Making the Match

Chapter 2- Plenty of Pestering

A/N: Wake up in the morning and write a chapter! I'm so happy I have a five day weekend... So here's the next chapter!

The next day, Sophie had to work extra hard to make sure nobody knew who was her number one or who was even on her matchmaking list. Keeping from four of her friends was one thing... But keeping it from the whole grade? That was a whole other story.

She spent the whole day being pestered by Marella, who she had made up with last year. And then came Jensi and Biana again. Not to mention Dex in Universe. By the time she was heading to the Silver Tower for her Inflicting session, she began to wonder if Keefe and Fitz would pester her too.

And pester they did.

Just before she was about to enter the Inflicting room, Keefe grabbed her arm and asked once more. Rather than blurting it out, she just gave him a sly smile and went in.

Before she left, she caught a glimpse of Fitz's and Keefe's silver Foxfire uniforms. Every time she went to the Silver Tower, she would always wonder what it would be like to have all her classes here. It was hard to believe that that would happen next year, and even harder to believe that Fitz and Keefe would be graduating next year.

Shaking her head, she stepped into the room. For once, Bronte didn't comment that she was late, probably deciding her wrinkled white uniform and tired expression was enough. While he hadn't turned into a kind, advising father in the past two years, he and Sophie had a sort of mutual respect for each other during class. It actually allowed them to teach and learn.

But soon, the class was over. Sophie double- then triple checked her schedule to make sure she was going to the right class. Next, of course, was Telepathy.

In the past two years, Sophie and Fitz's cognate training had flourished to the point where they had very few exercises left. But no matter how much or how many times he had asked, she refused to tell him the secret. After her refusing so many times, Tiergan and Mr. Forkle had demanded to know it themselves, but when they found out, they relented. For that, she was forever grateful.

When she entered the classroom, Fitz transmitted the question that everyone had been asking all day.

Are you going to tell me who your number one is?

Sophie sighed and responded out loud, the same words she said every time. "No," she firmly responded. "I'm not telling anyone unless he proposes to me."

Fitz laughed. "Okay then." He stopped asking her, and as much as she was grateful for that, she began to wonder if something was wrong. So she asked him.

Fitz gave her a mischievous smile. "If you're not going to tell me who your number one is, I'm not going to tell you this."

Sophie's plan felt like it was falling down the drain. Unfortunately, Fitz had a point. How did she expect to take part in all the fun from matchmaking if she refused to tell anyone? Maybe she should just give it up and tell him.

Fitz noticed her expression and frowned. "Hey that's not what I meant," he quickly said. "I just feel like it would be fun to keep a secret if you could too."

Sophie laughed. "Fair enough, fair enough," she agreed. "But remember, you only have one year left in Foxfire."

"That is true," Tiergan said, walking in with a stack of textbooks. "It's also why you have to finish your cognate training soon. You only have one year left to perfect the connection." He smiled. "Although I must say it is going pretty well."

Sophie's face warmed at the compliment as she pointed to the textbooks. "I thought we already finished those."

"You did," Tiergan agreed. "But I just want you to see how much progress you have made." He handed her and Fitz the pile of books. "Feel free to go through it all before you work on the last few exercises. It will rebuild your trust."

With that, he sat down and flipped through some grade reports.

Fitz and Sophie spent the next ten minutes or so sorting through the many books. They decided to put them in order from oldest to newest, in a sort of timeline.

"I think this one goes in the middle," Fitz guessed, pointing to a purple book that Sophie recognize working with at the beginning of last year. She nodded.

"Oh I remember this one!" Sophie held up a worn out packet with pencil marks all over it. "It was our first cognate training packet ever. Remember we got it in the Black Swan?"

Fitz grinned. "I do. I remember how excited I was to be your Cognate," he gave her shy smile. "But then again, it's still pretty exciting. Especially when your number one is right there at the front of your mind, waiting to be discovered."

Sophie laughed, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "You wouldn't find it if you tried."

"You want to bet on that?" Fitz asked, putting down the last book. "I'm pretty familiar with your mind now."

It was a slightly scary but true thought. Both of them were so familiar with each other's minds that it was almost effortless to hear each other's thoughts. It reminded Sophie of when she was in the human world and human thoughts filled her mind, except she didn't have to deliberately block Fitz's thoughts.

"Let's not challenge that," she said. "Besides, I told you I'd tell you eventually, just when he proposes."

"He?" Fitz repeated. "So it's not me?"

"What? No. It could be you. Or Keefe. Or Dex. You never know. Besides, if you want to know so badly, why don't you propose or ask them to propose?"

Fitz laughed. "I'm sure that would work, Sophie. But I can't get three people, including myself, to propose to you. I guess I'll just have to figure it out some other way."

Sophie smiled.

"What about that other secret you never told me?" Fitz asked, picking up their first packet ever. "The one that Mr. Forkle and Sir Tiergan gave you permission not to say."

Sophie's eyes widened and she backed away slightly. After not telling him for two years, the prospect of telling him got scarier and scarier. Now, she didn't know if she ever could tell him.

"You have to tell him someday," Tiergan called out from the chair.

"Fine," Sophie relented. "I'll tell you when the person, who could be you or couldn't be you, proposes."

Fitz smacked his forehead. "I swear I need to find this out and get that person to propose...soon."