Keefe's eyes shone with an indescribable emotion but he turned and grasped Marella's hand and led her out the door. I rolled my eyes. As if I cared. He could go fuc-
"Sophie-" Fitz waved his hand in front of my face. Just in time to see Keefe's Tesla drive out of the parking lot.
"Yeah? Sorry, what were you saying." I smiled.
We kept talking for an hour, and it didn't look like Biana and Linh were ready to leave but I stood and I announced.
"I think I might walk back to our dorm, its not even far." I shrugged.
Biana's eyebrows knitted together. "Are you sure Soph? It's dangerous out there."
"I'll come with you." Fitz commented. He stood and grabbed his suit jacket.
"Thanks." We walked out the front door.
I grabbed my forearms in an attempt to give myself warmth. Fitz shrugged his jacket over my bare shoulders.
"No Fitz-"
"Sophie. It's all good. Actually I wanted to talk to you about something?"
I was taken aback. "Yeah, what's up?"
He almost looked shy. "So you know Linh? I was thinking about asking her out. But i got nervous and chickened out. So... do you know what her favourite flowers are?" He was blushing.
I was suddenly excited for both Linh and Fitz. "Oh My Gosh. You like Linh?! I guess I really am oblivious. Um, I'm not sure what flowers she likes, buttttt I could find out?"
He nodded. "That would be fantastic."
We approached the building and the dorm entrance. He turned to me and I went to give him but his suit jacket.
"Just keep it for tonight. Its cold."
"I'll give it back tomorrow." I nodded and noticed something on the jacket in the corner of my eye. " I laughed. "Fitz?! You label your clothes?" and sure enough, in the corner of my eye there was in big cursive FItz Avery Vacker. Please return if found.
I started to laugh and so did he.
"It's very useful, stop laughing!" He said but continued to laugh.
He touched my shoulder. "I'm gonna head out, probably to Dex's dorm. I do NOT want to know what Marella and Keefe are doing."
I giggled. "Ok sure. Bye!" I wrapped the warm fabric tighter across my shoulders. And navigated back to my room. To my dismay, I was met with a massive mess of clothes, makeup and everything in between. I huffed and started picking up things. After that was all done, I had developed an appetite. My stomach, which grumbled, agreed. I reached over up to the cupboard for a cup of two minute noodles, prepared it and settled in my bed, I took Fitz's jacket off and changed into my pyjamas and threw on a grey hoodie over it. I put on my glasses which helped me see better and put my curled hair into a high poytail and opened my laptop.
After about 5 incorrect combinations, I finally got it right. I sighed. Technology had something against me.
I clicked on some rom-com Biana had suggested I watched. About halfway, I clicked the pause button as I heard sounds outside my door.
"Hello?" I called. I groaned and got out of my bed and opened the door to see Biana standing with Tam. The were laughing at something on Biana's phone. Tam stopped when he saw me, his expression shifting back to broody-angry teen male.
"I- was just walking her back."
Biana looked up and saw my state of appearance. "Movie night...what are you watching? what are we eating? how long is the movie? hey can we make popcorn? ill make popcorn." She said hyperactively
"We don't have popcorn Biana." I deadpanned. I turned to Tam. "What did she drink?"
He shrugged "Beats me." And with that he walked off.
Biana kept rambling. Wait.
"Wait." I stuck my head out the door to Tam. "Where's Linh?"
Tam's eyes widened. "Dizznee." He grumbled, then mumbled something about metal bats and disneyland.
I turned back to Biana who was in front of the blender holding up a pineapple.
"I wanna blend stuff!" She laughed.
I rolled my eyes and snatched the pineapple from for hands, it proved hard considering she had iron-like grip. She pouted after I, barely, got it out of her hands.
"Biana" I shook my head. "Let's just get you sleep yeah?" She pouted.
"Let me stay up pleaseeeee." She sounded as if she was my child. I groaned and motioned to my bed, the rom com still on the laptop. Her eyes lit up and she basically pounced on my laptop.
"Yay!" She clicked play and I leaned against the counter and softly rested my head on the overhead cabnients
My head was throbbing like crazy. i quickly downed a panadol and told Biana to take my laptop to her bed. She moved, her teal eyes not moving the screen. I snuggled into my bed and when my head hit the pillow I floated into a deep sleep filled with dreams of red dresses, restaurants and blonde infuriating males.
~~
The next morning I sat up, my headache a little better. I was madly sweating in my jumper, pyjama pants and top. I quickly removed my jumper and got up to open the window. Biana was still passed up in her bed and I looked over to find Linh asleep in the armchair. A book by an author I could not see in her hands.
I groaned as dizziness impacted my capacity to stand up straight. I rubbed my temples and the pain eased the slightest. I soon got changed into something a little less suffocating. I pulled on a nidnight blue tank top, some black wide leg pants and some shoes I found at the front door. I pulled my still curled hair into a messy bun and put on my glasses. Usually I didn't need them, but today, my vision was not it.
Before I forgot, I grabbed Fitz's suit jacket (do you see where this is goingggg) and my phone and headed out. I checked the clock before I left. 6:53, perfect. Gives me around 15 minutes before Biana and Linh wake up and gives me enough time to get to my 7:30 class. I rushed out the door just in case something would keep me from finding Fitz.
I put my phone to my ear. Forgetting where Fitz's dorm was, I called his contact saved as Wonderbread. It rang through and went to voicemail and I groaned. I went to the boys floor and searched the room numbers. After a few embarrassing encounters with half-dressed guys I think I finally found their room. 1145.
I knocked.
Wait a minute.
Our conversation from last night jumped into my head.
