Sokeefe Oneshots

Misunderstood (Part Two)

"Sophie?"

She lifted her head from the ball she'd scrunched into on the dew-sprinkled grass at her name. Her eyes searched through the dim light until they met her adopted dad's.

Realizing she probably looked like a mess, and ignoring her eyelashes — which were itching to be tugged in the worst way — Sophie quickly brushed herself off and hopped to her feet.

Grady wasn't looking any less concerned. "Are you okay, kiddo? We were looking all over for you. No one knew where you were. And trust me, we checked." His expression changed from worried to furious in the blink of an eye. "You are in so much trouble, young lady."

Sophie couldn't find it in her to reply, so she didn't. She simply nodded her head, and starting walking toward the house, which was in all of its nighttime glory. The beauty of the light shimmering through the windows across the golden exterior helped her mood a little. At least she could crash and pretend the day was just a dream. Not that that ever worked, but hey, there was a first time for everything, right?

Grady caught up easily, thanks to her snail-like pace. "Hey, where do you think you are going, missy? I'm not done with you yet! We need to talk about how you blackmailed your bodyguards before you go to Everglen."

Sophie wanted to groan, cry some more, and throw up all at the same time. That's right, she was expected to be at a sleepover at Everglen tonight! But she wasn't sure if she'd survive it. "Yeah, about that, dad... I think I'm gonna cancel. I'm not feeling good."

Grady's brow furrowed with concern again at this, almost every trace of anger vanishing immediately. But not all of it. "What's wrong, Sophie? Elves aren't supposed to get sick." He raised an eyebrow. "You can't make excuses to get out of your punishment, you know."

She wanted to collapse somewhere and stay there in that moment, pretending she was invisible for a few days. Maybe then she'd feel better. "I know, dad, I know. I'm not trying to get out of my punishment. I just don't feel good."

All traces of anger and skepticism left Grady's features now. He places his hands on her shoulders as he stepped out in front of her, keeping her from going any further. Not that she was making much progress at her speed. "Kiddo, if there's something wrong, tell me. You know you can trust me, right?" He peered into her eyes, looking for the answer. She instinctively looked away to hide the glassiness in her eyes. "If you don't want to talk to me, you can always talk to Edaline about it. I know sometimes it's easier to talk to another girl than your dad." His face fell a little bit, but he was clearly trying to hide it. It made Sophie feel more guilty on top of everything else.

"No. Dad, no, it's not that, I promise," Sophie said quickly, giving him a hug that probably made her feel more better than him. It took her a second to remember she should probably let go, or at least loosen her grip. He already knew something was up; she didn't need to encourage that train of thought. "What time is it?"

Grady gently pulled out of the hug to face her. He still looked concerned. "About six. Why?"

"Just wanted to make sure I still have time to pack before I head over to Everglen." When Grady raised an eyebrow, she added quickly, "I don't want to disappoint Biana. I'll probably feel better in a bit anyway."

As Sophie made the trek across fields, though the front entryway, and up to her room, she couldn't help but feel guilty for lying again. She didn't want to disappoint Biana, of course, but at this point the only real reason she was going was so her parents didn't think anything was wrong with her. She didn't want their pity, and she didn't want them to worry, and she really didn't want to talk about it.