𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐗? | 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐦 𝐅𝐅 - HIATUS

|| chapter 2 ||

A/N: TYSM FOR 40+ READS! If you guys could also comment i would love it, and make sure to request your favorite ship in my oneshot book! I'm taking requests!!

Okay now onto the chapter.

Tam didn't mention anything of the unusual the next sunrise at Foxfire - although Sophie noticed he did snag the seat next to her during lunch and stood a little closer than usual during orientation - but he was probably just worried.

After all, Tam liked Biana.

There's no way he would like Sophie so soon after Biana and Dex started dating. 

Sophie was having a terrible day anyway. Her depression kept acting up, and she wanted to cry so bad - in fact, she really wanted to die that day.

She didn't let herself show it though. Forcing a smile and lightening her tone was surprisingly easy for her. Although that was probably because she'd picked up pointers from her friends whenever they told her it would be alright when everyone knew it wasn't and that it was Sophie's fault.

Mistakes.

So many.

Ones she couldn't undo. And the worst part is that she didn't have the perfect fix everyone wanted her to have.

Tears formed in her eyes, but she was used to them by now.

The same tears that haunted her pillow during the nights.

The same ones that fell from her cheeks when the moon rose.

But she couldn't show them now.

She blinked them away, aware of the worried stares fixated on her. She shook her blond hair out of her face and pulled on her Level Four uniform. 

It was torture to drag herself through her afternoon session and meet up with her friends at the Leapmaster. But it wasn't like she had to anyways. She went early because she got released early from her session.

She kept her head down and kept moving towards the Leapmaster. Along the way to the atrium though, she bumped into someone.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking-" Sophie started, trying to help the girl get up.

"Excuse me?!" The girl got up on her own. "Clumsy idiot, why'd you do that?!"

Sophie was taken aback, and backed up a step. "I- I- I- I'm sorry..!"

The girl flipped her honey-pot blond hair and glared at Sophie. "I don't need help from someone like you. Now go on, get out of my sight, and get lost, you little brown-eyed freak." She shoved Sophie onto the ground.

The girl's sky blue eyes narrowed as she tossed her hair again and walked away, head held high with a snobby sniff.

The old Sophie wouldn't have been bothered.

But she was more fragile now.

Bullying wasn't uncommon at Foxfire, but every word was a slash to Sophie.

Just an excuse for her depression to make a move.

Consume another part of her, until there was nothing left.

Would that be so bad?

Not to feel?

With a shield of numbness protecting her from the despair and depression beyond? Was it trying to help her? 

"Sophie?" came a voice that sounded like Marella's  came from the end of the hallway. Sophie ignored them and curled her hands around her knees, battling a fresh sprout of icy claws digging at her feelings.

The sound of footsteps - too many to just be one - echoed in the empty pristine hallway. She looked up to see not just Marella, but Keefe, Linh, and Tam as well. Her cheeks flushed and she turned away.

"I'm fine." She lied. "I just tripped.. and.. hit my knee."

"Hate to break it to you Foster, but the reason we found you was because I felt your sadness from two hallways away. Who made you that upset?" Keefe interjected.

Nobody.

Nobody at all.

She was fine.

"I'm. FINE!" Sophie said. "Quit worrying about me. I'm not even worth it." She tugged out an eyelash. "I'm allowed to feel upset because I dragged you into this mess and I can't get you out. Quit questioning it. Okay, MAYBE someone yelled at me earlier. Why would it affect me that much? You guys know that I don't care about snobs like those.."

She tried to sound convincing. She really did.

For Linh and Marella, it worked.

Not for Keefe or Tam.

But Keefe played along. 

"If you say so."

Linh helped Sophie up and guided her to her locker. "Who yelled at you?"

Sophie sighed. "A girl with blond hair, a Level Five uniform, sky blue eyes, and a really permanent scowl. She looked as if she'd been born with it. And she called me a lot of rude things. But I don't care. I really don't." 

Keefe and Marella, who had been at Foxfire much longer than Sophie, Tam, or Linh, both frowned. "Sounds like you encountered Stina's cousin. Was she tall or petite?"

"Her features were small, but she was pretty tall. I would say she looked pixielike, but she wasn't a petite size." 

Keefe nodded. "Definitely."

Marella tugged on one of her braids. "She's the daughter of a very important Emissary for the Council. Pretty sure her Mom is one of the most high-ranking Empaths in the nobility." 

Tam shrugged. "I'm not surprised. It's not like Sophie's clumsy or anything."

Tam laid thick on the sarcasm.

Keefe laughed, and took Linh and Marella to their lockers because apparently some Level Four boy had told them to get a life earlier and he wanted to give the boy a piece of his mind.

Tam walked Sophie to the Leapmaster. Walking in awkward silence, the pair was lost in thought until they reached the Leapmaster.

Suddenly Tam pinned Sophie against a wall.

She realized how close their faces were and felt her cheeks flush. Tam was gentle, though - He simply leaned forwards and grabbed her hands, surprisingly gently tucking her hair behind her ear for someone as edgy as him.

"I know you're not okay." He whispered it to her. His eyes were pleading.

"Please tell me what's wrong, Sophie." He said. His eyes were a tiny bit desperate, and stared directly into hers.

"I-" Sophie started, but he stopped her, pressing his finger to her lips. 

"Don't lie. I want to help. I know what it's like to feel hopeless. To feel as if everything's your fault. It's not. I got out of it. I can help. Please?"

Ah, where was Tam's usual snarky personality when she really needed it? Where was the edgy Shade with the silver tipped bangs and scowls?

Someone coughed behind them.

Word Count: 1043.

I hope you enjoyed this, I was having a little writer's block.