Medication Needed
Chapter Five
The next morning, Tatum Riley greeted Sidney at the front door. Sidney smiled softly at her best friend as she lifted two duffle bags up for her to see.
"Where's that strapping brother of yours?" Tatum asked, peaking over Sidney's shoulder. Sidney laughed and shook her head. She knew that her friend would have to meet her brother at some point, but she didn't know how Roman would react to being the "fresh meat" on the block. Still, she prayed that it would go alright as she hollered for her brother.
"Roman! Come get these bags please!" Sidney called. As if on cue, Roman entered the living room rubbing his wet head with a towel without a shirt. Sidney rolled her eyes as Tatum's expression. It was clear that she liked what she saw; and if Sidney was honest, that made her very uncomfortable. "Off limits," Sidney informed her friend. Tatum gave a small pout.
"Fine," a small grin curved her lips, "I'm going to have Stu soon anyway…" Sidney laughed and shook her head. Tatum had been saying that ever since they were in the eighth grade. Stu Macher would be hers. As a joke once, Sidney made a T-shirt that said "Tatum Riley: Funny, Bubbly, Outgoing, and…" on the front and on the back it said "Property of Stu Macher since 1990." As far as Sidney knew, Tatum never wore the shirt outside of her home. "I'm serious!" Tatum declared. "He's dumping Casey for me!"
"Does that mean you'll wear the shirt outside now?" Sidney teased as she stepped aside for her brother. Roman looked as his sister curiously as she took the bags from Tatum's hands. Tatum rolled her eyes and shoved Sidney's shoulder. Sidney gave a short laugh at her friend's expression. Only a few times had Sidney ever seen Tatum blush and they all seemed related to one Stu Macher.
"Maybe I will," Tatum muttered.
"Ladies, you may need to head out if you expect to be on time," Roman told them as he reentered the living room. Sidney was relieved to see that he had put on a shirt.
"Bye, Roman, have a good day," Sidney said as she lifted her backpack onto her shoulder and joined her friend outside on the concrete porch. She disguised the pain that shot through her hand by adjusting her backpack higher up her shoulder. The bandage she had wrapped around her hand was easily hidden by the long sleeve of her jacket. Roman smiled at his little sister.
"You too," he told her. Tatum gave a small snort as Sidney closed the door. Sidney looked over at her friend as they walked down the steps toward Tatum's red convertible.
"What?" Sidney asked as they climbed into the car.
"He's not very good at emotions, is he?" Tatum commented as she started the car. "Not that you're an Emotional Emily," Tatum smiled at the small "hey!" that escaped Sidney's lips, "but you know, he seems more impaired at it than you are."
"He grew up in foster homes," Sidney admitted quietly to Tatum. A solemn silence fell over the girls for a moment before Tatum changed the subject to her expectations of what Stu asking her out would be like. Sidney gave a small smile and listened attentively.
Roman had been watching his sister and the Riley girl leave when the shrill ring of his cell phone pull him from his trance. He dug it from his pocket and answered with his professional tone.
"Hello, Mr. Bridger, would you mind coming in for an interview?" A familiar voice asked. It took him a moment to realize that it was the same person he had talked to at the news station in getting an application. Roman quickly squashed his excitement and dug out a memo pad and a pen.
"I would be honored, sir," he said. He had learned early on that flattery worked wonders. "What time do you need me to come in?"
"Is today around one good for you?" He asked. Roman nodded before recalling that the man couldn't see him. Sidney out of school around two-thirty seeing as she wasn't in any extracurricular events.
"Of course," he answered.
"Good. I will see you then, Mr. Bridger," the man told him. Before Roman could say goodbye, the man hung up. For a moment, Roman stared at his cell. He shrugged and put it back into his pocket. He leaned against the counter and absorbed his good fortune. That absorption led him to wondering just why no one else wanted the job as camera man.
