Conflicted Eyes, Confusing Feelings | Complete

s e v e n t y - s e v e n

^ Heard this song in 'To All The Boys' and I'm in love. (it also matches the mood of this chapter, so woopie)

Chapter 77: Brothers (and Sisters)

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A faithful friend is the medicine of life.

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Considering the events that occurred in the past three days, making headlines in the school's imaginary newspaper and becoming the newest controversial topic of Oak Ridge High, one would expect that Sage was even more ostracized, like in the case of his exposed diary, but that wasn't the case. Truth be told, maybe Sage would have liked that, had everyone left him alone and the situation eventually died down like everything else, but it was the stark opposite.

Students, jocks, nerds, teachers, janitors, everyone watched him from afar.

And no, it wasn't because of the pair of fashion glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, nor the frizzy mess of his overgrown hair, nor the fact that his grades were yet to recover from the fatal punch to his being.

It was because three days ago he stood up to Maria García in the halls, followed by the thing nobody expected; Xander Love, standing up for him before the whole school, subtly destroying Maria in the process and claiming Sage as his own.

Not dating, not fück buddies or even friends, but in a way that everyone assumed they were together, boyfriends.

The funniest thing about the whole situation wasn't that, though. It was the fact that nobody touched him.

Not one snide remark, never once slammed into the lockers or had his books knocked out of his hands, nothing.

Tugging his hoodie over his head, he snuggled under its warmth to try andespace from the penetrative stares.

"Ignore 'em."

Lifting his head, he made eye-contact with pools of warm, honey brown eyes.

Carter Al-Balawin, another reason people stared. He followed them around wherever they went, originally with the intent of telling off anyone who dared to try and say anything to Sage. But of course, no one would. He was Carter, the other popular member of CXC, the sweetheart, fashionista counterpart. The mere sight of him made girls swoon, getting short-circuited and amping their personalities or looks whoever he walked by. A handful of girls approached them, using the excuse as an autograph to talk to him for a few seconds.

"Yeah,Sagey bear! They're just jelly, like jello!"

Sage's footsteps came to a halt.

He slowly turned, facing his three friends.

Carter, Felt, Randall.

And next to them stood the ghosts of Nyx, Vera, and even Axel.

Of the present, the latter stepped up to him, concern flashing in iridescent depths of his glimmering eyes. Cupping Sage's reddened face, he lowered his head slightly, looking into Sage's glazed-over eyes and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," he said, wiping his sleeves at his eyes. Felt bounced next to him, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. Whenever her best friend/girlfriend, Vera, wasn't around, she took on the role of the mother, tending to all Sage's needs like he was her own. Considering their history, one would assume it was awkward or felt forced, but Felt didn't allow what happened to comeinbetween their friendship.