a/n: Literally asked my entire family how to follow up a kissing scene (my mother's face was priceless and my dad was just like ?) and had no idea what to do and I was going to have someone interrupt them but it seemed too cliche so instead this chapter is a few days later! And also, I'm listening to Fall Out Boy again because why not. Though I found out My Chemical Romance and Panic! At the Disco songs are also on the playlist. Yay. And that one Andy Grammer song I can't get stuck out of my head. NAH NAH HONEY I'M GOOD I COULD HAVE ANOTHER BUT I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT. . .  

extra a/n: I pronounce the name Maisie as may-zee, but my sister pronounces it Macy. So you can choose your own way to pronounce it.

"You and. . . ?"

"Keefe, yeah," Sophie finished for him. "Are you, uh, okay with that?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Dex said, nodding with a smile on his face. "Better than Fitz."

Sophie grinned. "I thought you guys are friends now."

"We are. . .  But Keefe beats Fitz any day in my book."

Sophie grinned. "Mine too."

A knock sounded at the door, and Sandor popped his head in. "Keefe is here."

She nodded. "Let him in." Keefe walked in and was met with the scene of Sophie hanging upside down on a chair, with her book in her hands, and Dex sitting on her bed playing with Iggy. "Hey, Keefe!" Sophie greeted, a wide grin on her face.

He grinned back. "Hey. I was supposed to go to Fitz's house but he bailed on our plans so I figured I'd come here. What are you guys doing?"

Dex smirked. "Talking about you."

Sophie sat up and threw her book at him, managing to hit his shoulder. "Are not!"

"Yeah, we were. She told me about how you guys kissed after the after party and how-" Dex was cut off when Sophie picked up a picture frame and threw it at him, hitting him in the arm, which he held up to protect his face. "Ow!" He shrieked.

"You're lucky I didn't inflict on you!"

"Hey, I could make a device to do something worse than inflicting."

"Mhm, what?" She raised an eyebrow, daring him to answer.

"Oh, you know. . . Just stuff," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

She nodded. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking," she teased, walking over to him and grabbing the book she threw at him. She turned to Keefe. "Sorry, this is actually a normal conversation for us if you were wondering."

He shrugged. "We're worse. You actually inflicted on me."

"You looked through my photo album when I told you not to."

"You were cute."

"It was my baby pictures." She rolled her eyes.

"Still cute," he said, before walking inside and sitting on the chair she was once sitting on before. She rolled her eyes and looked around the room for another seat. Shrugging, she moved to the seat and sat down on Keefe's lap. "Uh. . . "

"No other seats," she said with a shrug, before turning to Dex who was grinning at them.

"See, as I told you. Totally rooting for you guys," Dex said, before looking back at Iggy. "Thinking of doing yellow next, what do you think?" They looked at Iggy, who was black at that moment.

"Why yellow?"

"Because yellow is happy."

___

"It wasn't my fault! He tripped me!" Sophie shouted to Elwin, who was trying not to laugh at the sight. Sophie was sitting on her bed with Keefe lazily sitting in the same seat as earlier.

"I didn't trip her. She was running down the stairs and decided to step on my foot and fall. That hurt me, too, by the way," he said, rolling his eyes. "So, how's the patient?"

Elwin rolled his eyes. "The patient lives. It's just a sprained ankle, which will be fixed with this." He handed her an elixir. "How'd you get back up to your room?"

"Keefe carried me."

Elwin smirked. "Spending a lot of time together lately, huh?"

"Oh, that's right! You don't know!" Sophie laughed. "Keefe and I started dating sometime last week."

"And how come you guys didn't tell me? I've been being a house call for you two for years!" His face filled with mock hurt.

"Aww, Elwin don't worry. Took them until yesterday to tell me," Edaline said lightly, walking in with a plate of Mallowmelt. "Of course Grady knew before they actually started dating."

"What do you mean Grady knew before?"

"Sophie told him before it was actually official. Of course the first person to know was Bronte. Did you know her friends still don't know, and even Alden and Della don't know. Only Dex, me, Grady, Bronte, and now you."

"And Sandor," Sophie interrupted.

"Why haven't you told anyone?" Elwin asked curiously.

"Don't want to make things awkward," Keefe answered with a shrug. "We'll tell them eventually. Though I'm surprised she hasn't told Biana already."

"I'm going to tell the Vackers, by myself, tonight. I'm going over for dinner. I was invited to meet Alvar's fiance before the wedding next week," Sophie explained. A grin tugged on her lips. "Keefe wasn't."

"I was invited, I just turned them down."

"Alvar personally went up to you and asked you not to go." She looked at him with a grin. "Of course it was because the last time you saw her she sat in the seat Fitz was supposed to, and you were planning on pranking Fitz. You traumatized the poor girl."

He rolled his eyes. "I apologized."

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I walked in just when she slapped you then light leaped away."

