Life Match

Day Four

Day Four

I read the note over and over again. He's gone. Tears flow from my eyes and land on the paper.

"Sage, baby? Are you ready in there?"

"I'm not going," I reply. I crawl back in bed and a moment later Momma comes from me.

"Are you alright, strawberry?" She places a gentle hand on my back and pats it, "You're a big girl now. You shouldn't be skipping school just because anymore."

"I know," I mumble, "I just needed a break."

She kisses my forehead, "Can I get you anything? Water? Breakfast?"

I mumble a no and she leaves me to die inside.

***

Day Five

I wake up at one in the morning, my hair stuck to my head with tears. I drag myself to the bathroom and look in the mirror. My eyes are red rimmed from crying and my skin is flushed. I run my hand through my hair and exhale a long held breath.

"Get the fuck over it," I tell my reflection. I repeat this mantra to myself until I can bring myself to shower. The water is hot enough to burn. I try to scrub the lingering scent of his after shave from me hair. I want the "love marks" up and down my neck gone. After all, their really only bruises.

Territorial bastard.

I stay under the water until my skin is scoured and the hot water empties.

I dry off and I bring myself to get dressed and go to school. Class drags on, Mirabelle constantly in my ear, trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Is this heartbreak? I wonder, Is this what the creators of the system were trying to protect us from?

I'm grateful to get to self-defense class. It signifies the end of the day and also I get to beat people up. During warm ups Jericho approaches me, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I say. He grips my arm and pulls me into his office.

"Why aren't you talking to me?" Jericho asks, concern tattooed on his face. I avoid eye contact and stare at my feet, still encased in the same boots. A tear slips from my face and lands with a splat on the leather.

"Sage..." Jericho pulls me close and holds me in his warm embrace. When he pulls away I stare at him for a long time. I pull his close and kiss him passionately. All day I've been numb but now I want to feel. I want something I can't quite put my finger on, but Jericho can certainly help fill the void. I run my hands under his shirt, feeling up his firm abs. Those are new. I slide off his shirt and Jericho pulls back, "Is this what you want?"

"Yes," I rush in frustration, "I want you to fuck me."

"But is this what you need..." Jericho questions again. I glance at the tent in his pants and rub my hand over his crotch, "Probably not, but it might be what you need."

I attach my lips to his again and continue to rub him through his pants. He groans into my mouth and I push him back until he's sitting on his desk. He slides his sweats down and I slip out my bottoms, straddling him.

"Sage you really sho—" I cut him off by pushing down onto him, swallowing him whole. Whatever he has to say after that is converting into the language of moans.

I clench around him and ride him up and down. He comes long before I do and I climb off him.

"I love you, Sage," Jericho says.

"Huh," I get my clothes and leave. My feet carry me out the school and halfway home before I vomit in the bushes and collapse on the ground. I make myself sick.

I vaguely register someone pulling my hair from my face. My stomach freshly void, I stand and wait for a possible wave two.

"Sage darling are you okay?" I notice Jaycob standing beside me and he offers me a water.

"I'm really not," I whisper before he folds me into his arms. I sob into his shirt and we stand there like that, possibly hours, maybe seconds. I stop shaking and Jaycob escorts me into his car. It's much more modest than I would expect.

"Do you want to talk about this?" He asks, pulling away from the curb. I shake my head no.

He nods, "Well, I skipped lunch, so do you mind if I stop for something to eat?"

"No," I sigh. I take a sip from the water and Jaycob pulls up to where he was staying.

I recognize the house as where Riah grew up with his aunts.

"AUNTIE!" Jaycob yells into the house. A thin woman with blond hair scurries from the kitchen. She hugs him, "A friend?"

He nods, "Riah's ex-match. She isn't having a very good day. Could you prepare something for us to eat? Possibly homey?"

She nods at me and hurries back to the kitchen. I follow Jaycob into the living room, open and airy, furnished entirely in white.

"Do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

"Okay," I wait for him to continue.

"Does what happened have to do with my brother, my father, or both?"

"Both."

"Can this be fixed with a doctor, or something else?"

"Something else."

"Can I stop asking multiple choice questions?"

I giggle, "Yes."

He smiles, "Do you know where my brother is?"

"No. I ate dinner with your father and he told me to dump Riah and date Jericho. I told Riah, and he wrote me a note the next morning telling me not to contact him. And then I slept with Jericho and now I feel dirty and sick."

"Have you been listening to any of my lectures?" Jaycob scolds, "Damn teenagers. Do you want to marry Jericho?"

"God no. I vomited from just sleeping with him."

"Listen, I don't know much about love, except what I know from my doctorate in psycology and sociology, and sweetie, my brother is in love with two things: Himself and you. If he left you a note, it's because he couldn't handle you leaving him, so he left you. It's a defense mechanism he has. My parent's wanted to get rid of him, so he moved himself to live here. In conclusion, my brother is a selfish asshole."

"Jaycob! Language," his aunt appears in the doorway, "Lunch is ready."

I drive into three bowls of what is the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had.

When we're done eating, Jaycob drives me back home.

"Here," he offers me a business card, AZARIAH S. DANIELS, "If you ever need to find him, I know he would absolutely love to see you."

I take the card and wordlessly exit the car.

*****

A/N:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter it is a bit short I know but I've been having a hard time writing recently. Also, don't forget to check out my two new works I've been writing

Jonas& Arianna: Senior Year of Firsts (http://www.wattpad.com/story/41807795-jonas%26-arianna-senior-year-of-firsts)

The Curiousity of Ms. Briar (http://www.wattpad.com/story/28472372-the-curiosity-of-ms-briar)

-Caspian the Ghost

*****

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