SOKEEFE VS FITZPHIE, kotlc

interruption

"Sophie!  Wait up!" Fitz called behind Sophie as she slammed her textbooks into her locker, fishing out her home crystal from her pocket.

"Oh! Hey Fitz," Sophie said, trying to sound nonchalant. Fitz gave her a movie-star grin- though for some reason her brain didn't melt into mush this time.  Fitz seemed to realize that his flirting tactic might be getting a bit old, flushed, and turned away from her.

"Never mind that,"  Fitz mumbled, shifting his feet uncomfortably.  "I was... um... wondering if we could meet at Havenfield in an hour?  Or I mean... I meet you so you can... I mean-er-"

"Sure!"  Sophie said much too quickly, feeling equally flustered.  She gave a pathetic little wave as she watched Fitz shuffle down the hall, a gaggle of giggling girls trailing him conspicuously through the doorway.  Sophie sighed and went back to stuffing things in her locker.

"Fitz bothering you?"Dex guessed from behind Sophie;  although nobody knew the details it was clear there was a major ship war going on.

"About as much as he usually does,"  Sophie admitted, trying for a halfhearted shrug.

"I was under the impression that Wonderboy never bothers anyone,"  Dex said, raising an eyebrow.  "But...."

"Ha.  So not true.  Listen- it was fun talking, but I gotta run.  See you tomorrow?"

Dex staggered a bit, and Sophie felt a tad guilty for being so blunt with him.  "Yeah.  Yeah, okay."

"Thanks."

Either Fitz sucked it up and told her or Keefe did.  She didn't know what to think.  She barely knew what to hope.  She wasn't even sure if either would tell her or if she'd forever live her life alone, afraid, and still frustratingly unmatchable.

 But she knew one thing for absolute certain.

However this ended, she was going to end this ship war.  a/n - go team sophie !

Once and for all.

———————————

"So... do you like me?"

That was the first question. No "Hi Sophie, what's up?" or "Sophie, can I tell you something?" or even "Thanks for letting me come over, Soph. Really appreciate it."

Nope. Just a quick, embarrassingly blunt, "Do you like me?"

Which was probably why she was tripping over her own words even clumsier than she tripped over her own feet as she managed to stammer,  "I mean- it depends.. or- er, no, I meant... well..." She finally settled on, "Is there supposed to be a right answer?"

Fitz shrugged and kicked a few pebbles that were straying into the grassy pastures.  "You tell me.  I mean- that's like outright asking if you-"

"Yeah," Sophie mumbled, really not wanting him to finish that sentence.

There was an awkward silence that hung in the air like a sheet of frozen ice. Sophie bit her lip, starting to say something- but Fitz's teal eyes turned ice blue in the late sunlight reminding Sophie of another boy.  She clamped her mouth shut, and looked up at the sky like what am I even doing with my life at this point?

Was this how life was going to be from now on?

Just awkward silences, messy, nerve racking conversations, and friendships being ruined and sabotaged because Sophie had decided that she was officially done with the Biological Parent Search that had messed up her life all those years ago?

Wow.  She really sounded old- had it been that long ago?

Only a few years, but it still felt like ages.  

Ages of wandering alone in the halls- next to her friends of course... but none of her friends were more than friends.

They were just friends. Just people there to help her when she needed it.

Not.....

"I really just want to end this thing that Ro started," Sophie said quietly.

"Me too. She's just... rushing... not just us but, you know, Keefe too.  It's not like... I mean...." Fitz cleared his throat, and looked like he was doing the hardest thing in the universe as he told her, "Keefe really likes you, you know that."

"He.. wait, what?!" Sophie demanded, taking a minute to fully digest what he was saying- and try to find out why he was saying it too.

"Keefe likes you," Fitz repeated stiffly, his hands stuck to his side like pieces of hammered on plywood.

"Like... like, like? Or like, like? Like, like like or like?" Sophie realized she was rambling and forced her mouth shut as she took on a different approach instead: "Why are you telling me this?"

"I... don't know," Fitz admitted. "Bye Sophie."

"Wait! Is that the only reason why you wanted to meet me here?"

Fitz paused, his hand stopping from where he was about to raise his Everglen crystal.  His teal eyes glimmered with some emotion that Sophie didn't know- but wished she did -as Fitz choked out, "No."

And then he was gone.