"Sage Denise Lawrence." Ms. Diaz said as I sat on-top of the hood of my car. She looked over my face, a gloved thumb pushing and moving the cut lip to to side.
Ms. Diaz shook her head, "I don't know if you understand the severity of your wounds. If you ever want your lip to heal back together, you need Stitches."
"I can't afford stitches." I breathed out.
Ms. Diaz let her hand fall and she sighed, "come over when i get off work. I can, at least give you a few."
"Thank you. Really thank you." I said hugging the women. She hugged back, "now I think you should really go home and talk to your dad."
I grimaced lightly, "um. I may have sweeped his leg and left him on the floor this morning because he told me I wasn't allowed to go to school."
Cameron looked at me unamused, shaking her head before walking back towards the door. "The last thing I need is both of y'all hurt!" She yelled before going back inside.
"She's right, I should get home." I sighed jumping off the hood of the car. "Thanks for uh.. helping me." I said walking up to where he was sitting on my car.
He nodded lightly, pulling some of my hair away that was stuck in my face.
"If you ever call your scar ugly now I'll take full offense." I stated smiling at him, as best I could.
"I'll be sure to remember that." He smiled, "let's get you home before you pass out on me."
I laughed slightly, "yeah I did loose alittle blood."
~~~
"Are you sure you are going to walk home? I don't mind taking you." I told Eli as I pulled up to my apartment. My eyes landed on the car in my parking spot. The license plate holder was never missed as it was covered in fake rhinestones. I didn't ever Eli's answer as I stared down the car, parking next to it. I turned off the car quickly and got out, jogging towards my door. Eli called after me as I opened up the door to my house. My dad and my aunt sat on the couch, papers Infront of him as his hands rested on his head.
"Dear god Sage what happened to you? Is this what you do to my niece?" My aunt asked my dad standing up.
"Dad what is she doing here?" I asked my dad. He just shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek.
"Sage I-" Eli stopped at the door frame, making direct eye contact with my aunt.
"You we're skipping school with some boy?" She asked me.
"Why are you here aunt Karla?" I asked knowing if she was here, then that meant only bad things were happening. She never gave a crap about me when I lived at her house so why now was she standing in my living room.
"Reno baby. Pack your stuff, we need to get on the road." My aunt stated walking up to the door and closing it on Eli.
I turned to my dad who was staring out the window, shaking his head ever so slightly. "What happened to your lip are so alright?" My aunt asked.
"I'm not going to Reno." I stated.
"I'm sorry babe but you are. As your guardian-"
"You are not my guardian. You lost that right the second you left me alone for 3 months. I live here, with my dad. My actual guardian." I argued.
She sucked in a small breath, "I'm just always the bearer of bad news. Jonathan, you tell her, I'm going to go for a smoke." My aunt turned to my dad who was still staring out the window. She opened the front door reveling Eli once again, before walking out and closing it.
"Dad." I said looking at him.
"I'm.. im sorry." My dad said rubbing his face, his voice low and wavering. "I uh.. Lost custody."
My face fell, "You can't loose custody, your my dad."
My dad shook his head before turning around to face me, "I broke a lot of things in the contract."
"Doesn't it matter what I want? I don't want to go to Reno." I argued.
My dads head fell, "I'm sorry, Sage." He breathed out.
Tears brimmed in my eyes and I shook my head. "God." I scoffed closing my eyes, "I gotta go." I mumbled walking towards the door.
"Sage." My dad said.
"No if there really isn't way I'm staying, then I have to go say goodbye to my friends." I said wiping my face, "ill say goodbye to you later." I opened up the front door and slammed it behind me, catching the attention of my aunt. "Good your ready-"
"You can pick me up at 4." I stated grabbing the cigarette out of her hand and walking back to my car.
No smoking was very important to the health of my new lungs but I put the cigarette in my mouth and got in my car.
"Are you okay?" Eli asked from the front seat where he had waited.
I shook my head, shakily inhaling the smoke from the cigarette as I backed the car out of the spot. "You want to go on that date?" I asked throwing the finished cigarette into my cup holder. "And you have to say yes or else I'm going to start crying and then I'm going to have to say goodbye and I do not want to say goodbye." I rushed out as I turned down the road.
"Sure we can do that." Eli said looking at me cautiously. "Good." I answered, "I have to go to the school real quick so you think about what we should do. I don't even care if we eat nachos and you watch the tv the entire time." I said taking a shaky breathe.
"Okay." Eli answered. I nodded at his acknowledgment and drove in silence towards the school.
It was biology right now and I knew Miguel had his feat on my chair.
I pulled into a random parking spot and handed Eli the keys. "I'll be back in a second." I told him. He nodded and I got out and closed the door.
I jumped up onto the curb and walked into the school. It was empty except for a few kids who had free periods. I walked up the stairs to my AP biology class before I finally landed on the classroom. I opened up the door and stuck my head inside. Miguel and Demetri were playing paper football while the teacher talked on and on about cellulose.
Miguel's eyes landed on me and I snapped my fingers at him, telling him to get his feet out of my chair. His feet hit the floor, a wide eyed look on his face. Demetri turned to look at me and I motioned with my finger for them to come to me. "Now?" Demetri mouthed and I nodded. "Now." I mouthed back sternly like a mother scolding her children. Miguel ducked down and stood up walking slowly over to the door. Demetri sighed and followed him, not bothering to duck. I stood to the side and waited for them to come out.
"Sorry about my feet." Miguel mumbled to me.
"Sage what are you doing?" Demetri asked as he closed the door quietly.
"I uh." I started but couldn't finish. I shook my head slightly, looking around the hallway.
"What the hell happened to your face?" Miguel asked.
I let out a deep breath, "I love you guys."
Miguel looked at Demetri, a terrified look on his face as he did. "Oh my god she is dying." Miguel whispered.
I scoffed at the Boys, "I'm not dying dipshit. I'm... moving. My aunt just came and told me. Dad lost custody to her apparently so I'm moving to Reno in a few hours." I said messing with the end of my shirt. "And I knew if i didn't tell you guys how much you have meant to me as friends, I'd regret it. So I love guys, and don't make this a big deal."
I looked up at them. They had sad smiles on there face, eyes glossed over slightly. "Shit man." I mumbled as I choked out a sob before latching myself onto my friends. I buried my head i between theres and the two boys arms wrapped around me tightly.
"Love you too Sage." Miguel said.
"Love you all." Demetri said.
"God this is so weird." I cried making them laugh. I pulled away and wiped my face from tears. Gosh it had been such an emotional roller coaster today.
"So you're really leaving?" Demetri asked.
I nodded slightly, "yeah. So I need y'all to take care of my dad. Miguel you're a son to him. And as the favorite child leaving, you need to step up to that role." I joked making Miguel smile a little bit, "just um.. make sure he's alive." I mumbled.
"Okay. Im going to go before I cry or hug y'all again it's been.. weird." I said brushing a hand over my face.
They nodded, "get out of here." Demetri said motioning his head down the hallway.
"You guys better text me. I'm an 8 hour drive not dead." I said pointing a finger at them.
"Okay. I'll text you 24/7, 7 days a week." Miguel said smiling. I smiled lightly looking at my friends for the last time. I nodded at them, "see y'all later."
Miguel and Demetri smiled, "see ya Sage." Miguel said.
"Binary siblings." Demetri stated.
I pointed a finger at him as I walked backwards, "I'll allow it this once."
I turned around and walked away from my friends, my family who made my highschool years tolerable; who saved my life.
