Innocence is just her disguise (Sadie Bane)

22

[Like lovers do- Hey Violet]

The rumble of my bike dies down as I shut it off and stare at the house in front of me. Inside of that house is a stupid boy.

I take a deep breath before walking up to the door and knocking on it, waiting as patiently as Sadie Bane can.

"Sadie?" Carlos asks once he opens the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Wanna go do something?" I ask, trying to be as casual as I can with my hands in my jacket pockets.

"Like what?" He leans against the door frame.

"I don't know. I'm bored." I lean against a pole, crossing my ankles and staring down at the ground.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" I glance up at him to see a wary expression on his face.

"No." I roll my eyes, shaking my head.

"Ok. Then yeah, we can do 'something.'" Why am I even here? He's with Clara now, not me. Why am I wasting my time? Because I'm a fighter, not a quitter.

He walks out of his house and we walk to my motorcycle.

"You got a new bike?" He remembers the rabbit and the lake incident.

"Yeah."

"Sorry about your other one," he mumbles.

"Meh. Whatever." I pick up one helmet and hand it to him, get on the back and put my helmet on. Carlos looks between me and the front of the bike.

"Don't you have to sit in that seat to drive?" He points to the seat in front of me.

"Yeah. So sit down." I pat the seat in front of me.

"What?" He furrows his brows.

"You're driving."

"I'm driving?" He asks alarmed.

"Yes." I nod. Hesitantly, he sits down and puts the helmet on, starting up the engine. Good. He knows how a motorcycle works.

I wrap my arms around his torso and hold on tight as a small smile forms on my face from his warmth. This is why I wanted him to drive. So I could have a reason to hug him.

We drive around for a while until he stops somewhere on a trail in the woods. We take our helmets off and he gets off, which I instantly regret as goosebumps form on my arms. We begin wondering off deeper into the woods, enjoying the sounds of birds singing and insects chattering.

I feel my hand brush against his and I wait for him to do something. What he does is cross his arms over his chest uncomfortably. That's not what I expected him to do. What's up with him?

"What happened to the old Sadie?" He blurts out randomly. Confused, I turn to look at him. The old Sadie? I'm not old. I'm young.

"What do you mean?" I ask puzzled.

"The old you. The girl who didn't take orders from anyone. The girl who punched people who talked back to her. The girl who stood her ground. The girl who hated me. Where did she go?" He stops walking and faces me, making me stop.

"She's still here." My voice wavers because I still don't understand.

"Where?" He shakes his head.

"Right here."

"No." He shakes his head, sighing aggravated.

"You're not yourself Sadie. You actually act happy to see me. You act shy around some people. You let Clara get to you. You let her walk away with victory. Why? What happened to you? I miss the old Sadie. I want her back." I look down at my sneakers. Why am I wearing my sneakers and not my boots? Who am I?