Sylva's Narrative
Two days.
Two lousy days! Stuck here, in the company of you know who! I mean, come on, what did I do to deserve this, huh? Forty-eight hours stuck in a stupid chalet with the queen of trashy rock!  And it's not like you can avoid the issue...I mean, the chalet ain't big enough for us to keep well clear of each other. Not that Sirena's left her room much, thank God. She only comes out to get food, and well, that suits me fine. But there's only so long you can read Cool Trash and Music Bizz over and over. You wouldn't believe how many times I've tried to text Topaz since the avalanche, but I might as well not have bothered. I tried calling Mom too...figured she'd be worried...but nada. Stupid snow! How dare it wreck our vacation like this!
Time is totally crawling past, if it wasn't for my clock I wouldn't know it'd only been 2 days and not two weeks. Why haven't they come to get us out yet? Are we really that well hidden?
Oh God, what if they never come? What if they never find us? Food is gonna run out sooner or later...and the heating is already minimal - Sirena smug face insisted we ration it, so we only get heat properly at night when it's dark and nippy. But now it's the evening of Day 2 and still no sign of rescue.
Damn, they'd better come and find us soon...I can't take it in here much longer. It's a good thing I ain't claustrophobic like Nancy gets...I'd do my nut. Hell, I'd even be glad to see her face right now...in fact, anybody's face but that stupid girl in the room next door...

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"Oh, this is stupid."
Sylva slammed her magazine down on the table, getting to her feet and pacing over to the window. "Why haven't they found us by now? What's going on out there, anyhow? I mean, are they all idiots? We're stuck here! Surely Topaz and the others know where we are!"
Finding no answer to her angry outburst, she rolled her eyes, pulling the flimsy chalet curtains shut with some force and stomping out of the room with very bad grace towards her bedroom.
As she did so, she became aware of a strange noise coming from Sirena's room.
Curiosity overcoming dislike for a moment, she moved towards the door, swinging it softly open. None of the chalet doors had locks, and all of them had well oiled hinges, so her presence remained undetected by the room's inhabitant.
Sirena was stretched out on her bed, her head in her arms, and much to her consternation Sylva realised the singer was crying. Scorn quickly overtaken by curious sympathy, she approached, gently laying a hand on the other girl's shoulders and causing the singer to jump, hurriedly turning her face away from the keyboardist.
"Don't you knock?" She demanded.
"You're crying. Why?"
"Get lost, Sylva. If i wanted to talk to something pointless and shallow I'd be talking to the snow puddles."
"Oh, can the catty bit." Sylva told her firmly. "You scared? Is that it? Big tough Sirena's afraid of a couple of days in the snow?"
"You don't understand, so don't even go there." Sirena snapped, wheeling round on the other girl and making no attempt now to hide her tears. "Just get out, will you? Go back to your room and read your stupid magazine or something. Leave me alone."
"Man, you have the worst personality of anyone I ever met." Sylva frowned. "If you're scared, just admit it, will you? I mean, sure, I'm kinda freaked too, we might never get outta here, but hell, I ain't gonna dwell on it!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake shut your stupid mouth!" Sirena exclaimed, as fresh floods of tears threatened. "You don't know what you're saying...just leave me a...alone!"
With this she lost control of her emotions, curling up with her pillow as the tears fell.
Sylva frowned. Despite her natural dislike of the girl, the generous streak in her character would not allow her to just get up and walk out. In an instant she made up her mind.
"I'll go when you tell me what's wrong." She said quietly. "We're stuck together. You might as well. It's not like I can go anywhere, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna be able to sleep with you making this racket."
"Did anyone ever tell you sensitivity wasn't your strongest point?" Sirena demanded, turning to face her companion. Sylva shrugged.
"Not yours either." She said bluntly. "Now come on. Spill. Are you scared? Is that it?"
Sirena drew a shaky breath. Slowly she nodded.
"Yes...but not in the way or for the reasons you think." She murmured.
"Then explain." Sylva settled herself on the end of the bed. "Why?"
Sirena shuffled herself into a sitting position, clutching her pillow protectively to her chest. Her posture was blatantly defensive, and she seemed uncomfortable talking about her feelings, but, seeing that Sylva meant what she'd said about staying, she let out a heavy sigh.
"I was thinking of Michael." She admitted.
"Michael?" Sylva looked nonplussed. Sirena rolled her eyes.
"Yes, dammit! Michael! My son!" She snapped. "Wow, how lost are you?"
"Oh..." Sylva paused, then, "It didn't even occur to me that you could be missing him."
"I missed him the moment I gave him to Grandpa and drove up here." Sirena said quietly. "It's something I don't expect you to understand, Sylva, you're still just a kid, but mothers feel like that when they leave their kids, even for a week. At least..." She faltered, remembering her own childhood. "At least I do."
