Through Fire

Chapter 6 - Sage

It's a blistering day to work on building a boat, that weekend back in Worthing. Sage would have preferred to make a short trip early in the week when it was mostly cloudy, but Brent, his partner, worked long shifts at a gas station during the week days, and was hardly available then.

Sage stands off to the side of the project, surveying it as he wipes his dripping brow and waits for Brent to return with another bottle of Gorilla Glue. He hopes the raft will float with his and Brent's combined weight. The structure is a flat, simple raft with a cross-boarded design of extra balsa wood underneath it for added buoyancy. They didn't really have to time or energy for anything more complex. 

"Come on, Ranse, we're almost done, man," he calls toward the house from the back yard. Using his shedded t-shirt to pat more sweat from his chest and face, he waits for a response from his partner.

"Raaaaanse..." he sings when he gets none.

"What's up, Whitford?" a girl's voice calls from the house. Sage straightens as Brent's cousin appears at the back porch door, leaning against the frame and crossing her arms.

"Wrong Ranse, Bronnie," Sage chuckles, tossing his shirt to rest over one shoulder. Bronwyn flashes him a sweet smile briefly before looking back into the house.

"Brent's ransacking the basement, have some patience." Her voice is soft as she clasps her hands behind her back. Sage sighs with a comedic volume, propping his hands on his hips. 

"Patience, of course! Thanks a bunch, Bronnie." He grins up at her from where she giggles at the floor. 

"I'll go tell him to move his arse." 

Sage can't wipe the smile from his face as she disappears into the house, the gentle tone of her Australian accent lingering in his mind. He was so glad to have been paired with Brent, and even more so that Brent's cousin was living with him. 

Bronnie soon returned with Brent, his partner bearing a new bottle of glue and a few glasses, his cousin lugging a pitcher clinking with ice and lemonade. 

"Keep your pants on, Whitford," Brent chuckled, handing him a glass, "It's break time anyway." 

The three sat on the steps, enjoying the refreshing drinks. Sage seated himself between the two cousins, his bare arm brushing against Bronnie's whenever he took a swig from his glass. 

"School starts in a few weeks..." Brent mentions, leaning back against the steps with his legs propped straight out. 

"Oh, don't remind me," Sage mutters before glancing at Bronwyn. "You going back home when school starts?" She nods, her nose still buried in her glass. Sage's heart sinks at the gesture. "Awe, Bronnie..." he croons, swiping his damp blonde hair out of his face as he wraps an arm imploringly around her shoulder, "We annoy you so much, you're gonna leave us our senior year? He was trying to shake off his disappointment with a joking attitude. He had developed a crush on her after his frequent visits to work on the project, and Brent had told him there was a possibility that Bronwyn was going to enroll at their high school in the coming year.

"Oh, stop," she giggles, a flush of red coloring her cheeks as Sage pulls her into his side, "I really miss my family back at home, and my passport's almost expired, anyway," she explains, and Sage reluctantly slides his arm off of her shoulders. He was genuinely confused, really. 

The last time he visited to work on the project a few weeks ago, he and Bronnie had actually hung out a lot when Brent was working. She had told him all about her home in Australia, and getting to come visit her uncle, aunt, and cousins with her dad. She told him she really loved the States, and was interested in staying permanently with her aunt and uncle so she could go to school there. Sage had half-joked with her about it, saying if she stayed and attended Worthing High School, she wouldn't have to worry about not having friends, he'd introduce her to Rome and Allie and Kaitlin. And he promised he'd take her to all the formals and dances, if she wanted, so she'd never be date-less. He had hoped she would stay, and he had hoped she would understand that his feelings for her exceeded friendship. He felt almost heart-broken that she was moving back to Australia.

First Mazie moves back to Bennen-land... Now Bronnie moves back to Australia. Sage was about ready to give up on love. Perhaps that's what happens when he's too withdrawn to get his feelings out there. 

"I understand," he chuckles, concealing his disappointment, "I bet the rest of your family really misses you, too." She nods as she twirls the glass in her hands, keeping her brown eyes averted in the shy way she has a habit of doing. Brent clears his throat, setting his glass down on the steps with a clink. 

"Well, Whitford, let's get to work."

*****************************

As the sun kisses Worthing farewell with the warm colors of dusk, Sage and Brent practically have their simple raft finished. Sage had tried to use the work to distract himself from Bronnie's upcoming departure, but the nagging need to talk to her about it further bothered him through the afternoon. 

His heart picks up pace when she comes back outside to see their progress. 

"Looking good, boys," she approves, coming down into the yard to circle the craft. "You guys done already?"

"Just about," Brent sighs. "I'm so ready for sleep. Call it a night, Sage?" Sage nods, taking a glance at Bronnie as she pokes at a corner of the raft with her toe. "Aight, sweet. Safe driving back to your camp, man." Brent retires into the house, leaving Sage, Bronnie, the raft, and silence behind in the yard. 

"You guys have done a good job with this thing, I hope you get a good grade on it," Bronwyn speaks up. Sage nods, watching her as she starts back toward the house. 

"You need anything before you head back? A bottle or two of Gatorade? Any food?" He follows in her wake.

"Thanks, Bronnie, I'll take a Gatorade. But hold on..." As she reaches the first step, he catches up enough to take her arm. She stiffens, surprise in her features as she turns to face him at eye level on the step. "Are you... Are you really going back to Australia?" The warm evening breeze plays at her short brown hair, causing her to brush it behind her ears and out of her eyes. 

"Well... yeah..." she says very softly, giving a glance at the hand that Sage never moved from her arm. Oh, how he would miss her accent...

"I was really hoping you wouldn't," he tells her, his own voice timid as well. She shrugs slowly as she stares back at the project absently. 

"My immediate family is back at home, and... I don't really have a reason to stay." She looks at him, then, and the ghost of a question shadows her eyes. 

"Of course you do," he whispers, his hand sliding gently down her arm to take her hand. A blush rises on her cheeks, and she hesitantly places her free hand on the side of his face. The touch causes his heart to soar, and he holds her gaze with a pleading look. 

"I... I don't know," she says quickly and softly, her touch disappearing from his cheek and her hand sliding out of his as she turns and is gone into the house. "I'll get your Gatorade and meet you out front," her voice calls from inside. Sage sighs as his heart sinks again. 

Bronwyn waves to Sage from the front of the house as he starts off down the street in his parents' car. With a heavy heart, he fishes his cell phone out of his pocket as he drives, checking to see if he had received anything while he had been working on the project. To his surprise, he had a message from -who else...- but Mazie. Fate just liked to play with him, he thinks bitterly to himself. With the frequent glance to the road, he reads the message on his iPhone. 

Hey, Sage. Letting you know Allie's been hurt, come back as soon as you can, okay? They need you. 

His stomach drops. What on earth could've happened back at camp?