You met Zander in The First Son. If you haven't met him then go back and meet him then come here.

***********************************

"You've seen him, right? So hot."

"I have fourth period with him. I seriously had to work at not staring at him the entire time. He has this intense smolder."

"I'm jealous, I only saw him in passing."

Sophia contemplated the inside of her locker, trying to figure out if there was a way to escape hearing the conversation next to her while not moving at all. She decided there was no way around it and quickly removed her notebooks from her backpack.

"Have you seen the photos from the Inauguration?"

"Of him in that black coat? Yes! It should be illegal how hot he looked that day."

Inauguration. Sophia only knew of one inauguration which was the Presidential one and highly doubted the two girls beside her were talking about the level of attractiveness of the new president.

The only conclusion from there was Zander. But Zander linked with the words 'hot' and 'smolder' didn't connect in her mind. At best, Zander was a goofy looking fifteen-year-old. But these girls gushed about someone and it pointed towards Zander.

"Who are you talking about?" Sophia asked them.

They eyed her and she got the feeling they were offended by her question. She didn't understand why.

"Were we talking to you?" one of the girls asked.

"With how loud you were talking and the close proximity to me you might as well have been."

The girls exchanged a look. "We were talking about Zander Rutherford."

"And you find him attractive?" Sophia asked.

The girl next to Sophia crossed her arms and gave her a doubtful look. "Like you don't think he's attractive?"

She didn't, that's why she was asking. Sophia thought that was obvious.

"Look at this," the second girl said, showing Sophia her phone.

On it was a photo from the Presidential Inauguration. Zander stood beside his mother in a black coat, his wavy hair swept back, his features on full display without his glasses. Sophia studied the photo understanding what the girl meant when she used the term smolder. Zander's expression was serious, almost penetrating. But that made no sense with the face she knew.

"Baffling," Sophia said, disengaging from the conversation.

"I think the word you mean is beautiful."

It wasn't, otherwise she would have used that. When the two girls left, Sophia pulled up the photo on her phone. The person on the screen contradicted the boy she was acquainted with.

"What are you looking at?" Kennedy asked, peering over Sophia's shoulder.

Sophia shifted away from the contact but held up her phone for Kennedy's inspection.

"Zander," she said. "I can see how he's got the whole school buzzing."

"Can you explain it to me then?" Sophia asked. "Because I only know the idiot Zander."

Kennedy laughed and leaned against the locker next to Sophia's.

"Well, he's the First Son, that means something here. Second, he's good looking."

Neither of those responses felt adequate to Sophia. Zander might have a well known title but his father was the important one. As for his looks she didn't see how those could overshadow his personality.

"What are you looking at? Oh is that a picture of me?"

Zander leaned in to study Sophia's phone and again she shifted to give herself space.

"Can you explain to me how this is you?" Sophia asked him.

Zander laughed, his entire face full of animation. "It's this weird thing I do without thinking. When I'm not really thinking about anything I have this serious expression. Someone told me I have resting model face. Whatever that means."

"Then in this photo you weren't thinking about anything?"

"Yeah, I was working on not puking over the idea of so many people watching me."

Sophia lowered her phone. "They were watching your father, not you."

"Sure, you stand up in front of a few thousand people and think that no one would notice you and try not to puke up three months worth of meals."

"That's not physically possible."

"Sure it is. I almost did it."

Zander spoke not only with his voice but his whole face, a dozen expressions passing over his features and lighting up his eyes. It felt jarring to look at in light of seeing his serious face. It seemed as if he were two people but the two people contrasted each other.

"Can you stop thinking for a moment?" Sophia asked.

Zander stared at her and then shrugged. Sophia watched as the brightness, the vibrancy, and the openness of Zander's expression fell away. His eyes narrowed a fraction and his lips formed a flat line.

"Yeah, that's strange," Kennedy said.

Instantly, Zander became animated again. "Right. But it helps with taking photos and recently I've had to do a lot of that. It means I can just zone out through it all and I'm doing a good job."

The bell rang. Sophia shut her locker and walked away without saying a word.

As she proceeded to her next class, a girl appeared by her side.

"Hey, Sophia," the girl said.

Sophia studied her. If Sophia had to guess she'd say this girl was older than her, possibly a junior or senior. If that was the case they weren't likely to have classes together which begged the question: why was she talking to Sophia.

"Do we know each other?" Sophia asked.

The girl laughed, which made no sense to Sophia. She'd merely asked a question to get information. What part of that had been at all humorous?

"I sat with you at Zander's table yesterday. I'm Ivy."

The table was technically Sophia's designated table, not Zander's but she decided not to point this out, wanting the interaction with the girl to be as short as possible.

"So," Ivy said, dragging out the word.

Sophia said nothing, not sure what the girl was trying to imply by the drawn out word.

"Are you seriously going to make me pull it out of you?" Ivy asked.

Pull what? Sophia didn't understand what this girl wanted from her and wished she would leave.

"Can you clarify what you're trying to say?" Sophia asked. "Because attempting to decipher your vagueness is making me tired."

