Duluth / A Keeper of the Lost Cities Fanfiction

Duluth / 7

Silence fell over the pair as they strolled away from Canal Park and towards the freeway. Sophie could feel her insides getting tighter and tighter the longer no one spoke. She was tempted to pull out her telepathy one last time, just to see what he was thinking. But it was too risky. What if Fitz tried to read her mind the moment that the chains were unlocked? Nope. Nope nope nope nope. 

"So... where do you live?" Fitz asked just one second before Sophie was going to explode. 

Sophie readjusted the camera bag over her shoulder. "Um, just a few more minutes away from here." She turned red as soon as she realized she definitely had just stopped the conversation. "So... um... where do you live? I don't think I've seen you around school." Sophie told Fitz hoping that the more she seemed clueless, the more lie Fitz would believe. 

Fitz bit his lip and shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Um, I don't go to school here... and I live-" 

Sophie cursed under her breath and grabbed Fitz's arm to pull him behind a parked truck. Fitz stumbled and looked around confused. "What's wrong?" he whispered, raising his head to look over the head of the vehicle. 

Sophie yanked him back down. "Just shhh." Moments ago she had seen the blond and blue haired boy  that had stopped her in the hallway a few days ago walking down the street. She was so NOT in the mood to deal with him at that moment.

Sophie finally took the risk and raised her head over the truck to see him walking in the same direction, not seeing them at all. 

Unfortunately, Fitz followed her gaze. 

"Who's he?" Fitz said in a flat tone. Sophie's eyes met his and she saw... nothing in them. 

"He's... no one." Which was pretty much the truth.....

Sophie stood up again, rubbing her knot of emotions under her ribs. She didn't have anyway to unleash them unless she took off the boundaries, so she wasn't freaking out about losing control like she usually was in the Lost Cities. 

"Let's just... keep going." Sophie stood up and hurried away. She could see her apartment building in the distance. 

Another uncomfortable silence fell over them until they reached her apartment building. "So... goodbye Fitz. We might not see each other again. Ever." She had hoped that was a hint at what she wanted to do, but Fitz smiled and shook his head slowly. 

"No, I'm sure we'll meet again in the future. I'm almost positive." He reached forward to give Sophie's hand a light squeeze and then he was gone, keeping up a fast pace down the street. 

It was only when he turned a corner did Sophie realize she was still wearing his jacket. 

----

Before you all shower me with rotten tomatoes and/or bricks, I'm very sorry. It has  been six months since I last updated. And... that's terrible, I know. 

I was rereading the story so I knew where I was at, and the writing didn't seem incredibly cringy to me. I mean... it's not the best, but it's not the worst. I just read The Secret of the Moonlark project I wrote three years ago, when I was in 7th grade, and I find it remarkable that people read it. In my opinion, it was worse than anything. I'm sorry I put you all through that trash. 

I also have some.... news. After I'm done with Duluth, and The Other Xan (I'm still trying to decide if I'm just going to discontinue that one, but I already know how Duluth is going to end), I'm going to stop writing. Well, on Wattpad anyway. 

I still have my Narnia fanfiction that I'll keep writing, but after that, no more fanfictions. I want to start moving on to writing my own stuff. I desperately need to edit my novel, and I can't if I'm worried about updating on here. 

I'll still read on this account, but by Christmas (that's my goal, anyway) I won't be writing anymore. 

Wattpad has been like my second home for many years, and it gave me hope and happiness at certain points in my life when I didn't have any. It's helped me so much. I still remember when everyone wished me a happy birthday when I turned fourteen, when in reality, a lot of my friends forgot. People on here are so much nicer and friendlier and warmer than a lot of people in my life at the moment. I am so, so, so thankful for all of you. And though I might not know all of you as well as I should, I still feel like I can trust all of you. So thank you. Thank you for making Wattpad one of the best places on the planet. 

- Jannie