Dedicated to  @kath2354 for the cover at the top thank you💚

This chapter ending didn't come out the way i wanted it but here's an update : )

Chapter Thirty Eight: "Are You Weird?"

"WHOA." ZEN MUMBLED on one side of me.

Everyone in the group, which was basically my group of friends groaned at the same time as we entered the hotel, feeling a little tired from the free time we had gotten on our trip.

"Zen you've said whoa at least one thousand times today. Stop saying it." Eduardo muttered, leaning his head on Mary Anne's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Everything here is just so much more..." He trailed off, glancing up at the lights as we all waited for the elevator to take us all to the floors our school was occupying. We arrived in New York City yesterday and when they said this city never sleeps, they meant it.

That also meant they since the city never sleeps, Zen never stops saying 'whoa'.

"More what?" Kim asked.

"More...real. Makes me want to move here one day." He murmured just when the elevator came.

"I think I took too many pictures." Mary Anne mumbled, looking through her phone and her camera.

"You took pictures of every single building we saw yesterday and today."

"They were all Instagram worthy." Mary Anne used as an excuse.

"What about the random people you took pictures of?"

"Tumblr worthy and I asked permission." Mary Anne brushed Eduardo off as Sarah slumped against the wall of the elevator just as the door closed.

Sarah nudged me. "Where's your Turtle?"

I looked down at my phone for the time. "Probably in his room with Devin."

"How come they didn't come with us?" Mary Anne asked curiously.

"Devin wanted to go to this small show with some other people part of the music industry. They said that they got tickets or something like that and went with a teacher."

Just then Kim swatted Zen on the arm. "I told you that show was today."

"I'm not a fucking informer. How was I supposed to know?" Zen defended himself.

"There's another one everyone's going to on Thursday. Relax." Sarah mumbled, looking down at her phone as her finger tapped furiously on the screen.

"Okay who are you texting now? That Luke guy?" Eduardo asked.

"Nope." Mary Anne, Kim and I all said at the same time.

"Then who is it?" Zen asked, confused.

"Cody."

"Broadway guy?" Sarah nodded, not paying attention to us talking about her. "Are you guys together?"

"Not together," Mary Anne corrected. "Talking. A new form of telling people in our generation that they are not allowed to talk to anyone else of the opposite sex like they talk to you. As if you're together but not actually together."

"Wait why did you spend all day talking to him through text when you could actually physically talk to him?" Zen asked, making a face. "He's here."

The doors of the elevator opened as Sarah explained, and we all moved out. "We have a text only relationship you can say. Makes things easier."

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Zen muttered, walking ahead to the room where Kim, Sarah, Mary Anne and I were sharing.

He grabbed the key card from Kim and opened the door. "Why can't you just talk to him normally-"

He was cut off by excited screams and I almost tripped over the bed as I made my way along with everyone else, jumping on top of our friend who had been seated on the bed, watching the TV mounted on the wall.

"Can all you people get off me please?" Octavia mumbled into the comforter.

We all got off of her and as everyone gave her a hug, I took her in. Her hair was in box braids tied up in a neat bun. I noticed a new cartilage piercing and the pink bomber jacket she was wearing. She wore non-prescription thin rimmed glasses and her makeup was clearly not just some drug store brand.

When she moved over to me I grasped her into a much needed hug. She hugged me back just as hard, smiling so wide. "Sydney."

She gave me a knowing smile and the one on my own face dropped. "What did Wesley tell you?"

I knew her and Wesley had gotten very close. Most of my conversations over the phone with either of them turned into a three way call where I could hear them talk to each other like they had been best friends for such a long time. It was entertaining and I was glad that even though Octavia and I had been friends for such a short time, she became a great friend to me.

"Nothing, nothing," She waved a hand but I gave her a look and she laughed. "Okay, okay. We just had a little chat about your...what do you call him? Your turtle?"

"Stop." I grinned, knowing Wesley wouldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Wait, Lucas gave you this?" Mary Anne asked, grabbing the stuffed turtle that was sticking out of my suitcase.

I took it out of her hands. "Yeah, for Christmas."

A huge aw came from all the girls mouths including Eduardo who exaggerated the 'aw' and made kissy faces. I shoved him away from me so he slipped and fell onto the bed. "Fuck you." He mumbled into the comforter.

I smiled, turning back to Octavia. "How's the film going?"

