Hello darkness my old friend... took a playbuzz test and learned that I would be a shade if I was an elf. I'm joining the club, Tammy!

SOPHIE'S POV

"Hey, Soph, we're having all our friends over tonight. They want to see you after... ya know?" Biana informs me.

"You can say that Havenfield burned down. It's not like anyone died or anything." I shrug, sprawled out on Biana's bed while she combs her hair in the bathroom.

"Oh, ok." she puts down her brush does jazz hands as she walks out. "How do I look?" she twirls around, her dark-chocolate hair looking caramel when it catches the light.

"Totes cute, like always." I slide off the bed. "Now can you do my hair?"

"Do you hair? Did the Sophie Foster really just request a makeover? Who are you and what have you done with Sophie?" Biana teases, even though she pats the chair in front of her mirror twice as a motion for me to go sit.

I laugh. "No, I don't want a full-on makeover, but my hair is a mess, and I'm too lazy to brush my hair." I plop down on the chair. I see through the mirror that Biana's giggling while shaking her head.

I can tell that she's trying not to make it painful. The way she grabs the top section of my hair when she brushes the bottom so it doesn't hurt, the way she gently unravels the knot... it's sweet.

When she's done fixing the tangled monstrocity, she puts it into a simple fishtail braid.

"Done!" she announces. I look at myself in the mirror.

"Thanks." I smile through the mirror and stand up. I get a little dizzy, but I ignore it and walk out, telekinetic support wrapped around my bad ankle. Just on time, everyone arrives. Dex, Keefe, Tam, Linh, even Wylie.

"Hey, Foster. How are you feeling?" Keefe pulls out a chair for me.

"Yeah. We were so worried! Who could have done that?" Linh frowns, and for some oddball of a reason, my heart leaps to my throat in... whatever reason.

"What is that moodswing I sense, Foster?" Keefe accuses.

"Ugh. Empaths." I grumble as I take a seat. Everyone else does as well, and Della and Edaline puts some custard bursts on the table. I didn't fail to notice the top ones missing on each pile.

"So how is life, everyone?" Biana asks, taking a caramel one. "Oh, and Fitz is in the restroom, fixing his hair."

"It's... interesting." Tam starts. "You know, the council gave me fake memories so I can be with Marella?"

"Yeah?" Linh urges him to keep going.

"Well... she told me that most of it wasn't fake for her. That she had real feelings for me. It got..." Tam struggles to find the right word, but he doesn't need to say it.

"I'll check on her later." Dex says.

"You're gonna check on Marella?" Fitz appears from the restroom. His hair is wet, but there are bits of... unidentified pink goo left on his hair.

"What? We didn't talk in a while, but we were friends when Sophie first started Foxfire. Right?" Dex looks at me for me to back him up.

"Yeah. We were close." I feel a pang of remorse not continuing our friendship. "Did Biana prank you?" I motion his hair, wanting to change the subject.

"What? No!" Biana frantically shakes her head. "I bet it was Keefe!"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Back up the T-Rex, Bee! It was not me!"

"Then who?"

"Oh my god..." Wylie grumbles and facepalms. "Just... whoever did it, come out clean."

"It was me." Tam says.

"Holy cake- what?" Linh chokes on her custard burst, and Wylie starts pounding her on the back.

The way Wylie looks at her... does he like her? Who would she choose? Me or him?

"I needed a distraction." Tam shrugs.

"... Keefe is really growing on you, isn't he?" Wylie shakes his head while chuckling. "Tam Song. Pranking people."

"I didn't know my brother had it in him." Linh comments.

"Well, from what I heard, you were pretty hard with your language in the Shores of Solace." Tam smirks.

Keefe's smile fades, and I immediately know he's thinking about his dad.

"Keefe? You okay?" I reach across the table to hold his hand. Not romantically, just to be there for him. The jubilancy in the room settles down into concern.

"Yeah... um, my dad and I? We aren't talking. I'm still living with Tam." he sighs through his nose.

"Oh, Keefe..." Biana stands up, probably to go hug him, but Keefe puts out his hands as if to stop her.

"It's fine. Just no more sappy feelings, 'kay? How about a round of base quest?" he changes the subject.

"I'm in." Fitz flicks the last bit of the pink goo off his hair and stands up.

We all head out.

But I saw Wylie's leg brushing against Linh's, and I don't think that was a coincidence.