You Fall, I Fall

five

Biana stiffened, and Sophie exchanged a look of worry with Fitz. "I'm almost certain that I didn't leave it open..."

"Why don't we go check it out?" Fitz asked calmly. "Just you, Sophie and I."

"And us!" Keefe stood with a big smile.

"No Keefe, that's okay, we'll take care of it. Besides, weren't you going to tell Linh, Tam, and Dex your famous camel joke?"

Keefe pouted at first, but once Fitz mentioned the camel joke, he turned away from them.

Sophie and Fitz escourted Biana to her locker quickly, and quietly. While Biana didn't say anything, Sophie and Fitz talked telepathically.

"Do you think the spy did it?" Sophie asked.

"Maybe, or maybe it was the Black Swan.."

"No, it had to be the Neverseen, she didn't give the Black Swan her DNA. How did they get her DNA, though? Alvar?"

"That means they have mine too, maybe even Keefe's."

"That's dangerous."

"I know." He sounded so scared, that Sophie wanted to hold his hand, but they couldn't do that without being seen. If only there was a way to play it off as a cognate thing...

When they reached the locker, Biana licked the strip and cringed. "I almost wish that Linh hadn't closed it, then I wouldn't have to taste Reek Rod more than I have to."

Sophie would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

The three of them studied the inside of the locker, and only found a brand new tube of Lavish Lavender Lipstick, still in the package. Biana gasped with delight. "I lost mine a few months ago, now there's a new one in my locker? Maybe I have a secret patron or admirer from the Black Swan! How would they know it's my favorite? Wait..." Her face suddenly fell. "Do you guys think it could be from Alvar?"

She and Fitz exchanged a look of worry. "Maybe, he did owe you a favor last time we saw him." Fitz shrugged.

Biana looked at the lipstick in her hands skeptically. "I don't know, he's different now... but... maybe-maybe he does care about us after all." She looked up at the two of them hopefully.

Sophie nodded, not wanting to crush her hope, "maybe. People can change for the better. He may have realized that he made a mistake joining the Neverseen."

Biana smiled, "I hope so! Now let's get back to the table, I forgot to pass out the invitations to my Winnowing Gala."

She internally cringed. She did not want to have a Winnowing Gala. They were way too... fancy. She would constantly worry if she was going to break something or spill something.

Her friend frowned, "what's wrong, Sophie?"

"I just don't want a Winnowing Gala myself, and I know that Edaline is going to start nagging me about planning one. It's all so.. Fancy. It'll just make me uncomfortable if it's all for me." She admitted shyly, and Fitz put her arm around her.

"You don't have to have a big party type thing. You can just have a small party. Biana just loves to go all out on parties."

"Yeah, you don't have to come to mine if you'll feel uncomfortable." Biana assured her kindly.

"No, no no! I really want to go to yours! I would only be uncomfortable if there was a big fancy party thrown for me, that's all. I'd love to go to a big fancy party for you, because you're my friend, and I love you." Sophie smiled at Biana. "Trust me, nothing in the whole wide world could keep me from going to your Winnowing Gala."