chapter four – breaking in.

" God, " Sage breathes out as she finally spots the Washington Lodge in the distance, her heart rate increasing as she became even more nervous. She shakes her head, frowning as she realizes how much had changed in the last year. Two of her friends were most likely dead while the others were growing more and more distant, except for Mike. Mike and her had grown as close as Sage and Josh had used to be, possibly even closer. " This is so weird. " Sage frowns again as she half-expects for Hannah and Beth to jump from behind a tree hoping to scare Sage, but Sage had to remember that it wouldn't happen. Hannah and Beth were gone.

Shaking her head once again, Sage finally starts to walk towards the lodge again and spots Matt standing by himself only a few feet away. She raises an eyebrow, but pauses as she stands next to Matt while waiting for the jock to notice her.

She lightly nudges his arm with her elbow, grinning when she makes Matt jump while breaking him out of his thoughts. Sage raises an eyebrow as she hopes that Matt would tell her what was going on with him, " Hey, Matty. You okay? "

" Wow, " Matt chuckles as he glances over at Sage, amusement clear in his voice. " I haven't heard anyone call me that since about a year ago. "

" It has been a year since we've seen each other, " Sage says as she looks up at the much taller man, " You okay? You looked upset when I was walking up here and spotted you. "

" I. . " Matt trails off, furrowing his eyebrows as he decides if he should tell Sage what he had seen while with Ashley. Sighing, Matt decides to tell her the truth. " I saw Emily and Mike looking like. . more than friends while I was looking through the binoculars and I just don't know what to think. "

Sage holds herself back from questioning Matt further, hoping that what Matt saw was just two ex's being friendly and not being more than friendly like what Matt believed he had seen. She only places a hand on Matt's arm, squeezing it as she spots Josh and Chris talking to each other in the distance.

" Maybe. . " Sage trails off as she tries to find the right words to say. " They were just saying hi, okay? It's been a while since they've seen each other too. Just keep that in mind if you decide to question Em or Mike. Em really likes you, Matt. I don't think she'd ruin that. "

Matt only nods and smiles at Sage in thanks, her words making his nervous mind calm slightly. Him and Emily had been doing good for the past few months, she wouldn't risk that. He watches Sage rush towards where Chris and Josh stood, greeting both of them with a hug. Sage had always been the one to lighten the mood if anything happend in their friend group, that was just how she was.

" Hey! " Sage beams, her mood increasing significantly as she pulls away from hugging Chris to hug Josh. She pulls away quickly, smiling up at her best friend as a greeting as she stood with the two.

" I was wondering if you weren't here yet or if I looked right over your head, Sage, " Chris teases the shorter girl, who only rolls her eyes in amusement.

" Shut up, " Sage pouts as she crosses her arms over her chest, looking like a toddler that hadn't gotten their way and was now upset. She glances over at Josh, who was watching the two with a raised eyebrow. " Are you opening the door anytime soon, Jay? I'm freezing my ass off. "

" You're the one that fell in the snow, " Josh shrugs as he gestures at Sage's jeans that still had some snow on them. Sage huffs and rolls her eyes at her friends, her annoyance obvious. Josh walks up the steps leading to the front door, gripping the keys in his hand with Sage and Chris following after him. He tries to unlock the door, but it wouldn't budge.

" Dammit. . " Josh huffs as he continues to try and get the door opened. " This freaking thing. . "

" It's iced? " Sage questions, frowning when Josh nods in response.

" What else? " Josh scoffs as he finally gives up on trying to get the door opened, the frown on his face obvious.

" Maybe there's another way in. " Chris suggests making Sage nod in agreement. The Washington Lodge had so many windows and doors that most lost count.

" There are a million ways in. They're just all locked. " Josh immediately shoots down Chris's suggestion making Sage roll her eyes. Josh and his family had the habit of leaving windows unlocked sometimes, Sage had figured that out over the years.

" There's probably a window around the corner or somethin' that we can 'get open'. " Sage suggests next after Chris only frowns at how quick Josh shot him down.

" Wait a second, " Josh questions as he raises an eyebrow. " Are you suggesting we break in? "

" It's not breaking in if you own the place, is it? " Sage smirks making Josh laugh, she had always been the one to make him laugh even when he didn't want too.

" Hey. " He nudges Sage with his arm as the trio walk down the steps, Chris pausing to talk to Ashley. " Not if I don't report you and Chris. "

Sage laughs, happy that Josh didn't seem as mad at her anymore. Things had been tense between them since a month after Hannah and Beth's disappearance and that was because of reasons that Sage would not want to talk about.

" You wouldn't do that, " Sage shakes her head in amusement as her and Josh pause while waiting for Chris to be done talking to everyone. She glances over to see Chris talking to Matt, missing Josh's frown directed at her by only a second. Turning her head back to smirk at Josh, Sage continues to speak, " You wouldn't want your besties to be in jail, would you? "

" I mean. . " Josh trails off as Sage scoffs and rolls her eyes before lightly pushing Josh.

Chris finally approaches the duo after finishing his conversation with Sam, the small smile on his face making it clear to Sage that his previous conversation with Ashley had gone well. 

" Ash was happy to see you, I'm guessing? " Sage teases Chris lightly, who only shrugs. She glances at Josh while raising an eyebrow, they had been rooting for Ashley and Chris to get together for a long time and maybe this weekend could help that, Sage could only hope that it would.

