Duluth / A Keeper of the Lost Cities Fanfiction

Duluth / 9

Mr. Scumby glared yet again at Sophie as she handed in her test in the basket sitting on his desk. She was, of course, the first one done with the Algebra II test, but that didn't mean she did anything wrong. As she turned away, she rolled her eyes at the teacher's red face. 

"Miss Barret, I saw that. Come back here." 

Sophie froze, ice crawling in her veins. Disappointing people in general was never one of Sophie's favorite things, but...

Number three. 

Get in trouble. 

Maybe this would take her mind off of Fitz. 

Sophie was aware that most of the kids were now looking at them then at their tests. But she still turned around slowly and asked harshly, "What?" 

"What do you mean 'what?' Apologize." 

"Um... no." 

Mr. Scumby's bald head turned as red as his cheeks as he shouted, "You need to be taught some manners, young lady. Detention. After school." 

Although most of Sophie's core begged her to apologize, she ignored it and instead said, "Whatever," and walked back to her seat, her heart hammering a million miles an hour. 

****

After texting Andrew why she was going to be late getting back (Sophie Barret, you did WHAT?), Sophie slid into an empty desk that was in the detention hall, the science teacher overseeing them while reading a US Weekly magazine. 

There was only a few other kids in the class; a girl with bright pink hair and a tattoo peeking out from under her sleeve, two freshman girls giggling in the corner, a tall boy with beats headphones blasting Drake, and... 

"Hi. You're... Sophie, right?"

Sophie's eyes widened at the sight of the blue-and-blond-haired boy sitting next to her. Lost in her own thoughts, Sophie had slid right next to him without even noticing. Sophie tugged out a loose eyelash. "Yes, I am," she said, and turned to her book that she had pulled out. A full nineteen seconds went by before the boy poked her with a pencil. 

"Aren't you going to ask me what my name is?" The boy said with a smirk that reminded Sophie of Keefe. "Isn't it the polite thing to do?"

"Well, according to Mr. Scumby, I have no manners. That's why I'm here. So excuse me if I'm not polite." Wow,  she was on a roll. 

But the boy only laughed. "Yeah, I'm in your Algebra II class. Man, you sassed him. But if you ask me, he's had it coming for a while now." Sophie only nodded slowly, still looking at her book. She turned the page, even though she hadn't finished the previous one. 

"I'm Nick." He reached out a hand, and Sophie heistated for a few seconds before shaking it. Talking to boys was... weird. "You don't talk much, do you?" Nick asked, his head tilting to side. 

"I talk to people that I'm comfortable with." Sophie said carefully.

"Wow, you're not comfortable with me yet? I thought we were best friends!" He stuck out his lower lip as if he were sad and, despite herself, Sophie let out a low laugh. The science teacher looked briefly up from the magazine, but was back to reading within a second. "So she does smile!" Nick said. "Or do you only smile around people that you're comfortable with?" 

"Oh shut up," Sophie said and she laughed again. Glancing at Nick, she saw that he was smiling too. As if noticing him for the first time, she saw that he has dark green eyes, almost hazel, and long, long lashes. If he had had blue eyes, Sophie would have no trouble believing he was an elf.  He was too beautiful to be talking to Sophie. 

But he was human.

And so was she.

So was she.

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Well I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep. Probably won't remember writing this chapter in the morning.