CHAPTER SEVEN~

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a familiar voice caused Dion to wake up with a start.

"How scandalous Dion!"

Dion blinked open his eyes and he was greeted by the sight of his parents and his sister staring down at him. His sister had a little smirk perched on her lips. He frowned and looked beside him. Instantly he let out a groan.

Sydney was curled up against his side. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and their legs were tangled together.

"Hi mom, dad... Kaila," he mumbled.

"Dion, who's the lucky girl?" Kaila asked, wriggling her eyebrows up and down.

Dion sighed. It was too early for this. He untangled himself from Sydney gently and pulled a blanket over her. He heard Kaila cooing softly in the distance and he furrowed his eyebrows in aggravation.

"So little brother, care to explain?" Kaila asked once he was upright. She handed him a bag filled with new clothes.

"She got stuck with me and we fell asleep while watching Christmas movies last night," he explained.

"Uh huh, is that all?" she prodded.

"Well, yeah. What else do you expect?"

"Nothing!" she sung innocently. "Nothing at all."

Dion narrowed his eyes at her intimidatingly. Kaila smiled and shoved him to the washrooms.

"Change and wake up your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend. Her name is Sydney and she is a friend who is impossible to wake. Can you make me a lukewarm glass of water and stick a cup of water in the fridge?"

Kaila gave him a really confused look but nodded and moved off. Dion smiled to himself and rushed to the washroom to change quickly. Sydney had to go home briefly today but she would be back soon.

He left the washroom, stuffing his old clothes in the bag. With a rushed thank you to Kaila, he grabbed the two glasses of water and walked over to a still sleeping Sydney with Kaila at his heels.

"What the hell are you doing Dion?" Kaila demanded with visible shock as she put two and two together.

"Waking her up. It's the only way she wakes up," Dion replied with an evil grin. He stood over her and shamelessly poured out his two glasses of water over Sydney's feet. Like he hoped, she woke up with a start. This time she did not yell out Reyna's name.

"Dion! If it's five in the morning, I will kill you!" Sydney shouted, keeping her eyes closed against the bright light the flowed through the open windows.

"I like her." Kaila commented from beside Dion. She walked forwards into Sydney's narrowed sight.

Sydney finally opened her eyes stared at the unknown girl with shock and curiosity. "Sorry, but who are you?" she asked.

"I am Kaila, Dion's amazing sister."

"Oh. That's awkward," Sydney muttered, entangling her fingers and twisting them around.

"Nah, I like you."

"Thanks? I think?"

Sydney's phone rang before anyone could get in another word and she picked it up after checking the caller ID.

"Hey mom," she greeted plainly, "what's up?"

"Honey! Come home to me, my precious baby!" she squealed across the line.

"Do you want to come pick me up so I don't have to walk through piles of snow until I reach home?"

"But... I'm too lazy. Oh, I know, I'll force Marian to come pick you up."

"Thanks mom I'm feeling very loved right now."

"No problem daughter! Marian will be there in about half an hour."

"Bye mother."

"Bye daughter! Love you! Give Dion a nice big hug from me."

"No, you're so embarrassing."

"No ride then."

Sydney growled and ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. "Fine," she snapped.

It's not like her mother would know if she just hung up and told Dion thank you from her mother. Her mother would never know that she never hugged Dion. Everyone would be happy!

"Well? I'm waiting. And put Dion on the phone so I can confirm once you're done."

There went her plans. Sydney sighed, rubbing her eyes. Walking home in several feet of snow was starting to sound a lot better.

"Why do you even want me to do this?" Sydney complained.

"I feel like embarrassing you. I'm in need of a laugh and you'll do the trick."

"Thanks mom."

"Again, you're very welcome. Now go! Shoo!"

Sydney selected the speakerphone option and pushed herself off the ground. She put the phone on a nearby table and beckoned to Dion. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head with another sigh.

"This is from my mother Dion. Don't say anything please." Sydney begged, widening her eyes pleadingly.

She waved him even closer and he obliged, looking more lost and confused by the minute. Once he was within arms reach, she lifted her arms and pulled him into a quick hug. She barely had her arms around his waist when she was already pulling away.

"Done mom!" she yelled in the direction of the phone. "My mother says thank you," she blurted out, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground. "And she wants to talk to you."

