Chapter 3 Chaos

"You have too much to say to be mute"

Sage POV

"So, please get with your partners that I assigned you."

I was currently in graphic design working on a project with my so-called partner.

Jeff

He was pretty lazy, and most of the time he just stared or flirted with me.

It was annoying, and quite frustrating because I took graphic design very seriously.

Actually, more than seriously, I wanted to make a career out of it.

To showcase my ideas, work, and art to people when it came to designing was very important. Also, doing something that you love, and making work out of it was a bonus.

"You look really hot today Sage," Jeff said while pulling up a chair beside me.

"Um-"

"So, what are we doing here babe. What can I help you with?" He asked, while leaning in, and invading my personal space.

Before I can respond to him, Anna came to the rescue.

"C'mon get up pervert." She said pulling his chair a little.

He looked at Anna with a surprised and frustrated look.

"What, I'm not a pervert, she's totally into me-"

"Give it a break buddy. She's definitely not into you, like at all."

She got right in between us, and pointed at me while still talking.

"Now Sage here is too nice to tell you that you are creepy, and you will never have a chance, but lucky for you I'm not. So, like I said get up." She stood up all the way and nodded her head towards the other side of the room directing him where to go.

He looked at me with hope in his eyes. I just looked down ignoring the whole scene, well pretending at least.

I heard a sigh come from him, and scraping from the chair before Anna potted herself right next to me.

"Thank you, Anna he's been doing that for weeks now," I said while tapping away at the computer.

"Yeah, I know and it's really cringing to watch him hitting on you repeatedly."

She kicked her feet up on the desk while leaning on the chair showing her high black boots.

"However, you know what the most cringing thing about it all. Is that you didn't say anything to him for weeks." She said looking at me.

"I know, I know I just-"

"I know you don't want to say anything, but I'm telling you if I wasn't here, how long would it have to go on until you would have said something?"

"Probably never"

"Exactly that's the problem. I'm not saying to be rude or anything. But at least tell the little pervert to back off!"

I looked at her and just nodded my head in understanding.

"So, you're welcome for being your hero, and now I can be your great partner helping you in this project"

She grabbed herself a computer, while I stifled a little laugh.

*****

"Please come tonight again sage?"

Stella said closing her locker.

"I did go." I said readjusting my book in my hand.

"I know you did go silly, but I'm talking about tonight, in the present like now."

We both walked away from her locker with my head in the book, and the clacking of her heels on the white tile floor.

"Can you stay out of the book please Sage!"

I felt the book be snatched from my hand once again by her.

"Sorry, I was just at a really good part in the book. "

"Yeah, I know now back to tonight, please come. "

I really didn't want to go out. It was one time, and one time only. I rather read books or watch TV.

I wish I said that out loud, but I just shook my head in a no manner.

There was a pause in the air until she spoke up again.

"Okay, I'm not going to ask you anymore. I don't want it to seem like I'm pressuring you to go out." She said with a bright smile.

"It's okay," I said shrugging my shoulders.

She nodded her head in understanding and grabbed my arms interlocking them together.

She gave me my book from the other hand while asking a question.

"So, what are you going to do at home then?"

"The usual, probably just catch up on a TV show, or read a book."

"Well, I hope you have fun with that!" She said with fake excitement.

"Ha, I definitely will thank you!" I said while laughing a little.

We walked to the car, and the first scene that I saw was Anna and Darren.

He was saying something in her ear, and by the looks of it, it was probably inappropriate. Just by the seductive smile, he had plastered on his face.

"Hey, hey break it up you two. Not everyone wants to see that!" Stella said breaking away from my arm.

She was wailing her arms like a crazy person like they were at a distance from her rather than in front of her face.

"Oh no here comes the prude!" Anna said jokingly.

"Hey, I'm not a prude!" Stella said fixing her olive-green dress that was just below her knees and black stockings.

"Yeah, right." She said sarcastically. She turned towards Darren and gave him a kiss goodbye.

"I'm not a prude, am I?" Stella turned towards me asking with a concerned face.

"U-mm n-o-o I do-"

"Are you really asking Sage? She's like the most innocent out of all of us."

Stella tilted her head in agreement, while Anna crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh, and no offense Sage." She said with a standoffish look.

"None taken?" I said confused while looking at her.

I mean she was right, I guess you can say I was the most innocent out of all of them.

I never smoked, drink, or tried anything with a boy. I did go to one party with Stella and Anna. That was the worst decision that I ever made.

