Fallin' For You-Part 3

THIRTY-ONE

"Happy birthday Keefe!" Sophie shouted out her window that Saturday morning in March.

She'd missed Keefe's birthday last year because of a stupid sickness—she was not missing it this year.

"Thanks Foster!" Keefe called back with a laugh. "I am officially seventeen."

Sophie grinned before saying, "We all planned a big party for you at the Vacker's house. Make sure to be there at 12:00, okay?"

Keefe smiled and nodded. "Wouldn't miss it Foster,"

Sophie smiled before she grabbed her wrapped present for Keefe and ran downstairs. "Hey Edaline!" She called. "Can you drive me to the Vacker's house and then pick me up at two o'clock?"

Edaline popped her head out of the kitchen. "Why?"

"It's Keefe's seventeenth birthday and we're throwing him a party at their house," Sophie told her with a wide grin. "Please?"

"Oh," Edaline said. "What time's the party?"

"It's at twelve," Sophie said with a smile. "It's going to be so cool. We've been planning it for three weeks."

Edaline nodded. "Alright—let me finish cleaning the counter and then I'll take you."

Sophie nodded, and after ten minutes of waiting, Edaline was done and drove her to the Vacker's house.

"You look very happy today," Della said as she let Sophie inside the house.

"I am," Sophie said with a grin.

On top of the fact that today was Keefe's birthday, Sophie had also passed her driver's license test yesterday, and she'd heard Grady and Edaline talking about getting Sophie her very own car.

But she needed to take everything one step at a time.

"Is everyone else in the backyard?" Sophie asked Della.

Della nodded with a small laugh. "They were all freaking out because you weren't here yet."

Sophie laughed before bolting as fast as she could out the back door to find her friends setting up tables, chairs and a giant banner that said: KEEFE.

"This looks great," Sophie said as she got closer. "Where do the presents go?" She held up the gift she'd gotten Keefe.

"Thank goodness you're here!" Biana said, running up to Sophie with a wide smile. "We were worried we'd do something wrong because you basically put all of this together."

"No," Sophie said, shaking her head with a laugh. "It's wonderful—I'm sorry I missed it."

Biana let out a relieved sigh. "Alright, well the presents are at that table under the big tree, and then we need your help with the table decorations."

"Wow," Sophie said. "Biana Vacker can't figure out table decorations?"

Biana rolled her eyes. "I would do it, but I just want everything to be perfect because Keefe's been through so much. You're basically like his theoretical sister since you know everything about him, so then everything will be perfect."

Something about Biana's words made Sophie's heart drop to her stomach, but the feeling quickly went away when Sophie smiled and shook her head. "Well, I guess I'll help after I put Keefe's present away."

Biana grinned. "Perfect!"

§§§

"On the count of three, open your eyes," Sophie told Keefe as she guided him to the backyard.