Sage

Chapter Seventeen

"You have reached the voicemail of..."

"Ugh! Her phone is still off!" Chelsea groaned as she canceled the call and placed her phone in the pocket of her blazer.

"Maybe she changed her number," Pearl said with a shrug before scooping a small amount of yoghurt with the transparent plastic teaspoon in her hand.

The two girls were seated by the soccer field for lunch. It was their new spot after Sage left, one declared by Chelsea to avoid Zoe.

"That would be selfish," Chelsea said more to herself.

She had tried to contact Sage the whole week and grew frustrated with the robotic voice that spoke back to her instead.

She missed her best friend, regardless of how they parted. Worry replaced the anger she had towards her after a month of no contact.

She visited May, to find out if she had new information on Sage but was disappointed to learn that May hadn't spoken to her after she relocated.

"I'm sure she'll contact us as soon as she can. I'll ask Zoe if she has spoken to her." Pearl suggested.

"No. Don't," Chelsea grumbled.

Pearl put the white container down and shifted her body to face the girl beside her, "What is up with you two?" she questioned.

"Nothing!" Chelsea murmured. "I'll keep trying Sage's number."

"Don't move away from the question. What happened? Why am I being excluded?" Pearl pressed on.

Chelsea sighed, "You don't have to worry yourself about tha..."

"I am worried. I want to know why our circle of friendship broke apart after Sage's leave. Also why she left? I don't believe the bullshit story you told me."

Chelsea was stunned at Pearl's outrage. She didn't tell Pearl because she was so accustomed to keeping anything about Sage to herself.

"I know I never pry into your relationship with Sage because y'all are closer but now I feel like an outsider because Zoe seems to be involved as well," Pearl added calmly.

"Involved in what?" A voice behind them asked.

Chelsea didn't need to turn around to know who it was, "What do you want Zoe?" She asked with irritation.

Zoe walked around to stand in front of the pair, she had her hands folded across her chest, "When will you tell me what I did wrong instead of giving me silent treatment?" She glared at Chelsea.

"So you don't know..."

"You know why I'm not talking to you," Chelsea spoke over Pearl, she looked dejected.

"No, I don't hence I'm here asking," Zoe said matter of factly.

Pearl watched Chelsea close her eyes momentarily as if praying for strength.

Chelsea then stood up and closed the distance between her and Zoe, "You are an enabler! You sold drugs to Sage, allowed our - my friend to snort that poison. She almost lost her life and all you did was contribute to that!" Chelsea bellowed pointing a finger at Zoe.

"I did not force her to take them." Zoe countered.

"You didn't deny her..."

"Wait, Sage took drugs?" Pearl asked confused as she watched the two girls.

"I'm sure you offered them to her, knowing the kind you spend time with." Chelsea spat out the last words to her statement.

This angered Zoe, "First of all Chelsea, who I date is not of your concern because you made it evident that you do not care about me. Ever since Sage moved here in primary school, you forgot all about me - your neighbour and friend since preschool. You ruled me out as a bad influence and never concerned yourself about me. Why have you never asked why I hang around the kind you despise? Why haven't you ever asked where my sister went to or you don't care at all to notice that? You call yourself a good friend when you dumped one at the first chance you got!" Her fists were clenched to her sides.