SAGE

Chapter 31: She's a mess

Sage Miller

The days went by so fast that I felt like I blink and it was suddenly Eve's birthday.

I've been complaining about how my summer plans got altered that I focused on the negative sides

only.

Yes, this isn't how I planned to spend my summer but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The weather the last couple of days has been shitty to say the least. The skies were dark and it was

pouring rain.

It hasn't rain much this summer so it paid us with six days of rain.

Then today, the rain stopped. The sun freed itself from the chains of the heavens and blessed us with

its rays.

Today wasn't only Eve's birthday but is was also the fifth anniversary of Aunt Lauren's Death.

Grandma tried to hide her pain bit she couldn't. How could you celebrate a birthday on your daughter's

death anniversary.

Eve and Grandma aren't on good terms right now. They haven't been since she came for a visit.

Grandma isn't as understanding as Andrew or Micheal. She doesn't understand why Eve won't visit

Aunt Lauren today or it she didn't understand yesterday when she down right refused to visit dad

yesterday.

It's hard being stuck between both of them. In the end I chose Eve, I'll always choose her.

Grandma is family but I've known her for two minutes while I've been with Eve since the beginning. She

has her reasons to not what to visit dad.

They don't understand. They don't understand her, not like I do. They don't know her like I do.

Grandma only gave me a disappointed look and hasn't said a thing since then.

That was 24 hours ago.

"How is she anyway?" Styles asked.

I had forgotten I was hanging out with him till Eve's birthday later tonight

"Ummm... she's Eve man. She's complicated as hell. Most of all she's self destructing so bad. I don't

even know what to do or if I can even do anything." I told him honestly.

I've made peace with him asking little information about Eve and I always give him what he wants.

"I really want to blame you for her self destructive ways. That would be so easy but I can't. It was

inevitable. I wish I didn't know that but I do. I know she was headed that way anyway, whether you

came along or not. It was a matter if time."

I could hear the pain, the desperation, the agony in my own voice.

I was desperate.

Shouldn't I be happy today? Isn't birthdays suppose to the happiest day in everyone's life? Yet here I

am. Miserable. In pain.

"What can I do to help?" His question didn't surprise me at all. I'm surprised he didn't tell me he wanted

to see her.

"At this point I don't know. If anyone tries to help she'll fall faster. At least this way it's a slow process

you know. I'm just hoping she snaps out of it before it's too late." I told him. "I'm also afraid seeing you

will set her off. Then she'll fall faster."

He nodded like he agreed with me but I know he didn't. I can easily read people and he isn't any

different.

His eyes tell me he doesn't agree at all. He wants to see her. I've manage to keep him away but for

how long.

I know they're inevitable. They'll fall back to each other again.

I leaned further against my car. Styles had gone all bad boy today. He rode his bike and wore black

jeans, black combat boots, a black tee and obvious a black leather jacket.

Not like he'd ever wear any other color.

I don't understand his obsession with the color really. Eve use to say black isn't a color until he met him

and suddenly she liked black.

"Can you do me a favor?" He suddenly asked me.

"Yeah sure." I said.

"Can I give you something to give to her?" I immediately opened my mouth to deny. "No, it doesn't

have any note."

"I don't know Styles." I said slowly.

"It's just chocolates. She'll never know it came from me." He said convincing me.

"I swear Styles if you fuck-" He made it a point to cut me off.

"Just take it. I didn't even write my name on it." He said shoving the wrapped box to me.

I examined it slowly. It did look like a box of chocolate. I think. But with Styles you'll never know really.

Sure enough it doesn't have a name or note. The box is empty.

But with Styles you'll never know really.

I'm sure he can fit a car in his pocket. Maybe that's a bit too much but you know what I mean.

"Fine." I groaned and opened my door and shoving it in the glovebox.

"I don't think she'll eat chocolate that came from just anyone. She's picky with what she eats." I told him

closing the door.

"I know. That's why I'm giving them to you to give to her." He smirked.

"Smart." I muttered.

"I am smart." He said gloating.

I looked at the watch and realised it's almost noon and I said I'll be at Wren's at noon to help.

"I gotta go. Catch you tomo.... oh... I can't hang out with tomorrow. I've got plans." I told him frowning.

"Don't flatter yourself too much. I wasn't gonna hang with you tomorrow. I do have friends you know."

He said stranding his bike.

"You barely hang with them." I said honestly.

Throughout the summer, I've heard him saying he's gonna hang with them twice.

"I don't always tell you everything you know." He said.

A random though popped in my head. It was weird as shit and even creepy that I said it out loud.

"You haven't cussed once today. Hell, you don't cuss as much." I pointed out.

"Blame your sister if it's a bad thing. Thank her if it's a good thing. Since I met her I don't cuss as

much." He told me starting his bike.

