Sunlight was pouring in through the windows when Sophie opened her eyes just to become blinded. She groaned and turned over to go back to sleep.

"Someone isn't a morning person"

Sophie shot up, remembering that she wasn't in her dorm. Rubbing her eyes she looked to see where Keefe's voice came from.

"You wouldn't be a morning person too if your roommate kept you up all night, or in this case you." She uncovered herself from the blankets and took a better look at the room. Keefe's side had homework messily covering most of his desk, the pillow fort under his bed, a few band posters loosely taped to the wall, clothes strewn about messily on the floor, but what captured Sophie's attention the most was the buliton board hanging next to the bed. It was filled with sketches and paintings of anything and everything. They were ridiculously detailed and could have easily been professionally drawn.

"Did you draw all of these," she asked admiring one of the landscape pieces of the colleges library.

Keefe blushed but tried to cover it with a smirk. "Yeah, I doodle when I'm bored."

"Doodle, these are full out masterpieces" Keefe blushed at her words but eagerly changed the subject.

"So, what do you want to do today bestie"

Sophie turned around, surprised etched in her face. "You want to hang out? You realize that we literally met yesterday"

"And since then you have already slept in my bed so I can safely say we are at least friend, if not best friend, standards. So, I repeat, what do you want to do today"

"Umm, I guess we should start by going to my dorm so I can change and make myself look somewhat presentable. But after that, I don't know. I hadn't really made plans for the break. I was assuming I was going to be alone for most of it."

"Then aren't you glad you meet me" Keefe stood up from the desk chair and opened his dresser to pull out some clothes. "I'm going to go take a quick shower and then we can head over to your dorm, sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds great." As he left for the showers Sophie set out to find her phone. She needed to give Biana some warning before showing up at their dorm with a random boy. After going back into the pillow fort and finding it under several pillows, she turned it on to find several notifications. Most of them from her roommate.

Biana

Dude where are you?

Did you go home with Keefe?!

I swear to god if you don't answer...

PLeeeeeeaaaaasssseee

. . .Phone.

Hey Biana, I'm going to call you okay?

SOPHIE! Yes okay call meeeee

After the second ring Biana picked up and squealed loudly into the phone.

"God your loud" Sophie muttered.

"Tell me now. Are you or are you not with Keefe Sencen right now?!"

"Technically he is showering so I'm not with him, but yeah, I'm in his dorm. Sorry If I scared you"

"OMG, are you guys, like a thing"

"Are you and dimples a thing?"

"For your information, yes, yes we are so does that mean what I think it means?"

"No, we are not a thing. I just stayed over because it was late and I didn't want to watch you kissing whatever his name is all night"

"His name is Dex now shut up and tell me what happened"

"Look I'll tell you later but I need to stop by the dorm to get a change of clothes and shower, and I'm bringing Keefe with me so don't freak out and have Dex help you clean up the room please"

"Don't worry the room is clean, and Dex had to leave to catch a flight home so it's just me. I was going to go to Starbucks before packing for my own flight tomorrow, but this is much more interesting"

"Yeah yeah, Sophie has a new friend, ha ha. Anyway I'll be over in like 15 okay?"

"Okay"

"Bye!" After ending the call Sophie saw that she had a few other notifications and went through her email and Instagram before Keefe finally returned.

"My god put a shirt on would you" Sophie said, heat on her face as he entered wearing only a pair of black jeans and red vans. She noticed he was still holding the shirt he brought with him to the showers. "Why bring a shirt and not put it on"

"Maybe I wanted to see you flustered," her cheeks grew warmer. "Or maybe some douche knocked it over while I was showering and now it's all wet." He went to his dresser and pulled out a grey t-shirt from the top drawer. "You ready to head out?"

"Yeah just let me put on my shoes" She tied the blue and black high-tops on,I know so cool, and pulled her blond hair into a pony tail.

They headed out of the dormitory and Keefe said hello to almost everyone they passed on the way down. They headed through the main quad and walked towards the Sophomore housing.

"Wow, aren't you Mr. Popular" Sophie commented after the most recent greeting to another person Keefe knew.

"Jealous that you can't have me to yourself" he smirked and looked over at her.

