"They're Mine, all mine! You hear me, mine. All Mine! mwahahaa" -Daffy Duck
Part Nine
Betrayal
Delicate Strands
"You might as well stop moping about. You agreed to it." Ryo said noticing Rowen playing with his food.
"Sure, sure… I can understand how you feel, it wasn't your stuff." He said into his soup.
"You can always get new ones."
"No, I can't. Those had sentimental value."
"Fine… " Ryo said watching Rowen slowly creeping closer to his soup. "Drowned." He added.
"Oh yeah your funny, Ryo. Why don't you go see if you can cheer up Sage." Rowen said getting up and walking into the living room.
That wasn't a half bad idea… although he was sure Sage didn't want anyone around at the time. Catching Sage in the stage he was in might result in an injury or two. But, considering the better of the two evils. He felt it might be worth a try. Seeing as Kento was still gone. And there was no way Rowen was gonna budge from his mood. So, he snuck past Rowen who was flopped out on the couch watching tv and went upstairs. He got to his room and had a sudden urge to stop as he reached for the doorknob. But, he figured he was already there and slowly opened it. His room was dark, cold and moist. He figured it had to be from having his window open. But, he didn't think he was in there. He couldn't see a figure wrapped in blankets and couldn't hear his snoring… yeah he snored. They all knew it, but him. They figured to tell the blonde beauty he had the worst snore they've heard would start a complex in his so confident ego. It was quiet. He could hear the breeze coming in the window and rattling the curtains.
"Now what do you want." Sages' voice gave him a start.
"Nothing… just wanted to see how you were doing?" Ryo said when finally remembered why he was in there.
"I think your' bored. Go play with White Blaze." And he could see him turn over in bed.
That was it… Ryo had enough. "What is it with you! This isn't you! You've been out of touch, inconsiderate, bossy, arrogant and just a plainnn…. "
"Ryo!" Sage said jumping up in his bed and flipped the light on. To see Ryo with is back on the floor and wide, eyed.
"Are you alright?" He asked getting out of bed.
"ahhum… I hit my head on the bottom of the dresser. I slipped on…" Wait a minute, Sage never had anything on the floor…"What's this?" Ryo said grabbing some plastic sleeves from a binder.
"Nothing, here I'll pick them up." Sage said grabbing them before he had a chance to examine them.
"Can I see them then?"
Sage stopped halfway across the room. "I rather you not."
"Why not?"
"There mine."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"An answer."
"Sage."
"What?"
"You know what. Stop that. I took a fall because of those. Doesn't that at least give me a right to…"
"Not really… you should have turned the light on." He said cutting him off.
"YeahRight! You would have came at me like a raging bull."
"Then… maybe you should have left me alone." He said putting the binder of sleeves in a drawer. Ryo was just about to pick up where he left off before he fell. But, Sage was already helping him up and looking for a bruise or cut in his hair. "So, how's Rowen?" Sage added.
"Sulking. And you just changed the subject."
"What subject?…" Sage said still going through his hair.
"I hate it when you do that." Ryo blurted out. Making Sage stop and step away.
"Can't I see if you're alright?" He said in astonishment.
"See, you did it again. You changed the subject again! And you're hiding something from me."
"I'm not hiding anything. And you changed the subject."
"What! No I didn't." He said now starting to doubt himself.
"I think your getting tired Ryo… maybe you should go to bed. And give your head a rest. It's been a long night." Sage said comfortingly walking him to the door.
"You're right I'm tired… waitno stop it. Will you just give me a break!" Ryo said catching what was going on.
"Alright. What's on your mind?" Sage said walking back to bed as if just humoring him.
"You are."
"I'm honored." He said curling back up in blankets.
Ryo could feel his anger growing again.
"I want to know why you been acting like an asshole?" He said bluntly, hoping it would get his attention.
"Who thinks it's an act?"
Nope no luck there.
"I do. This isn't like you." He said considerately.
"Are you sure about that."
Okay, so maybe a different approach might have worked better.
"Am I just wasting my time with you?" He asked and waited for an answer, which never came. "Sage." He said trying to be firm about it.
"Hmm?" He said from somewhere under his covers.
"Are you even listening to me?" He said walking over to his bedside. Then stopped… if he wasn't going to get an answer straight from Sage… then maybe what ever was in that binder could. He thought as tip toed over to the drawer and quietly as he could, got the binder out. He had just started to open it.
"What are you doing?" He looked up and Sage was standing to the side of him.
Damn he was quiet.
"Well, if you won't talk to me… then I'll look for myself."
"So now you're spying and stealing from me?"
"No I'm not! I'm doing it in your interest."
"Okay, I'll remember that when I go to pick you up in jail."
"You're getting as bad as Rowen! That's the way you're acting about this Binder! That's the same way right to the T." Ryo said trying to get it to sink into his head. No answer though. Sage just stood there, looking at him holding the binder… as if he was mentally executing him. Then after what seemed to be longest few seconds Ryo felt he ever had, he finally spoke up.
"I guess your right. I'm… sorry, for being like the way I've been." Sage said honestly…. Really honestly. But, also walking about searching…
"And here I've been I hard on you for all this time." He said pulling pants up and sliding some socks on.
"I suppose I should really apologize to the others to." He said finishing tying his shoes.
"What's going on guys?" It was Rowen… who must have over heard parts of the argument. He got no response. So he stood there trying to figure out what was going on for himself.
"Go ahead Ryo, you can keep those… I've been selfish in keeping them to myself." Sage said turning around to walk out the door and stopped to look at Rowen. "Sorry, Rowen… I've been difficult lately." He said and went on his way.
"Okay… Ryo… what's gotten into Sage?" Rowen said walking over to him.
"I dunno, I asked him what's been wrong with him."
"Heh, in that case it could be anything." Rowen said with a slight chuckle trying to make the air lighter. But his tone changed when he seen the expression on Ryo's face. "What are they?" Rowen asked as Ryo flipped through the binder.
"Old letters… sketchings… pictures…"
"Oh yeah… of, or who from?" He said cheerfully.
"…cye."
"I thought most of those got put away."
"They did, apparently in here."
"Let me see." Rowen said taking part of the binder into his own hands.
"Wow, some of these are old." He added.
"Yeah, it's been a while since we were all that close. It's not the same with him gone."
"Yeah speaking of gone…"
"What?" Ryo said looking up from the binder to Rowen.
"Where's Kento been?"
"I thought he went home?"
"No… he wasn't leaving until three weeks from now. He's been gone about three-four days."
"That's not like Kento to be gone that long and not say anything about it."
"Maybe we better go find Sage." Ryo said putting the binder on his bed.
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the finally coming soon…
put pic here