Complications with Authorities

Everything had happened so fast. What started off as a peaceful gathering, involving around a dozen other bodies with Sage thrown into the mix, turned into something much more violent, something the girl did not have control over nor condone the slightest bit.

People are marching in front of the mayor's home with pickets and posters, as they've done numerous times prior. Every single person is wearing a black hoodie and a medical mask that conceal their faces. They've been here for approximately two hours already but this is nothing new to them. Since the sidewalk is not considered private property and belongs to the public, they aren't breaking any laws and they're well aware of the fact. They are not creating a commotion by screaming or shouting as you would often see in the movies which tend to stigmatize and stereotype this kind of scene.

Over the years they've learned that, sometimes, the only way to get through to someone is by not saying anything at all.

In the beginning, the protesters manage to remain rather passive, doing a fine job at keeping their rage under wraps even though they are beyond furious with what is going on. Instead of acting on impulse, which usually does more harm than good, they allow their opinions on the fracking policy that is set to be approved the following week to be voiced through the signs they had made days ago.

A patrol car is stationed out there with them, most likely for the mayor's protection, and all is well. That is until one of the officers decide to open his trap, spewing out unkind remarks like it's the only thing he is capable of doing. He degrades and belittles some of the students, getting up in their faces. He's teasing—taunting—them, ultimately testing their patience. The wicked and smug smirk he's sporting tells them he's enjoying it too. They try their best to ignore him but they aren't robots. They have feelings. They have their limits. One last obnoxious and snide remark from the man is all it takes for chaos to be unleashed. It's like Pandora's Box but real.

After that it's a blur.

Suddenly, a brick is chucked into the house, shattering the big glass window on the first floor into hundreds of fragments and before they know it, batons are flying along with fists. Backup is requested while blood is being shed. Absolutely appalled by the sight, Sage goes around trying to pacify the situation. This is not what she wanted. This is not the answer. Her efforts, of course, are in vain and when she jumps into a fight without thinking her actions through, one of the officers shoves her to the ground, her palms getting scraped up by the rough and jagged asphalt. For a moment, she stays there, unsure of what to do.

Her senses begin to kick in a second later and not wanting to get trampled, Sage quickly hauls herself up, palms stinging. She sees one of the girls getting apprehended in a rough manner and her blood boils. The office, who had instigated the whole thing, is grabbing onto her hair, harshly yanking on it as though she's some ragdoll and not a human being. The audacity. Sage couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't stand by and allow this to take place, not if she can do something about it.

Hastily, she searches around for something—anything she could use to her advantage. She doesn't have too many options at her disposable. Looks like it'll have to do. Doing the unthinkable, Sage picks up one of the heavier picket signs lying on the ground and strikes the officer, who is twice her size, with it in the back of the head. What? It was the sign, her shoe or a nearby brick. It's a no brainer. What would you have done?

The man lets out a yelp and releases his captive. The fire burning behind his eyes when he whirls around to glare at Sage tells her she needs to leave, like, now. The picket sign escapes from her hands and falls onto the ground as she stumbles a step back. Pro: she managed to help the girl out. Con: now she's the one who's screwed. It would probably be a smart idea if she makes a break for it. If she sticks around, she could get charged for assault!

Not to mention the look on his face is murderous, which is definitely not good thing considering he's an officer of the law. Although she knows it's not the appropriate time for this, Sage can't help but wonder who gave him his badge. Scratch that; who the hell decided to accept him into the academy? She's pretty sure the police are supposed to stop murders from occurring, not commit them. Didn't they take an oath to serve and protect or something like that?

Sage notices him reaching down for his weapon and her eyes widen. He wouldn't. "You little—" Somebody shoves him from behind, providing her with the perfect chance to escape.

"Everyone run!"

As if she needs to be told twice.

