Sage

Chapter Seven

"I don't want to go," Sage said as she paced before a seated Chelsea. "I can't go, I don't know this man!"

Chelsea watched her best friend, from a new light; a dimmed one. She was still taking in all the new information Sage dumped on her not a moment ago. She was still sorting out her emotions.

Sage stopped in front of Chelsea, "Chels?"

"Uhm, I'm sorry but I'm still coming to terms with the fact that my best friend is a drug addict..."

"Was." Sage corrected her.

"You took them the other day Sage," Chelsea stressed as her eyes followed Sage who sat down beside her.

"And only then."

"You took drugs, Sage, why didn't I see this?" Chelsea asked herself quietly.

"Because I hid it from you." Sage faced her friend.

"Why?!" Chelsea's voice came out louder than she meant it to.

Sage was taken aback.

"Why am I only finding out now?! And Zoe is your dealer? What the actual frick?!" Chelsea shouted as she got off her bed and stood facing Sage.

"Chels, I'm sorry I did not include you in my recreational activities..." Sage started.

Chelsea scoffed, "Recreational activities? I feel like I don't know you." Tears formed in her eyes.

Sage looked away from Chelsea feeling embarrassed. She felt upset as well. Her life was changing but her friend was focused on the least important issue.

"I just hid that from you because you were going to be judgmental and react the way you are right now," Sage said in defense.

"With good reason! Cocaine?! Cocaine Sage?!" Chelsea was the one pacing now.

"I just found out my life was a lie and I'm leaving for another province and you're focused on drugs? Really Chels?" Sage's irritation was evident in her voice.

"I was lied to as well," Chelsea said as she halted and crossed her arms over her chest. "And right now I can't sympathize with you."

Sage felt rejected. She got off the bed and approached Chelsea. "This is exactly why you're excluded on so much by the group. You're fucking judgmental." She pointed her index finger in Chelsea's face.

Chelsea had no idea she was even excluded by her friends, but she was maddened by being lied to by her best friend. She straightened up and looked at Sage.

The friends shared a look that held so much hurt. One pair of eyes trying to relay a message to the other.

Sage needed her friend right now. Not a judge. Chelsea expected an apology, not an argument.

Chelsea broke the eye contact and sat at the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry, but I need to process all of this."

Sage didn't look at Chelsea but walked towards the door slowly. "So much for being a friend." She mumbled under her breath.

"Yeah..." Chelsea said behind her.

Sage wiped a lone tear that had escaped her eye then sighed. The day before replayed in her mind.

She couldn't believe her father was not her biological father. Does he know? Is that why he treated her harshly? Her mother revealed to her that her life was a lie then in the same breath sends her to live with a stranger.