Chapter 5 – Cherry Chapstick - [Keeper POV]

As Sophie climbed the stairs up to her bedroom, she felt two emotions engulf her at once: anger, at Fitz for being so impossible and arrogant, and sadness, for the way the one thing she wanted most didn't work out.

She was vaguely aware how her emotions were hitting Keefe like a dump truck as he, Biana and Dex followed her up the stairs, but she also knew there wasn't anything she could do about it.

When Sophie made it to her room and collapsed on her bed Keefe, Biana and Dex crawled onto the bed and huddled around her as she cried, muttering soft reassurances and rubbing her back soothingly. Currently Keefe was describing in great detail everything he was planning to do to Fitz for breaking her heart.

"...when he enters his room tonight the whole place will smell like gulon farts and..." he was sayng.

After another few minutes of listening to Keefe's plotting Sophie gathered the energy needed to interrupt him. "As nice as all that sounds, no thanks, Keefe. I don't want any more drama for a while."

Keefe looked at her in disappointment. "I understand, Foster." He hopped off her bed and started retreating to the door. "Since there isn't much else I can do, I better go."

"Keefe–" Sophie started, but it was too late. The door had already shut behind him.

In the silence that followed sounded a hesitant knock on Sophie's door. She called out for whoever it was to come in and Edaline appeared from behind the previously closed door with a platter of custard bursts and tea to help soothe Sophie.

After Edaline left again Sophie nibbled on the custard bursts to find they were toffee flavored. Biana and Dex helped themselves to a few pieces as Sophie took tiny sips of her tea, which indeed helped to calm her and bring her tears down to just sniffles.

When dusk descended the sky Dex gently took his leave, explaining that he promised his dad to help close Slurps and Burps for the day. He also promised Sophie he'd be back the next morning to dye her pet imp, Iggy's, fur, but refused to tell Sophie what color.

Now it was just Biana and Sophie in the room. Alone.

Seeing that there was enough room on the bed for her to scoot closer to Sophie, Biana did, wrapping her arms around the older girl, trying – successfully – to comfort her.

Biana also started to nervously hum a tune she had heard in the Forbidden Cities. She had had dreams about a moment like this: the sun setting, a sweet aroma of tea in the air, being alone with Sophie. Sophie, with her hair of spun gold and her creamy chocolate eyes with those little gold flakes around the iris, her plump cherry lips, and her kind but strong personality.

She knew that she shouldn't like her brother's girlfriend, that it is wrong, but then again they did just brea– No. She won't even go there. It's nor righ–

"What song is that?" Startled out of her thoughts, Biana looked at Sophie, "I don't think that's Elvin music, it can't be, it sounds too familiar,"

Biana responded, "I don't know what it's called, but I heard it in the Forbidden Cities."

"Do you think you could sing some of it for me?"

Biana flushed cherry red at the question but still nodded. Clearing her throat she started to sing. "I kissed a girl and I liked it/The taste of her cherry chapstick/I kissed a girl just to try it/I hope my boyfriend don't mind it." She stopped and looked at Sophie, who was staring at her in amazement, which made Biana flush deeper.

"Hey Biana?" Sophie started. Biana felt a spark of anxiety, fearing Sophie was going to comment on the song or her singing or something. Instead, she said, "Have you ever dated someone you really loved but in the end you realized that person was just an arrogant jerk?" Sophie spoke the last words through a clenched jaw.

"No, I was too young to date before I met you and I've been saving myself for someone ever since."

"Who?"

"You." Biana whispered, then kissed her.

Kissing Sophie was everything and more Biana had imagined it to be. However, Sophie was frozen under her attention.

The truth was, Sophie was very confused. Over the entirety of the years she had known Biana, she had never suspected for even a second that the younger girl had held these feelings for her. Sophie just couldn't wrap her head around the idea.

But at the same time, Sophie found herself exposed to the possibility of being with Biana, which brought on a feeling of hope and desire for that possibility.

Biana, realizing that Sophie was frozen against her, ended the kiss as quickly as she had started it, looking more flustered than anyone had ever seen her.

"I–I'm sorry!" Biana squeaked, jumping up and moving to the door as fast as she could,"

"Biana?" Sophie gasped out, now just as flustered as the younger girl.

"No-No! I'm sor–" Biana's words were cut off by the slamming of the bedroom door as she rushed to flee the room. She then fled downstairs to the Leapmast 500 and leapt to Dex's, knowing for a fact that she didn't want to go to her home Everglen.

Sophie, stick dumbstruck, stared at the door, hoping it would open again and Biana would come back in. To do what, Sophie didn't know.

Instead, Sophie heard a gentle knock. "Come in," Sophie called. Unsurprisingly, it was Edaline.

Ealine crawled onto the bed next to Sophie and asked what happened. "I saw Biana crying and flickering as she left, did you two get into a fight?"