To be honest Sage has never been an athlete. It's not really her forte. However, she must admit that she has always managed to find solace in a nice morning jog. It can be quite rejuvenating. Besides for biking, running is probably the only other sport she's not completely terrible at. Thank goodness it doesn't require too many skills or else she would be a goner by now.

During her freshman year at university Sage would get stressed with being separated from her family and schoolwork. In order to clear her head, she would go out for a run when she had spare time. Something about watching the sun rise while everything seems to come to life with its arrival puts her at ease. Although, in this case, she isn't running to clear her mind but to evade arrest instead.

Believe it or not, this happens more than you'd think. It isn't the first time Sage is fleeing from the authorities and she's not ashamed to admit it either. Unless, of course, her parents are in the picture. Being passionate about the environment and wanting to protect it at all costs can get her tangled in heaps of trouble. Why do you think they wear medical masks? To make a fashion statement? So far Sage hasn't been apprehended and she doesn't plan on changing that anytime soon. She cannot, under any circumstance, get taken into custody. Tonight she is determined to make it home for supper.

The brisk November air bites her skin, causing her cheeks to turn a deep shade of red. Thunder crackles and a flash of light slices through the sky. While Sage is sprinting down the street with two officers still pursuing her, rain begins to fall. It starts off as a drizzle and in a matter of seconds it becomes a relentless downpour. Finding it a little difficult to breathe, she yanks the mask off and stuffs it into her pocket.

Her legs continue to move beneath her and, despite the cramp in her abdomen, she pushes herself to keep going. She avoids the main roads and weaves through the smaller ones. From afar she can hear the sirens blaring. It must be the backup. She peers over her shoulder to see how much of a lead she's got before she suddenly collides into something.

More like someone.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Sage pulls away, her chest heaving up and down as she takes short and quick breaths. She glances back again, ignoring Jack. Adrenaline is pumping through her veins as she hears the yells drawing closer to her. This doesn't look like it's going to end well, at least not for her. Ransacking her brain for a solution, Sage finally recalls the boy's presence. It's a longshot but she's willing to take it. She isn't comfortable with dragging an innocent bystander into her mess but, if you couldn't tell, she's desperate.  

As quick as she can, she unzips her soaked sweater, crumples it up and shoves it into the stranger's bag. This has to work or else she'll be ruined. In one fluid motion, her hair tumbles down over her shoulders. Hopefully this guy will be a Good Samaritan and cooperate with her. Her life is in his hands. "Do you have a girlfriend?" she questions.

There's a pause. Sage fails to notice how slowly his Adam's apple slide up and then back down his throat. She's got other things on her mind. "No," he answers after what seems like a century. She's impatient. Can you blame her?

"What about a boyfriend?" She's got to make sure. Who knows with this day and age? Anything's possible. She doesn't want to put him in an awkward position later. This time he shakes his head and Sage feels like the luckiest girl in the world. Perfect! This is perfect! She has to make her move. It's now or never. They're coming. "Then I must apologize in advance if my actions offend you. I hope you won't charge me for sexual harassment because I'm in dire need of your help right now."

She sees a frown making its way onto his face. "What do you mean?" he asks. She's got no time to explain. Without uttering another word, Sage pushes Jack against a random car, snakes her arms around his neck and leans in. Just as their lips are about to touch, she ceases all movement. The officers whizz by the pair and Sage holds her breath. Unconsciously, she wraps her arms tighter around Jack, their front-sides practically glued to each other as she stands on her tippy-toes. Her heart is racing, banging so hard against her chest that she's positive the stranger can feel it. What she doesn't know, though, is that Jack's heart is behaving in the same erratic manner.

Once her ears no longer detect anything but the sound of the rain hitting the ground, Sage lets out a sigh of relief, detaching herself from the boy whom she would deem to be her lifesaver. She realizes his bags are sitting on the sidewalk and immediately bends down to retrieve them. She peeks inside to make sure nothing is damaged. Thankfully everything seems to be intact. She would have felt extremely guilty if she damaged any of his goods. "Here you go. I'm sorry about that. Thank you again for helping me." She holds the bags out towards him, snapping Jack out from his stupor.

