That Voice

Chapter 13

Luke’s P.O.V.

Four days later, I woke up to the sound of an air horn blasting in my ear.  I jolted from sleep and something warm and soft tumbled from my lap.  Crap! That was Sage!

Sage and I shared the couch for the past few days because there weren’t enough beds for all of us and Calum and Michael crashed at our room more than they did theirs. We had developed into close friends, and although she loved each of the boys equally, we had a special connection with each other.

Snapping out of the sleepy haze, I jumped up to look for her, but then immediately fell back down because my leg had fell asleep.  After a few seconds, I stood up again and found Calum, Ashton, and Mikey rolling on the ground and laughing hysterically.  Looking slightly to the left of them, I saw Sage with her legs propped up on the wall as she was lying with her upper body upside down on the floor.  

Sitting up and looking dazed, she scowled at Ashton playfully from her upside down position on the wall as he held the air horn in mock innocence.

Her hair was slightly tangled and wild from the harsh wake-up call and her eyes were unfocused.  Her clothes were wrinkled and she had red marks on one side of her face from where she was sleeping on my lap, but she was still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.  

As I admired her quietly, she kicked her legs and did a backwards somersault off the wall and rolled onto her feet. She walked over to the three of them still lying there rolling on the floor and lay down horizontally on top of them, effectively pinning them down.  

She turned to me and shouted, “Luke! Now!”  Seeing my cue, I rushed over to them with pillows in hand and the two of us mercilessly beat them up with the pillows and laughed the whole time.  When we were finished, Calum was curled up in a fetal position moaning and Michael was spread-eagle on the floor with his chest heaving and fits of laughter still escaping from him.  Sage was still chasing Ashton around the room with her pillow as he rolled around the floor giggling.  When he finally gave up, Sage whacked him a final time and collapsed onto the floor with the rest of us.  

We were all laughing heartily with tears streaming out of our eyes.  Usually, we are not morning people at all, but having Sage here has made mornings full of more laughter and fun memories than usual.        

We all stood up slowly and went to eat a quick breakfast together before boarding the tour bus.  Pushing each other around jokingly, even Sage was already being treated like just another one of the members of the band with the teasing and horse-play.  That made me smile how easily she had adapted into our small family.  

“Vegemite on toast, yeah?” Ashton asked already bringing out the jar from the cupboard.  It didn’t matter if we wanted vegemite that day or not, Ashton was making it.  We all nodded and grunted out some kid of affirmative answer.  Except Sage.  She just looked curious as she scrunched her forehead.

“What’s Vegemite?” she asked as we all turned to look at her in shock.  Calum lunged over to put a hand over her mouth before Ashton heard.  It was too late, and when he turned, his face was hilariously furious.  I could tell by her eyes that she was smiling underneath Calum’s hand and when he removed it to return to his seat, Sage gave me a confused, but happy look as she looked at the jar that Ash was holding.