Biana was shocked, a frozen statue. She had had no idea that Tam had liked her. Of course, Sophie and Linh had both known and were waiting for her reaction, and quite possibly the boys had too. Biana had always been too in love with Keefe to notice other people, other guys. She had been oblivious to everyone but Keefe. And now, this revelation had actually shocked her so that she couldn't move.

She realized that everyone was looking at her and she knew she had to say something. "Tam... I... I don't know what to say." Biana said hopelessly, her voice cracking. "I mean, I didn't know! I never knew you thought of me in that way. Like... that." She looked down at her feet for a moment, before drawing her eyes back up to look at the boy in front of her.

Tam was blushing now, and he looked odd. He never blushed and it made his pale skin stand out even more. 

Biana took a deep breath, ready to ask the question that she needed to know. "How long?" Biana asked.

"Since forever. The first day I met you. Dex and Fitz were so wonderstruck by my sister..." Sophie looked at the two now-blushing boys, who both stared down at their feet. Tam went on. "And I was so wonderstruck by you. You were defiant, determined, smart. Pretty. But. No. It wasn't just your looks. Your beauty isn't all that mattered. I'm not shallow, you know. I like you for you. Your personality and your brains and your soul..." He trailed off, realizing how that made him sound. "I mean, Fitz was always acting like the leader of this group... but you actually stood up for yourself and made your own place without anyone's help. You were important and I admire that about you." He smiled at her then, not sure how she was going to react.

Everyone was watching them two, but Tam and Biana ignored them all and acted like they were the only ones there.

Biana said brokenly, "But Tam... you never said anything to me."

He scoffed. "How could I, when you were so caught up with Keefe Sencen? The handsome funny guy who was definitely a big man among the ladies. He was always the object of your attention. Who am I to compete with him?" Keefe smiled and beat his chest, trying to ease the tension that was palpable in the room, but everyone ignored him. He stopped and continued to listen to a rather private conversation, ashamed.

Tam threw up his hands. "I was dropping hints left and right, not sure if you ever noticed... I would always stand up for you and try to partner with you when we played games... I always gave you everything. All my attention, but I don't think you ever noticed. I don't blame you, Biana." By now, Sophie felt uncomfortable for intruding on this conversation, but she couldn't move from her spot. Biana looked at Tam.

"All my life, I've loved someone else." Keefe blushed and Biana looked away from him. "I never took the time to notice other people, especially other men. Boys. Guys. I don't know. I always thought I knew who I wanted to live with and that I would die alone if I didn't get him." Keefe cleared his throat. "But now, I realize that I was being stupid. I know now that there are other people who might actually care for me. Like that. And even if it's not Keefe, I should be grateful." She sighed. "That sounded horrible. What I mean to say is... I'm so sorry, Tam. I should have been a better friend."

"What are you trying to say?" Tam asked confusedly. Biana sighed.

"I really don't know, but I think I want you to be my Match if you want me." She whispered the last words but everyone still heard them.

Tam looked shocked. He closed his mouth, then opened it, then closed it again. He moved his arms around wildly but didn't say anything. Finally, he said, "Yes, Biana. I will always love you. You will be my Match." They hugged and then Tam's lips found hers. Tam looked so happy and Biana's eyes were shining. Then they walked away together to the garden to just be alone and revel in their new-found love.

Keefe sighed, "I should have taken her when I had the chance." Everyone gasped. He turned to them. "Fine, since this is a day of confessions, I guess it's time to confess everything. Please don't be offended, any of you. I'm really sorry.

"I never liked Sophie." Sophie was shocked and even a little annoyed, although she didn't know why. "I mean, I thought I did. I really did. But once Fitz told me who he liked... yeah, he did, but I just didn't want to face it. He told me a while ago. I think he might have been drunk or something because he never mentioned it again." Fitz looked confused and was ready to argue but thought better of it and shut his mouth. Keefe went on.

"I didn't believe it. I thought... I don't even know what I thought. I mean, he was just so much better than me, and Fitz, you were always getting everything and you had a family and a mom and a dad and a sister and brother and a house that was just so much greater than anything of mine. I was jealous, I guess. So I decided to compete against you for Sophie Foster. The problem is, I think I was in love with someone else. But I just wanted something that you wanted just once." Fitz looked ashen and Sophie was staring at Keefe, wide-eyed. Dex was on his Imparter and he walked away, not caring to listen to this. He didn't need to know any of this.

"Ok, sure, Sophie. I was a big freaking jerk. I put you in the middle of everything when you were just an innocent girl who of course already had a crush on the guy who already had everything. I mean, even with The Hair, I wasn't enough for you." Keefe mussed The Hair, but there wasn't a smile on his face like usual. "But I really didn't think it would change anything. I mean, Fitz never made it obvious that he liked you. I don't know how he did it, but he hid it from you all this time. Maybe you were just oblivious, maybe you didn't want to face it, or maybe he was just an incredible hider. I don't know. But I knew that he did like you and that you didn't know.