"It's okay." He reaches out for them, the tips of their fingers grazing against each other during the exchange. Despite the frigid weather, the touch feels burning hot to Jack and he flinches, quickly withdrawing his hands away from her. Should he ask her what that was all about it? But thinking about it now, wouldn't it be weird if he did? He might know who she is but looking at Sage now, it doesn't seem like she's aware of his identity. To her, he is just another stranger on the street. So what reason would she have to share anything even remotely personal with him?

"Well, you should get going," Sage says. "It's not good to be out in the rain for a prolonged period of time." She walks by him and out of natural instinct Jack turns to look at her.

"What about you?" he calls out.

His voice causes Sage to halt in her tracks and she glances back over to him. "Excuse me?"

What is he doing? Who cares what she decides to do. It's her life. He should just drop it and leave. But he can't. It wouldn't be right. She's a lady after all. "Are you going to walk in the rain?" he asks, brows arched.

She nods once. "Only until I reach the nearest bus stop," she replies dismissively. Wherever that may be. She's not certain where she is yet but she'll manage to figure it out. Goosebumps appear on her skin and wanting to keep herself warm, Sage rubs her arms. She should go before those cops return.                                                   

Jack's mouths falls agape. She must be kidding. She's got to be. Shouldn't she be heeding her own advice? How can she tell him to get out of the rain when she's going to go around like that? Before Jack can stop himself, the words on his mind escape without his consent. "I can give you a lift if you'd like." When he realizes what he's said, his eyes widen and he mentally curses himself. Because any sane girl would willing get into a car with a complete stranger she's just met. She probably thinks he's a creep now. Great.

"No, it's quite all right," she states. "You've done more than enough."

The gentleman in him refuses to resign. He can't let her go like this. "Are you sure? I wouldn't mind."

His persistence doesn't settle well with Sage and she swivels around to look at him. His motives are instantly questioned as she tilts her head at a slight angle. Examining him from where she stands, she cannot deny how handsome he is even with his damp hair and clothes. He looks like he walked straight out of one of those magazines filled with nothing but half naked male models. The ones Morgan loves to ogle at when she's bored. It is then that Sage decides that a guy like him would have no problem landing dates. 

His pleasant appearance, however, does not persuade her to trust him, not even a smidge. In other words, she trusts him as far as she can throw him which, she can assure you, isn't very far.

Throughout the years, Sage has also learned to never judge a book by its cover. He can be a serial killer, who knows? Sage sure doesn't and she's not going to take any chances. "I know I'm going to sound hypocritical, especially after the little stunt I just pulled, but you're a stranger to me," she remarks curtly. "I don't know you. Therefore, I don't think it'd be wise of me to take you up on your offer, as enticing and tempting as it sounds."

Jack exhales. Okay, he saw that one coming from a mile away but it had been worth a shot. "I don't know you either," he says. It's not a total lie. "But I think I deserve the benefit of the doubt, especially seeing how I didn't rat you out when I could have." He's referring to both tonight and the ordeal concerning the disaster date he had with fake Sage a month ago.

Normally, Jack has a hard time matching faces with names but it's not his fault he's met so many girls within such a short span of time. But how could he forget the one girl who stood him up without a word and possibly the worst date he has ever experienced? The bewildered expression the girl has on tells him she doesn't have a clue what he's hinting at. "To the cops, I mean," he clarifies. "They were chasing after you, weren't they?"

Beauty and brains? Life sure can be unfair. There's no point in denying it. He has the right to know why she suddenly attacked him without warning. She owes him that much. "Yes they were," she confirms.

"Why?" Jack presses.

"Would you believe me if I told you I'd just killed a man?" Sage returns.

