"Heyyy, Mom. Dad. How's it going? Are you feeding Silveny and Iggy enough? Sorry I haven't called in like, two months? Um, I love you?"

Sophie flopped onto her bed and groaned. "It's hopeless, Marella! They're gonna murder me. You know Grady has a bat? Actually. And of course, he'll assume I haven't called them because of a boy for some reason, and-"

Marella sat on the other side of the bed. "Well, is he wrong? I mean-"

Sophie's insides spun. "Not the time, Mare."

"Don't you dare call me Mare, Soph."

"Shut u-"

Linh's voice floated through the bedroom doors. "Hi Mr and Mrs Ruewen! I'm so glad you called! Sophie has been trying to call you guys for months, but, well, her phone's been lost and we only just got the idea to use my phone! Oh, of course I can put her on the phone. She's right here."

Marella and Sophie stared at each other in panic. "What's she doing?" Sophie whispered frantically. She could feel her hand reaching up to tug an eyelash. "The real question is, is Linh LYING?" Marella hissed at her. "I don't know! Do you?"

"It sounds like it?"

Linh walked through the doors of the sparkly bedroom. "Why yes, thank you Mr. Ruewen! ...school can be challenging at some times, but the education here is exemplary! ...have you seen the campus? It's gorgeous. And the dorms are huge!" Sweat beaded at the corners of her temples. "...Sophie, you say? Well- uh- here's Sophie right now!"

Linh shoved the phone into Sophie's hand. 'Never make me do that again' she mouthed. Marella facepalmed. "You- agh- forget it." She sank against the pillows.

"Sophie, are you there? Honey?" Sophie licked her lips nervously. "Uh, hi Mom. Hi Dad. Uh...what's up?"

"Eda, please give me the phone. Thanks." A pause. "Sophie Elizabeth Foster you haven't called us in two months. WHAT is going on?"

"Dad, I-"

"Grady- Eda- no, you are not fighting with our daughter on the first phone call in two months, Grady, give me the phone." Movement on the other line. "Sophie, sweetheart, how have you been? We've missed you so much!"

Sophie felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "I've missed you guys too."

"How's school been going? Are you happy to be with your friends again?"

"Yeah, Mom, it's been awesome. Though I think they should just ban me from the science rooms..."

Laughter. "Have you made any new friends?"

"Yeah...there's this boy, Keefe...we've gotten really close over the past couple of months and-"

"Really? That's wonderful, Sophie! He sounds like a nice boy already." Sophie could imagine her mom smiling knowingly. She blushed. "I haven't even told you anything about him! And he's just a friend, Mom."

"Whatever you say, sweetie."

Sophie groaned. "Mom-"

"A boy? What? Eda, hand me the phone, it's a boy." Sophie could hear Edaline sigh in defeat. "Sorry, honey. I'm giving the phone to Dad now, okay? I love you."

"Love you too." Sophie whispered.

Shuffling on the line. "Sophie?"

"Hey, Dad."

"I've missed you."

Sophie smiled. "I've missed you too."

"Now, what was Edaline talking about? A boy?" Sophie's smile disappeared. She sighed, "Dad, he's just a-"

"That boy better watch out. I can already tell I'm not going to like him. What's his name again? Kieran?"

Sophie tugged out an eyelash and flicked it away. "Keefe, Dad. And for the last time-"

"I want his last name, where he lives, and how he's been treating you."

"Daaad." Sophie groaned. "You are not doing a background check on Keefe!"

"I have every right to-"

"Hey, Mr. Ruewen!" Marella appeared next to Sophie and tugged the phone from her hand. "Hey, what are you-"

Marella waved her concerns away. "Relax, I'll give it back." She walked to her bed and flipped open her computer. "Hi, Mr. Ruewen, you still there?"

"Marella! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great, thank you. It's been so long since we've talked." She brought up a folder. "Now, I'd like to get right down to business."

"Of course."

