Finding Sage (Young Adult)

Four: Less Complicated and More Fun

After a few hands of poker with the guys, I find myself trying to get closer to Sage. I've included myself in several conversations where she was involved, but she keeps leaving the room whenever I try to engage her. Considering my passed downfalls have included pretty girls with asshole boyfriends - which never ended well for me - it would be best to stay away from her. Still, I cannot help but admire her from afar.

The guys lounge on the couch and girls are at the dinning room table looking over wedding plans. Adam's stereo beings to blare one of my songs, Mayhem's song. I roll my eyes and grab the remote to move passed it. When the next song plays, I hear Sage scream from the dinning room, "No, put that song back on, I love it."

"That song? Why? Why does everyone fancy that song? It's like the dumbest song, it has two lines that just repeat, there is no meaning...I don't get it. It took about two hours to write the whole thing, beginning to end." I search around the room hoping someone has an answer.

"It's really catchy?" Sage states as a question and an answer.

"Kellan wrote that song," I hear Gillian say. "That's his band."

"What? You're in Mayhem, Kellan?" she yells from the other room. "How come you never told me you had a friend in Mayhem?" Sage asks Gillian and Roxy.

"I don't know, it's not like the best thing about him, I guess," Gillian says. Adam cringes next to me.

I laugh and say, "Thank you, Gillian." Adam punches me in the arm, playfully.

"Well then, what is the best thing about him?" I hear Sage ask and I make Adam stop tousling with me to hear the answer.

There is silence for a moment before Roxy finally says, "Well...hell, you've met him, everything else." I put on a smug face and lean back on the couch, resting my hands on the back of my head and nodding toward the men, gloating. Mark flips me off with both hands and Adam throws a pillow at my face.

Gillian appears over Adam's shoulder and whispers something in his ear. His eyes lighten, sparking something in him.

I jump up from the couch and announce, "I'm going to bed. I have a gig tomorrow night and I need my beauty rest." I say goodnight to everyone, specifically targeting Sage, whom is still at the dinning room table with Roxy. When I do not get a response, I move closer.

I lean against the wall, facing Sage and Roxy. "Goodnight, ladies."

"Goodnight Kellan," Roxy says, but Sage ignores me by tapping on her phone.

Waiting for a moment, I lean against the door frame and wait for Sage to respond. She continues to type and ignore me. "Maybe a text would be a better way of telling you goodnight, Sage?"

Roxy jumps up and hops into the living room. I see her smiling and she winks at me as she passes. Playfully, I nudge her and she flops against the wall. She giggles and jabs me in the ribs before moving on.

Sage looks up from her phone, and takes another drink from her wine before addressing me. "Oh, goodnight!"

I roll my eyes and turn back to the living room.

Greg jumps up to kiss or hug me, and I tell him, "Sit." He obeys.

Adam laughs and says, "Need any help with that bed?"

"No man, its good. Thanks for letting me stay." I say one final g'night to everyone and a bunne nuit, to Francis and head into the study and close the door.

The room for which I am staying is kind of small and I must move the chair into the closet to open up the bed. Luckily, the closet is mostly empty, except for a few bed linens and pillows. While I put the sheets on the bed, I cannot help but think of Sage. The girl I have been hoping to see for days is in the next room and will not give me the time of day.