Duluth / A Keeper of the Lost Cities Fanfiction

Duluth / 3

Math was horrible. Mr. Scumby hated Sophie's guts. Sophie had corrected him when he made a mistake on the board. Algebra II was pretty easy. Math had always come pretty easily, as did all subjects. But this was one that Sophie didn't have to strain her mind on.

Since she put up the barrier in her mind, Sophie found school a lot harder. But maybe that was good. Then she wouldn't draw any attention to herself.

Sophie stopped at her locker before going to her seventh period, English. Grabbing her English book, and assigned reading (To Kill a Mockingbird), she became aware of a few boys looking at her. More like staring at her.

Sophie blushed and turned away. She had always thought of herself as ugly, next to Biana or Della or Edaline. But she supposed that elves were all natural models. Maybe Sophie did look... ok.

One of the boys straightened himself from leaning on the row of lockers and approached Sophie. Sophie closed her locker, and with a look of pure terror on her face, turned to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" the boy called out. Sophie grimaced and turned around, slowly. The boy was tall, with perfectly styled blonde hair that slowly faded into blue. He had a strong jaw, and deep green eyes. He wore faded blue jeans, and an Imagine Dragons T-shirt with a light gray jacket.  He looked old. Maybe a junior. "Um... can I help you?" Sophie asked him,  hating how her voice shook.

"Um, yeah," the boy answered. "You have a little bit of ink on your cheek." Sophie turned bright red. That  was why the boys were staring. "Here, I'll get it." The boy reached for her, but Sophie jumped back. "Ok, thanks. I... need to get to English."

Sophie could hear him calling to her as she hurried to Miss Keystone's class, but she ignored him as she wiped at a random spot on her cheek, hoping that would clear off the ink.

Sophie was a few minutes early, and so she sank into a seat in the back. She took out To Kill a Mockingbird and sat silently, tapping her fingers on the cover.

Minutes past, and students filed into their seats, one by one before the bell rang. Finally a teacher stepped into the room after everyone else.  "Alright everyone, I am Miss Keystone." She marched up to the board and wrote her name on in big letters. Sophie kept her eyes down. Miss Keystone continued, "I am new this year, and so I do hope you'll forgive me if I don't know anybody's names." There were a few chuckles.

Finally, she started on roll call. "Alex Ambers?, (here), Chasity Backmont? (here), Sophie Barret?"

Sophie finally glanced up, responding, "Here."

She locked eyes with her teacher.

Recognition flashed in both Sophie and Miss Keystone's eyes.

"Sophie? Sophie Foster?!"

---

Sorry for this shortie, but school starts in exactly 35 hours and 22 minutes so I am procrastinating a lot.