Foxfire High {ON HIATUS}

Sophie- He Hates Me

Linh wasn't actually in the cafeteria, but in the hall outside it.

Sophie had been confused when Marella had left the cafeteria. 

"Where are we going?" she asked. 

"To Linh." was Marella's response. 

Sophie trailed after Marella as she strode up to Linh, who was sitting on the floor against the wall with Tam. Linh waved at Sophie and Marella when she spotted them. 

"Hi!" she said as Sophie slid down the wall next to her. 

"Shouldn't you be with your boyfriend?" Tam grumbled by way of greeting.

"I doubt she knows where he is." Marella mumbled. Sophie elbowed her. She could probably find Fitz if she wanted to. It would probably take her the whole of lunch, and even then she might not find him. 

Linh unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite. "So, technically the girls from the swim team wanted me to sit with them, but I promised Tam I'd sit with him today. That's why I'm not in the cafeteria." She took another bite. 

Marella nodded. "I thought so."

"You don't need to sit with me," Tam grumbled. "I'm fine on my own." 

"I would sit with you anyway, even if there were no bullies and the president wanted me to eat lunch with him." Linh sighed in annoyance. "It's so unfair! Me and Marella come out and everyone's fine with it, because we're captain of the swim team and captain of the basketball team, but Tam is outed and he just goes from 'goth guy that everyone ignores' to 'gay goth guy that everyone hates'!" Her fingers are digging into her sandwich so hard Sophie could see the imprints in the bread. Marella reached across Sophie to take Linh's hand.

Two sneakered feet appeared in front of Sophie. 

"I didn't expect to see you here, Foster. What are you doing without your Wonderboy?" Keefe sneered.

"I couldn't find him." Sophie replied calmly. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Tam become very interested in his sandwich.

Keefe crossed his arms. "Really? I thought you two were joined at the hip."

"Leave us alone, Keefe." Marella called up at him. "Sophie's not feeling well. She doesn't need a fight." 

Sophie shot Marella a grateful look. 

"I'm sure Foster can speak for herself, Marella." Keefe replied, staring Sophie down. 

Wow. Sophie looked up into Keefe's stare, filled with so much hatred. Keefe really hated her. Tears threatened to spill fro Sophie's eyes. 

He hates me. 

When Fitz had told her, it hadn't seemed real, she hadn't fully accepted it. But now, with Keefe glaring at her like she was Dame Alina trying to expel him, it felt so much more real. It felt like being stabbed repeatedly in the gut. 

It felt like losing a friend. 

And it was the worst feeling in the world. 

Sophie stood up, muttering something about going to the bathroom. Never mind that she didn't know where the bathroom was, she just needed to get away- away from Keefe, away from everyone else, away from all of these people that said they knew her but didn't, only a ghost of her.

Sophie quickened her pace once the others were out of sight, passing students who barely glanced at her and lockers and classrooms.

When she realized she was lost, surrounded by unfamiliar hallways that looked almost identical to the ones she had seen on the ground floor. 

She slumped in a quiet alcove, her schoolbag between her knees, and leant her head against the wall. 

Then she let herself cry.