Before: 

"Yeah, my parents probably wouldn't like that very much." Keefe's smile was wicked. "So let's keep it like this!"

"Ours won't either," Tam added. "But I don't like it, so... Dex?"

Dex reluctantly handed over the elixirs to turn everyone back, and once everyone was back to normal and everyone stopped crying with laughter and Della was composed again, they all gathered up their stuff and leaped home.

Sophie called out a goodbye to her parents before leaping off to Foxfire. She was more nervous than she should have been. After all, it wasn't like this was the first day of school. It was smack in the middle of the year! In fact, midterms were coming up!

But today would be the first day she had to decide how to act with Fitz in public. Now that they were... dating... was there a different way to treat him? Should she sit next to him every single day? Should she walk to classes with him? What about the questions people would ask? How should she respond?

She'd dressed up extra nice today, in a lavender tunic that flared in a way that complimented her figure, and was embroidered with tiny pink flowers. She'd even spent extra time on her hair and makeup, braiding her hair in a plait that started on her head, was tied once it was off her head, turned into a ponytail, and trailed down her shoulders. She wore extra mascara, and even applied some lip gloss.

She glittered onto the field and made her way to the orientation building, where she met Keefe and Dex. Tam and Linh arrived soon after, and Maruca joined them shortly. Marella joined their group too.

But there was no sign of Biana or Fitz.

"Looking for your boyfriend?" Tam smirked as Sophie stood on her tiptoes, straining to look over the crowd.

Before she could respond, Dame Alina's projection appeared and began her morning announcements.

"Good morning, prodigies! Firstly, I would like to congratulate our new Charger, Barak!"

Scattered applause filled the hall, and Sophie whispered to Dex, "Do we know him?"

"I do," Dex murmured back. "His mom is my mom's best friend."

Just then, she caught a flash of teal eyes and turned to see Biana and Fitz making their way through the crowd. Fitz flashed his perfect smile, and Biana made her way to Dex's side just as Alina disappeared and everyone made their way to class. Sophie's first decision about how to act was beginning. But luckily, Fitz made up her mind for her before her sluggish brain could keep up.

"Sorry I was late, but I had to help my dad with something," He told her.

Sophie looked up at his eyes and realized that his hair was still green.

"Hey, I didn't want to break the bet and have to keep it like this forever," He explained when she giggled.

"Sophie! Don't you have to go to class?" Biana hooked her arm through Sophie's and tugged her along. "I know you want to see your boyfriend, but you gotta come on! You're gonna be late for agriculture!"

Sophie reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled away to her class, and she was ALMOST grateful when she stepped into class a second before the bells chimed. Almost.

When she stepped into the lunchroom, though, she realized her next decision had arrived. Did she sit next to Fitz? It wasn't like they never sat together... but maybe they would be expected to all the time now that they were dating.

Sophie caught Fitz's eye and tried to stop her heart from fluttering.

But hearts can be foolish things.

"I saved you a spot!" Fitz scooted over and Sophie sat next to him. He had saved her more than a seat, he had saved her from having to make a decision.

Dex sat on her other side, and Sophie was happy to see a gigantic smile on his face. Biana sat next to him, also smiling really hard.

"Did you guys finally make it official?" Maruca asked, setting her tray down across from them.

"No," Dex blushed. "Why would you think that?"

"Um, because you two are smiling like you just made out in the bathroom." Marella put in. "Wait, did you?"

"No!" Biana's face was glowing bright red. "I don't know about him, but I just had a really good session."

"Me too!" Dex added.

"But don't you have history? That's the worst class besides alchemy with Lady Galvin!" Sophie crossed her arms.

"Yeah, you're always saying how much you hate it," Fitz agreed.

"Well, I just learned about something really interesting today!" Biana said.

"What?" Maruca smirked when Biana failed to answer. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You guys totally got together!"

"No, we didn't!" Dex blurted. "Can you believe us, please?"

"Sure, sure," Tam rolled his eyes.

"Just because Fitz and Sophie got together doesn't mean we have to!" It was Biana's turn to smirk as Fitz and Sophie flushed.

"Hey, where's Keefe?" Sophie changed the subject, realizing that he was gone.

"Nice subject change," Tam said. "We know what you don't want to talk about now!"

"He's in detention," Linh informed Sophie. "He put an effluxer in Dame Alina's desk over the weekend."

"Of course he did." It was Sophie's turn to roll her eyes.

"Midterms are next week!" Dex reminded them.

"Right," Sophie groaned. "I have to get better at mimicking before then."

"Mimicking? Why?"

"Sir Kaleo is making me learn it for my Polyglot session," Sophie told him. "Because even though I can speak every language, I need to learn to mimic." She tried to make the words sound like her Polyglot Mentor, but she just ended up sounding like Bugs Bunny.

"Keefe can mimic," Linh suggested. "Why don't you ask him to help?"

Fitz frowned.

"I might have to," Sophie sighed.

Tam burst out laughing at the look on Fitz's face.

"What?" Sophie asked, turning to see what was so funny. But Fitz had rearranged his face into a smile by the time her eyes got there, making her heart flutter.

Biana snapped her fingers, and Sophie tore her eyes away from Fitz's.

"Anyway," Maruca raised her eyebrows pointedly, "I'm good except for alchemy."

Sophie held back a shudder at the thought. She had almost failed alchemy with Lady Galvin last year, but just managed to squeak by. She was glad she didn't have to take it this year, because she'd manifested as a polyglot and her schedule was full.

"I think I'm fine in every class," Fitz said.

"Of course you are," Dex rolled his eyes. "Wonderboy couldn't ever get lower than one hundred percent in school."