Sidney was greeted by Billy and Stu the minute she stepped out of the car. Stu swept her into a hug before passing her off into Billy's arms. Her hands easily landed on Billy's shoulders. Pain once more shot through her hand at the contact. She pushed it out of her mind as Billy set her to her feet. The pain drifted out of her mind completely when his lips met hers. Billy's lips were magical like that, she had long ago decided.
"Alright, you two lovebirds," Stu teased as he threw an arm around Tatum's shoulders. Billy and Sidney pulled away from one another. She smiled as Billy took her backpack from her. He held it down by his side with his left hand while his right hand held hers. She bumped his shoulder gently as they walked down the sidewalk toward the school. He smiled her favorite smile and bumped her back.
"Hey, Billy," a sickly sweet female voice called. Sidney looked over to see Casey Becker waving at her boyfriend. He quirked an eyebrow then nodded in greeting. Sidney's eyebrows almost met her hairline at the giggle Casey gave. Billy's hand left hers to meet her waist. Instinctively, she wrapped an arm around his waist. The blonde twirled her hair around her finger as she eyed Billy. Sidney scoffed and rolled her eyes. It was clear that Casey was attempting to seduce her boyfriend. An evil, hilarious idea popped into her mind as they walked away. Sidney glanced back at Casey to make sure that she was watching. Sidney slid her hand down Billy's famous "bubble butt" and gave it a squeeze. Billy jumped in shock and looked over at her in alarm. She smirked at Casey's shocked expression.
As Tatum stood in shock on the second step and Stu leaned against the concrete railing holding his sides as they split with laughter, Billy leaned over and whispered to her: "You should be jealous more often…" Sidney laughed.
"That's not jealousy," she returned in the same low whisper, "that's telling the bitch to back off what's mine." Billy nearly stumbled up a step at the curse and possessive tone in her voice. Sidney knew that both her words and her actions were very out of character for her, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. She wanted to act out of character. She wanted to let loose a little bit. A more vindictive part of her whispered that she wanted to hurt her mother. She wanted to make her mother think that she was much happier out from underneath her roof.
"Well, whatever it is," he whispered, "I like it." Sidney blushed slightly. Billy couldn't help but wonder if getting out of her mother's house had been good for her, good for them. Maureen Prescott never really liked Billy Loomis and made it very clear that she thought that her daughter could do better.
"I'm going to have to bleach my brain," Tatum muttered. Stu's laughter increased in volume at that. For all of Stu's prodding earlier, Tatum and he were still late for class. Sidney smirked when she saw the tears in Stu's eyes and the cheerful redness on his cheeks. Tatum glanced over at her and shuddered.
"Who are you and what have you done with Sidney Prescott?" Tatum asked. Sidney smirked softly. Then a thought hit her. What if she no longer was Sidney Prescott? What if she became a Bridger? If her mother rejected Roman and her as a unit, then she would become a Bridger. If her mother accepted them both she would keep the family name. She decided that she would speak to Roman about it after school.
One o'clock had come quickly for Roman. At twelve thirty, he was in a cab and heading to the news station. At one, he was being ushered back by a pretty receptionist with bright red nails. At one oh one, he was sitting in front of the person who called him.
"Let's get this interview started, shall we?" He asked.
Around two-thirty, Sidney, Tatum, and Stu were sitting on the bleachers at the school. This was a daily habit for the group of friends. They would sit and wait for Billy to finish practice before heading back to one of the friend's houses to work on the homework they had accumulated during the day. Despite her friend's attempts at keeping Sidney's attention, her eyes would wander to watch Billy.
"Whose house are we gathering at tonight?" Stu asked. Sidney looked back toward them.
"Roman doesn't know about our little get-togethers after school. So, I'm going to suggest my apartment," Sidney told them. It felt weird, she decided, to call Roman's apartment her own.
"Fine by us," Tatum said, speaking for Stu as well. Stu nodded from over her shoulder. Sidney smiled. An excited shout from one of the cheerleaders brought all three friends' attention to the field. Billy had reached the touchdown line without getting clipped by one of his teammates in green. She smiled and blew him a kiss. Stu and Tatum made a small gagging noise from beside her. Sidney didn't pay them any mind. Billy's sparkling brown eyes were the only thing she cared about at the moment. He winked at her from the touchdown line before jogging off to the coach.
