IMPORTANT NOTE: A lot of this book was written before certain books came out, whether that's Neverseen or Lodestar or Nightfall or Flashback or whatever KOTLC book came out recently when you're reading this. Please keep that in mind to account for certain elements of the fanfic that don't line up with recent books. This fanfic was written between 2015 and 2017.

A/N: I'm tired. And sleepy. *Yawn* Just finished this chapter, so yay for the new book. Tell me in the comments who you think is or should be Sophie's number one! Now, good night!

The scroll arrived just moments before Sophie left to school. Since this was her last year at Foxfire, she had decided to request one. She was about to rip open the seal when Edaline grabbed her hand.

"You don't want to skim that in a rush," she advised. "Go to school and you can see it when you come back."

Sophie looked longingly at the scroll, but decided it was best not to protest. With one last look, she held her crystal up to the light and leaped to Foxfire.

*~*~*~*

"I'm home!" Sophie called, walking into the kitchen. "Can I open the scroll now?"

Edaline smiled at her daughter's eagerness. "Of course."

"Wait, what's this I hear about matchmaking?" Grady asked, walking inside. "Have you opened it yet?"

Sophie held up the unopened seal in response.

Grady laughed. "Well go on, open it."

Sophie slowly peeled away the seal and unfurled the paper, reading over the fancy script.

Top Tiers for Sophie Elizabeth Foster

Sophie scanned the sheet, her eyes widening when she saw her number one.

"He's my number one?" she whispered, not sure what to feel. "Wow."

Edaline read the scroll over her shoulder. "Are you going to tell him?"

Sophie shook her head. "I don't even know if he requested his matchmaking list or not," she explained. "I don't want to influence him beforehand."

Edaline nodded. "Good idea," she agreed. "Are you going to tell anyone?"

Sophie's shook her head, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Not exactly," she hinted. "I wonder if he'll propose."

Grady walked over and read the list, giving Sophie a knowing smile. "We'll see," he agreed. "Are you sure you don't want to tell anyone? Even Biana?"

Sophie shook her head, grinning slightly. "Let's see if they can find out."

*~*~*~*

"Did you get your matchmaking list?" Sophie asked to Biana on her Imparter.

Biana nodded. "How about you? Who was your number one?"

Sophie smiled. "I did get my list, but I'm not saying who my number one is."

"What?!" Biana exclaimed, outraged. "Why?"

"If he proposes to me, I don't want anything to influence it."

"Fine," Biana relented. "Is it someone we know?"

"Oh yeah," Sophie answered.

Biana raised her eyebrows. "Is it someone we've known for a really long time and been friends with... Say since the Black Swan?"

"You're on the right track."

Biana smiled. "If I guess right, will you tell me?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "At this point, there's only three guys you know it is, Biana."

"Dex, Keefe, and Fitz," Biana listed. "And you won't tell me who it is, no matter what?"

"No matter what," Sophie repeated.

"Has he gotten his matchmaking list?"

"I actually don't know if any of them even requested it," Sophie replied, puzzled.

Biana's eyes flickered off the screen for a few moments before returning to Sophie's face. "I know Fitz got his."

In that moment, Sophie felt a ripple in her mind. She knew that ripple. After working with its owner in Cognate training for three years, she could recognize it in her sleep.

"Fitz?!"

Fitz leaned into the view of the Imparter. "Hi Sophie," he awkwardly said.

Sophie smacked her forehead. "Were you there this whole time?"

He nodded. "Biana also refuses to tell me who's on her matchmaking list, so I thought I could find out by listening."

"More like eavesdropping," Biana muttered, pushing her brother away. "Thank goodness you didn't tell me who was on your list, Sophie. With my brother eavesdropping, word travels fast, if it isn't him of course."

Fitz raised his eyebrows, turning to Biana. "She didn't say who was her number one?"

Biana shook her head as Sophie tapped on the screen. "She is still here, you know!"

