Chapter 18: Sydney Teasing Ryan
The old wooden stairs creaked under Sydney’s weight as she finally made her descent. I had been expecting her to emerge in something more... substantial fitting her goth style. Instead, what greeted us was far from what any of us had anticipated.
Sydney appeared wearing nothing but an oversized black t-shirt that hung loosely around her frame, the fabric soft and worn from countless washes. The shirt fell to mid-thigh, but with each movement—each casual step or turn—it shifted and swayed, offering glimpses of black lace underneath that made my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I quickly averted my eyes, focusing instead on the peeling paint on the far wall.
"U-Um, Sydney?" Rachel eventually stuttered out. She cleared her throat and tried again, this time with more conviction.
Sydney paused at the bottom of the stairs, one hand gripping the banister while the other worked through her tangled damp black hair. "Hm? What’s up?" She asked, gathering the strands into a messy ponytail. "Are you hungry? I think there might be some leftover pizza in the fridge, though I can’t guarantee it’s still good."
Rachel’s eyes darted between Sydney and the rest of us, clearly struggling with how to phrase her question diplomatically. "No, that’s not... I mean, why did you change into... that?" She gestured vaguely in Sydney’s direction.
Sydney looked down at herself as if suddenly remembering what she was wearing, then shrugged with complete nonchalance. "Why do you ask? It’s way more comfortable to be like this. Besides," she added, stretching her arms above her head in a way that made the shirt ride up dangerously, "I’m planning to sleep soon anyway."
"Sleep?" The word escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Sydney’s blue eyes fixed on me with barely concealed exasperation, as if I’d just asked the most obvious question in the world. "Sleep, yes," she repeated slowly, rolling her eyes. "What did you think we were going to do? You want to leave in this pitch-black night? Look outside, Ryan." She gestured toward the window where indeed, thick darkness had settled over the landscape like a heavy blanket. With the infected indeed it was pretty scary.
"We should be resting tonight and leave tomorrow morning when we can actually see where we’re going."
Rachel opened her mouth to say something. "But..."
Sydney cut her off with a wave of her hand, already moving toward the kitchen. "If you want to leave now, you’re welcome to," she said over her shoulder. "But don’t count on borrowing my car." She opened the refrigerator with perhaps more force than necessary, the bottles inside rattling as she retrieved a carton of milk. Without bothering to pour it into a glass, she tilted it back and drank directly from the container.
I found myself considering her words despite the awkwardness of the situation. She had a point, as much as I hated to admit it. The roads around here were treacherous enough in daylight, and attempting to navigate them in complete darkness seemed like asking for trouble. Besides, it wasn’t as if I was in any particular hurry to leave. I had nowhere specific to go, no one waiting for me. I had simply been following Sydney’s lead, assuming she had some grand plan mapped out. But her suggestion to rest made practical sense.