Again Ivy laughed and Sophia wondered if this girl was mentally stable since humor still hadn't been Sophia's intent with her statement.

"I'm talking about you and Zander. What's going on between you two," Ivy said, nudging Sophia's arm with her elbow.

"Please don't touch me," Sophia said.

Ivy held up her hands but smiled. Sophia didn't see how her request for personal boundaries could be taken so lightly. If this girl made a similar request, Sophia would take it seriously. That was what respectful people did, give boundaries that others could adhere to.

"Come on," Ivy said. "Tell me what is between you two. I saw the photos and I know I saw a connection yesterday."

"I don't see how this is any of your business."

"Oh I know but I'm seriously so curious!"

"And your curiosity means you somehow have a right to my personal information?" Sophia wondered if the girl saw the gapping flaw in that logic. "What's your social security number?"

"Why would I tell you that?" Ivy asked, startled.

"I'm curious."

Ivy stopped walking, regarding Sophia with an expression she was starting to get used to. It looked like a mix of confusion and something else that she still didn't understand.

"People were right, you're kind of cold."

"I'm cold for keeping my personal information private?" Sophia contemplated this and found peoples' assumptions didn't matter to her. She wouldn't give up something she didn't feel comfortable giving out for the sake of other's opinions. "Okay."

Sophia walked away and fortunately the girl didn't follow.

*******

Sophia walked along the aisle, studying the line of biographies for a name that sparked some interested. Tugging out one about Madam Currie, she continued on. As she reached the end, she proceeded to the next row but stopped. Sitting in the corner with his arms resting on his bent knees and his head on his arms was Zander. Sophia stood there stuck with uncertainty.

Zander raised his head. "Oh hey."

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked.

His drooping expression lifted. "Are you offering to stay with me?"

"No, I wondered if I should go to another section of the library."

"Oh." Zander perked up. "If I asked you to stay with me, would you?"

"I don't know, I'd have to hear the question and see how you looked to decide my answer."

Zander widened his eyes and gazed up at her with a look Sophia could only equate to that of a lost puppy.

"Will you stay with me?" he asked.

"I don't know what I could do for you."

"Sit next to me."

Sophia hesitated, not knowing how that would help him in his current predicament. Whatever that predicament was.

But he looked like he needed someone and so she sat. Maybe someone's presence could be comforting. Sometimes she simply sat with her father and that felt nice.

"You should know I don't know how to comfort you," she said.

"Can I hold your hand?" Zander asked.

Sophia didn't see how that would do more than her sitting there but still she gave him her hand. Zander laced his fingers around hers.

"Wow it's like a limp piece of lettuce," he said.

With his other hand, he curled her fingers to close around his hand. Sighing, he rested his head back against the bookcase and closed his eyes. Since her part seemed to have been completed, Sophia opened the front flap of her book and read the synopsis.

"You aren't going to ask why I'm hiding on the second story of the library?" Zander said.

"I don't see how that's any of my business," Sophia said.

"Even when you're letting me hold your hand?"

"You asked if you could and I offered it. What more is there to be said?"

Raising his head, Zander stared at her. Sophia stared back waiting for his response. But his intense gaze seemed to be all he had to give for the moment. Since that was the case, she returned to reading the book synopsis.

"You're very comforting to be around," Zander said.

"I think only my hand is comforting at this moment. I'm not doing anything." 

"You're sitting with me."

"Yes, but that's because you're currently attached to my hand."

Zander laughed and then let out a long breath. Something about that action made Sophia forget her book. It was simple but she understand that need to bottle something up and let it out with her breath.  Her mother taught her that was a way to let strong emotions escape so they weren't trapped inside her.

"At boarding school," Zander said, dropping his head back against the bookshelf. "I knew everyone there. When my dad became President they were excited but it didn't change anything. But since my parents wanted me closer and I got transferred here... It's different. Everyone expects me to be... something. And I don't even know what that is."

"I relate to that," Sophia said, surprised that she could share something with this weird boy.

"You do?"

Sophia nodded. "Until this year I went to a school for gifted children. I knew how the world worked there. People made sense there. I had friends there. But since my mother wanted me to have more interactions with... average people they transferred me here. Here people look at me and seem to think I should be a certain way but I don't know what way to be other than the way I am."

Zander jerked up and twisted his body to face her, crossing his legs but still managing to keep hold of her hand. The sobriety he'd displayed a moment ago seemed washed away, his eyes bright again.

"You get it! I didn't think anyone would because well, no one else is the First Son except me. How do you deal with all the things people say about you? That doesn't seem to bother you."

"What do people say about me?"

The girl from earlier implied she was cold but Sophia didn't know if the girl was simply lashing out at Sophia because Sophia hadn't given her what she wanted.

"They say you're stand-offish, cold, rude, and snobbish."

Stand-offish. Was she? She didn't talk to people besides her cousin and Kennedy but that was because she'd known them all her life and understood them. She felt comfortable around them.

Cold? She knew she didn't smile or laugh as much as other people. Maybe others perceived this as coldness. With her parents she smiled and laughed. If something was humorous to her she laughed but a vast majority of the things others seemed to find funny she didn't.