Octavia's smile got bigger. "It's amazing. Everyone on set is great except for..."

"Jack." Everyone in the room said at the same time. Ever since Octavia left, I listened to Octavia rant about her ex-boyfriend and how he tried to get her back. He would send multiple flowers to her dressing room. He would try and get her alone, practically begging her to take him and claiming that what he did with Lydia was a huge mistake.

Fast forward to now, she didn't take him back.

"The best part is that he doesn't have to film anymore so I'm free besides a couple of meetings and the premiere of the movie after everything is done. I got signed a small commercial deal the other day so everything is going great at the moment."

"That's great Oct." Zen said from where he was sitting next to Eduardo who still had his face in the comforter of the bed Mary Anne and I were sharing.

"Oh, I have presents!" Octavia said, running near the door where she must've put them all when she had found her way inside our room.

She handed everyone different bags and shoved the purple bag in my hands. "By the way Sydney, I'm heading to Toronto during your Nationals competition."

I jaw dropped at the news. I was going to have a Wesley and Octavia reunion where those two could finally meet for the first time. It was honestly such luck that Nationals was in Toronto this year. I could see all my old friends.

"You're shitting me." I mumbled, glancing down at the bag to look up at her.

She shook her head and winked, lying down on the bed next to me. "Definitely not."

I took out what was inside the bag, to look at a green expensive jacket just like Octavia was wearing. "It's green like your turtle."

She barked out a loud laugh, everyone staring at her confused as I rolled my eyes, shrugging it on. "I hate you but thank you."

"I got Lucas something in there too. Invite him here." She said before turning to make conversation with Mary Anne.

I messaged Lucas just as Zen asked Octavia a question, flipping through channels on the remote. "I thought you wanted a nose piercing what happened?"

"My dad freaked when I told him I wanted one so after three days of begging and using the whole 'everyone has one' line, I ended up getting a cartilage piercing instead."

Octavia blasted loud music from her phone and I could hear Zen groan loudly as she snatched the remote, putting the TV on mute. "This is definitely something I did not miss."

"Shut up and enjoy the music. If you knew how to dance or rap you'd like it."

"Thank God I can't dance or rap then." Zen muttered but unfortunately for him.

"Zen if a girl asked you to dance what are you going to do, huh? Stand there?"

"No he's going to ward them off with a glare like he usually does." Eduardo said, thinking no one could hear but Mary Anne, Sarah and I laughed at that.

"Shut up." Zen said to Eduardo.

"She's not wrong Zen. You should loosen up a bit." Kim told him, smiling down at the expensive sunglasses in her hands.

"How can you expect a guy like me to dance like...Eduardo?"

Eduardo got up from the bed. "Maybe because I know how to put my legs to good use and my fingers aren't constantly typing on a keyboard."

"Was that a jab?"

"At you? Obviously."

"C'mon get up," Octavia took her jacket off and lifted Zen on both feet. "Just move your body like this."

After about a minute of watching Octavia struggle to get Zen to at least move his waist, a knock was heard on the door. Mary Anne got up to get it and let Lucas inside. He looked so confused by the music blasting from Octavia's phone and Octavia telling Zen where to put his hands on her body.

He saw me on the bed and Eduardo passed by him to close the door. Patting him on the back, Eduardo passed Lucas again and I heard him mumble something which made Lucas' cheeks red.

After acknowledging people with the nodding of the head, he moved to sit beside me on the bed as I laughed when Zen's eyebrows raised so high when Octavia pulled a couple of moves on him, her back to his front.

"What is going on here?" Lucas asked lowly.

"Octavia's trying to teach Zen how to dance."

Eduardo barked out a laugh, leaning on top of my legs. "More like how to grind and dios is this man sure struggling. Zen you have a body man, move it."

Zen showed Eduardo his middle finger, looking a little entranced by what Octavia was doing against him. I reached into the bag Octavia had handed me and felt fabric, instantly taking it out of the bag and handing it to Lucas. "She got this for you."

Lucas looked down at it, his eyes narrowed. "A beanie."

"Not just a beanie. A red and white beanie because of what you call her." Octavia said, stopping her movements. "Zen you got it? Do you know what to do now?"

Zen scratched the back of his head. "This is what Danny Clinton felt like in tenth grade when you danced with him?"

Octavia shrugged. "I guess so."