" Ashley was lookin' pretty hot today, right? " Josh asks Chris, his tone turning suggestive. Sage stares at Chris, hoping to see some sort of reaction from him as Josh continued. " She's like a 'sleeper hit' kind of gal, you know? Now, I just want to rip that parka right off her. . make some snow angels. Right? "

" Hey, cut it out, man– " Chris protests frowning, but was quickly cut off by Josh.

" I mean if you don't wanna bang her. . " Josh trails off, shrugging. " Maybe Mike'll take up the case. "

" Will you back off already? " Chris huffs, his annoyance obvious as he glares at the two.

" Relax, Chris. . " Sage frowns while crossing her arms over her chest. She quickly grins at Chris, hoping to stop the growing tension. " Josh is just trying to see if there's some blood flowin' down there. " She teases as Chris blushes lightly.

" Yeah. . " Chris mutters, his mood not lightening at all.

" Listen, dude. Look around you. Look at these beautiful mountains. Do you see any parents? " Josh gestures aimlessly around himself at the nature surrounding them. " I mean can you imagine a more perfect, ripe scenario just dripping with erotic possibilities? You, and Ashley, alone at last. . You've laid all the groundwork, you've been a perfect gentleman. Now you come in for the kill! "

" Maybe you're right." Chris finally agrees while nodding making Josh and Sage smile.

" You're a hunter, bro. " Josh says making Sage raise an eyebrow. She had never understood her guy friends mentality when it came to dating, women weren't meant to be hunted down if you asked Sage for her opinion. " No fear. No mercy. I mean she won't even know what hit her. "

Josh and Chris both laugh loudly and Sage immediately joins in, hoping that neither noticed her frowning just seconds before.

" So, how are we planning on breaking into my parents lodge, bud? " Josh turns slightly to look at Sage as he changes the subject effectively.

" I remembered you leaving a window unlocked a bunch of times coming this way when we'd hide from your parents with the good whiskey. . " Sage starts, smiling as she remembers the good times she had so long ago, as they approach the part of the lodge that she was talking about. " I figured we could send Chris in through it to open the door since neither of us are going to do it. "

" Wait! " Chris exclaims, already protesting making Sage grin. " Why me? "

" You were the first one to suggest we find another way in, Chris. " Sage shrugs making Chris frown.

Chris glances at an empty axe holder for a minute before gesturing towards the cabinet below it, making Josh and Sage nod. It could work to help Chris climb in. The trio move the cabinet over to be below the hopefully unlocked window before Chris climbed ontop of it and opened the window, successfully throwing himself inside.

Josh and Sage immediately climb ontop of the cabinet before sticking their heads through the window, Sage starting to giggle as soon as they see a groaning Chris on the floor.

" Ugh. . I'm okay! " Chris calls out as he continues to groan, " Should've paid more attention in climbing class. . "

" You mean gym, Chris? " Sage laughs as Chris starts to stand up.

" Yeah, you know, with the climbing up the rope— " Chris starts but immediately cuts himself off as soon as the lightbulb lightening the room that he was in suddenly bursts, leaving the room in darkness.

" Whoa. " Josh and Sage both mutter.

" Did I do that? " Chris asks in confusion.

" No. . " Josh trails off as he shakes his head. " I don't think so. " He reaches into his pocket, throwing a lighter to Chris. " Here. Use this. "

Chris turns the lighter on, leaving the room slightly lit as Josh suddenly gets an idea. " Woah – Chris – I just got an awesome idea. "

" Yeah? " Chris mutters as he looks up at the duo with their heads in the window.

" Totally! " Josh nods as he doesn't reveal the idea.

" Well, what is it? " Chris asks, impatient as he continued to stand in the dark room.

" Okay, " Josh sighs as he explains his idea, " So. I'm pretty sure that I've got deodorant in one of the bathrooms. . you could use that with the lighter. . "

" I don't– I don't follow. How's a stick of deodorant going to help? " Chris asks as he looks at the two in confusion.

" It's probably spray on, Chris. " Sage sighs as she shakes her head, it paid for her to be one of the smarter people in their friend group.

" It is. " Josh nods as Chris finally realizes what they were talking about, " It's in a can. "

" Flamethrower. " Sage sums up the Washington's idea in one word making Chris nod.

" Just like we do with the little army dudes. " Chris says making Sage smile.

" Yup. The ones we melted. Just point the spray-can at the lighter then fwoosh. " Josh imitates the sound that would be made as Chris nods again to show that he understood.

" Bye-bye frozen lock. " Chris smirks.

" Bingo. " Josh nods as he and Sage glance at each other, neither of them wanted to wait here for Chris to find the can of spray on deodorant. " Alright, so you got this. I'm gonna go sort something out and Sage is gonna go talk with Sam and Ashley– you up for hunting around in the dark for a little bit? "

" Nope, but I'll do it. " Chris sighs while shaking his head in annoyance. The Lodge was giving him the creeps at the moment.

" Godspeed, pilgrim. " Josh says before jumping off of the cabinet and helping Sage off of it, the two going seperate ways but Sage thought nothing of it.

She should have though. She should have noticed or thought about a lot of things that Josh had done during tonight, but she didn't.

Nothing could change that.

━━━

authors note.

sorry for the long wait! i've had writer's block for a little bit for this story and daysleeper and it's finally going away so expect more updates (hopefully).