The ten minutes seemed to last hours. Sydney went from fidgeting on her couch as she awaited a knock on the door, to messing with her hair and throwing it up in a bun- eventually deciding to let it down again from wanting to run her fingers through it due to stress- to just pacing.

With each tap of her heels on the marble floor of her hallway, the girl seemed to grow more impatient. Like an itch she just couldn't scratch, all she wanted was for Chandler to get to her house faster. She'd completely organized and orchestrated what she was gonna say to him, how she wanted to phrase every single sentence and enunciate every single syllable of each word.

It seemed as if, since they had gotten back from Comic Con, every time she saw him and didn't truly speak her mind, pressure built up inside her- a sense of uncomfortableness that would not be fixed until the girl said everything she wanted to say. And Sydney was ready to burst.

When she did finally hear Chandler knocking on the door, the girl was quick to scramble up, before stopping herself for a couple seconds and calmly walking toward the door. She didn't exactly want to seem too eager to see him, even if she had been seriously considering making Axl drive her to his house because he was taking that long.

A bright smile graced Sydney's features as she opened the door, leaning against it as her co-star came into view. "Hey," The blonde greeted softly, moving toward him as his hands found her waist, Syd's grin widening as she pressed her lips to his.

She went to pull away but the boy pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss as he tangled his hand on the ends of her hair, the other one on the small of her back as her arms wrapped around his neck.

Only when his hands fell to the back pockets of her jeans, did the blonde pull away. "My brother's home and I'd actually like you to stay breathing, so either you come i-" He cut her off, making her smile falter slightly as she noticed the sadness in his tone.

"No, it's fine. I, uh, I don't need to come in. I- I shouldn't have even done that, I'm..." He trailed off, taking a step back, his hands dropping to his sides. He lowered his gaze as Syd let go of him.

"Chandler, what's going on?" Sydney questioned, her voice grave as she observed him. He tensed up suddenly, put space in between them, and refused to meet her eye. "Look at me, what's wrong?" The blonde sighed, tentatively stepping toward the boy in front of her only to have him shake his head.

He finally lifted his gaze from the ground and Sydney took hold of his expression. This felt nothing like the boy that had been holding her not even two minutes prior. "I, uh, I think we need to talk." He muttered softly, the air around them tense.

Sydney quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the door frame. "That's what you came here to do. Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to do." A smiled pulled at her lips at the prospect of asking him to be her boyfriend. Her actual boyfriend. She had to keep herself from blurting it out immediately, instead continuing their conversation. "Now, why don't you come inside like a regular human being-" He stopped her again.

"Because, I'm not gonna stay for long." He explained, making realization dawn on the girl. Her stomach dropped as she spoke up. She felt as if the ground had been snatched from under her feet, suddenly thankful for the frame she was leaning against.

"You're breaking up with me," Sydney stated simply. Her tone was dry, her body stiff, but her eyes showed vulnerability. Her shock, her sadness, her disappointment.

Chandler sighed. "Is it really breaking up if you're not dating?" He questioned. His voice showed an array of emotions- nervousness, anxiety, melancholy.

Sydney forced a bitter chuckle out, though visible tears were brimming her eyes. For some reason, all she wanted to do was laugh. She didn't know why- maybe because of the irony of the situation, the cynicism of it all. Maybe, it was at herself. For getting her hopes up.

Because obviously, something was wrong with her. Eli had seen it, so he'd found someone else. Her dad barely knew her, choosing to care more about his job instead of his children- and she knew he was cheating on her mother, anyway. The only reason Axl never left her was because he couldn't. He was basically her legal guardian, he was obligated to stay with her. Sydney suspected he would've already bolted if it wasn't for that.

It was only a matter of time until Chandler spotted whatever was wrong with her as well. What is was, she wasn't sure, but it was there. And every guy in her life could tell.

"I guess not..." She muttered, her voice oddly steady. She was the one not meeting his eye this time. She could feel his gaze burning into her, but she made no effort to look up.

"I'm sorry, Syd, I really am," Chandler spoke up, his heart dropping at the expression on her face. She was biting her bottom lip as she struggled to keep her tears in. Her hands were balled into fists and her a few blonde locks had fallen to shield a bit of her face from his eyes as she looked down. She still looked beautiful, even now. Especially now. Like a cracked porcelain doll.

