Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-43347423-20200111144721/@comment-43347423-20200130021255

Chapter Twelve

Sophie sat down on her bed and turned to face her parents.

Eventually, Grady broke the silence. “So, are you and That Boy dating now?”

“Keefe,” Sophie immediately corrected. “And no, we’re not. At least, not really?”

She felt herself turn red. What had happened to not being embarrassed?

“It’s okay if you are,” Edaline assured her.

Sophie looked at her feet. “But we’re not. At least, we haven’t planned anything, and… I don’t know. There’s nothing official…”

Grady huffed. “Looked pretty official to me.”

“Well it’s not,” Sophie argued. “It was just that when I was healing him, I had to tell him how much I loved him because, like I said in the healing center, he needed proof that someone cared about him. But… I told him I loved him and how much I needed him, and he came back for me, and then he told me that he loved me too.” Then she blushed, realizing how sappy that sounded.

“Aw, that’s adorable,” Edaline said. “I always knew you’d come around.”

“I’d come around?”

Edaline smiled in the annoying-mom way that always made Sophie want to hide under her fluffy blankets for a year. “It was obvious how much he loved you. Even more obvious than it was with Dex.”

Sophie blinked. Grady scoffed.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Edaline said, still smiling. “He told you all the time. I wasn’t even with you guys that much, but he’d always compliment you, protect you, and he also constantly brought up the fact that he was ‘president of the Sophie Foster fan club.’ He also doesn’t care about matchmaking.”

“But,” Grady intervened, “that doesn’t mean I trust him. That Boy-”

“Keefe.”

“Keefe has lied to you, betrayed you, and hurt you. Multiple times.”

“He apologized for that and promised he’d never do it again,” Sophie said defensively.

Grady raised his eyebrows.

Sophie covered her face again, feeling the heat on her palms. “It was the first thing he said after I healed him,” she added, hoping she win over her overprotective father.

“Well, that does count for something,” Grady said, which Sophie was willing to take. She was sure Keefe could win Grady over.

Sophie lowered her hands from her face, saw Edaline’s goofy smile, and immediately covered her boiling face back up.

“It certainly does,” Sophie heard Edaline say.

A silence followed the statement.

“Well, kiddo, you’ve had a long day,” Grady finally said.

A subject change.

Sophie slowly lowered her hands from her face, relieved she didn’t feel like her face was on fire anymore.

“Why don’t you get ready for bed?” Edaline offered.

Sophie was quick to agree. She hopped in the shower, glad to be able to wash away the emotions of the day.

She imagined all the worry and stress and pressure and loneliness of the day slowly wash down the drain, replaying her entire day as she did so. She held onto her happiness and pride and love. She especially replayed her conversation with Keefe after she’d healed him.

But then she realized there was one thing she’d forgotten to figure out.

What was she going to tell Grady and Edaline about Glimmer?

She stressed for the rest of her shower, ruining the fresh start she’d been hoping for. She changed into her pajamas slowly, dreading the conversation ahead.

Then she forced herself to open her bedroom door.

“Mom? Dad?” she called. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

“What?” they called in unison from below her.

Sophie hesitated before eventually saying, “Uh, can you come up here?”

They did as she asked, and Grady raised his eyebrows at her again.

“It’s not about Keefe,” she said first to make sure they didn’t get any ideas and start asking questions. “I just wanted to let you know that we found out Glimmer’s real identity today. She asked me not to tell you, but… I think you deserve to know.”

Grady took Edaline’s hand.

“She knew you before she joined the Neverseen,” Sophie said, wondering how she was supposed to word this.

They’d been crushed when they’d found out Jolie was with the Black Swan.

How would they react to her having been with the Neverseen?

“Sophie, you’re killing us,” Grady said, sounding almost calm. “Who is she?”

“Uh… I don’t know how to put this,” Sophie finally said. “She’s… Jolie.”