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“Where’s Keefe? I just registered that there was a distinctive lack of screaming when I got here.”
“Aw, you’ve been here less than five minutes and you already miss him. Is my company not good enough for you?”
She rolled her eyes, “You know what I mean.”
“I do. He’s not working today. Also, I’m pretty sure he’s in detention again.”
Before Sophie had the chance to react, the back door flung open, and Keefe ran towards them.
“I’m here! I’m not that late! And- Damn it! You got here before me!”
Dex and Sophie laughed.
“Mhm. I heard you got stuck in detention. How’d you end up there?”
Dex snorted, “Oh, he has a reputation-”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration” Keefe interrupted, before he paused and thought for a moment. “Actually, nevermind. It isn’t. I do have a reputation.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“A reputation? For what exactly?”
“He has this bad habit of-”
“I’m right here Dex! And while I appreciate the assistance, I’m perfectly capable of explaining myself. Anyway, I have this bad habit of pulling pranks on my professors. That, and also interrupting them, apparently.”
“Really? You don’t seem like the type.”
“Exactly! That’s what I’m- oh. You can be really mean at times, y’know. Keep this up and you’ll have to leave without a drink.”
“I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to tell you this before you actually get it, but I don’t think whether or not I get coffee is within your jurisdiction as long as I keep paying for it. That, and I’ve had this-” Sophie nudged her elbow to the cup sitting on the counter between them, “for a few minutes now.”
“No,” he turned to Dex. “You didn’t.”
Dex raised his hands up in surrender, “Listen, it’s my job to bring people coffee. Which, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get back to.”
Keefe folded his arms and glared at Sophie.
“You’ve betrayed me. I don’t know if I can still be friends with you after this.”
“You’re not even working today!”
Keefe slumped into a chair beside her.
“What do you mean I’m not- oh. Yeah. I forgot about that. How did you know that? Also, I don’t actually know why I’m here-”
“I can think of a few reasons!” Dex called out.
“How do you think I know?” Sophie rolled her eyes. “Anyway, what got you into detention?”
“What didn’t?” He groaned. “I feel like I’m there all the time. I didn’t even know we had detention here- we’re at university! I’m convinced my parents only let me go here because they somehow knew this. Now that I’m thinking about it, actually, it’s just the one professor who puts me in ‘detention’. And I’m the only one that ever gets it. I feel like she’s secretly spying on me for my parents, but whatever. I just sit a room and play games on my computer.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to avoid the question.”
She was met with a grin, “Nice catch. Maybe I’ll tell you someday. Not today though. I’ve already said enough.”
“Yeah, you’re awfully chatty for someone who just got out of what sounds like glorified babysitting.”
“What can I say? The world was deprived of my voice long enough when I was locked up. I’m just trying to make up for lost time.”
“Okay, Rapunzel. What games were you playing?”
~~~
“That’s impressive.”
“I know. I’m amazing.”
Sophie scoffed.” I regret saying that. The longest streak I’ve had on Connections was probably four days. Day five featured my roommate being woken up by me screaming unkind words in the living room. I got yelled at. Apparently ten in the morning is ‘too early to be woken up on a Saturday.’”
“Must run in the family,” Keefe snorted. “I don’t remember Fitz waking up before eleven on a weekend out of his own free will, like, ever. I once woke him up a little past nine to tell him to turn off the gas because I had to leave and almost lost an arm.”
“I’ve gotten a hairbrush tossed at me! And a slipper!”
“Biana once ripped a grocery bag out of my hands and put it over my head because I somehow woke her up. She was asleep on the couch. In my apartment. On a random afternoon.”
“She does not wake up happy.”
“Neither does Fitz. Their parents must have had fun sending them to school early in the morning for twelve years.”
“You went to school with them, didn’t you? What was it like?”
“Oh, it was great! I loved having Fitz sitting beside me at seven thirty in the morning as he tried to solve Physics problems. It was an extremely pleasant experience.”
~~~
“They weren’t supposed to mention the Gruesome Guinea Pig Event. How much do you know?”
Sophie stared at Keefe, perplexed.
“Is that what it was called? I don’t know anything about it-”
“Good.”
“-I just remember Dex mumbling something about a hallway and rodents when he came over one day-”
“You know too much. I’ll be right back. I need to go take care of something.”
~~~
“What was the Great Hamster Incident? Or whatever you called it?”
“Sophie. We’ve already established that I can’t tell you that.”
“Why? High school was so long ago. Whatever it was, I’m sure you’re blowing it out of proportion. It couldn’t have been-”
“Wow! Would you look at the time! We’d better leave! This place is closing soon. How terrible, I would have loved to continue this conversation! Bye!”
Keefe leapt out of his chair and raced forward, instantly tripping over his undone shoelaces before catching himself on a nearby table.
“I’m fine!”
“Wait!” Sophie called out between fits of laughter. “You forgot your phone!”