Duluth / A Keeper of the Lost Cities Fanfiction

Duluth / 4

Sophie's eyes locked with Ms. Keystone's. "Olive?" Sophie gasped out. Then she became aware that everyone's eyes were on them, and she finally said, "Actually, it's Sophie Barrett. Not Foster."

Olive's eyes narrowed, but she went along with it. "Sorry, Sophie. My mistake. Moving on..." She continued with the roll call, but Sophie's eyes stayed on her. Olive looked the same as she did three years ago. She still had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. But she had changed her fashion sense from low-rise jeans to pencil skirts and from crop tops to sweaters. College had probably changed her.

The last time Sophie saw Olive, she was eleven. It was Sophie's junior year of high school and Olive was a senior. She was one of a few people that weren't horrible to Sophie, but she still didn't do anything about how badly Sophie was treated.

The rest of the period dragged by, but Sophie didn't pay attention. She was too fascinated to see one of her peers from high school. When the bell rang, Olive- Ms. Keystone asked for her to stay behind. Sophie approached her desk.

"Sophie, I know it's you. What the heck?" Sophie turned bright red and fumbled for words. "It's uh, good to see you Olive... I mean Ms. Keystone!" Olive shook her head. "Just call me Olive. Now explain! You're way too smart to be a sophomore." Sophie made up a lie as she went. "When I was a senior in San Diego, my.... parents and sister died. In a car crash. I went into foster care and got adopted, but I didn't want to start again as the smart freak, so I didn't try hard on my IQ exams."

Olive sat back in her chair. "I'm sorry, Sophie. About your family." Sophie shrugged. It was weird- when she said family, Sophie thought of Grady and Edaline. The thought of them made her heart contract. No. She wouldn't think about them.

Olive went on. "Small world, isn't it? I teach at the school where you go? Weird. And y0ou seem exactly the same. So how was San Diego after I left?"

Sophie didn't want to answer that it was terrible, so instead, she said, "You know what, I'm late for gym. I'll come in during lunch tomorrow if you want." Olive agreed and wrote Sophie a pass.

Gym passed slowly. Today was all about handing out uniforms and talking about rules (everything is just a game- don't take it seriously). As soon as the last bell rang out, Sophie grabbed her backpack and made her way to Canal Park. She had asked around and apparently, that was the best spot to go to.

While Sophie was walking down the busy sidewalks, she saw a Starbucks. Why not, she decided. I'll try to be an average high school girl.

Sophie ordered a Salted Carmel Creme mocha. She took her first sip and found that it was disgusting. Oh, well. It was about a twenty-minute walk since she had to go over I-35.

Sophie was struck by the view of Lake Superior as soon as she got close to it. Even though the day was grey and cold, the sound of seagulls and the smell of the water made the day seem bearable. The water churned at the base of the rocks. There were many people in the park, mostly near the bridge, or feeding seagulls. There were only one or two people sitting on the rocks. Sophie decided to stay away from the crowds, and sit on the rocks and enjoy the view of the lighthouse.

Balancing on the rocks took skill, skill of which Sophie did not have. She tripped several times just to get where she wanted to sit. Looking out, she could see the lighthouse, which seemed so small against the large horizon.

Olive's words echoed in her mind. You seem exactly the same. All Sophie wanted to do was start over. So, she took out a piece of paper from her backpack and wrote at the top 'Sophie's New Sophie List.'

She wrote:

1. Change my look.

She had let her hair grow long since she left the forbidden cities. Maybe she should cut it.

2. Be brave.

Sophie knew she was brave, like battling evil people and letting herself be exposed to her #1 allergy, but she wanted to be a different kind of brave. She wanted to talk to strangers. Do things she wouldn't normally do.

3. Get in a little trouble.

She'd try to be the kid who came home an hour after curfew, or date boys her dad told her not to date. Every teenager got in trouble.

4. Pick up a new hobby.

Besides deciphering cryptic messages and saving lives, Sophie didn't really have a hobby. Well, not one you could put on a resume.

5. Try something new every day.

Sophie didn't write any technicalities under this one. Sipping her Starbucks, she decided she'd try a new drink every day.

That was it.

That was her plan to be a normal kid.

A familiar voice caused her to turn around. "Excuse me?" A heavy accent sounded in the voice. Before she could stop herself, she stood up and turned around. There, in a human shirt and with his hands stuffed in his jeans, was Fitz.

***

Muhahahhaha. The second cliff-hanger in a row.

If there's any mistakes above, sorry, but I don't want to proofread. I'm going to eat pizza, and I'm too tired to go and edit.

Sorry I haven't updated in so long. School's very busy.

I'm not going to promise to update next week since it's homecoming. I'm on the dance team and cheerleading team, so I'm going to have practice every day before and after school this week. *groan*

Margot Robbie; that's who I picture Olive as. And Sabrina Carpenter as Sophie.

I went to Duluth almost every year as a kid, and I went again this summer. Canal Park is one of my favorite places in the world, so it's going to be an important setting for this story. The picture below in where Sophie was sitting (and where I love to sit). It's the rocks at the very bottom of the picture.

I'm also with Sophie on that; it was very hard to not fall into the water while I balanced on the rocks.