Chapter Nine
Primadonna

SYDNEY WAS IN the middle of a midlife crisis.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Sydney felt happy. Happy to wake up in the morning and excited to go about her day. The feeling was foreign to her but she knew the reason why. Miguel coming into her life was sudden and he very quickly made it clear that her life didn't have to be a series of dreadful moments, that she could be excited about things and that she could open up without feeling scared.

But Sydney didn't like to open up to people. She was perfectly okay with being a closed book. It wasn't anybody's business what her life was like or what she always thinking. Yet she found herself opening up Miguel and she didn't like it. Or she thought she didn't. "I don't know what it is about him. It's like he's so sweet I want to punch him in the face."

That's aggressive," Sam replied, lounged out by the pool with her sunglasses on.

"Do you expect anything less?" Sydney groaned again. "I don't want to like him but Sam, I think I really like him. How do I even know if I do? I've never done this before."

"Does he make you laugh?"

She turned her head. "What?"

Sam looked her way and raised her sunglasses to the top of her head. "Does he make you laugh?" She repeated.

"Y-Yes," Sydney answered, unsure of herself.

"Does he make you smile?"

"You typically smile when you laugh."

Sam gave her a look. "Do you feel happy when you see him?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel sad when he leaves?"

"I don't feel sad about anything." Sydney declared, becoming defensive at the question.

"Now that's a lie," Sam state and leaned up. She swung her legs off the chair, "you've spent so much time pushing everyone who might like you away because you're afraid of what will happen, that you can't see Miguel's changing you."

"Nobody's changing me, Samantha. I don't need to be changed." Sydney said with an annoyed huff. "But I hear what you're saying."

"I care about you, Syd. I love you. I just want you to be happy."

She sighed. Sydney felt a headache coming on feeling all these feelings at one time. She hated it.

When she saw someone walk into the backyard, Sydney lowered her sunglasses and narrowed her eyes. "Who's that?"

Sam leaned up from her chair. "Hey." She greeted.

"Hi, sorry, I was. . . looking for Mr. Larusso," the boy stuttered and Sydney recognized him as the boy from the other day. "He's been training me back here in the dojo."

"Then I should thank you. He tried roping us into it."

"Yeah, and he should know better than to ask me to participate in things that could mess up my face." Sydney said and went back to lounging on the chair.

The boy grinned. "So you must be the daughter he talks about all the time." He said to Sam.

Sam laughed. "I would hope so."

Sydney hid her smirk at their very obvious flirting.

"I'm Samantha. This is Sydney." Sam introduced them.

"Robby."

"Cute name," Sydney said and lowered her sun glasses to the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, thanks," he muttered, turning shy.

Mr. Larusso walked into the backyard. "Oh, look at this. My current student and my two former students."He glanced at Sydney. "Well, two and half."

Sydney smiled. "Oh, dad, you know me so well."

"You know girls if you still wanna join us, there's still time," Daniel insisted.

"I'm actually going to the mall with mom and grandma." His birth daughter declined.

"And I'm going to a movie with a. . . friend."

Daniel's brows raised. "You have friends besides Sam?"

Sam laughed and Sydney's jaw dropped. "Is that any way to speak to your second daughter?"

Daniel just smiled. "Anyways, we better get going. See you later sweetheart. Bye, Sydie."

"Bye dad." "Bye, Mr. L." The girls said at once.

Before he left, Robby turned to them. "It was nice meeting you guys." He said and smiled at Sam.

She smiled back. "You too. And uh, good luck with the tree."

He looked confused and Daniel called his name. "Bye, Robby!" Sydney said and smirked as he left. She turned her head to Sam. "Then I should thank you'. I would hope so'," she imitated her and laughed. "You're so not slick."

Sam's eyes went wide. "I wasn't flirting! And I don't talk like that!"

"You definitely do and you definitely were."

When Sydney arrived at the movie theater, she saw Miguel standing outside the theater waiting for her. She parked and stepped out of the car, meeting him half way. "Waiting for someone?" She called out.

Seeing her, Miguel smiled. "Just a pretty girl." He flirted.

"Oh yeah? What does she look like?"

"Hmmm, she's tall. About my height. Long brown hair. Dreamy eyes. . ." He named off and smirked. "Hot accent."

Sydney laughed. "She sounds lovely."

"Trust me, she is." He held out his hand. "Come on, they're waiting."

"I still don't understand why it couldn't just be you and I."

"Because something tells me you don't get very much social interaction."

She scoffed. "I do, I just don't like people."

Miguel laughed. He wrapped his arm around her. "Oh, come on. Aisha's here. You love Aisha."

"I do love Aisha. I don't, however, love the newly born Hawk that decided to make an appearance," she said with an annoyed eye roll, "he's almost as mean as I am."

"You're not mean," Miguel said. She gave him a side eyed look. "Okay, you're a little mean, but, he won't bother you. He likes you."

"Why would he like?" She questioned. "I tripped him in the hall once in ninety grade."

He furrowed his brows. "Why?"

She shrugged.

Miguel shook his head. "Don't worry about Hawk. It's just a phase. He'll get over it."

Sydney narrowed her eyes into slits. "Fine, okay." She walked past him. "You're so annoying sometimes, Diaz."

He only smiled and quickly followed her into the theater.

