The annual ceremonial ball for each end of the year was like prom, where you can bring a date if you wanted.

That's what the poster said, but apparently for their school, going to the ball without a date was like a total fail, and Sophie tried her best to hide her panic.

Who would want to go to a ball with her?

Besides, she would most likely crush anyone's toes just walking in the hallway, don't even get her started about if she started dancing.

Her mind flinched to Keefe for a second, and she wondered if he had gotten a date already, although she was certain that every girl would fight for a chance to dance with him.

Maybe even her too.

She pinched herself for her to understand the situation.

They were best friends, nothing more, nothing less.

Only three days to the ball, so everyone was getting all desperate.

As Sophie sighed and went to Keefe's locker to meet up with him, she had to blink a few more times to see if she had lost her mind.

Nope, there was a whole line of girls queueing up in front of his locker, placing notes onto the top of his locker.

Sophie stared in shock and she glanced around, hoping to catch a sign of Keefe.

She wouldn't be surprised if he was hiding from these girls.

She yelped as someone grabbed her bag, dragging her to the corner of the hall.

She grinned when she noticed the desperate pair of eyes.

"Seriously, are you seeing that? There's a whole queue! I bet there's twenty, let me count," Sophie teased as she spun back.

"Nope, we're getting out of this place," Keefe dragged her before she could even say anything.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"So, do you have a date yet?" Keefe asked as he adjusted the sling of his bag.

Sophie dragged her feet on the pavement of the park, the pretty quiet and empty one next to the bookstore.

"Nope," she sighed, a little bubble of hope forming, but knowing him, there was something on his mind as he refused to make eye contact.

He nodded, and spun away quickly.

Sophie frowned.

Was he nervous?

She laughed at that thought, Keefe Sencen bring nervous. That daredevil and the word would never really fit in the same sentence.

"You?" She asked.

Say no, say no, say no. Please, please, please, say no.

"Me neither," he admitted, and Sophie's eyes lit up.

She quickly covered them by asking, "Wait, why don't you choose one of those girls just now?"

Keefe shuddered and Sophie laughed.

I want it to be you, please know I want it to be you. Why can't one of those people be you?

Keefe looked at her, wondering when it would be the right time to ask.

Keefe cleared his throat.

Now.

"Do... do you want to go to the prom with me? I mean, we both don't have any dates either, and it didn't specify any sort of dates dates, so it could be friendly dates, and you and I can be a friendly date, because we are friends, so that makes it friendly- Ah, I'm rambling now, so what do you say?"

Keefe buried his red face in his hands.

You idiot. She's so confused right now.

Keefe peeked out of his palm, knowing he was blushing madly from the intense heat he could feel from his cheeks.

Sophie had the same reaction, but she started laughing too.

"Sure. Friendly date. Got it." She gave a smile as she giggled, and Keefe heaved a sigh if relief he didn't even know he held in.

"That was pretty funny though, you should have seen the way you started to blush," Sophie laughed, keeping the situation away from being awkward.

"Come on, I was nervous! Besides, you blush way more than I do!" Keefe admitted, mumbling.

Sophie laughed even harder at how he was so quiet.

"I don't blush that much!" She stated, and Keefe raised an eyebrow.

"Oh fine, maybe I do," she huffed as her face heated up again.

Keefe started laughing, and Sophie joined in.

Still, part of her saw a glimpse of hope.

Of all those girls out there chasing him, he still chose her.

That was significant, right?

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Sophie might as well be put on the spot light by the way Keefe was gaping at her.

She gave a small wave, looking back at the assembly hall to see how everyone else was dressed.

Apparently, the simple red dress that Edaline chose for her, which she thought would be over dressing, turned out to be under dressing from the puffy and huge gowns other girls wore.

It took her a while to find Keefe, since the school was pretty crowded and it was almost suffocating to just walk to the classroom.

He was probably there to hide from the crowd, since she was pretty sure he was pretty bombarded by others already.

He was dressed formally, from the black suit, the shiny leather shoes and the neat jerkin, but she could still recognise him by the way his shirt was unlocked and the immaculate messy hair he always had.

