tense. Then, his body loosened up and he put his arms round her.

“Now, what’s the hug for?”

She smiled. “For being soft-hearted all of a sudden.”

He tensed up again and before he could decide what to do to her, she slid out of his arms. He looked at her while she smiled sheepishly. “Should I take that as an insult or not?”

She shrugged.

He sighed. “What time will you be going tomorrow?”

“Five-thirty.”

“That means we’ll practice another day, when you’re free.”

She nodded.

“I’ll leave you now to get your beauty sleep. You don’t want to look like a hairy-lunch-lady tomorrow for your date, right?”

She laughed. He had used one of their childhood insults. “I think I’d prefer to look like Sleeping Beauty.”

He chuckled and got up from the bed. “C’mon, lie down and sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

She got up as well and arranged the bed before lying down. She looked up and saw him still standing there. “Jeez! Don’t tell me you’re going to tuck me into bed too?”

He snorted. “Last time I checked, I didn’t look like a nanny, so why would I do that?” He turned on his heels and started walking to the door.

“Sid?”

He stopped and turned. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

There was no need asking what that was for as he already knew that she was thanking him for not intruding. His lips twitched with a smile and he nodded. “Just be careful.”

Then, without any other word he left the room, closing the door silently behind him.