Before:
"Yes, I'm sure." Keefe tried to keep the bite from his tone, but from the glare Biana was burning into his forehead, he wasn't sure that he'd succeeded. "I guess I have to tell you, don't I."
It wasn't a question. He had danced around the subject enough. He would have to tell them soon enough anyway.
"Fine." Keefe hesitated for a long second... two... and then let it out in one big breath. Maybe if he said it quietly and quickly enough, they wouldn't hear. "My parents are applying for a match-fail."
The words didn't register at first.
"W-what?" Sophie breathed.
"They're splitting up," Keefe mumbled, a little louder than the first time. "They had a big fight, and my mom said that maybe it would be better if he left forever and then he tried to leave, and she grabbed his arm-" He stopped.
Maybe he noticed the look on Sophie's face.
Maybe he felt her emotion changing from annoyance to... she wasn't sure what she was feeling. All she knew was that-
"Keefe, I am so, so, sor-"
"Whatever," Keefe cut her off, staring at his feet. "I know."
"But I am, Keefe!" Sophie insisted, fighting down the spark of anger that appeared when he interrupted. He had every right, now that his life was being destroyed. "I am really, really sorry!"
"I don't need your pity," Keefe finally raised his head, and the look on his face broke Sophie's heart.
If he had been angry, or sad, or even guilty in some way, she could have dealt with it. But the resignation on Keefe's face, as though he was used to disappointment and hadn't really expected anything else, the shadows that coated his eyes and his mouth...
"This isn't pity," Sophie said firmly.
And she meant it.
She wasn't feeling pity, she was feeling sympathy, which she considered to be different, even if Keefe didn't. But she wasn't about to tell him that.
"Am I not allowed to say I'm sorry?" Sophie's arms, which had dropped to her sides, braced on her hips again. "Just because I say sorry doesn't mean I pity you. It means that this sucks. It really does. This sucks, and we are going to get you through this, but first, you have to clean up and answer some of my questions."
Keefe closed his eyes, this time keeping them shut. He looked almost as though he was in pain, his forehead creased and his nose scrunched up in a way that... almost looked cute.
Sophie shoved the thought from her mind with the force of a freight train. "Okay?"
"Fine," Keefe muttered, opening his eyes.
"Good. Now, Biana and I are going to leave for Havenfield, and you are coming with us. Get all of your stuff." Sophie tapped her foot.
Keefe blinked. "But- your parents-"
"They aren't there. They had to go do something or... something, I'm not really sure," Sophie lied. A new manticore had come in the day before. They would probably be busy with that, and not notice Keefe sneaking upstairs to shower and change. But she didn't need to tell him that there was the slightest possibility Grady could see him. "So you're safe. Come on, get your stuff."
Keefe sighed, his shoulders slumping even more. He deflated a bit, trudging around the clearing to pick up the drawing materials littered around the grass.
Sophie bit her lip and glanced at Biana, worried at the lack of jokes and hair products. But Biana was standing stock still, frozen with shock.
"Biana?" Sophie shook her friend's shoulder. "B?"
Biana's eyes opened wide and she shook her head hard. "Sorry, what's happening?" She cleared her throat at the catch in her voice.
"Bee, what's wrong?"
"I guess my fantastical brilliance just made her go into shock," Keefe came up behind Sophie, his arms full of art supplies. She blew out a breath as she heard the joke, but his tone was undershot with a mix of resignation and worry.
Great, now she had two friends she needed to help.
She focused on the more immediate issue. "Biana? Come on, what's wrong?"
Biana shook her head. "I don't know. I just... I've known Lord Cassius and Lady Gisela since I was born, and for them to split up... I don't know. It's just so weird. Why now?"
"That's what we're gonna find out," Sophie insisted firmly. "Now come on, we're going back to Havenfield."
She grabbed both of their arms and somehow managed to step into her home crystal's light without using her hands.
...
"Keefe! How much longer?" Sophie demanded, although her voice was only half-heartedly annoyed.
Keefe's mood had improved, and he'd shouted out a few comments about her hair supplies (next to none, according to him), her makeup (why did she need so much, anyway?), her toilet (It was the fanciest throne he'd ever sat on), and her carpets (that thing was fluffier than Iggy when he was a purple puffball).
Even though he was being more of his old self, he was taking FOREVER, which she supposed was a sign that he was getting back to normal.
"Beauty can't be rushed!" Keefe called back, making his voice sound like Della's. Sophie and Biana snorted at the same time.
"Hmm... he's kinda right, though," Biana admitted. "You think this," she gestured to herself, "Just happens overnight?"
