Complications with Text Messages

Just as Sage is about to reach for the handle, another hand beats her to it. She glances to her right and feels her heart stutter once more as she notices how close he is. Jack, however, does not seem fazed as he holds the door open, like the gentleman he is, and gestures for the girl to enter first. Clearly he's accustomed to sharing such close proximities with people. Sage, in contrast, isn't. For a quick second, she is stunned. Her arm then falls back down to her side and she manages to move forward while flashing him a small smile; it's her way of saying thank you.

She isn't the least bit familiar with the restaurant they're in but the aromatic scent wafting in the air is enough to have her stomach grumbling in excitement. Upon their arrival, the hostess asks for their party size and after Jack informs her it will only be the two of them dining, she leads the pair to a cozy booth tucked away in the corner. They end up sitting across from each other with the menus set in front of them. Sage wastes no time and skims through the various entrees, running her finger down along the laminated page, in search of something appetizing.

With her attention directed elsewhere, she doesn't notice Jack stealing glimpses of her from across the way. He can't help but fidget in his seat as he clears his throat. "Are you going back home?" he suddenly blurts out. That was totally smooth... not. At least he's got a conversation started now.

If Sage's memory isn't playing any tricks, this year her family should be the ones flying over to Vermont for the holidays. Her mother hasn't mentioned the matter over the last couple of weeks but she's positive that's what they had all agreed upon. "I don't think so," she hums. "My parents and little sister are going to visit. It's been awhile since they last came here."

Jack bites back his smile and lets out a deep breath after having heard her response. "Oh I see. So you'll be here then?" He's trying his best not to sound eager but it's a little difficult considering his chances of being able to spend more time with Sage has just skyrocketed. 

The girl stops what she's doing and gives the question some thought. She doesn't recall having anything planned out and nods her head. "Yeah, I should be. What about you? Are you going anywhere?" Finally, she looks up at him and his breath hitches.

Despite his trembling heart, Jack musters the courage to hold her gaze. This isn't the first time their eyes have locked yet the butterflies in his stomach make it feel like it is. But, now that he's thinking about it, it has always been like this. From the very start Sage Chan had always had this kind of effect on him. She had the ability to make him speechless. The ability to make him do the things he's never dreamed of doing before he'd met her. And, the ironic part is, she's most likely unaware of the power that only she seems to have over him.

Why? Because she's just Sage. A girl who's simply terrible at reading people and their expressions. A girl who means exactly what she says and nothing else. A girl who can make someone fall without even realizing it. Although it hasn't been long since the two of them became officially acquainted, these are the subtle things Jack has managed to pick up on about her, along with a few other details. Like the way her brows crinkle whenever she doesn't understand something and how effortlessly she can dodge people and objects while she's busy studying her notes on the move. These are the little things that make Sage, well, Sage.   

"Not really," Jack says at last as he shifts in his seat. "Maybe we can hangout? I mean, if you wanted to."

Sage doesn't notice the way his face is flushing and purses her lips. The only person she ever really sees over break is Tabby. However, every time they meet up, it usually involves the latter trying to convince Sage to go out and do things she knows very well the girl would never do. It's not that Sage doesn't want to experience new things. It's just—some things aren't meant for everyone. Besides, after getting to know Jack a little more, she must admit that he's a great person. He's someone who'd never pressure her into doing anything she didn't want to do.

Over the years it's been difficult for Sage to meet new people and actually let them in. She can count the number of folks whom she has shared her dreams, her worries, her secrets with all on one hand. She wants to believe that it's because she's been the one pushing them away, but the truth is not many people have bothered to stay. To them Sage was just like the fleeting wind on a warm day. Because she's always been that girl. The girl who came and left without a word. The girl no one would ever miss.

Looking at Jack now without uttering a single word, she wonders if this time will be any different. "Sage?" Her name rolling off of his tongue reels her back to reality and she snaps out of her daze. Spending time with Jack during the semester had been nice. For some reason, he made her feel a little more at home. Will it be okay for her to keep doing this? Will it be okay for her to get to know him better? She'll never know if she isn't brave enough to take the next step.

* * *

As she sips on her hot chai tea latte, Sage gazes out the window of the small café she's in. It's called The Muffin Top, one of the many hidden gems the South Burlington district has to offer. She discovered it sometime last year when she was in search for a quiet place to study and, ever since then, it's sort of become a usual hangout spot of hers. A place she often runs to if her mind is in disarray.

Slowly, the glass begins to fog up thanks to the steam her drink is giving off and she sets the cup down. It's been four days since she had finished her last final which means it's also been four days since she'd last seen Jack. The tiny bells tied to the door jingle, the light tinkling sound echoing throughout the entire place. Sage looks up from her drink and waves the new patron over.

