How It Should Have Been: Sokeefe AU

Episode 42: (Sophie's POV)

Before:

"I'm not sure," Keefe admitted softly, his grip tightening on her fingers. "I don't know which one I'd rather go with. Or what the other will do if I choose them. But either way, I'll be in the Elite levels in a few years. Then I'll get a place of my own. And... they won't matter anymore."

Sophie smiled sadly, knowing that he wasn't telling the full truth.

They'd always matter to him. And he knew it.

But she allowed their eyes to meet.

There wasn't anything else to say, so she simply nodded.

"But it's okay! Because as soon as it actually happens and they split, I can prank my dad all I want without catching my mom in the crossfire! And better yet, if they leave Candleshade, he'll never find his favorite cape!" Keefe's smirk looked forced.

"The one you hid behind the door rigged with gulon gas?" Sophie remembered, grinning at the thought of Cassius engulfed in the green smelly cloud.

"That's the one!" Keefe smiled. "Don't worry, Ruewen."

Sophie laughed at the nickname he used to use all the time.

"I'll be fine," he promised.

And Sophie believed him.

"Marella and Linh went public," Sophie whispered in Keefe's ear as soon as she found him. Maybe she shouldn't be trying to be close to him after all the drama, but she figured that he'd want to hear this very important information.

Not that she was looking for an excuse to talk to him.

"They... came out? Both of them?" Keefe blinked in surprise.

"Well, not to everyone of course. To Tam and a few of their other friends. Don't go spreading it around, obviously. Linh doesn't want her parents knowing yet, and I get why," Sophie clarified quickly.

"How is Bangs Boy taking it?" Keefe's smirk was back on his face, natural in a way it hadn't been in ages. "Grouchy as usual?"

Sophie pointed to the side of the courtyard, and standing in the shadow of the building was Marella and Linh. They weren't holding hands or showing affection, but Sophie would have been able to tell by the way they held themselves that something was happening between them.

Or maybe she was reading too much into it; she'd been overly oblivious to everything thus far, after all. Maybe it was only because she knew that she could tell.

"Ha! Bangs Boy looks so annoyed! I can help him with that," Keefe started, smirking at Tam glowering not so far away.

The shade looked like an intense struggle had taken over him; big overprotective brotherly prerogative-  or happiness to see Linh with such a huge smile on her face.

"No, Keefe," Sophie snorted, grabbing his arm. "You do not want to make Tam mad today... he'll take out all his pent up annoyance on you."

"Psh, like he doesn't already do that. It'll be fun! Just one comment about his abysmal supply of hair products and-"

The bells chimed, signaling them to go to class. Keefe smirked at Sophie, flippantly winking at her before turning and running into the building.

Sophie was willing to bet her favorite tunic that he was going into the building ditch rather than for class.

Shaking her head with a small blush on her cheeks, Sophie followed, hurrying to get inside before the late bells rang. Elementalism was first, and she did NOT want to make her mentor angry.