Smile.

Waking up Saturday morning I know exactly what is in store for me. I can already hear it, their booming voices, hisbeautiful annoying laughter, the sizzling of breakfast and the smell of it in the air. I sit up and I can feel it, that strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can’t really explain.

Then there’s my lips, which feel like they’re going up, but I stop them from doing so. It’s been happening a lot lately, for the past 17 days actually, and it’s all Sage’s fault. I know it is. Not that I’d ever admit it out loud. His ego is large enough. If I say anything his head will implode.

So I get out of bed with a sigh and change. I swear it doesn’t take me fifteen minutes to find mybest shirt andtightest jeans. I just got tangled in the mess on the floor and no it doesn’t take me twenty minutes to make myselflook perfect ready for the day. I was just slow this morning.

I turn into the kitchen to see everyone of my siblings, my father, and our newly found guest waiting patiently for me. They all smile, give me their own special greeting, and when I get to Sage he grabs hold of my shirt and I know what’s coming, but I don’t stop it.

I should because fuck, I’m giving in too easily. But the moment his lips touch my own I can feel my muscles relax, my mind go at ease, turn to mush actually, and my body is tingling but I quickly pull away.

I don’t like Sage, I don’t. He’s a boy, an annoying boy which makes it ten times worse. Sighing irritably, I take my seat between Sage and my dad. Immediately breakfast is passed around the table.

The kids are loud, they argue, and I scold them. Sage laughs from beside me, “You act like their mother.”

I roll my eyes at the child. “Shut up.” I go back to chewing on my toast and sipping orange juice. When I finish I kiss everyone good-bye and Sage has me out the door in no time.

“Where are you taking me?” I growl, because the ass never tells me, but I ask anyways.

“You’ll see,” is his reply and I make a mental note to strangle him later. I really do hate surprises.

I sit back in the passenger seat and try my best to wait. But after we get out of the city and closer to the country I begin to ask myself if maybe I should jump out of the car because this can’t be good.

“Sage.”

Said boy looks at me.

“Where are we going?”

He must know by the twitching of my brow that I’m pissed and ready to explode. So the boy frowns and replies, “The lake.”

“Ew…why?” Lake’s are dirty and full of bacteria. There’s snakes in there! Did I mention that I hate snakes? Because I do. He better not expect me to go swimming. I don’t even have my trunks. Plus people probably dump shit in there.

“You’ll see.” And again with the surprises. Fuck you Sage, fuck you.

We reach the lake in no time at all. Staring at the slightly murky water, I get out of the vehicle and look around. There are a few other people here, not close by, but they are here. Some are swimming, some sitting out getting a tan, and some just talking with friends or barbequing.

I admit it seems like a nice place, but I am not getting in that water. No way, no how.

“Tada!” Sage shouts from behind me and I look back to see the cheesiest sight. Sage with a picnic basket and a red and white checkered blanket. Really, can he get any more…cheesy?

I grimace. “A picnic?” He’s got to be joking. What are we? Two newly weds? Fuck no. We’re not even officially dating. Neither of us has asked the other out and there is no way I’m doing it because I don’t want to date Sage!Yes I do. And if he even thinks about asking me I’ll bitch slap him because I am not the girl in this relationship.

I will deny him, no problem.

Sage nods eagerly and sets out the blanket. Kicking off his shoes and socks he crawls onto it, sitting Indian style with the basket beside him. When he looks up at me with those wide chocolate eyes of him I can feel myself wavering. I give in, but it’s not because he’s looking at me like that! I’m just…hungryalthough I ate breakfast an hour ago.

Doing the same, I sit down across from Sage. I watch him pull out sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, which is surprising because I never saw Sage as one to eat anything healthy, but then he pulls out the bags of chips, what looks like cupcakes, and soda.

“What a…healthy picnic,” I say, realizing that there are only two apples, a few vegetables, two sandwiches, and a shit load of munchies that would take a week for me to eat.

“Hey!” Sage pouts. “I worked hard on this.”

Rolling my eyes I reach for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Sage smiles excitedly when I take a bite and he seems pleased to know that I liked it because I didn’t spit it back out. I’m not really sure how long the two of us simply sit there and eat and just enjoy the others company, but I can’t deny that I laughed and smirked more on that day than any other.

And maybe it really is Sage who is doing all this, and maybe he is what I’ve been secretly looking for, maybe he’s the kid that I was meant to meet, to befriend, and maybe he is what I need, but there is no way in hell I am telling him or anyone that…also there’s no way I’m admitting that even to myself ever again.

That was far too cheesy for me to take.

I think I just baby barfed.