"Is she up?" I stifled a groan, recognizing Edaline's voice.

"No, she's not. Well, I don't think so. She really wore herself out." Fitz? I rolled slightly, disappointed when I realized I was back in my bed rather than still in his arms.

"How did she tire herself?" Grady sounded over-protective. "It wasn't that Sencen boy was it? Did he make her cry?" I almost groaned. He hated Keefe that much? "He made her cry, didn't he?"

"No…" Fitz hesitated. You made me cry. You made me depressed. You made me the way I am now. "She's just really stressed."

"Oh, dear, with what?" Edaline sounded worried and I despised her for it. How could she worry for me in this kind of situation, but not worry for me in what would happen after they put me back into the foster system?

"Oh, nothing to worry about. We're taking care of her."

Edaline cooed. "Oh, you're just too good to her. I really am waiting for the day you two get together." I flushed under my covers and prayed that my reddened ears were covered by the blanket.

"Oh- uh, I'm, she's not. I-" Fitz stammered before he cleared his throat. "We're not going to be dating anytime soon." And, just like that, my heart sank, my hope deflated, and my vision went red.

I wasn't worth it. I wasn't worth anything.

"I'll be going now, thank you-" I assumed Edaline gave him a look as he sheepishly said- "um, Grady and Edaline."

He walked out the door and I heard it close. I rolled over into a more comfortable position before freezing. "I will miss her when she's gone." Edaline, always the softie. She was making my heart melt and I hated her for that.

"Well, we can't keep her."

"We… we can't?"

Grady sighed. "Edaline… we've talked about this before. As much as we want to-"

"We can't." I wanted to scream. Why couldn't they? If they want to, just let me stay! You are the ones who don't want me, yet still want me!

"That's right." Oh, my goodness, I was just like a dog that a little girl wanted to keep but who's dad wouldn't let her.

Edaline sighed. "We'll get rid of her by the end of summer." End of summer? Okay, school had just started. Maybe I could convince them to let me stay.

But did I really want to stay? Did I want to stay with them?

"But, when should we tell her?"

Grady sighed, "We'll try to keep this to ourselves for as long as possible. Now, come on. Let her rest."

The door glided open then closed lightly. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Puffy, swollen, most likely red. I looked out of my window. It was quite possibly the middle of the night. I checked my phone.

Past one in the morning. I slumped and threw myself back, lying at the crystal chandelier hanging from my vaulted ceiling.

It was all too good to be true. This was life's way of saying, 'Sophie. You suffered. You were pampered. You did nothing for that. We gave you a taste of a better life and now you need to work for it'. It was such a cliche message. I knew I didn't deserve any of this. I was trying to make it up to Grady and Edaline. I was trying.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt my chest tighten and the pressure behind my eyes build up. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry over them.

I closed my eyes, feeling the hot liquid spill out of my eyes and I listened to the soft sound of them falling onto the satin sheets.

I woke up. In my first few waking moments, I felt… nice. Maybe the nicest I had ever felt in a long time. The sun was rising; the start of a new day. The birds were chirping outside and Iggy was snoring.

And then I remembered that it wasn't nice. It wasn't a nice day and I hated the early noises. They weren't nice, the day wasn't nice, and I wasn't nice.

I threw my covers off, the pile of satin softness landing on a disgruntled Iggy who pawed at his face. Not adorable. I stomped over the rose petals without feeling guilty. Why would I? I brushed my teeth, washed my face, chose my clothes, got changed, and stomped downstairs. It is not a good morning.

"Good morning, Sophie." I stole a piece of toast out of her hands and took an angry bite, crumbs falling to the floor. I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, opened the front door, then slammed it shut.

I took out my Imparter, the latest phone brand, and called Dex. "Hi-"

"Pick me up."

"Are you okay?"

"See you soon." I hung up and stuffed my phone in my breast pocket. We were only allowed to wear our capes in school, and wearing a hoodie only to stuff it in my locker later made no sense to me. I shivered and rubbed my arms.

I heard a slight creak of the front door opening and turned around. Edaline was holding my cape and I huffed, arms twitching to reach up and tug out an itchy eyelash. "Soph-"

But I was already running down the path.

"Sophie..?" I stuffed my hands deeper into the pockets. Dex insisted on running home and getting me a sweatshirt. "Sophie?" I kicked at a rock. "Sophie." I pulled the hood up and slouched. "Sophie!"

