keep your friends close

(17)

Stina twirls a strand of her hair around her finger. "Sounds like a ghost."

Sophie sighs. "No, it sounds like a Shade." She looks to Dex, who's leaning against his locker. "Am I wrong?"

"No," Dex answers, but he's still frowning. "Shades can't just disappear into thin air, though. Or sneak in and out of Everglen's gates undetected, either." His fingers slip against the small metallic orb he's fiddling with, and he curses quietly.

Maruca scoffs and pops another Prattles into her mouth. "It sounds like Biana needs her vision checked."

Sophie gives her a curious glance. "What's with you and Biana, anyway? I thought you were friends?"

"Like I said," Maruca replies, avoiding Sophie's gaze, "it's complicated."

"What's so complicated about it?" Sophie asks. She looks to Stina, sure that she would know something—but even Stina is uncharacteristically silent.

"Anyway," Dex says. "The Black Swan have already sent more dwarves and goblins to patrol. I don't see what else we can do besides keep an eye on the Vackers at Foxfire."

Sophie thinks back to her conversation in Alden's office yesterday. "I guess so."

"It's not like Sophie's been able to take her eyes off them," Stina says with a snort. Dex and Sophie give her a withering glare.

"Speak of the devil," Maruca hisses, elbowing Stina.

They glance up to see none other than Fitz Vacker heading towards them. His gold cape stands out like a sun as he weaves through the hallway of red Level Fives. He grins when he catches sight of Sophie, oblivious to the gawking stares of the prodigies he passes by.

"Sophie! I've been looking for you," Fitz says, lightly jogging up to her.

"You were?" Dex deadpans.

Fitz turns his attention to the others. "Oh, hey everyone," he says, and Dex rolls his eyes. "Do you mind if I talk to Sophie? Alone?"

Sophie's mind spins. Alone? What could Fitz want?

Stina looks equally as displeased as Dex. "Whatever you want to say to Sophie, you can say to us," she responds.

Fitz rubs at the back of his neck. "It's something I would really—"

Maruca holds out her (nearly empty) Prattles box. "Prattles?" she asks him.

"No thanks, Maruca. I just wanted to ask Sophie—"

"Aw, nuts!" Dex snaps as he fiddles away with his marble gadget. A small gear pops off, hitting Stina neatly in the forehead.

"OW!" she screeches. "What's wrong with you?!"

Fitz takes a breath and tries again as the two continue to squabble in the background. "I just need—"

"Sophie, tell her to get OFF of me!" Dex whines as Stina pulls at his hair.

Sophie glances between Fitz and her friends. "Uh... maybe we can talk another time," she tells him sheepishly.

"No! I mean, this will only take a second," Fitz replies, reaching forward to catch her by the hand. Before Sophie can even process that, he asks her, "Do you want to go to the Foxfire dance with me?"

Dex and Stina's arguing dies down almost immediately. Sophie's left staring into Fitz's teal eyes, practically holding his hand, her racing heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"It's just, uh, Biana told me you didn't know about it, and I figured that meant you didn't have a date," he stammers, mistaking her silence for hesitation. "So if you wanted to go—we could go together, or something?"

"Sure," Sophie says without even realizing, her mind still reeling. She smiles. "That sounds fun."

Fitz smiles back, relieved. "Cool. I'll talk to you later, then."

He heads down the hallway the way he came, his gold cape fluttering behind. Sophie stares after him.

"Uh, Earth to Sophie?" Stina calls, waving a hand in front of her face. "Wanna tell us what just happened?"

"Fitz just asked her to the dance," Maruca answers.

"No duh," Stina shoots back. "I'm talking about Sophie agreeing to go to the dance. Since when was that in the mission statement?"

"It's not," Sophie admits. She presses her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to cool them, but all that did was remind her that Fitz held her hand. Fitz. Held. Her hand.

"Don't be jealous, Stina," Dex reprimands, even though he looks one disgusted expression away from puking on his shoes. "We should be happy for Sophie. Even if it's with Golden Boy," he adds with a grumble.

"I'm just saying Sophie needs to get her priorities straight," Stina continues.

"Fitz is kind of my priority though," Sophie retorts.

Stina narrows her eyes. "We can't afford any distractions. Not like last time."

Sophie's stomach churns as the memories trickle back. Rushing waterfalls, dark caves, echoing laughter—

"Whatever," she mutters back.

After an awkward beat of silence, Maruca clears her throat. "Can we get going now? I don't want to be late to gym. Especially today."

"Ohh, I almost forgot about that!" Dex exclaims.

Sophie blinks. "What's today?"

Dex's face morphs into a mischievous grin. "Today is the splotching tournament."