"Sage? Sage- what are you doing." My dad said coming out of his room, as I threw my backpack over my shoulder.
"Going to school?" I said in a questioning tone as I unlocked the front door.
"What? No. No. No." My dad said rushing up and closing the door. "The doctor said you needed to stay home for at least a month."
I scoffed, "it's been..." I looked at the none existent watch on my wrist, "a week. I need to go to school." I told him trying to open the door again but his hand prevented it from opening.
"No." He stated. I rolled my eyes at him, "dad I am fine. I need to go to school so I don't fail." I argued.
"You aren't going to school Sage." My dad stated.
I sighed letting my hand fall from the door. "Fine." I said. My dad nodded letting his hand from the door, "good. Now go lay down." He stated. I smiled at him lightly before kicking his leg out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. "Bye dad!" I yelled opening up the door quickly and running out the door towards my car.
Dad had barley let me eat on my own this past week and it was driving me crazy. So crazy that I would rather go to school with everyone I've been avoiding than be stuck in my house with him and my thoughts.
I felt fine. A little sore sometimes, and some shortness of breath; It honestly just felt similar to before I had surgery. I was more than capable to go to school and sit at a desk for 7 hours.
I parked my car in the parking lot and got out. I grabbed my back and put it on my arm. Sighing, I walked up the the front door and opened it, going inside.
The world seemed to stop and I suddenly became the most important thing in the room. People stared, I mean really stared at me like I had died and come back from the dead. I sucked on my teeth lightly before walking past the hoard of staring people, towards my locker.
"Sage!" A voice called and I turned to see Demetri. I sighed and opened my locker, grabbing my calculus textbook out of quickly before slamming it shut, just for Demetris face to be right behind it. "Hey, how-how are you?" He asked following me as I turned to walk away. "Doing great." I stated turning down the next hallway.
"You never answered your phone." He said.
"My bad." I answered turning down another hallway.
"Sage-stop." Demetri grabbing my arm, to turn me around. I grimaced lightly and pulled my arm away from him. "Ow dude. I just had surgery." I muttered rubbing my side.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled, "I just," he sighed, "you made it seem like we were never going to see you again and then you don't answer our calls or come to the door. And now you just show up at school? There were bets being made if you were dead-"
"I was scared. I was scared okay? And.. embarrassed." I interrupted. "I was scared and I forgot that other people were scared too. And I took all my fear out on you, Eli, my dad. And I'm sorry alright?"
Demetri smiled and held out his arms. "No." I said holding a finger out, "no. I hate hugs."
"You owe me this Sage. You died." He said walking towards me. My back hit the wall and I grimaced as it did, "I don't owe you nothing! I didn't die. I apologized and that's more than anything I've ever done." I huffed. Demetri raised his eyebrows at me slightly and I groaned. He smiled pulling my shoulders away from the wall and hugging me. I stood stiff in his arms,
"A hug is two ways." Demetri stated.
"Yeah and so I murder." I said patting his back.
He pulled himself off of me, a cocky smile on his face, "you love me."
"No." I stated walking towards my class.
"Yesssss." He stated still following me. "Say it."
"Absolutely not." I argued walking into my calc class, Demetri still following.
"You've gone soft Sage. You hugged me and now you love me? What is this world. Death really did change you." He said sitting down next to me.
I huffed turning towards him, "maybe I do. So? You can leave now."
Demetri smiled larger than before, "we have this class together."
My face fell, and so did my head as I let it hit the desk.
~~~~
3rd period was my free period and I hadn't seen Eli all day. We had second and he wasn't there. Eli never missed school.
I went to the library for my free period to catch up on my missing work from my first two classes.
I had lunch after so I basically had the next 2 hours free to sit and take a bunch of Advil. My sides and chest were killing me from walking to class to class. It was the most active I had been in a week and my lungs were acting like shit.
I sat my bag down and rummaged through the front pocket searching for the medication.
"We'll isn't it sage, back from the dead." Kylers voice rang through the library. My eyes shut and I sighed, I was going to get my ass beat.
"Sadly I have to see your face for another day." I said turning around to face him, giving him a big smile.
"I actually won $20 from you living. Knew you were too much of a pussy to die." Kyler stated. His friends walking around me in ever direction, circling me.
"So glad you were rooting for me." I stated zipping up my backpack and putting it on. "Ah ah ah. I'm not done with you yet. I still haven't forgot what You and your bitch boyfriend did to us at the party."
Gosh why did I ever join karate, my life would be so much easier. and why did I have to always talk back?
"Oh really? Thought I slammed your head harder than that." I stated putting my backpack back on the table. I couldn't and wouldn't back down from Kyler. He knew he was going to win, I was practically wincing every time I rolled my eyes at him. He knew the only way he was going to win a fight against me was when I was alone and hurt.
"I've been dreaming of this day Lawrence. Where i beat the shit out of you." Kyler stated cracking his knuckles.
"Then get to it bitch." I huffed.
Kyler lunged at me and I landed one quick punch to his face, causing him to stumble back. I winced lightly at the pulling it caused and Kyler noticed, and laughed. I prided myself in only getting bruises and broken noses from Kyler but today he was going to murder me. The wicked smile covering his face along with a slight red color from wear I punched him made him looked wicked.
He lunged towards me again, punching me square in the jaw before kicking me in the side. Right on my freshly removed stitches. I gasped at impact and my eyes instantly brimmed with tears, my mouth was open and I felt like I couldn't breath. Kyler grabbed the back of my head and slammed my face down onto the table. I let out a scream as a sharp, searing pain came across my face. As Kyler lifted up my face, I looked down to see blood covering the table. It dropped from my mouth and onto an open pair of scissors. Kylers hand found my chin and turned my head to face him. My eyes twitched as my mouth was full of blood, salvia and tears. I was gasping for air as all the adrenaline from my body was disappearing. My entire face was numb and my knees were wobbly.
"Aww." Kyler stated, "you match your boyfriend now." His hand ruffly pushed my face away and as he did, the only stability that I had was gone and I fell to the ground. He laughed, shaking his head at me before he landed one swift kick on the front of my chest, knocking the already non existent wind out of me.
I gasped for air as I couldn't breathe, "see ya Sage." Kyler said before him and his friends walked away.
I rolled over onto my stomach, gasping for air as I choked on my own blood. I coughed as if that would help me swallow the oxygen. I gasped again Finally able to get something down.
I needed to get out of here before anyone came in and saw me like this. I pushed my self up, wincing like a dog that just got beat. I hobbled over to the table grabbing my bag. Blood dripped over it as I did and looked at the place that looked like a crime scene. I touched my finger to my mouth and realized I could feel my teeth though my lips.
"Shit." I muttered wiping my eyes as tears didn't seem to stop pouring out. I wiped my hand over the bloody table, feeling bad for leaving it like that before I drug myself out of the library, even though I felt as if I was dying.