I got a headache from all the weed that was being smoked. Tired of sex-crazed teenagers groping on each other, and the many times that guys would hit on me, and I would have to sneak away from them was exhausting.

It wasn't fun at all. It was miserable, and I would never, ever go to one again.

EVER.

"Alright, let's get home, before traffic," Anna said stepping in the vehicle.

"This conversation is not over Anna!" Stella followed her into the passenger's seat.

I shook my head and followed them going into the back seat as well.

We got into the car and headed straight home.

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

"Hey, we're heading out Sage!" Stella and Anna both yelled outside of my door.

"Okay, bye"

I heard the door shut in the living room. I looked around my room trying to find something to keep me occupied.

I looked back and forth between my bookshelf and my movie shelf. I really didn't know what I wanted to do.

I kind of wanted to avoid both things. So, I turned away from both shelves looking for something else around my room.

My room was modern. My comfort was navy blue, with white and blue pillows.

My dressers were brown and contained my movies, books, and different LED book lights for when I wanted to read at night, and my only one mascara.

Yeah, only one.

The only makeup that I actually apply to my face. Well, more of my eyes if anything.

When I was trying to decide, I totally forgot that I needed to finish my project for graphic design.

I pulled out my laptop from my backpack and started working.

A few hours later my phone beeped beside me signaling that I had a call coming in.

I saw Anna's face pop up on my phone, I answered, and paused on my work.

"Hey."

"Hey, are you hungry?"

"No, I'm fine-"

"Okay, well we're on our way to pick you up?"

Before I can even say something back, she hung up the phone. I took the phone away from my ear and plopped it on the bed.

I mine as well go I guess.

I got up and walked to my closet. Picking out a dark blue sweater and some white shoes to wear.

I combed through my hair, and freshened up in the bathroom one time, looking at my reflection through the mirror.

Once, I was done in the bathroom. I heard a honk from outside. I grabbed my phone and walked out of the apartment.

I went down the stairs quickly, spotting Anna's car. The passenger seat window rolled down showing the girl herself.

"Wow, she's finally arrived," She said dramatically, shaking her bangs.

I got up to the car ready to open the back door, but before I could open it fully Ricky did smiling at me.

"Hey Sage!" I jumped back a little startled.

"Ricky don't scare her, and Anna please be quiet." Stella said while hitting his shoulder and glaring at Anna.

He gave me a sheepish look, before he spoke up.

"Sorry" He said while scratching the back of his head

"It's fine" I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a smile.

I got in the car, and closed the door. Darren was driving with Anna beside him, and then it was Stella, Ricky and me in the back of the car in that exact order.

We were driving for a few before we stopped at ZoZo's burgers. It was a nice, welcoming restaurant.

The food was amazing, and free. I used to work there as a waitress when I first moved here. I became pretty close to the people. So, they will give my friends and I free food when we came in which was like always.

The people were so nice, and kind. I loved working there, and it also helped me save money to go into college. Therefore, it was a win-win situation.

I would even work there again, but I felt like I needed something new or anything that was in the column of the work that I wanted to do regarding my career.

So, I work at home, creating graphic designs for websites, book covers, movies, etc. And I get paid for it.

People just request what they want by email.

I give them an estimated price.

Finally, I just send it out to them and get paid through pay pal.

We walked into the restaurant, and almost immediately all the worker's bombs rushed us.

They were all saying their Hellos until Rosanna the manager and Mamma of the whole place came through the crowd taking us to our original spot.

Yeah, we come here a lot, too much.

Once we were seated in our booth she gave us a warm smile, with a notepad in her hand ready to go.

She was so sweet and jolly. She was a short middle-aged woman that had brown hair, with grey coming in at the roots showing just how old she was. She had brown dimmed eyes with wrinkles at the base.

"Is it the usual kids?" She said looking at everyone.

I shook my head not signaling that I didn't want anything.

"Well let me know if you changed your mind darling?" she said winking at me.

I gave her a slight nod before she ran to the back putting our orders in.

"The races were so wild tonight!" Ricky said while drinking his sprite.

"I know Bro, I got so much money off him," Darren responded in a proud manner.

"I wish I did, I mean usually I bet on him, but I just wanted to go for the underdog. You know to shake it up a bit!"

Darren looked at Ricky with an amused look before he responded.

"Oh, and how did "shaking it up a bit" get you?"

At this point, Anna and Stella were both laughing.

"Bad, well that is if he didn't bet on me." A husky voice came from the side.

We all turned to where the voice came from and there was KY.

