All Because of Biana (REWRITE)

Chapter Three

There was this feeling in Sophie's stomach she couldn't get rid of. It was a mix of giddy and anxiety that had a baby with existential dread.

The gala didn't start for a few more hours, but Sophie had to practice walking in her dumb heels, and get over the looks she was getting for her appearance.

All wave had been stripped from her hair with an elixir. Her cheeks were stained with blush and her eyelashes coated in mascara, making them even more tempting to pluck out.

Alden and Della have come over an hour into her practice session. They claimed they needed a distraction and break from preparations, and Alden insisted his stomach needed a distraction as well.

Edaline had made a huge batch of mallowmelt for the party, but could spare a few pieces.

Sophie had gotten the walking in heels down, sort of, and was now busy pacing back and forth. She stopped for a second and rushed up the stairs, returning and holding something behind her back.

"How long has this been going on?" Alden asked in a not so hushed voice.

"A couple hours," Grady laughed, then quickly found interest in his feet after Sophie stopped to glare at him.

"I'm going on a walk," Sophie decided suddenly, rushing to a closet on one of the far walls and digging out a white cape. She clasped it around her neck, picked up the train on her dress, and was out the door before they could get a word in.

"I think someone's excited," Grady chuckled heartily.

The breeze was helping the vomiting feeling Sophie couldn't seem to totally eradicate, but not a lot.

She kicked off the stupid heels, letting her feet have a break before the surely long night. She opened the gate to the cliffs with the DNA panel and started the slick descent to the shores.

They'd once terrified her, and while that fear would never fully be gone, it became a place of solitude for her again.

Not wanting to get her dress wet, she found a boulder sitting close by the shoreline and perched on it, making sure to gather the fabric in her lap.

She reached into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out a smooth metal rectangle and mess of wires. She plopped the smooth silicone inserts into her ears and scrolled to a playlist, pressing play.

This was good. Distractions were good for her. She had so much stress, the prolonging made her feel normal.

She had no clue how long she sat there, mind focusing on the music. By the time a song played for the fourth time, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

The slickness of the boulder almost send her to a sandy doom, but a hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her back into place.

Keefe stood there, hands up in defense, mouth moving despite the music blasting in her ears. She decided to let him figure it out, nodding along as he trailed in, ripping his hand through his hair.

She crossed a leg and tucked her hair behind her ear with one hand, giving him pause.

He reached forward, plucking the silicone out of her ear and placing it into his.

"What is this?" He asked, confusion spreading like a wild fire.

"The Beatles?" She couldn't help the grin that spread on her face.

"Bugs make music?"

She rolled her eyes, pressing pause and reaching to take back her headphones. She wrapped them around the iPod, tucking it back into her cape.