Cara, I'm sorry, but I always forget to reply to guest reviews and I feel so mean!

Chap 1: Yes, I read Divergent- have you read the whole series? I don't want to give spoilers :P And thank you!

Chap 2: I think there are a few people that want Syler or Tage, Tyler included, but Sage… and Percy! No boyfriends, Sage!

Chap 3: Calm down! :D I mean no offense when I say this, but what's so amazing about Justin Bieber? He's immensely late to concerts, spits on his fans, attacks the paparazi, claims that he can do whatever he want because he's famous and sets a bad example by being over the limit and high on drugs- prescription and other- while participating in a drag race. He's not setting himself out for a good role model or whatever.

If I've missed any guest reviews, I'm really sorry. I always tell myself to reply to them when I write an update, but I've got a flipping goldfish memory and I feel mean!

Slight time skip, by the way. If there are any spelling mistakes, it's not my fault… I think I've broken Word…

Sage looked like she was going to cry.

That was completely understandable- her cousin had died yesterday on stage in front of the whole school and their parents. Tyler was amazed that she had even come in today.

He didn't say anything. Over the past few years, Charlie had grown to be a little brother to him as well as Sage and pretty much everyone.

Crowds parted for Sage, as they had been all morning for her, Charlie's other relatives and his closest friends.

Tyler rummaged in his shoulder bag and pressed a packet of tissues in her hand, pulling her into a hug. It was the one and probably only time she didn't fight him or insult him for being cheeky about it. She just buried her face in his shoulder and hugged him back tightly, her fingers curling into his jacket.

She didn't cry. Tyler could tell she was trying her hardest not to break down in front of all these people, but it was a huge, pressing effort. Even if she had tried to kill him on a regular basis, she had loved Charlie to pieces. Everyone did. It was that Valdez effect that no-one could resist.

Looking around, Tyler saw that many were looking in Sage's- and his- direction. There were no smiles or laughter, a heaviness of grief gave tension to the air. Some were crying softly while others looked pityingly at Sage.

"Come on." Tyler urged gently. She resisted for a second, but she crumbled and let Tyler kindly lead her away and to the library. No-one went to the library, except the three or four bookworms. Thankfully, it was just him and Sage and he could do his best to comfort her in private.

He had come to school prepared today- tissues; a flask of hot chocolate, sweetened just the way she liked and a cheesy old joke book that Charlie had thrown at Tyler playfully a few weeks ago.

He sat her down on her favourite chair in the corner, next to the heater and flicked the blinds closed before sitting next to her, his arm around her shoulders in a friendly and what he hoped to be comforting gesture.

She cried then. At first, it was just a trickle of tears, but then she was sobbing. Tyler put his other arm around her and let her cry into his shoulder. He did his best to console her, but the floodgates had opened and there was little he could do to close them again.

"Why… why Charlie? Why-?" She choked and dissolved into tears yet again. Tyler sighed and held her tighter.

"The world isn't fair, Sage." He said softly. "Just think how many people Charlie will be annoying right now. He has forever to do so as well." He leaned back a fraction, carefully wiping her tears away with his thumb. "He wouldn't want you like this, would he? Smile, he'd say."

"Always smile." She mumbled, her hands trembling chronically as she tugged a tissue from the packet she had crunched in her hand. She dabbed at her eyes, but it took a while for her to get control of herself again. She sat back and drew her knees to her chest, hiding her face. Tyler reached for his bag and grabbed the flask, pouring her a drink. She looked up at the sweet, tempting smell of hot chocolate and gave a feeble, watery smile.

He kindly pressed the cup into her hands and repeated, "Always smile."

Tyler was there through the funeral, the memorial service at school and every moment in between for the next few months. He knew Sage kept expecting to turn around and strangle her cousin for being an idiot. Sometimes, when someone called her name, her eyes would shine and she would look hopeful, but seeing that it was not her cousin, she'd return to misery and Tyler for comfort.

Charlie's old joke book had come in handy. She laughed at the stupidity of them, or smiled at the least. Some of them she knew already, fondly recalling them from when she was eight and Charlie was six. It was the first book they had managed to read together and the only one as well. All the books she read and the only one he had read, in comparison, was The Gingerbread Man.

"You're good, Tyler."

"Come again?" She glared at him and he knew there was no getting her to repeat that. "Did you just compliment me?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged. She was slowly getting back into playful banter, but he saw that she stopped herself smiling or laughing sometimes, her eyes instantly saddening. He had told her repeatedly that Charlie wouldn't want her miserable, he would want her happy and smiling and beating the crap out of her best friend.

"You did!"

"You have no proof."

"I… will get some. Eventually." She just nodded, flicking a page in the joke book and smiling at the first one that caught her eye.

"He always defaced books." She mumbled, her fingers brushing a joke that had been bought to attention with a bright yellow high lighter. "I went to read a new series and found he had gone through and drawn a smiley face on every page in the corner. If you flicked the pages, it was a little flip book. I think I've still got it somewhere." She smiled sadly at this. Charlie had drawn those pictures. It was a smiling face that stuck its tongue out and grinned cheekily before bursting into flame and leaving the words 'Sage + Charlie r awsom' floating above a pile of ashes. He couldn't spell, no matter how hard he tried, but it was the thought that counted.

