A Light in the Dark (A Sotam story)

What is happening?!

Sophie's POV

Sophie was between Bianna and Marella at lunch, determined not to be anywhere near Fitz. But Fitz plopped down across from her and gave Sophie a dazzling smile. That was weird. 

Tam sat next to Lihn and Maruca and didn't look up from his plate. Lihn sat next to Fitz. 

Keefe wasn't there. 

"Where's Keefe?" Sophie asked, deciding to break the awkward silence. If Keefe was here, he could easily make everyone laugh. 

Fitz narrowed his eyes: "I haven't seen him, why?" 

Dex shrugged, "Me neither, not even in the halls or anything." 

Sophie pulled out an itchy eyelash, this was so unlike Keefe. 

"I'm sure he's fine," Lihn told everyone, "Maybe he's sick."

"Do elves even get sick?" Sophie asked, she's never heard of an elf getting sick and having to stay home. 

"Not that I've heard of," Dex admitted. 

"I hailed him this morning," she told everyone, "but he seemed distracted by something, and wherever he was it was loud." 

"You hailed Keefe?" Fitz asked. 

Sophie glanced at him, "Yeah, I did. Do you have a problem with that?" 

Marella giggled, "Ooh, Fitzphie drama!" 

Sophie glared at everyone. 

"Maybe he's in the Forbidden Cities," Tam suggested, shrugging when everyone turned to look at him. "I mean, it's a possibility."

Sophie thought it over, frowning. It did seem like an option, but why would Keefe go to the Forbidden Cities? He didn't...run away, Sophie talked to him this morning. But why would not tell her that he was in the Forbidden Cities?

"He's probably fine," Fitz decided, "There's no reason to worry."

He sounds just like Alden. 

"I'm going to hail him, just in case," Sophie told her friends as she pulled her imparter out of her pocket. 

Sophie hailed him. He didn't answer.

Starting to panic, Sophie hailed him again. And again. And again. 

She only stopped when Bianna gently took the imparter out of her hands. "Sophie, I'm sure he's okay. Keefe can handle himself."

"But why is he even in the Forbidden Cities?!"

"He might not be," Fitz reminded her. "It's just a theory."

"But it makes sense," Sophie argued, "Where else would he be?"

Fitz shrugged. "Maybe he's at his dad's beach house or something?"

"Yeah," Lihn agreed, "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, we could be panicking over nothing."

Of course, she's siding with him. 

Sophie felt tears sting her eyes but forced herself to focus on what was important.

Keefe. 

"How about you try to hail him again after school," Bianna suggested. "Then, we'll go from there."

The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Sophie got up with the rest of her friends and watched them depart to their different classes. 

Keefe would probably be in detention. 

Lihn and Fitz left together, their classes in the same wing. Sophie probably should have gone with them since she and Fitz had Telepathy together, but she didn't. Dex walked away, mumbling something Sophie couldn't hear, and Marella followed him.

Tam sulked away, casting one last glance in her direction. 

"Bianna, wait!" Sophie called out as Bianna started walking away. "Meet me after school at Havenfeild? We have a lot to catch up on."

"Sure!" 

Sophie watched her last friend walk away before walking to her class with a sigh. She stopped abruptly when the bench where she first met Keefe came into view. 

Where was he?

Sophie decided she was going to skip Telepathy. 

She was going to find Keefe.