This is actually gonna be a three parter- so here is the first! Tell me what you think!!!!!

Sophie didn't expect to be eating lunch on the last day of high school, alone, in the bathroom of all places. Granted, the cafeteria wasn't much cleaner, but it was still the bathroom. Sure it was cliche, but she was almost positive that no one would come looking for her in the bathroom. Especially not him.

Was it selfish of her? To be hiding from her friends on the last day of school just so she wouldn't hurt herself more? So she wouldn't make a fool of herself?

So they wouldn't see her crying?

Yeah, it was stupid and childish and wrong and she hated it. Hated it. But she couldn't stop the waterworks.

Sophie didn't know she would break down when she saw the pictures of all of the graduates on the hallway walls when she walked into school that morning. Her face and her friends' faces scattered among the thousand-something teens graduating that year. The walls that had been the home for many posters and pieces of work and trophies and awards and messages throughout her four years at Foxfire High.

It was a strange thought that it would all be a distant memory soon. She'd go to college, become a lawyer, invest herself in the government- maybe even become a mayor or representative; only time would tell, but Sophie knew that she wanted to help others. And one thing was for sure as she sat alone, with her phone in her hands, wondering if she should call her mom to pick her up early: she was helping her friends from staying away from them. She was helping everyone, herself included.

She was sparing them from the mess of her heartbreak.

Creeeeeeek, the bathroom door whined, alerting Sophie of a new student's presence in the bathroom. "Sophie? Are you in here?" Sophie willed herself not to cry out, to stay absolutely still. Of course, it was to no avail as Sophie heard Biana's heeled shoes click-clack on the tiled floor. Just ignore her, Sophie thought to herself. Soon they wouldn't even remember her, she'd be a distant memory when they all went to the same college without her. When they undoubtedly made friends and had fun without her. Because she wasn't going to make friends; it was a miracle she had friends right now. She was so grateful that someone had spared a second glance.

It had been Biana who came to her rescue on the third day of high school. It was kind of ironic actually as Biana had found her for the first time in a bathroom. Crying, because she had no friends. The same bathroom Sophie sat in now, crying because she had friends.

Because she was worried about losing them.

She was sitting alone in the stall furthest from the door. The kids in her math class had bullied her for being a nerd and already knowing what they were all learning. She'd raced out of the classroom as soon as the bell ringed, desperately trying to find a sanctuary.

Biana had followed her. Till this day, Sophie didn't understand why. Biana claimed it was because she knew the 'too-pretty-for-her-own-good-blonde needed saving,' and she never let Sophie live it down.

While she always hit Biana's arm playfully when the subject was brought up, Sophie was eternally thankful. Although, she never really understood Biana's phrasing. Sophie was never one to really care about looks, but she always hated how average she looked. Why did Biana call her pretty? She had boring brown eyes and common blonde hair, not to mention she was quite short which really only helped her get lost in a crowd. All of her friends had something that made them stand out at a first glance. Something that caused a passerby, to not just pass by. Something that caused them to walk over, introduce themselves.

For Biana it was how strikingly gorgeous she was. Always bouncing and giggling, any guy- or girl -would be stupid not to say hello. Of course she shared her stunning teal eyes with her equally good looking brother, Fitz. Fitz also was incredibly handsome, and Sophie had to admit, the teal eyes looked just a teensy bit better on Fitz- she'd never tell Biana that of course. Linh was just so kind and gracefully beautiful in her own way. Plus, she always had Tam by her side, and they contrasted each other, but were also similar. Their silver-tipped hair also caught the eyes of passersbys. Then Dex, her kinda-cousin. Rather than being 'hot' or handsome Dex was what Sophie would describe as 'cute.' He also had dimples on his cheeks- a fact Sophie never let him forget.

And then there was him. And he was... he was beyond words.

Biana's heels stopped outside the bathroom stall in which Sophie was sitting. "C'mon, please tell us what's wrong? Why are you avoiding us? Soph, if I did something wrong; heck, if any of us did something wrong we want to fix it. Please?" She was making her friends feel bad for something that wasn't their fault. She was allowed to sit alone and punish herself, but she wasn't going to hurt them too.

