KOTLC Fanfic ~ (Book Nine) Forbidden

XVII - Keefe

Foster's imparter flickered. "Hello, Sophie. And... Fitz. Keefe, you too." Keefe sat in uncomfortable silence. Who was going to break the news? "Um... Mr. Forkle... Biana..." Sophie trailed off, Fitz finishing her sentence, voice filled to the brim with rage. "She's with them."

Forkle's imparter dropped, the ceiling showing to Keefe and the rest of them. He picked it up and his wrinkled, bloated face was rimmed with shock. The ceiling moved, as if he was pacing. "You're... really?" Keefe spoke up. "Yep."

Sophie sighed. "Yeah." "So, wait... we only have you three, the twins, Dex, Marella, and Maruca left."

"...yes, that's right." Fitz could barely keep from yelling. "She left! For real! She said so to us herself!" Keefe tried to keep a positive perspective.

"She could be... acting, trying to do what I did. But better." Fitz responded with a draw of a breath. "She wouldn't do that. I know her."

Sophie sighed. "You don't know that-" "I do!" "Okay!" "Guys. You two need to not shut each other out- remember?" Keefe tried to stop the yelling coming from his two friends.

"Sorry." Fitz and Sophie said, both at the same time. Then they looked over. "Wow." Sophie grinned.

"You kids can have your boy drama without me." Forkle spoke up from the imparter. Sophie blushed. "Anyways, can you tell the Collective?" "Of course, Miss Foster." Then the screen went blank again.

"Did that go well?" "He seemed to handle it fine." "Yeah..." Keefe trailed off. "But the rest of the Collective might not." Sophie sighed. "Probably not..."

"Well, anyways..." "Tam, Linh, and Dex are the only ones left now..." Fitz sighed. Sophie shrugged. "Who'll take who?" Keefe spoke up again.

"I probably should take the people who would react most violently..." Then his face scrunched up, like he smelled something foul. "Which would be Stina and Bangs Boy."

Fitz rolled his eyes. "I don't think I would go well with Dex. Or Marella... so..." "That leaves me with Marella and Dex, and you with Wylie and... Linh."

Sophie winced, but Fitz didn't seem to notice. He didn't really seem to notice anything when it came to Foster.

"Wow, this didn't work out well." Keefe smiled, but it felt forced. Sophie shrugged, but it was clear she agreed.

"I mean, I'm stuck with my two least favorite 'good' people in the world, Sophie's with Dex, which isn't that bad, but is an awkward mess, and Marella, that's going to be a blast, and Fitz is with Wylie and..."

The girl he basically gawked at every second before he was Sophie's... whatever they were. Sophie just winced some more.

Fitz, actually being the oblivious one for once, just smiled. "I should be fine. Keefe... try not to kill him. And I don't really see why Sophie would have it so bad." Ha- she didn't even tell him! Point for Team Foster-Keefe!

Keefe shook his head rapidly, trying to snap himself out of it. He didn't deserve Foster - and she didn't... didn't want him. Fitz didn't deserve her either - but he hoped he'd man up and be the person she did deserve.

Because, even if she did like him, Keefe knew he never could be the person Sophie needed.

No matter what her adopted father said.