He doesn't wait for my response before he speeds off but my mouth had already spewed out the

response.

"The first few..." I trailed off when he's about 20 feet from me.

Rude. Rude as fuck. To bad he didn't stop you from being an asshole. I bit his head off in my head.

Twenty minutes later I was at Wren's mansion.

I got out of my car and looked at every decoration.

"It's worse inside. It looks like Disney puked in there." I jumped a little from hearing that.

I looked over my shoulder to find Zac behind me.

"Mom and Eve are inside giving orders. It's chaos. Mom just wants to make this exactly how Eve qants

it." He added.

I get Wren. She wasn't there for many birthdays. She wants to make up for all that time.

"I bet they look like twins doing it." I told him.

"Amen, someone else notices it. I thought I was the only one." He threw his hands all over the place.

I looked at the decoration one more time before heading inside.

Recently I've found Eve's choice of favourite colors weird as hell. For as long as I can remember he's

favourite color has been pink.

Now she added black into the mix. Her bedroom walls are now black and pink. Her bed setting are

black and pink.

Back at the house her bedroom is purple or lavender like she likes to call it but I never saw the

different. That was another one of her favorite color but not more than pink.

I know exactly when did this combination of colors started. It started exactly the time she started dating

someone I know.

Yeah the combination aren't common but she makes them normal. Black and pink.

So right now her decoration is black and pink. It's not as weird as it should be.

There's no white or any other color for that matter. Only black and pink.

Hours went by and I went to chance. The past couple of days Grandma was here, she made it a point

to spoil me.

She got me a whole new wardrobe. It's good to say I'll be dressing different from now on. I'll be

expensive, from my car to my clothes. I'll be the it boy at school.

The party was bigger than anything the white house can organise. I dare to say that two famous artist

made an appearance for 10 minutes.

I'm sure Eve doesn't know 90% of these people in here.

Eve gave a shallow speech while Wren gave a heart-stopping speech. I was given the stage and I

delivered a short one.

Even though I like the spotlight. I didn't like the one I was put on. I like a very different spotlight.

Zac gave his excellent speech. Grandma even gave one and cussed a few times.

I wander why dad didn't cuss with a mother like her.

Actually I wonder how any of her kids don't cuss.

Eve recieved so many presents and yet she only opened a handful.

Grandma got her a diamond necklace. Wren got her another car much less to Zac's protests.

It wasn't a bitter protests, more like siblings being siblings.

So Eve has three cars now.

I already given her my present earlier along with Styles's gift.

I did try to socialize with the people but the people I could tolerate were a handful.

I wanted to leave and get some fresh air. The house became so suffocating.

The back yard wasn't an option since half the guest were there anyway. So I was left with the front

yard.

I didn't want to admit it but I was bored. Those people has some sticks stuck their asses.

"I take it that you got bored with those fuckers." She said.

I quickly turned around and saw grandma walking toward me.

"Yeah. I'm not used to suck parties." Besides I haven't had an ounce of alcohol to help me tolerate the

people in there.

"You can say it you know." She said to me and she made herself comfortable next to me.

"Say what?" I asked her.

"That they have something stuck up their asses. I won't judge." She blunted out.

I threw my head back and laughed. Trust Grandma to put her foot in her mouth.

"They do, don't they?" I said in between laughs. Grandma only smiled.

My laughter died down and we sat in silence. She reminded me more of dad but she wasn't anything

like dad. Weird.

Over these past few days, Grandma and I have shared stories about dad. We've talked so much about

him and Aunt Lauren.

"How was Mike as a father?" She suddenly asked.

My lips tugged up.

"He was so good with that. He was absolutely the best and I'm not lying. He rolled around in the floor

with us after work. He took us to eat every morning on Saturdays. Our life with him were the best." I

told her honestly.

Grandma likes to ask about dad a lot. I knew more questioned followed after that.

That's all we ever talked about. I wasn't complaining either.

"So when you asked him about us. What did he tell you?" She has never asked me that.

I looked at her, I've always been able to read people easy so when I looked up at grandma. I saw her

pain.

Never did it cross my mind how affected she was that dad left but looking at her now I saw her sorrow

written all over her face. I see her grief, not the grief of death but the grief of having her children walk

out in her without an explanation.

It must have been hard for her. All those years not knowing where they were or even of they were alive.

Not even a single contact with her.

I won't lie. Since I've found out I had a grandma and a family, I've thought back to when Eve and I

would ask dad about our grandparents. He never gave us a straight answer.

"He always avoided that topic. And as I grew older I guess I assumed that you were dead." Her sharp

breath told me I was insensitive so I back tracked. "But he always told us how much you'd love us. He

told us stories about you and grandpa. How loving and funny you were."

She gave me a small sad smile. I smiled in satisfaction.

