Chapter 1:The beginning
Sage’s parents fought loudly and constantly, their arguments a nearly daily occurrence. She tried to tune out the sound of their yelling and the resulting slamming doors, but it was difficult; she couldn't even turn up her music any louder because her father had taken this ability away from her. She had become numb to the arguments and often just closed her eyes and focused on her own breathing, trying to get through this latest one.Despite her father's restrictions on her music volume, Sage continued to listen to it as loudly as she could. She was trying to drown out the sounds of the arguments coming from downstairs, but they continued to get louder. Eventually, things escalated to the point where her parents started throwing glass at each other. She hid in her room, plugging her ears and covering her eyes as she tried to ignore the fighting and the sound of things crashing around her.Sage cried herself to sleep, listening to her music as loudly as she could to block out the sound of her parents fighting and the crashing of the glass. The next morning, she was jolted awake by the sound of her mother yelling at her to get up for school.Sage jumps at the sound of her mother's voice, but quickly gathers herself and calmly responds, "Coming Mom!" She quickly gets ready for school, brushing her teeth and combing her hair, tying it back into a sleek ponytail. She eats breakfast quickly, shoveling food into her mouth with little care for manners. Once she's finished, she heads out the door, wearing her usual all-black outfit complete with ripped jeans and a spiked collar. She quickly walks down the driveway, keeping her head low and avoiding eye contact with anyone she passes.Sage runs into her friends, the only people she really trusts outside of her home. They all embrace her warmly, providing some much-needed support in a world where she often feels alone and neglected. Even though Sage has a terrible home life, her friends remind her that there are still people who care about her and want to help her escape from this horrible life