"Not really," he laughs. "You look too pretty to be a killer." This time his words paralyze him. Did he just say that out loud? He did! What's gotten into him? "I mean, not that attractiveness has anything to do with one's capability to murder someone. It's just you look harmless, like a fly. I mean that you wouldn't hurt a fly. Not that you look like a fly because you don't." God, why is he rambling? He's making a fool out of himself!

Sage doesn't seem flustered or bothered though. "I got it," she says, a small smile tugging on her lips. Maybe she had been too quick to judge. He doesn't seem like a bad guy. "Thanks again. Drive safe."

Even if she doesn't want a ride from him, Jack isn't willing to let her go. He won't be able to sleep tonight if he does. "Wait a second," he hollers as he runs to his car and reaches into the backseat. He walks back to Sage, opening the umbrella. "Here, take this." He holds it over her head and she purses her lips out.

"Why are you giving it to me?"                                  
"If you're not going to accept a ride from me, you could at least accept this," he declares. "It'll keep you dry." She raises a brow and he chuckles. "Well, it'll keep you from getting more drenched."

"I don't have any cash on me," she points out.

"What does money have to do with this?"

Sage shrugs. "Nothing in the world is free."

"I know," he agrees. "That's why I'm lending it to you. Don't lose it."

Hesitantly, she grabs onto the handle. Before she could ask for his name, Jack is already climbing into his car. She recognizes it as a hybrid and silently praises him. Then she watches him drive off and sighs. "How am I supposed to give it back to you? I don't even know who you are," she mutters.

Jack peers into the rearview mirror where he can see Sage's figure shrinking. Did he do the right thing?

"You're soaking wet!" Mrs McKiernan exclaims as she scurries over and hands her son a towel. "Why didn't you use your umbrella?"

Jack places the grocery bags on the table and dries his face. "I couldn't find it."

"You should really pay attention to where you leave your things," chides the woman, shaking her head. "Go upstairs and change out of those clothes. You could come down with a cold if you stay in them any longer."

"Will do," he answers. Just as he is about to ascend the stairs, his mother's voice stops him.

"Sweetheart, is this your sweater?" She lifts up the sopping article of clothing and Jack's throat goes dry.

"Uh yeah," he fibs.

"Isn't it a little too small for you?" She frowns, suspicion evident in her eyes.

"I mean, it's my friend's," he lies. "I found it in the car and used it to shield myself."

"And which friend would that be?" Mrs McKiernan inquires.

"Maybelle," Jack supplies swiftly. "You remember her, don't you? She's the one who used to have a crush on Paul."

Her face brightens upon recollection. "Oh, I remember her! She's the one who liked arguing with your father about politics!"

"Yeah, that's her. She goes to UVM."

"I see. I'll wash this for her then," his mother hums. "Is she still single?"

Jack refrains from rolling his eyes. "Yes she is and no, I will not ask her out on a date. We're friends. It'd be awkward."

"Hey, a mother can dream, can't she?"

"Of course you can," he breathes as he makes his way to his room.

That night Jack tosses and turns in his bed, unable to rest. The only thing occupying his thoughts is the girl he'd encountered earlier out in the pouring rain. Her eyes. Her hair. The way her chest inflated and deflated with every breath she took. For some reason he can't seem to get rid of her no matter how hard he tries, and just like that Sage Chan has become a part of his life again. A complicated conundrum Jack isn't sure he wants to deal with.

But as he's staring up at the ceiling, gazing into the dark abyss, he can't help but wonder who the real Sage Chan is and why fate is so determined to have their paths cross. Because, although he is not a psychic, Jack has a strange feeling that this will not be the last time he'll be seeing her.

- - -

Author's Thoughts: Oh my gosh. Jack getting all flustered is absolutely priceless <3 What do you think about their first official meeting? I'd like to dedicate this chapter to ZahrinaHaitamin, annieltran, and ibrorschach! You guys are awesome! Please do leave votes and comments if you'd like!