ONE CHANCE, kotlc

Chapter 1: Noticed

That was until someone with pair of teal eyes and strong arms helped her up and slung one of her arms over their shoulder. Her mind was fuzzy, and once they made it to the bench in front of the office, her breathing calmed.

"Thanks," She said dryly to the boy. Sophie couldn't hide her surprise when she realized it was Fitz.

"Wait here," He said. "I'm just going to grab some ice from the office." 

Sophie sat down, placing her hands in her lap, and squeezed her eyes shut. Her chin ached, but she tried to shake it off. It must've been one of Keefe's pranks. She felt ridiculous. And so was the prank. Her cheeks heated up as Fitz came and sat down beside her. 

"Here." He handed the pack to her. 

"Thanks," She shrugged, placing the cool ice on her chin, making her skin tingle. Their shoulders touched for a moment, sending sparks running down her body.

And before she could say something, he was running down the hallway, not another word to be said. 

"I feel so embarrassed!" Sophie moaned for what had to be the millionth time. She sat in a shady corner with Tam, Linh, and Biana. "I want to bang my head on this table. Maybe if I hit it hard enough, I'll get knocked unconscious for long enough to spare myself the embarrassment."

"Then do it," Tam shrugged as he stabbed his fork at his salad.

"That's not a very good plan," Biana glared at Tam. "I thought you could help her— Not make her more depressed!"  

"Tam!" Linh playfully smacked her twin and shot Sophie a sympathetic glance. "Don't listen to him." 

The rest of lunch was filled with quiet chatter, and as the bell rang, Sophie realized she still had the rest of the day to survive.

She finished some Math and Science in a breeze, but after she stumbled out of Chemistry, she knew she'd flunked it. 

Sophie stalked over to her locker and opened it, only to find a bunch of rubber duckies toppling all over her, sending her onto the floor along with a bunch of snickering prodigies. It didn't hurt, but that Keefe Boy was getting on her nerves. 

By the time she dug herself out, the halls were empty. School had ended, and she was infuriated. She felt down too, but she couldn't put her finger on the reason why.

"Hey," A male janitor with stubble said. "You need help cleaning up?" 

"You don't have to. I can find a bag and do it all myself." 

"It's fine, kid. I can help you out." 

It took them a bit of time, but by the end of it, all the rubber duckies were all back in the bag. 

"Thanks," He squeezed her shoulder as he started to walk off. "You're a considerate person." 

Sophie left the school knowing she didn't want to walk home. She knew she'd pass the Vacker's house on the way, and that was so not happening. And she didn't have the guts to explain her feelings. 

Besides, her adoptive parents were out for the whole day, so she had nothing to lose. 

She ended up going in the opposite direction. Sophie ended up by the park, and she sat down on a bench and stared at the little pond and all the little kids getting along. If only she could get along with people that well.

Sophie felt the sunshine on her skin as she held her backpack closer to her. She stared at the birds, sharing the birdseed an old, bloated man was giving them. Everywhere she looked, there was kindness. 

But was there enough in the world for her?

She buried her head in her hands as she breathed shallowly.

"Hey," A familiar voice said. Sophie heard the person sit down beside her. "What's up?" He asked. 

"It's nothing," She replied, not looking up. Whoever it was, they didn't deserve her time. 

"Okay. . . It's Sophie, right?"

"Yes," Sophie gave in and looked up, scowling when she saw Keefe. "You—" 

"So, I have to say," He flashed a smirk. "You totally tripped on my pranks! You made everyone laugh the most! We need to make a video together! Oh, and my—"

She stood up and left him in her dust. Luckily he wasn't following her.

Sophie stalked off and ended up bumping into someone. "Sorry," She mumbled, not looking up.

"It's no problem."

She peeked up tentatively, and her eyes settled on a pair of teal ones.

"It's no problem," Fitz flashed a smile, and she forced a smile onto her face. 

"Bye," Sophie gave a tiny wave as he walked off. As if she couldn't be more embarrassing.

"So, you like him?"

She scowled and turned around, seeing Keefe whistling as he leaned up against a tree.

Maybe, just maybe, Fitz was actually noticing her.