New Beginnings (Charlie Bartlett Fanfic Starring Robert Downey Jr.)

Chapter 13 - All Lines Are Crossed

Sydney was up bright and early the following morning. She made breakfast for her live-in friends and wished they'd wake up already. She had a very hard time getting back to sleep after a particularly vivid dream about John rather than Nathan. The circumstances of the dream left her frustrated, hurt, and, she couldn't deny it, ready to jump in bed with the first warm body she saw. Since neither body in her house was an option, she prayed for her cell phone to ring to distract her.

"Mmm..." Arlen's voice floated down the staircase and into the kitchen. "I love when someone can't sleep!" He walked into the kitchen and wrapped Sydney up in his arms. "What's the occasion, honey?" She looked at Arlen and he understood. "Ah, a little hot and bothered, are we?"

She shrugged. "Not like I can help it."

"Do you want me to go to the," he giggled, "adult store for you?"

Sydney went red. "Arlen!"

"What? There's no shame in taking care of yourself and what could make it more fun than a shiny new toy?"

"Who's getting a toy?" Jess asked, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"The baby," Sydney said far too quickly. "Your mom's due soon and the baby will need, uh..."

Jess cocked his head. "Ah, horny. Got 'cha."

Sydney grumbled to herself, embarrassed. "Not all of us are in successful relationships."

Jess smiled as he thought of Brynn, but only for a moment – he did feel bad for Sydney. She had been more of a mother to him than his own and he hated seeing her unhappy. He cleared his throat. "Oh, um...yeah. So, omelets, huh?"

They sat around the table, eating a little too much for so early in the morning, and discussing their plans for the weekend. Jess had plans with Brynn, and Arlen with David. Sydney played things off by mentioning that she may make plans with her cousin for later that night. She disguised her excitement when her cell phone rang. Apparently someone else didn't feel much like sleeping in either.

Sydney and Nathan decided that meeting at a restaurant was the best and safest course of action. They chose their place and time and wound up meeting in the parking lot of a steak house almost a half an hour away, which happened to be a favorite of both of theirs. It was also somewhere they were less likely to be seen by anyone from school.

When Sydney pulled into the lot, she could feel her stomach twisting with nerves. Since he had kissed her the day before, she hadn't gone a moment without thinking of him in some way. She did, indeed, use her cousin as a rather airtight alibi. Since they really did spend quite a bit of time together, Arlen would never question it. She realized that she needed this, whatever it was, to be hers alone. Nathan came into her view as he exited his car. She found a spot two spaces away, parked and tried her hardest not to smile too much as she made her way to him.

"Hey," she said, her cheeks blushing. It was the only word she could manage.

"Hi," Nathan replied, he too lacking a larger vocabulary. He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head and smirked, not exactly at her, but at the situation. Sydney tilted her head and would have questioned him, but the opportunity vanished as his face moved closer and he claimed her lips. Gone was the innocent kiss he had given her in her classroom and in its place was one that made her heart race. His left arm wrapped around her waist, while his right hand found its way beneath her hair and gently cradled the back of her neck. She kissed him back with the same amount of enthusiasm her hands settling on either side of his face. When they finally pulled apart, they smiled at one another and Sydney giggled.

"So," Sydney began.

"I didn't see the point of waiting until the end of the night," Nathan confessed.