Complications During Finals

Sage scans the third floor and groans inwardly once she confirms that every single table is occupied. She should have known the library would be busy now that finals have officially kicked off. Leave it to college students to wait until the last possible second to study for their exams. Talk about procrastination at its finest. With deflated shoulders, she whirls around to make her way back downstairs. It looks like she'll have to find another place to study. Her eyes are trained on the linoleum floor before she abruptly halts, a pair of sneakers appearing in her line of sight. Sage knits her brows together, lifts her chin up and blinks, pleasantly surprised to discover Jack staring at her, a look mirroring a deer caught in headlights smeared all over his face.

His heart thumps a little faster. His breaths become a little deeper. Third time's the charm, or so they say. Unable to do anything except for gaze at the girl in front of him like a complete dunce, Jack's brain short-circuits and momentarily severs his vocal cords. It takes him an entire minute to recover from the initial shock and say something to her. Sadly, however, all he manages to get out is a rather demure and stiff, "Hey." Regret immediately washes over him, nearly drowning the poor guy and his jaw clenches. What's gotten into him now? Jack gulps, mentally scolding himself for the lame greeting, and his hands curl up into fists at his sides as he waits impatiently—nervously. Why isn't she saying anything? Has he already faded from her memories?

"Hi," Sage responds, her tone a mixture of shock and what sounds like delight. "It's Jack, right?"

Relief floods into his body, the corners of his lips twitching up into a shy smile. She hasn't forgotten him. Is he supposed to be flattered? Because he is. "Yeah." Jack nods. "Are you here studying again?" What kind of question is that? Of course she's here to study! What else would she be doing? Watching a wrestling match? He needs to snap out of this as soon as possible. Jack has never been this tongue-tied and helpless before, especially not because of a woman and the fact that Sage is effortlessly drawing out his awkward, prepubescent side, which he hasn't seen since he was thirteen, is not sitting well with him.

Had his friends hit the nail on the head during their last video-chat? Jack thinks about it for a second and then rejects the notion. There's no way he's smitten with her. He'll admit that he might have developed a silly, little interest in Sage but it's nothing more than that. Oh and don't get your hopes up either. It's not the romantic kind of interest. Besides, how can he not be curious about a girl who a) stood him up on their blind date, b) lied to her own mother about it, c) fled the police and d) was constantly making him out to be a bad guy? Yes, he knows. She sounds extraordinarily complicated. He's hyper-aware. For most of his life, Jack has always managed to steer clear of complications but it seems like Sage Chan is going to be his first exception. Whether she will be his last, though, is another matter. He'll just have to wait and see.

"I wish," she whispers so that she's not disturbing anyone. "It's a full-house."

Without thinking it over Jack says, "I have a table." He jabs a thumb over his shoulder, indicating where he is currently sitting. Sage looks past him and discovers a large table, which can accommodate up to four people, with textbooks and notes all scattered about the surface.

She purses her lips out as her eyes return to him. "Lucky you," she remarks, unaware of the subtle suggestion lingering in the air, up for grabs. What is he trying to do? Make her jealous? Shes's not a petty person, nor someone who gets frequent visits from the green monster. To be envy is to be immature and she is certainly neither one of those things. Sage wouldn't mind studying at home in the comfort of her own room but, unfortunately for her, her next door neighbor enjoys crooning her heart out whenever she's working on another piece to add to her portfolio. In fact, that's probably what she's doing at this very moment considering she's got a deadline to meet. Sage had learned last year that aside from being an amazing artist, Morgan also happens to be tone deaf. Like really tone deaf. As much as she loves her, Sage has to admit that the girl cannot sing for her life. So she'd prefer not to strain her ears at a crucial time like this, thank you very much.

Jack is stuck in a stump. He's not certain if Sage has realized what he was trying to relay or not. If she has, well, she's obviously chosen to ignore it. Can she be one of those girls who fancied straightforward and direct guys? Does that mean she wants him to stop beating around the bush and invite her to join him with his own mouth? How can Jack forget how confusing females can be? He doesn't know what to do and when he sees her flick her wrist outwards to check the time, he panics and blurts out, "You're welcomed to it if you'd like."

His offer causes Sage to snap her head back up as she looks at him, eyes slightly rounded and mouth sitting ajar. She wasn't expecting that. "Really?" Well, it will save her from wasting time trying to find another place, time which she can invest towards reviewing the materials instead. Honestly, Sage doesn't see the harm in accepting Jack's kind gesture now since they've had their proper introductions already. Before either one of them can utter another word, however, they are interrupted by a girl who appears to be extremely peeved.

"Shhhh," she hisses as she holds a finger to her lips.

Jack apologizes silently, but once she catches a glimpse of his face, the vexed expression instantly dissipates and the pencil in her grasp falls onto the floor. He nods at Sage, completely oblivious to the stares directed at them. "I'm not waiting for anyone, so there's plenty of room for you."

