A Twist of Fate

It Doesn't Add Up

Seth's POV

The rest of the weekend was a blur. Partying partying partying. Monday morning, the first half of the day was reasonably normal... After lunch was History. OH, NO HISTORY!! I completely forgot about the assignment. I ran to the library the fastest that I could, but Sage wasn't there. Oddly a guy with the name tag Doug was at the counter. "Ummm, where's Margerie?" "The phoney librarian was fired on Friday and suspended for a week." "What do you mean suspended??" I yell back grabbing his collar in anger. Just then the bell rings, and William sees me from outside "Let's go, bro". I head in his direction. "What happened to Margerie dude? She got temporarily suspended?" "I'll tell you after class. It's a long story. I only just got to know today," he replied.

I knew I was dead meat as soon as I entered the History class. Mrs Chutney stared at me through it. As the class ended, I was trying to make a dash for it when she announced, "Johnson waits up". I made the saddest and most uncomfortable face I could make and said, "Hey!!! I am not feeling too well. I think I need to go to the washroom." Mrs Chutney started talking even before I finished, "Take your assignment and run then. I was fairly surprised at the thought you put into it. Your housemate brought it over earlier. She said you'd be a train wreck today. She wasn't too wrong. Run along now..."

"Willie, wait up. Tell me that long story pronto!" I yell while running up to him. "Apparently she stole books. So they fired her," he says, not overthinking. "Oh, that doesn't seem like a long story," I tell him. "Oh yea, it wasn't. My bad," William realises and shrugs.

We went to Sally's that evening, but Sage wasn't there either. I got a message from Beth. 'We are doing a movie night at home. Don't come if you don't want to.' Well she sure was still upset with me, and I hadn't found an effective way to say I'm sorry either about the whole Sebastian incident. I reached home earlier than I usually would have.

I could hear someone yelling around in a very nonmusical way. As I enter, our resident geek was vacuuming the house with her headphones on. Short short SpongeBob pyjamas riding up her leg and singing out loud 'Galileo, Galileo Figaro, magnifico'. I quickly grab my phone to take a video of her antics. By the time she reached the bridge of Bohemian Rhapsody, the vacuum had doubled up as the electric guitar in this nerd's solo performance. She scrunched up her face to make that slow rising symphony. 

Although the headphones were on, I knew exactly which part of the song she was on as she went on to sing the guitar part 'tuuuuu...ta ta tu.......ta ta twuey....twey tut ta twey tut ta twey tut ta twuuuuuuuuuu.... Da da dum.. Da da dum....' and just then the harrowing soulful look on her face changed to pure shock and horror to see me recording her. "SETH!!! DELETE THAT THING NOW!!!" she dropped the vacuum and came charging at me. In less than a split second, she was trying to grab my phone from her hand. Being tall I had a towering advantage over her and dashed behind one of the living room chairs.

I underestimated her will and energy, coz she had charged at me with enough force to pin me flat on the floor. In an attempt to regain control. I wrap my one palm around her neck and spin her under me. I was now above her. In this swift motion, my head was about to hit the sharp edge of the living room table. Still, Sage in a timely manoeuvre put her palm to shield my head, and I ducked lower- into the side of her neck. As I moved my head slowly, I realised the awkward position we were in... As I saw her eyes, I could sense the mixture of fright, hesitation and even the slight leap of faith adventure she was looking for. I inched closer to touch the side of her neck with my lips. I saw her close her eyes tightly. Her hesitation was quite visible at this stage. 

But before I did Sebastian walked in. "Naiiice" he exclaimed and clicked a quick photo. "You may want to get off before Beth finishes parking," he continued. Sage shoved me off her, and it did get me by surprise. She ran towards the vacuum cleaner and went to keep it back in its place. Sage had this weird thing of making me want her that I couldn't wrap my head around. When Beth entered, I was still at the floor wondering if I missed a moment or got saved from very awkward aftermath.

Sage entered the living room, and Beth just went at her to hug the soul out of her in a tight embrace. Her choking was very real and visible. Not a pretty sight, if I may add. "Oh baby bear, why didn't you tell mama that you got fired from the library?" Beth questions while hugging her. "Coz you ain't my mama. You ain't fuzzy enough. Also, I am in no mood to be coddled and overfed to compensate. Its beary annoying coz I ain't hibernating just yet!" Sage replies in a very baby tone.

Cute.

"Let's do movies night today. What say?" Beth very excitedly shakes up a deflated Sage, while all she replies is with a flat "fine". "What about that very Non-American rug lying around?" Sage says, pointing at me yet deep in conversation with Beth. "That thing does, what that thing wants to do," Beth mouths every word slowly like she was explaining it to someone who read lips and both end up staring at me. "Oh, I am all in," I say looking at these two animated creatures. "He sure is," Sebastian winks at me and offers me a hand to stand from my spot beside the table.