"What's happening here?" Miss Williams's voice burst into the auditorium, cutting through the chatter like a knife. Instantly, the atmosphere shifted; conversations halted and students began to shuffle toward the exit.
"Oh, uh, sorry, Miss Williams... we were just having a friendly conversation," Brenda said with a sly grin, glancing at Sophie.
"If you're finished, you can leave the auditorium," Miss Williams replied, holding the door open with an air of authority. "We…were…just…about…to," Andy and Railey chimed in unison, their voices trailing off as they made their way out.
As they exited, Bella, in her frustrated voice, exclaimed, "Friendly? FRIENDLY! Does she even know what that means?? Why I oughta….." Bella was about to blow, but Faith and Sophie caught her, "Calm down Bella, Please." Faith said in her sensitive voice. "Yeah, it's not worth it," Sophie added.
"But Sophie, did you see how she twisted her words? She practically led everyone into a battle instead of a friendly competition!" Nick pointed out his concern.
"Brian, no matter her intentions, this is not what the competition is about," Leo responded, firm but steady.
"Alright, alright, that's enough!" Bella interjected, "Let's fill our stomachs first; then, our brain will work properly to talk, ok?" Bella exclaimed in a scolding manner.
"Agreed," Brian said, enthusiastically.
With a collective nod, they headed toward the cafeteria, only to burst open the door to hear a lot of arguments on who would win the contest.
"Why not?" "They're completely overrated." "Oh really? You wanna bet?" "It's clear the Chanters will win." "Is that so? You think The B-Rap stands a chance?"
"Seriously? Here too?" Bella groaned, rolling her eyes in frustration. Sophie felt a knot of worry tighten in her stomach—what started as a friendly competition was spiralling into chaos. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the cafeteria alongside her friends.
As the day drew to a close and the group made their way out, Nick turned to Leo, his face lighting up. "It was great catching up with you!"
"Yeah, you too," Leo replied, his smile warm.
"Bye, guys!" Miles said, waving as he headed out. Suddenly, Sophie remembered something.
"Wait, Miles!" She ran after him. "Hey, we were going to work on the Computer Project today, but since we couldn't find the time, can we…"
Before she could finish, Miles started, "Yes, we can do it tomorrow." "Alright, Thanks Miles." Sophie smiled, and he smiled back and waved goodbye.
As the others began to exit, Sophie noticed Faith wandering off with a worried expression. Concern flickered through her. "Hey, Faith, are you okay?" she asked, hurrying over.
"Well, I'm just a bit stressed; did you see how everyone was acting? Honestly, it makes me nervous," Faith admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sophie paused, placing a reassuring hand on Faith's shoulder. With a bright smile, she said, "Don't worry Faith, I joined to help you and it is not about winning it is about showing what you got. OK?" Faith smiled slightly and nodded still unsure. "Alright."
Sophie had a long and tiring day, gently knocking on the door, her mom opened the door with a warm smile. "Hello dear, come in!" She welcomed her. Sophie hugged her mom, dropped her bag, and, without saying a word, headed straight to her room. Knowing something was on her mind, her mom decided to wait until supper to ask her about it.
Sophie sat on her bed with a sigh. She lay back, and as she opened her eyes, she noticed Digi.
"Hello Sophie Lophie! You seem a bit down today. Is everything alright?" Digi asked with a mix of excitement and concern. Sophie sat up and let out another sigh.
"Hey Digi, just a weird day, I guess," Sophie replied, feeling uncertain. "Nope, that looks mean something is wrong," Digi observed, her arms crossed.
Taking a deep breath, Sophie decided to share her worries. "I am just worried about Faith. I want to help her but this is making her lose more confidence. I thought I could support her, but now I'm not so sure."
Digi listened intently, surprised that Sophie was feeling this way. "Sophie, remember, it's not just about the outcome. What truly matters is how you approach it—with patience and friendship. Okay?" Digi smiled encouragingly.
Sophie looked at Digi appreciatively and replied, "Thanks, Digi." Just then, she heard a soft tapping on her window. She went to investigate and found Milo, the talking black cat she had met before.