Roman shifted awkwardly as he waited for the manager to return. He hadn't said if he had gotten the job or not, but had seemed impressed with Roman's warp sheet. To get the sum of cash Sidney and he had been living on, Roman had directed a few commercials and short films. A few of his contacts in LA were listed on the application he had submitted in for the job. Among those contacts was the star movie director that had pushed Maureen Prescott toward that party. Guilt and natural born talent were wonderful motivators.
Just as quickly as the manager had vanished, he returned. Roman looked at him.
"Read over this file quickly," the manager, David, told him as he passed a large vanilla envelope over to him. Roman took it with a slightly curious expression. "It's a list of all the reporters that have requested new cameramen."
"So, I've got the position?" Roman questioned.
"With the news station, yes, you do. Your job will fully hinge on the reporter you chose to work with. I suggest that you not choose Gale Weathers." The manager suggested quietly. "That woman has been through more reports than a cop goes through donuts. She is very hard to handle." Roman smiled.
"Thanks for the heads up," he told him. The manager gave him a smile. It was the first that he had seen from the man since the interview started.
"I like you, kid," he told him. Roman easily knew that meant that he liked the connections Roman had. Having him work with the news station would be beneficial not only to Roman and Sidney, but for the new station itself. Roman smiled.
"Thank you, sir."
As he topped the stairs of his apartment, laughter reached him. His eyebrows shot up as he opened the door. For a moment, all of his words fears concerning his sister exploded behind his eyes. Those fears were vanquished, however, when he saw the two boys he had met a few days prior and the Riley girl sitting in the living room with Sidney. His little sister smiled brightly at his when she caught his eyes. He smiled back and closed the door.
"Hey, Billy, Stu, and…uh…" The blonde whose name he couldn't remember smiled at him with a slight roll of her eyes.
"Tatum," she supplied. Roman smiled sheepishly at her and nodded. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I'm just going to be in there," he said, motioning toward the kitchen with the vanilla envelope in his hand. A small smile drifted onto his lips as he heard the small giggles coming from the girls. His small smile turned into an awkward frown when he heard Tatum exclaim that he was adorable. Roman threw the vanilla envelope down and took a glass down from the cabinet.
Sidney gave a small happy sigh at her life. Instead of feeling lonely in an empty house, Sidney felt safe knowing that Roman was home at night. Warmth and weight on her back brought her from her thoughts. She looked over to see Billy looking at her with a quirked eyebrow. She smiled softly at him, squeezed his arm gently, and returned back to the calculus she had originally been working on. Billy, himself, could feel the contentment pouring off of his girlfriend in waves. It made the worries he had had about her staying with Roman vanish instantly.
Laughter pulled Roman from his reading. He stood and peeked into the living room. Sidney and the Riley girl were laughing at what one of the boys-Stu, he recalled-had said. Roman watched his sister, her boyfriend, and their friends for a little bit before he returned to the file that his new boss wanted him to read over. There weren't many reporters that needed a new cameraman. The file was only so thick because it also contained the reporters' files. He quickly passed Gale Weathers' name and file. He wanted his first reporter to be someone that he could work with. He wanted the first reporter to be agreeable to his personality. Despite those thoughts, his eyes zeroed in on one of the files. A pretty blonde with blue eyes stared up at him. Her smile was inviting on her picture. He decided that he would read that file.
While contentment and good feelings filled the apartment across town, the Prescott home was filled with tense emotion and silences. Neil didn't want to look at his wife for very long. Each time he did, he couldn't help but think of the son that she attempted to cast away and the daughter that her decision chased away. He sighed over his tea glass. Everything had gone to hell in a basket case in just a few days. He grabbed his nearly empty tea glass and set it in the sink. Maureen looked up from the spot on the table she had been staring at.