"More like annoyed we can't walk five feet without someone talking to you"

"Aww I'm growing on you. Now are we besties?" He looked at Sophie with big puppy dog eyes.

"No"

"Come on"

"No Keefe, Biana is still my best friend"

"Awwww I'll win you over one day Foster"

They arrived at the dorm and went up to the 3rd floor of the building. A short boy with black hair walked up to Sophie and rushidly asked her if she knew where a girl named Marella was.

"Uh not really, I would check the cafeteria though" Sophie replied a little taken back.

"Thanks Sophie" he rushed out through the doors behind them.

"Now look who's Mrs. Popular" Keefe teased as Sophie unlocked the door to her dorm.

"One person Keefe, you had like 17 people come up to you"

"Touche Touche"

"Sophie!" Biana almost yelled as she walked up to her. "Are you going to introduce me to your new friend?"

"You literally introduced us last night Biana."

Biana's smiled faded, "You're no fun"

Sophie grabbed some clothes from her dresser and her soap caddy to head off to the showers.

"I'll be quick, you can hang out on my bed" she said to Keefe as she gestured to the loft bed with a deep purple comforter. He promptly jumped on her bed and Biana quickley sat next to him

"Oooo I can tell you all about Sophie's arguments she has with teachers, they're hilarious" Biana said as Keefe gave Sophie a please hurry back look while also looking somewhat interested in hearing about Sophie's mishaps.

"Don't you dare Biana" Sophie said, one hand on the door. She headed down the hall to the communal bathroom and showered as quick as she could. She changed, put on some light makeup, and headed back to her dorm. As she entered she heard Biana finish telling Keefe the most embarrassing story about how on the first day of school she went to the wrong dorm and got kicked out until she found the right one.

"I take it back, you're my new best friend" She pointed at Keefe. His face lit up and he hopped down to head towards Sophie. Biana let out a hmpf as she grabbed her dorm key and walked to the door.

"If you or your new best friend need me, I'll be at Starbucks" Biana walked out leaving them alone once again.

"Well we have lot's of time to kill so what do you want to do" Keefe asked.

Sophie shrugged and brushed her hair.

"What do you usually do with your friends"

"Foster, trust me. You do not want to know that" his smirk returned.

"Well we could go get some breakfast I guess"

"How about after, we go off campus. Any favorite places off campus?" He had started rifling through Sophie's desk, looking at her collection of random stuff. Her desk had pens scattered everywhere, a guitar pick, an old ipod, a printer, and a few pictures of the town she grew up in.

"I mean I like going to the library but I assume that wouldn't be as fun for you"

"Foster, do you do anything interesting in your life" He gestured to the big stack of books she kept by her bed. She really needed to finish a couple of those.

"Uhh. Sometimes I like to go to the old theater, the one off main and second, with a few of my friends and we go into one of the old movies that no ever watches and hang out."

"Well, if that's the most fun you have in your day then you obviously need to be shown a good time"

"And you plan to do that" She still didn't know how she got into this situation.

"Absolutely"

"Okay, what are we going to do then"

He hesitated, his smile faltered. She smirked, he didn't have a plan.

"Come on Foster this whole campus is abandon by the people who are related to semi-decent people"

"Hey wait. That gives me an idea" She shuffled through her desk until she found her dorm key. "Okay follow me"

They headed out, bundled in sweaters from the cold, and walked toward the edge of campus.

"You want to tell me where we're going Foster?"

"You'll see"

"Please!"

"No Keefe your going to have to wait." She smiled when he gave her a pouwty lip. She wasn't going to cave in that easily. She was bringing him to her favorite place on campus, the gardens. It wasn't just the vast plants filled with different colored foods, but the giant oak trees that were sprinkled among them. Usually, when school was in session, the agriculture majors were there working on projects. Now, the campus was empty which left the garden to the two of them.

"Wow" Keefe muttered under his breath as he looked at the garden.

"I know, it's my favorite place to go whenever I need to think."

"You know what we should do?"

"Wha-"

"Climb that tree"

"Seriously"

"Absolutely, that tree right there," he gestured to the closest tree to our left. "It looks like a really good climbing tree. She gave him a doubtful look. "Come on Foster, trust me."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as they made their way toward the tree. Keefe grabbed one of the lower branches and pulled himself up onto it. Sophie followed, but wasn't as graceful as she heaved her body onto the branch. They climbed a little farther until they found a good place to sit.

