Chapter 1
"Sylvia, there you are," a tall handsome blond boy took her by the arm. Sylvia Talisman grinned with pleasure, enjoying the envious stares she was getting from the other girls that normally swarmed over Sage Date like bees around a hive. They honestly showed no shame in the way they pursued a boy they found attractive. Sylvia flashed a smile at a few of the girls who were shooting her death glares. She and Sage walked out of the cafeteria onto the soft grass of the schoolyard where there were many people sitting at tables or in the grass eating their lunches. A few people gazed up at them. They made a striking couple, and they both knew it. Being the only blondes in school made them stand out more prominently than their good looks, but their looks were nothing to turn away from. Sylvia looked up into Sage's pale grey eyes and felt her heart sink... He wasn't coming.
"Sage, you promised!" Sylvia said immediately turning away from him, "You promised you'd come with me. I need you to be with me, someone to be with me!"
Sage looked down at his feet, guilty, embarrassed. People were staring, "Sylvia I'm sorry.. I just... my friends and I..."
"Sage, your friends? I asked you if you would come with me to see my sick mother in the hospital! I'm all she has and it tears me up to have to see her like that everyday...and today I actually thought I could have someone to go with me. To support me... to meet mother. She hasn't had any visitors except me..."
"Your father.."
"Is a deadbeat, everyone knows it. He left us for good and he's not coming back. He doesn't care that she's sick, and that she may be..." Sylvia broke off looking at the ground. When she looked back up at Sage her cornflower blue eyes were filled with tears, "Please Sage.. Just this once, and I'll never ask you again. It's just that.. Today's her birthday.."
Sage cringed, "Oh God Sylvia.... I'm so sorry, I didn't.."
"I know you didn't," Sylvia said in a soft voice, "Of course you didn't... but now you know. You want to come with me don't you, cause you're a sweet boy."
Sage's grey eyes looked rather spacy at that moment, but after a second they cleared and he stared at her. God she was beautiful... Silvery hair upswept...wispy tendrils curling around her forhead barely brushing against her shoulders... Her face was one of an angels... How had he fallen in love with her? He was always careful around girls, they followed him and flirted with him endlessly...but he had never come to find someone he would consider his girlfriend.. And certainly no one that he...loved. But he felt sure that he loved Sylvia. The feeling was strange unusual, but it was there... it was there and whenever he wasn't with her he ached. He couldn't eat sometimes, couldn't sleep...And he would do whatever it was that she wanted. Anything for his angel... his silver angel...
"I'll meet you after school then," Sylvia said in a soft voice smiling lightly, "You should go and try to find your friends and tell them you're mine for the afternoon..." With that she gave him a slight peck on the lips, careful to look out for any teachers or lunch monitors, before leaving to reenter the school building.
Sage was left staring after her for a few moments as the fog in his head cleared. He had such a headache. He raised his hands to his temples to massage them, then he went on to do what Sylvia had willed him to. He had to break another date with his friends. He hoped it wasn't important.. Last time he had taken Sylvia out he had missed out on a minor battle. To say the guys were angry with him, would be an understatement. The darkness was back, Sage sensed it... It wasn't the Dynasty, but the evil was just the same, and all the villains want the same thing, world domination. Sage sighed as he neared the outdoor picnic table that contained his four friends... how was he going to break it to them this time?
"Hey here comes Romeo himself," Kento Rei Faun, a broad shouldered boy with ash colored hair and brown eyes, raised a french fry to Sage as a salute as he neared the table. Sage offered him a weak grin and sat down beside Rowen Hashiba, a tall slender boy with blue hair and deep blue eyes, who had his nose buried in a book. Rowen gave Sage a nod of acknowledgement.
"So where's Sylvia?" Cye Mouri asked leaning on his elbows. Cye moved some of his auburn hair out of his light blue eyes as he sighed, he had to admit he had had a crush on Sylvia Talisman when she first arrived at their school. He actually thought he'd had a chance with her, until she met Sage... After that, her eyes were for no one else... and Sage. Sage who no one thought would ever buckle down and accept a girl into his busy life on a steady basis, asked her to be his girlfriend.
