origins-P13

THIRTEEN

The next day was very much like the one before for Sage, except that he hadn't had to talk to Kento again, and he was walking home instead of riding the bus. Yesterday Sage had forced himself on the bus in order to get home faster and check on Rowen. He'd wanted to have a long talk with Rowen and the sooner he got started the better. Unfortunately, the two had spent the balance of the evening sitting at the kitchen table starring into their teacups while Sage's mother bustled about the kitchen chattering about who knew what.

Sage decided that if he'd waited this long, a little while longer wouldn't hurt anything. And besides, Thursday was always his day to stop in his favorite cyrstal shop on the way home.

Sage loved the crystal shop. He loved how everything sparkled, and the different patterns of light and color that came off each piece. Sage stepped inside. It even smelled nice in the shop.

He spent a few minutes wandering around, looking at all the different types of crystals. He especially liked the Waterford Crystal imported from Ireland. It sparkled the most. Sage then wandered over to the rock bin near the far wall of the store. It was one of those bins where you could fill a tiny bag with as many rocks as you wanted. He let his mind wander as he pawed through the rocks.

I wonder if Rowen would like this place? Sage thought. He probably would; it's very relaxing in here with the shakuhachi [1] music in the background. I wonder what he normally does after school? There's so much I don't know about him. Should I just ask? That doesn't seem wise. He might get offened. Then again, he seems awfully shy. If I don't ask, he probably won't tell me anything.

Sage picked ten stones, each a different color firey red, earthy orange, light ocean blue, midnight blue, brilliant white, spring time brown, deep sumery green, autumnish maroon, light wintery gray, and slate gray. Ten seemed like a nice round number.

Sage was about to go pay for the bag when an eleventh stone caught his eye. He picked it up. This stone was a perfect sphere, and a truer green than the other one. It also seemed to have an inherent glow from the center. There's no way this could be a natural stone, Sage thought, peering more closely at it. There's a kanji etched in the center, he noted. Chi. Wisdom. Shrugging off the weirdness of the stone, Sage threw it in the bag with the others, paid for them, and left.

*****

Sage came home to see Rowen sitting, much like yesterday, at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. Except this time he was alone. Hi Rowen.

Rowen glanced up for just a second. Oh, hi Sage. He fidgeted with his teacup.

You were still asleep when I left for school, Sage said. How do you feel today?

Rowen shrugged. Okay, I guess.

How's your ankle?

Rowen peered down at the ankle in question. Fine.

Sage nodded. Rowen's healing ability certainly was impressive. Do you want to go for a walk?

Now Rowen looked up. A walk where? It's cold outside.

Not really, Sage said. Sage himself had been surprised at his suggestion, but now that he knew where he was going to take Rowen, his enthusiasm grew. I can lend you a sweatshirt, he added.

I don't have any shoes, Rowen said. He'd run out of his apartment so frightened and panicked that he'd forgotten to put a pair on.

You can wear a pair of mine, Sage said. I think we're about the same size.

Rowen fidgeted. He didn't really want to go; he just wanted to be left alone. But Sage was very persistant, and since he was lacking a polite way to say no, Rowen agreed. Ten minutes later, the pair was climbing a small woodsy hill behind Sage's house.

Sage led Rowen far up into the woods, beyond where the noise of the main road could be heard. Where are we going? Rowen wondered nervously.

Sage seemed to sense his question. You'll see, he said.

A few minutes later, Sage stopped in a small circular clearing. On a summer day, it would have been soft and grassy. But on this mild winter day, it was only gray and a bit chilly. I don't normally come up here in the winter, Sage explained. But the rest of the year I'm here almost every day to meditate.

Rowen nodded and sat on the firm dry ground. It's very peaceful, he agreed.

Sage sat across from Rowen. Both were silent for a long time. Sage wracked his brain for a way to ask his many questions.

You want to know if they're true. Rowen broke the silence, the first time he'd spoken without being spoken to first.

If what's true?

All the rumors that go around school.

Sage hesitated. How was he supposed to answer that?

Well, they are. Everything you've ever heard about me is true. Rowen poked at the ground with a stick.

Sage chose his next words careflly. So... you really are a genius?

Rowen snorted. That's not what you wanted to ask. Sage remained silent. Yeah, Rowen continued. Yeah, I get beat. That's what happened two nights ago, you know. He beat me and forced me to drink. Musta been six shots worth. I've never had a drink in my life, much less gotten drunk.

And my mother doesn't care. Now Rowen was babbling as if he was talking to himself. Why should she? She moved away and only has to bother with sending a check every month. Hell, half the time she isn't even in the country.

And the teachers don't care. All they care about is grades. But they don't get it that I don't give a damn about their fucking grades. I do what I do for me, not for them.

Sage listened patiently to Rowen's rant, gaining new insight to the boy with every sentence. After he had stopped, Sage let Rowen's words roll around in his head. Amazing, Sage thought. There's so much more to him than anyone could know. You and I are a lot alike, I think, Sage said.

You don't know anything

We both get a lot of attention, Sage continued. But never from whom we want it, and never for what we want it for. My parents are rarely home either, he admitted. If they are, it's either late at night, or during the day while I'm at school. My mother tries but - they don't know me. Granted, I could never know what it's like for you, but... Sage trailed off

But you have no idea what it's like to have only one person who ever cared, one friend. I've seen you around school, talking to people, talking to, Rowen scowled, Kimi and Tammy.

What, the Bitch Squad? Sage laughed. No, no, they come over and talk to me, not the other way around. I just haven't found a good way to get them to go away. Well, not anything that's legal anyway. Rowen actually laughed a bit. I don't like them any more than you do, Sage finished.

Amazing, Rowen thought. I thought Kento and I were the only one's who called them that. Who knew? A small smile played across Rowen's lips. Maybe Sage and I are more alike than I thought.

We ought to start heading back, Sage said, breaking Rowen from his thoughts.

It's nice here, Rowen said.

I know. We'll come back in the spring when it's even nicer, Sage promised. But right now my sister's probably wondering where we are.

I don't think I met your sister, Rowen said as they left the clearing.

Really? Usually Setsuki is very inquisitive about people. She's thirteen so she's an eighth grader over at the middle school and...

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[1] A shakuhachi is a Japanese flute made out of a hollowed out bamboo stick. There are four holes in front, one in the back, and no keys, but it still has a natural range of more than two octaves. More notes can be made by tilting the instrument or only partially covering a hole.

Shakuhachi is actually a measurement meaning 1.8 shaku. One shaku equals .994 feet. This is the standard size; its keynote is the D above middle C. Other sizes have different keynotes.

The music is very calming and relaxing. I found a CD of it lying around my house and I intend to go out and buy another one.