"What's your favorite color?"

"What?" She asked, surprised by his question.

"Well, as your new best friend, I thought we should learn more about each other. What's your favorite color?"

She studied his face and saw his sincerity. "Blue, teal-ish blue. you?"

"Probably orange"

"Orange, why orange?" He looked over at her and smirked.

"I'll have to show you sometime."

"Okay, my turn. What's your favorite animal?"

"Hmm, probably the Lion. You know, because they have such great hair. You?"

"Elephant."

"What do you plan to do with your life?"

"Well that's a quick change from favorites."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm bad at my own game"

"Well, you know, I want to become a lawyer" Sophie started swinging her legs back and forth, careful not to fall off the branch. He gave her a doubtful look.

"No, I mean , beyond that. Where do you want to live, what do you like to do, who do you want to be with, you know. That kind of stuff."

"Um, I have always wanted to live in California, warm weather, beaches, museums, art, culture, history. I want to be a lawyer and save the world in m y own way," She looked up from her hands that she had been fidgeting with. "You."

"I want to become a child psychologist but other than that I don't really know."

They sat in silence for a while and eventually they both got pretty hungry. They climbed down and headed towards the school dinning hall. Sophie picked up a hamburger with fries while Keefe grabbed a salad.

"Someone's healthy" Sophie smiled as she bit into her burger, she couldn't imagine giving up eating these.

"I have to keep in shape, you know, for the ladies," he winked at her and kept eating. Sophie rolled her eyes.

As the days passed by and grew colder they hung out with each other pretty much everyday. Sophie was surprised by how much she liked hanging out with Keefe. Sure, they had met just a few days ago, but being friends with Keefe was different than being friends with Biana. Hanging out with Biana was fun, just different. With Biana they would usually go off to random parties, go shopping, or go to Starbucks. With Keefe they did a lot more hanging out together than doing stuff together. But that was mostly because most things on campus were closed for the break.

Almost a full week and a half into break the rain storms that had hit their are still hadn't let up. Sophie didn't mind, it gave her time to work on projects and finish up books that she needed to read, but Keefe was getting restless. He was currently laying upside down on her bed while she read her book in her desk chair. Every few minutes he would make an annoyed sound and move positions on the bed. Finally Sophie gave in.

"Is something wrong Keefe?"

"I'm bored," he had shifted again so he could face her.

"Well I can't control the weather," She went back to her book.

"Let's do something."

"When you think of something tell me."

"Let's go to the library."

"Seriously, you, Keefe Sencen want to go to the library"

"I like watching you pick out books."

She blushed at his comment. "Okay, give me five minutes to grab some stuff. Can you look up the library's hours."

Keefe fished his phone out of his pocket , smiling at the thought of leaving the small dorm. As the screen lit he sat up quickly, reading the messages he had received. He pushed his hand through his hair and all traces of his smile had been wiped away.

"What's wrong?" Sophie asked, generally concerned. She hadn't seen Keefe this upset before. Granted she only knew him for about two weeks but...

"It's nothing," Keefe muttered as he shut his eyes. His expression looked like he was trying not to punch the wall and cry at the same time. Sophie stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at her.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but know I'm here if you do," he looked at her intensely. As if he was deciding whether or not to trust her.

After a moment of silence Keefe looked down at his shoes and mumbled, "My dad found out about the party, like he was meant to, but he's angry and told me that I was useless. I told him off but he wants me to clean up the mess or else he'll press charges. I can't go over there, not while he's there but I don't want to get my friends in trouble."

Sophie reached down and squeezed his hand. They had talked about his dad before, but not very much. She already hated the guy but didn't know how to help.

"What if I come with you. Then you won't be there alone and he will have to act nice in front of company. Plus it will take forever to clean that place up, even with the two of us."

"Really Foster? You'd do that?"

"Of course Keefe, your my best friend, at the moment that is. You're in the top 2."

Keefe smiled and Sophie grew extremely aware of how close they were to each other. She could fell his breath. Eventually she pulled away and they got ready to head over to the Sencen palace. Her heart was racing faster than an alicorn...