Finding Us

3

Aria rolled her lips into her mouth as she read the texts she had received last night. There were 56 message requests and 60 new followers. She tried to keep herself down, but when she danced on the dance floor along with her friends. People noticed and came over asking for her Snapchat ID or Instagram.

"Why didn't I see Sage last night?" Nash asked, and Forie rolled her eyes.

"Dumbass, didn't she call us last night saying she got her menses and wouldn't join us." Nash crossed his arms and thought about it. He got trashed last night and doesn't remember anything.

Rhett laughed, shaking his head. "What?" Indigo asked, peeking into his phone.

"They had another Twitter fight? Why are they fighting on Twitter?"

Aria looked up at her friends. "Sage blocked him on Snapchat and Instagram." They laughed, thinking about Sage and Gideon.

"Time for breakfast, let's go." Indigo stands up from the bench they were sitting on.

"Yeah." They all stood up and started walking towards the cafeteria.

Sage looked at her reflection before putting on the lip gloss. She didn't care to put on eyeliner and mascara. She brushed her hair into a ponytail. She tied the hair tie around her hair before picking up her blazer.

She put on her school blazer and picked up her bag. She is ready for the day though she feels sick. She cannot miss classes. She walked out of her dormitory and locked her room. Thankfully, she is friends with everyone on her floor. There were eight rooms on each floor.

Her dormitory is on the fourth floor, while Aria's is on the fifth floor. She started walking towards the elevator. Usually, she would take the stairs. She crossed her arms and waited for the elevator when someone stood beside her. She glanced at the person and saw Tariq.

"Good morning," she greeted casually.

Tariq looked at Sage. "Good morning." He knew Sage because he watched her Youtube covers and she got a lovely voice.

"How's it going?"

"Hmm?" Tariq asked in confusion.

"I mean new class and new friends." Tariq smiled as realization dawned on him.

"Honestly, it's shit and is fucking me up."

"Early classes and you got midnight practice," Sage said, getting into the elevator.

"Yeah... How do you know?"

"Boy, I practice my covers late at night. I get it..." Tariq nodded his head.

"Point, so you like music?" Sage smiled, nodding her head.

"I was always fascinated when my mum played the piano and when I asked her if I could take music classes. She was thrilled." Sage thought of her mum.

"I love music and I know you love music as well. When did you start playing?" The conversation flowed and Tariq was happy that it wasn't awkward. He needs to make friends in the section or else it will become damn boring.

"I have loved music since I was a kid. I was eager to learn all the instruments and I'm still learning how to play new instruments."

"I have seen you play the instruments and you are really good at it." Sage complimented. "Your vocals are amazing."

"Thank you, I have seen your covers and they are good. Maybe we could work together if you are okay."

Sage looked at Tariq in surprise. "I'm serious, I know you and heard you sing. Your vocals are sweet and I would love to do a cover with you."

"Wow, thanks. Sure, I will be thrilled to learn more about music from you. Maybe have some knowledge of different instruments and vocals."

"Where are you going?" Sage asked.

"I'm going to meet my friends."

"Oh cool, I'm going to have breakfast. You can join us and make friends. Rhett and Nash are chill fellas."

Tariq smiled. "Maybe I will join your table tomorrow. I have already told them."

"Okay, no probs." They walked into the cafeteria together. That got the attention of a few kids and Aria's.

"It was nice talking with you, Sage. We will catch up later."

"Ditto." Sage wandered to her table while Tariq went over to his friends.

"Hey..." Sage took her seat beside Nash and looked at the plate. "Is this mine?"

"Yeah," Indigo said. "Skipped the yoghurt."

"Thanks, darling."

"Tariq and you?" Nash asked.

"We had a talk and he is good. Not arrogant and I invited him to sit with us tomorrow. Hope you guys don't mind."

"Nah, he was awesome last night. Girls went gaga over him," Florie said.

Sage looked at Aria and a smile started playing. She knew Aria had a huge crush on Tariq from the day he joined King's Edwards. "He will be sitting with us. He doesn't have any friends in our section and we could make friends with him."

"Yeah!" Rhett rolled his eyes at Florie.

"Just say you got a crush on him and want to sit closer."

"Shut up," Florie threw a black grape at Rhett. Nash laughed, wrapping his arm around Sage's shoulders and bringing her closer.

"Hey, did you get Cairo's number?" He whispered so that the rest of the group couldn't hear. Sage pinched Nash's arm.

"You two broke up and how am I gonna get her new number? You go talk with her."

"She isn't budging and she is sitting with Burton and Dwen. They fucking hate me." Sage looked at where Cairo was sitting but, unintentionally, her gaze fell on Gideon, who was laughing at what his friends were saying. His brown locks were dancing as he laughed without any care and control.

She couldn't take her eyes off him. She rarely saw him laugh truly. She had seen him smirk mischievously but never a happy smile. "You listening?" She snapped off of her trance and looked down at her plate in embarrassment.

She continued talking with her friends but occasionally stole glances at Gideon. He was talking about something and his close friends Cyrus and Camden were laughing.

*

"You know what, we need to go to the reading area and work on this," Sage said, looking at the chemistry problems.

"Yeah, I'm having trouble understanding these formulas," Aria replied, placing the mechanical pencil on the paper.

They took their belongings and moved to the reading area. They have the largest library in their school but they wouldn't be able to talk. In the reading area, they could talk and do anything they wanted to do.

"So, Tariq is going to join us for breakfast?" Aria asked and Sage smiled.

"Yeah, he will. Don't be shy and try to spark a conversation when he speaks to you. Florie is excited as well." Aria looked at Sage with an expression that said her secret had just been busted.

"Babe, you are my girlfriend and I know whom you look at with that lovely look." Sage wrapped her arm around Aria's arm.

"On Saturday night, we will have all the fun." Sage winked at Aria. Aria chuckled, shaking her head.