We're a Work in Progress

1. Tentacle Porn

The sunshine peeked through the curtains. The light hit Sage's face, which eventually woke her up. She scrunched her eyes closed, hesitant to get up. A soft blanket wrapped around her head and groaned in her pillow. Her body felt stiff until she stood up and stretched out. As her bare feet touched the wooden floor, she hopped on the balls of her feet. She hastily looked for some chapstick and applied it, looking in the mirror. Sage studied her own face in her reflection and rubbed her eyes and cheeks. She sniffed and opened the curtains abruptly, but shielded her eyes until she got used to the light.

The campus was always beautiful on a sunny day. Clouds were nowhere to be seen but grass and greenery populated the earth. The trees stayed perfectly still, no rustling. No cars grabbed her attention. Sage picked up a spray bottle and started misting her plants. It was quiet.

The floor creaked as she walked across her room. She opened the door and stuck her head out into the main room. She froze in fear. Kali was standing there, making eggs. It was already cracked, a half in each hand, but the yolk was still mid-air, waiting to land in the bowl.

"Ah, shit." She concentrated and the yolk slipped into the bowl. "Morning."

"Morning." Kali glanced at Sage. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned again. "When did you change?" She asked, trying to catch Sage.

"Uh... when did you last see me?" Sage scratched her scalp and opened the fridge.

"Sage." Kali sighed. "You should just learn to manage your time better."

"I know, I know. But I had an essay due today. I wanted my 8 hours." Sage shrugged and pulled out a smoothie. Kali shook her head and continued making her eggs. "You want orange juice?"

"Uh, of course?" Kali smiled and Sage poured her a glass. Sage cleared her throat and put the orange juice back in the fridge.

"Oh, some time last night, I went to the bathroom, we need to talk to Quinn, I think we have pipe issues or something, I didn't clog the toilet, it was like that when I peed." Sage grabbed metal straw and mixed her smoothie with it. "I have biology at 8, but I'll be back by noon, do you want to go for lunch?"

"I have physics at 11, sorry. Maybe ask Irene?" Kali finished making her eggs and poured them onto a plate.

"I just might." Sage squinted her eyes and zoned out, staring at the ground. She picked up her penny board and bag. "It's 7:48, see you later." She closed the dorm door behind her. She looks down both sides of the hall, no one to be seen.

The hallway was carpet but after that, she was good. Her board wheels met the hard tile floor and she skated out into the lobby. She pushed through the doors of her building and met the bright sky. She took a breath of fresh air and exerted herself forward. A few students littered the grass with morning picnics, some on benches. A few students walked to class and Sage was careful to avoid them on the path. A pebble in the path tripped up her board. She knew if she used her powers, she might risk people seeing it. So instead, she let herself fall on the pavement. She stood up and felt that her ankle felt off.

"Ow." She furrowed her eyebrows and shook out her foot. She planted a foot on her board again and struggled riding to class. It was loud in her biology class, many groups of students chattered amongst themselves. She glanced at the new teacher. His height was indecipherable, as he was sitting down, but he looked tall, his skin stuck to the bone. His eyes were far apart and his nose was hooked, so much that the tip was farther than his nostrils. His back was straight up, he was alert, good posture, and his palms faced each other, fingers touching. Sage only took notice of the spots and wrinkles on his forehead and the way he looked menacingly around the room.