When Sophie arrived at Havenfield early, Grady and Edaline were working in the pastures with Verdi, the dinosaur with neon feathers. They saw the bandages on her legs and forearm, and rushed towards her.
"What's wrong? Are you alright? What happened?"
"Calm down! It's okay, I just had Alchemy with Lady Galvin today."
"Oh. That makes sense," Grady remarked.
Sophie wasn't sure if she should be offended by this, so she just blabbed about what had happened, and how Elwin had sent her home early.
"Well, you better go up to bed," Edaline said, giving Sophie a once-over.
"Really, I don't need to-"
"I'll make some mallowmelt," Edaline bribed.
"Fine," Sophie grumbled. Her greatest weakness was mallowmelt.
Grady laughed, and he turned around when Verdi roared.
He ran back towards Verdi's cage as he exclaimed, "Well, I better get to that. I'll be fine, Edaline. Get this girl some mallowmelt!"
Up in her room, Sophie was working on her Multispeciesial Studies homework, when she felt her imparter vibrate beside her.
"Hey Biana! What's up?" Sophie answered the hail, and greeted her friend.
"Sophie! Where are you? We've been waiting!"
"Oops! I'm so sorry! I forgot! I'll be right there." Sophie could hear Keefe and Fitz laughing in the background.
Sophie hung up, then changed out of her Foxfire uniform and into a plain gray tunic, and she fixed her ponytail as she ran outside to tell her parents she was going to Everglen.
"Alright, Sophie! Be home before dinner!"
"Love you! Bye!" Sophie yelled back, as she jumped off the cliff near Havenfield, and teleported to her friends.
Keefe, Fitz, and Biana were waiting outside for Sophie, to let her through the glowing gates of Everglen. Instead, they heard a crack of thunder, and Sophie fell from the sky, stumbling forward, and knocking Keefe over, falling on top of him.
"Ouch, Foster!" Keefe yelped as her blonde hair fell onto his face, all though he didn't really mind it at all.
"Sorry!" Sophie rolled off of him quickly, taking her warmth with her.
Keefe got up, and rubbed his side. "You know, Foster, there are easier ways to sweep me off my feet."
Sophie's face grew hot as she got up and tugged out an eyelash. Biana was staring at them expectantly, and Fitz was glaring at Keefe.
"Where's Dex?" Sophie rambled nervously, noticing his absence.
Fitz answered quickly, still glaring at Keefe. "He couldn't come, because his dad needed help at Slurps and Burps."
"Oh."
"Who wants to play Base Quest?" Biana suggested, and Sophie happily obliged.
"I call Foster!" Keefe shouted, earning another look from Fitz.
"No, I want Sophie!" Biana declared. "Sophie, together, we'll be unstoppable!"
"Hey! Foster, what about Team Foster-Keefe?" Keefe interrupted.
"Boys verses girls." Sophie decided.
"No fair!" Keefe complained.
"Life isn't fair. Now c'mon. You guys should quest first, because Biana and I want to give you two at least a fraction of a chance-"
"Hey!"
"-even though we'll totally beat you either way."
"Don't get too confident, Sophie!" Fitz adds.
"It isn't confidence. It's pure experimental facts."
"Shut it, Biana!" Fitz says, "Let's start, NOW!"
Biana and Sophie sprinted left, while Fitz and Keefe ran the other way.
Sophie found the perfect base, and she closed her eyes to track Fitz, but he was blocking her, so she connected her mind to Keefe's instead.
At the front of Keefe's mind, there was an image of a large boulder, located about a quarter mile away from the lake.
"Biana, I'll guard the base, and you sneak up on them to tag them!"
Biana nodded, right before she vanished.
Sophie waited, and waited, and began wondering if Biana had tagged Keefe and Fitz, and they just forgot to tell her the game was over.
Sophie felt a little sad about this. What if they had forgotten about her? Did they really-
"BOO!"
