EVERMORE | Sokeefe

Chapter 1

The shiny silver surface of Sophie's Imparter lit up with an incoming hail. As she answered it, a familiar teal-eyed face filled the small screen.

"Sophie!" Biana exclaimed. "Guess what happened?"

"What?" the blonde girl yawned, her homework-fogged brain too tired to guess what her friend was so excited about.

"Well," Biana started, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We just picked up our Matchmaking lists!"

Sophie's mind cleared immediately. "Wait, what?" Even though she was Unmatchable, she was still interested to see who would be on Biana's--and Fitz's--lists. Maybe there would be another girl... Stop! she told herself angrily. He didn't want to be with me because we'd be a bad match. I don't care who's on his list.

"You heard me!" Biana's melodic voice snapped her back to reality. "And just so you know, none of us have opened them yet because I had the amazing idea to have a sleepover--you know, all of us--so we can all open them together!"

"Oh, okay," Sophie answered. "I'll ask my parents if I can come. And who exactly is we?"

Biana tossed chocolate brown locks over her shoulder as she replied, "Me, Fitz, Tam, and Linh. Dex didn't come because he doesn't want to support... you know."

"What about Keefe?"

"Why do you... you know, he li-never mind. Just come over in like half an hour, okay? See you!"

"What?" Before Sophie could get another word in, Biana ended the call.

The former pried herself off of her bed, yawning.

"Edaline," she called. No answer. Sophie went downstairs and then outside to the pastures, where she saw both of her parents trying to wrestle Verdi back into her enclosure, which she had somehow escaped from.

"Need any help?" Sophie shouted, trying to be heard over the tyrannosaurus rex's roars.

"We're fine!" Grady yelled back, finally managing to shut Verdi back into her enclosure. He wiped sweat out of his face before turning to look at Sophie. Edaline came over too, smoothing her amber hair and putting an arm around Sophie's shoulder.

"Do you need anything?" her adoptive mother asked.

"Uh, yeah." Sophie shifted her weight from one leg to another. "Biana invited me over to a sleepover."

"Yeah, of course you can go." Edaline smiled.

"Thanks," Sophie said, starting to head back to the house before Grady stopped her.

"Wait, will That Boy be there?"

Sophie rolled her eyes as she turned around to face him. "Yeah, probably? So what if Keefe is coming?"

Grady opened his mouth to answer but Edaline cut him off. "Oh, Grady. Go ahead, Sophie."

Glad for the chance to escape, Sophie jogged back up to her room and quickly packed her things. As she headed to the Leapmaster, she caught sight of her reflection in Vertina's mirror. The spectral mirror looked her over, examining her outfit before saying, "That's what you're wearing?"

Sophie sighed. "I don't care what I'm wearing!" Her current outfit, a simple blue tunic with black leggings, was perfectly fine to wear to a sleepover.

"Don't you at least want to put on some lip--" Sophie stepped out of the mirror's range and went upstairs to the Leapmaster 500.

"Everglen," she called as she stepped into the light.

-

Biana was waiting for her at the entrance to Everglen. The empty space where the glowing gates used to be was very noticeable, but Sophie tried to ignore it as her friend led her inside.

"Wait, where is everyone?" Sophie wondered as Biana brought her to her room. "Didn't you invite anyone else?"

"Yeah," Biana answered, not paying attention to Sophie as she rooted through drawers. "Linh and Marella. Fitz invited Keefe, Tam, and Dex."

"Where are they?"

"Oh, I told them to come an hour later. I wanted you here so I could give you a makeover!" Biana's face lit up with what her friend could only describe as an evil smirk.

Sophie groaned.