8

Sophie headed back to her dorm after another date with Keefe, to find Biana getting ready.

I called out, "Hey, what're you up to?"

Biana spun around, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Umm, well... Tam asked me on a date to this restaurant."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you haven't even told me....."

She shrugged, cheeks flushing a little. "I told you. Remember?"

"Oh... yeah?" I said, frowning. "Honestly, I don't remember you saying that."

Biana laughed softly. "Maybe you were too busy thinking about Keefe"

I blinked, suddenly self-conscious. "Uh, what? No way."

But even as I said it, my mind started wandering—thinking about Keefe's hazel eyes, how cute he looked in sweatpants, and, okay, that six-pack... I felt my cheeks heat up and quickly shook my head. "Ugh, when did I become one of those girls?"

Biana grinned and grabbed her bag. "I gotta go. See you later, Soph!"

"Bye! Have fun," I called after her.

I popped my head out of the door "You better tell me everything!" I say with a teasing smile

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, you'll get all the details — whether you like it or not."

I grinned, feeling lighter than I had all day. "Can't wait."

II glanced at the clock — 7:00 PM exactly. Biana had been gone for a while, and the quiet was starting to get to me.

I grabbed my phone and typed out a message: 

Sophie: Hey Keefe, wanna play a few video games?

His reply came almost instantly: 

Keefe: Yup, definitely. Where do you wanna meet, my love? 😏

I rolled my eyes but smiled as I typed back: 

Sophie: "My love"? Come to D56.

Keefe: Wait, isn't that one of the private lounges? Sophie: Yep. See you there.

I slipped into the lounge, the soft glow of lights and the hum of the gaming console filling the room. Keefe was already there, settling into the plush couch with a confident grin.

"Hey, my love," he teased as I sat down beside him.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Don't push it."

He laughed and handed me the controller. "Ready to get crushed?"

"Please," I shot back. "I'm going easy on you."

The game started, and for a while, it was all laughter, playful competition, and the easy comfort that came with being around someone who just got you. Every time our hands brushed reaching for the controller, I felt a little spark that I tried to ignore but didn't really want to.

At one point, Keefe glanced at me, his smile softening. "You're really good at this."

I shrugged, feeling a blush creep up. "Maybe I just have a good teacher."

He nudged me gently. "Or maybe you're just trying to impress me."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Maybe I am."

The night stretched on, and the world outside faded away until it was just us, the game, and a feeling I couldn't quite put into words.

Just as we were leaving the lounge, I leaned in and gave Keefe a quick kiss—well, at least I hoped it was quick. Before I knew it, Keefe pulled me close, his arms wrapping around me tightly.

The kiss deepened, warm and steady, like everything I'd been holding back was finally spilling free. My heart hammered as I melted into the moment, forgetting everything except the feel of him.

When we finally pulled apart, breathless, Keefe smiled softly.

"That was definitely not quick," he teased.

I laughed, cheeks flushed. "Yeah... guess I didn't want it to end."

The next morning I flopped onto my bed as soon as Biana walked into the dorm, still glowing from whatever post-date haze she was in.

"You haven't told me about your date," I said, raising an eyebrow. "When I came back from the lounge, you still weren't here."

Biana giggled, pulling off her jacket and tossing it onto her desk chair. "Oh yeah — Tam and I had so much fun. We went to this cute little restaurant, then we walked along the beach for a bit, and after that, we came back to the dorms."

She paused, practically beaming.

"And then?" I asked, folding my arms with a mock-serious face.

Biana plopped down dramatically on her bed. "And then we talked for a while... maybe a long time. Well, however long it was. It's my epic love story."

I laughed. "Epic already? It's been one date."

She stuck out her tongue. "Jealous?"

I shrugged with a small smile. "Only if he brought you chocolate."

I just wanna say for the next part, I DON'T HATE FITZ. Oki? It's just showing his anger issues.... and in my opnion I feel if Fitz had someone to help him with his anger issues maybe he'd turn out better. 

Alden and Della were always working for the council

Biana was always with her friends and stuff like that

Alvar was with the Neverseen and spent a lot of time eating pancakes

Oki I'm done, sorry guyssssssss