"Roman!" Sydney called with a pissed-looking face, finding her way over to the playground to get him. She got over there only to find a stranger helping Roman to sit on the playground swing.
Surprised by the kind unwelcome gesture which she didn't appreciate, she paused in her tracks for a moment before continuing with her walk.
"Excuse me, do I know you?" Sydney was quick to ask when she reached the spot where Roman and the stranger were and he revealed his face to her.
"Sha…Sha…Shane?…" The handbag she came with swiftly reached the floor. Sydney couldn't believe her eyes. Is it really Shane that is standing right in front of her? How did he find her? How was he able to do that?
She has been hiding from her family like a ghost the way she promised him that she would do for years now. So how is it possible he was the only one capable of finding her now?
However, thinking about it, it is kind of a good thing that Shane was the one who found her first. If it was their mom or dad, today wouldn't end so well for Sydney.
It hasn't really even been a good day for her already, not with the drama that happened in school today caused by Roman.
Shane acted like the generous gentleman he was and picked her handbag up from the floor for her and handed it back to Sydney. He knew this would be her first reaction to revealing himself to her. And now it's time for lots of questions and answers.
Roman was spared from being scolded by Sydney, all thanks to Shane who showed up out of nowhere as if he had an idea what would have happened if he didn't.
"You smell so different, I was hardly able to recognize your scent" Sydney chose to be the first one to strike up a conversation with Shane, settling down on a bench not too far from the swing that Roman was playing with.
She has to keep her eyes strictly fixed on him. Who knows? when next he will sneak out to go find someone else to fight and maybe break his head this time?
"You smell differently too, must be because it's been quite a long time since we've seen each other," Shane took in a deep breath and rubbed the top of his nose after pointing out he wasn't the only one whose scent had changed to Sydney. She smells so differently too from the way she used to and it seems to be much better than the way she used to before.
"You know he's a very nice kid," Shane followed Sydney's gaze which was fixed on Roman, and waved to him. Roman flashed him a smile and waved back, still enjoying the swing he was on. While Sydney was left wondering if they had already become friends in this short period they just got to know each other.
However, seeing the huge smile Roman had on his face while waving to Shane. She knew he liked him already.
"He's a very nice kid isn't the real definition of a kid who breaks his classmate's arm and nose" Sydney got a bit jealous of Shane and Roman's friendship and wanted to ruin it.
If only Shane had the slightest idea of the embarrassment she passed through today because of Roman. Then, he wouldn't really say that he's a nice kid.
Shane observed Sydney being jealous for a moment and laughed it off, asking. "He's a tough one, isn't he? I see who he got that from" He teased Sydney jokingly, giving her a nudge.
One look at Roman and anyone can tell he looks so much like Barry, so no need to ask who the father of her pup is. It's likely only going to bring tears to her eyes which Shane doesn't want happening.
This is a happy reunion between him and his little sister, also his as well as the long-lost friend that he had has successfully been found. This moment between them right now isn't about Barry the jerk.
"He didn't get it from me if that's what you are thinking. When I was his age, I wasn't as violent as he is now. He's just so…ugh… forget it," Sydney had no idea what to describe Roman with, so she just quit trying after describing him as violent.
Roman sometimes is indescribable.
"Go easy on him, Syd. I think he acts like that because you would scold him each time you find fault with him. He's just a kid, the more you go hard on him. He will grow up with it and start to adapt to it and will only keep on doing as he wants"
Shane could tell Sydney goes hard on her pup most of the time, the kind of stare she was giving him right now, even from the little distance they were away from him, was enough to scare the poor kid to death. But he was too busy playing on the swing to worry about getting scolded by his mom.
"Sometimes, all you have to do is listen. Get him to talk to you, kids are pretty difficult to understand so sometimes all you have to do is to listen to him to know what could be going on with him"
"What are you doing here, Shane? How were you able to find me? How do you even know that Roman is my kid?" Sydney was tired of Shane tutoring her on how to handle Roman as if he had a kid of his own.
She's pretty sure he doesn't like pups as much as she does and hasn't had one with Brittany yet.
"I'm smart enough to know that tough little guy over there is your kid, Syd. But wait a minute, Roman is his name? He refused to tell me that but insisted on me to help him get on the swing" Shane didn't get Roman's name when Sydney first called him that while coming in here.
Using it as a smart excuse to avoid the question she asked, he changed it to something else with his eyes moving toward Roman's direction.
Sydney was more interested in getting to know how Shane was able to find her than anything else. So she had to ask again. "Don't change or avoid the topic, Shane. How were you able to find me?. I'm pretty sure I hid from you guys very well".
"Nah, you didn't, Syd. You didn't quite hide like a ghost the way you promised me you would, with that plan of yours to run away with Barry" Shane made Sydney know what she wanted to find out from him and she didn't like it.
"If you did, I wouldn't have been able to find you here today. Would I? Think about it" Shane let Sydney know her plan to hide away from him and the rest of her family like a ghost failed woefully.
Sydney suddenly became alarmed that her plan to hide from her family like a ghost failed terribly. So, she started thinking of the worst happening, like their parents showing up here in the next two seconds to pick her up and forcefully take her home with them. She couldn't help but question again.
"Do Mom and Dad know about this? Do they know I'm here, Shane?!" The anxiety taking over Sydney's voice and her whole body quivering like an earthquake was so obvious that Shane had to try his best to keep her calm.
"You wouldn't want Roman to see you acting so shaken up, would you, Syd? Stay calm. Mom and Dad don't know about this, I'm the only one that does. I was a snitch to you in the past, I swore not to be that again" These words of Shane brought Sydney down to calmness instantly and she sighed a deep sigh of relief.
If their parents ever find out where she is, then it means she has to move again. Sydney has lost count of every single time she moved out of where she used to stay in fear of getting found by any member of her family.
Especially by her mom and dad, knowing who they are and how they strongly kicked against the idea of her running away from home with Barry. It's obvious they have never stopped searching for her and probably still are.
"If they don't know about this. How then are you able to?" Sydney couldn't help but ask. She wants to confirm something from Shane. The first people she has always feared to find her are their parents, not her brothers.
"Because you are more than a sister to me, Syd. You were my best friend and after that night I betrayed you. I just knew I couldn't let you go like that. So I started tracking you down. Mom and Dad did too, including Henry, but none of them were smart and fast enough to figure out where you are like I did"
Shane explained to Sydney in detail what she wanted to hear. He feels pretty bad each time he recalls how he betrayed her and blames himself for the way she's living today without her loved ones by her side.
They have always been staying together, starting from when packs were still existing before the chaos invaded.
Maybe if he hadn't snitched on her and just kept on trying to talk her out of her stupid plan to run away with Barry. Then things might have ended up turning differently in a much better way than it is now.
He totally failed her as a friend.