She handed him the phone and he nodded, looking beyond amused. Kaila was watching Sydney knowingly. Sydney glanced up and met her Kaila's eyes for the briefest of seconds before she was ducking her head, letting the blush coat her cheeks.

Sydney's mother was definitely not trying to be discrete. Sydney could hear her from her place a few meters away from Dion.

"Did Sydney hug you?" she shouted across the line.

Sydney lifted her head and nearly cried when she saw the devilish smile that graced Dion's face.

"No Dion," she warned warily. "Don't you dare-"

"Well Mrs Chaplin. I'll have you know that we have very different definitions of hugging," Dion drawled.

"What? Did she kiss you instead?"

Sydney groaned and buried her head into her arms as she sank to the ground. She willed the hardwood flooring to open up and swallow her whole.

It didn't work.

Kaila pulled on Sydney's arm and the other girl looked up with faint traces of embarrassment lingering on her face. She followed Kaila into the kitchen, where Dion's parents were rushing around the kitchen.

"So how long have you liked my idiot brother?" she asked bluntly, with hints of a smile.

"What? Pfft, what do you mean Kaila?" Sydney asked, waving her hands around wildly.

"You suck at lying and acting, just so you know. So, how long have you liked him?"

Sydney shook her head. "Too long."

Kaila sensed the sadness in Sydney's tone and she offered her a sympathetic look and didn't pry. "Well, it kind of sucks that you managed to get stuck here with him for so long.

"Yeah well, I'm stuck with him one way or another because he's at the same university as me. But I'm trying to get over him anyway so I'll be okay Kaila."

"Sucks that my brother is so free with his affectionateness. No one can ever tell what he's thinking, no one can tell if he likes someone either. Not even me and I've grown up with the nincompoop," Kaila feigned a look of disgust.

Sydney couldn't help but laugh when she saw that and Kaila cracked a laugh too.

"It's nice to see you laugh. You have a lovely smile." Kaila complimented.

Sydney smiled shyly and nodded her thanks. The two siblings were distinctly similar.

The bell outside rang , announcing the arrival of someone. Sydney rushed outside and was greeted by the sight of her sister Marian. Marian was already engaging Dion in a lively conversation. Once she caught sight of Sydney, she stopped everything and rushed over, pulling Sydney into a tight hug.

Sydney was shocked by the unusual display of affection. "What is up sis?" she asked.

"So, how's it going with Dion?" Marian mumbled softly. "Are you guys together now?"

Sydney shoved her sister away roughly. She should have known Marian would not run in for the sake of seeing her. That would never happen.

"It's been three days! Not even!" Sydney hissed. "Jeez!"

"A girl can dream," Marian sang, dancing out of reach of Sydney's enraged smacking. "Go grab your things sissy. It's time to go back home to spill everything to me!"

"I'll come with you Syd." Dion offered, following Sydney regardless of her answer.

He followed her out of the room.

"So Syd," he started once she was out of the room. "Remember our push up contest?"

"Yeah."

"I have a question for you because you lost."

"Just a question?" Sydney asked. It didn't seem Dion-like to simply ask a question and be satisfied.

"Yup. But you have to answer it honestly."

Sydney narrowed her eyes as she picked up her jacket and shrugged it on.

"Okay. Shoot."

"Who is your super-secret crush?" he asked just as they left the back room.

"What?"

"I believe you heard me very well."

Sydney thought back to what Marian once told her about admitting her crush so she could begin to get over it.

She caught Marian's eye and blinked rapidly, subtly motioning to the car. Marian seemed to understand and she excused herself from her conversation with Kaila.

"I'll go warm up with car. Take your time with your goodbyes!" she chirped, keeping a perfectly normal façade.

"Well?" Dion pushed curiously from behind her.

Sydney waited until Marian was in the car and had it started up before she headed to the doorway. "Uhhh, well. My super-secret crush is..."

Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest.

She couldn't do this.

She had to.

Sydney took a deep breath as she opened the café doors.

"My super-secret crush is you."

Then she was flying out the doors of Sugar Sweet Café and dolphin-diving into the passenger seat of Marian's car.

"Step on it sis!"

"That wasn't too bad was it now?" Marian commented with a silly smile on her face.

"You heard?"

"Well, you weren't trying to be quiet."

"Dammit."