"So. . . " Keefe trailed off.

"What?" Sophie asked, not looking up from the book she was reading. She had been planning to read it since Mr. Forkle gave it to her for her birthday, a little token from the Forbidden Cities, but she hadn't gotten to it until that morning and Keefe showed up just as she was getting to a good part.

"Um, remember? I asked if we could hang out yesterday and you said," he started to mimic her voice, "'Yeah, just swing by my place tomorrow and we'll hang'."

Her eyes widened. "I did? Crap, sorry I forgot. So what do you want to do?" She placed a bookmark in her book before closing it and putting it on the desk she could simply reach her arm out and touch.

"Well, I don't know," he said, sitting down on her bed. "Um. . . I was kind of wondering if you would, uh. . . " He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

She sat up and raised an eyebrow. "Would. . . ?"

"Want to go to Atlantis and hang out with Dex at Slurps?" He coughed out. 

She frowned. "Yeah, sure." She sat up and something tumbled off her bed. Her eyes widened and she tried to protest as Keefe picked it up.

"Is this your match making list?" He asked, opening it. His eyes widened when he saw all the markings and names circled. "What the. . . ?"

"I, um. . . I circled the names of guys I wouldn't mind and put a star next to the guys I really wouldn't mind," she said, trying to grab it from his hand but he held it out from her. "You put a star next to Zeb?"

"Shut up."

"Oh look, Fitz has a star too," he said, a faltering smile on his face. He continued to look but then stopped at his name. "You, uh. . . Gave me a star?"

"You weren't supposed to look at the list," Sophie said, taking it from his hands. Her cheeks were blazing red, but his were also. "Anyways, why do you want to go see Dex?"

"I didn't," he said, biting his lip awkwardly. 

"Then wh-"

"I was going to ask you out but I figured it would be awkward. . . " He trailed off.

"Oh."

"But Dex is better, right?"

She bit her lip. No, she though. Hanging out with you would be a lot better.  Instead of voicing her thoughts she said, "I guess so. He's not my best friend for being boring."

Keefe nodded. "Yeah, so let's go."

___

"I have a date with my number one," Sophie and Keefe heard Fitz as they walked through the door.

"Ashla? Why not your number 23." Dex scoffed.

"Ashla asked me out, and I couldn't say no. She's really pretty, too," Fitz explained. Sophie felt her stomach tighten, but she let out a breath. One star down, three stars to figure out, she thought to herself, glad Keefe didn't notice the other guy she starred.

"Hey guys," Sophie said with a smile as her and Keefe walked in.

"What do you guys want?" Dex asked, placing an elixir on the shelf. Fitz stood there, a blush on his cheeks when the noticed the elixir he was holding. 

"How are things going with that girl in the elite towers?" Sophie asked instantly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Pace?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "We broke up. . . Six months ago," he answered. "Where have you been?"

"Busy helping out with Silveny," Keefe answered for both of them. "I come too, sometimes. She just had a baby."

"She did?" Dex asked, eyes wide. "How come the council hasn't told anyone? They should be ecstatic!"

"We didn't know she was pregnant. There were no signs, until after she had the baby and we realized the entire time there actually was signs," Sophie explained. "The council is waiting to tell everyone because we need to first make sure the baby is okay and there were no problems with the pregnancy."

"When did she have the baby?"

"Exactly five months ago from tomorrow," Sophie said with a proud grin. "We're going to tell everyone when the baby turns six months."

"Wait, is it a girl or a boy? What's it's name?" Fitz questioned.

"We're not allowed to say. We're allowed to tell everyone that Silveny had the baby, only if they ask a question involving it, but the gender and name is a huge secret," Sophie explained. "It's such a secret that Keefe's not allowed to know. . . Well, he knows the gender but not the name. I know, though." She flashed them a wide grin. "Anyways, what's with the elixir?" She looked at Fitz.

"It's a, um. . . "

"We know it's one of Dex's 'smell better' elixirs," Sophie said. "What is it for, I mean?"

"I have a date with Ashla Keturah," he explained. "I wanted to smell good, and I ran out of the elixir I kept in my cupboard, so I came to see Dex for one."

"Ashla is Maeve's sister, right?" Keefe asked. "Maeve was on my list. I think she was in the twenties but I don't really remember. She didn't really stick out to me like some of the names on the list."

He looked at Sophie for a small second, a moment where they locked eyes, and she turned around and acted like she was looking at elixirs, when she was really hiding her blush. "Hey, do you have something I can give to Iggy?" Sophie asked Dex, not turning around.

"I was actually going to come by your house tomorrow. Is it okay if I dye Iggy-"

"DEX!" A voice shouted. "YOU'RE LATE!" Everyone turned to see Biana walking into the store. Her eyes flashed to everyone in the store and her cheeks flushed. "Um. . . What are you guys doing here?"

"Fitz need an elixir and Keefe and I decided to go here instead of- somewhere else," Sophie explained. "Why are you here?"

"Dex made some new devices and he was going to show them to you but I ran into him so he asked me to check them out instead so I said he could come to my house but he's late," she said. She turned to him. "Coming?"

He nodded at her. "Yeah, I'll meet you there after I grab my stuff." He turned to everyone. "Sorry guys, gotta go." He disappeared.

"I have to go, bye guys," Fitz told them before walking away.

Keefe and Sophie just looked at each other. She sighed. "Just so you know, I was fine with just hanging out with you alone." Then she smiled softly and walked out of the store. Keefe just stood there dumbfounded.

One star down, but this one is staying.

___

a/n:  If you want you can comment a name idea for Silveny's new baby. I might just use it... I have an idea but I'm wondering if anyone has a better idea.