He gave her a smirk as she came in to sit next to him, passing him some punch.

She looked around them, seeing nothing but dim light and the faint sound of the music.

"You look... stunning," Keefe said quietly, and Sophie felt her cheeks heat up.

"You don't look too bad yourself. Although I must admit, you look cute in a suit," she blushed even harder.

Did she really say that out loud?

She must have, since Keefe started to laugh a little.

She knew he was hiding something. He stated tucking his sleeves again, another one of his nervous habits, not that Sophie knew many of.

"So, what's up?" She asked, hoping that she could get what he was holding back.

"Nothing much, just thinking," Keefe mumbled, continuing to fuss with his sleeve.

Sophie nodded and started to swing her legs, then realised that she shouldn't since it was "un-ladylike".

She hated the dress already.

She glanced back at him, seeing how his eyebrows etched together. It was pretty cute to see him frustrated.

Sophie bit her lip, wondering if it was the moment to say the very thing that she had been holding back for so long.

She took a deep breath.

Might as well get it over and done with.

"So, I need to tell you something."

They said it in perfect symphony, and Sophie and Keefe both started laughing as they turned to the other side, blushing a little.

"You can go first," Keefe offered.

"Nope you go," Sophie smiled, knowing this was going to take a while.

"Fine, whoever finishes their cup of punch first gets to decide," Keefe smirked, holding up his cup.

"Fine by me. Three, two, one-"

They both gulped it down, but Sophie started to choke on her own punch as Keefe scrunched his face from the sour taste.

"You okay?" Keefe suddenly became worried, and Sophie gave a small smile.

"Yep, you won though. So, um actually I think... wait before I say it, can I ask you of a favour?" Sophie asked, a little desperate.

Keefe nodded, giving her a smirk. "Name it Foster."

"Okay just don't hate me, no matter what I say okay?- I know you won't, I just need to make sure," Sophie added as Keefe frowned, waiting for him to nod before she continued.

"Okay... this is harder than i thought it would be... " Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, hoping she was going it right.

Keefe's confused and curious gmface wasn't helping either.

"I- I think I like you."

Her voice was barely audible, but Keefe heard her alright.

He turned to look at her, glints of his ice blue eyes reflecting the light from outside.

Before he could even have a say, she quickly added.

"I know it's pretty weird and all, but I was always weird and you seem to understand me so well. I get it if you say no, or anything, because afterall, I mean look at you! You had a line of people wanting to even come to the prom with you! So, I mean, it's okay if you don't return my feelings or whatsoever, but I just really, really, like you and-"

Before she could continue her rant, her face burning faster every second, she was cut short by lips pressed against her.

Her eyes widened in shock as Keefe was closing his eyes, just leaning onto her.

What.

Was.

Going.

On.

She had no idea how to react, so she just sat there, shocked and dazzled, before she finally got a grip of herself and kissed him back.

By the time she did, it had already been some time, and so the kiss had to end pretty short.

Every moment of it seemed to dim the loud cheers from outside, as if everything was slowing down just for them.

As they parted, their foreheads touching, just both of them gazing into each others eyes.

"You know Foster, you have no idea how long I wanted to say the same thing."

He whispered against her cheek, his warm breath tickling.

She sucked in a deep breath.

"Really?" She asked, hoping that this wasn't another dream of hers she would wake up to.

He pecked her lips again as a reply, and Sophie jolted up.

"Do you want to dance? We haven't even had one yet," he stood up, letting his hand out for her to take.

She smiled, taking his hand.

"Sure thing. Just don't complain if I step on your feet, at least Edaline let me wear flats." She warned, and Keefe laughed.

"Its you, so why would I mind?"

The question lingered in Sophie's mind, and her heart fluttered more than ever.

They went back into the bright setting of the celebration, and Keefe gave a stage bow as he let go of her hand, offering it again.

"May I, m'lady?" He asked, smirking.

Sophie laughed as she rested her palm in his.

"You may."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.