Chapter 1-Empty Room
(Sage's Point of View)
Every morning my mother would wake me up as she rubs her fingers through my hair, but today, she seemed a little distant. She called my name as loud as she could as she stood at the bottom of the stairs, her soft voice echoed through the hallway. Lately, all she ever does is leave me a plate of food for breakfast and write down a list of things on a piece of paper left on the kitchen counter.
"Remember to take out the garbage when you get home, and remember to wear your glasses". She wrote.
As the years have gone by, my mother would buy several different styles of glasses and even different colors of contact lenses. I always wondered why she would always try to change my appearance as I got older.
"Oh shit" I said, as I looked at the time, I hurried outside, just in time to catch my bus.
I stared into the window looking at the buildings passing by, as the bus took me to school. I couldn't help but think about my mother and wonder if there was something about me she didn't love anymore. Honestly, I started to feel a little insecure about myself. She suddenly stopped coming to my archery tournaments and I couldn't understand why.
As I sat there in deep thought, the bus pulled up in front of the school. I waited as the other students in front of me got off first.
I walked towards the school entrance, noticing the hall was full of officer's. I paid no mind to it and continued to walk to my class. As I entered the classroom, my best friend Rosemary rushed to me, giving me a hug.
"Hey Sage" she said, as she grabbed my arm and walked with me to my seat.
"Hey Rosie," I said.
"What's wrong?You seemed down?", she whispered to me as she looked at me with a concerned expression on her face "It's your mother again huh?", she asked.
I nodded my head as I tried not to show a sad face to her.
"That woman" Rosie mumbled as we separated and went to our assigned seats.
Rosemary and I have known each other since we were 4 years old. My mother and her father Nathan were best friends during their academy days. From the stories they told us. We met in a doctor's office as my mother took me in to get my eyes checked. Rosemary's dad was also getting Rosie's eyes checked. We started playing with the toys that were in the lobby room and became friends. Through the years, we became inseparable. We were always together, so much that people thought we were sisters. Even though we look nothing alike. Rosie has a bit of caramel, almost pale looking skin, long curly reddish hair, and green eyes. While I have a light brownish skin tone, long brown hair and light gray eyes. Rosie was also taller than me, so we're totally opposite. Our birthday is also a day apart, mine being June 15th and hers being June 16th.
"Looks like everyone is here today, now then we'll be heading to the auditorium shortly. The principal has an important announcement to make", The teacher suddenly said, as my thoughts were interrupted.
A few minutes later, we headed to the auditorium as I noticed a couple of the officers standing next to the doors. Rosie and I looked around to see what was going on. The teachers guided us to our seats and the principal walked up to the podium.
"Good morning students," the teacher said, "We received some disturbing news just this morning, "Mr. Garrett was murdered last night in his home, alongside his wife" he said as he tried to hold back his tears.
Everyone sat there appalled at the situation, Rosie and I looked at each other as we noticed we were the only ones not crying.
"You don't seem very shocked," the girl next to me said.
"I am, but I'm not very good at expressing it". I said
The principal continued on as he said that school would become a half day but all afternoon club activities would still take place.
After we exited the auditorium, Rosie and I headed to our clubrooms, mine being Archery, hers being track and field.
"See you later," Rosie said as we went our separate ways.
Two hours later, after we were done with our club activities. Rosie and I headed to our favorite Cafe down the street from the school, for a pre graduation get-together.
At Benny's cafe, we ordered our favorite chocolate shake and our usual chicken sandwich. We sat outside near the patio where they put tables and chairs next to the building, and you could see the lake.
Sometimes after school Rosie and I would come to Benny's and talk about club activities or about competitions. But today we decided to talk about our personal life, mostly about my mother.
"How are you holding up?" Rosie asked as she grabbed my hand.
"I don't know, I just don't know what to do anymore. I said while trying to hold back my tears.
"You can cry, it's just me and you, don't hold it in ", she said as she started rubbing my back. I laid my head on her shoulder and started crying. All my sadness started to take its toll on me. Rosie just sat there rubbing my head and told me everything will be ok.
"Speaking of acting weird" she said as my head was still lying on her right shoulder "My dad was acting weird too. You know how clingy he can be "
I nodded my head as I agreed with her.
" He hasn't been acting like he used to." She continued on.
"You mean, how when you come home, he starts singing, there goes my daughter. I said as I laughed.
"Yeah, yeah" she said, "he hasn't done that in a week".
I was surprised.
I couldn't believe not only my mother but also her father was acting strange. Her father loves her so much that he's so overly dramatic when it comes to her.
"Oh maybe they're dating," she said as she laughed.
I laughed. It was funny, because we both know they used to like each other in high school.
She giggled, "I think they have a thing for each other too, plus my dads girlfriend is a total bitch." She added.
Before I could add my two cents about that crazy woman, a few of my classmates walked out of the café toward the patio. I waved to them to come and join us. Michael, Yasmin, and Johnathan joined us as they sat their food down on the table.
" So what do yall think about the whole Mr. Jones being murder thing", Johnathan asked.
"I still can't believe it even though he was a total ass sometimes" Yasmin said and she bit her sandwich.