Sage wanted to tell her best friend that Charlie had reached Elysium, but had to stop herself again. Tyler was ignorant of her godly side of family and life and she intended to keep it that way for as long as she could- didn't want to scare off the one thing keeping her sane now, did she?

"Mom says you can come over for a while after school some day this week, if you want."

"You'll have to take it up with Mr. No-boys-or-die Idiot."

"Aww… I'm sure your dad loves me really. Everybody does eventually."

"You're such a fathead."

"Thanks." He paused. "Are you going to ask him anyway?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Are you serious? He'd have my b-" She glared at him, effectively silencing him. Tyler hastily corrected himself. "Certain area for even thinking that."

"No, he'd just rip your head from your shoulders with his bare hands."

"Should I be worried he can do that?"

"No. You should be worried when he rips you limb from limb."

"But I'm lovely! Why would he do that?"

"You're a boy."

"That's just sexist." She shot him a knowing, sarcastic look, but said nothing. She often fell into a quite five minutes lately, intent on reading the joke book from cover to cover and memorizing every single one apparently.

"I'm thinking of doing some sort of charity event." Sage said out of the blue in a quiet voice. Her eyes were fixed on the first page of the joke book. Tyler peered around and saw her fingertips trembled just above Charlie's scrawled name. She pushed the toes of her sneakers together nervously. Tyler bounced over to her seat and leant forward to see her face.

"Like what?" He asked kindly.

"I'm not sure. Something… Charlie."

"Best to talk to Leo then. There is no way anyone else can think like them." Sage nodded in agreement. Tyler bumped her with his shoulder. "Ring him and now and see what he thinks."

"Lou draws a lot. I could get her to draw and paint some stuff and sell them on. We could raise money for a hospital or cancer research or something. Her eyes were shining with that calculating gleam she got whenever she was thinking.

And it went like that. Sage recruited as many people as she could and for the next two months, they would do something to raise money for a variety of charities. Tyler heard talk of jumping from a plane; sponsored bike ride, swims, runs or walks; taking up jobs of washing cars, gardening and walking dogs; a sponsored silence and a sponsored read (definitely Sage and Lilly). Other ideas were thrown around, fire dancing and other performances, but not many were capable of that. Their goal was to raise at least three thousand or more if possible.

Tyler, contrary to popular belief, was capable of a sponsored silence. If he didn't talk for the whole school week, he would get $500, simple.

Sage was doing much more than he was- obviously the read, alongside her sister, but the plane jump, the car washing and walking dogs as well as a sponsored swim and run. Tyler decided last minute of him being able to talk to do the plane jump as well and cheekily suggested he and Sage should double up. This had gained him a collection of massive bruises on his arm, but it had been worth it to see her so uncomfortable. Nobody made Sage uncomfortable and annoyed as quickly and as efficiently as Tyler did.

"Right, your time starts now. If you talk, I will kill you." Tyler pressed his lips together. Yes, she would kill him if he did not get this money- it was in her cousin's memory and a precious idea to her.

Sage tucked the joke book under her pillow and reached the journal she was keeping. She had it tacked to the underside of the top drawer. She picked up a nearby pen, found a new page and started writing, like she had every night since Charlie d- since he left.

Hi, Charlie. Me again.

How's Elysium? And your brothers? I imagine they're as crazy as you are, which would be nice for you. Are you settling in well?

We miss you here, Charlie. I keep thinking that you're sneaking up behind me with a 'kick me' sign or something. None of my books have gone missing or been doodled in. I've read your horrible joke book at least a dozen times and I can see why you would love those pathetic jokes, what with your strange and stupid sense of humour.

I still feel a bit stupid writing to you- I mean, you won't see these letters from Elysium, but it helps. I try and imagine what you would say to some of the stuff that's been going on. Get this- Tyler's doing a sponsored silence! Tyler!

The whole sponsored thing comes from you- I've organised most of the school into two months of different charity events. I'm going to jump out of plane! I never thought I'd say that, but now it's all planned, I really want to do it. I'm so excited, but really nervous as well, another thing I thought I would never say.

I wish you could see all the hard work the other kids are putting in. I won't say this to anyone else, but I'm quite proud of them.

And I slipped up earlier as well- I may have accidently complimented Tyler. He has been helping me a lot lately and I really appreciate it. He can be as much as an idiot as you are. I think he misses you too, but it's not for him to say that, is it? He's Tyler- emotions and stuff aren't him.

I have another rant, but what do you expect? It's me and I'm forever surrounded by idiots, very few as 'lovable' as you. There are quite a few asking if Tyler and I are dating, but we're not! He's just a friend! And even if we were, Dad will kill him. I just want people to understand that a boy and a girl can be best friends, like you, Kara and Carly. Just because a guy and a girl are close and always together doesn't mean they're dating! I wish this fraction of simplicity. I really cannot be asked to deal with more bodies.

I HAVEN'T KILLED ANYONE! Not yet, at least, but it is so tempting some days. Tyler is forever reminding me to smile and calm down. He's my ranting buddy now, but I rant to you about more stuff than I rant to him.

Mom's coming up. I need a quieter pen or something, she's got radar hearing! I'll write soon, I promise.

Missing you,

Sage xxxx

Sorry for not updating lately. Everything's going mad, I swear, but I'll save you the rant or I'll be here all flaming weekend.