Light It Up | ✔ | #2

Chapter 9-

"Where have you been?" Maya demanded as soon as she spotted Sophie.

"He-he...," Sophie stuttered.

"C'mere, Foster," her new friend said, opening her arms for a hug. "Just know that I want to know what happened afterwards."

She obliged, melting into Maya, sobbing into her chest.

What had she done? Protected herself? She wasn't even sure. Her life was so confusing.

I need to love him like I love an annoying little brother, was her thought on how to deal with things.

She pulled away from her friend, wiping snot and tear from her face. "I'm sorry."

"What happened, Sophie?"

She stared at Maya. "He gave me some...some petty excuse about why...he left me for all of those years. I got mad at him and yelled at him and to shut me up...he kissed me."

"Was he a good kisser?" Maya asked her eagerly. "'Cause, he's hot and all that jazz. Wait a minute! Please tell me you didn't agree to be his girlfriend."

"I didn't agree to be his girlfriend." Sophie kept her gaze level as she looked her in the eyes, unwavering. "I pushed him away, when I realized the situation."

"You mean you kissed him back at first?" Maya's eyes were about to burst out of her head at the daggers she was glaring at her.

"I threatened to kick him in the place at least, though," Sophie said with a dignified last sniff, her tears gone. "But I refused...to try a relationship with him. Again."

"Oh, good girrrrrrl," her friend cooed, slapping her five. "I bet the boots did good on that?" She gestured to her feet.

"Oh, yes." She smirked.

"Do you need a ride?" Maya gestured towards the empty roadway, where no cars were.

Sophie had transmitted to Mr. Forkle earlier to pick her up when she said. Now, she was prepared to do the same thing. "No, that's alright. My house is actually just a short walk from here." She smiled, pointing down the road.

"Cool. Same here, really." She turned to go, then stopped, glancing down at her phone. "Can I...have your number? Dunno why I didn't ask before."

"Of course," Sophie said hesitantly, whipping out a gleaming phone.

It was the newest version—a gift from Dex, who'd recreated an iPhone for her after Keefe's absence. It upgraded on its own, and went to anything pathfinder if she just used the 'imparter' app he'd installed. She'd given up using her own imparter after Keefe. It was just too much to know that she'd never see his face again. The imparter app was only activated by her voice—no one else's. It was the only way to access it. She pressed the contacts app, scrolling her few. She added a contact, then handed the phone to her friend.

Maya did a wolf-whistle at it, her eyes wide with wonder. "Isn't this the new iPhone X? God, Sophie! Why didn't you tell me?" She quickly typed in her number and email. Then glanced at the contacts. "I'm guessing this is new?"

"Yeah, I got it yesterday," she lied. The only two contacts she had on there were Amy and Mr. Forkle. She'd come across her sister three years ago, when the Neverseen still thrived. They had exchanged numbers, and would call every once in a while.

Maya passed the phone back to her carefully, obviously not knowing that it was virtually unbreakable. "Let me know if you ever get a new phone—I'd be happy to take this baby out of your hands, ya know?" She wiggled her eyebrows, a goofy smile on her face.

Sophie hugged the phone against her chest protectively—she would never give it up. It reminded her of her friends. Dex. Everyone who she'd voluntarily left behind. "Don't touch my baby, Maya," she said. It was almost too easy to do what Biana had done to her makeup the day of the first Foxfire school dance.

The memory made her a bit sad, and she resisted the urge to say aloud, 'Show me Biana.'

"Don't count on it," her friend replied with a smirk, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Bye, Sophie."

She watched Maya leave. "Bye." Then she ducked into the bushes, whispering, "Show me Mr. Forkle." Her head already ached from all of the talking with Keefe, so she decided against transmitting.

Her wrinkly foster-father appeared, frowning. "Time for me to pick you up?"

She gave a swift nod. "Yeah, it is. Meet you by the curb." She didn't wait for his reply, hanging up.

-------------------

Author's Note-

What do you think of how Maya reacted? Should she have reacted that way?

I love you guys, a thank you to everyone who comments and votes on my chapters. I'm sorry that this was some sort of filler, I'll try to get some drama and more emotion in next time.

Love,

Owl