"Right", Rosie joined in.
I sat there and thought to myself.
"Wait, Rosie isn't Mr. Garrett related to your dad." I remembered.
"Oh shit, I forgot about that, but more like a relative by marriage if I remember correctly." She said while looking deep in thought.
"Well I thought the guards were there, because they were worried about students fighting at the end of the day." Michael said.
"I did too," Johnathan added.
I sat slurping on my chocolate shake as they continued on with their conversation. I Looked towards the lake.
"Oh shit", I heard Rosie say.
I looked towards her, noticing she was looking at the time.
"Sage, we have to go pick up our dresses" She said, getting up from the table.
I grabbed my bag and waved goodbye to my classmates. Rosie and I hurried to the bus station as we saw the bus approaching.
"Hey let's head to my house and get my dad's car". Rosie said.
An hour later, we arrived at Rosie's house. As I entered the house, my phone started ringing.
"Hey it's my mom", I told Rosie.
"Hey mom," I answered. As I continued walking to Rosie's room.
"Where are you?", she asked.
"Rosie's house". I said.
"Okay, come home, I'm about to cook dinner". She said.
I looked at Rosie as she heard my mother's voice on the speaker. She made a shooing gesture, telling me to go home.
I decided to walk home since it wasn't that far away from Rosie's house. While walking towards my house, I noticed an unfamiliar vehicle leaving the house, a vehicle I'd never seen before.
Upon entering the house, I could hear the sound of something dragging and a few seconds later, I noticed my mother had a large amount of clothes in a medium-sized basket.
"Mom, what are you doing?" I asked, and noticed three different baskets of clothes sitting in the living room.
"Spring cleaning" She said, as she continued to drag the basket. " My closet is packed with stuff I'll never wear, so I decided to donate some clothes," she continued.
I nodded my head and walked up the stairs to my room. I grabbed a pair of clothes and went to take a shower. Thinking to myself, about how weird my mother has been, recently she's been downsizing a lot. First her shoes, her purses, now her clothes.
"Maybe it's a phase." I thought while walking to my room. I flopped down on the bed and ìnstantly went to sleep shortly afterwards.
Two days later, it was finally time to graduate from the Tahin academy. Rosie and I hugged our classmates before parting ways with them.
While walking out of the academy I noticed the same unfamiliar vehicle that I saw leaving my house a few days prior.
"Hey, that's the vehicle I was telling you about" I said to Rosie.
"Hmm, maybe your mom is dating," she replied.
Dating who, I wondered to myself, now that I think I've never seen my mother with anybody.
"Anyways, what are you doing later on today?", I asked Rosie.
"Well my dad seemed to be downsizing, for some reason he's been giving away a lot of his stuff." She said, "I have to go home and help," she added.
"My mom's been doing the same thing, her room is practically emptied.", I said, as I turned my head towards Rosie.
Rosie shrugs her shoulders and puts her phone in the air.
"Enough about them, let's celebrate tomorrow for our first step into adulthood !" She yelled.
I couldn't help but giggled at her.
After parting ways with Rosie, I finally made it home before the sun could set. I couldn't wait to lay in my bed. I unlocked the door and noticed the lights started to flicker. I walked up the stairs to my room and threw everything on the bed.
A moment later, I walked to the kitchen to see if there was something to eat.
"Mom, where's the food!" I grumbled, after seeing that mother hadn't cooked anything. I decided to go back upstairs and walked towards her room.
"Mom!" I yelled again.
I knocked on the door but didn't get a response.
"Mom", I said, as I opened the door, only to see that everything was completely gone. No bed, no clothes, nothing. The room looked as if it had never been used before.
Out of shock, I ran downstairs and rushed to my mother's private office.
"She always leaves a note", I mumbled, as I looked around for any type of note.
Ah!, I shouted as I almost stumbled over my own feet trying to search for a note. I suddenly heard something drop on the floor after my hand brushed up against something.
"An envelope?" I noticed and decided to pick it up.
At first I didn't notice the envelope and keys until I knocked over a container sitting next to it.
I opened the envelope and began to read the letter. As I started to read my body began to shake.
"Dear My Love, I'm sorry I had to leave you in a hurry, I will cherish every moment I had with you. Now that you've graduated and out of school, I can finally open up and tell you this. I'm not your biological mother. You were found outside of a fire station wrapped in a blanket and the letter stated to raise you until you became an adult. Many things will begin to happen around you or to you, but don't give up and fight your way out of it, Love your mom., it read.
"What the fuck do you mean you're not my mom, how can you just leave like that!". I said, as I started to cry.
I ran to my room and slammed the door, and continue
d to cry my eyes out.
A moment later, my phone began to ring.
"Rosie I can't talk right now",
"Hey, is your mother gone!", she yelled through the phone.
"Why?, have you seen her?" I asked frantically.
"No! I'm asking because my dad and his girlfriend are gone!" Rosie yelled.
I looked at the phone in disbelief.
"My dad left a letter!"Rosie yelled again. "He said he's not my real father," She continued yelling. " And something about me being found outside of a fire station."
"What, wait?" I mumbled as I dropped the phone and stood there in total dismay.