Sydney found it hard to concentrate on the movie because Hawk was too busy throwing popcorn into the hair of the girls sitting in the row in front of them. Her hand was rested on Miguel's and he played with her fingers, something she found adorable.

When she saw another popcorn kernel fly, she huffed and leaned forward. "Y'know, if you're looking to get a girl's attention, throwing salt and butter into her hair isn't exactly #1 on the list." She whispered harshly.

"No, but at least they know I'm here." He whispered back with an obnoxious smirk.

She narrowed her eyes. Miguel laughed. He held up a packet of twizzlers. Sydney grumbled and held out her hand, making him smile and he placed one in the palm of her hand. "I'm going to break that mohawk off of his head."

He laughed quietly. "It's hair. How are you going to break it?"

"I'm sure there's so much hairspray and gel in that thing that you can throw something at it and it'll break." She declared.

"Just remember why we're here," Miguel whispered and grabbed her hand again, "besides, this is kind of our second date, yeah?"

Sydney looked at him again, her expression blank, but he had a cute look on his face that made her ease up. "If you say so." She whispered and took another twizzler from the pack.

When the movie was over, Miguel walked Sydney to her car. "Can I ask you something?" She asked him, her hands clutched around the strap of her purse.

He nodded. "Of course you can."

"Remember when I said my parents were coming home?" She brought up, earning another nod. They reached her car and Sydney leaned against the door. "Well, we usually always have a family dinner when they get back from their trips. Would you like to join us?"

Miguel's eyes nearly beamed out of his bead. "You want me to meet your parents."

Immediately, Sydney backtracked. "No!" She cleared her throat. "I mean not if you don't want to. Do you want to?"

"I don't know. I've never met a girl's parents before." He answered wary.

"I met your mother."

"You did."

"It's only fair, isn't it?"

They were both feeling awkward now. Sydney looked away from him and rubbed the side of her neck. You're such an idiot. Of course he doesn't want to meet your parents. "I'll talk to you later—"

"Wait, what?" Miguel said, stopping her before she got into her car. "Is that something else you do when you get nervous? You walk away from the conversation?" He said with a slightly laugh.

Sydney almost glared. "I'm not nervous."

"It's okay to be. I'm nervous." He admitted. "I was nervous as hell when you met my mom and yaya. I can only imagine how nervous you're feeling."

He was studying her and she didn't like it. "I don't need you to tell me what I'm feeling." She almost snapped. "If you don't want to me them then whatever—"

"I do."

Sydney paused. "What?" She said, her mouth gaped open.

"I want to meet your parents," Miguel said and laughed again, "I'll probably feel like throwing up, but, I'll play it cool."

She felt so confused. "You're sure?" She questioned. When he nodded, Sydney blinked her eyes. "Okay then. I'll next you my address."

Miguel smiled. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Okay." She nodded, still unsure. "Um. . .I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Course. Buenas noches." He told her and walked away.

"Good night!" Sydney called out and she heard him laugh. She got into her car but she sat there for a minute, not turning the car on. How the hell did he have that kind of power over her? To make her feel like she can't talk or embarrassed? Since forever now, Sydney was the one that made people feel afraid or scared to talk to her. That's the kind of power she had over them.

Now this boy was making her lose your words and it was driving her crazy.

Sydney pulled into her home and she saw two cars parking in the driveway. Her mom's Mercedes and her dad's Bentley, which he always parked in front of the garage. She gasped and quickly got out of her car, running all the way to the front door. From the large windows, Sydney saw the two of them talking at the kitchen island. She ran into the house. "Mum! Dad!" She yelled.

Her mother, Caroline, came running into the room. "AHHH!" She screamed and they ran into each other. "There's my girl! I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you more." Her words muffled into her chest.

"Don't squeeze her to death, Care. I need some love, too." Her father, Alexander, joked and he smiled at them.

"Daddy!" Sydney yelled and ran to him. "Tu m'as tellement manqué!" I've missed you so much

"Tu m'as encore plus manqué, princesse." Alex spoke his tongue and kissed the top of her head. "À l'abri des ennuis?" I've missed you more, princess. Staying out of trouble?

"As much as I can," Sydney laughed and pulled away from him. "You know how Daniel and Amanda are. They keep my head screwed on."

"And that's why we love them." Caroline said and came up behind her daughter, wrapping her warm around around her. "I've missed my baby girl." She kissed the back of her head. "I can't wait for our dinner."

Caroline released her and Sydney watched them go back into the kitchen. "Um, speaking of family dinners," she spoke and followed them, "I have something to ask the both of you."

"What is it, my angel?" Alexander asked and pulled a tub of chocolate ice cream out of the freezer as a welcome home celebration.

"Well, uh. . ." She felt nervous again. "I met this boy at school. He's new and, uh, we're kind of. . ." Her words trailed, "I don't know what we are exactly, but, I really like him and I want him to come to the dinner."

Caroline gasped. "You met a boy?" She circled around the island. "What's his name?"

"Miguel."

"And you want him to come to our family dinner? Our very sacred, traditional, family dinner?" Alex dramatized.

Sydney gave him a look. "Yes, daddy, I do. You'll really like him. He's sweet." She tried convincing him.

"Of course he can come." Caroline declared, hitting her husband's arm. She smiled brightly. "I can't wait to meet him!"