I Know Now━ 𝐊𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐂

Chapter Two

  After Sophie changed and packed, she brought her bag downstairs to tell Grady and Edaline that she was going to Everglen. Sandor had already heard everything, with his super-goblin hearing, and agreed that it was safe to go to Everglen. He trusted the Vackers. Plus, he definitely wanted to see Grizel. He wouldn't ever admit it, though.

"Mom, Dad," she said when she saw them at the breakfast table. "I'm going over to Everglen for a sleepover."

"Okay, sweetie, have fun!" Edaline said.

"Bye!" Sophie said, then started to run up the stairs to the 4th floor. But then she paused, put her bag down on the stairs, and raced back to hug and kiss her parents goodbye.

"Have fun, kiddo," Grady said.

"I will," Sophie said, quickly heading back up the stairs to the Leapmaster 5,000.

"Everglen!" Sophie called out. A single, white crystal lowered down, and cast a beam of light towards the ground. She grabbed Sandor's hand, stepped into the light, bag in hand, and let the warm glow take her away.

When she arrived at Everglen, Biana was already there to open the gate.

"Hey, Sophie!" She greeted. She was in a

very sparkly, pink dress with teal jewels. The jewels matched her eyes, and she wore a matching pair of teal heels.

"Hi, Biana!" Sophie answered. "I didn't realize we were supposed to dress up," she said, looking down at her plain red tunic with black pants.

"Oh, it's okay! I just wanted to dress up a little, because, well.... umm...." Biana couldn't seem to find a reason why, or couldn't seem to be able to tell Sophie the reason.

"Is it because Tam's coming?" Sophie teased. Biana blushed. Sophie was surprised to see her blush. Biana didn't get embarrassed much. Also, she thought that blushing was her thing.

"Um, well, why don't you come on in?" Biana asked, trying to change the subject. Sophie hadn't realized that they haven't even entered Everglen yet.

"Oh, sure," Sophie answered, her and Sandor stepping inside Everglen. She gazed up at the giant, glittering, castle-like house. Even though she'd been here so many times, it still managed to amaze her with its immense fanciness.

Biana warned Sophie, "Keefe is already here. I think he and Fitz rigged the front door. I saw them messing with it. They had wires and stuff everywhere, and a giant bucket of some sort of pink goo. As much as I like pink, I don't want that stuff on my hair and my dress." She smoothed her dress, playing with the fabric.

"Good to know," Sophie said. However, she started thinking. If they rigged the front door, how were they going to get in without getting covered in pink goo? "Do you have a back door or something?" she asked Biana.

"For sure. We have around twenty different back entrances, in fact. Follow me," Biana replied, before heading off around Everglen. Sophie followed. Sandor stayed back, patrolling the front of the glittery mansion. She saw Ro hiding behind a bush, facing the front entrance, with a box of custard bursts next to her.

They soon arrived at a door at the back of the house.

"Shhhh," Biana said quietly, putting a finger on her lips. "I want to scare them. I'll turn us invisible, and we can sneak up on them together."

Sophie nodded, and offered Biana her hand. Biana grabbed it, and they vanished. They slowly, quietly crept down the hall to where Keefe and Fitz were sitting. They lounged near the rigged front door, but far enough away from it that they wouldn't get spattered when someone fell for the prank.

Sophie and Biana got closer, until they were right behind them. Keefe seemed to notice something was off, probably feeling Sophie's emotions, but he didn't say anything.

"BOO!" They both yelled, nudging Fitz and Keefe as they said it, for extra impact. Fitz screamed like a little girl and Keefe yelped and jumped to his feet, taking out a goblin throwing star.

"Whoa, it's just us, Keefe!" Biana exclaimed, becoming visible, as Sophie yelled, "Keefe! Put the throwing star down!"

Fitz stopped screaming, putting a hand on his chest to help calm himself down. Keefe quickly tucked the goblin throwing star back in his boot.

"Sorry," Keefe said. He sat back down. "I just thought... you might be them. Sorry."

"Hey, it's okay, Keefe," Sophie said, facing him and putting her hand on his shoulder. "We're all on edge. It's fine."

"Thanks, I guess. By the way, did anyone hear that Fitz screams like a girl?" he said, laughing. Sophie and Biana quickly joined in as Fitz blushed beet red.

Just then, the front door opened. There was a scream as the person that opened the door fell victim of the prank. Sophie, Biana, Keefe, and Fitz stopped laughing and turned to look at the door. Tam stood there, scowling, covered in bright pink sticky goo. Linh stood behind him, luckily avoiding the prank. Sophie could hear Ro whooping in glee from her hiding spot. After a few exchanged glances, they all, excluding Tam, burst into laughter again.

"Was this your idea?" Tam asked angrily, looking accusatorially at Keefe. He attempted to pick some of the goopy pink slime off, but his attempt was largely unsuccessful. It clung to his hair and clothes, covering him from head to toe, making him look like some sort of sulking bright pink slime monster.

"Yep. It was all my idea. Set it up all by myself." Keefe said.

"Hey!" Fitz protested. "I helped! Plus, I came up with the idea for the pink color."

"Oh, please, the pink was a given," Keefe replied sassily. He smirked, and said, "Good luck getting that stuff off, I made it extra sticky."

Tam's scowl deepened. If it deepened any further, Sophie was afraid that the scowl would stay there permanently.

"I'm gonna head upstairs to change. And shower. I imagine that's the only way to get this stuff off," Tam said, annoyed and frustrated. Just then, conveniently, Dex walked in, Ro following behind him.

When he saw Tam, he burst into laughter, causing everyone else, except, of course, Tam, to start laughing again.

"It's. Not. FUNNY!" Tam growled, then stomped upstairs to change and clean the goop off of him. He grumbled under his breath about how he hated everyone and how Keefe was the worst living creature to ever exist on the way upstairs. Which, obviously, made all of them laugh even harder.

After Tam disappeared upstairs, Keefe asked, "So, guys, what do we want to do now?"

A/N

(1103 words)