"I mean, I wake up looking fabulous every day, but to look extra fabulous like I always do... well, that can't be rushed. Or faked." Keefe finally stepped out of the bathroom, clothes changed into the outfit he had brought to the meadow for some reason, hair styled (although not as much as usual, thanks to Sophie's abysmal quantity of hair products), and face cleaned. He didn't look exactly as he had the last time Sophie had seen him- there were still shadows coating his face that were not caused by the light, and the purple circles under his eyes remained- but it was better. Waaay better. Better in a way that made Sophie not want to cook him up a hot meal and tuck him into bed. Which reminded her...
"Here," she practically shoved a bowl of hot orange mush that tasted juicy and flavorful into his arms. "Eat. Then we'll talk."
Keefe eyed the bowl for a second before grabbing the spoon she was brandishing in his face and devouring the food.
He looked so hungry, Sophie wondered when the last time he'd eaten a full meal had been.
"Hey, stop with all that worry," Keefe pointed the spoon at her. "I'm a growing boy, I need my strength. Although I don't know how I can grow MORE handsome than I already am... but eh, there's always room for improvement!"
Sophie giggled, even while wrinkling her nose at the orange goop dripping off the edge of his spoon. "Stop it! You'll get it on my carpet!"
Keefe shrugged, somehow managing to continue eating while his shoulders moved up and down. "Iggy or Bangs Boy can come to lick it up later."
Sophie rolled her eyes, struggling to hide a grin. Saving her from trying to come up with a response, Biana burst out of the bathroom, her hair covered in bright orange slime.
"Biana! You- what? What happened?" Sophie gasped.
"Keefe!" Biana screeched, pointing a finger at the blond boy. "I know it was you! Don't ask me how, or why, but it. Was. YOU!"
Keefe let out a mock gasp of shock. "What? I. Am. Offended! How dare you think it was I!" He wrenched his head to the side dramatically.
"Keefe, there had BETTER not be orange slime on my bathroom floor," Sophie warned, trying to muster up a disapproving glare.
He gasped again. "Ruewen, you surely don't think I did it, do you? What a betrayal of trust!"
Biana advanced on the smirking boy, and Keefe had the good sense to at least look a little nervous at the murderous look on the brunette's face. "You. Got. SLIME. In. My. Hair."
Biana reached a hand into the neon goop dripping down her cheek, getting a handful before flinging it at Keefe, nailing him right on his smug grin.
Keefe's lips formed a perfect O of surprise.
Sophie cracked up, holding her sides as she convulsed with laughter. She saw Biana's glaring face and laughed harder, until she got the hiccups and switched between giggles and hiccups.
Her hiccups were apparently so funny that Keefe and Biana started laughing too, until they were all collapsed on the floor, laughing their heads off until they couldn't breathe.
Biana let out soft, gasping breaths as she tried to regain her oxygen levels. "I- hate- you- both."
"I- know," Sophie choked out, sending them all laughing again.
When they finally caught their breath, Sophie glimpsed her carpet and groaned.
It was covered in bright orange slime.
"Ugh, Keefe. Where did you even get all that?" It was going to take forever to clean out the flowers that made up the soft rug.
"I will never divulge my secrets!" Keefe insisted.
Biana gave him a look. He sighed. "Fine. I've had that stash of slime in there for years. Just waiting for the perfect opportunity. And... today, I figured, why not?"
"So you rigged a tripwire into Sophie's sink," Biana summarized, shaking her head.
"Not just any basic, run-of-the-mill tripwire," Keefe informed her, shaking his head at her obvious stupidity. "It was tied with such delicacy and precision, only a true master could have done it. You're welcome."
If Sophie rolled her eyes any harder, they were gonna fall out.
"Anyway," she steered the conversation back to rational words. "Now you have to reclean up. And Biana too."
Keefe shrugged. Surprisingly, so did Biana. "Who needs showering? Why wash away perfection?"
Sophie sighed. "At least you don't smell bad."
"Yeah, not like the time that one rude mentor made us juice the curdleroots in detention."
"Which you got me," Sophie pointed out. "At least it was only for talking in study hall, not like that time when you roped me into putting reekrod into Dame Alina's desk."
Keefe sighed happily. "Yeah, good times, good times."
"Before you corrupted her," Biana put in. "She used to be sweet innocent little Sophie. And now..." They both looked at her. Sophie crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Yup, still innocent."
Sophie sighed again. "Can we please talk about what we came here to talk about?"
Keefe deflated a bit, but he put on a smile that came out a little forced. "I guess I have to some time, right?" The girls nodded, and it was his turn to sigh. "Alright. Fine, what do you want to know?"
Hope you liked that chapter! It's one of my favorites because it's just one of them being friends (well, the second half is-) without drama, or depression, or any of that. Just fun and pranks.
So yeah :)