"Thanks for waiting for me," Tabby grumbles sarcastically, setting her bag down and pulling out her wallet. "I'll be right back." Just as she turns towards the register, the waitress appears with a cappuccino in her hand. Tabby's absolute favorite.

"You were saying?" Sage watches her friend try to fight back a smile and chuckles silently to herself. "I got an extra shot of espresso. Just the way you like it. You're welcome."

Tabby plops down into her chair, her black curls bouncing over her shoulders. She inhales the caffeinated beverage and her eyes nearly roll to the back of her head. Her body is buzzing with excitement, her feet tapping happily against the tiled floor. Yeah, coffee can do that to a person. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Only when you get something you like," replies Sage. She watches Tabby take a careful sip before she exhales deeply. "Why did you decide to become friends with me?" The question takes Tabby by surprise and she sets her drink down, eyebrows arched.

"I thought it was obvious," she says. "I wanted to copy your work." For a moment there is no sort of reaction from Sage. She allows the words to sink in and when Tabby realizes her friend is actually taking her words seriously, she snorts out loud. "You can't really believe that, can you? We're not even in the same department, Sage! I don't know. I guess you just looked—good."

"I looked good?" Sage repeats, slightly confused.

"You know," Tabby insists. "Like one of those perfect kids who never skips class and always does their assignments weeks before they're due. Since I graduated from high school, I've been trying to surround myself with better people, people who will actually have a positive influence on me."

It's the first time Sage is hearing of any of this. "I have a positive influence on you?" She blinks, unsure if she had heard her correctly.

"Yeah," Tabby confirms with a nod. "You make me want to try harder."

"But you're always going out and partying," she points out.

Tabby chuckles and takes another swig of her drink. "Baby steps, Sage, baby steps. It's not easy quitting cold-turkey. To be honest, after meeting you I haven't been going out as much as I used to. You should have seen me back in high school. I was out of control. Did you want to meet up today just to ask me this?"

"Yes and no," Sage replies as she shifts in her seat. "I wanted to find out your opinion on something."

"Go on."

"There's this guy," she starts off.

Tabby's interests are instantly aroused but she does her best to remain composed. This is the first time she's seen Sage talking about someone of the opposite gender so of course she's dying with curiosity. "Yeah," she hums, motioning for her to continue.

"He invited me to hangout during break." Sage can feel heat rushing into her cheeks as she stares at her cup of latte. She's not sure why she's feeling so flustered. It's not like he's nearby. 

"And?" Tabby leans over the table, eager to find out how the rest of the story unfolds.

"I told him I'd think about it," Sage mutters.

"Is he hot?" her friend inquires without even batting a lash.

Sage almost chokes on her saliva and her eyes widen. "What?"

"Just answer the question," Tabby prods impatiently.

"Well, I mean he's nice to look at." Okay, so perhaps nice doesn't quite do him justice but can you blame her? She had been totally blindsided by the question! 

"Then what are you dilly-dallying over?" Tabby huffs. "There's no harm in spending some time with a hot guy. Do you have a picture of him? What's his name? How'd you meet?"

"His name is Jack and no, I don't have a photo of him," Sage answers. "Long story short, I bumped into him while I was in trouble and he saved me."

This is it. This is her chance to play Cupid! "Do you have his number?" Sage nods. "Give me your phone."

"Why?" Sage frowns at her but Tabby disregards her actions.

"Just give it to me," she orders as she reaches over and pulls Sage's phone out from her coat pocket. Thankfully the girl doesn't believe in having a password and Tabby manages to find Jack's contact information without an issue. "There, it's settled," she sings after she has hit the send button.

"What's settled?" Sage snatches her phone back and her jaw slacks open once she sees what her friend has done.

More than satisfied with herself, Tabby relaxes in her chair, a broad grin painted over her features. "I gave you the little push you needed. You're welcome," she chimes with a wink. "Just make sure to name your first kid after me."

* * *

Drying his wet hair with a towel, Jack steps out of the bathroom dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. The doorbell then chimes and resonates through the house. Nobody else is home right now, meaning the only person available to answer the door is him. His mother did say she was expecting a package today so it's probably the deliveryman. "Be there in a second!" Jack skips down the stairs and doesn't even bother looking out through the window first before he throws the door open. What's waiting for him on the other side of the threshold has him baffled.

"McKiernan!" Claudius and Simon shout with beaming smiles swinging over their lips. Jack is left utterly speechless and gapes at them, his towel slipping from his hand and landing on the floor near his feet.

