Page 55 of The Hallows Boys

After a burning hot shower to shock and soothe my aching muscles, I dig through my dresser once more for something that feelsme.

I decide to cut up a black t-shirt, slitting the fabric to show off my cleavage as well as cropping it to expose my belly button piercing. I pair it with some fishnet stockings I had left over from an old Halloween costume and some ripped, black denim shorts.

If Sage Lindman is dead, her wardrobe is going with her straight to hell. Until I get my inheritance from the lawyers handling my parents’ estate, cutting up and altering the stuff I already have is going to have to make do.

I slip my feet into some chunky boots with a high heel, then drop down in front of my vanity to do my hair and makeup.

Even though the sun has barely risen, there’s a pulse of energy running through my veins. I curl my hair once the iron has heated up, letting my blonde hair hang loose past my shoulders in big spirals. I stare into my brown eyes once my hair is done, just breathing in and out slowly.

Looking at myself today, I’m overcome with the feeling of familiarity, but it’s almost like when you see someone on the street, recognize them, but can’t place them. Half stranger, half friend.

Sage the Savage.

Maybe Beckham was right – more than he realized in that moment. None of them have any idea how savage I can be deep down, and today I’m going to get answers from them. I could see it in Kaiden’s malicious eyes when I pointed out my father’s face in that crypt – he knows something.

And today is the day for them to spill.

I flip my hair over my shoulder and start my makeup. I go heavy on the eyeliner and mascara, then put on a healthy amount of highlighter to show off my cheekbones. My phone buzzes just as I’m finishing, so I pick it up from my vanity and swipe on the screen.

Juliet:Meet me out front of the office in 30?

The message catches me off guard simply because I never responded to her last 10 texts. My lips pull up as I type out a response.

Me:I’ll be there, xoxo

Gran is sitting at the kitchen table when I make my way downstairs, flipping through a newspaper. She’s got to be one of the last people on earth to subscribe to a newspaper. The delivery guy must have to travel out here just for her.

“Morning, gran,” I singsong as I walk to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“Mornin’, baby. You off to school?”

I smile, kissing her on the top of the head as I pass her. “Sure am.”

“Ain’t you chipper this mornin’.” She chuckles as her gaze follows me to the door.

I turn, grinning at her. “I’ve decided to stop being a Moody Judy and embrace whatever the world throws at me.”

She nods her head a little, shaking out the newspaper. “Well, good for you, darlin’. Have a good day.”

“You too, gran!” I call to her as I make my way out the front door and into the dewy morning. I decide to walk to school. I could use the fresh air, even though it’s starting to get really chilly outside.

I need to keep a clear head though, and the ten-minute walk to school will keep me fresh and grounded. At least, I hope.

I don’t bother putting headphones in, instead savoring the sounds of the early morning country. I listen for the birds that are flying above me, already deep into their day since the sun has been up for a while now. The wind blows every now and then, making the trees I walk past shuffle and shake with the breeze, and bringing a chill to my bare arms and legs. I like it, even as goosebumps pop up on my exposed skin and drag a chill down my spine.

It's calming – focusing on the day and how it exists around us. I feel as if I should have been enjoying my surroundings like this all along, instead of holding such malice and hate inside of me for my new home.

I’ve learned the lesson though, and I’ve learned it painfully and chaotically. I don’t want to hate being in Blackmore anymore, after all. This place is mine, more than I ever thought it would be. This is where I come from, where my ancestors built a home and a name.

Juliet hasn’t arrived by the time I’m walking up the concrete sidewalk just outside the front office of school. I’m a little early so I slip my backpack from my shoulders and drop to my ass on the cement, putting my back against the cold, brick building.

I watch students walk by, out in front of the school and into the different buildings of our campus as they head off to wherever Monday morning takes each of them. I feel myself subconsciously looking for the three boys that haunt my dreams, searching every car that rolls by into the student parking lot, just in case. I analyze every pod of students that flutters by toward their destinations, searching for Vinny’s broad shoulders, Beckham’s slim waist, and Kaiden’s muscular legs.

“Sage!”

Juliet’s voice pulls my attention from my intense search for the Hallows Boys, and I stand up when I find her racing toward me from the opposite side of the parking lot.

I slip my backpack back over my shoulders, and before I can even greet Juliet, she’s gripping onto my arm and whisper-shouting chaotically.

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