"But all this time, I've loved Biana. And I knew she liked me. I knew it. She made it really obvious. I'm not stupid but... But I thought it was just a stupid crush or something. She was too ignorant to understand real love, in my opinion. I don't mean that I know what love is. I'm just a teenager too, you know. But I know enough to know what is going to work out. Biana was always a friend. Until one day she just... I don't know, she became something more.

"One day, she just... beautified." He laughed."That's a horrible word. I don't know. She was prettier, smarter, a much cooler girl than she used to be. She wasn't all nail polish and hairdos anymore. But I couldn't do anything about it. You wanna know why?" Keefe turned to Fitz. "You once told me that if you were ever lost or hurt or something that I had to take care of Biana. You told me that. I couldn't do it if I was in love with her. I saw her as a lover, not someone that I was supposed to take care of. Not someone who was supposed to be a little sister. So I didn't go after her like I wanted to. And god, I wanted to. So badly. Some days, I was so cold and so very mean to her, just because I knew that if I was nice to her, everything would just burst out of me and it would all be ruined, and I would end up hurting her and me and admit to everything and then life would change and nothing would be the same anymore. I can't face change. Change is a fear of mine. Why can't we just all be friends like we used to and not have to worry about the future? We had so much fun back then... And now everything is changed. I mean, look at this." Keefe spread his arms around him.

"You and Sophie. Fitz, I always knew that this was going to happen. It didn't hurt me too much anymore to know that you would have another thing you wanted. Sophitz Forever, you know?" Sophie blushed, tears brimming in her eyes. Fitz held her close to his chest and she felt mildly comforted, though her heart ached for Keefe.

"And now, Tam and Biana. They are so perfect together. And... It hurts so freaking bad. Nobody ever told me that it was going to feel like this! Nobody told me it was going to feel like I was being stabbed and torn apart, piece by piece. I had no one to tell me that. Nobody told me that it would feel like I was spiraling away and away until one day I would be gone.

"And Dex. I always used to hate that kid. He was always someone who was also lucky, despite his family and our stupid discriminatory ways. He was your friend first, Sophie, and he was smart. And he had a point in life.

"Look at me. I am nobody. I have no point in life. Nothing. Being an Empath can do nothing for me except to just hear other people's PRIVATE emotions. What kind of a life am I going to have? Huh? And I didn't even get the girl in the end." His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Sophie was crying more freely now. "Keefe, you don't have to decide everything now. Okay? You have time in life, you know? I'm so sorry for... for... everything, 'k? Please forgive me for not being there when you needed me most." Keefe looked at Sophie and nodded freely. "I didn't know... I never knew."

"Sophie, it isn't your fault my life sucks. I got the worst of it. Bad mom, bad dad. Terrible house. Stupid ability."

"You have us, Keefe. You'll always have us." Fitz said.

"No, Fitz, I won't. Look around you! Open your eyes!" He snapped his fingers. "Don't be stupid! Everyone is paired up, and now I am going to be all alone. Tam and Biana. You and Sophie. Probably Dex and Linh. I always knew there was going to be an oddball out. We always had more guys than girls in this group of ours. Of course it would be me left to be the seventh wheel. There was never anyone for me but Biana. And I couldn't freaking have her."

Sophie burst. "Keefe, just because we are starting to get Matches doesn't mean that we won't be friends with each other anymore? God, Keefe. It's not like we're getting married tomorrow or something. I'm only sixteen! It's just something that elves and the Council expect us to do. It isn't that bad, okay? We're still going to see each other all the time, play games like Base Quest, have fun. Okay? We're still going to be friends. It's not like once we get married we're never going to see each other again. I don't want to get married for another fifty billion years!" Fitz stiffened. "What are you trying to say? That marriage is the end of our friendship? You're wrong. We've gone through too much together to just stop. This is just a part of growing up."

"But that's changing! Don't you see? I'm all alone, okay, Sophie? Being friends with you or anyone else won't change the fact that you guys are all Matched up. One day, maybe it won't be tomorrow or something, but one day, you guys will all be married, have kids and start families and I'll still be alone, okay? I'll be Uncle Keefe, the strange guy who is oddly nice to random people's kids."

"There are other girls out there, Keefe. You have forty-nine other Matches without Biana. They are all compatible with you and they are people who you can learn to love. You won't be alone." Sophie desperately tried to plead with Keefe, but Keefe shook his head.

"There was never anyone for me but Biana." Keefe wiped away his tears and ran out of the room.