"Well, are you going to let us in or what? It's freezing out here." Claudius fakes a shiver and Jack snaps out his stupor. He steps to the side and the two of them scurry inside with their duffle bags and backpacks.

"What are you guys doing here?" he questions as he shuts the door. He can't believe this! 

"We're on break," Simon reports.

"So we decided to make a pit-stop here first before we returned home! Say, you don't look so happy to see us," Claudius points out. "Were you expecting someone else? Perhaps a girl who's named after an herb?"

At the mere mention of Sage, Jack's face turns red and he bends over to pick up the towel he'd dropped thanks to their unannounced arrival. "No, of course not!" he exclaims. "I was just surprised that's all! Why didn't you tell me you guys were coming? What if nobody was home? What would you have done then?"

"It wouldn't have been a surprise if we did!" Simon argues. "Besides, we already told your mom we were swinging by which was why she made sure you would be home. Now, group hug!" Their baggage falls with a loud thud and they throw their arms around Jack, nearly knocking him off of his feet. Their childish antics forces a chortle from him and he pats their backs. He forgot just how much he had missed them.

After he had given his friends a quick tour of the house, the three of them head up to his room. Simon dives head first onto Jack's bed and lands on his stomach before he rolls over onto his back. Claudius, on the other hand, occupies the beanbag chair while Jack takes a seat at his desk. "So have you made any progress since the last time we talked?" Claudius asks, placing the spotlight on Jack.

"Yes, my progress in school has improved tremendously. Thanks for asking." He tries to steer the conversation away from the girl, but his friends are no fools. They immediately catch on to what he's doing and give him no chance to escape. They rarely ever get to see him embarrassed and flustered, so of course they can't let the opportunity pass. What kind of friends would they be if they did?

"You know that's not what we're talking about," Simon says, wagging his finger.

"Or would you rather we discuss the topic with your mom?" Claudius adds with a quirked brow. "I'm sure she'd be intrigued to discover that her son has taken a liking to her favorite candidate."

Jack's mouth drops. There's no way he can let his mother find out. At least not yet. Who knows what she'll do if this reaches her ears. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you guys, but not a single word in front of my mother," he warms. "Is that clear?"

"As crystal!" the two chirp.

Jack runs a palm over his face and takes a deep breath. "I think I messed things up," he admits. "I took her out to dinner after we had our last final and suggested we hangout over break. However, I haven't heard from her since then. Do you think she's weirded out by me now? Was I rushing it?"

Claudius cocks his head to the side. "What was her response when you said you wanted to hangout?"

"She told me she'd think about it," he reports.

"And when was this?" Simon cuts in.

It takes him a second to recall the date. "About four days ago?"

"Well this is definitely not a good sign," Claudius mumbles.

Sitting up, Simon snaps his fingers and turns to Jack. "Do you think she's playing hard to get? I hear girls do that a lot."

"No, she's not the type. Maybe she simply doesn't want to see me." Jack's head is hung low in defeat and his friends glance at each other, wondering what they're supposed to do. They've never seen him like this before. Has Sage's absence had that much of an impact on him? They couldn't believe it.

"That's not true. You don't know that!" Simon disagrees as he walks over and punches Jack in the arm. "She could be busy with other things. It's almost Christmas! Maybe she's out shopping for her family and whatnot! Right, Claud?"

"Yeah, for sure!" Claudius says. "You know how crazy girls can get when it comes to shopping. Why don't you try shooting her a text first? I bet you she'll reply in an instant!" Next he climbs to his feet and locates Jack's phone on the nightstand. "Here, give it a shot."

Jack peers up at the device and shakes his head. "I'd rather not think about it. If she really wants to see me, she'll let me know. She's not someone who'll beat around the bush. The ball's in her court now. Whether she decides to play it or not is up to her."

"You must really like her," Simon says in awe.

"It's not that," Jack counters. "It's just—she's different. I don't know how to explain it. She makes things a little less burdensome for me. If it hadn't been for her, I probably would have failed my exams. She's a good friend to have around. You know, the ones that make you want to be the best version of yourself?"

"So you only see her as a good friend?" Claudius inquires in order to get a clearer understanding of the situation.

There's a pause. "Yeah," Jack declares at last.

"Then I guess you won't care that she texted you," Claudius states nonchalantly.

"She did?" Without a second thought, Jack yanks his phone from him and opens his messages. His heart almost stops as he sees what she's sent. This can't be a dream, can it?

- - -

Author's Note: School is starting soon! Where has summer gone? I've been working at camp which was why I didn't update. I hope you lovely people are doing well! I love Tabby, Claudius and Simon so much! Jack is also such an adorable puppy, isn't he? Also, a little more insight on Sage's character! Please comment and vote if you enjoyed!