Reborn

Not again

Weeks had gone by and Sophie still hadn't opened it. It sat upon her Insiders Guide to Pyrokinetics, the one that randomly appeared in her locker, collecting dust. She knew what was inside, but she couldn't bring herself to open it.

Not again.

She relived through so much. Dex and her still had bottle stars, only this time she didn't find Elementine. The flareadon woke everyone up in the middle of the night and she set it on fire to keep it warm, scaring Grady and Edaline in the process. She even found the adoption cancellation papers for Grady and Edaline again.

Yesterday she has even received her first note and the newspaper clipping.

Everything had happened as it once did before, without the few minor changes. She had acted so closely to how she had previously that it almost mirrored her past life.

The only things that really changed were with Keefe. While he still gave her candy for midterms, he also gave her a necklace with tiny little gold stars around it. It was probably the sweetest thing he could have done.

She had been fine living everything over before, but she just couldn't go through with being kidnapped all over again. She couldn't go through Dex's trauma all for the sake of letting things fall into place.

Sophie was over keeping everything aligned.

She was done with everything.

And Mr. Forkle was going to hear it.

———
Sophie licked her locker. "Elwin's choice, watch out." She warned Keefe.

"Thanks." He reaches into her locker grabbing her things.

"What are you-"

"Helping." He cut her off. "Yeah, yeah. The Great Sophie Foster is tough and can handle anything."

She rolled her eyes as he lifted everything out of her reach. Her pathetic attempts at getting it only made him smile.

"Just let me carry it." He grinned as he walked away.

"Wait-" Sophie slammed her locker closed and matched his pace. "I have to tell you something."

"Did you finally figure out your feelings?" Keefe teased

"What? No." She rolled her eyes. "I'm telling Forkle everything."

"You're doing what? Won't that mess everything up? Foster, are you feeling alright?" Keefe stopped her to place his hand on her forehead, mimicking taking her temperature.

Sophie shoved him off and moved him out of the way of her oncoming classmates. "I cant get kidnapped again. Dex can't either."

"So you're risking everything? We already know how everything goes. You don't have to worry about the outcome. Why not just live through it?" He leaned against the lockers in the most dramatic Keefe manner.

"But what if that's why we remember everything? To fix it all? We've been given the perfect opportunity to save everything and I can't help but feel like we're suppose to." She yanked her books back from Keefe. He continue to fight for them back. Finally he raised his hands in defeat.

"All I know is that you're never wrong. And I trust you. If you think this is right then do it." Keefe agreed.

"But that's just it, I don't know if it's right? What if it all ends terribly and I ruin it forever?" Her mind was beginning to spiral. What if she caused worse things to happen? She could end up killing someone or changing everything in a terrible manner.

"Foster, you got this." He pushed himself off the wall as the bell rang. "Good luck."

"Thanks." She muttered before turning down the hall to her next class.

———

By lunch time, something in Sophie had snapped. Even without speaking to her, the whole lunch table could tell.

"Did you do it?" Keefe asked as he passed her on the way to detention. She didn't answer.

Dex avoided conversation with her. Marella just spoke to Biana and vice versa. Fitz tried a few times before giving up.

It wasn't hard to sense her aggravation.

So she skipped lunch and walked up to The Universe. Sir Astin sat at his desk, doing paperwork. He didn't react as Sophie entered.

"Take your stupid black cube I am NOT doing this again." Sophie shoved the object in his direction.

"You- what? Miss Foster, are you feeling alright?" Sir Astin stood, but left the cube in Sophie's hands. She defiantly placed it on his desk.

"I don't care. I'm over this. In a few weeks, you and the Black Swan will begin placing notes in my locker. This will lead to Dex and my kidnapping and I don't know about you, but I'm really not in the mood to go through that again." Her eye contact never faltered.

"Miss Fos-"

"Do NOT Miss Foster me." Sophie interrupted. "Did you guys do this? Make me wake up as a twelve year old again? I want answers."

Sir Astin stayed silent. He was beginning to look really worried.

"And why does Keefe know?" She continued. "But not Fitz? Who else knows-"

"SOPHIE ELIZABETH FOSTER." His voice rang out and with such grave demand, he muttered: "Sit. Down."

Sophie immediately found her spot in the back of the room. She kept the expression of anger displayed across her face and sat with such immaculate posture, the queen would be jealous.

"What on earth are you talking about?" He leaned forward on his desk, placing his palms on the papers he was working on earlier. His face was slowly getting red.

"I know about the Black Swan. I know your identity- Mr. Forkle. I know about your twin." She spat out the words as if they were poison. They had rested in her for too long.

Sir Astin rose from his desk silently and made his way over to the fuming girl. He carefully bend down to her eye level and frowned.

"Oh, moonlark... you weren't suppose to tell me." He placed his fingers her temples. "Now forget."

And she did.