A/N I was thinking about my Sweet Sixteen, and need to write something, so here you go.
Sophie heard a knock at her door and frowned. "Come in?"
Blonde hair poked around the corner of her door and Keefe smirked at her. "C'mere."
Sophie warily walked over to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hallway. They were halfway down the stairs before Sophie could speak. "Keefe, where are we going?"
He didn't answer, just dragging her out the door and holding up a crystal. A blue crystal. Sophie dug in her heels. "Keefe, what on earth is going on?"
Keefe grinned. "You'll see."
Sophie shook her head in exasperation. "You want me to leap to the Forbidden Cities without any explanation at all?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Now come on."
She groaned, but let him pull her into the beam of light he made with the crystal.
A minute later, they reappeared on a familiar street. "Keefe," she hissed. "Seriously, what are we doing here? You know how risky this is! I can't just show up to my human family's house!"
"Relax, Foster." Keefe pulled her to the door, then took a step back. She looked at him over her shoulder, and he motioned at the door. "Go on."
She hesitated. How did he know her parents weren't home?
He sighed. "Trust me, Foster."
"I do."
"Then open the door already!"
She turned to the door and took one more deep breath before turning the doorknob and stepping silently through the doorway. The house was dark, and she took a few steps into the living room. She looked over her shoulder at Keefe. He was leaning against the doorpost, smirking. She turned back to the room just in time to see the lights flick on all at once, glitter shoot into the air, and bodies jump out all around her.
"SURPRISE!" shouted everyone at once.
Sophie jumped back in shock, then recovered and laughed. "What on earth is going on?"
Biana stepped forwards and clicked her tongue. "Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday!"
She had, actually. And just then, she remembered telling her friends about how humans celebrated 'sweet sixteen' parties. "You planned this... for me? Why are we here?"
Just then, Amy bounded forward. "Partly so that I could come. But partly because we have a pool- and I remember how much you used to love pool parties."
Sophie grinned and hugged her sister. "That feels like so long ago."
"Well, duh." Arms wrapped around her from behind, and Keefe rested his chin on the top of her head. "It was like four years ago."
Sophie smiled, unable to believe she had really lived with the elves that long. Sometimes it seemed like that fateful day in the museum had been only yesterday, and sometimes it felt like she had never had another life.
"Wait." She realized something. "Did you say pool party? I don't think I even own a swimsuit anymore."
Biana shook her head. "It's really a human thing."
Any held out a bag. "Biana got me your sizes and I went shopping for all of you. Everyone else is wearing theirs under their clothes."
Sophie lifted Keefe's arms off her shoulders. "Where's the bathroom?"