___

"Hey Sophie," Fitz greeted when Sophie walked through the door. She grinned at him before he walked away to where Ashla was standing waiting for him. She thought that the movement would affect her, but it didn't. She had Keefe.

"Hi, you're Sophie?" A pretty girl with red hair and sapphire blue eyes said, walking up to her. Sophie nodded and was instantly pulled into a hug. "Alden and Alvar said you're an amazing girl and I'm so sorry I didn't wait to meet you last time but that Keefe boy just. . . "

Sophie chuckled. "It's fine, but honestly Keefe really is sorry about it. He was targeting Fitz and you just happened to sit in the wrong chair." 

The girl nodded. "I'm Maisie, by the way."

Sophie nodded. "It's nice to meet you. I've got to go tell Biana something quickly, so I'll see you later. And congratulations." She went to walk away, but remembered something. "Also, Keefe was wondering if he could show up at the wedding if he promises not to prank anyone."

She took in a deep breath. "He has to sit in the middle of a huge crowd," she said, then went on saying, "and I'd need someone to watch him.".

"Haha, I'll do that. He'd be my date to the wedding anyways." She leaned in and whispered, "I haven't told them yet, but Keefe and I started dating last week. Please don't tell."

Maisie nodded, and pretended to zip her lips. "Not a word will be said," she promised before walking away to Alvar.

"Hey Sophie!" Biana shouted, running up to her. 

"I have something really important to tell you!" They both shouted at the same time.

They laughed. "You go first," Sophie told Biana.

"I might be going out with Dex. . . "

"Holy crap."

"Your news?"

"I might be going out with Keefe. . . "

"Holy crap."

"Wow, so how come Dex hasn't told me?" Sophie frowned.

"I told him I didn't want things to be awkward. Why haven't you told us?"

"I said the same thing to Keefe. I think I'll tell you all tonight. I'm going to tell Fitz after dinner in private," Sophie explained.

"That's going to be fun," Biana joked.

"He's dating Ashla."

"His rebound."

"Rebound or not, he's with her and I wasn't going to wait for him and there's a chance he wouldn't break up with her. Keefe has been with me forever and would never make me wait, instead I made him wait and after I realized it, I told Keefe and we kissed. . . And now we're dating!"

"YOU KISSED!" Biana shouted.

"Biana!" Sophie shouted, looking at everyone who turned to look at her. She bit her lip, and immediately started to pull on loose eyelashes. Her face was heated with a  blush, and Biana slammed her hand on her mouth.

"You kissed who?" Alden asked, eyes wide in amusement. He had his arms wrapped Della, who was grinning ear to ear from the statement.

"Her boyfriend, I'm guessing," Maisie stated with a wink. "I know who it is but she told me not to tell."

"You didn't tell me you finally picked someone on your list," Fitz said, hurt in his eyes.

"I was going to tell you all after dinner but Biana ruined the surprise. I'll tell you all who after dinner, which can we please start that?"

___

Can I talk to you? Outside? I want you to know who before Alvar and your parents. Sophie transmitted to Fitz. He nodded and they both got up to walk away, and she didn't miss him kissing Ashla's forehead and telling her he'd be right back.

Once they were out of earshot, Fitz spoke up. "I know it's not Cael or me. It's either Zeb or Keefe."

"How do you know?"

"Keefe told me. He was ranting about it. It's a normal thing for us. We spend our Saturday afternoons ranting on his crush on you, and whoever I was dating or liked at that point," Fitz explained. "We didn't get to rant this Saturday though because he was out buying an elixir with Dex."

"Yeah, I was with Dex that day," Sophie explained. "Anyways, I just want to hear from you who you think I picked."

"Keefe." Fitz swallowed. "I'd feel really pissed if it wasn't."

Sophie nodded. "Yeah."

"When?"

"Huh?"

"When did you get together?" Fitz asked. "And when did this kiss happen?"

"Last week, at the after party. We, uh, went outside to talk during Bronte's speech and I admitted I liked him, he kissed me, and now we're together," she explained awkwardly. "Um. . . Are you okay with it?"

Fitz nodded, a sad smile on his face. "Honestly, I think it's better you're with him. I'd rather you be with Keefe, who's thoughts are always about you, than someone like me or Zeb or Cael who always go to other girls." At that point he looked inside where Ashla was sitting, talking to Maisie. She looked at Fitz, and he gave her a wide smile before turning to Sophie. "Ashla is really sweet when you get to meet her. I thought she was some stuck up snob who only wanted to be with me because I'm a Vacker, but she's not. I really like her Sophie. I think I like her more than I liked you."

Sophie nodded, a smile on her face. "I think I like Keefe more than I liked you," she said.

He nodded. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," she said. "Look, I've got to get back. I'll see you at the wedding next week. I would really appreciate it if you told your parents about Keefe and me instead."

"Why?"

"Because I want them to know but I don't want to tell them. Bye!" She quickly light leaped before he could continue. He let out a laugh, shaking his head, before walking back inside to tell everyone.