ALL MIXED UP | I

02 study session 02

Sage: 7     Shiro: 16

Shiro paid no mind when his door quietly swept open and hushed footsteps padded across his room floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his seven-year-old sister hop onto his and begin to twist a Rubik’s cube.

“Serendipity,” she stated simply. Shiro glanced up from his textbook with a smile.

“How do you know that word?” he asked, marking his page.

“I just finished the S section of the dictionary. Don’t tell Mom; I read the Ks earlier this morning and she only lets me read one letter a day.” Sage set down the now-completed cube. “It’s my word for the day. Like it?”

“Um, yeah. Great word,” Shiro said, making a mental note to look up what it meant later. “Wanna study with me, smart girl?” Sage gave a small gasp and nodded, dark curls bouncing, then climbed up quickly into Shiro’s lap.

Both siblings loved their study sessions. For Sage, it was an excuse to read Shiro’s fact-filled textbooks, which she wasn’t usually allowed to touch. Shiro got a “study buddy,” which made reviewing for his tests and exams much easier. And both loved to simply be with each other. The two had even pulled an all-nighter together once. Their mom had been livid, but her anger dissipated when Shiro came home with a 97 on the most important exam of the year.

“All right, time to review,” Shiro said. “Remember the moons of Pluto?”

“Charon, Nyx, Hydra, Styx!” Sage said, proud of her little rhyme.

“You missed one,” Shiro prompted. Sage pouted.

“Kerberos doesn’t fit in the rhyme.”

“That doesn’t mean you can forget about it.” Sage stuck her tongue out at her brother. “Fine. Do you remember Neptune’s?”

“Hm… Thalassa, Larissa, Sao, Naiad, Psamathe, Neso, Laomedeia, Halimede, Galatea, Despina, Hippocamp, Nereid, Proteus, and Triton,” Sage rattled off. Many more questions of this nature was asked before Sage interrupted.

“When can I go to the Garrison? Do I have to be sixteen like you?”

“No,” Shiro answered. “You can go when you’re fifteen, but with your brain, I think they just might take you a year early.” Sage beamed.

“I’m gonna be a fighter pilot!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air.

“What’s wrong with being an exploration pilot?” Shiro asked, faking hurt.

“And spend the rest of my life getting ice samples off of Kerberos?” Sage retorted. “No, thanks.”

Sage: 13    Shiro: 22
Though the classroom was full, Sage could only look at a certain black haired boy. He was in the very back, staring out of the window with an expression that screamed boredom. Everyone else was exuberant. It wasn’t every day that world-famous pilot Takashi Shirogane came to visit a class.

The kids were asking questions left and right, and Shiro answered them all with a smile.

“All right, last question,” Shiro said. “Um… yeah? Yes, you.” The girl straightened.

“Who’s that?” she asked, pointing a long, lavender fingernail at Sage. “Is she, like, gonna be in our class or something? She looks, like, eleven.” Sage glared, and Shiro wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Actually, this is my little sister, Sage, and she’s thirteen. She’s going to help us out with the flight simulators today. Sage holds record high scores in all of our sims at the Garrison. She can beat me anyday, but she’s not old enough to actually fly yet.” The room erupted in exclamations of disbelief.

“No way. Her?”

“Yeah, and I’m the president.”

“Those simulations must be so easy.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” The teacher clapped loudly.

“All right, enough! How about we see how all of you fare against a Garrison simulation?” Shiro smiled.

“I got special permission to bring out one of our fighter simulations so that all of you could have a shot. I’m looking for next year’s cadets, so do your very best. You have one shot.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧ ･ ✧*:･ﾟ✧

As Shiro began calling out names for the flight simulator, Sage wandered over to where the black haired boy was standing, his hair in his face. He glanced up.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just looked like you could use someone to talk to. I’m Sage.” The boy stared for a second.

“Keith,” he muttered.

“You have really cool eyes,” Sage commented. “I wish my eyes were interesting.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“You don’t like having purple eyes?” Keith sighed.

“No. It’s weird.”

“God, you are so emo.”

“Wha-? No I’m not!”

“Yeah you are. You’re all like, ‘Ugh, the world hates me. Only Gerard Way understands.’ I’m just surprised you don’t wear black nail polish.” Keith looked uncomfortable at the last sentence. “Oh my God, do you?”

“N-No.” Sage grabbed his hand, bringing it up to her eyes. Tiny traces of black flecked his nails.

“You do!”

“Shut up,” Keith growled, snatching his hand back. “Look, just… ugh, nevermind.” Then, under his breath: “How do your parents deal with you?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he panicked.

“Dammit, sorry, I just… You must be… Oh, God, you’re adopted, aren’t you? Shiro’s… A-And you’re... I am…  I am so sorry.”

You are such an idiot,  Keith thought to himself. You just insulted Takashi Shirogane’s little sister! Have you seen him?! He could deck you in two seconds flat!

“You’re fine,” Sage dismissed. Keith raked his fingers through his hair. Cleary the topic was a sensitive one.

“C-Can I make it up to you?” Sage smirked.

“Well, if your parents will let you, maybe you can come get ice cream or something with me and Shiro. He’s always telling me that I need to hang out with someone my age instead of his Garrison flight crew.”

“Yeah, of course, I-”

“Keith Kogane?” Shiro called. “Your turn.”

As it turned out, Keith was a great pilot. He passed all of his classmates’ scores and kept going and going. But even Keith maxed out at level six.

“Step aside, amateurs,” Sage joked, pushing her way to the front. “How about I show you how it’s really done?” Keith stood from the chair, allowing her to take his place. She placed her palm on the scanner.

“Cadet 201902338, Sage Shirogane. Commence training at level thirty-two?” Whispers swarmed through the tiny room.

“Thirty-two?”

“No way!”

“Damn, she must be good.” Sage smirked.

“Commence level.” All eyes were on the screen as Sage effortlessly dodged asteroids, enemy fire, and rock outcroppings.  The distraction was enough for a certain raven haired boy to slip away, filch Shiro's keys, and "borrow" his car.