SOPHITZ

7

Sophie was sitting at the kitchen table in Havenfield when the doorbell rang.

"That'll be your friends." said Edaline, shooing Sophie towards the door. "Don't keep them waiting!" Sophie got up and walked towards the door. She opened it to find a tall boy with messy blond hair and ice blue eyes. Keefe. Oh jeepers, here we go, thought Sophie.

"Hello, Keefe." said Sophie cheerfully, trying to be friendly.

"Hey, Foster." replied Keefe. They stood in silence for a few minutes. Finally Keefe said "Are you going to invite me in, or am I going to freeze out here?"

"Sorry!" apologized Sophie as she held the door open wider. "Come in." Keefe stepped inside the massive Havenfield entryway.

"So, Foster, when will the rest of them be here?" asked Keefe.

"Any minute now." said Sophie nervously.

"Where will we be sleeping?" asked Keefe.

"Upstairs in my room."

"Well," Keefe hoisted his huge rucksack "Mind if I drop this off, then? It's getting kind of heavy." Sophie nodded and followed Keefe upstairs to her room. "Wow." said Keefe once he saw the tent. "So... pink."

"Yeah." said Sophie nervously. "It used to be Jolie's and I didn't want to hurt Grady's feelings by refusing it." Keefe set down his bag.

"Anyway, where's Gigantor?" asked Keefe.

"Right here." said  a voice, and Sandor melted out of the walls where he had been camouflaged. He stood, big grey and menacing, staring at Keefe with a look that plainly screamed 'I don't like you'

"Nice to see you again, big fella." cried Keefe sarcastically, throwing his arms around the huge goblin bodyguard. Sandor scowled.

"You realize that I could punch you and you would be unconscious for three months, right?" growled Sandor in his unintimidating squeaky voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Blah, Blah." drawled Keefe. Sandor sighed.

"Miss Foster, I will be downstairs. I cannot spend one more minute with this perfect haired brat." Sandor stomped out.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" yelled Keefe behind him. Sandor slammed the door in answer.

"You realize he was serious about the punching, right?" asked Sophie, grinning in spite of herself.

"Gigantor doesn't scare me." said Keefe. "Anyways, Foster, now that we're alone, I have something I wanted to talk to you about." Sophie groaned inwardly, as her heart began thumping. Oh, somebody save her!

"Yes, Keefe?" she asked against her will. Keefe took a deep breath.

"The truth is, I love you, Sophie Foster, ever since I met you. Will you do me the honor of accompanying me to Atlantis on a date this Saturday?" Keefe turned tomato red as he said it, and looked at the floor. Sophie glanced around wildly, hoping, praying, something would give her a clue of what to say next.

"Oh, Keefe." Sophie sighed. "I can't."

"Why not?" asked Keefe indignantly.

"Because I don't feel that way about you." Sophie whispered. Keefe stared at her.

"You what?"

"I don't feel that way about you." Sophie repeated. "I love you, but as a brother and friend, not in the way you're implying. I'm sorry, Keefe!" Keefe sighed.

"I had a feeling you would say that."

"Then why did you ask?" now it was Sophie's turn to be indignant.

"Because I wanted to take the chance, and obviously I failed. I knew from the start that I had no chance against Wonderboy, and Bangs Boy." Keefe admitted. Sophie laughed.

"You think TAM likes me?" she laughed.

"Doesn't he?" asked Keefe confusedly. Sophie giggled.

"He likes BIANA." she said. Keefe's mouth made an 'o' shape.

"Biana." said Keefe. "I knew I was missing something." then his face lit up. "Biana!" he cried.

"Biana what?" asked Sophie, growing steadily puzzled.

"Biana." said Keefe. "I know how to get my revenge on Bangs Boy!"

"How?" questioned Sophie, but she already knew the answer.

"Well, I like Biana just as much as I like you, and if I can steal her before Tam works up the courage then BOOM! Bangs Boy revengified!"

"Revengified?"

"New word I made up." said Keefe quickly. "Anyway, let's go downstairs. I hear the doorbell, and methinks prince Charming is on his way." Sophie glared at him.

"If you mean Fitz-"

"I mean Dex." said Keefe, smirking.

"Dex?" asked Sophie, her head spinning.

"You'll see." said Keefe mysteriously. "After you, Milady." he said, holding open the door for her. Sophie hoped that Keefe wasn't serious about Dex. IF he was, she was in for an interesting night.