"The witch's probably fuming over Sage blowing her off tonight so he can hang out with us, the boys," Kento smirked smacking Sage on the back heartily.
"Uh-oh," Ryo Sanada said studying Sage's downcast features. The raven haired leader had become very good at reading Sage's facial espressions when it came to something about "his" Sylvia. Ryo's dark blue eyes were filled with disbelief, "Please don't tell me she..."
"It's her mother guys," Sage was beginning his explanation... another explanation!
"Saaaaage!" Kento wailed, "Aw come on man. You're letting her run your life!"
"I am not," Sage uttered, "It's just..."
"Sage, since when have you done one thing with that girl that was actually something you wanted to do?" Ryo was trying to look Sage in the eye... the eye that was left uncovered by his mass of blond hair.
"I'm happy just being with her... so everything we've done has been something I've wanted to.."
"Sage, stop it with the bull," Kento interjected, "She has you wrapped around her..."
"No she doesn't!"
"...cute little pinky finger!" Kento finished inches away from Sage's angered face, "Tell her no for once! Stand up to her royal blondness!"
"KENTO GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Sage shouted infuriated with his friend at that moment, "Stop talking about Sylvia! It's only one night, tomorrow I'll..."
"Tomorrow, you said that yesterday making today tomorrow, huh?" Kento said making a face, "But you know what, Sage? Don't care anymore, don't care at all... If a night with a girl is more important to you than your friends..."
"Kento, it's not... I'm just going with her to see her mother in the hospital. It's just for the afternoon," Sage groaned, "I couldn't say no to that, it means so much to her... and her Mom's not doing well, and she's all she has."
Kento frowned sitting back in his seat looking rather ashamed.
"In the hospital?" Cye asked curiously, "What is the matter with her?"
Sage shrugged, "She's sick... that's all Sylvia will tell me. She and her mother came here because of her doctor."
"And now she wants to introduce you to her mother? Just how serious are you two Sage?" Rowen asked, dog-earing his page and closing his book. Sage's mouth was a thin line as he chewed on his lip, he seemed uncertain... so un-Sage-like. Sage was the calm one, the one always in control.... maybe Rowen thought staring at him oddly, maybe he really was in love. Wasn't love known to make people behave strangely.
"I don't know actually.. I was.. Was thinking about buying her a bracelet," Sage said thoughtfully," One with her name engraved on it... Silver, like her hair."
Kento, Ryo, Rowen, and Cye all stared at him in shock, "My goodness Sage, the girl's gonna take that as a marriage proposal or something! Are you really THAT serious about her?"
Sage looked hurt, "Yes... why do you look so shocked? You don't think Sylvia and I are good together?"
"Well... we do it's just.... Sage you've never had a serious girlfriend, and now all of a sudden you're ready to up and marry a girl that just appeared a month ago?"
"She's not just a girl, she's Sylvia!" Sage slammed his hand on the table, surprising everyone. Sage never expressed his emotions as freely as this. He stood in a huff, "I'll see you tonight. I'm gonna go."
"Sage..." Ryo began, but let it go as he saw that it would do him no good. Sage was gone, walking away no doubt to find Sylvia.
"This is just too weird," Rowen was saying pushing his book aside, "Sage is turning into a different person, all on the account of some girl... a girl we barely know."
"He's her little slave, whip, leash, and all!" Kento grumbled, "I hate seeing a friend of mine being used in such a way. Sylvia's no good and I know it!"
"You're just mad cause she turned you down, Kento," Ryo said with a chuckle.
"No," Cye was shaking his head, "She turned me down too remember, and I don't hold a grudge... but there's still something about her that I don't like. And I don't think I like its influence on Sage either." Cye's British accented words burned themselves into Rowen's brain.
