Chapter 20

                                    

                                          
"This is not what it looks like, I swear." Sophie said, crimson still covering her face. 
"Uh-huh. Get off of Lord Hunkyhair first. Then I might take you seriously." Biana said, amused. 
Sophie's eyes widened and she scrambled off of the boy below her, quickly standing up. Keefe followed suit soon after.
"We were just about to leave, but then you opened the door and knocked us over." Keefe explained. 
"Care to explain what you were doing in here in the first place? Alone?" Biana asked, smirking. 
Sophie blushed and dropped her eyes to the floor, giving Biana further reason to be suspicious. 
"We were-" Keefe started before cutting himself off as his voice broke. He cleared his throat. "Talking. We were talking." 
"Uh-huh." Biana said slowly, a skeptical expression on her face. 
"So, uh, why are you here?" Keefe asked, turning the question back on her. 
"I was looking for the both of you. Obviously. Everyone was wondering where you guys went. Speaking of, we should get back." Biana answered. 
"Yeah, Biana's right." Sophie spoke up, turning to go out the door. 
"Actually," Biana said, grasping Sophie's arm and pulling her back into the room. "I want to talk to you alone. You can go ahead, Keefe." she finished, beckoning for Keefe to leave. He sent a confused glance to Sophie before walking out and shutting the door behind him. 
"Yes?" Sophie asked, looking at Biana expectantly. 
"What happened before I came in? What's going on?" Biana questioned.
Sophie stared at her blankly for a second before shifting her gaze to the wall. 
"Nothing." she said. 
"Sophie." 
"It's not a big deal." Sophie replied, her eyes starting to water. 
"It is, or else you wouldn't be crying."
"This is so stupid. I shouldn't be crying over something so foolish." 
The tears started to fall and her body shook in silent sobs. 
"It's okay to cry sometimes, Sophie." Biana said, trying to comfort her. 
"But it's not! I'm the Moonlark! I'm supposed to have it all together. I have no reason to be crying." she blubbered.
"Of course you do! You were transported to the future not two days ago and you're still trying to process it. Not to mention whatever is going on with you and Keefe." 
"I guess." Sophie sniffed.  
They were both silent for a minute. 
"Are you okay?" 
"I'm just so confused." Sophie whispered, bringing her hand up to her face to wipe the tears out of her eyes. Biana started to rub Sophie's back, conforting her.
"What happened with you and Keefe?" Biana asked softly.
"I was worried and Keefe, he was comforting me, and suddenly we... we were getting really close together." She paused for a second. "Like, really, really close together. We almost... I think we almost kissed." Sophie admitted, a blush overtaking her face. Biana's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. 
She went to speak before Sophie cut her off with something else.
"But, I mean, that can't have been it, right? I like Fitz. Keefe and I... we're just friends. I didn't just almost kiss my friend. That wouldn't make sense. Tell me it doesn't make sense. Tell me I'm wrong." Sophie rambled, turning to Biana, her eyes pleading and still filled with tears. 
"Sophie... I can't. I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but I can't work it out for you. I'm sorry. I know you'll figure it out." Biana replied, a bittersweet expression on her face. 
"I just... everything's so jumbled. I don't know." 
"That's okay. You don't have to figure it out now. Just focus on being future Sophie right now." Biana said, pulling her into a hug. She blinked the tears out of her eyes and nodded against Biana's shoulder.  
"Ready to go back?" Biana questioned, pulling away. 
"Yeah." Sophie answered quietly. 
Biana grabbed Sophie's hand and they walked back to the room together. Everyone looked up from their conversation when the two elves came back in.
"Sophie! Where do you go off to?" Linh exclaimed, getting up and walking over to the pair.
"Oh, you know. Just the..." Sophie trailed off. What was she supposed to say? What would future Sophie say? "Just the bathroom."
"But the bathroom's down the other hall..." Linh said, looking quite bewildered. 
"So, what's for dinner?" Biana cut in, effectively changing the subject.
"Well, Wylie made this..." Linh started to say before Sophie tuned her out.
As if on it's own volition, Sophie's mind kept running through the moments right before Biana came in. Did I actually want to kiss him?, she asked herself. It's just, in that moment, it felt so right that I was about to kiss him. But I don't see how that makes sense because I've never liked him like that. I mean, yeah, Keefe's great, but he's not Fitz. So why did I have the desire to kiss him?, Sophie pondered. 
"Sophie. Sophie. Soph-" Biana called.
"Huh?" she said, blinking her eyes rapidly. "What?"
"We've called your name 7 times already. Are you okay?" Linh asked worriedly. 
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just zoned out for a bit. Sorry." 
"That's alright. We're ready to eat." Linh responded, heading towards the door and beckoning them to come with her.  
Biana and Sophie followed. They walked through a hallway and into another room. It was bathed in a brilliant golden color from the setting sun streaming in through the huge windows filling the room. There was a long, light-colored table in the middle of the room surrounded by chairs. This must be the dining room, Sophie thought.
Wylie, Tam, and Keefe were already seated and talking. Keefe was laughing and talking right along with them, looking like he belonged. When Keefe noticed her walk in, he stopped laughing and met her eyes. His eyebrows furrowed and he gave her a look that seemed to ask, "Are you okay?" She gave a slight nod in return. He smiled and turned back to the conversation. 
"Go sit next to Keefe. I'll sit across from you." Biana whispered in Sophie's ear, nudging her towards the open seat next to him. 
"Do I have to?" she whined quietly. 
"Yes. We're trying to keep up appearances, remember? Future Sophie always sits next to future Keefe." 
Sophie sighed and sat down. She really didn't want to be around Keefe right now, especially after what happened earlier. 
"Alright everyone, let's eat!" Wylie exclaimed once everyone had sat down. 
The meal consisted of purple-colored mush that tasted like steak and a green liquid that tasted suspiciously like mac-and-cheese. Everyone talked and laughed and ate, and Sophie started to feel like maybe this wouldn't be so bad. 
Around the middle of dinner, Keefe leaned over and brought his mouth to Sophie's ear.
"So, Foster, about earlier..." he whispered.
"That was a mistake. Forget it happened." Sophie said quietly before he had the chance to say it first. 
A look of hurt flashed across his face before he turned it back into a smile. 
"Right. You read my mind."