"So what are your plans for your birthday?" Steph asked, her chin rested on her hand, her elbow keeping her up on the shelf in front of Sophie who was trying to keep her focus on the checklist in her hand she needed to get done before her boss, Dev, came in.

"Steph, can't you see I'm working?" Sophie hissed.

"I can, yes," Steph smiled sweetly. Sophie rolled her eyes. Realising she wasn't going to get any work done while the olive-skinned girl was in the room, she turned around and put her clipboard on the counter then back to face her friend. Steph moved over to stand next to her and shook the brunette's shoulders.

"C'mon! You're going to be twenty-one; you have to do something big!"

"Birthday's are never good for me," Sophie said, remembering the bad string she once had.

"What makes you say that?"

Sophie cocked an eyebrow at her. "On my fourteenth, my sister got kidnapped. My sixteenth, my pastor found out about my lesbian relationship. My sister sold my family's life story to some idiot con man pretending to be a modelling agent for my seventeen, and I spent my eighteen in hospital, thinking I'll never walk again."

Steph's eyes went big. "Sorry. I didn't know that."

"Exactly," Sophie shrugged her shoulders. "So to be honest, I'd quite like my twenty-first to be a quiet one."

"You had a good birthday last year though," Steph reflected. She, Katy and Joseph went with Kevin, Jack, Sophie and Maddie to a bonfire night's firework show. Hardly as explosive as you'd think for an adult but they had fun.

"Yeah, it was different. I just don't feel like doing that this year."

"Well, I tell you what," Steph said. "You'll at least come to t'Rovers for a few, right?"

Just as Sophie went to answer, the bell on the top of the shop door rang. In walked Bethany and Sinead with grins on their faces.

"What you two talking about?" Sinead asked.

"Sophie's birthday," Steph answered instantly. "She doesn't want to do anything."

"What?!" Bethany gasped. "You have to!"

"Exactly what I said," Steph said. "I plan to go absolutely mad for mine."

"I know I'm only fourteen but my eighteenth is already planned and oh, yes, it's going to be a good'un," Bethany smirked.

Sophie smiled nervously. She didn't know Gail Platt's granddaughter very well but she recognised that sprinkle in the schoolgirl's eye, it's was the same one Rosie had before her big day and there was never a sweet get together for Rosie's birthday since she became an adult.

"I got sewing patterns. Very helpful," Sinead nodded. Steph tilted her head as if to say she was a lost soul, the innocent of the bunch. She caught it.

"But for my eighteenth, I went to some club with my college friends. Proper good it were—hey!" Sinead thought of a brilliant idea. "We should all go there. It were well friendly."

Bethany and Steph looked at each other. They liked the idea.

"You up for that, Soph? It's a shame I can't go," Bethany wondered, frowning at the thought of having to stay home. "When was the last time you went to a club?"

Sophie thought about it. It was a while ago. Oh! It was when she followed Ryan and he got high off his face on speed and thought it would be funny to play chicken on the road and a car hit the brunette, causing spinal damage. Just before her eighteenth, like she had told Steph.

Since then she had avoided bars and clubs. But wasn't against a drink in the Rovers. Sophie became shy.

"C'mon, we'll protect you," Sinead nudged her shoulder.

"Maybe you'll meet someone new!" Bethany said enthusiastically.

"Bethany!" Sinead and Steph said at the same time through their teeth. Bethany hardly knew Maddie but she knew of the girl and what had recently happened. It was one of the benefits with having Gail for a Gran—she was friends with Sally.

Sophie was still trying to get over her. It all happened so suddenly, so unexpected. Sophie still found it hard to believe, five months on.

No, Sophie thought. You know what? I need to get over it.

"Okay, let's go out."

"Really?" Steph checked. Sophie nodded. "Saturday it is then?"

All the girls nodded.

Whether or not it was a good idea wasn't known yet.

Soooo... I've had this idea floating around since it was announced Maddie was leaving... I started writing this before it was confirmed she was being killed off... so don't hate me for anything that's about to happen in this. Although Maddie is dead in this, too. I've made sure to keep it as close to the show as possible. I still haven't written every chapter so I don't know when and how often this will be updated but I am so proud of myself for attempting to write a full length novel! One Shots are my strong point. But this hit me so quickly and I started thinking what kind of girl would be best suited for Sophie after Maddie and although, this story is kind of rushed and I wouldn't want this to happen in the actual show right now, it's just what I imagined over six months ago. I don't want Sophie to move on for a long time yet.

What better day to finally upload this on Sophie's birthday! Happy 21st to my favourite fave ever, I love you, do-gooder!

Enjoy!