"Keefeeeeeeeeeeee." My beautiful blonde friend whined.

"Sophieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-" I whined back, then yelped when I felt something collide with my back and stay there. I soon realized it was said beautiful blonde friend hanging onto my back and shoulders like a koala.

"Carry me to class, my legs hurt." She rested her head on my shoulder and it took all my willpower to hide my blush-I, I meant ummm, I don't know, there's no way I can really save that one.

"Womp womp." I replied, then threw her into Tam's arms, who was standing next to me in the cafeteria, where we were all gathered before heading off to class. Much to Bangs Boy's happiness she let him easily drop her in Linh's arms, which held surprising strength. Sophie looked into her silver eyes with her own big, brown doe eyes. She pouted, somehow making her eyes even bigger.

"Carry me to class?" If she did that while asking me, I wouldn't have been able to say no. If she asked me to kill someone with that face, I would've seriously considered it. It seemed Linh was susceptible too, with the way she proceeded to move Sophie to her back and carry her to class.

I walked over to Dex, figuring he would know the reason behind Sophie's adorably clingy and lazy behavior.

"What's up with her?" I asked.

"She had her first actual volleyball practice last night, with their new assigned teams. She apparently got put on one of the really good ones, with girls two to three years older than her. I'm guessing it was a bit harder than she thought it was going to be. Granted Biana's also really out of it, so maybe their practices are just rough." I nodded my head in understanding. It made sense, Biana always acted like this when a new season started.

"Didn't you say you played volleyball?" I asked, remembering him saying something similar from Tam and Sophie's competition.

"Yeah, but the boys' season starts later than the girls'. Frankly, I'm not excited after seeing how it's going for them." I agreed with him. This was why I played football instead (football, no one calls it soccer, Sophie). Many would argue that it's a difficult and taxing sport but I'm just too athletic and muscular for it to affect me.

"Don't worry, I heard they don't actually pay any attention to the boys because the main focus is the girls." Fitz butted in. I could see Dex getting enraged and honestly, I would be too. For one, how dare he eavesdrop. Point B, if he said something like that about football, I would hold a permanent grudge.

"Wonderboy, to the rescue again with his smart insights. Thank you so much for the help!" Dex sneered and stalked away.

"Did I do something to him?" Wonder— Fitz, I meant Fitz—asked me.

"Nooo, nothing at all." I replied sarcastically. "No offense, but maybe something to do with the fact that you always try to prove you're smarter than him, even if it's something he doesn't want to hear." With the last part, I tried to put it as gently as possible. Fitz tended to get mad easily—very easily—and it lasted for a long time, so it was best to just avoid it whenever possible.

"I was just telling him so he'd know." And now it's started. I could see the little wisps of smoke leaving his ears, getting ready to turn into a full explosion (like the glitter that happened to hit Dex in that one prank that Sophie and I had nothing to do with).

I was about to respond until we heard a familiar squeal down the hallways, so high pitched it could only be Linh, and rushed over to stop her from exploding, except it'd probably be from something cute she was watching instead of anger.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw what it was. Sophie and Noah, my friend, hugging off to the side of the hallway. Linh turned to us, jumping in excitement.

"NOAHJUSTASKEDSOPHIEOUTANDSHESAIDYESHOWCUTEISTHAT?!?!?!" She screamed. My heart dropped in my chest. Noah asked Sophie on a date... and she said yes. She said yes.

She said yes. She said yes. Shesaidyesshesaidyesshesaidyes—

They hardly knew each other! Does he even know her real last name? Know where she used to live?

I'd bet he didn't even know her new last name, the only reason he would is if he heard teachers saying it. If it was me, I would've still asked her just for a chance to get to know her better, even if I already knew. And the only reason I would've known is because I had been paying attention to her long before I even talked to her, as soon as Dex and her came to our school, the first time I heard about her, the first time I saw her. Because I knew, at the very beginning, that I...

I knew...

I knew...

I knew her smile, the look in her eyes. The way she'd throw her hair up in a messy bun when she was tired and didn't want to deal with the long strands, not caring whether it looked good or not because even when it was really bad, it still looked good on her because it was her hair in that style. It was her eyelids that had that beautiful gold eyeshadow brushed on them that matched the gold flecks in her soft brown eyes. It was her voice that carried her loud laugh through the room.

I've known her for a month now, and I knew that she was who I wanted. Who I had just enough in common with to get along, and just enough different with to have interesting conversations and spirited debates. She was funny, and smart, kind, teasing, beautiful, wonderful, messy but still organized.

But maybe... maybe she didn't see it that way. She must not have. Maybe all that time I spent with her while she was healing, all that time I got to know her and learn about her and find myself enjoying her company more and more and more, maybe it was just regular to her. Friendly little Keefe just wanting to be a friend. Protective Keefe, always the brother figure.

Why couldn't the one girl I've actually liked this much in my entire life feel the same way. Almost any girl in the school, I could ask her out and she'd giggle, scream, faint. Flash my smirk, tilt my crown, she'd be head over heels.

But Sophie, my amazing and beautiful Foster, who didn't care about my title, listened to watered down rants about my parents, she was the one to say no. Actually, no, she didn't even say no. 

She didn't say no because I didn't even ask her. I didn't even get the chance to ask her. No, Noah went and stole that from me. Even after I had... Even after I had told him.

"Keefe!" The black haired boy shouted as he ran up to me at football practice. "How've you been? I feel like we haven't talked in forever!"