"I know you don't like Clara but it's weird that you don't mention her in any of your stories." She pointed

out.

My whole body tensed a bit.

"I know. She was not my family. She was not a mother to us. She was supposed to be my mother." I

told her honestly.

"Was?" She asked and I immediately froze. "You keep saying was. You talk about her in the past. Is

she dead?"

The answer to that question is simple. I know it but only I know the truth. To the would Clara Miller is

still alive.

For a moment my mind went blank and my tongue refused to say a word.

"Umm.... she's dead to me." That statement couldn't be more true.

"You hate her that much?" I've never told grandma why I hated her so much.

Grandma always assumed it's because she was a bitch and she didn't like her either so she never dug

for information.

"You have no idea." No body does. No one has any idea how much I hate my own mother.

Enough to kill her. I ignore my own jab.

"Here. I got you this." It shouldn't surprise me that she bought me yet another gift but It did.

I looked at her outstretched hand. She had a gift bag I didn't notice the time she sat down.

I took the gift bag from her and thanked her. Telling her shouldn't have when inside I was giddy that she

did.

Grandma's gifts are always costy. Thats what I love most about them.

"Just 'cause it's Evernly's birthday doesn't mean I don't get to spoil you." She gushed a little.

I thanked her again as I took out the gifts.

I gasped at what I had in my hand. A watch. And not just any watch. A Rolex.

I'm more of a bracelet kind of guy but now I don't know. I have a Rolex watch. I have to flaunt it.

Imagine rocking this baby Monday at school. Not only will I be wearing a Rolex but driving a beast.

Such things feed my ego way too much. Not in the way it should.

Life this summer has been pure bliss for me. No kidding.

No Clara. I'm at the top of the gang. A got a family that's rich. A new expensive car. New expensive

clothes, now a Rolex watch. Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

I'm at the top. I know I am.

I take out another box. A cologne.

I thanked her again. Gushing over the scent of the cologne.

"That one is an apology gift." I was shocked by her words.

I whipped my head to her and locked gaze with her. I could see the sincerity in her eyes.

She really was trying.

"It's okay grandma. You shouldn't be sorry for saying all that." I told her.

She was the first to look away. Which surprised me.

"But I am."

"I get it you know. If I wasn't here the past six years I would be thinking the same as you but I was here

for the past six years. I have thick skin while Eve doesn't. Her life since dad died hasn't been easily.

She's angry that dad left so sudden. She suffered from anxiety, nightmares, depression and an eating

disorder. Which she still does. She went to therapy and when she was getting better, aunt Lauren died.

It pushed her too far under water. With Clara and everything, she couldn't get over so many losses in

just a year. I worked hard to get her to be like this. It's the best I could've done."

"You shouldn't have had to do all that. You shouldn't have had to grow ahead of time to take care of

her. You should've had a normal teenage life."

"Yet there was nothing I could've done except to man yo and be her brother. I don't regret it. What we

both went through is what made us today. So I wouldn't change that for anything. And as for the normal

teenage life, I'm sixteen. I can still have that. I have three and a half years for that."

Before she can say anything else. I added another piece of information.

"Don't take what Eve says personally. It's how she works. If you push, she'll pull harder till she fall.

That's how she is. She'll come around some day."

"You remind so much of my Mike. Always so selfless and caring." She said.

But I had to disagree, I'm not selfless or am I caring.

No matter how much I try to be like dad. I fail miserably. Even if I hate to admit it, I'm my mother's son.

Her blood runs in my veins.

I took after her. I may look like dad but I'm more Clara than I'll ever admit.

I hate myself for it.

The party ended around 1 am. Grandma and Andrew are flying out at 3 am.

Before we went to bed, we said goodbye to them. Grandma, Andrew and Micheal.

I spent the night at Wren's because I was too tired to drive and why the hell not.

I woke up to my phone blaring very loud.

To my horror the time read three thirty.

I groaned and checked the calls.

All sleep left me the moment I realised who they were from. Eve.

I somehow knew that this meant she was in trouble.

Fumbling with my phone I quickly called her.

She answered within seconds.

"Sage." She hiccupped. Blood drained from my face.

She was crying.

"Eve what's wrong? Where are you?" I rushed out already halfway dressed ready to go to Eve's room.

"In the porch." She mumbles and slurred a bit alerting me she was drunk.

"Hang on I'm coming." I said already in the hallway.

"I fucked up Sage. I fucked up." She said just before the line died.

I immediately sprinted to the stairwell. My thoughts on one thing.

I fuck up Sage.

-----

It took me three days to finish this piece. Never have i taken this long to write a chapter. It's always a

day or maybe when I'm too busy I'll add a half on that.

I can tell you that writing this chapter wasn't easy. It's like I was almost having the case of the writers

block. I hope it won't continue.

What do you think Eve did?

I love you all

Prec