the place only you can find me

seven - sai

august sat in her room, laptop screen brightening her face. ever since that day with eleanor, she knew she had to do something about leia. it was fate. why else would she have met a cop that worked on her best friends' missing persons case? it wasn't a coincidence, and coincidence or not, she was going to find leia. no matter what it took.
"august? come eat supper!" cherrie yelled from the bottom of the stairwell. august rolled her eyes and reluctantly put away her laptop and headed downstairs. she always dreaded dinner because every once in a while, they'd watch tv while they ate, but usually they ate at the table. it's like they're begging to make our family more awkward. august thought.
"so, august, we were thinking, you don't need to talk to that cop anymore. ella was her name i believe?" her mother stated, taking a bite of spaghetti. "eleanor. her name is eleanor." august said. "and she didn't do anything wrong." she said under her breath.
"actually, august, not that you would know," "i'm tired of you acting like i'm stupid, i'm not 5 years old anymore, you know!" august interrupted. "august wills, you better pipe down young lady!" her dad chimed in. "no, i won't 'pipe down'. i'm sick of this family, treating me like a child, being overdramatic. eleanor was going to help me find leia, and you took that away from me. my best friend already went missing, i don't need to let go of someone else."
august shot up from the table and stormed up the stairs. she opened her laptop and searched the SDPD website. she should still be working. i can go down there and tell her the investigation is back on. now i just have to figure out how to get there without my parents finding out...

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"hey, Sai, can you do me a favor?" august asked over the phone.

"august? wow, we haven't talked since 6th grade..why are you calling me?"

"sorry to bother you, but i just really need to get to the police station."

"the police station?! what the crap happened?!"

"nothing, nothing, i just need to talk to someone."

"oh, umm, why can't your parents take you?"

"uhh..out of town.." august fibbed.

"okay. be ready in 10 then."

"alright, see you then."

she hung up the phone and got her jacket and backpack. she was currently scatterbrained, because the only person who she could call to drive her to the police station was someone she hadn't talked to in 3+ years.
Isaiah Russo, aka Sai, was an old friend of august's. they had a brief interaction at a summer camp, but never really hung out until 6th grade, when leia introduced them. leia was a people person. always making new friends, being friendly. when august met him she was excited to have a guy friend, just in case she ever needed advice about boys. (which she never asked for, given that she was too occupied with everything else going on to fraternize with boys.)
they quickly became friends, as well as quickly became adversaries. with them both fighting to be leia's best friend, they drifted from each other. in high school, when august got promoted to 10th grade, sai tried to rekindle their relationship, but after all that happened, august wasn't the same. and even though she still hadn't changed, she needed help, and sai was the only one she could think of to help her.
     august tip-toed down the stairs and into the kitchen. while her parents watched a re-run of Family Fued, really and truly watching the back of their eyelids, she snuck through the back door.

     how easy was that? gosh, if the TV wasn't loud enough, their own snores would ensure my getaway. you know i don't know how i feel about it being easy to sneak out....eh, who cares, it's what teenagers do.

      as august made her way to sai's car she got a nauseous feeling. gosh darn it. the one time i sneak out i feel bad. why do i have to be such a goody two shoes? it's like i can't get away from my own guilt, it's eating me alive. her thoughts quickly shifted in realization.

no. i'm sneaking out for leia. and if no one else is gonna help me, then i have to do it for myself.

even if it means getting hurt.

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i'm so excited that y'all get to meet sai🤪💛

also if you don't know how to pronounce it:

sai (ZA-EEH)

stay tuned for the next chapter!