"It's okay," Her voice was cold and distant as she spoke, finally lifting up her gaze, her tone making a shiver run up Chandler's spine. "I figured you'd bolt at some point. I guess I was stupid to think this would end up any other way. Should've known that nothing that starts with 'no labels' can end well." Sydney actually laughed, her giggle somehow still melodic even through her bitterness.

"Sydney, you didn't do anything-" She spoke over him.

"Then, what the fuck happened?" She spat back. Her gaze was as harsh as her tone and Chandler sighed.

"I'm tired. This isn't good for us. We're not good for each other." His words struck her but she stayed quiet, letting him continue. "I'm not happy. This isn't what I want."

"Then, what do you want?" Sydney questioned, her voice going back to its prior smallness, cracking softly under the pressure as she stared him down.

"What I want doesn't matter. What matters is you don't want the same thing." Chandler said, Sydney stepping forward once again.

"And what if I do?" She asked, crossing her arms, the boy shaking his head.

"You don't." His voice had a hint of raspiness to it like he was struggling to get the words out.

At this point, Sydney's angry. Angrier than she'd been in a while. "And, how do you know that?" She resigned herself to a calm tone, though, eyes locked on her counterpart.

"Because you told me!" It felt unfair that he was the first one to yell. Given the rage burning in her chest, she wanted to be the one to lash out first. He calmed down once he saw her flinch involuntarily, his breathing a bit ragged. "Okay? You told me, Syd." His tone is softer but his expression stays the same.

Sydney's eyes closed as she listened to him talk, and her voice shook slightly as the lump in her throat grew. She spoke shakily but determined, frustration coursing through her veins. "People change. Opinions change- Desires change. Chandler, if you just listen-" He cut her off one final time.

"I don't want to listen. I don't want you." He told her. Everything in him was yelling for him to take it back, warning him this was a mistake, but he stood his ground.

He managed to stay quiet as he saw the look that fell over Sydney's face. First came shock, then anger, and finally utmost heartbreak tinged her usually sunny expression. Her jaw had slacked at his comment but she pressed her lips together in a tight line, not looking at Chandler as she swallowed down the lump in her throat and bit back her tongue. From delivering harsh words or pathetic pleas, she wasn't sure.

She nodded to herself and stepped back, away from him. Away from what they could have been, should have been, never were. "Well, fuck you, too." She muttered bitterly, more to herself than to him before she shut the door.

She stared at the piece of wood separating her from the source of her pain for a few moments before it all became too much. Her shoulders shook at tears spilled over her ocean eyes, and the girl heard footsteps. Axl.

"Syd." He called out simply, second-hand sadness showing through his tone. Sydney faced her brother through a blurry vision, holding his gaze for a moment before making a run for it. "Sydney, n-"

Axl was too slow. By the time he finished his sentence, Sydney was already halfway up the stairs. She heard his heavy footsteps behind her, but she was quicker. The blonde shut her bedroom door before her brother could reach her, letting herself slide down against the door as her sobs grew louder.

Axl knew how she dealt with negative emotions. Ever since she was young, the girl would lock herself up alone and wouldn't come out. He remembered being fourteen and having to force open her bedroom door because she refused to come down and hadn't eaten anything in ten hours. She was only eleven, then, and had argued with her at-the-time best friend.

Because when Sydney felt, she really felt. She didn't half ass emotions. When she was happy, her smile could brighten up a whole room. Her good energy would envelop people with warmth and her words would render anyone and everyone around her welcomed. When she was angry, she was like a hurricane- the devil himself would shudder at her sharp tongue. And no one could get between her and her desires when it came to her ambitions.

But, at the same time, when sadness would consume her, it would take her whole. Physically and emotionally, the girl would eradicate hurt, leaving everyone around her concerned for her well-being. And when she loved, when she fell, no one could catch her. She fell hard and she fell fast, even if her brain told her not to.

So now, all Axl could do was wait and hope his little sister would be okay. He'd be on the other side, knocking on the door until she let him in to pick up the pieces.

_

YOU CAN'T KILL ME BC IT'S MY BIRTHDAY.
seriously tho this had to happen. i'm sorry. double (maybe a triple....) update today bc i'm 15!! that's pretty noice!!