"Probably because we haven't." I chuckled. "I was gone from practice two weeks ago, and you were gone from practice last week. And we don't have any classes together."

"Right, yeah, that might be it." He joked, his Indian accent showing through. That was one of the things I liked about him, he was never afraid to let out things about his culture or previous home. Well, around me. Eternalia wasn't really a safe place for diversity or LGBTQ+. Lots of the people were very prejudiced, and many people didn't like it when the Kumars (Noah's sister and his parents, who were pregnant with him at the time) moved here from Mumbai. But I never cared. My parents had been teaching me proper etiquette for everyone since I was born. After all, bad press was a nightmare.

"So how've you been?" He asked, bringing my mind back to the present.

"Good, good. You know, there's this new girl at school, Sophie. Her cousin, Dex, joined my group, but I think I might actually really like her." I admitted. Noah stopped from where he had started stretching.

"You, Keefe Sencen, have a serious crush on a girl? Now I've got to meet her." I laughed.

"Yeah, you know, I think you two would get along. She's a lot like me. Funny, super smart, drop dead gorgeous-"

"Lemme stop you right there. She might be, I don't know, I haven't met her yet. But you being 'drop dead gorgeous?' That's a stretch." He laughed while I gasped in shock and betrayal. Looking back, that was a pretty clear sign. "You should ask her out." He added after a bit.

"I think I will."

I couldn't believe he would do something like this to me. I'd literally told him, and he knew it was her I was talking about. I'd known Noah my whole life, I knew everything about him.

I knew he stopped officially peeing the bed when he was eight, but occasionally did it till he was twelve, only when he was sick. His parents had named him Noah after moving here because they wanted him to have less of a hard time here. They hung up every single one of his accomplishments on their fridge because he was always so proud he could do it, considering a lot of the teachers and adults of power were major racists. His favorite color was red, he liked to read but didn't tell anyone else that to give them something more to bully him about.

I even joined football for him! I didn't even want to at first, but he didn't want to have to go in alone. Granted, I ended up really enjoying it, but the point still stands. I did it for him.

I noticed him and Sophie detaching from their hug. My entire body froze over seeing her smile, the glimmer in her eyes. Hearing her laugh. I wanted to be the one to make her laugh.

The minute bell rang, warning us to get to class. I felt like I couldn't move. My legs were stuck, sinking into the ground. I felt dainty fingers wrap around my elbow.

"Keefe." Biana's familiar, friendly voice whispered. I turned to face her. I was sure I looked like a kicked puppy, but I didn't care. It was Biana. Her and Fitz had seen me at my highs and lows. Just like Noah. "It's time to go." I could hear how much effort she put into making her voice sound gentle. But not pitiful. All of my close friends knew I hated that. I saw Bangs Boy staring at me as Biana pulled me in the direction of my first class.

"What do you want?" I asked him, my voice coming out more cracked than I'd ever admit to.

"He's a jerk. She'll see that." I blinked a few times. Tam also wasn't pitiful, but he also wasn't gentle. His voice was firm, sure of himself. I tried to register the fact that he, resident emo of the friend group, was attempting to comfort me. I continued to walk with him when Biana split up to go to her own class, since Tam's class was right next to mine. He went into his classroom as I was walking into mine. I felt a hand wrap around my arm and pull me out of the way harshly.

Just the person I didn't want to see.

"What do you want?" I growled like those book guys all the booktok girls love.

"Just wanted to say, did you like the show? Sucks being too late, doesn't it?" I wanted to punch him in his cocky, too-big face.

"Why would you do that? I thought we were friends."

"Didn't you know that friends grow apart over time? And I've got new friends now, which I will admit is thanks to you, but I don't need you anymore. And you were right, we did get along. So I took my own advice and asked her out."

"Screw you." I replied. Normally, I could've come up with something better, but my head was too clouded with anger to properly focus.

"Hey now, let's calm those mean words." He mocked. He started to leave before turning back around. "Oh, and if you tell her, just know she won't believe you. After all, why would this sweet, innocent guy who's done nothing but charm her since meeting her actually do that to a person?" He tilted his head in fake consideration before laughing.

"Others know what happened, too. Do you really think she would take your word over three of her friends?" He scowled and narrowed his eyes, stalking back over to me.

"Well then, if you or any of your friends even think about telling her, I'll hurt her. And if you doubt I'll do it, maybe don't. If anything, this should've taught you to not trust your judgment." I glared at the back of his head as he walked away.

As soon as he was out of sight, I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. I hated it, hated it so much. But... I couldn't let Sophie get hurt. Noah was right. I didn't think he would betray me like this, then he did. And I wouldn't have thought he'd ever actually hurt a girl, but now I thought he would.

I ran into my classroom after wiping away tears I hadn't realized had dropped from my eyes. As soon as I sat in my seat, I fired off texts to Biana and Tam, letting them know what happened. After they sent, I put my phone away and laid my head down. It hurt too much to think about everything that had happened.

Please don't attack me for this. I promise, it hurt me more than it hurt you given the fact that I was full on bawling while writing this. Can the world please send me a Keefe, pretty please? To those of you who didn't like Noah, good job! You're a good judge of character! To those who didn't... Also ignore the fact that I randomly turned Noah Indian. I wanted diversity, but now I feel kinda bad because I made him a bad character. I promise, most Indian guys probably aren't that bad, I don't really know but I'm assuming not, it's really this guy because I needed a bad character so deal with it. Anyways, I actually really like this chapter, even though it hurts, and I hope you all do too. Love you all, bye!!!

Avery, out ->

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