Deadpan - Bennoda

Chapter Eleven

I entered the studio building and turned to watch as Sage walked the other way. I felt horrible for him and Mike, having to be caught in something like this. If only there were two of me, so they could each have me. Just as I was about to turn the other way, I noticed another figure not too far away from Sage and a shiver of anxiety swept through me. I just flat out had a bad feeling about the person that began to follow him. My phone started ringing, but I was too focused on Sage's dark silhouette and the stranger behind him that was beginning to grow near him to pick up. I pressed ignore on the call and dialed Sage's number, I watched him pick up my call.

"Ches? Did something happen?" He asked right when he picked up. I was biting my bottom lip harshly while waiting for him to answer, insanely worried about him. I stepped outside the studio to keep a better eye on him and the stranger hot on his heels.

"No, but something's going to happen to you if you don't turn around right now!" I yelled in horror as the figure honed in on him. Thankfully, Sage had started turning right when I mentioned it and I saw the person take a swing at him right as he faced him, but he flinched, remarkably saving him from the last second hit.

"Oh, shit!" I heard him swear and I raced towards him, not thinking about anything other than his safety as I heard Mike call after me in the near distance, probably hearing me yell. Before I approached them, the stranger took another swing at Sage, hitting him on the side of the head, sending him crumbling towards the ground. Mike yelled after me again and I heard his footsteps more clearly and I saw the stranger take off. I went to Sage's side, panicked.

"Sage, Sage, oh my god, are you okay? What happened?" I asked, holding him as close to me as possible. I wondered if this was how they felt when I was attacked behind the bar.

"It was him," Sage said and he didn't have to elaborate on who he meant. Mike silently watched me hold him and talk with him, sadness in his eyes. "I'm okay, he hit me harder the first time."

"Wait, you mean the guy from the bar? I thought it was just some homophobe who saw you walking Chaz here," Mike spoke up, realizing who had just attacked Sage. He looked at me with apparent fear. "So he's definitely after you."

"Why hurt Sage?" I asked, tears in my eyes, my voice full of hurt and anger that someone could harm him. I would react just as strongly if it were Mike, which I hoped he knew, but it happened to Sage and my heart and emotions were running wild in a crazed frenzy.

"Probably because the guy wanted him out of the way, hurt him so he couldn't protect you," Mike pointed out and Sage nodded in agreement, while I simply shrugged.

"Then all three of us should be on lookout for not just Chester, but also ourselves," Sage added and Mike gave him a puzzled look, that Sage was able to read through. "You were there to protect him too, you're a target."

"Come on, let's get inside. The guys are here, insisted on showing up since they hadn't seen us in a while, guess we should explain what happened," Mike said, taking a look around us to make sure the stranger had actually runaway.

"Shit, the guys are here? Ugh, I'm not ready for this," I groaned in frustration. They were going to ask about Sage and possibly wiggle information out of us because it's hard for Mike and I to lie to them, they're our family.

"The guys? You mean, the rest of the band is here?" Sage asked nervously and I nodded. He seemed anxious as he wobbled between his feet. "What if they like, hate me?"

"You're technically my enemy because you want what I want and I don't hate you, so they absolutely shouldn't," Mike huffed and I smiled at him, grateful he didn't hate Sage. Perhaps by the end of this, I'll at least be friends with both of them. "Anyway, I think this means we need to tell the police about this, he's obviously after you, Chaz."

"We've already talked about it, you and I are going to go report it later and since the asshole hit me twice now, I have a reason for personally going in, so Chaz doesn't have to," Sage explained and Mike nodded in agreement. 

"Okay, that's a good idea, but what about Chester? Where's he going to go while we're doing that? We both need to be there if he's not going to be, but he needs somewhere to go that's safe."

"Why not with one or all of the other band members? If we have to tell them what's going on anyway, I'm sure they'll gladly help."

"Guys, I don't need a babysitter," I groaned and rolled my eyes as they each gave me a look that said, 'are-you-serious-right-now?', which I was. "I can just sit in my apartment, keep it locked, it'll be fine. You're overreacting. How could he know where I live?"

"Well he definitely knows where the studio is now, he probably watched you walk inside, therefore he might know where you live, it's just down the street anyhow," Sage pointed out and I was frustrated. I didn't want to deal with this, it was interfering with time I needed to figure out this whole love triangle situation. "Who knows, he could've ran away just to hide and watch where you went after what happened at the bar."

"Don't scare him, Sage, you're talking worst case scenario," Mike interfered and I looked to him graciously, happy he saw my side of the situation. It sounded like nonsense. I couldn't see anyone, especially a stranger, putting that much dedication into finding me. "Come on, the guys are probably getting impatient."