"She does have an influence over him doesn't she?" Rowen asked turning to look at Cye. Cye frowned, "You've noticed too?"
"Since the first day we met her. I've never seen Sage act that way, ever, and at first he was only like that around her... now it's different."
"That's because she's found a way to keep him always around her," Kento sneered, then he looked curious, "Do you think they've done it yet?"
"Kento!" Cye yelled.
"What? I was just thinking ya know, if a girl were to have me in check like that, she'd ya know.. Maybe gave me something that would make me act like a fool in front of everyone... and you see all those girls Sage has around him? Well to have me ignoring that many potential dates and acting like a fool, she'd have to be good..."
"Kento?" Rowen asked smoothly.
"Yeah?" Kento said taking a huge bite out of his hero sandwich.
"Have you ever done it?"
Kento choked on his mouthful, "What?"
"Didn't think so," Rowen said with a laugh, "and I doubt Sage has or is doing it either, so drop that notion."
"I think he's just head -over- heels in love is all," Ryo said, "It's kinda nice, ya know. To see at least one of us starting to have a normal social life."
"Ryo, hello dude? I would not call trailing along after some babe like a puppy a normal social life," Kento said in a flat voice.
"You only wished you had some babe to trail after," Cye said batting his eyes innocently as Kento glared at him.
"Oh well," Ryo shrugged, "I guess it's just us tonight. Who's up for bowling?"
"That sounds cool. Maybe Mia will join us this time," Kento said polishing off his sandwich.
"I sincerely doubt she will Kento, especially after what happened the last time..."
"It was an accident, I didn't mean to throw the bowling ball backward it just happened!"
"Yeah, and it landed on her foot. If that's not enough to give the girl bowling ball-phobia then I don't know what is," Rowen said he took a chip from Ryo's bag, "Count Mia out."
"Man..." Kento groaned, "she'll never forgive me for that will she?"
"Hmmmn..." the others appeared to be in deep thought, then, "No."
"Great."
"Sylvia, there you are," a tall handsome blond boy took her by the arm. Sylvia Talisman grinned with pleasure, enjoying the envious stares she was getting from the other girls that normally swarmed over Sage Date like bees around a hive. They honestly showed no shame in the way they pursued a boy they found attractive. Sylvia flashed a smile at a few of the girls who were shooting her death glares. She and Sage walked out of the cafeteria onto the soft grass of the schoolyard where there were many people sitting at tables or in the grass eating their lunches. A few people gazed up at them. They made a striking couple, and they both knew it. Being the only blondes in school made them stand out more prominently than their good looks, but their looks were nothing to turn away from. Sylvia looked up into Sage's pale grey eyes and felt her heart sink... He wasn't coming.
"Sage, you promised!" Sylvia said immediately turning away from him, "You promised you'd come with me. I need you to be with me, someone to be with me!"
Sage looked down at his feet, guilty, embarrassed. People were staring, "Sylvia I'm sorry.. I just... my friends and I..."
"Sage, your friends? I asked you if you would come with me to see my sick mother in the hospital! I'm all she has and it tears me up to have to see her like that everyday...and today I actually thought I could have someone to go with me. To support me... to meet mother. She hasn't had any visitors except me..."
"Your father.."
"Is a deadbeat, everyone knows it. He left us for good and he's not coming back. He doesn't care that she's sick, and that she may be..." Sylvia broke off looking at the ground. When she looked back up at Sage her cornflower blue eyes were filled with tears, "Please Sage.. Just this once, and I'll never ask you again. It's just that.. Today's her birthday.."
Sage cringed, "Oh God Sylvia.... I'm so sorry, I didn't.."
"I know you didn't," Sylvia said in a soft voice, "Of course you didn't... but now you know. You want to come with me don't you, cause you're a sweet boy."
