Chapter 15 - Sophie

Hi! This is the sleepover at Everglen! Just remember that Fitz is at Stina's house so he's not there! Enjoy! - Viv

*Sophie's POV*

Sophie sat cross-legged on the plush carpet at Everglen, feeling a little out of place. The weight of everything that had happened earlier was still lingering, but she was trying her best to push it aside. With her friends around, maybe she could have a little fun.

Biana, who was clearly the most excited, practically bounced in her seat. "Alright, let's play! Sophie, truth or dare?"

Before Sophie could answer, Keefe, lounging on the couch with his usual smirk, leaned forward. "Hold up, I've got this," he said, his voice full of mischief. "Sophie, truth or dare?"

Sophie raised an eyebrow at him, a little surprised by his sudden attention, but she couldn't help but give him a teasing smile. "Dare," she decided, wanting to keep things light.

Keefe grinned, clearly pleased with her choice. "Alright, Sophie, I dare you to... sing your favorite song in front of all of us."

Sophie laughed, relieved by the harmless dare. "Seriously?"

Keefe shrugged. "Hey, you said dare. It's a classic move, Foster."

Sophie rolled her eyes but got to her feet, preparing to sing. As she started, her voice was shaky at first, but soon it felt more natural. By the time she finished the song, she couldn't help but laugh at the lighthearted atmosphere around her. Everyone was cheering her on, and for a moment, everything felt almost normal again.

"See?" Keefe said, grinning. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Sophie shook her head with a smile, feeling a little better. "I guess it wasn't," she admitted.

Keefe leaned back, his mischievous grin never fading. "Good. Now, it's your turn, Biana."

Biana leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "Alright, Linh, truth or dare?"

Linh didn't hesitate for long. "Truth."

Biana raised an eyebrow. "What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?"

Linh groaned. "I once tried to do a backflip at Exillium to impress everyone, and I landed flat on my face. In front of everyone."

The group burst into laughter, and Linh couldn't help but laugh at herself too. "Hey, it happens," she shrugged, "I'm still recovering from that embarrassment."

The game of Truth or Dare was in full swing, and Sophie was trying her best to enjoy the night, even though she could feel the tension in the air. Everyone seemed to be having fun, and Biana was the one leading the charge.

"Alright, Tam," Dex said with a mischievous grin. "Truth or dare?"

Tam grinned right back. "Dare."

Dex's grin grew wider. "I dare you to do your best Keefe impression."

The group laughed, already knowing this would be a good one. Tam stood up, stretched dramatically, and then struck a confident pose, mimicking Keefe's over-the-top attitude.

"Alright, here we go," Tam said, adopting an exaggerated tone. "I'm Keefe Sencen! I'm so cool, and my hair is amazing! And, I'm hopelessly in love with Foster! I just can't stop thinking about her, and I totally adore her!"

The room erupted in laughter, but Sophie froze, feeling heat rush to her face. Her stomach flipped, and she felt her cheeks grow red.

Keefe sighed, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his seat. "Seriously? That's not how I sound."

"Oh, but it is," Marella teased, grinning at Keefe. "It's pretty accurate."

"Yeah, Keefe, you definitely say that stuff," Biana added with a laugh. "Especially the 'hopelessly in love with Sophie' part."

Sophie's heart pounded in her chest, and her face was on fire. She couldn't even look at Keefe right now, so she quickly crossed her arms and tried to keep her voice steady. "He doesn't like me like that," she said quickly, her words tumbling out before she could stop them. "I don't like him like that either! So stop saying it!"

Keefe raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I'm not the one saying it. Tam is the one doing the impression. You should talk to him about it."

Sophie glared at Keefe, her embarrassment quickly shifting into frustration. "No, I'm serious! Keefe doesn't like me like that! He's not in love with me. You all are just making stuff up." She shook her head, her heart racing as she tried to deny everything they were saying. "So stop laughing! It's not true."

Tam snickered. "Alright, alright, Sophie. You don't need to deny it so loudly."

"I'm not denying anything!" Sophie protested, her face burning even more. "I'm just saying that he doesn't—" She stopped herself, suddenly realizing she was making it worse by talking about it at all.

She quickly crossed her arms again, trying to hide how much her cheeks were still flushed.

"Sure, Sophie," Tam teased, but his tone softened a bit. "Whatever you say."

The group continued to laugh, but Keefe's smirk faded slightly, and he leaned back in his seat, clearly enjoying the banter.

"Okay, but seriously, Foster," he said, his voice suddenly quieter. "Don't worry about what we're saying. It's all just a joke. No need to get worked up about it."

Sophie nodded quickly, feeling relief that Keefe wasn't taking the teasing too seriously. "Right, I'm not," she muttered under her breath. "I just don't want people to think... you know."

Biana gave her a teasing look. "Oh, we know, Sophie. But it's fun to mess with you."

Sophie rolled her eyes, trying to shake off the embarrassment. "Whatever. Can we just move on?"

Biana nodded. "Alright, alright, enough teasing Sophie. It's Marella's turn now."

Sophie exhaled in relief as the attention finally shifted away from her. She looked over at Keefe, who was still smiling, though it was less smug than before. Sophie just tried to keep her focus on the game, hoping her blush would fade soon.