Sylva frowned.
"Guess I didn't think about it like that." She owned. "I...I thought your kid was a mistake and that's all...I never thought you actually...well...loved him."
"Do you think I'd damn well spend so much of my life bringing him up if I didn't?" Sirena demanded. Sylva shrugged.
"I don't know, do I?" She retorted. "I don't like you. I wasn't aware there was anything to like about you...of course I'm not gonna think of you playing mama to a little baby like it's the easiest thing in the world, am I? To be honest, I felt sorry for the kid."
"Well, don't." Sirena's eyes narrowed. "He and me do okay, Syl. One day you'll understand." She bit her lip. "If...if we ever get out of here."
A flash of uncharacteristic perception hit Sylva at this, and she eyed her companion keenly.
"That's it, isn't it?" She murmured. "You're worried you're never going to see him again."
Sirena closed her eyes against the tears as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her once more. Slowly she nodded.
"I swore...when he was born, when I decided I was going to keep him, that he'd never grow up not knowing who he was." She whispered, her voice shaky. "I did that...I spent my whole childhood wondering where I came from, why I was given up, if Emily was even my real name. I wanted to know so badly what the truth was...you have no idea, Syl. You have a mother who loves you and who always has...and who knew how to give you everything you ever needed. I never had that. And no, it's not natural or easy for me...but dammit I want Mike to grow up knowing who to call Mom. He...he doesn't have a Dad, after all."
Sylva fell silent as the implications of her companion's words sank in. She sighed.
"He will know." She said slowly. "We're gonna get out of here, you know. They won't just leave us."
"It's been two days." Sirena said morosely.
"I know, but I bet you anything you like that by this time tomorrow they'll have found us."
"Hah." Sirena snorted, then, "Thanks for trying, anyway." She frowned, reaching for her purse and fishing out a photograph, handing it to her companion.
"What if that's the last I'll ever see of him?" She murmured.
Sylva took the picture, and her heart melted at the sight of the small boy in the photo.
"He is the cutest thing." She said, sounding surprised. "I had no idea your kid was so cute."
"Well, he has better genes than you think." Sirena said dryly. "Actually, he looks most like Blade...that's what people say."
"Nah. Only because of the skin tone." Sylva eyed the image critically. "I can see he looks kinda like you too. It's just because Blade was so dark." She handed it back. "You know...I'm starting to think maybe I've got you wrong. You're really devoted to this kid, aren't you?"
"He's my world these days." Sirena admitted. "He's all that matters. Yeah, he was a mistake initially...when I first found out I was angry, I was frightened...I didn't know what to do. But I know I made the right choice. Everything in my life has begun to sort itself out since I got pregnant. Mom and I fixed things, I got my deal at Misfit Music instead of with that jerk Rory...I have the world's best grandfather and for the first time in my life I have people I can rely on." She frowned. "Then this happens. It's like nothing can ever go right for me for any length of time...like I'm one of life's screw-ups and no matter what happens something's gonna kick me in the teeth."
"Think we all feel like that sometimes." Sylva pulled a face. "Unless you've forgotten, my parents got divorced earlier this year...lucky for all of us it wasn't messy, but confirmation of it only came a few weeks ago and the finality of it is a shock, you know. Like it's proof positive that your whole childhood was some kind of farce."
"Your Mom didn't deserve it." Sirena acknowledged slowly. "But it happens, Syl. Couples do break up. At the end of the day, though, you know both your folks love you, right? Ok, they don't love each other any more, but they both love you, don't they?"
"Ye-e-ah." Sylva nodded. "But my Dad has never liked my choice of profession. He's a businessman...actually, he worked with your Grandfather, and took on half of his business interests with Phyllis when Harvey retired. But he doesn't understand music much at all. All he understands is a college diploma and a good steady job."
"Your father...oh! Elliot Martescu! I should've realised." Sirena looked startled. "Mm, Grandpa has mentioned him...thinks a lot of the guy. I didn't realise he was your father, but I knew your mother's married name was Martescu, so I should've guessed." She smiled wryly. "Small world, ain't it."
"Guess so." Sylva made herself more comfortable, leaning up against the wall. "Listen, since we're stuck here like this, and all that, why did you take such a hate at Jewel when we first started out? Cos see that's why I've always hated you. You came at us shooting your mouth off and causing us as much trouble as you could...why in hell? What did we ever do to you?"
"It wasn't personal." Sirena shrugged. Then she looked sheepish. "Mm. Maybe it was. Not against you, though. It was Nancy...Jetta...and most of all, Mom I wanted to get at." She shrugged. "Guess a psychotherapist would tell you it was some wacked out cry for Mom's attention. I don't know. All I know is that I've wanted to do less reckless crap since she and I repaired bonds."
