Keefe Sencen POV

A/N: I don't remember that much about the matchmaking process, so I'll be doing it the way I think it should work. Thanks for understanding!

The MatchMaking building stood tall above us, its glimmering shadow sparkling. It looked beautiful on the outside, but I was anxious to go inside. I kicked a couple loose pebbles from the rocky road and tried not to look as worried as I was. Ro was waiting for us at Candle Shade

"Keefe." My name? Yes, that's my name. I look up to Tam, his piercing silver eyes boring into mine, but in a gentle, polite way.

"Yes, Tamster?" I asked, gulping air. Why was I so nervous? What is this tightness in my chest?

"You look like you're about to have a panic attack." He said.

Though Tam or Linh would never admit this, they are alike in more than just on the outside. They both, even though Tam pretended not to, cared. Linh was so open about it, but I could tell by looking into Tam's nickel-colored eyes that he was worried. The light on the rust that flickered against the silver in his eyes, the way his eyebrows would slightly point up in confusion.

"And you're, somehow, overthinking everything." He knocked on my forehead, like knocking on a door.

"What the?"

"I'm trying to open the door of your head. Me and Linh used to do it all the time." He explained, like he knocked on people's foreheads all the time and I was the weird one. "It's supposed to get you to stop dozing off in your mind."

"Sorry. Just fantasizing what I'm going to do with all that prank stuff I'm going to find in Candle Shade." I lied quickly.

"I know you weren't doing that."

"You're not an empath."

"Yeah, I'm also not blind." He pointed to my hand. "You're pinching your wrist."

"Shit." I have to stop doing that. I unclench my skin. "Let's just go in already."

. . . . .

The white walls made me feel like I was back in a human hospital. Everything was white, mother of pearl, eggshell, all shades of white. I don't usually feel nervous, but my stomach was doing acrobatics and my fingers wouldn't stop tapping.

Tam had left momentarily to tell the front desk women that I was getting match made. I looked around, seeing teens my age sitting around with their parents or friends, chatting excitedly. I knew one of the people for me could be in this room. I couldn't be more nervous.

"Okay, they'll call us up in a minute." Tam sat down in a leather seat next to me.

"Us?" I asked, confused.

"I said I was coming with you." Tam said, his eyebrow raised, "You look too nauseous to be left alone."

"I can take care of myself." I crossed my arms at him, not wanting to be babysat.

"I highly doubt that." He unfolded a flier about matchmaking, ending the conversation, "But I do also highly doubt that this isn't the room my parents met."

"Definitely throws off some Song vibes." I liked the distraction, "These are definitely the colors in your kitchen."

"I think the portrait above us of that dragon was in my nursery room." I chuckled at his joke, and he looked at me half-confused and half-amused, "What? This is definitely the room my parents had their wedding in."

That made me laugh a bit more, imagining Mr and Mrs. Song running around, ordering people to get the tables together while teenagers read aloud the names of their future partners.

"Keefe Cassius Sencen?" I groaned at hearing my middle name, my fathers name, and stood up.

"Here." Tam and I walked up to the receptionist's desk.

"And who is this?" The pink-haired woman asked, pointing her pen at Tam.

"I'm his best friend." Tam said quickly before I could say anything else, placing his hand in mine. My heart swirled at the feeling of his finger tips tracing the outlines of my hand, calming me down but also making my stomach's knot tighten. "I go where he goes."

"Yes, yes, and what's your name?" She asked.

"Tam Dai Song." He answered obediently, still rubbing his thumb against the corner of my hand, making my cheeks feel hot.

"Well, you can't go in with him unless he's also getting his list." she confirmed. "This is an incredibly private experience, but since you two are so close, and both haven't gotten your lists, we can make an exception and you may go together."

"Oh goodie." Tam mumbled, making me giggle.

"Follow me this way." She stood up and gestured for us to walk with her.

As we walked, I whispered to Tam, "You haven't gotten your list yet?"

"Some of us don't want to knock up a girl the minute we graduate from Foxfire." He whispered back, and I could've sworn he said something along the lines of, "Not that I would want a girl anyways."

"Alright, Room 206." She pointed with a long finger to a pink door to the left of us. "Have fun, boys."

"You too, madam." Tam hollered back, but not really sure why he did. He turned back to me, his silver eyes buzzing with excitement, "Are you ready?"

I squeezed his hand that I had forgotten I was holding, "Let's do this."