𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚎'𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚝𝚎

Confusion at the Canyon|| 2.

The bus dropped them off in front of a big, red stucco complex, like a museum. It adorned the vast expanse of desert surrounding it, which was alit by bright sunshine. Sage glanced around, her eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the light.

Despite the cornflower skies, the air was glowering with bursts of chill. A shiver ran up her spine, as she slipped on her jacket. It was an elder leather piece, laden with little scratches, but still nice enough to wear. It slipped over her slim shoulders, falling over her body perfectly.

Her black cargo pants did enough to fend off the brash wind, in addition to her jacket and t-shirt. She glanced back at her friends, her gaze lingering on Jason for a moment. His eyes were an electric blue in the light, and they had this piercing quality to them. Normally so warm, and filled with mirth but now... different. Faraway, confused, nervous even.

"God, don't tell me you like Jason too," Leo complained in a whisper, as Sage tore her stare away from him, and onto Leo. She furrowed her brows in confusion, resisting the urge to look back once again. There was something off about Jason, it was marring her ability to think about anything else.

"What?" Sage asked, her mind still rippling with images of the blond boy. Was this really some elaborate prank? Jason never seemed the type before, and she couldn't imagine him faking the harrowing worry on his face. Maybe he'd hit his head? He'd been acting normal until he woke up, maybe he'd actually passed out or something.

Leo rolled his hickory hued gaze, and blew out a long sigh. "You keep staring at him," he said, less quietly than before. "Another cute girl going for superman," Leo rose his hands, as if in mock surprise. "Shocking," he said, before his lips broke out into a smirk as he sent Jason a glance.

Sage's nostrils flared as both Jason and Piper gave her curious looks. As she shifted her stare towards Piper, she could see the jealousy bred within her ever-changing eyes. One second they were sapphire, the next rich honey, then jade, all according to how illumination groomed them. Jason's blond eyebrow knit, his features reflecting Piper's curiosity.

"I keep staring," Sage began in an unwavering tone, her articulate words coming out evenly. "Because he just said he didn't even know who he was, and we keep talking like it's fine," she said. In different circumstances she may have been resisting the urge to laugh at the accusation. It was wildly off, after all she had eyes for Jason's girlfriend, secretly, obviously.

The underlying possessiveness in Piper's eyes melted away, and merged back into concern. She opened her mouth to speak, just as Leo and Jason did at the same time. Their voices all melded together into a mismatched cacophony of words. She was able to catch little bits of what they all said. 'Not serious,' from Leo, 'I don't know' from Jason, and 'tell Coach Hedge,' from Piper, so Sage decoded what they were saying easily.

"So, a crash course for the amnesiac," Leo said, still thinking Jason's faulty memory was nothing of worry. Sage wasn't surprised. Leo had a knack for using humor as a way to cope, or excuse concern. Which is likely why he thought it was just a ruse, but Sage was unconvinced of this. "We go to the 'Wilderness
School'" — Leo made air quotes with his fingers. His tone was airy and helpful, but his words were gearing up to be anything but.

She crossed her arms over her chest, where her heart thumped. A continuous beating noise pulsed quickly, serenading Sage with her own worries. She breathed deeply, inhaling the aroma of fresh salt, cardamom and notes of citrus on her. The scent was chalked full of warmth, with hints of spice and vanilla littering it. The first time she'd smelled the perfume, it had reminded her of her hometown in fall.

The salt water sea would collide with the crisp autumnal air, creating a beautifully sharp scent. Sage could still remember her parents walking her down main-street, each holding one of her hands. All the shops were laying out an assortment of cinnamon scented baked goods, candles, pinecones, and anything else that bled fall's aroma. Every morning when Sage sprayed it, she was dragged back to those days. When her family was in tact, and she didn't have to worry about being crazy...