She started flipping through the extensive files in the folder. "His name is Keefe Sencen, spelled K-e-e-f-e space S-e-n-c-e-n. His parents are Cassius Sencen and Lady Gisela Sencen- here, I'll forward my files on them to you. He lives in a giant skyscraper named Candleshade two blocks away from Eternalia Square. It's two hundred floors, all theirs. His parents also have several other homes all around the world- like their beach estate in Hawaii, or their apartment in Atlantis City (that's in Turkey by the way). He's an only child, and models a lot. He's best friends with Fitzroy and Biana Vacker, and-"

"O-kay!" Sophie wrenched the phone from Marella's hand, laughing nervously. "Where the hell did you get that information- are you stalking him?" She hissed to Marella. Marella...and Grady...conspiring to stalk Keefe...what was next?! Would Tam suddenly fall in love with Biana? Maybe Linh would suddenly hate Keefe too?

Hysterical laughter bubbled up her throat. "Grady- Dad-"

"I think we broke Sophie." Marella whispered into the receiver. On the other side of the line, Sophie could hear Grady's deep chuckle. "You- I- ugh- for the last time-"

"Okay, okay, let's switch topics." Grady finally said. "Yes!" Sophie gasped with relief. "How's Silveny and Iggy?"

Silveny and Iggy were her two pets. Sophie had found Iggy just a couple weeks after living with her parents; he was a puffy little dog that she'd found on the brink of death in the cow pastures. Sophie had nursed him back to health and he'd stayed with her ever since.

Silveny, meanwhile, had a different story. She was a huge, silky siamese cat Sophie had taken in a year afterwards she'd found Iggy. She'd first found her in a clearing in the woods while taking a hike with her family in the forest behind their property. She'd petted her and fed her some treats, but Silveny had bolted the second Grady and Edaline had entered the clearing. Two weeks later Sophie found her on her doorstep, and she'd decided to take her in.

Now that she was in boarding school however, she'd unfortunately had to leave Iggy and Silveny behind, a fact Silveny hadn't taken very well. Silveny had an aversion to anyone who wasn't Sophie. Sophie had been worried about her for some time. "How's Silveny? She's letting you touch her and feed her, right?"

"It's been quite the adventure with her. She's taken a liking to hiding in the preserve, and none of the animals mind that she's there. She's very fast as well. It's as if she can fly." Grady laughed. "But we got it under control."

"And how's Iggy?"

"Him? Oh, Iggy's doing great. I'm debating locking him in his cage indefinitely. He trashed half your shoes yesterday, and the day before that he stunk up the living room for hours, the little bastard."

"Grady!"

"But it's a joy to be taking care of him, really. Couldn't love having him tearing up my shirts more."

Sophie couldn't help but laugh. They fell silent for a minute. "I love you."

"Love you too, honey. Edaline's out working with Verdi, but she loves you too, okay? Miss you."

"Miss you too."

"Bye, Sophie." The line clicked off. Her phone screen faded in again, showcasing Dex's ruffled hair and Marella's crumpled sweater. In the background, Tam and Linh had their arms wrapped around each other. She stared at the image forlornly. Behind her, Marella drew Sophie's head close to her chest. She felt Linh join them and lean against her shoulder.

"I miss them." Sophie whispered. "I know." Linh said quietly. Sophie wiped a tear from her eye. Somehow, she didn't think they were talking about the same people. But it didn't matter. They were feeling the loss of important people in their lives. Linh sighed sadly. "I...I miss them, So-"

"I hope Silveny is doing okay." Sophie mumbled. Beside her, Marella and Linh made choking noises. There was a sudden loss of warmth in her side and back. She heard Linh sniffling. "How can you be so self-centered!" Marella exclaimed. Sophie looked up to Marella hugging a quietly crying Linh. "Silveny doesn't matter, she's fine! Meanwhile, Linh..."

Sophie was shocked. "Silveny does matter! And why are you calling me self-centered? I miss my parents, for crying out loud! I've spent two months without them!"

Marella gritted her teeth. "I cannot believe how-"

"Just stop!" Linh sobbed chokingly and ran out of the room. Sophie heard the dorm door slam. She took a step forward after her. "I never realized she also cared about Grady and-"

Marella growled in exasperation and grabbed Sophie by the shoulders. She started shaking them. "How on earth can anyone be this idiotic! She doesn't care about your family, Sophie! Has it ever occured to you that the world doesn't revolve around you? She has bigger problems than your little homesickness!" She let go of Sophie abruptly and took a deep, shuddering breath.

She strode out of the room, obviously intending to go after Linh. At the last second, however, she popped her head back in and said, "You have the perfect life, Sophie. Others- they don't."