I looked up, pouting as I frowned. Dex just pulled my hood down, ruffled my hair, and laughed, flashing his deep dimples as his periwinkle eyes glittered. "Sophie, are you okay?" His bright eyes went slightly dark, "Wait. What did they do this time?"

I smiled slightly, but when Dex flinched, I realized it must have come off as dark. I dropped the smile. "You're sweet, Dex. But, no. They didn't do anything. It's just me. I woke up today and felt horrible. I just- I- am I worth it?"

Dex looked taken aback. "What?"

"Am I worth it?"

"Are you worth what, Sophie?" I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off. "Name anything in this world, and I'll guarantee you're a thousand times more important." I could feel tears pricking the back of my eyes and I pulled the hood up again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him reaching for me, but I held up a hand. "Don't. You know I don't like when people see me cry." His features softened from protectiveness and melted into a smile.

I sniffled and rubbed my eyes, and when they stopped leaking, I looked up at him. I pulled him into a hug. "You are the best."

"Hi, Sophie." I looked over my shoulder and my heart immediately began to pound harder. But then I remembered he was just another person who didn't want me. But he wants you as a friend.

"Hi." So, maybe my voice was a bit too cold and the hurt that flashed in his eyes twisted my heart, but I couldn't help it.

"Um, Biana was looking for you. She said that you were three minutes late." He flashed his movie-star smile. He was taking advantage of his charm and my infatuation with him. He knew I liked him, didn't he? He knew I was awake too, right?

"Okay. I'll text her and go to the library. Thank you for notifying me." His teal eyes flooded with sadness and I could even feel Dex tense up next to me.

He leaned in, whispering in warning, "Sophie..?" But I brushed him off, giving him a small smile.

"It's fine. I'm okay." He thinned his lips into a straight line and he looked at me worriedly. I smiled, "I'm okay." He still looked unconvinced but stood up straighter. He's gotten taller over the summer.

But then he leaned down quickly, wrapping his arms around me. "Don't do anything dumb. Don't do anything you'd normally do." And I wasn't even sure if he was joking. Was he calling me dumb? But when I pulled back, he was flashing me that caring, Dex smile, and I felt better.

"I won't." I won't try to, at least.

"Hey, Sophie! You're a bit later than usual today, what's up?" I shrugged as I plopped myself down on the floor. I rubbed my arms again and wished that I had brought my cape. No, I wish I was allowed to keep Dex's sweatshirt.

"I just woke up and felt-" I shrugged, "I don't know. I felt… bad." Biana nodded.

"It's not because of the Grady Edaline thing is it?" I stiffened. What was with everybody just assuming that it was all because of them! I had other problems too! Did I want to have problems? She's just trying to help.

"Kind of. But also because of… just… stuff." Biana nodded again.

"Fitz?" I raised an eyebrow. My problems weren't just small things like boys or parents and drama. I had serious issues.

"No," I spat. "Not just Fitz." The teal eyes pooled with hurt and she leaned back in shock.

"Sophie," she sounded questioning and… scared.

I felt a small twinge of guilt tugging at my heart, but I hated being weak. Being empathetic doesn't mean being weak. I glared at her. "I'll see you later," I said coldly.

I hid behind the wall, peering around the edge as I listened in to my friends' conversation.

"She's just going through a lot." Dex's voice was defensive as he spoke for me.

"She practically screamed she hated me this morning."

"Whatever, Wonder Boy. You wouldn't understand."

"And you do?"

Both boys fell silent.

"But," Biana's voice was quiet, "this isn't like Sophie at all."

"She's going through a lot." Dex was practically seething.

"But even before, when she was experiencing her severe headaches and blackouts- let me finish- and when Vice Principal Bronte was bent on expelling her because she had a 'troubled' background and would ruin the school's image. Through all of those things, she confided in us, and she trusted in us, and she didn't shut us out."

I pulled my head back and sank to the floor.

My friends didn't like me anymore.

I sighed as I trudged to my locker after the bell finally rang and my friends left. My friends.

When I opened my locker, a piece of paper floated to the ground. I picked it up gingerly, sighing as I did so. Probably another detention slip from Bronte because, most likely, he saw me wearing a hoodie to school.

You are Sophie Foster and you can get through anything and everything.

I smiled to myself as I folded the slip of paper and tucked it into my pocket.