Sylva frowned, considering.
"But you and Nancy are thick as thieves now." She objected. Sirena nodded.
"We're not so different." She responded, absently toying with the pillow as she spoke. "And I guess we discovered that fact. Also, I ain't got a reason to hate her now. I always thought Mom liked her more...I didn't understand the whole situation of being a Mom and how scary it is till Mike came along. Now I do." She grinned. "And Nancy's a hell of a songwriter, too. Can't go wrong with her."
"Well, she's our songwriter and don't forget it." Sylva instructed. Sirena laughed.
"Like I could." She returned dryly. "Nancy's a Jewel through and through. She's too damn loyal to defect, even if I wanted her to."
"Good. I'm glad you realise it." Sylva responded. Then, "Do you think they're looking for us?"
"I damn well hope so." Sirena nodded. "I bet they think we've killed each other by now, mind you."
"Funny, I don't feel like that now." Sylva sounded surprised. "We're sitting here chatting...who would've thought?"
"Crises do strange things to people." Sirena observed. She smiled slightly. "Look at me. I don't cry just for the hell of it." She looked pensive. "It's Mike's fault I even began with it, you know. Never cried as a kid...thought it was babyish. But since I got knocked up I seem to have activated some crying hormone somewhere...won't leave me alone now, not where he's concerned."
Sylva laughed.
"Yeah, that's right. Blame the baby." She retorted. Sirena shrugged.
"Well, might as well." She said unrepentantly. "I promise you now, Sylva, that I ain't gone soft."
"Mmm, I'd believe you." Sylva responded with a grin, then, "Listen...I vote we call a truce, at least...well, at least until we're out of here, huh? No sense in wasting energy in yelling at each other when we're stuck together, you know?"
Sirena hesitated a moment, then she shrugged.
"Hell, why not." She said, resigned. "I'm trying to muster up all the reasons why I should laugh in your face, but for some reason I seem to have lost track of them all. P'raps I don't feel so hostile either." She held out her hand. "Fine. Truce."
"Truce." Sylva shook her companion's hand firmly, then, "It's getting late, we ought to grab something to eat, you know. I'm hungry even if you're not."
"You have an appetite like a pig, Sylva." Sirena raised an eyebrow. "Anyone ever tell you that?"
"Only everyone." Sylva seemed unconcerned. "I like food, so sue me. It's not like I have to worry about my figure."
"It's okay for some." Sirena rolled her eyes. "Since I got pregnant, I've had to stick to a rigidly healthy diet to avoid putting weight on again...though I s'pose now I'm back in the music scene and active and all that, that'll help me burn calories." She slipped her legs over the side of the bed, getting to her feet. "All right. Guess you want me to cook something, huh?"
"Whilst we still have power to cook, yes." Sylva nodded. "The battery backup is in the red now and we're probably gonna be in the dark tomorrow."
"Great." Sirena rolled her eyes. "Then we'll freeze too."
She took a couple of steps, wincing involuntarily. "Damn knee."
"That still bugging you?" Sylva looked startled. "That was two days ago!"
"I know. So? I twisted it or something. It's cool." Sirena shrugged. "You wanna eat, or not?"
"Sure, but I ain't gonna cripple you into the bargain. Don't wanna answer to Phyllis for that." Sylva said emphatically. "Lemme look at it, huh?"
"You know anything about first aid?" Sirena stared. Sylva grinned.
"Annie taught me. She was a girl scout." She replied. "Well, we both were, but she did the work for both of us to pass our badges. And then I got kicked out, so she quit too."
"Annie?"
"My twin sister." Sylva responded.
"Oh yes. I forgot you were a twin." Sirena rolled her eyes, sitting back down on the bed and stretching her bad leg out on the cover, rolling up the leg of her trousers. "Figures. One of you is bad enough."
"Haha." Sylva pulled a face. "Funny, everyone says that."
Then, catching sight of the leg, she let out an exclamation.
"It's swollen!"
"I told you, I twisted it. It's not a big deal!"
"It's a bigger deal than you think, if it's still swollen after 2 days! I bet you didn't do anything when you hurt it, either!"
"Well, I came back here to rest up." Sirena defended herself.
"You walked all the way down from the mountain on this?" Sylva put her hands on her hips. "No wonder it's so sore! What would Michael say if he knew what kinda silly games his Mom was playing, hmm?"
"Please, Syl, don't mention Mike. You'll make me tear up again and I've had enough of the ritual humiliation for one day." Sirena said quietly. "Just do whatever you're doing to my leg, and be quick, okay? I have to cook before the power goes out." She frowned. "And then what we do after it does, is anyone's guess. Let's just hope they find us by then, huh?"