CASTAWAY 'ˎ˗ kotlc

~TWO~

 Sophie's chest rattled. Her breathing was uneven. What did he mean 'there'? All Sophie saw was an exhausted Grady still trying to tame a rambunctious t-rex out in the pastures of Havenfield.

Dex waved his hand in front of Sophie's face. "Hello?"

Sophie shook herself out of oblivion. "What do you mean, there, Dex? Either I'm going crazy, or you are."

"I'm going to say that you are going crazy," Dex grinned, but it quickly faded and was replaced with a worrisome look. "I'm telling you the truth about this. The door to the Neverseen's main hideout is under Havenfield." He ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I've hailed the others and they should be here in a minute or two."

Sophie furrowed her brow in confusion, "Do you mean we're going to the Neverseen's hideout now? Has the BlackSwan given you permission?"

A furious pounding against the door interrupted their conversation. Sophie groaned and opened the door to a grinning Keefe.

"Hey, Foster."

Sophie rolled her eyes, and Dex motioned for Keefe to come in.

"Did Dex tell you everything?" Sophie questioned as a worry line spread across her forehead.

"Yep," Keefe muttered, staring at the dinosaur out the window. Keefe walked around, making himself at home.

"Fitz and Biana should be here soon..." Dex muttered, glancing out the window briefly before spinning on his heel and falling onto the chaise.

Keefe fidgeted with a pot he held in his hand. "Is this crystal?"

"I guess," Dex muttered, shoving his arms into a crossed position.

Sophie leaned against the wall, slowly smoothing her blue tunic. It was a tasteful outfit, casual but not too casual, with faint golden designs swirled near the waist-line and a black, silky belt that wrapped around her quite a few times and was knotted neatly.

Keefe set down the pot and began to look around some more.

Sophie heard a gentle but rapid knocking on the door. She opened it, and a flash of brown hair enfolded her in a hug. It was Biana. As usual, Biana's gorgeous hair was styled elaborately, and she wore a glamorous dress, draped in elegant folds that fell to her knees. It was a creamy-blue sort of color, like the sky after a rainstorm, once the storm-clouds had cleared away. A thin golden belt hung around her waist, twisting in elegant loops and studding with what looked to be diamonds.

Sophie murmured into her shoulder, "Thank you for coming."

"Of course." Whispered Biana. Biana pulled out of the hug and held Sophie at arm's length. "I super approve of the outfit by the way!" she squealed, "Ooh! I know the perfect pair of earrings to go with that! Oh, and can I go look through your closet? I couldn't find a good necklace to go with this, so I thought you might have one."

Sophie gestured up the stairs, "Go ahead!"

Biana raced up the stairs and Sophie turned her attention to the door.

She hadn't noticed, but in the doorway stood Fitz. He casually leaned in the doorway of her house, his teal eyes glittering with worry and perfection. His hair was the perfect amount of shiny without being greasy or fake looking. "Sophie, are you ok?" he asked in his perfectly sweet accent.

An army of butterflies rallied inside Sophie's stomach, and she felt her face heat up as she stared into Fitz's dreamy eyes. She heard Dex cough, as if to say, "Snap out of it."

"Um...yes. I'm fine."

"We should head out," Dex spoke up.

"Shouldn't we wait for Biana?" Sophie asked. Her heart pounded inside of her chest, and she couldn't hear her own thoughts over it as Fitz glanced at her.

"Probably. I don't think she'd be able to find us if we left without her," Fitz grinned broadly at Sophie. His smile hypnotized Sophie.

Keefe had begun to play with a rubber band, flicking random things all across the room. He fished in his pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. Keefe's lips unfurled into a mischievous smile, and he shot the crinkled paper straight at Fitz's face.

The paper stopped halfway to Fitz and hovered in the air. Fitz reached out a hand and grasped the projectile, smushing it into an even smaller ball than it already was.

Keefe scowled. "You cheated. No telekinesis allowed!"

"Says who?" Fitz shot back, a grin creeping onto his face. His eyes sparkled and Sophie couldn't help but blush again.

A squeal rang through the room as Biana hopped down the stairs, admiring the new golden chain that hung around her neck.

"It's gorgeous Sophie!" she gushed.

Sophie nodded. "I like it. It really..." Sophie searched her mind for the right words. "It really pulls the whole look together."

Fitz raised an eyebrow at Sophie and a muffled stream of shots echoed through her mind.

Since when did you become such a fashion expert?

Sophie fought back a laugh and transmitted a reply to Fitz.

Biana's a great role model.

A stifled snort escaped from Fitz's mouth, but he covered it up with a sneeze. He briefly winked at Sophie before turning to face Biana.

"Are we going now?"

Dex and Keefe nodded.

"Ok," Biana smiled and fingered the small golden chain around her neck. A little heart-shaped diamond hung from the center of it.

Keefe opened the door politely and nodded to Fitz, a smirk creeping into the corners of his smile. "Ladies first."

Fitz shoved Keefe out the door. "You're right, ladies first."

Keefe grimaced and looked like he wanted to punch Fitz, but he held it together and walked ahead of the group, disappointed that his little 'scheme' hadn't turned out the way he had planned.

Dex put on a burst of speed to catch up with Keefe and led the group through the pastures of Havenfield.

"Hello!" Grady called cheerfully from the pasture where the dinosaur stood, clumps of bubbles draping over its neck like a boa.

Sophie waved at Grady and then turned her attention back to Dex.

"This way," Dex made sure no one was looking, and then pushed back the leaves of a large bush. Fitz was the first one in, with Biana and Dex at his heels. Keefe lingered behind the group.

Sophie brushed the leaves out of the way and began to walk into the thicket of leaves, but she turned back and looked at Keefe.

"You coming?"

"Yep," he spoke, brushing some loose locks of blonde hair out of his fallen face.

Sophie knew that something was wrong. Keefe never, never, NEVER acted like this. Maybe Keefe's dad was secretly hiding in the bushes? Sophie began to look around for him.

"Um.... Foster? What the heck are you doing?" Keefe tilted his head to meet Sophie's eyes.

"Well, you just seemed upset, so I thought your dad might possibly be hiding around her somewhere, because, you know-"

Keefe laughed at Sophie, his eyes instantly lighting up with the normal-Keefe-energy. "No dad here, just me and my fabulous hair!"

Sophie rolled her eyes and hopped into the bush, leaving Keefe all alone in the pastures of Havenfield.

"Wait up!" were the only muffled words that came from Keefe's mouth as Sophie emerged into darkness.