"Oh, what's up bro?" Darren said with a fist pump

"Yo, good race today man." Ricky chimed in.

"If it was such a good race why didn't you bet on me?" He asked while taking a seat next to him.

"You know me, dude I always have faith in the underdogs," Ricky said shrugging his shoulders.

"Maybe, because you're an underdog yourself," Darren said.

KY laughed a little showing his perfect teeth and dimples?

Oh lord...

"You got that right, ever since childhood," KY said with a little humor.

"Hey, that's not nice!" Stella exclaimed from beside me.

"Oh, hey princess I didn't see you there?"

"There she goes again defending her boyfriend," Anna said with the roll of her eyes.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Stella said defending herself.

Her blonde ponytail was shaking from all the bouncing and moving of her hands she was doing just to prove that Ricky, wasn't her boyfriend.

"Oh, yeah I forgot little princess here, had a dying crush over ginger boy here in high school and now college?" He said pointing his finger at Ricky.

"No, I didn't or don't, now stop you annoying jerk." Stella said sputtering out her words.

"Oh, wow nice comeback." He said with a scoff.

Right when he did that, he caught my eyes. I looked down quickly in embarrassment. However, he still spoke up.

"Oh, you can't hide from me beauty, no hello?"

I looked up in shock, and just stared at him for a minute.

"Well maybe she doesn't want to say H-" Stella was cut off from him once again.

"I'm pretty sure she has a mind of her own, don't you?" The whole time he said that sentence he didn't even give a glance towards Stella.

I still didn't answer him, but blubbered my mouth like a fish. It was going so awful, and I knew it was because by the confusion that was written on his face, and the silence from the table.

Finally, the smell of food and Rosanna's voice filled the air which distracted all of us except KY.

Because he was still staring at the side of my face even when I wasn't staring or facing towards his direction.

In the middle of conversation and chatting, I finally felt and saw him from the corner of my eye turn away and engage in conversation with the boys.

"I didn't know there was a party tonight?" Ricky claimed to push his plate away, and looked at KY.

"Yeah me neither, where is it?" Darren asked turning his whole body towards KY who was at the end of the booth.

"Well, the real question gentlemen is why are we still here when there's a party waiting on us," KY asked with a smirk.

Ricky and Darren both nodded in agreement and stood up with KY ready to exit the booth.

Then suddenly Anna raised her voice towards Darren.

"I know dang well you're not going to walk away from this table and go hang out with your buddies when we have plans tonight!"

Darren sat back down and reached his hand out to Anna before she snatched it away.

"Babe please calm down, we can reschedule, right? I mean it's been a while since I've been out with the boys."

"First of all, don't babe me, second, I don't care if you haven't had boy's night in 10 years. We had plans, and you need to commit to those plans."

"Anna was not married I don't need to commit to anything."

"We may not be married but we are together, and like I said we had plans tonight!" At this point, she was raising her voice.

Darren breathe out before he responded.

"They are just planning it's not that serious, you're so dramatic, and you're acting crazy!" He said putting his hands in the air.

Oh no

He was going to get it.

Anna crossed her arms shook the bangs out of her eyes, took a sharp breath in, and was about to unleash but before she said anything.

KY, Ricky, Stella, and I ran out of the restaurant quickly and left them to it.

Once we were outside, Stella went to Ricky almost immediately talking to him.

I was going to head to the car when suddenly KY spoke up.

"So, you don't speak much huh?"

I turned around and watch him pull out a cigarette from behind his ear, and put it between his mouth.

I was going to say something, but I just settled on shaking my head.

"Why don't you?" He said with a cigarette in his mouth still.

I shrugged not knowing how to answer until Stella came from behind me.

"It's so bad that they used to call her mute in high school." She said with a chuckle.

I turned around with shocked eyes that she put my business out there. However, she walked away before I could say anything.

"Mute interesting?" He grabbed the cigarette from his mouth blew out smoke while looking in the air.

I didn't say anything for a while but just stared at him smoking his cigarette. He was so mesmerizing, I mean even his mannerism.

The way he acted was odd?

However, the way I acted, people would probably say the same thing.

He looked at me square in the face and stepped up towards me where he was only a few inches away. He was so close that I could see little speckles of gold into his hazel eyes. That I didn't notice before

"I may render you speechless, or even annoyingly silent but never mute."

Wow rude much...

When he was done smoking he flicked it to the ground and stepped on it. Before he looked up and tilted his head like he was studying my every thought.

"You have too much to say to be mute."