"Damn." I heard Zen mutter just as Eduardo looked down at the hat in Lucas' hand.

"Dude if you wear that you'll look like Waldo." Eduardo burst out laughing, grabbing the hat from Lucas' hand.

Octavia snatched it out of his hand, scowling and handing it back to Lucas. "I thought it was cute."

Lucas cracked a smile. "Thanks Octavia. It's good to see you again."

"Same goes for you. Now, stand up." She ordered him.

Lucas carefully stood up, handing me the beanie and I watched the interaction carefully as Octavia stepped closer to him. "I don't care if you're one of the many sons to the richest man on earth. I don't care if you're amazingly talented. I don't. What I want to know is that you won't hurt my friend or else I'll send your ass all the way to the other side of the world and you'll be begging Sydney to forgive you on your knees."

By the time she had finished saying that, her hands were balled up against his plaid shirt and she was staring at him dead in the eyes. Then she smiled tightly. "Got it?"

Lucas nodded quickly and she let go of him. I watched him take deep breaths as he sat down next to me slowly. "You weren't kidding when you said she'll lecture me when she came back."

"That was just part one," Octavia informed the both of us. "If you meet Wesley, that's when part two will come out."

"You guys discussed this?" I asked, wondering why I'm even surprised. I always become close friends with the crazy people to be honest.

"Of course," Octavia said. "Now what time do you guys have to be in your rooms and headed to bed or something?"

"Ten thirty." Eduardo answered.

Octavia rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Plus Sydney and I have to up earlier since we're going to train with some National dancers." Eduardo mentioned.

"And tomorrow the actors and singers are going to a Broadway show." Kim spoke up.

"And the instrumental players are going to some hall to watch a performance and then actually play at the same hall later that night and we all have to watch." Sarah said.

"I heard," Octavia said. "What about you Zen? What are you going to do before that?"

Zen shrugged. "I get to see some director tomorrow shoot a music video but if you have nothing to do you can come with."

"Awesome." Octavia mumbled, lying down on the bed. "But I really want to have a party."

"In this hotel room? Are you weird?" Eduardo asked.

"No," Octavia sat up. "It would be great. We go to a school that knows how to get turnt anyway. What better then to celebrate it in a hotel room?"

"Didn't you get invited to some parties in LA?"

Octavia went into detail about some huge party and I leaned by head on Lucas shoulder. I was mouthing along the words to the song blasting from Octavia's phone when I looked up at Lucas who was playing with the curly strands of my hair. "I knew you would know this song. Seems like your type of music."

"If you want your type of music go to Zen's phone. I think he'll have a couple of your songs on there."

"You say that like it's an insult." Lucas said, turning his head towards the muted TV where some cartoon was laying on the screen. I studied his profile and wondered what went on in that artistic mind of his when he was talking to different people. I wondered how he viewed them in his mind.

"You guys are so cute." I heard Octavia gushed. "Actually you're both so cute you make me want to puke."

I took one of the pillows and flung it at Octavia who swung it back at me hard and before I knew it everyone in the room even Lucas was in a full out pillow fight war. I smacked the pillow against Eduardo's head and watched as he dropped to the ground from the impact and he laughed like crazy.

I got hit by Kim who got hit by Zen who ended being smacked all the way to the wall by Octavia who ended up being hit by Mary Anne who ended up being hit by the shortest out of everyone in the room, Sarah.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Sarah yelled and we all paused, breathing heavily from how intense the pillow fight was.

"What?" Kim asked, dropping her pillow to the ground.

"I heard my phone go off. I think Cody texted me back." Sarah jumped on the bed her and Kim were sharing, reaching for her phone and immediately typing on the screen.

"Is she more addicted to her phone than before I left or is it pretty much the same?"

"The same." Mary Anne answered for her.

"But seriously guys let's throw a-"

"Oct, I'm not planning on getting in any trouble here. We're not throwing a party." Eduardo told her.

Octavia sighed. "Fine."

I slumped against Lucas chest and he wrapped his arms around me, his back against the headboard. I took a quick picture of Octavia, sending it to Wesley through the hotel wifi. He replied almost immediately. "Wesley wants you to call him tomorrow morning."

"Tell Wesley to call me instead. I'm going to forget." Octavia whined, throwing her legs over mine.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not your fucking messenger. Do it yourself."

