Having A Great Time With Sage

Chapter 2: Josh

I groggily opened my eyes to find myself on the cold tile of the locker room with a splitting headache. I was disoriented and couldn't get my eyes to focus. There was a nearly overpowering ringing in my left ear as well. This is worse than the time I got knocked out by a stray ball during the last game of my freshman year.

I saw a body a matter of feet away laying face down in a steadily growing pool of blood in the showers. I tried to stand, but it made the world shift so suddenly I got nauseous. It felt like my brain went through a blender, so I made my way over by crawling as fast as I could handle.

About seven feet away from the boy, everything suddenly clicked and I realized, with horror, that it was Sage on the tile. I scrambled over and knelt by his side, I felt my blood turn to ice as I turned him over. Sage felt almost as cold as the tile he laid on.

"Oh no, no, no, Sage wake up man! Sage!" I shouted and shook him. Sage slowly opened his eyes and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. "Hey, hey what happened? What'd he do to you?"

"Chase b-beat me up," Sage said through strained breaths, "k-kept yellin' that I was stealing his girl." He looked up at me with pure fear in his eyes before adding, "Then he p-pulled out a switch."

I studied him quickly, his alabaster skin gave a stark contrast to his busted lip, black eye, cuts, and livid bruises. A thin line traced across part of his throat, a duller red than that of the blood pooling around them. His arm was draped across his chest.

"It was just a–" His breath hitched, "a piano lesson, I wasn't t-tryin' to take Tiffany!" Sage explained, terrified, his mind somewhere between his encounter with Chase and now.

I moved his hand out of the way and pulled back his shirt, fully revealing the gruesome, bloody stab wounds. I resisted the urge to recoil and put my hand down to place pressure on Sage's wounds; I could feel his heart racing wildly beneath my palm. I think he looked down and saw blood coming through the slight spaces between my fingers, which only served to make things worse.

I realized Sage was scared out of his skull, so I had to step up and act strong and assure him that everything will be okay. "Sage just listen to me, you're gonna be fine. Just– just calm down, it's me, it's Josh." I tried to make my voice as steady as possible.

"Josh?" He looked up at me, blinking and trying to focus. His eyes fixated on a spot near my temple, "Y-you're bleeding."

"I'm fine," I said immediately. It's just like him to worry about someone else when he's practically on death's doorstep.

"I-I'm sorry you had to put up with me for so long." Sage said suddenly and proceeded to cough up blood. He tried to take deep breaths, but could only draw up shuddering gasps.

I was taken aback by his remark and the bloody coughing fit, but I managed to say, "Sage c'mon don't say that. When you were the new kid that moved in down the street, I didn't think much of you, but then you turned out to be my best friend. You're my brother."

Sage laughed slightly before tensing up with pain, he took his time speaking but forced the words out anyways, "I still r-remember when I crashed my bike into your garbage cans and broke my arm."

"Yeah, that was the night we became friends. You're still just as much of a klutz now as you were then." I smiled at him, relishing that old memory for a moment.

Before I had even finished my sentence I knew that he was in agony. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tight, but that didn't prevent the tears from streaming down his face. "I'd laugh but it h-hurts to breathe." His rapid breathing had become more shallow and strained. I pulled him up into my lap to rest him against my bent leg, trying to help him breathe easier.

"Be honest, h-how bad is it?" His question chilled me to the bone. The truth terrified me, I knew with how badly he was bleeding that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Listen, you're going to be okay. Just, just stay with me alright?" I tried to reassure my friend as well as myself. My comment only earned a sad, knowing look from Sage's eyes.

"Please d-don't lie to me," Sage pleaded, his voice on the edge of breaking, catching and stumbling over his words, "I-I'm scared Josh, I c-can't breathe, I can't move, I—" His voice faltered as another wave of pain crashed over him, sending a fresh surge of tears from his eyes.

"Sage..." I mumbled, seeing him in such agony almost broke me, but I had to keep it together.

He grew weaker with every passing minute. The light that usually shone behind his eyes was nowhere to be found. I couldn't help but wear my worry now.

When he spoke again his voice was much softer and far weaker, "And everything h-hurts, I can't stop it, it- it won't stop. I d-don't wanna die, man, 'specially not like this, I can't—" He was cut off by a violent fit of bloodied coughing that left him gasping for air once more. I tried to lean him forwards so he wouldn't choke, Sage was barely able to hold his head up. His face contorted in pain before he blinked a few times, only semi- able to focus again.

"Cut it out. You're not going to die, I won't let you. You're like my kid brother and I can't let you die." I promised him, but his words still sat like a stone in my stomach.

"I'm sorry Josh, I-I'll try." His voice was a weak whisper. With a heavy, shuddering sigh his eyes closed and his head lolled back and to the side.

My brave façade immediately crumbled, tears started to burn at my eyes. "Sage?" My voice broke. I lightly shook him, his body had gone completely slack. "Sage, c'mon man! Wake up!" I pulled him into my arms and held him closely. "Y-you can't die on me! I'm supposed to watch out for ya, a-and I can't take losing my baby brother!" I sobbed.

I had to get help, but I couldn't attempt to stand, much less run for anyone. I felt absolutely helpless, so I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Help! Help! Please! Somebody help me!" repeatedly.