Stina, Fitz, Keefe.
The most awkward group of all time.
First, Stina just didn't get along with either of them. Probably because Fitz had been with Sophie, and she had been one of Keefe's oldest targets for pranks. Especially after becoming friends with Sophie and Dex.
Second, Fitz and Keefe had had a weird kind of tension betweent them since... well, Fitzphie had happened. And the whole argument, though Keefe figured that had just been Fitz being angry. Still stung a little, but he was basically over it.
The boys walked silently, but the females... not so much.
Stina and Ro made passive aggressive comments about each other every so often while Grizel tried being peacemaker... it wasn't the best idea. Instead, she was conversing with Stina's new bodyguard, Luika, in low tones.
Keefe rolled his eyes.
"Can you guys shut up? Some of us are trying to think."
"Didn't know you could do that," Stina quipped.
"Wow, real original," Fitz said, "what are you gonna do next, compliment him?"
Ro snorted. "I'm going to just watch this conversation. Did anyone bring snacks?"
"What's your deal?" Stina sked angrily. "One moment you guys are arguing over Sophie—Sophie Foster, mind you—the next you guys are the world's biggest bromance. Plus, the tension between you two is stifling! I'm out of here. Deal with your stupid problems and meet me at the Alicorn cage when you're done!" She strode off, leaving Keefe ad Fitz dumbfounded.
"What just happened?" Grizel broke the shocked silence.
Ro shook her head. "That girl is more confusing than the love triangle."
Grizek snorted. "Tell me about it. You're lucky you weren't here for the square."
"Oookay," Keefe said, "let's move on from this subject."
"Whoa, Funkyhair. As much as I hate to agree with Stinka there, you guys need to talk. Honestly, it's just painful watching you two tiptoe around the Blondie subject."
Keefe snickered at the new nickname for Stina.
Then he registered what she said. "Seriously?"
Grizel nodded. "If not, I'm locking you guys in the Vermidion cage."
Fitz sighed. "Might as well."
Keefe groaned. "Come on, Fitzy! We need to rise up against the bodyguards! They don't control us!"
Fitz rolled his eyes, obviously trying to hold back a smile.
"Look. I want to say... I'm over Sophie."
Keefe froze. "What?" A tiny bit of hope clung to his voice.
"I realize that I don't like her. Not like that. She doesn't like me like that either. We're specifically on a friends only relationship. Forever."
"But, I thought—"
"Keefe, when did you start showing that you liked her? Like, publicly showing your feelings?"
Keefe chewed his lip. "Right before I joined the Neverseen..." he still felt a flush of guilt rise in his chest at the thought of that time, though it'd been almost three years since then.
"Exactly." Fitz cocked his head. "And when did I show mine?"
"After me," Keefe said slowly.
"I kinda, sorta, liked her before then, but I never showed it. When you started showing interest in her, I started, so I don't know... honestly, feelings are way too confusing, but long story short, Sophie and I had a talk, and we're on a friends only relationship. She's a lot more like a sister to me. I realize that now." Fitz shook his head. "Maybe I was jealous. Something. But it's cool if you like her still."
Keefe tried to process it. It was really hard. He had been trying to stop crushing on Sophie.
He really had.
It hadn't worked.
And now he didn't have to stop?
"So you're saying," he said slowly, yet again, "That you don't like her?"
Fitz rolled his eyes. "No! And she doesn't like me! You got that?"
Keefe's mouth formed a grin, growing wider and wider.
"I'm guessing by that ridiculous look on your face that you still like on her, huh?"
Keefe shrugged, still smiling. "Three years and still going strong."
Fitz whistled and said, "Three years? It must have been torture watching me and Sophie together."
"You have no idea," Keefe said. "The Fitzphie stare fests were the worst."
Ro chimed in. "Oh yeah, one time he came and punched a wall after the whole Unmatchable thing."
"I still feel bad about that," Fitz admitted. "I reacted badly. But, I guess it was good, in a way. It showed that we weren't meant for each other. I'm not.. I don't think I could handle being a bad match."
Keefe twisted his lips together. "If it was for Sophie, I wouldn't mind. Honestly, I'd welcome being a bad match."
"You and me are very different in many ways." Fitz agreed. "So, you want to go see what Stina is doing?"
"Don't you mean Stinka?" Keefe joked. Then he groaned. "Not really, but yeah. Let's go check on Glitterbutt and Glitterbutt 2.0 and the Glitterbutt twins."
A/N: okay, this is my Saturday update on Monday, but the weekend has been really tense. If you want to know the exact reason I wasn't able to update at the normal time, you can check my account and I posted an announcement there. Thanks for all of y'all's patience. Love you ❤️❤️
Updated: 2-15-2021