Rude? She didn't know if that were true. When she spoke at times people seemed to be offended but she'd never meant offense. In those instances she'd spoken to point out flaws or help improve something that lacked. Was that rudeness to want to help?

Snobbish? She didn't understand the bases for that. A snob elevated themselves above others with their position in society or belittled others for being lesser. Sophia didn't know her position in society. She'd known her place in her old school but here she didn't understand the structure of the school and did her best to remove herself from it.

"Okay," Sophia said decisively.

"That doesn't bother you?"

"Other's opinions are simply that, opinions. Opinions aren't facts and so I'm not going to accept them as such."

Zander gawked at her. "I think I'm in love with you."

"I highly doubt that. We haven't interacted enough for you to form an attachment that would be long lasting."

Zander laughed, his head falling back which made his whole body tilt. Still, he kept his fingers locked with Sophia's. Sophia watched him and something about the boyishness of his laughter made her lips twitch.

"Never leave me, Sophia," he said after containing his laughter.

"I will have to. We have different classes."

Smiling, Zander didn't respond but sat there looking at her and brushed the back of her hand with his thumb. Sophia felt her heart react and she ripped her hand free.

"What?" Zander asked.

She flexed her fingers and wiggled her hand.

"When you did that my heart did something strange and I'm not sure I liked it."

"Oh."

Sophia noticed that Zander's face turned red. She wasn't sure what he found embarrassing. But since her hand was no longer in use, she made to stand up.

"Are you leaving?" Zander asked.

"It seemed like you were done being comforted by my hand."

"Would you mind staying?"

"Are you going to want to hold my hand again?"

"I don't have to."

"Okay."

Sophia settled back on the floor and waited. Zander wanted her there and figured he would let her know for what reason. He'd made it clear before and she trusted he would do it again.

In that regard, she did appreciate who he was. His ability to look one way but be a completely different way still baffled her. But at least when talking to him he let it be clear who he was.

"What do you do for fun?" Zander asked, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"I put computers back together. My father is teaching me computer coding and I enjoy that."

"That's cool. I play the violin."

"Are you good at it?"

"I think so. I've been doing it since I was eight."

"Then I'd imagine you're fairly proficient at it."

Zander nodded to this. When he said nothing more, Sophia decided to remain silent as well. She didn't feel uncomfortable in the silence. Most of the time she preferred silence to the endless chatter that a majority of the world felt the need to say. She spent a lot of the time with her father in either long discussions or complete silence. Both felt normal to her.

"How did your father do it?" Zander finally asked. "I've heard my dad talk about their high school days and the attention never seemed to be overwhelming to your father. How did he do it?"

"That's not a question you should ask yourself since you are nothing like my father."

Zander laughed but Sophia didn't hear any humor in it.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that."

His tone came out harsh and Sophia faced one of those moment that she faced so many times where she didn't understand exactly what she'd said wrong. But as her father told her, clarifying was key to communication.

"I meant that you're not like my father and so how he dealt with the attention won't be how you will deal with it. You will find a way that is specific to you and your personality. But you will find a way."

Zander looked at her, his previous frown gone.

"Oh. Thanks."

The bell rang and Zander clambered to his feet and offered Sophia his hand. She hesitated, wondering if she'd have a similar reaction to his touch. Deciding to test it, she accepted his hand and felt relief that her heart kept its steady rate.

"You know," Zander said. "You said you didn't know how to comfort me but you actually did a really good job of doing that. Thank you."

Accomplishing a goal without struggling to do so, that was a gratifying feeling. Sophia smiled at him. Zander froze and Sophia frowned.

"What?" she said.

"Nothing. Just your smile is really pretty."

Smiling with flushed cheeks, Zander hurried out of the aisle and Sophia felt her heart do that weird skip again.

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Snickerdoodle!
(Are you a type of cookie or are you a doodle that snickers? 🤨)

Let's be honest with each other, you have thoughts to share and I have ears...eyes to read them. This is a win win situation, don't you think? I'd say yes, so let's both win! 🗯💬💭🤓

Can I be frank with you?

I mean yeah I've been Joy this whole time but frank seems like an honest persona to go with...

😂 Sorry, a word will have two meanings and if you notice I'll jump on the wrong meaning and run with it until I've reached the world's end and the joke I've created has long since died and started to smell.

Should we ignore what just happened? I think it's for the best.

Sophia and Zander!

Yes! A topic to talk about! And specifically I mean the protection of both of them! They are cute, adorable, and need us wise wise readers to come to their defense.

*you whisper*

Oh, you have a point there. They have Kennedy and Harrison followed by Mason, Carter, Yvette, and Donovan which are followed by everyone else.

Okay, we'll let them be and sit back and see how this progresses!

Now serious question: how you do think Mason will react to Sophia and Zander?

Tootaloo! Vote, comment, follow because you float away!

Comments from Mason's Birthday that I found wonderful! 

Mason and Carter usually are!

😂 We all know it, they just fail to acknowledge it.

Oh smart move! *takes notes as well*

I'm a sucker for a name pun, okay!

I imagine Zander smiles like this 😂😂😂