Sage's grey eyes looked rather spacy at that moment, but after a second they cleared and he stared at her. God she was beautiful... Silvery hair upswept...wispy tendrils curling around her forhead barely brushing against her shoulders... Her face was one of an angels... How had he fallen in love with her? He was always careful around girls, they followed him and flirted with him endlessly...but he had never come to find someone he would consider his girlfriend.. And certainly no one that he...loved. But he felt sure that he loved Sylvia. The feeling was strange unusual, but it was there... it was there and whenever he wasn't with her he ached. He couldn't eat sometimes, couldn't sleep...And he would do whatever it was that she wanted. Anything for his angel... his silver angel...
"I'll meet you after school then," Sylvia said in a soft voice smiling lightly, "You should go and try to find your friends and tell them you're mine for the afternoon..." With that she gave him a slight peck on the lips, careful to look out for any teachers or lunch monitors, before leaving to reenter the school building.
Sage was left staring after her for a few moments as the fog in his head cleared. He had such a headache. He raised his hands to his temples to massage them, then he went on to do what Sylvia had willed him to. He had to break another date with his friends. He hoped it wasn't important.. Last time he had taken Sylvia out he had missed out on a minor battle. To say the guys were angry with him, would be an understatement. The darkness was back, Sage sensed it... It wasn't the Dynasty, but the evil was just the same, and all the villains want the same thing, world domination. Sage sighed as he neared the outdoor picnic table that contained his four friends... how was he going to break it to them this time?
"Hey here comes Romeo himself," Kento Rei Faun, a broad shouldered boy with ash colored hair and brown eyes, raised a french fry to Sage as a salute as he neared the table. Sage offered him a weak grin and sat down beside Rowen Hashiba, a tall slender boy with blue hair and deep blue eyes, who had his nose buried in a book. Rowen gave Sage a nod of acknowledgement.
"So where's Sylvia?" Cye Mouri asked leaning on his elbows. Cye moved some of his auburn hair out of his light blue eyes as he sighed, he had to admit he had had a crush on Sylvia Talisman when she first arrived at their school. He actually thought he'd had a chance with her, until she met Sage... After that, her eyes were for no one else... and Sage. Sage who no one thought would ever buckle down and accept a girl into his busy life on a steady basis, asked her to be his girlfriend.
"The witch's probably fuming over Sage blowing her off tonight so he can hang out with us, the boys," Kento smirked smacking Sage on the back heartily.
"Uh-oh," Ryo Sanada said studying Sage's downcast features. The raven haired leader had become very good at reading Sage's facial espressions when it came to something about "his" Sylvia. Ryo's dark blue eyes were filled with disbelief, "Please don't tell me she..."
"It's her mother guys," Sage was beginning his explanation... another explanation!
"Saaaaage!" Kento wailed, "Aw come on man. You're letting her run your life!"
"I am not," Sage uttered, "It's just..."
"Sage, since when have you done one thing with that girl that was actually something you wanted to do?" Ryo was trying to look Sage in the eye... the eye that was left uncovered by his mass of blond hair.
"I'm happy just being with her... so everything we've done has been something I've wanted to.."
"Sage, stop it with the bull," Kento interjected, "She has you wrapped around her..."
"No she doesn't!"
"...cute little pinky finger!" Kento finished inches away from Sage's angered face, "Tell her no for once! Stand up to her royal blondness!"
"KENTO GET OUT OF MY FACE!" Sage shouted infuriated with his friend at that moment, "Stop talking about Sylvia! It's only one night, tomorrow I'll..."
"Tomorrow, you said that yesterday making today tomorrow, huh?" Kento said making a face, "But you know what, Sage? Don't care anymore, don't care at all... If a night with a girl is more important to you than your friends..."
"Kento, it's not... I'm just going with her to see her mother in the hospital. It's just for the afternoon," Sage groaned, "I couldn't say no to that, it means so much to her... and her Mom's not doing well, and she's all she has."
Kento frowned sitting back in his seat looking rather ashamed.
"In the hospital?" Cye asked curiously, "What is the matter with her?"
