Sage

Chapter Eight

"Okay, I am done. Let's go." Letoya announced as she swung her backpack over one shoulder.

It was Sage's first day at a new school, that Morris enrolled her in and she was beyond nervous. Fortunately, the principal allowed her to start two weeks into the third term.

She followed Letoya out of the house. "Are you allowed onto the premises dressed in that manner?" she asked looking at her stepsister's outfit.

Letoya was dressed in tight denim shorts, a white vest with an unbuttoned checkered pink shirt on top. She finished the look with white sneakers.

"Uhm, you should worry about your outfit sis," Letoya said as she turned right onto the pavement that was covered with colourful chalk drawings.

Self-conscious, Sage looked down at her navy high-waisted trousers and nude flat pumps. She wore this with a long sleeve white blouse that was tucked in and a white wool cardigan. I should've worn something else. She thought to herself as she caught up to Letoya who was further away.

The township was buzzing with school kids and adults walking in all directions. Sage had noted in the last week she was here that it was never quiet. Raucous music played from neighbouring houses and cars hooted at ungodly hours. On her third day, she lost count of the people who came by the house to visit her stepmother in the evenings.

"How far is the school?" She asked as they approached crossroads. They turned into what seemed to be the main road.

"Not far," Letoya said whilst looking at her phone.

Sage left hers at the house because she did not need it. She tried to contact Chelsea for the past week with no success so she figured her best friend was still processing.

They passed a house that looked run down, far worse than what Sage had seen. She gazed at it as the front door opened. A frail woman stepped out, dressed in baggy clothing. She seemed lost as the woman approached the pavement.

"Toya! Toya!" The woman called getting rather too close to Letoya.

"Man Darla, what do you want?" Letoya asked without stopping but glared at the woman with disdain.

"Do you have any spare change? Anything?" Darla followed Letoya close by.

"No. Go home." Letoya said bluntly.

"Imma tell your mom..."

"Go ahead, she's gonna tell you the same thing. Go home."

Darla turned her attention to Sage, who was watching the interaction.

"Do you have something, Miss?"

"Uhm, let me check my bag," Sage said as she placed her backpack against her stomach and unzipped it.

"Darla leave my sister alone, go!" Letoya grabbed Sage by the wrist and hurried away from Darla. "Don't give out money to anybody on the streets."

"But she looks like she needs it," Sage argued looking behind them at Darla who was now searching for something on the floor.

"Do you know what she needs it for?"

Sage shook her head.

"Exactly! And if you give her once, she'll come to you every day." Letoya finally let go of her.

Sage zipped her bag and slung it on her shoulder. She peered once more to Darla who was already across the street approaching a group of girls.

She shook off the slight discomfort in her chest and got in step with Letoya.

They passed vendors that sold all kinds of foods. Sage saw fruits hanging from one station and chips packaged in transparent plastics laid out on a table at another.

A pungent smell of paraffin and cooking oil wafted past Sage. She followed the smell to a chubby woman bent over a big blacking silver steel pot that had small balls of dough swimming in bubbling brown liquid. The woman was surrounded by cardboard box walls and a line of customers buying what she was making.

"We're here!" Letoya said as she slid her phone into her front pocket. Sage turned her attention to the direction Letoya was facing.

"It's very close to the house," Sage commented as she studied the building before her. It was painted in cream with burgundy roofing. The green gate was open as pupils strolled in.

"I told you," Letoya said as she rushed towards a group of girls.

Sage followed behind slowly.

She caught up to Letoya hugging a pretty pecan brown skin girl who had long blonde hair that looked artificial. She was dressed in yellow leggings, which accentuated her round bottom with a black cropped sweater that tightened around her protruding bosom, revealing a blue belly piercing. Her long feet were covered in black sneakers.

"This is my sister y'all, her name is Sage,"

Four pairs of eyes scrutinized Sage, making her feel uncomfortable.

"This is Trisha, my bestie," Letoya started as she pointed to the girl they were hugged up with a second ago.

"That's Ashley," she pointed at a slim girl with straight black hair. Her brown caramel face was bare except for the gloss on her plump lips. She was dressed in tight dark denim, a striped black and white turtleneck top, and black ankle boots.

"And that's Vanessa and Candice." Letoya finished off.

"Nessa and Candy, why are you outchea giving out our government names," Candice said rolling her eyes.

Candice was a shade darker than Sage, her hair was in bob box braids with gold decorations at the tips. She was dressed in a long-sleeved mustard jumpsuit, paired with white sneakers.

"So this is Miss boujee," Vanessa said whilst making popping sounds with gum in her mouth, "she looks it." She looked at Sage up and down.

Vanessa looked exotic with her deep amber skin tone and bright hazel eyes. Her dark golden blonde curly hair was in a puff on top of her head. She was dressed in white high-waisted jeans with a brown long-sleeved bodysuit. She was the only one in feminine loafers that matched her top.

"Yeah, that's her." Letoya snickered as Candice and Vanessa laughed.

A bell sounded and students headed in one direction. Letoya and Trisha led the way for the group, followed by Candice and Vanessa.

Ashley linked her arm around Sage's and gave her a pearly white smile, "Don't mind the other girls. I'm just glad I finally have a friend of my own."