"Good morning students!" Dame Alina's voice echoed through the room that morning. "I have some quick, special announcements I would like to say: Last year—in the first semester—we only had three total go to I.S.S., and this year in the first semester we've had five. Students, I am encouraging you to do better by raising the stakes. If you have not been in I.S.S. or if you did your best on you midterm tests you'll get to go to the Winter Gala."
There were cheers mixed in with groans (and Sophie was definitely one of the groaners) as Dame Alina finished her speech.
"That's all he announcements for today. I hope you have a wonderful morning. Bye-bye!" Then she left the stage without another word.
As people left to go to their classes, Sophie sighed. "I really wanted to go to that dance," She complained.
"Eh," Keefe said, standing up beside her. "We can have our own party Foster! We don't need them."
"But what about Fitz?"
"Yeah," Fitz said with a smile. "What about me? You're just going to leave me by myself?"
In the past few weeks Sophie had actually gotten to know Keefe and Fitz a lot better. It was like they had their own little group inside of a bigger group. Keefe was the crazy person, Fitz was the voice of reason, and Sophie made all the rational decisions. It was kind of cool.
Keefe shrugged. "I guess I could think of a few ways to get you in trouble," He rubbed his hands together.
"I'll pass," Fitz said before turning to Sophie. "Do you want me to walk you to class?"
Sophie smiled. "Yeah, thanks,"
Also in the past few weeks, Fitz had been visiting her house and helping her with homework—even though she really didn't need that much help. She's also realized a weird flutter in her heart every time Fitz looked at her or said her name. Sophie really thought she liked Fitz.
"And I guess I'm chopped liver," Keefe mumbled, but he still had a smile on his face.
Fitz shook his head. "You can walk her to class tomorrow—we can take turns."
Keefe grinned. "You got yourself a deal Fitzy! See you two at Lunch!" Then Keefe walked away.
"Your first class is algebra, right?" Fitz asked as he walked her to her locker.
Sophie nodded, putting in her combination and getting her stuff. But when she shut her locker she saw words written in red marker on the front of her locker:
Preppy Princess Brat!
And Sophie new exactly who wrote it. Tears stung her eyes, but she promised herself not to cry.
"Who did that?" Fitz asked, his voice filled with anger.
Sophie let out a shaky breath. "One of my...old friends," She said.
Fitz just looked at her for a second before pulling her into a hug, causing people to whisper around them. But honestly, Sophie didn't care. She just wanted to go home.
"Aw, look at the two little preppy kids,"
Sophie turned around and saw Marella, Stina, and a few of her cronies staring at her and Fitz. "Do you like the present Tam left you?" She asked with a smile.
Sophie was about to turn around and ignore her, but Fitz grabbed her hand and glared at Marella. "Why would you guys do something like that?" He asked. "Sophie didn't do anything to you,"
Marella rose one of her eyebrows. "If only you knew," Marella snapped. "Sophie traded us away for your group."
"I don't understand," Fitz said. "What did we ever do to you guys?"
Marella rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't understand—you never will." Then she stalked away with her new friends at her heels.
"What was that about?" Fitz asked, turning to Sophie.
But Sophie just shook her head and grabbed Fitz's arm. "It doesn't matter—let's just go to class."
§§§
When Sophie got into drama class that morning, instead of sitting beside of Maruca like she did nowadays, she walked straight up to Mr. K's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Said his muffled voice.
Sophie opened the door and walked in before shutting it back behind her. "Mr. K?" She said, her voice shaking a little bit.
Mr. K looked up from his papers and smiled at Sophie. "Yes Miss Foster?"
"Um..." Sophie tentatively walked to one of the chairs sitting across from his desk before sitting down. "I need help,"
Then she told him everything that had happened. She needed to tell someone that she assumed would understand.
The whole time Mr. K watched her, looking intrigued and pitying. "Miss Foster," He said after a minute. "You are a good student, and from what I've been seeing since you moved here, a very good friend. I don't think you should blame yourself for what's happening—it's a normal thing for people to drift apart after a while. But I need you to convince yourself that this is not your fault. Some people need to start realizing that they can't get mad at someone because they're mad at someone else."
Sophie nodded. "But...I really want my friends back,"
Mr. K thought for a second before he let out a sigh. "Judging from my long years of teaching and me being a student at one point myself, I predict you'll get your friends back. It may take a while, but if you keep being true to you, they'll come back."
Sophie looked at her hand for a second before nodding. "Thank you Mr. K,"
"No problem," He said as Sophie stood up. "Oh—and Miss Foster?"
Sophie turned to face him before she turned to leave.
"Are you going to join me for our Theater Recognition Ceremony in January?"
Sophie smiled and nodded. "Yes sir,"
Mr. K's face lit up as he put a check mark on a paper. "Thank you Miss Foster,"
Sophie nodded. "Thank you too," Then she turned and left back into the Drama room.
"Hey Sophie, do you mind sitting by me today?" Biana asked as they stood in line to get lunch.
Sophie shook her head. "Not that I have a problem with it—but why?"
Biana bit her lip before leaning in closer. "People are starting to talk,"
"About what?" Sophie asked.
Biana looked around her before shaking her head. "I'll tell you later—follow me to the bathroom after you get your food, okay?"
Sophie had no idea why, but she still said, "Okay,"
Once Sophie got her food she set her tray down beside of Biana's and followed her to the bathroom, but Keefe and Fitz stopped her.
"Where're you going Foster?" Keefe asked as she walked past him.
"...The bathroom," Sophie said.
"Oh," Keefe said, but then Fitz tilted his head. "Why aren't you sitting between us like you usually do?"
"Oh, uh...Biana wanted me to sit by her today. It's not a bit deal," Sophie felt her palms get sticky.
But both boys just shrugged it off and went back to the table.
That's what real friends should do. Sophie thought as she entered the bathroom.
"So...what'd you want to talk about?" She asked Biana.
Biana peeled herself away from her reflection before smiling at Sophie. "Well, for the past few weeks you've been sitting by my brother and Keefe. People have been talking that you're dating one, or both of them. It's a big scandal at the moment, really. I figured you wouldn't want that being spread about you—and I definitely don't want it spread about Fitz. So you can sit across from the boys, but beside of me until that weird gossip fades away."
Sophie nodded, more than a little horrified about the rumors being spread about her. No one assumed that when she used to sit beside of Dex. Then again, no one paid attention to the "Geek Group", but everyone paid attention to Fitz's group.
"Alright," Sophie said before nodding and walking out of the bathroom, Biana behind her.
"You two took a rather long time," Fitz said as Sophie and Biana made it back to the table. "What were you gossiping about."
Sophie didn't really appreciate that word. Sophie wasn't a gossip girl. She was just a regular girl. It kind of made her feel like Fitz just saw her as another one of his preppy friends.
"Oh, we weren't gossiping," Biana said, taking a bite of her salad. "I was just giving Sophie some pretty make-up tips."
Fitz shrugged. "Eh, I don't think Sophie needs make-up to be pretty—she just is."