Sage shrugged, "She's sick... that's all Sylvia will tell me. She and her mother came here because of her doctor."
"And now she wants to introduce you to her mother? Just how serious are you two Sage?" Rowen asked, dog-earing his page and closing his book. Sage's mouth was a thin line as he chewed on his lip, he seemed uncertain... so un-Sage-like. Sage was the calm one, the one always in control.... maybe Rowen thought staring at him oddly, maybe he really was in love. Wasn't love known to make people behave strangely.
"I don't know actually.. I was.. Was thinking about buying her a bracelet," Sage said thoughtfully," One with her name engraved on it... Silver, like her hair."
Kento, Ryo, Rowen, and Cye all stared at him in shock, "My goodness Sage, the girl's gonna take that as a marriage proposal or something! Are you really THAT serious about her?"
Sage looked hurt, "Yes... why do you look so shocked? You don't think Sylvia and I are good together?"
"Well... we do it's just.... Sage you've never had a serious girlfriend, and now all of a sudden you're ready to up and marry a girl that just appeared a month ago?"
"She's not just a girl, she's Sylvia!" Sage slammed his hand on the table, surprising everyone. Sage never expressed his emotions as freely as this. He stood in a huff, "I'll see you tonight. I'm gonna go."
"Sage..." Ryo began, but let it go as he saw that it would do him no good. Sage was gone, walking away no doubt to find Sylvia.
"This is just too weird," Rowen was saying pushing his book aside, "Sage is turning into a different person, all on the account of some girl... a girl we barely know."
"He's her little slave, whip, leash, and all!" Kento grumbled, "I hate seeing a friend of mine being used in such a way. Sylvia's no good and I know it!"
"You're just mad cause she turned you down, Kento," Ryo said with a chuckle.
"No," Cye was shaking his head, "She turned me down too remember, and I don't hold a grudge... but there's still something about her that I don't like. And I don't think I like its influence on Sage either." Cye's British accented words burned themselves into Rowen's brain.
"She does have an influence over him doesn't she?" Rowen asked turning to look at Cye. Cye frowned, "You've noticed too?"
"Since the first day we met her. I've never seen Sage act that way, ever, and at first he was only like that around her... now it's different."
"That's because she's found a way to keep him always around her," Kento sneered, then he looked curious, "Do you think they've done it yet?"
"Kento!" Cye yelled.
"What? I was just thinking ya know, if a girl were to have me in check like that, she'd ya know.. Maybe gave me something that would make me act like a fool in front of everyone... and you see all those girls Sage has around him? Well to have me ignoring that many potential dates and acting like a fool, she'd have to be good..."
"Kento?" Rowen asked smoothly.
"Yeah?" Kento said taking a huge bite out of his hero sandwich.
"Have you ever done it?"
Kento choked on his mouthful, "What?"
"Didn't think so," Rowen said with a laugh, "and I doubt Sage has or is doing it either, so drop that notion."
"I think he's just head -over- heels in love is all," Ryo said, "It's kinda nice, ya know. To see at least one of us starting to have a normal social life."
"Ryo, hello dude? I would not call trailing along after some babe like a puppy a normal social life," Kento said in a flat voice.
"You only wished you had some babe to trail after," Cye said batting his eyes innocently as Kento glared at him.
"Oh well," Ryo shrugged, "I guess it's just us tonight. Who's up for bowling?"
"That sounds cool. Maybe Mia will join us this time," Kento said polishing off his sandwich.
"I sincerely doubt she will Kento, especially after what happened the last time..."
"It was an accident, I didn't mean to throw the bowling ball backward it just happened!"
"Yeah, and it landed on her foot. If that's not enough to give the girl bowling ball-phobia then I don't know what is," Rowen said he took a chip from Ryo's bag, "Count Mia out."
"Man..." Kento groaned, "she'll never forgive me for that will she?"
"Hmmmn..." the others appeared to be in deep thought, then, "No."
"Great."