"Thank you," Sage whispers as they walk side by side. A good twelve inches separates them yet Jack can feel his heart leaping faster and faster. Did he make the right choice? Discreetly, he steals a few glances of Sage through his peripheral vision and notices the notebook flipped open in front of her. So she's one of those people who studied even when on the move. How dedicated. She must be great at multitasking.

Upon reaching the desk, Jack quietly scolds himself and rushes over to fix the disheveled papers and books, wanting to get them out of Sage's way. Why couldn't he be organized like her? "Sorry." An embarrassed smile spreads across his lips as he pushes his things to one side of the table. "It's a little messy."

Sage tears her eyes away from her notes and peers down, face as blank as an untouched canvas. "It's okay. I've dealt with worse," she states dismissively.

His eyebrows knit together in suspicion. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" It wouldn't be the first time she's done something like that.

She answers him with a shake of the head and plops down into the chair diagonal from his. "No. My little sister's room is atrocious and unfortunately, I'm not exaggerating." Just thinking about the moldy pizza box that's probably still stuffed under Rosemary's bed since her last visit has Sage shuddering in repulsion. She can't even begin to tell you how sloppy the girl is. She's worse than a teenaged boy! But because she's the baby of the house, their parents tend to spoil her, permitting Rosemary to do whatever she pleases. The same rules do not apply to Sage due to the fact that she's the oldest and sometimes, although she might not admit it out loud, she resents them for treating her differently.

Jack chuckles and takes his seat as well. "But I thought girls loved keeping their rooms neat and tidy."

"And I thought guys were supposed to have terrible handwriting," Sage quips, jerking her head towards his index cards, her attention still geared towards her notebook. "Your penmanship is nice."

A thin layer of blush settles over his cheeks as he grabs the cards and clears his throat. "Thank you." It's the first time someone, who's not a teacher or his mother, has complimented his handwriting and Jack suddenly feels proud. Charlie, Simon and Claudius usually make fun of his penmanship but to have Sage praising him makes his insides warm and fuzzy. How can one girl have such an effect on him?

"You're welcome," she replies, shrugging off her backpack and coat. She places the bag on the empty seat next to her and hangs her coat on the back before she unpacks a couple of things. Tomorrow she should come earlier in order to secure a spot. "Now let's get studying or the girls glaring at us will commit murder."

Stunned doesn't even begin to describe what Jack is experiencing and not quite believing her, he glances around. He discovers that several girls are, indeed, looking in their general direction and turns back towards Sage, who is now scribbling away in her notebook, ignoring the rest of the world, Jack included. How did she notice them? When did she notice them? Jack is positive she hadn't been paying attention to anything other than the notebook in front of her and, as he does a double-take, he realizes their eyes are focused on one person and one person alone. She's wrong. They aren't glaring at them. They're glaring at her, but Jack isn't going to tell Sage that. Imagine how upset she'd be if she found out a quarter of the girls up here only came because they were following him.

Oh god. Sage will probably assume he's some kind of player who devours women for breakfast, lunch and dinner like the fake Sage did if he tells her! No, he can't allow such thoughts to ever cross her mind. It's probably the smartest choice for him to keep this to himself and pretend as though he has no idea what's going on and so he does. No more words are traded between them and while Sage busies herself with the study guides her professors distributed a week and a half ago, Jack tries to do the same. In the beginning, it is a little difficult for him to focus properly with her sitting less than five feet from him, but eventually the nerves wreaking havoc in his system disappear.

Time ticks by and the third floor starts to thin out thanks to nightfall's arrival. Sage yawns silently behind her hand, blinking back the tears welling up in her eyes and blurring her vision. Her arms are rather cramped and tight, forcing her to take a minute to stretch them out. Soon, her eyelids start to feel heavy and she extends an arm out forward, laying it flat on the table before she rests her head on it. Sage has been up all day and a small nap does sound enticing, as it usually does. Not wanting to deprive herself of more sleep, she concedes to her body's needs.

During finals she barely gets any shuteye time, except for squeezing the occasional short nap here and there whenever she gets the chance to. Such moments are rare and she can't afford to pass the opportunity up. The last thing she recalls seeing is Jack concentrating on the book in front of him, lips pressed into a thin line and a rather placid countenance plastered on his face. He looks so relaxed, as if he's not the slightest bit worried about exams, and a sense of unchartered admiration hits her. What Sage forgets to do before she surrenders herself to the dark abyss, though, is set her alarm clock, like she always does; and it's all because of him.

Jack sets his pen down, deciding that he'd let his brain take a breather. As he is rotating his neck, in attempt to get rid of the knot that has been bothering him, his eyes unknowingly flit over to Sage. He freezes at the sight of her sound asleep before the corners of his lips quirk upwards. Why is he still surprised? He should have seen it coming. Jack bites on his bottom lip, suppressing the wide curve from breaking free as he shakes his head softly. This is the first time he's seen a girl rest so peacefully and having no desire to disturb her, he carries on with his own business, keeping the noise to a minimum.

