My Best Friend's Girlfriend

Chapter 1

There are many things I can say about Sophie Foster. She's beautiful, smart, and kind. She's also dating my best friend, and I was the one to get them together.

I should start from the beginning. The first day of school came faster than it had ever before, bringing with it homework, teachers, grades, and all its other painful qualities. I hated that aspect of it, but it also offered sweet relief from my parents. I had spent most of the summer with the Vackers for the same reason. My parents are both narcissistic, self-absorbed, painfully perfectionist people. My dad has multiple statues and paintings of himself throughout our home, and my mom considers herself to be the most beautiful woman alive. She doesn't say it, but you can see it in the way she walks, talks, and admires herself. Of course I'm a disappointment to them both. I have good grades. I even skipped a grade. but I rebel against their meticulously concise ways in everything I do. Fitz Vacker, the middle Vacker child, is my best friend. He and his family have been like my family for my whole life. Biana, a year younger than me (two years in grade levels), is like my sister. Alvar, the oldest, has always been my idol, as he's super cool.

I walked into Foxfire High School, my backpack slung over one shoulder. I found my locker in the junior corridor. Fitz was quickly at my side.

"Hey, Keefe," he greeted me. I smiled. Biana stood beside him, her brown hair curled and draped across her shoulders.

"Hi," she stood there awkwardly. "How are you?"

"Fine," I responded calmly. Biana had a faint blush to her cheeks, and as she left to find her own locker, I sighed. She'd had a crush on me for a while. She even dared me to kiss her on the cheek once when I had a sleepover with Fitz, but I don't like her that way. I've done my best since to make sure I don't lead her on, hoping she'll eventually move on.

"Did you hear about the new girl?" Fitz inquired. I raised my eyebrows so he'd elaborate. "She moved here from San Diego. Apparently her old family got in some kind of accident and she's in foster care."

"Huh," I rummaged through my locker. "What's her name,"

"Sophie I think," Fitz replied. He ran a hand threw his dark hair. "She's in Biana's year," I nodded along as he spoke.

"What do you have first?" I questioned, glancing down at my schedule.

"Math, you?"

"Chemistry," I smiled one last time at him before hoisting my bag back over my shoulder and walking to my class. My teacher was the same science teacher I'd had the year before. Foxfire was strange like that. Lady Galvin stood at the front of the room. She scowled at me as I entered the classroom.

"Take a seat, Mr. Sencen," she ordered. I sat down in the back. As the rest of the students filed in, she began writing details on our courses on the blackboard.

"Hm...flammable materials," I spoke snarkily when she wrote something about them down. "The nostalgia is rushing back." I was referencing when I'd burnt one of her treasured scarves in an experiment the year before. Her eyes blazed as a few of my classmates giggled, likely remembering the eventful day.

"Mr. Sencen!" she snapped.

"Yes?" I raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. That was the final straw. It didn't take much to piss her off anymore after a year of dealing with me.

"If you have nothing productive to do and say in this class, then get out!" she shouted at me. I nodded and stood, walking out the door with my back. I wandered down the hallway before reclining on a bench. I lay there for the rest of the period. When the bell rang, I debated going to his next period. Nah, Lady Belva won't care, I thought. Before too long, a short, pretty, blonde girl with brown eyes came through the hallway. She looked nervous, and she looked around her, obviously confused, as she walked.

"You must be lost," I observed. Her eyes darted toward me, and she blinked.

"How did you know?" she asked.

I grinned at her. "You're the new girl, aren't you?" She sighed and nodded.

"I'm Keefe," I introduced myself.

"Sophie—but I'm sure you already know that." Yep, I laughed.

"You may be the biggest news to hit Foxfire since the Great Gulon Incident three years ago—which, by the way, I had nothing to do with." I flashed a smile. "But that's not a bad thing. Personally, I've always enjoyed being the center of attention." I smirked at the thought of my epic scheme. Sophie seemed chill. I didn't like her yet, but I did enjoy the banter.

"Where are you supposed to be?" she queried.

"History. I ditch whenever I can. Lady Belva has the worst crush on me. I mean, I can't really blame her"—I gesture at myself, particularly my perfect blonde hair, much better than my dad's—"but still, it's awkward, you know?"

A slight blush crept to her cheeks, and I wondered what she was thinking.

"And now I get to meet the mysterious new girl," I added. "So I'd say ditching paid off pretty well. She blushed even harder.

"I'm hardly mysterious."

"I don't know. You won't tell me why you're not in session. Don't think I haven't noticed." Sophie stared at her feet.

"That's because it's too embarrassing," she explained.

"I love embarrassing!" I exclaimed, laughing when she continued to stay silent. "Will you at least tell me where you're supposed to be?"

She sighed. "Chemistry with Lady Galvin."

"Ugh, she's the worst. I had her last period, and she kicked me out. She hates me, probably because I set her scarf on fire last year. Although, she did say she wanted me to impress her." I winked at Sophie. "So I wouldn't mention that we're friends if I were you."

Her eyes widened, and I wondered if I chose my words wrong.

"So, what, did Lady Galvin kick you out or something?" I asked to break the awkward silence.

"Kind of"

"Now this I have to hear," I had sat upright previously, and now I leaned forward eagerly.

"You're going to laugh at me," Sophie protested.

"Probably," I agreed. She kept her eyes glued to the floor, still blushing.

"I knocked over a vial on her desk by accident and set her scarf on fire too," she said. I laughed loudly.

"Do you have any idea how epic that is? Those scarves are her pride and joy! Did she send you to Dame Alina's office?"

"No, she sent me to the Healing Center. A little of it got on my hand." she pointed at an ugly red welt. Keefe studied it.

Wow, most girls would be crying about a wound like that—most guys too. Even I'd be playing it up for sympathy and stuff." That was not entirely true, but I wanted to make her feel better.

"It must look worse than it is."

"Still, don't you think you should get it treated?"

"I guess,"

I laughed again as she paled. "You just turned whiter than these walls. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I wonder what she's hiding.

"Come on, then. I'm taking you to the Healing Center so you don't get lost again." I hooked my arm through hers, dragging her along before she had the chance to resist.

The school nurse, Elwin, stood and smiled at us when we walked in. His messy brown hair and blue eyes magnified to an extreme level by glasses.

"Keefe? What are you doing here with the new student? Sophie, right?" Sophie nodded shyly, yanking her arm out of mine. I smirked at her.

"She got burned in chemistry, set Lady Galvin's scarf on fire." I explained. I could tell Elwin was suppressing a laugh.

"Okay, let me look at it. You can go, Keefe." I nodded, smirking at Sophie one last time before exiting.