"Oh, Milo! What brings you here?" Sophie exclaimed, giving the cat a gentle pat. "I just came for a visit," Milo purred happily. "Hey, Sophie, have you talked to your Dad about him yet?" Digi chimed in from behind her.
"I haven't asked him yet; I think I'll talk to Mom first," Sophie replied, feeling uncertain.
After cleaning up and changing, Sophie made her way downstairs, where she found James engrossed in cartoons, and her mom busy in the kitchen. "Need any help?" Sophie asked, hoping to lend a hand.
"I don't need help, but I can see you might," her mom said, still focused on the dishes.
"Well, um… actually, I do need some advice…" Sophie hesitated. Her mom turned towards her, encouraging her to continue. "Is this about the competition?" she asked as she took a seat at the dining table.
"Yes, that too, but there's something else…" Sophie began, but her mom interjected. "That too??"
Sophie took a breath and shared, "I found a black stray cat at school, fed it, and it followed me home. I was hoping I could… keep it?" Her voice trailed off as she awaited her mom's response.
"Hmm," her mom said thoughtfully, "For that, you'll need to talk to Dad. If he agrees, then I'm on board as well. Everything depends on his decision, alright?" Her mom smiled gently. "Okay, Mom," Sophie replied, though her smile showed some disappointment.
Her mom then inquired, "And what about the competition?" Sophie took a moment to explain everything that had occurred at school, including the challenges with Faith.
"Honey, you're helping her out of kindness and genuine friendship," her mom reassured her. "What truly matters is the effort you put in together, with patience and honesty, okay?"
Sophie felt a wave of relief wash over her. She smiled brightly, hugged her mom, and thought, "Oh Digi." Once they let go, she expressed her gratitude: "Thanks, Mom." "You're welcome, dear," her mom replied. "Now, are you hungry?"
"Yes!" Sophie eagerly answered, enjoying a satisfying supper of her favourite vegetable stew.
Later that evening, she waited patiently for her dad to come home so she could ask him about Milo. Half an hour later, they heard a knock at the door and welcomed her dad back.
"Hello everyone," he greeted with a hint of weariness. "Busy day today, honey?" Mom asked as she helped him with his bag and coat.
"Actually, it was quite strange, dear," he replied, sinking into the couch. Sophie brought him a cold glass of water. "Here you go, Dad," she offered.
"Thank you, dear," he said, taking a sip. "Do you want more?" she asked, to which he shook his head. Undeterred, she took the glass back, noticing that her dad seemed particularly tired. She decided it might be best to wait until tomorrow to ask him about the cat.
"Dinner, dear?" Mom prompted. "Yeah, let me change first," he replied, heading off to refresh. As he did, Mom set the table.
"It seems he's really tired. I should probably wait until tomorrow to ask," Sophie told Digi, who floated nearby. "That sounds wise, Sophie," Digi affirmed.
With a smile, Sophie lay back on her bed. "Hey Digi," she started. "I was wondering and wanted to ask when you said you have been in existence for more than 1000 years, were you like, from the first moment, a teenager?"
Digi smiled, "Well, the form you see me in is just one of many. It's what you feel comfortable with. I can also transform into a boy or even an animal like a cat." Digi morphed into a small cat, then changed into a fairy. "Or an old woman, a light, or even a ghost if that's what you imagine, hehe." She reverted back to her girl form.
Sophie blinked, taking it all in. "Oh, wow! That is amazing but I think you are better the way you are." Sophie smiled.
"Thanks for understanding, but I want you to know that this isn't my true form," Digi said, a hint of sadness in her voice as she floated down to the bed. "My true state is like a spirit without any physical shape. The form is created by the Holder based on their comfort level."
Sophie didn't mean to hurt Digi's feelings, "No matter how you look, you'll always be my guide and friend, okay?" Her smile seemed to lift Digi's spirits.
With a joyful pop, Digi responded, "Hehe hehe, thank you, Sophie!" Just then, a sudden knock interrupted their moment. Digi faded away, and Sophie opened the door to find her mom standing there. "Yes, Mom? Do you need something?"
"Not really, but your dad is calling you," her mom replied. Sophie followed her downstairs, where she found her dad at the dining table, engrossed in his phone. "Yes, Dad?" Sophie asked.
