Chapter 16: The Truth
Sophie immediately turned red. Linh looked terrified. Keefe was smirking, Dex was looking around as if someone had left him out of something. Fitz was confused, Biana just shrugged, and Tam was raising his eyebrows at Sophie.
No one said a word until Biana spoke. "Well, you probably found the same person. Who is it?"
There was muttering. Sophie caught "Linh's right-"
"Why do I-"
"Foster's blushing-"
"What-"
"Who-"
"Um..." Sophie started, struggling to keep the blush off her cheeks. She looked at Keefe, scared, and said: "on the-the letters..." she said shakily. "Her name was...uh...Peggy Lanly..."
Everyone went silent. "P.L." Keefe whispered.
"Uh." Linh said. "Actually, um..." she glanced at Tam. "Maybe it's not someone's full name. Maybe it's a nickname...that a little kid...a girl, probably...um...called her?"
The last part ended squeaky as Tam's face went red.
"What?" Dex asked.
Linh took a shaky breath and hid behind her hair. "Princess Lily."
"Hmmmm?"
"P-Princess L-Lily." Linh squeaked.
Tam looked ready to murder someone.
Everyone stood, trying to form words. What?
"When I was a kid..." Linh spoke a little louder now. "I had a friend...more of a babysitter, really...named Lily. Lily Moon." She turned her back to Tam. "And um...for a while...she was "Princess Lily"...and I was "Princess Linh." We loved that we were both...P.L." She glanced at Tam. "But...she betrayed me a while back. Called me worthless...and um..other things."
Linh looked like she was ready to be done with the conversation. That did explain a lot, though. Why Tam was ready to blow. Why this was so hard to talk about. But neither of the options for P.L were easy to except.
"Oh..." Dex said. "Uh, I forgot. I had something to tell everybody...but it's not going to help the situation."
Everyone mumbled there agreement, but Dex went on.
"I...I found another warning from P.L."