Making the Match

Chapter 17- Final Rehersals

A/N: AP EXAMS ARE OVERR!!! Gods, I'm so happy. The AP Bio test was actual hell, I don't think there was even any Bio on it. But NSL wasn't bad at all and I think I did pretty well on it. As promised, here's the next chapter, the very day my AP has finished!

Two years later...

"Okay everyone!" Biana clapped her hands. "This year's performance is going to be awesome! How about one more rehearsal?"

There was a collective sigh from nearly every student in the room. People reclining back on the couches and lying down on the beanbags groaned, rubbing their arms and legs. From the chair next to Dex, Sophie raised a hand.

"I think that's enough rehersals for today, Biana," she suggested, wincing when her throbbing arm hit the table. "We're all pretty tired."

Biana raised an eyebrow. "But- but the performance is next week!" she panicked.

Linh placed a hand on Biana's shoulder. "Maybe we should take a break Biana. We have a week to finalize. And it already looks amazing. We'll be fine."

"I-" Biana shook her head, her shoulders drooping. "Are you sure?"

"We're positive," Sophie assured. She leaned back in her chair. "So does this mean the meeting's over?"

Biana nodded. "I guess... Rehearsal tomorrow evening then?"

"Sounds like a plan."

All the students filed out of the room while Biana, Dex, Sophie, Linh, and Tam stayed behind to clean up.

"This is crazy," Biana sighed, tapping her pen on her scroll. "With the Vanishers at hour 3 and Flashers at hour 4, I have nowhere to fit the Gusters! And their performance takes two hours!" She turned to Sophie and Linh. "Oh my goodness, what about your guys's performances?! They're the center of the show!" She placed her head in her hands. "What am I going to do?!"

Her voice rose an octave with every sentence and her pen tapped frantically on the scroll. Gently, Sophie pried the pen and scroll from her hands and pushed her shoulders back. "Biana- you need a break."

"What?"

"You've been working for a month now, day and night. The show looks great, and there's no need to redo the schedule." Sophie took Biana's hand and led her to the door. "Just let us clean up and you go relax. Everything will be fine."

Biana's eyes crinkled as a small smile grew on her face. "You're right, I guess." She threw her arms around Sophie and gave everyone else grateful smiles. "Thank you so much guys. You're the best friends ever."

"Don't mention it," Sophie said with a smile. "Now go home and eat a warm plate on mallowmelt in your bed... And relax!" She closed the door as Biana glittered into the light and slid down the door with a sigh. "It has been a crazy month."

Linh laughed. "No kidding. So you want to get this place cleaned up?"

"I'll wash the jeweled glasses tomorrow," Sophie waved her arm at the sink and turned to the boys. "Can you guys just tidy up the chairs and stuff?"

Dex and Tam nodded, rearranging the pillows and blankets. "Hey wait, don't you have a date with Fitz tonight?"

Sophie's eyes widened. "Oh no... What's today?"

"Wednesday."

"Oh no, I do!" Panic rose in Sophie's voice as she looked around the room. "I don't have a dress... And what about cleaning this up?"

Linh laughed. "We'll take care of it." She handed Sophie a purple-white ombré dress from the costume closet. "Try wearing this; it looks pretty. And don't worry about any of this stuff."

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Sophie squealed. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and slipped on the dress, running her fingers through her hair. "How do I look?"

"Perfect. Just one thing." Linh twisted Sophie's curls and bunched them over her shoulder. "There. Now you look like you spent hours getting ready."

Sophie glanced at her reflection in the mirror. "Huh I do!"

"It's just a little trick I learned when getting ready for this guy." She nodded over at Dex who was cleaning the table. "I only took five minutes every time," she whispered.

Sophie giggled. "Don't worry I won't tell him. But thank you. I'll see you tomorrow at rehearsal." She held her crystal up the the light, but not before giving Linh one last smile.

"Have fun!"

*~*~*~*

Sophie walked into the fancy restaurant, her tense shoulders relaxing when she met Fitz's eyes. She walked over to the table and kissed his cheek, sitting across from him.

"Don't you look stressed out?" He asked with a smile, clasping her hand from across the table. His jeweled Vacker crest lay on the table next to his Imparter and his cape was draped on the chair behind him. Besides looking so put together, he looked tired as ever from the creases between his eyebrows to the dulled sparkle in his eyes.

Sophie leaned back. "Tell me about it. I really don't know how you and Keefe did the whole show two years ago."

"To be fair, we weren't leading it and we had a much smaller class than you guys," he smiled. "I miss being at Foxfire."

Sophie shook her head. "I can't believe I'll be graduating this year. How's work been?"

"The usual." Fitz met Sophie's eyes. "Although it would be much easier with my Cognate by my side."

"Be patient!" Sophie chided, smacking his shoulder. "We have the rest of our lives to work together. Let me graduate first."

"Speaking of spending the rest of our lives together," Fitz began. "I wanted to ask you something."

The food was soon on the table and it was nearly twenty minutes until the topic came up again.

"Oh this is amazing," Sophie sighed, licking a drop of sauce from her finger. "So what were you going to ask me?"

"Well, you know how you're graduating this year, right?" Fitz asked. "I was thinking... Maybe we could do the wedding this year?"