Sophie screamed as she elbowed the tall figure behind her, and she jumped around to see Keefe, clutching his side.
"Ouch, Foster! What was that for?" Keefe said, still leaning over in pain.
"Sorry- I thought- You know, you shouldn't try to scare someone who's been kidnapped!" Sophie said, smirking.
Keefe got serious then. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"I'm joking!"
"Oh," Keefe said, smirking right back at her, "Hey- It's not really my fault. How was I supposed to know you were capable of making a joke?"
"I'm plenty capable, thank you very much."
"Fine. Tell me a joke."
"I can't tell you, but I can show you one," Sophie said, trying not to smile.
"Oh yeah? Show me then."
Sophie took Keefe's hand, and led him over to the lake. She pointed at his reflection.
"Ha, ha. Very funny," Keefe turned towards her after getting the joke.
"Oh, and Keefe?"
"Yeah?"
"I win." Sophie tapped his head, just as she saw Biana tag Fitz when they were running over the hill by the lake.
"AHHH!" Sophie screamed as Keefe pushed her into the lake.
Sophie stayed under the water, holding her breath. She could hold her breath for a very long time, she even beat the record at Exillium, with 45 minutes.
Just as she planned, Keefe waded into the water, calling her name.
Sophie shot out of the water, grabbing his arm, and pulled him under with her.
2 minutes later, Keefe and Sophie emerged from the water, laughing.
"Gotcha!" Sophie pointed at him, still laughing.
"Not fair! You tricked me!"
Still giggling, Sophie swam back towards the shore, and slipped on the mossy rocks, falling backwards.
Keefe caught her, and she turned around in his arms. Before she knew it, her and Keefe's face were getting closer and closer. Sophie glanced down at his lips, and back up to his eyes. It looked like he was thinking the same thing.
"Are we interrupting something?" Fitz asked, leaning on a tree.
Keefe and Sophie sprang apart, which made Sophie slip again, but this time, she just fell in the water. Keefe didn't laugh.
"No, YOU were interrupting something," Biana said, reappearing next the Fitz, and she gave him a dirty look.
"C'mon, Sophie, you can borrow some of my clothes, just let me grab a towel from inside," Biana offered, while Sophie slowly walked onto dry land.
Biana ran inside, blinking in and out of sight. There was an awkward silence between Fitz, Keefe, and Sophie, until Fitz said, "Uh, yeah, Keefe, I'll get you a towel as well."
Fitz sped towards the house, running as fast as he could.
Keefe sat down on the grass, and Sophie did the same next to him. She hesitantly laid her head on his shoulder. They were silent until Keefe spoke up.
"So- um, Foster-"
Sophie eagerly waited for what he was about to say, until they heard footsteps behind them.
They heard Biana whisper yell, "No! Fitz! Give them a moment!" When Fitz appeared standing next to Keefe, holding a large towel.
"Uh- thanks," Keefe muttered, wrapping his towel around himself.
Biana groaned at Fitz's actions, and gave Sophie her towel.
"Actually," Biana said, an idea forming in her brain, "This towel's no good, Sophie. You and Keefe will just have to share."
"No, it's fine, I-" Sophie said, but Keefe had already wrapped part of his towel around her shoulders. She scooted a bit closer to him, and blushed.
They stood up, Keefe's arm and towel still around Sophie, and the group of friends walked back towards the house.
Sophie noticed the sun set in the sky.
"Oh, I'm sorry guys, I have to get back home! I'll see you at school tomorrow! Bye Keefe!" Sophie shifted out of Keefe's arms, disappointed, and ran as fast as she could to get momentum, wet hair whipping in the wind, and she thrust her hands forward, causing the sky to crack open.
Before she slipped into the black void, she heard Keefe shout, "Bye Foster!"
Even though she just left, Keefe was still happy. He felt her happiness when she was in his arms, and he believed it was enough to last him a lifetime.