Memorize Me (HOPHIE)

Chapter 13- Bad Things Surround Blondes

In a dusty broom closet, Sophie and Agatha stayed quiet as they watched Tedros process everything he was just told. The look on Hort's face was printed in her mind as Sophie remembered the quick change of disbelief to immediate anger. Sure Tedros wasn't a genius, but you didn't need to be a straight A student to realize bad things always happened around Sophie Aimee.

So the girls told him everything, from when the plan was invented to well now.

"What the fuck, Sophie?" Tedros hissed in absolute fury. Agatha stayed quiet as she watched her boyfriend stare daggers at her friend. "You hired fake robbers and set Nicholas on fire?!"

"Well I didn't necessarily-"

"No!" The blonde-haired jock cut off. "You do not get to talk your way out of this. Forget you and your selfish ass motives, do you even know how Hort is feeling right now? It's one thing to find out your girlfriend is cheating but to find out, in front of your friends?! That's embarrassing. He's embarrassed!"

Sophie stayed mum. There was really no way to get herself out of this. What she did was selfish, was shitty and- and it was time to stop. Before she hurt anyone else. At least that's what the rational side tried to convince. But the more rational side, the one that would make even Callis turn red in shame, told her that it was too late.

Right now, Hort would be at his most vulnerable; angriest. And who better to spend it with then the girl who would get a rise out of the person who caused him to be that way. It was actually kind of perfect.

Agatha watched the gears in her friend's brain shift and the lower part of her mouth unhinged. Sometimes she wondered how she and Sophie stayed friends over the years. Yes, a person's behavior was caused by their environment. And yes, the entirety of her friend's life could be summed up as another World War. But even now as her boyfriend berated her, she was thinking about how she could this situation to her ill advnatage.

Sophie, who had formulated the rest of her plan, met eyes with Tedros and masked a look of withdrawal.

"I'll stop," she relented, before sighing. "It was wrong from the beginning to use him and people tried to tell me, but I didn't listen. I'll leave him alone." She wanted to say more but there was nothing more to say because then she'd be lying further. Tedros might never look at her again past this point but in their forties, when she's escaped the punishment of being called Mrs. Rafal, and has donated so many baby gifts to their registry, he'd forgive her then. And if he doesn't, she'd forgive herself as a substitute.

Agatha placed a hand on Tedros' shoulder and he let out a sigh as well. "I'm going to comfort my best friend-"

"Please tell him I'm sorry-that we're all sorry." Tedros stared at her unfeelingly before leaving. Sophie looked at her friend and all Agatha could do was cross her arms and look away.

---

It was a week and school was kicking her ass. Considering Hort was still fresh from the...public announcement, she thought space would calm Tedros' suspicions and give Hort enough time to semi-heal. Shifting through her locker, she blinked through the tiredness in her eyes as she tried to find the essay about the influence of botany in Romeo and Juliet she typed in the library yesterday, which she discarded into a folder because she couldn't bear to have it in her sight anymore.

She spent three after school library trips because her computer was absolutely shit and her teacher was a short demanded prick. Her fingers thread through each of the folders before she felt something cold sidle up to her right side. Knowing who that was and having no patience, she continued to thumb through her stuff.

"You're ignoring me now?" She said nothing. And considering ignoring is all she's been doing, you'd think he'd know the answer to that question. "You can't stay mad at me forever," his sultry voice sang. Sophie scoffed but said nothing. Tired of being ignored, he slammed her locker causing her to step back and quickly remove her fingers.