Fitz laughed. "I know," he said, standing up to leave. He may have been a bit taller than Sophie before, but now he was practically towering over her at 6 feet. Not to mention his broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, and striking teal eyes. Shaking her head, Sophie waved back, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. "I'll see you in Cognate training!"

When he left the room, Biana burst into a fit of giggles.

"What?" Sophie asked defensively.

"I'm beginning to wonder if he is your number one," she laughed. "It's so obvious you were... What do humans call it?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "It's checking someone out. But, I swear, I wasn't doing it!" she protested.

Biana crossed her arms.

"Okay maybe a little," Sophie admitted. "But all elves are good-looking. And that includes Keefe and Dex."

"At this rate, I'm never going to find out who's your number one," Biana grumbled.

Sophie grinned. "That's kind of the idea."

*~*~*~*

"Hey Keefe," Sophie said, waving at him from her Imparter. "Did you request your matchmaking list?"

He nodded. "Why? Got something to confess, Foster?"

Sophie's cheeks reddened as she mumbled a quick, "No."

Keefe laughed. "Who's your number one?"

"Not telling," Sophie grinned. "You're not the only one who can pull pranks around here."

"Aw come one," Keefe protested. "Give me a hint."

"Fine," Sophie agreed, figuring she might as well narrow it down since Biana and Fitz knew. "It's either you, Fitz, or Dex."

Keefe smirked. "I think we all know who it is, Foster,"

"We'll see," Sophie mysteriously replied, feeling pretty proud of herself for keeping the secret for this long.

"And you say you're not mysterious," Keefe joked, getting up to fix a bowl of Prattles pins on his desk. He had grown pretty tall too, actually an inch or two over Fitz. His blond hair was still styled to perfection and the mischievous smirk never left his face, paired with the playful glint in his ice blue eyes. After what had happened with the Neverseen, he vowed to keep smiling no matter what. And in the last two years, he had kept that promise.

"And you say I'm not your number one," Keefe said noticing her eyes on him. Sophie smiled.

"I guess you'll just have to see."

*~*~*~*

"Hi Kesler!" Sophie said, entering through the burping door of the alchemy shop. "How's business going?"

Dex's dad adjusted the Slurps and Burps sign on the wall before turning to face Sophie. "Business is business," he stated, turning to look at the sixteen year old elf. "My, my, you have grown."

He was right. In just two years, Sophie's blond hair had reached her waist and she had shot up in height. She was now five foot six and her figure had quite matured. She even had begun to wear makeup.

"I haven't changed that much," she still protested, causing Kesler to laugh.

"Of course," he agreed. "Dex is upstairs."

Sophie smiled. "Thanks." Winding through the recently expanded store, she made her way upstairs.

Dex's door was closed, and probably for a good reason too. Just as Sophie reached for the doorknob, she heard a sizzle followed by a pop. A splatter came from the far wall with Dex's annoyed grumble coming soon after. Tentatively, Sophie knocked on the door.

"Is it safe to come in?" she joked.

Dex's laugh could be heard from the hallway as he opened the door. "It is now."

Sophie wasn't too surprised to see him covered in orange glop after what she had just heard.

"Got your matches?" she asked, following him in. Before he could even respond, she noticed a long piece of parchment at the edge of his desk, covered by a few papers and vials. But she could make out a few words.

Top Tiers for Dexter Alvin Dizznee

Dex nodded, "How about you?"

"I got mine," she told him. "But I made a promise not to tell anyone who my number one is... For now."

Dex grinned. "Can you give me a hint?"

"It's either you, Keefe, or Fitz."

He raked his hands through his previously strawberry blond but now orange thanks to the goop hair, causing it to stick up in all directions. It actually made him look pretty good with his periwinkle eyes and now tall stature. He had just recently hit 5 foot 11 inches, and he wouldn't let Sophie forget it. "Well that's obvious," he agreed. "But any other hints?"

Sophie shook her head. For a while, they caught up on school and Dex even let her help with the elixir. Before she knew it, the sun was setting outside.

"I'll see you later," she said, holding her crystal up to the light. After a long day of many matchmaking lists and many questions, all she wanted to do was go home.