So, she mumbled, "It's none of your faults," almost unintelligibly.

"Then what is it?" Biana's angelic voice asked from the other side of the sleek, white door. "Sophie, please let us help. It's the last day of school; we should be having fun, not worrying! Let's fix this together." A big part of Sophie wanted to give in, let herself be hugged, comforted. But then it would be so much harder when she did have to say goodbye.

"Sophie," Biana tried again, "We haven't seen you all day. We all walked into school together and then you just disappeared. Did someone say something mean? You know we'll get 'em for you!" Sophie couldn't help smile a tiny bit at that. No! She shouted in her head, this is what happens when you fall in love! You can't say goodbye!

Sophie loved her friends to death, she couldn't say goodbye, but their colleges were on opposite sides of the country and the rest of the gang were all moving in right after school ended. She was going to have to.

Biana said she would write- they all did, but Sophie doubted they actually would. Quite frankly, she didn't understand why they were still her friends. She was such a loser compared to them.

"We're all really worried, Soph. Fitz has been frowning all day, and Dex isn't making jokes with Tam. Even Linh seems down. And Keefe, he's been worried sick. He's been following me around all day like a lost puppy hoping I have his bone. Sophie, if not to me, at least talk to Keefe. You know how much he cares." That stung. A lot. Biana had unintentionally reminded Sophie about the biggest reason she was hiding in the bathroom: Keefe.

Maybe it was her stupid teenage hormones but-

The door creaked again. And then she heard his voice and immediately the guilt tripled. "Biana, is she in here? Please, I want- no need to talk to her I-"

"I'm here, Keefe." Sophie said quietly. She heard Biana mumble something along the lines of, of course she talks to him right away! Gah! More guilt! Pushing her friends away wasn't helping them, at all.

Sophie slowly stood up and opened the bathroom stall. Her face was stained with tears and Sophie knew she looked like a mess, but that didn't stop her from tumbling into Biana's arms. Then she looked up and saw Keefe peeking through the bathroom door, and she started sobbing again.

He must have noticed, because Sophie could almost feel the hurt radiating off of him. No! Sophie didn't want Keefe to think that it was his fault, but it was too late.

"Foster-"

"Sophie," Sophie found herself correcting him to her real name, she wanted him to call her by her nickname as many times as he could before he never did again, but she had to get used to 'Sophie.' Keefe took a little while to respond.

She was hurting him.

"Sophie, I'm sorry I don't know what I did. I just want to fix it. Please, anything that I can do. Pretty soon we're going to go off to college and then-" She was sobbing again. Big, fat tears of shame, pain, fear, hurt, love.

Before she did anything she would regret Sophie ran from Biana and pushed past Keefe into the hall. He called after her, but Sophie kept running.

Out of the building.

Off campus.

To the park across the street.

And finally to a small, quiet, clearing surrounded by trees. Here she was alone. Free.

And the tears kept coming.

Why was she running from him? She had to make things right, but Sophie didn't know how. And if she told him- she could ruin everything even more and then he'd never reach out. And she'd never see him again and him and all her other friends would be awkward and they'd hate her. For ruining everything.

For being stupid Sophie boring Foster.

She was going to die alone without friends without- then he was holding her. Sophie didn't realize she was shaking with tears until he was holding her steady. And he was crying too.

"Please? What is it?!" He whispered desperately; his fingers wiping tears from her eyes, caressing her hair, touching her face like he cared. His whole body was pleading with her. Trying to coax it out of her.

What if he laughed? What if he laughed in her face and called her a loser?

"I can't tell you!" She cried back, "I can't tell you. I can't."

"You can tell me anything." Sophie was hurting him, so much.

"Not this. It's better if you just go." Sophie could feel Keefe's shoulders sink more. She was pushing him away, she knew that, she was making things worse this way, too. But not as bad, right? "Please?" She whispered, so quietly she wasn't even sure if he heard.

Keefe hesitated, and then he got up. And he left. And he didn't look back.