Chapter Twenty:

Sophie's POV:        As I say in English class and stared out the window, all I could think was how much I wished I could be anywhere but here. There were giant piles of snow outside, just calling me to jump in them and more snow was falling.

       Fitz sat next to me still, much to my annoyance. I hated being near him. All it ever did was remind me that I wasn't enough for him.

      Keefe showed up fifteen minutes late to class today, leaving me with Fitz. I figured he was ditching but then he ran into the class. "I thought you were ditching," I whispered to him after the teacher stopped lecturing him on punctuality.

        "I'd never ditch English," he said, whispering back.

          "I thought you used to ditch all the time. And that you hated English!" I said.

          "Well, you gave me a reason to come," he said, smirking as though he was teasing, but his face looked serious.

         "Well, I'm glad you come. The class would suck without you!"

          He raised his eyebrows, "I knew you loved me, Foster."

         I rolled my eyes, "you wish,"

         "I really do..." he said, so quietly I don't think he thought I could hear it. But I could, and it made me wonder: in any world could Keefe ever like me back? I shook the thought out of my head and tuned into what the teacher was saying.

         "You're going to be partnering with someone and writing a romance book together. Then, you will act out a few scenes from the book to the class. You can start the project now and yes you can pick your partners," the teacher said. Omigod was she serious? I loved romance books. And writing. And acting. This was going to be a dream.

        And then I realized we needed partners. And that dream crashed into a nightmare. The only people I knew in this class were ridiculously popular (Fitz and Keefe) what was I going to do?

       "Hey Sophie you want to-" Fitz started before Keefe grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Fitz.

         "Yo, Foster, wanna be partners," he asked. My breath caught for a second as I realized how close he was.

         "Sure," I said, quietly. He smiled and sat down in his chair. I sat down too and we spent the rest of class planning what our story was gonna be.

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         "And we're going to the movies and what should I wear and what should I say and Is it a date? I mean, obviously it's a date but is he gonna ask me to be his girlfriend? Is he gonna try and kiss me, should I have mints with me? Should I wear lipstick? Chapstick?" Biana panicked while laying in my bed. She had come over after school and instantly started listing the worries she had about her date with Tam.

         "Okayyy 1 and 2. You're Biana you don't need my help for that 3. Duh 4. Fingers crossed he does 5. Probably and yes 6. Lipstick," I answered listing responses to every question she had asked.

       She bit her lip, "but what if... what if he doesn't like me?"

      "Biana, everyone loves you, he'll like you,"

      "Of course you'd say that!" Biana said.

      "What do you mean?" I asked.

        "Everyone likes you! You're just too blind to see it!"

          I couldn't believe she'd just said that. There was no way. Not everyone liked me. Fitz couldn't even stay with just me. "Biana, listen, you and Tam are gonna go and have a really great time, okay?" I said.

          "Okay," she nodded, smiling.

          Her smile reminded me of Fitz's smile, which I had once loved. Now I loved the smirk on Keefes face more. "Now, let's do something fun before you have to Keefe!" I said.

          "Did you just say Keefe?" She asked.

           I rolled my eyes. "No, Biana, I said leave. As in, 'let's do something fun before you have to Keefe!'"

           "You did it again! Omigod, you are so obsessed with Keefe. It's kinda adorable!" She smiled.

           My face covered In blush. "I am-" ding dong.

            Someone answered the door and then footsteps walked up the stairs. "Oh! Hey, Biana, I was just coming to see if Sophie wanted to- um- I should go," his face was bright red.

           "Dex why are you acting like that? You can stay!" I said.

            Dex looked right at Biana who looked down and blushed a little. "Nah, I should go," he said.

            "Call me later!" I said as he walked out the door. He just nodded. Then I turned on Biana. "What happened with Dex?" I asked.

           She bit her lip. "I- he- well you know how he liked you for a while?"

           "NO??" I said.

           "Well, he did, and yesterday, he came and told me that since you were acting like you were all into Keefe and before that I was Fitz, he realized you'd never like him and no one probably would and he started crying. And then, well, I told him he was amazing and I didn't see how anyone could not like him, just to cheer him up! But... I wiped a tear off his face and then I was really close and he, well, he kissed me. And I didn't really kiss him back but I kinda did but then he saw me with Tam today and I think he's sad and embarrased," she said, blurting through the story.

           "YOU KISSED DEX?" I asked, loudly.

            "Yes! Or well, he kissed me."

             "Omigod, Biana! What about Tam?"

              "I'll just... tell Dex I like someone else tomorrow. It'll be simple, really."               I wished my life could be that simple.