Sophie decided to confide in Edaline. "We were talking and then she kissed me. When I didn't kiss back she got really embarrassed and probably thinks I hate her now." She said quietly.

"Oh dear, well, I hope you two work things out."

Sighing, Sophie nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes of making shushing noises and rubbing Sophie's back, Edaline left the room with a reassuring smile, leaving Sophie alone with her thoughts.

.

When Biana arrived at Rimeshire, she was greeted with chaos in the form of the Dizznee triplets.

"YOU THREW MUD AT ME!"

"NO, I DIDN'T! BEX DID!"

Biana was not at all surprised to hear that Rex, Bex and Lex were arguing about mud. Quite loudly, too.

That's the understatement of the century, Biana thought.

But then the triplets noticed her.

If Biana thought they were loud before, it was nothing compared to the volume coming from the triplet's apparently indestructible voice boxes.

Immediately after seeing Biana, they slipped and stumbled their way to her, covered in mud and flinging it everywhere in their progress.

Biana just stood there in horror, knowing if she didn't soon move, she would be covered in mud, but she couldn't seem to make her feet make the simple action of walking.

Once the triplets were about three yards away they became eerily silent and stared at her intimidatingly.

In the back of her mind Biana wondered why exactly she was so scared of three twelve year olds.

Biana stared back at the triplets, frightened by their unusual silence. Then, simultaneously, the triplets dropped down into a crouch and started to gather mud into their dirty hands.

Biana heard a voice behind her shout "Watch out!" just as the triplets popped back up to their feet and pummeled Biana with their collection of mud. She let out a disgusted squeal.

Behind Biana, Juline Dizznee made and exclamation and rushed to the young girl to help her. "Let me get that for you, Biana," Juline raised her hands and used her powers as a Froster to freeze the mud as much as it would freeze. She then shattered the mud with a flick of her wrist so that all that remained on Biana was the dirt still dusting her clothes. "Why don't you go inside and clean up?"

Biana, grateful for Juline's help, thanked her and rushed towards Rimeshire's grand doors to go inside and clean up.

Juline shouted to Biana's retreating form, "Are you here for Dex?"

Biana shouted back her affirmation.

Juline turned to the three obnoxious children in front of her. "Why did you throw mud at Biana?" She demanded.

She was met with silence.

Juline sighed. Her expression hardened. "You three – Go find Dex! And if I so much as see your faces back without him all three of you will be grounded for a month!"

The triplets gulped. Then they made a run for Rimeshire's leapmaster.

Inside found Biana in the downstairs bathroom scrubbing furiously at her dirty clothes with a washcloth she had drowned with soap.

For about five minutes Biana had continued with the washcloth when the bathroom door swung open, revealing Juline holding fresh pants and a tunic for the young girl.

"I believe these should be about your size?" Juline offered questioningly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Juline," Biana replied gleefully and with relief.

"When you are done changing why don't you come out to the living room to wait for Dex? He should be back soon,"

Biana agreed and closed the bathroom door.

.

Dex was upstairs in the lab at Slurps and Burps brewing another fur-color-changing potion for Sophie's pet imp, Iggy, to try and cheer her up. So far, he'd only managed to fail four attempts at making a successful one that would turn Iggy's fur rainbow.

Dex froze as a loud clattering came from downstairs followed by the clomping of boots up the narrow stairs.

He spun to face the door when it slammed open with a bang, Bex flying through the now open doorway.

"DEX! MOM WANTS YOU HOME! AND IF YOU DONT COME HOME WITH ME I'LL BE GROUNDED FOR A MONTH!" Bex shrieked, making Dex's ears feel like they were bleeding. "YOU NEED TO COME HOME WITH ME! PLEEEAASE!" She continued, grabbing Dex's hand and starting to pull him towards the stairs.

Dex considered not going with Bex to get her in trouble, but decided to be the responsible older sibling – for once – and allowed himself to be dragged by his younger sister.

.

When Bex and Dex arrived back at Rimeshire via home crystal it was after dark. Thousands of stars danced in the sky above them.

Bex immediately grabbed for her imparter to hail Rex and Lex to explain how she already found Dex and that it was safe to come home.

Dex trudged his way up the path to Rimeshire's grand doors to meet his mother. She explained to him the state Biana was in.

Dex left his mother's side to hesitantly enter his living room where he found Biana curled up under a blanket. She looked every bit as miserable as Juline had described.

"Biana? What are you doing here?" A pause. "Are you okay?"

Biana shook her head no.

"What happened?" Dex asked tentatively.

With only a second's hesitation Biana told Dex what happened with her and Sophie after he and Keefe left.

When Biana finished talking, it was silent for a long time. Eventually Dex spoke. "I think," He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "That Sophie was more surprised than anything else."

Biana stayed silent.

"You should talk to her," Dex offered. "When you're ready."

Biana sighed, resigning herself to this fact. "I guess I should."