Light in the Dark

CHAPTER TWO

   Finally at Foxfire, Sophie found Dex by her locker waiting. In his arms, he carried tons of books, his right shoulder pressed against his locker, the one directly next to hers.
   "Hey, Dex." Sophie smiles.
   "Hi," Dex grinned, showing off his dimples.
   "What's it taste like today?" Sophie nodded towards her DNA strip.
   Dex crinkled his nose, "I'll give you a hint. Elwin's pick, and I have all my books so I don't have to open it again."
   Sophie groaned, but when she licked it, it tasted like coffee. "Mmm," she whispers to herself.
   "You like it?!" Dex asks, laughing.
   "Yep," Sophie says, closing her locker so she has to lick it again. "Yum."
   Once she had all her books gathered, she turns towards Dex. "Any new Prattle's?"
   Dex nods, opening his bag, pulling out a swan.
   "Woah," Sophie breathed out, "It's so pretty." She muttered, admiring the jewels outlining the swan.
   "Yeah, and I figured you'd like it and all."
   "You don't mind?" Sophie asks.
   When Dex shakes his head no, Sophie smiles and pins it to her bag with her other Prattle's.
   "Hey, that's a good idea," he says, looking at her collection from mostly Dex, the Black Swan, Calla and... And Keefe.
   "Yeah, they did it in the human world all the time.
   "I'm gonna do that, it's a clever idea. Though..." Dex starts laughing, "Mine might not all fit."
   Sophie laughs as well. "Just do the ones that hold significant meaning to you."
   Dex nodded and started putting the pins on his bag. An imp for Iggy, a swan for Sophie.
   Sophie blushed at that, "Thanks, Dex."
   Dex's cheeks flush. "Well, all of us are part if the Black Swan, right? It did I miss something?"
   "Oh, Sophie!" A high voice announces. "Is Dex making you blush?"
   The halls were mostly empty, and Biana's voice was low enough for no one to hear, but still, Sophie flushed bright red.
   "No," Dex and Sophie big snap at the same time.
   Biana puts her arms up in surrender, "Okay, okay, okay." She laughs. "Tam and Linh are here today!"
   "Really?" Sophie asks.
   Just then, they hear, "There they are!"
   Biana, Dex and Sophie turn their heads to see Fitz dragging a very embarrassed and angry looking Tam and timid and nervous Linh down the hallways.
   "Um, I should get to class. I have some stuff to work on. See ya," Dex rushes away.
   Biana frowned after him, blinking in and out of sight. She shrugged, "Oh well."
   Upon seeing the three approach, Sophie's traitorous heart fluttered.
   Not even acknowledging Sophie, which she took as a personal offense, Linh rushed to Biana and embraced her like a long lost sister.
   Sophie watched them with her eyebrows raised as they both squealed and started talking a mile an hour both at once, too fast to make out what they were saying.
   At least they seemed to understand each other.
   Tam turned to Sophie, "I'm glad you don't do that."
   Sophie rolled her eyes, "Me too."
   Fitz scoffed, "You've never been inside her head, dude. It's way more overwhelming than that." He gestured towards his sister and her friend.
   Tam jerked his head towards his sister and Biana. "Nothing is more annoying or overwhelming than that. And do you realize how creepy that sounds? Inside her head."
   Fitz and Sophie shrug, exchanging a glance.
   "I've come to terms with it. Plus, she doesn't mind," Fitz says as Sophie says, "He's okay with it now. Plus, I don't mind."
   Tam rolls his eyes, "Never mind. You two are more annoying than those two." He said jokingly.
   "Hey," Sophie warns.
   Tam laughs jokingly once again, "What are you going to do? Transmit something mean to me?" He teases.
   Sophie nods slowly, "Or... I couldn't inflict on you?"
   As Fitz doubles over laughing, Tam's eye widen in realization. "Oh, yeah. Forgot about that."
   Sophie shakes her head, "I'm going to go look for Dex. She you guys at lunch, and Fitz, next session."
   Sophie gave the two boys and short wave before hurrying off. She finally found Dex sitting on a bench, holding a contraption with wires sticking out at every angle with books littered all around him.
Sprinting to the side of the hall Dex was at, barely missing a group of gossiping students, Sophie nearly tripped over her own feet. Regaining balance, she smiled.
   Sitting next to him she figured was the only way to get his attention because he was so engaged in the wires and pressing random buttons on his contraption.
   "Hey," Dex finally looks up and smiles at her.
   "Hi," Sophie shoots him a short smile before pulling out Bronte's book about Inflicting. It was supposed to be her homework, but you know. Like can get in the way. "What are you making?"
   "A homemade bracelet. What are you reading?"
   Sophie flipped over the cover so he could see. "Inflicting: All you need to know, from skilled veterans to beginners. How to select emotions, change them and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah by Madame Milli."
   "Bronte?" Dex guessed with a slight smirk present.
   "Dex," Sophie said seriously, liking him in the eyes. "Does it look like I'd read the on my own free will?"
   Dex laughed. "I guess not. Neither would I."
   Sophie sighed wistfully as she watched her best friends weave together wires to make room for a bolt.
