Life was good. Nothing had even technically happened to flip Reggieâs perspective, but it didnât matter. He was starting to walk with a greater pep in his step and had long removed the practically glued airpods from his ears. Sure, he could attribute his better moods on how his friendships with both Sage and Julien seemed to be on the mend, but even then, he didnât want to shine attention on something good in fear of it souring. Instead, Reggie decided to spread the good vibes instead. âThank you,â Reggie said with a small nod of his head towards Sterling as she passed over the drinks she had just made. Reggie had always been a fan of Sterling, regardless of the present (past?) drama between her and Trace so he wasnât about to change his tune and become the worst to her. After a hefty couple of minutes where Reggie attempted to balance his to-go of coffees on the handlebar of his bike, he was on his way to Dr. Howellâs office. His mom had worked for Carl ever since Reggie could remember and even though it was a literal dentist office, it felt like home sometimes.Â
âHello my beautiful mo-â Reggie sang out as he passed through the threshold of the office doors, immediately having his eyes fall on his moms usual spot behind the desk⌠but with Sage at her side. Whatever Reggie was walking into was very positive. They had been laughing and probably swapping some sort of story with one another, but the sight alone was one that made him smile. âBeautiful mom and Sage.â Even the way her name sounded falling off his tongue was enough for a noticeable smile to show on his lips. Things were good with Sage, right? They had been talking a lot more and had shared a dance at Candyland. He was allowed to smile at her like this. âI uh, you guys having fun?â It was comical, really. The image of Reggie standing just inside the office doors, coffees in hand, and the most dumbfounded look on his face. @sagemhowellâ
things were on the up and up for sage howell. between candyland, new friends, and old friends, sheâd spent the better half of the past couple weeks smiling.. to the point of carl noticing. carl howell would be the first person to admit he wasnât the smartest when it came to women, but he did know his daughter like the back of his hand. he knew when to push for more information, and after one pitiful attempt, he relented. instead, he offered up an afternoon spent at his office in exchange for dinner on the way home. sage was a simple girl who didnât need much to be happy, but quality time? it was enough to have her packing up her bag and sliding into the passenger seat without hesitation. carlâs office had truly become a second home to sage over the year and a lot of that had to do with the people who worked there, and more specifically, terri del monico. sage knew terri was her own particular brand of crazy, but she also had a soft, endearing side that she absolutely adored. the pair had been engaged in conversation about candyland when reggieâs voice signified his sudden presence. mid-laugh, sageâs gaze shot to reggieâs direction, and her smile grew wide. âhey reg,â she greeted softly before returning to her physics textbook to give them their space. after a few short minutes and carlâs voice shouting for terriâs help, sage looked over to see reggie still standing there. âare you waiting for your mom to get back or..â she trailed off, motioning towards the back room. âsounds like itâs going to be a while.â















