Dancing With The Devil (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 5: Rage Red

"Did you know that when you tear down borders, you can sometimes find a real person, a real soul?"

Sage's P.O.V

My eyes busted open, and breath refilled in my lungs. My body shook violently as I regained consciousness. The last thing I remember was dropping of mom and dad, then hopping into the car. I can vaguely remember seeing something that knocked me out cold. And as I woke, I could have sworn I heard someone trying to talk to me.

I glanced down at my phone, it was still snug in my hands, I curled in my fingers, finding sweat marks under them on my phone's glossy screen. I turned it on, watching my lock screen flicker; and entered the password, prettykitty456,

Don't judge me.

And saw I had an unsent text in the message box. It was to Thalia, I glanced over the untyped words, my eyes squinting as the brightness had been decreased due to battery loss. As I checked the phrase, I noted that I was about to tell Thalia I wasn't feeling well. What made me faint so suddenly. I can't remember anything.

I jumped as someone tapped on the glass next to my head. My eyes began to water as I wondered if the vague being was here again, I shivered, turning to see....to see...

A security officer.

Dressed in a flashy neon vest with those orange stripes, no less. She tapped again on my glass, and I wound down the window.
"Sweetie, you've been in this lot for 6 hours, and the fee is $5 per hour, and... are you leaving any time soon?" She asked politely, with a small grin plastered on my face, I awkwardly apologized, handed her $30, and drove back home, feeling as though I was being followed, though no car was behind me.

In the Aldaine Residence: Liam's P.O.V

Thalia and I are pulling apart Sage's room, trying to find that diary. I caught Sage stuffing it under her pillow, but it's not there anymore! She must've moved it before she went to drop of her parents. Thalia looked like she was doing it for the sake of her friend's mental wellbeing, I was doing it because it looked really full of juicy secrets.

When I told Thalia that, she rolled her eyes, ignoring me. I don't even know why, it seemed like a legit reason. Six drawers and three badly placed bras later, Thalia held a plush sponge filled pillow up in her hand. I blinked in confusion, and she seemed to sense it, so she shook the pillow, allowing a plain, yet elegant journal to plop down on the floor.

Ohhh! It was in the pillow!

She stuck her strong hand out from the pile of clothes stacked up above her, waving it around as if asking for help. That wasn't my focus, however. I dove for that book, I snatched it, flipping it open, and began to giggle uncontrollably.

Thalia drug herself up from the pile of clothes, dusting off her red, loose top before bouncing to my side. She had the devious smile on her face that I wore too. We flipped through the pages, some were about poems, some were on her parents, some were on how much she loves Jane's "peach sundress she wore to school the other day"

"La lee, la lee, laa~~ blah blah blah"

Atleast that's how it had seemed, I scanned over the last few pages, finding lunatic entries about someone watching her, and how "alive but dead she feels".

Now, I was containing my laughter, but Thalia popped out in joyful tears and snickers, I followed suit. Jane and Robin came to see what the commotion was about, when they came in, Thalia beckoned both of them, wrapping her slim fingers around Robin's arm, I noticed Robin's slight flinch as Thalia did so.

I looked to Jane as she exclaimed in fear. "Guys, this isn't funny, Sage sounds mentally ill. We should help her." She stated, I brushed her off with a "pshh," as I continued flipping through the book.

That was when Robin snatched up the journal in her hands, bringing it up close to her own eyes, Jane scampered up behind her to see. Thalia noticably backed up, and fell back on the bed, watching Robin shift the book so that Jane could see. I fell back too, but I didn't look nearly as lost or sorrowly focused as Thalia.

"Jane's right, this sounds serious, this could be why she's not back yet." Robin announced, her anger booming through the small room. Thalia continued to argue, claiming that it's nothing, which only enraged Robin. I stayed quiet, my eyes flickering back and forth as I watched them throw comebacks at each other.

"Wow, you just seem to care about every other girl on earth but me. Don't you?!"

Thalia yelled, her voice rolling around in the suddenly thick atmosphere. I swear I heard Robin growl.

"Thalia, you know that's not true, why would you say that?"

Robin sternly corrected Thalia, all anger gone, replaced with doubt. The whole room was silent as Robin sighed. She breathed in a puff of air, letting it out loudly. Then, as quick as a fox and full of rage, Robin stomped out of the room, tossed the diary randomly behind her. I caught it, looking up to see her grab Jane's bauble covered wrist; Jane's worried eyes trained on the outraged girl. Her face was red in rage.

Robin clenched her fist around the other girl arm, leaving a light red mark on the soft, pliable skin. She clenched her teeth.

"Jane, we are going to find Sage. Because we care."

And just like that, a fuzzy pink keychain was dangling in her hand, connecting to the key to Jane's hot pink sports car. She fled the house, a confused princess in hand, as Thalia stood at the door of Sage's bedroom, hands trembling as she held nothing, eyes welling with tears. I sat at the edge of the bed, I don't know what just happened.

I don't know what to do.