   "So... what's the silver tower like?" Dex questions, curious to know what his best friend had been doing lately, but trying not to be too nosy.
   "It's..." Sophie trailed off. "Different, I guess." She didn't really want to think of the silver capes, everlasting staircases, prodigious students and marble floors. I just didn't feel right to be the youngest one in there without any of her friends. Even though she was used to it, she didn't want to admit how awful it felt to be in the situation again. Sophie wished she could bring one friend in there to latch on to, and Fitz didn't count.
   "Different?" Dex half question, half mused. Setting the bracelet aside, he smiled at Sophie. "I always have like different."
   Sophie laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. You were the first to befriend the freak with brown eyes, with multiple abilities and who skipped the first two levels because she was living in the human world."
   "You're not a freak!" Dex protested, frowning at her lack of... well, self confidence, really.
   "He's right, you know." The voice made the two jump high in the air before turning to see Tam leaning against the wall observing Dex and Sophie.
   Sophie let out a shriek, wondering how long had he been here?! "When did you get here? Where are the others?" She asked, looking behind him, only to see Stina and her minions engrossed in a deep conversation. But upon feeling her gaze, Stina turned her head and sneered at Sophie.
   Rolling her eyes, Sophie turned back to Tam with a raised eyebrow. Dex however, had seemed more inclined to ask Tam questions such as, "How'd you do that?! That was so cool! How did we not notice you?" and, "Can you teach me?" annnd, "Or can only Shades do that? Oh, I bet that's it. Well, that sucks."
   Tam ignored these questions, prompting Dex to advert his full attention back to his project.
   Tam had been staring at Sophie for so long she started to squirm. At last, he finally spoke again. "Dex is right. You not a freak, Sophie."
   Laughing it off even though it pained her, Sophie waved her hand in the air. "I kind of am." She answered truthfully, pulling out an eyelash.
   "No- you're unique!" Dex grinned, dimples and all. Periwinkle eyes shining, he didn't stop there. "Exotic... and I can think of a ton of other words but I don't feel like it."
   Sophie laughed, a real laugh, happy to know at least someone loved her. "Thanks," she glanced at Tam to make sure he knew THE thanks included him too.
   Dex looked down at his invention and groaned. "Ughhh! I need something to build, but what?"
   Sophie flipped open her book and was surprised when she heard Tam speak. "Build one of those thing-amigimers that Sophie has that plays music."
   "My iPod? How'd you know about that?" Sophie glanced up from her book.
   "I told him about fixing it," Dex mumbled, mostly lost in his own thoughts.
   "Oh... hey, why not build a DNA strip to hook up to any device that can open with your saliva?" Sophie suggested.
   Dex grinned and Tam nodded. "Great idea. Challenge accepted!" Dex says happily.
   Sophie gave a small sigh but smiled, bending over her book again, trying to block out the noise Dex was making by rummaging around in his pockets.
   "What are you reading?" Tam asked.
   Sophie held up her book, not feeling like repeating the title over again. Her silent answer made Dex snicker.
   Tam let's out a low whistle. "Looks- and probably sounds- like a mouthful." He says, looking at the long prestigious word on the front cover that Sophie couldn't quite figure out how to pronounce, and figured it was no use making a fool out of herself (even if she was alone) by trying.
   "It's a brain full, too. And really emotional." Sophie smiled inwardly at her own joke.
   "You're learning to inflict negative emotions?" Tam sounded uneasy as he flipped his bangs out of the way, making them reflect off the light.
   To absolutely no avail, his bangs fell in his face again. Sophie was quiet for a moment and Tam started to worry he said something wrong.
   "Yeah." Sophie finally says, though her answer is short and bland.
   "Well, cool. I mean, I guess." Sophie remained quite. It was no secret Sophie strongly disliked using her ability. Unless it was for good emotions.
   But even then... Sophie shivered at the horrid thought of Bronte's horrified eyes as he laughed mercilessly.
   Noticing the shiver Sophie got, Tam sent her a confused sideway glance. "Just caught a chill," she replied quickly and quietly. So quietly, she wasn't sure he heard her.
   The thought still haunted her, but the thing that really scared her was the fact that she was capable of brining an one of the most powerful ancient elf to his knees with the flick of the wrist.
   The awful thought only left Sophie to wonder... what else was she capable of? She knew there was more, oh, far more...
   And the feeling she got about it wasn't good.

Author's Note|
   Hello! Sorry about the wait, I thought that I had published this chapter a few days ago, but when I figured out that I didn't and went back to publish it, the second half had been deleted. Anywho, vote and comment down below what you thought! Have a great day!