Eduardo and Mary Anne weren't really fazed when I said that. Lucas definitely wasn't because even though his eyes were on the deck of cards Eduardo was pulling out of his bag, he started chuckling. Kim, Zen and Sarah who although we were all friends, were not that used to how I acted in front of people I was comfortable around, looked at me with confusion.

"Damn." Zen whistled, snatching the deck of cards from Eduardo's hands.

Octavia on the other hand grabbed me away from Lucas and tackled me on the bed, hugging me tightly and laughing. "This is why I missed you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay how do you do it?" I asked Lucas over the sound of the rest of our grade talking loudly throughout the restaurant. I glanced over to my left and right where some of my friends were sitting, and I could spot Eduardo doing a handstand next to some other guy I recognized from dance.

Because that was completely normal to do in a restaurant.

"Like this," He grabbed my hands, trying to put my fingers in a proper position. Lucas laughed when he let go and I almost fumbled the chopsticks out of my hand. "How have you not done this before?"

"I like sushi. It doesn't mean I eat it with chopsticks."

"What do you eat it with then?"

"A utensil. It's called a fork." I told Lucas sarcastically.

"Do you use that fork to eat it with this thing called a mouth?" He retorted. I rolled my eyes, not trying to think about how he didn't even waste a second to fight back and how every time he did that I had to hide my smile. I dropped the chopsticks and grabbed the fork, taking the sticky rice and eating it wholeheartedly.

"But seriously? Not even Wesley taught you how to use these?"

I shook my head. "He tried but for some reason my fingers don't understand how to hold a chopstick like my feet know how to do a pirouette so..."

"Clearly." Lucas muttered and I glared at him. He looked a little bit different because he got new glasses that were thinner and made him look more mature. A better kind of mature.

My intense gaze on him was cut short when someone else slid their chair next to our table and I watched Jane, in a cute halter top and high waist jeans sit down and take seaweed from my plate.

She chewed on it frantically before grabbing Lucas' drink and downing it all in one go. Lucas watched her, eyes slightly wide behind his glasses. "Jane, what the fu-"

"I'm sorry. I'm just having a little issue." She said, taking another piece of sushi from my own plate with the chopsticks I had abandoned.

"Wh-"

"Don't ask. She'll explain once she's done." Lucas told me, leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed.

Jane swallowed and laced her fingers on the table. "I'm sorry for interrupting your mini date here where we were all meant to have dinner as the future class of 2015 before we go off to the musical and then go watch our instrumental band play but whatever. You both clearly understand what a gathering is."

"Where's Devin?" Lucas asked, rolling his eyes at what Jane said.

Jane waved a hand. "Devin has way more friends besides us, you realize this right? He's talking to them about music stuff or some shit like that. Anyway, onto bigger issues like me and my problems. You see how she's here?"

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"The girl she likes." Lucas told me before turning his gaze back to Jane. "You've been saying this for weeks. You know that she's here. And every single time you talk to her you always say something rude. You know this right?"

Jane played with the ends of her high ponytail, resting her elbows on the small table and resting her hand under her chin. She looked at Lucas with a bored expression as if what he just said was completely stupid. "And your point is?"

"Talk to her but this time without being...mean."

"I'm not mean."

"To her you are. Remember before the break? You got into a fight with her because you thought she took your pencil?"

"I honestly thought she took my pencil!" Jane exclaimed.

"You could've just taken another pencil even if she did." Lucas told her.

Jane hesitated, her mouth forming in a 'o' before rolling her eyes and glancing down at her manicured nails. "It was a special type of pencil."

"Sure." Lucas and I said at the same time.

"Whatever." Jane got up and left. I stared at her as she randomly sat down next to a group of people, pulling up a chair and engaging in conversation.

"Anyway," Lucas asked, picking up the california sushi roll with his chopstick. "How was Julliard today? I heard Mrs. Yousiff took some of you to the campus."

I played with a strand of my hair, recalling the day that had gone by. "It was insane. Just seeing it again makes me want to go there again and we even got to see some of the classes."

"You can imagine yourself there can't you?"

"I can."

"Did anyone recognize you?"

"One of the professors did. He was one of the people that talked to me after my performance at Worlds."

"It's great to have connection huh?"

"Yeah," I said, putting on a bit of wasabi. "Kind of puts more expectations on me."