He quickly put the phone down and said, "Ah, yes, Sophie. Please, take a seat." She settled into the chair across from him.
"Your mom mentioned you wanted to ask me something, so what's on your mind?" he asked calmly. Sophie glanced at her mom, who was focused on the dishes, sighing softly.
Taking a breath, Sophie brought up the topic of the cat and presented her question, "Hmm, what will you do if I say no?" Dad asked, his expression serious. "Then I won't keep it," she replied sincerely and directly. A brief silence followed, and Sophie interpreted it as a negative response.
"Alright," he finally said, leading Sophie to exhale deeply. "I understand, Dad," she affirmed. "Wait, WHAT? Really?" she exclaimed as she realised, her excitement bubbling over. "You can keep it," he said with a smile. She quickly wrapped her arms around him in a big hug.
"However, I have some conditions. You'll need to take care of it, feed it, train it, and make sure that I don't regret this decision, okay?" he added.
"Yes, I promise. Thank you!" she hugged him again, her joy evident. "I'll bring Milo home tomorrow," Sophie said as she hurried back to her room.
"Wow, dear, even I wasn't expecting that," her mom remarked.
"Adrina, I just realised something—if she had wanted to keep the cat without asking, she easily could have. But she chose to come to me first. How many teenagers these days do you think would do that?" He smiled, adding, "I trust her, and she's been a wonderful daughter."
Mom smiled back, "May God always bless her that way."
Filled with excitement over her new companion, Sophie decided that the first thing she'd do after school tomorrow would be to buy a collar for Milo.
"No, Levitating by Dua Lipa!" Lucy exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "But I was thinking, 'Let Me Down Slowly' by Alec Benjamin," Phil interjected, his tone teasing. Nick raised his hand to intervene, a serious look on his face. "Alright, stop it, you guys. We're here to help them rehearse, not to argue."
"Sorry, Lucy and Phil," Faith spoke softly, her voice tinged with regret. "We've already decided on the song we're going to sing." Brian furrowed his brow and asked, "Where is she?" Bella. shrugged, glancing around the auditorium. "She said she'd be here in a few minutes." Just then, the heavy door creaked open, and Sophie rushed in, her chest heaving from the exertion.
"Sorry... hah... I'm late... hah…" she panted, brushing a few errant strands of hair out of her face. "I had to make a quick run to the store." She settled into a chair, trying to catch her breath. "Did you run?" Brian asked, his eyebrows raised. "No, she flew, of course she ran, idiot," Phil replied with sarcasm, which earned him an eye-roll from Brian.
"Alright, Faith, are you ready?" Sophie inquired, as she stood up to rehearse. "I'm okay right now because it's just you guys. I hope I don't freeze up on stage," Faith admitted nervously, her fingers fidgeting. "You'll be fantastic, Faith," Bella assured her, offering a reassuring smile. Miles, intrigued, "So what song are you guys singing?" He asked.
"Alone by Ava Max and Alan Walker," Sophie responded, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Oh, that's a great choice," Phil nodded, his approval evident. "Ready?" Sophie asked, and Faith gave a determined nod.
As Nick played the background music, they began. Faith's soft voice floated through the air, "We were young, posters on the wall, praying we were the ones that the teachers wouldn't call. We would stare at each other 'cause we were always in trouble." Sophie joined in, her voice confident until, "And all the cool ki... Argh... Argh," she suddenly choked mid-verse, coughing roughly. "Sorry," she apologised, a blush creeping up her cheeks. They regrouped and tried again, harmonising beautifully. After the rehearsal, they all migrated to the computer lab to work on their project.
The rehearsals progressed smoothly, and soon enough, the day of the tryouts arrived, with Sophie's help Faith without any fright was able to sing camly. With a stroke of luck, their group, The Harmony, was selected along with the other two groups, The Chanters and Leo's ensemble.
"Now, I hope you all will do well and make our school proud," Mrs. Williams announced, her voice warm and encouraging, as applause filled the air. Sophie was happy that Leo made it and so did they.
