Slowly

Prologue

"You don't love me anymore, do you?"

"No,"he said, not looking at her. "I'm sorry".

Determined not to cry, Sage ran away.  She silently berated herself, "I should have known this would happen.  What a fool I am, to think it would never end.  How naive!  How stupid of me!"

~

"You hate me, don't you?"

"Yes," he said.

~

Sage lay in bed, wishing she could stop it all.  I can escape, she realized.  There's a bridge that overlooks a highway close to school.  I won't have to live in a world where he hates me, where he is disgusted by my inhumanity.  

~

For the next few months, Sage carefully planned.  I must not let anyone know, because they might try to stop me, and I might listen.  I must be successful the first time, because my parents will find out if I fail, and I would not get another chance.  I must act normally, or people will realize something's wrong. 

Sage never executed her plan

~

I will never fall in love again, Sage decided a few months later.  It's too dangerous.  I might not be so indecisive next time.  I might become depressed and actually kill myself when it ends.  It was never a question of if.  Love would end, it was a given.  Either they would break-up, or they would get married.  And if they got married, someone would die, and the other would be heartbroken.  Besides, she didn't need love.  She didn't need feelings.  She could survive without them, because she wasn't weak, like everyone else, trying to gain others' approval, or at least caring about their self-image.  Her mind could see through the fog of emotion and illogicality.

~

Then, she met Alden.