Another hour winds down and Jack finally throws the towel in and calls it a night. He pulls out his phone and finds a handful of missed calls and text messages from his mother. He doesn't respond and slips the device back into his pocket. Sage hasn't woken up yet and Jack takes this chance to observe her carefully, propping an elbow onto the table and placing his chin in his palm. He starts from her lips, noting how exceptionally pink they are. Then his gaze skips up her nose and settles on her long, dark lashes. Her golden beige complexion makes it seem like she's glowing and her wavy, chestnut brown locks are pulled back, tied into a ponytail. Sage is beautiful. There's no argument there. Jack's heart thumps out of rhythm when she shifts and he retracts.

Gradually, Sage's consciousness returns and she sits up, her mind clouded by drowsiness. She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand and Jack starts shoving his books and papers into his backpack, those pesky nerves rattling him again. He needs to play it cool, act normal. Oh, who is he trying to fool? During their first and second encounters he couldn't act normal even if his life had depended on it, and he's positive this time will be no different. Surprising himself, Jack is able to form a coherent and seemingly normal statement. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he remarks, daring not to meet eyes with her just yet.

His voice reminds her that she is not alone and Sage peers over to him, the tiredness and exhaustion no longer hindering her. What's he doing here? Oh yeah. The floor had been packed and he was kind enough to share the space with her. "Are you leaving?" she questions as she watches him store his belongings away.

"Yeah." He nods before he gains the courage to look at her properly. "Would you like a lift?" He holds his breath and waits for her answer. There's a high probability that she'll turn him down, but it's late and Jack will feel undoubtedly anxious and worried if he doesn't send her home. That's what happened the last time he offered her a ride and she flat out rejected him, leaving him to ponder on whether or not she got back home safely the entire night.

Sage shakes her head and starts to gather her notes too. Nobody can be this nice without having an ulterior motive hidden up their sleeve. Call her a pessimist; call her a skeptic; call her a cynic but she prefers realist. In the nineteen years she's been alive, Sage has learned many things about people and how they work, or so she thinks. "Do you always offer rides to strangers?" she questions, voice steadier than anticipated.

Jack wants to tell her that she isn't a stranger, not really, but holds his tongue. He can't blow his cover; he won't. "Technically, we're not strangers anymore," Jack rebukes. "We've made our official introductions and even studied together. I'd consider us acquaintances, at the least."

"Clever," she compliments. "But I'm fine. I'll wait for the bus." She still doesn't trust him. Therefore, it will be foolish if she lets her guard down just because they've exchanged names and shared a table. It takes more than that for Sage to give her trust away. Plus, she doesn't want to burden him or the environment. He could live all the way on the other side of town. Imagine the gas he'd be emitting by driving back and forth because of her.

"The bus stopped running thirty minutes ago," he points out.

"What?" Sage balks incredulously. How can that be? What time is it? She checks her watch and gasps. It's already half past eleven! "Oh no. I overslept." She must have forgotten to set the alarm! What was she doing? That's right. She steals a glimpse of Jack and mentally reprimands herself for getting distracted by, well, him. Her mistake has costed her three whole hours! That's valuable time wasted! To compensate for the lost time, she's going to have to stay up later than usual tonight. This is why she prefers studying alone.

Jack cocks his head to the side in curiosity. He's never witnessed Sage so... baffled. Granted, this is only their third encounter but she doesn't seem like the type of person who gets confused often. He ponders about what could be making her like this but nothing viable surfaces. "Did you?" he asks, genuinely unaware that she had slept longer than she had intended. She must have been beyond exhausted.

The innocent look he's wearing causes Sage's mind to draw a blank. She is incapable of doing anything else save for looking at him, still very much confused with herself and her actions. After, she snaps out of it and zips her bag. "It was supposed to be a fifteen minute nap," she explains. What's gotten into her? Next, she slips into her coat, muttering inaudible gibberish under her breath. Without saying another word to Jack, she tosses her backpack over her shoulder and drags her feet towards the stairwell. Many people would deem her behavior as rude, but Jack has a hunch she's not doing it on purpose. It appears her mind is preoccupied. With what? Your guess is as good as his. Instead of giving up, he chases after her, speedily descending the steps. He manages to catch up with Sage on the second floor, neither winded nor sweating.

"Does that mean you're accepting my offer then?" She jumps up at the sound of his voice and pivots towards Jack. He flashes her a bashful smile and Sage feels her body temperature rising when she realizes the intimate distance they are currently sharing. Her words get lodged in the back of her throat, refusing to come out. That smile of his is inarguably gorgeous and renders her speechless. And, as she gazes into his silver gray eyes, searching for god knows what, Sage finds herself getting completely, and hopelessly, lost instead. Before she understands what's going on, her body moves on its own accord and she nods, providing him with her answer.

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Author's Note: Sage said yes. Sage said yes! Are you excited to see what will happen next? I am :D I hope you enjoyed this update, as always. I honestly love Jace so much and this is only the third time they've talked. Love the song for this chapter. How do you feel? Comment and vote if you want <3 Have a wonderful day, loves.