•The Beginning•
"Hi there."
"Hello," Keefe said, staring at the girl sitting beside him. He thought the tree was empty.
"I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah," he said, avoiding her gaze. He shifted on the branch.
"What's your name? I'm Sophie." She swung her legs.
"Keefe."
"That's a cool name. More unique than Sophie, anyway. There are a thousand Sophies at school, just saying."
Keefe looked up at her. "Really?"
"Yeah." She shrugged. "I'm not friends with any Keefes. Until now, at least."
"I'm your..." He hesitated. "F-friend?" He wasn't used to that word.
"Yep. You seem cool."
"Cool..." he repeated. And for the first time since they had moved there, he smiled.
•The Pact•
"Keefe!" Sophie called, but he didn't hear her. He was too busy running away, away from his coldhearted mother, away from his abusive father, away, away, away from everything that tied him to his family. Away from Sophie, who probably hated him.
He ran until his legs collapsed. He had no idea where he was anymore, but the scenery around him reminded him of the park in front of his and Sophie's house.
There. He saw the tree. The Tree. The tree where they had first met and become friends. It doesn't matter anymore, he thought, plucking at the grass underneath him. Sophie won't want me as a friend — or more, he thought fleetingly.
"Keefe!" He heard Sophie's cry from behind her, felt her footsteps vibrating through the earth, and smelled her familiar scent of vanilla and honey. It took every ounce of his willpower not to turn around and embrace her. He kept his gaze trained on the ground until Sophie finally stopped in front of him. He read the hesitation in her scuffed purple sneakers as she stood there, waiting. She finally collapsed to the ground next to him.
"Keefe," she said again, softer, quieter. She placed her hand on his. "I know you're probably thinking that I'm mad and disappointed. At you. And I am."
He turned away and mumbled, "How is this helping me?"
She squeezed his hand. "Because I still want to be your friend. Even though I'm mad and disappointed, we can work through this. After all, isn't that what friends are for?"
Though some of his soul crumbled at those words, he mustered a faint "Yeah."
But then Sophie was dragging him up, dragging him over to The Tree.
"We need to make a pact," she said firmly, snatching two bunches of flowers from the white dogwood tree.
"I'll keep one," she said, thrusting it into her pocket. "And you keep one," she said, handing it to Keefe. The flowers felt almost warm in his hands. The warmth flowed through his body, sealing all the cracks of their friendship. He smiled, pocketing it.
"I'll never, ever lose it," he whispered.
Sophie glanced up at him. "You better not," she said, dead serious.
•The Move•
"You promise you'll keep in touch?" Sophie said, grabbing his arm.
"I promise," Keefe said, showing his phone to her. "See, I have you on my contacts list."
Sophie squinted at it, then burst into laughter. "Really, Keefe," she said, shaking her head.
"Well, that'll remind you to keep in touch with you, Best Friend That I Will Constantly Talk To," he said, grinning. "The very bright fire emojis help too."
She laughed again, but there was a sad smile on her face. Quick as lighting, she lunged forward and hugged him. He stumbled backward, then wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm going to miss you," she mumbled against his shirt.
He swallowed. "Me too," he whispered, cradling her closer.
Finally, the two broke apart.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Sophie said, reaching for his hand and gripping it tightly.
"But it's not the end," Keefe said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. He smiled at her. "Far from it. We'll still be best friends."
Sophie smiled sadly. "You're right," she whispered.
The two stayed there for a long time, just staring at each other until a yell from outside startled them from their thoughts.
Keefe's face instantly darkened. "It's my father," he grumbled. He glanced toward the door, then back at Sophie.
"Goodbye," she said. "See you... soon."
"Yeah," he whispered. "Bye," was all he said before releasing her hand and walking out the door.
a/n: I hope you guys enjoyed these flashbacks! I know they weren't much, but I needed something to occupy Keefe's chapter, and these shed a lot more light on Sophie and Keefe's relationship before the events of this story. Sorry for not updating in so long. See you guys (hopefully) soon!