During recess, Sophie was reading at her usual spot, cause her friends were busy with their clubs. Leo then approached her, "Hey, Sophie, congratulations on making it!" he said, taking a seat beside her. "You too, Leo! You must be thrilled," she replied, matching his smile.
"Yeah, I am. I just hope my parents will be too," he said, his enthusiasm diminishing as uncertainty clouded his expression. Sophie's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
He sighed deeply and explained, "Well, my parents think all this music-making and singing is a waste of time. They want me to focus on more serious studies. But music is my passion; it's not that I don't want to study, I just also want to pursue this." A hint of sadness shadowed his eyes.
Sophie observed him quietly before asking, "Your parents don't know you're at our school, do they?" She noted Leo's hesitant shake of his head, his look one of despair.
"I told them I'm taking football lessons here," Leo confessed, his voice heavy with guilt.
"Leo, it's not right to lie to your parents like that. You really need to talk to them," Sophie advised gently, her fingers brushing against the pages of her book. "No, Sophie, they would be furious," he insisted, shaking his head.
"Well, it's better they know the truth than live a lie. They trust you, and you shouldn't break that trust," Sophie said, her tone encouraging yet firm. Leo sighed but managed a small smile in return.
From the top-class window, Brenda glared at Sophie, flanked by her gang. "Why does she get to do everything without any issues? Ugh, she doesn't deserve it!" Brenda fumed.
"What's the big deal?" a band member piped up. "Don't interrupt me," Brenda snapped.
"What's going on here?" They heard and saw Ms. Rose. "Nothing Ms. Rose." Brenda replied irritated. Miss Rose was able to see Sophie from the window and knew what was up and she heard what happened between her and Brenda.
"Now, Brenda, it's just a competition. Let the past be the past, okay?" she said with a gentle smile. "It's just not fair," Brenda retorted, arms crossed defiantly.
Ms. Rose's expression shifted, her smile darkened and she leaned closer to Brenda. "Life is always unfair, dear, but that doesn't mean you can't level the playing field," she whispered, her tone very thrilling, Brenda looked taken aback, the wheels in her mind turning as Ms. Rose returned to her normal self.
"Sometimes you just need a little help, so don't worry. You'll all do well," she reassured before leaving the room. Brenda's expression changed, a smirk emerging as she processed the teacher's words.
Meanwhile, Sophie was back in the computer lab with Miles, their heads bent over the project they were racing to finish. Miles quickly helped wrap things up and dashed off to his club. Just then, Faith burst in, breathless and wide-eyed. "Sophie, come quick! Miss Williams is calling for us!"
"Now?" Sophie questioned, her heart racing with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. "Yes, now!" Faith urged, and without a second thought, Sophie sprinted after her to Miss Williams' office. The teacher had gathered all the competitors to announce that the final date for the competition had been moved up by a day.
Understanding the situation Sophie and Faith had to step up so they then went for rehearsal after school. It went well and they left feeling confident as they headed home.
The following day, during Ms. Rose's class, Sophie was unexpectedly called to the principal's office. Whispers filled the air, but Sophie took a deep breath and walked confidently to the office.
Upon arrival, she knocked on the door and was invited in. Inside, she saw five classmates and Mr. Filch, all looking quite serious.
"Sophie Agustin, "We have received a serious complaint claiming that you've been hacking into your classmates' emails and sabotaging their computer projects. Is this true?" Miss Charlotte, the principal, asked with a concerned expression.
Sophie felt a wave of disbelief wash over her. "What? I would never do that, Miss Charlotte," she responded earnestly.
"I want to believe you, Sophie, but we have some concerning evidence saying otherwise," Miss Charlotte replied, presenting a document that detailed login attempts into other students' accounts.
Sophie was taken aback; she was still trying to comprehend the situation and felt at a loss for words. "I…I didn't…this isn't right…" She struggled to articulate, realising the weight of the accusations without any evidence to counter them.
"I'm sorry, Sophie, but I have no choice," Miss Charlotte said softly, sorrow evident in her tone. Tears began to well up in Sophie's eyes as she gazed at the principal, feeling overwhelmed.
"Sophie Agustin, you are suspended from school for a month."