and give her a smile back instead. "Do you want to hit up the library this afternoon? I'd love some help with the Econ assignment we both have. You're like a freaking genius with that stuff."
Sage giggles and shrugs, but it’s clearly forced. "I'm really not. Plus, you're doing so great catching up. There's no way I would be where you are if I'd dropped out freshman year of high school, you're amazing."
Gabe's eyes snap up to mine. "You dropped out of high school?"
I squirm in my seat. I'd assumed North had told him and the rest of my Bonds but apparently not. "I was on the move too much to still attend. I spent a lot of time in libraries though."
I don't know why I'm even explaining myself to him. It must be something to do with the raw look in his eyes after his friend's death, but I should've known better.
"You were that fucking intent on escaping us all that you dropped out of high school? Fuck, Fallows, you're a real fucking bitch."
He shoves his plate away, still half full, and storms off. I rub a hand over my face and finally give up on my own plate. What's the fucking point?
"Sorry. I just keep getting you into trouble with him, I need to learn to shut my mouth," Sage mumbles, and I want to hug her to me to get rid of all of that self-loathing she has trapped inside her. It’s an echo of my own but I’m better at hiding mine around everyone.
"If it weren't you, he'd just find something else to take out on me and you know what? I did run away from him. He's not wrong about that part, so I guess I deserve his anger."
Sage stands and grabs her book bag, waiting for me to do the same, and then walks with me to our Econ class. "I've only known you a few weeks and already know something else must have been going on, Oli."
I give her a side-eye and she shrugs again. "I'm not asking for details, I know it must be really bad if you don't want to tell your Bonds and get them off of your back. I just want you to know that I believe you're a good person, no matter what they say."
I must be hormonal or something because that makes me want to bawl my eyes out in the bathroom for a few hours. Instead, I link my arm through hers and whisper back, "You'll be the first person I do tell. If I ever can, that is."
Sage and I spend two hours after our classes let out for the day at the library together and it is honestly the most peace I have felt since arriving at Draven University. The panic I was feeling about my assignments starts to ease once she has walked me through her previous assignments with our Econ teacher and I know what to expect. I have a decent outline and a plan on how to get it done, I'm going to freaking kill it!
I can't wait to see North's face when I bring home an A. That'll teach him to assume I'm some brain-dead dropout.
My stomach rumbles loudly and I check my watch and notice that my curfew is only a half hour away. I sigh and give Sage a self-loathing smile, pissed that I'm going to have to flake out on her once again. "My jailer will be pissed if I'm not locked up back in my tower soon. Sorry, I'd really love to stay for a few more hours if I could. This has been so great."
Sage chews at her lip for a moment and then gives me a shy smile, her dimples flashing. "How do you feel about margaritas and tacos?"
My smile brightens. "I feel amazing about those things. We have to do it in my room though; North knows exactly where I am, so I can't even use the common rooms at the dorms."
Sage winces. "That doesn't seem very… normal. I think your Bond might be a possessive dickhead."
I burst into laughter. "Yeah, I sort of get that feeling too. If you don't mind my boring-ass room, I'd love to hang."
She looks so happy and shocked that I'm down that I wrap my arm around her shoulders to give her a little squeeze. She's so freaking broken, so much more than me.
Or, I guess, she just wears her damage where we can all see it.