Sentry of the Arcane: Befall

Chapter Thirteen: Sophie

When I wake up in the morning, I see Laurel look at herself in the mirror. I then notice the blush on her cheeks and how her fingers brush over her lips for what I can assume to be the hundredth time already. Smiling softly, I walk up behind her and ask, "What are you thinking right now?"

Laurel only smiles at my reflection behind her and says, "Aren't you the one who can transmit to people?" Even still, she giggles and holds her face bashfully, gently shaking her head in disbelief. "It's- wow, I don't think I would've ever guessed that he'd do that."

I smile. "I'm going to take that heartfelt response into a simple confirmation," I announce jokingly.

"Hey!" Laurel gasps, turning around. We smile before erupting in giggles. I then make her sit down at her vanity desk and begin to brush her auburn hair.

I think back to when Fitz transmitted to me that girl's aren't to blame. But it honestly was cute, I think.

I'm not a girl, so I can't see it that way, I hear Fitz's voice say in my head. But I will admit that it was pretty cute how you smiled at them.

I- I snap out of my thoughts when I hear the hairbrush crash onto the floor after it must've slipped out of my hands.

"What happened?!" Audrey shouts, waking up. She looks at us for one moment before falling backwards, asleep before she even hits the pillow.

Laurel turns around in her chair. "Sophie? Are you okay?" The female Altruistic leans down while sitting down in her chair and hands me the brush again. "Sophie..? You're blushing... like, really blushing."

I blush more in embarrassment. Absentmindedly continuing to brush her hair, I whisper, "I might've accidentally transmitted to Fitz when I was thinking about him." Laurel gasps and giggles, making me more embarrassed. "And he said that it was cute how I smiled at you two," I add in barely a squeak.

Laurel squeals happily, causing Audrey to groan as she tosses and turns. Rolling her eyes at the Sovereign, she whispers to me, "Awww! He called you cute!"

"No, he said that how I smiled at you guys cute," I add, trying to be rational.

"He called you cute!"

"No, he thought that how I smiled was cute."

"He likes your smile!"

"He didn't say that at all!" I whisper, my face burning.

Laurel rolls her eyes. "Geez. Is it just me, or do you have a condition where you just can't accept a compliment?"

I scoff. "Sure, because technicality is such a terrible disease."

"It is!"

I can't but laugh as I tie her hair up with an ivory-colored ribbon. "We'll just agree on the fact that he complimented on how I smiled, not on my actual smile." Laurel pouts playfully as I think, Well, I think he was just complimenting how I was smiling.

I never knew that there were so many meaning to a compliment. And by the way, I was complimenting your actual smile.

You... really...

And I drop the brush again, waking Audrey up for the second time in ten minutes.

...

Audrey fell asleep, so Laurel and I sneak out of the female Altruistic's room. We go to Donovan's room before going down to the conference room- just in case Mr. Wallace wants us to train before we need to eat breakfast.