Tam and Marella snickered.

Fitz opened his mouth, about to make a retort when a bony arm slammed down on the table.

"Having fun at the loser table?" Sophie's least favorite person sneered at the group.

"Stina, did anyone ask you to talk? Or exist?" Marella said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Says the person who's the only person in their friend group not to have a special ability," Stina shot back.

"Was your dad the only person in his?" Linh retorted, surprising everyone. Usually Linh didn't engage in the verbal fights with Stina, preferring to watch from the sidelines.

Stina's face turned red. "You don't know anything. At least my sister isn't a bad match." She flung the words at Sophie, smirking when they hit her hard, digging into painful spots.

"At least Jolie didn't try to hide it! Or rig the results," Fitz added, crossing his arms when Stina winced. "Jolie and Brant are braver than your parents will ever be."

Fitz reached for Sophie's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. Sophie gripped it, thankful to Fitz for finding the words she couldn't.

Stina, for the first time in her life, was at a loss for words. Then she found them. "Well, what does your family know about bravery? You've never had to try hard for anything. No one in your family has ever had to put in any effort to succeed. You never have to worry about getting friends, or passing classes. There's a reason you guys are at the top of your class. Because the Mentors give you full credit when you don't do a thing."

With that, Stina turned and marched away. As the light hit her eye, Sophie thought she caught a glimpse of a tear in her eye. But it was probably just the reflection on her eye, not a tear. Besides, she had larger problems than Stina's feelings.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked, focusing on Fitz and Biana. She squeezed Fitz's hand, which was still wrapped around hers.

Dex wrapped an arm around Biana's shoulders, and then realized what he'd done and pulled it free, instead lacing his fingers through hers. Sophie almost called him out on it... but before she could, Linh said,

"You know that isn't true, right? You guys have plenty of talent, and that's why you're at the head of your class."

"Yeah..." Biana mumbled. "But that's not the only reason. I'm not too good at school. It's the truth. I'm pretty good, but not enough to get a perfect score. But I still get them."

"Um, I think you're better than you think you are. You never have trouble in any of your classes." Maruca reminded her.

"Sure, but just because I don't have trouble doesn't mean I'm a perfect student. Like, last year. I definitely messed up my alchemy midterm. But I still got one hundred percent."

"Maybe you just did better than you thought?" Sophie suggested, but she knew that Biana- and, unfortunately, Stina- was right. The Vackers always seemed to get perfect grades, and have plenty of friends, and just seemed to have an easier life than, say, Dex. Or Tam and Linh.

It was yet another way the Elven world was biased and unfair, but there was nothing any of them could do that would change it.

Fitz's fist was clenched tight in Sophie's hand, and she had to gently extricate it from his grip.

"Why do you care what Stina thinks, anyway?" Marella asked. "She's just a big bully."

"It's not Stina," Fitz snapped. "It's that everything she said is true."

"No, it is not!" Sophie argued. "You guys are smart and funny and amazing! That's why you get good grades, and why you have so many friends!" She might not believe the words, but she had to reassure them. That's what friends were for, right?

"Thanks," Biana said quietly. She obviously didn't believe them, but before anyone could reassure her further the bells chimed, signaling the end of lunch. Sophie stood reluctantly, casting an anxious glance at Biana. Dex caught her eye, and said quietly, "I'll walk with her to her class."

Sophie nodded gratefully to him and walked with Fitz to her favorite class: Telepathy. Fitz also had his telepathy session, and since they were in the same direction, they usually walked together.

The journey to telepathy was almost always filled with talking and laughter, but today Fitz brooded in silence. Sophie wasn't sure how best to penetrate the heavy quiet, and they passed two hallways before she realized that this was the first time they were alone since they had started dating.

The thing was, they were treating each other the exact same way as before. Was Fitz regretting his choice? Maybe he didn't like her but was only humoring her to be nice. After all, he was the golden boy from the practically royal family, and she was the nobody girl whose sister and aunt were bad matches.

"I'm sorry," Fitz said suddenly, interrupting her worries. "I'm being kinda selfish, aren't I. I mean, Stina hurt you, too. With Jolie being a bad match and all."

"Um, yeah," Sophie couldn't come up with a better response. Was it supposed to be this awkward? "But you aren't being selfish! Stina wasn't saying anything I didn't already know; I expected this reaction, especially from her."

"But still. I should be a better boyfriend."

Sophie almost melted into a puddle when Fitz called himself her boyfriend. He wasn't avoiding the word, or denying it... maybe he really did like her.

"No, I should be a better girlfriend," She almost stumbled over the word as it left her mouth. She was saved from having to say more by arriving at her class. "Sorry, I gotta go. See you later!"

Fitz caught her hand before she could open the door. Drawing her close, he stepped up until her face was right next to his. Sophie's heart was fluttering so hard she couldn't breathe and her brain was screaming, OH MY GOSH HE'S GOING TO KISS ME, but all Fitz did was press his lips to her cheek.

His lips were smooth, and warm, and all Sophie wanted to do was stay there forever. But after what felt like a million year but was probably only a few seconds, he drew away, running his hand through Sophie's hair, and said, "Well, I guess I'd better get to class, too."

Sophie was relieved to see that he sounded a little breathless, so at least she wasn't the only one who was freaking out.

Fitz left, and Sophie opened the classroom door and slipped inside, her heart still pounding in her chest.

Okay so uh... I do ship Sokeefe and Sophitz. But I didn't at the time I was writing this.

It's reading over this again that reminds me why I do ship both-

Fitzphie is pretty cute. But for the purposes of this, Sokeefe is cuter!