"Where are you going?" It had become the panicked question of the hour. Each time Neil would stand, Maureen would question him. Neil felt a small stab of malice as he thought that maybe he should have been doing the same to her all those times he took the day off and she left on "business".
"The Loomis'," he answered, not looking back at her. Maureen's eyes became slightly hard.
"That boy is the cause of all of this." She mumbled, "if Sidney had just dumped him like I asked her too, she would still be here. He's polluting her." Anger welled up in Neil.
"Right because you spreading your legs for every man in town didn't have anything to do with it," Neil returned. Maureen's mouth fell open. "Goodbye, Maureen," Neil said quickly before anymore of his true feelings about the moment got out. He wanted to save his marriage, but he knew that saying things in the moment of anger and with the intent to hurt would only harm them more. Maureen opened her mouth to call him back, but the sound of the door slamming cut her off. Maureen laid her head on the table and cursed Roman Bridger and the Loomis' for taking her family away.
Roman glanced up as a figure invaded his peripheral vision. Billy Loomis was at the refrigerator refilling his glass.
"Sid just told me to help myself," Billy felt the need to explain. Roman smiled reassuringly at the teenager. As the young man fixed his glass, Roman turned his eyes back to the page in front of him. "Need a refill while I'm at it?" Billy asked. Roman glanced up at his half-empty glass and nodded.
"Thanks, man," Roman told him. Billy nodded.
"Listen," Billy said suddenly as he put Roman's glass back on the table. Roman turned his full attention to the man with slight raised eyebrows. "What Sid's giving up to be here…well…it's a lot. The girl used to idolize her mother. They would spend nearly every day together; they were that close. For her to walk out on that for you is huge." Roman looked back down at the file. "Don't take it for granted…and…thanks for not kicking us out when you saw us," Billy finished. Roman smiled.
"No problem, Billy," Roman told him. He watched the teenager retreat back into the living room. He watched as his sister practically lit up at the sight of him. He smiled. Billy was a good kid. Soon, the confrontation was forgotten (but the respect Roman had developed for the boy wasn't) as Roman got lost in the files in front of him. He had to have someone picked out by tomorrow.
Sidney waited until Billy, Tatum, and Stu had left to confront her brother. She took in the sight before her. In front of Roman rested two stacks of files. One was relatively thin and the other seemed to tower over the glass beside it. She knocked on the kitchen archway to draw his attention away from the file he seemed glued too. He looked up at her.
"They leave?" He asked, motioning with a nod of his head toward the living room. Sidney nodded and sank down onto the chair across from him. Sidney had been so sure of her idea earlier in the day, but what if she was suggesting the wrong thing. "What is it, Sidney?" Roman asked, sensing his sister's nerves. Sidney looked up at her brother and shifted awkwardly.
"If…Maureen rejects us…will you allow me to take on your last name…legally?" Roman froze at the question. His mouth fell open slightly in awe of his little sister. Sidney shifted. "It's cool if you don't want me too…I was just being-" Roman decided now would be a good time to overcome his shock.
"I would love that, Sidney, but…" Roman furrowed his brows and leaned forward slightly, "Why would you want my last name?" Sidney picked at the patterned cloth she had picked out as a covering for the table.
"Because if Maureen rejects us, I want to cut all ties with her…"
"What about your father?" Roman asked. Sidney flinched, but looked up at Roman with determination in her gaze.
"It would hurt him, but he would understand," Sidney stated confidently. Roman hummed lightly.
"Have you talked to Billy or the Loomis' about this?" He asked. Sidney shook her head and tilted it in an adorable manner.
"Why would I?" She asked. Roman suppressed his grin.
"Well, I just figured that you would want to take on Billy's last name," Roman said as he fought to keep his face clear of any expression. A small blush overcame Sidney's cheekbones before she spoke.
"You're teasing me," she stated evenly. Roman smiled wider now.
"I am," he confirmed. "But it's going to happen someday, so why wait?" He furthered. Sidney's brown eyes narrowed.
"Stop while you're ahead."