Sage Rose Parker, a seventeen almost eighteen year old girl getting ready for college with her two friends.
Having the world on her shoulders and her past in her mind she's down to break.
An alcoholic as a mother and an abusive father in jail didn'...
I tell myself it's fine, that I know where my footsteps lead, but the path shifts beneath me, pulling me somewhere I don't recognize.
The words sound right when he says them, soft enough to settle in my bones, sharp enough to carve away my doubt— until it feels like maybe they were mine all along.
I reach for something steady, but the past is a blurred reflection, and the voices I once trusted are fading into static.
So I hold on, even when my fingers ache, even when I'm not sure if I'm holding onto him— or just the version of me he's shaping. ~~~~~~~~
The morning air is crisp, but my mind feels heavier than it should. As I walk through the school doors, the usual chatter and movement blur into background noise. My thoughts are stuck on yesterday, replaying Owen's words over and over again.
"They're not really your friends, Sage. You know that, right?"
I don't know if I believe him. Jade and Mike have always been there. Haven't they? Or have I just been holding onto them out of habit? The idea unsettles me, and I try to shake it off as I make my way to my locker.
I go through the motions—spinning the combination, grabbing my books—but my mind keeps drifting. Maybe Owen's wrong. Maybe he's not.
Just as I close my locker, I hear a familiar voice.
"Morning, Sage."
I turn to see Jade, smiling as she leans against the locker next to mine. Her brown hair are pulled into a messy bun, and she looks at me with that same easy confidence she always has.
"How was dinner yesterday?" she asks, tilting her head slightly.
I hesitate, then shrug. "Meh. It was okay."
Jade's smile fades just a little. "What's wrong, babe? You wanna talk about it?"
I exhale, rubbing the back of my neck. "Actually... I wanted to talk to you about something."
She raises an eyebrow, clearly curious. "Yeah? What's up?"
I hesitate again, because I already know this won't go over well. But I say it anyway.
"It's about Owen," I start. "He, uh—he said some things yesterday about... you and Mike."
Jade's expression shifts instantly. Her smile vanishes, and something sharper takes its place. "What kind of things?"
I bite the inside of my cheek before forcing the words out. "He said you guys aren't really my friends and how you guys are a toxic influence for me."
The moment the words leave my mouth, I see the way Jade tenses. Her arms cross, and her eyes narrow just slightly.
