Sophitz Forever

Chapter Two

So, here is the anticipated next chapter. Hope you guys like it and please review!

DISCLAIMER I do not own Keeper of the Lost Cities. Shannon Messenger definitely does and always will.

Sophie's cheeks went warm as she looked inside of the beautifully-made box. On a teal sheet of wax paper, much to Sophie's happiness lay the most glorious chocolates she had ever seen. They were all different colors, some with sprinkles or different kinds of sauce. White chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate... they were all there. Some were crunchy and nutty and others were hard and chewy, full of caramel or some other thick syrup. One even was made of hardened honey. There was a booklet with all of the names and ingredients, and as Sophie took it out, her hands shook. She hadn't had chocolate since she had left the human world four years ago. She looked up to thank Fitz, but he was already at the other end of the room, blushing. He looked at her face and sighed.

"You hate it, don't you? I knew I shouldn't have brought back anything that would remind you of your old life, but I really thought that it would be—"

Sophie cut him off by standing up and sprinting to the other side of the room and proceeding to wrap her arms around Fitz in a big hug. He looked utterly surprised as she whispered in his ear so that only he could hear, though she knew that Keefe and maybe Biana were straining to eavesdrop, "You stupid elf! Why in the world would I hate this— this, amazing gift? This is the best thing you could possibly give me!" Well, maybe the second best. Sophie blushed at the thought that had suddenly popped into her head and at the fact that her arms were still around Fitz, who just so happened to be squeezing gently back. Everyone was staring at her, Keefe with his trademark smirk, but also with something else, maybe pain? and Biana with her happy smile and Linh... stoic, and Tam with a confused expression and Sophie was sure that she had permanently ruined her life for the next two thousand years. Or more.

Sophie ran back to the box of chocolate before anyone could say anything. Keefe's eyes looked suspiciously damp as he said, "Hey Foster? You could tell us what it is, you know, before locking arms with Wonderboy here and forgetting about the rest of us. Particularly me."

Sophie looked at everyone and said, "Oh yeah, I completely forgot that you guys don't know! Um, this is a human treat. It's actually sometimes a delicacy but lately, it's been used in a lot more things that normal. There are chocolate pretzels and chocolate ice cream and chocolate donuts..." She stopped at the dumbfounded and confused expressions on everyone's faces excepting Fitz. "Anyways... um, chocolate is this sweet treat that is made of—"

Keefe leaped over, all traces of tears gone, and said, "Oh, Foster, who cares what it's made of? Sweet stuff? Sounds good to me!"

Fitz walked over and said to his best friend, "Keefe? Whose birthday is it?"

Keefe turned red and turned away. Sophie, feeling a pang of remorse and something else, yelled, "Keefe! Don't leave! Here, have two or three! Come on!"

Keefe turned back around, flashed a dashing smile that almost beat Sophie's private thoughts on Fitz's teal eyes, and grabbed a big hunk of milk chocolate that had white chocolate sauce drizzled on top. Sophie looked at the chart and said,

"That is the mint delight. I think. It has a milk chocolate outside, white chocolate drizzle, and a cool mint inside that is sure to make 'anyone want more.'" Keefe couldn't care less as he popped the chocolate into his mouth. His face went slack as he fell instantly in love. At once, everyone else, including Keefe, clambered over Sophie to have a piece or another in Keefe's case, and by the end, everyone got one, except for Fitz. Sophie handed him a chocolate, but he shook his head.