"Sydney..." He trailed off, reaching under the table to take my hand that was on my knees.

"Me da miedo." I said without thinking, using my other hand to push my thick hair out of my face.

Lucas stared at me looking adorably confused at what I had just said. "What does that mean?"

"It scares me." I admitted to him in English.

"It shouldn't," I felt the coolness of his rings against my skin, his touch comforting. "How many times do I have to tell you? You're an amazing dancer, with insane talent. I swear you told me you were in a music video."

"Yeah when I was like five," I pointed out but Lucas gave me that look that made me continue. "And when I was twelve and sixteen. But that's not the point."

"And you were in National dance magazines and on the cover of one."

"That's not the point Lucas." I tried to cut him off but Lucas was on a roll, leaning back in his chair.

"Sydney! You got to wake up and realize that's you're amazing and that it's okay to brag about your talents and put them to full use. I'm being fucking cheesy right now because you have to believe in yourself. I believe in you. Your mom believes in you because if she didn't she wouldn't have put you in that ballet class when you were three."

He sucked in a deep breath after that long speech and ended up coughing, grabbing the water. "Fuck."

I bit my lip to hold in my laughter, squeezing his hand. "Thanks."

"Anytime and if I have to give you the same exact speech every time before you perform than I'll do it."

"I want to hug you but the table is in the way."

Lucas got up from his side of the chair and squished in next to me, putting an arm around me. "Is that better?" He mumbled against the side of my head.

I leaned against him. "Yeah. But now I need to go to the bathroom."

Lucas chuckled as I quickly got up, rushing over to the washroom. I spotted Lydia talking to a couple of people on the short way along with Matilda. She looked at me weirdly and before I could even step through the bathroom door with the pressing need to pee on my mind, she blocked my way.

Mentally sighing, I took a deep breath. "Hi Lydia." I quipped, shoving my hands into the back pocket of my jeans.

"I haven't seen in you in forever. How was your break?"

Why the fuck do you even care?

"It was great." I mumbled.

"I didn't see you at Joey's party. I thought everyone at school was invited." She waited for an answer, blinking at me with her green eyes and I was mentally shoving her to the side in my head.

"Joey and I aren't exactly friends." I told her, about to sidestep her when she blocked me again.

"Aw, I missed you at the party."

You mean the one where you eventually got kicked out of?

"Thanks." I said, not meaning it and tried to side step her again but she blocked me.

I closed my eyes, looking down at the ground. Can someone in this place get this bitch out of my way so I can go pee already?

I sighed. "Lydia what do you exactly want from me?"

She glanced behind me before crossing her arms, getting less fake and a little more serious. "I saw you talking to Joey."

I stared at her ludicrously. "Wait, the beginning of this trip? Where all Joey and I did was see each other when he happened to pass by me and he said 'Acosta' and I said 'Cahill'. It's not that serious because that's the way we always greet each other."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Okay but you say that you aren't friends when you most likely are."

"We aren't. Do I have to spell it out for you?" I was getting irritable. Maybe it was because this girl has been blocking the door to the bathroom for me and all I wanted to do was go to the fucking bathroom.

"Really?" She doesn't seem to believe me and this time I actually feel like spelling out the words 'we aren't' for her if someone could give me a pen and napkin.

"Really. What do you think I'm going to do? Steal him or something?"

The look on her face said it all and I looked over at Matilda and back at her. First Isaac who I haven't even had a proper conversation with unless it was about dance and now Joey, who I wasn't a fan of.

I don't remember being accused of getting taking people's love interest back in Toronto.

I took another deep breath, clasping my fingers together. "In case you haven't noticed, I have a boyfriend. Lucas? Does his name ring a bell? It should. He's been in your first period class for months and you've been going to school with him for almost four years."

Second, even if there wasn't Lucas in the picture, I wouldn't go out with Joey. It's Joey. That already said enough about him.

And third, this girl has been having an off and on relationship with Joey for years now and based off what Lucas told me  and what I've seen, Joey doesn't want to be with her anymore.

His relationship with his ex-girlfriend was not my problem and I didn't really care. I wish the girl in front of me knew that too.

I gave Lydia a tight smile, wishing I had said that all out loud but was glad I held back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to the bathroom." And I'd appreciate it if we never spoke for the rest of this trip.

I moved past her and smiled to myself as I pushed open the door to the bathroom. Finally.