"I'm gonna head out, probably to Dex's dorm. I do NOT want to know what Marella and Keefe are doing."
Shit.
No no no no no.
I panicked looking around. And just as I was about to call Dex and make a run for it, someone opened the door and I cringed. Marella stood in the door smiling.
"Sophie, right? Sorry, I'm not good with names, last night was a haze. It was a longgg night"
"Got it."
I played dumb in order to give off the vibe that I didn't know Fitz wasn't here. Even though I did. Curse you, Sophie!
"Sorry. Is Fitz here? I just needed to give him something." I showed her the jacket. Her eyes narrowed.
"Huh." Was all she said. "Let me check." The door was open a little as she left and I tapped my foot looking around waiting for "Fitz" even though I knew he wasn't there. The door opened again but it wasn't Marella. It was Keefe staring at me through narrowed eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to give Fitz his suit jacket. He left it with me last night." (now do u get it???)
"Last night?" His voice dropped.
"Yeah." I said obliviously. "Soooo, did he make it back to his room by now?" I looked behind Keefe.
"Back to his room?" Keefe said surprised.
"Yeah, didn't he tell you?" I said.
"No. Not really." His voice was curt.
"Oh, well." I shoved the suit jacket at him. "Give it to him for me, okay? Tell him, it was fun" (oh no sophie...girl)
He gripped the jacket, he voice tight. "Sure."
(oh sophie u oblivious girl)
I turned to walk back to my room. But not before turning around and spying Marella put a comforting hand on Keefe's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and her smirk caught me off guard.
Keefe left the front door and Marella walked out and slammed the door so only her and I were in the hallway.
"Sophie."
"Yes?" My eyebrow raised.
"Stay away from Keefe."
"Why? If I don't, what will you do?"
"I'll make your life a living hell."
I laughed "I'm not letting anyone with poorly bleached hair tell me shit about my life."
She stomped her foot. "It's not bleached."
"Tell that to the ugly-ass brown roots you desperately need to redye." I rolled my eyes.
"At least I have Keefe." She smiled triumphantly.
I scoffed. "My leftovers were getting cold anyway. Someone ought to take them." I flicked my loose hair over my shoulder. "What's the time?" I asked innocently.
"6:59" She sounded skeptical.
I groaned. "That's 6 minutes I've wasted talking to plastic like you."
She gasped. "I'm not plastic."
"Tell that to your liposuction." My rage exploded. I rolled my eyes and stalked down the hallway before Biana and Linh could wake up.
I ran the last twenty metres before slowly opening the door. It creaked a little but not much. I sat down at our communal table just before Linh rubbed sleep out of her eyes and groaned.
"What time is it?"
I checked my phone. "7:03."
She groaned again and stood but immediately sat back down. "Nope. Nope." She repeated.
I laughed and grabbed a maroon jumper from my closet which I threw on since it was cold.
"Hey Sophie?" Linh asked.
"Yeah?" I turned my head to her while attempting to pour cornflakes and milk at the same time. Milk before cereal and cereal before milk but who said I couldn't do it at the same time?
"I know you don't like parties-" She looked sheepish
"There's my favourite word again." I deadpanned.
"But, there's a guy I kind of like. And he invited me to his tonight. But I don't want to go alone."
I contemplated. "Why don't you ask Bia?"
"I need someone responsible who won't pass out on his couch to come with me. For backup."
I bit my lip. "Fine. But only a few hours. I really just want to sleep as much as I can while I don't have exams."
Linh nodded avidly. "Deal."
Silence settled over us.
"So what's his name?" I shoveled some cornflakes into my mouth.
"Wylie Endal. He's in some of my classes. He's in year 2 of university." She blushed.
I smiled. "He sounds nice."
"He is." She looked over to her closet and picked out an outift for the day. "I'm going to go change. If I don't come out by the time you leave, I'll see you tonight?"
"Yep." I washed out my bowl.
She squealed a bit. "Okay. You will not regret this."
That's when Biana chose to wake up. "What's going on?" Even when she woke up she still looked like she had never slept.
"Party tonight."
She threw her fist in the air. "Yes." She started chanting 'party' to herself.
"See you later." I called out grabbing my phone and my books. 7:25. Oh no.
My class dragged on for like hours. I could barely keep my eyes opened so I just kind of drifted to sleep.
"Ms Foster." Ms Belva spoke up. "If I'm boring you could you please take it outside. This class is not mandatory and your just taking one of the many spots that people want in this lecture hall." She crossed her arms.
A girls voice sounded from beside me. "Don't mind Ms Belva. She's just jealous. She's a young university lecturer who graduated a year ago and has the biggest crush on Keefe and rumours going around that you two were dating." She had long black braids, and one electric blue one. Circle rimmed glasses donned her face and her darker skin was clear as can be. I needed to ask for her skin care routine.
"Keefe and I are not dating." I scoffed. "Sorry, do I know you?"
"Nope. I'm Maruca Chebota-Endal."
"Oh. Like Wylie Endal?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Everyone always compares me to him. But I know you meant no harm."
"I'm Sophie-"
"Foster, I know. Words gone around about you."
I turned shy. "Really? I didn't mean to cause a scene."
"When a girl hangs out with Keefe Sencen. She nevers means to, but always causes a scene."
"I'm not looking for attention. Really."
"I'm sure you're not. But I'm sure he is." She rolled her eyes. "He's a player. Don't spend your time with that trash."
"Trust me I wasn't planning to."
She just went back to taking notes.
I sighed and took some notes from the current powerpoint slide.
"Keefe Sencen is always a bad idea." She murmured and tutted.