Sokeefe Forever

~Chapter Four~

(Now they're in high school together)

(Keefe's POV!)

Foster had always been special to him. Ever since they'd met in daycare. She was the only good listener who stayed for his entire life. She was the only person he'd ever relied on. Everything else was up to him.

But now... After years of doing that for her, she'd found another guy. And he wanted to vomit all over his boots as he watched them laughing with each other.

Sophie's arm was hooked with his, clinging to her boyfriend like she'd clung to Keefe. She'd clung to Keefe like that for the first fourteen years of their life. That was a much longer time than just a few months with Fitz. And now she'd decided that Keefe apparently wasn't good enough.

"Hey, Keefe!" Sophie called, noticing him after letting go of her boyfriend. She smiled and stopped in front of him. Keefe plastered a grin on his face.

"What's up, Foster? Hey, Fitz." Keefe muttered the last part, glancing at Fitz with narrowed eyes. Then he focused back on Sophie.

"Wanna come get frozen yogurt with me after school? Fitz is doing football practice, and I thought you'd want to do our weekly hang-out session during then." Sophie suggested. Fitz's eyebrows raised.

"Um... You're doing what?" Fitz asked. Sophie glanced up at him.

"I'm hanging out with my best friend." Sophie replied, looking a little annoyed.

Keefe couldn't help wondering... Would Sophie feel conflicted between her friends and her love life if he was her boyfriend? Or was Fitz really better than him?

"Okay, I guess that's fine. See you later, Soph. I gotta go." Fitz said. He hugged Sophie, glaring at Keefe one more time before he left. Sophie rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, he's a little sensitive about you for some reason." Sophie mumbled. "I hope you don't mind." Keefe's brain exploded with: UM, YEAH, FOSTER! I TOTALLY MIND! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT? I WANT TO BE IN HIS POSITION! IT'S LIKE I'M COMPLETELY INVISIBLE NOW THAT FITZ IS IN YOUR LIFE! I'VE TRIED TO SUPPORT YOU, BUT YOU'RE MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT!

"Oh, nah, I don't mind." Keefe lied. "As long as I still get to hang out with my bestie." Sophie grinned, laughing.

"Yeah, sometimes I swear he's trying to keep me away from you." Sophie mumbled.

Keefe's mind: HE IS TRYING TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM YOU! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!

"Oh, yeah, that's weird." Keefe said awkwardly.

"Okay, Keefe, see you after school. I gotta go, but..." She pulled something out of her backpack. Keefe grinned when he saw what it was. "I kind of got you another stuffed gulon. It's pink this time. Maybe-" She was cut off by Keefe's hug.

"Thank you." He whispered. Sophie smiled, letting go of the hug to give him the stuffed gulon.

"No problem. I just hope it's not a bad gift, I know your birthday is coming up, and I found it at the store, so..." She shrugged like that explained everything. Keefe grinned.

"It's perfect, Foster, thanks. You're the best gift-giver." Keefe blurted out. Both of them blushed at the same time, and then Sophie had to go. But Keefe couldn't help wondering if he'd gotten her the gulon for a different reason...

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(Sophie's POV)

(Now they're at the frozen yogurt shop)

"Thanks for hanging with me, Keefe. You're a really good listener, and I need to talk to you about something." Sophie said quietly, picking out the gummy bears in her frozen yogurt cup and eating them.

Funny enough, Keefe did the same thing...

"Yeah, Foster, hit me. What do you wanna talk about?" Keefe replied.

"I know you've never been in a relationship before..." She blushed as she thought about Fitz. "But... I just feel like it's so... Awkward. Like, when me and Fitz were friends, it was a lot easier. But now that it's official... It feels so... Weird." She admitted.

Keefe's grin changed to him chewing on his lip, and she couldn't help wondering what that meant.

"So... Why do you think it feels weird?" Keefe asked quietly.

"I don't know... Maybe..." She sighed. "Maybe he's not right for me." Keefe swallowed hard.

"So... You'd break up with him? Can you handle that? I wanna make sure you're okay with that." Keefe mumbled. "Cause if you don't think you can handle it, maybe you shouldn't do it until it becomes overwhelming."

"Yeah, but, that's the thing... I think it's already overwhelming and I haven't even gotten three months in with him. I keep thinking we're just awkward because it's my first relationship, but... I don't think so anymore." Sophie whispered.

And Sophie didn't feel like crying. She felt like... Going outside and doing something else. It was almost like her mind forgot to worry about how Fitz would react or how she would feel after breaking up with him.

"I think we're better off as friends." Sophie finally realized. And she was okay with that, weirdly. It was almost... Right. "But he's not going to like it. At all."

"Yeah, I know." Keefe muttered. "That boy has some anger issues."

Sophie playfully smacked his arm, making both of them laugh.

"Sorry, but it's the truth." Keefe said between laughs. Sophie sighed.

"Maybe you're right. I'm gonna break up with him tomorrow." Sophie whispered. Keefe's hand nudged closer to hers, but he didn't take it.

"Whatever makes you happy is what I want for you." Keefe said quietly. But it was almost like he was trying to convince himself, not reassure her.

"Thanks, Keefe. You're the best." Sophie replied. And when she hugged him, it was almost like flutters went off in her stomach.

But... Why?

And that night, as she fell asleep, she saw Keefe's face in her mind. Staring into those ice blue eyes were almost... Comforting. She felt safe. Not awkward.

She shoved those feelings away. It would ruin their friendship... Right? Or would it make their friendship something more? Something better?