knew they had the upper hand.
"Have a seat." He said good-naturedly, with a fox-like smile.
"Thank you." Sophie scowled as she sat down in front of him. They were alone in the kitchen, though Sophie could hear voices coming from another room. Someone had politely fixed Sophie's breakfast for her, which consisted of a stack of at least five pancakes. They were lukewarm and somewhat soggy from the syrup, but she was still grateful for the gesture.
Feeling Robert staring at her, Sophie awkwardly began eating her meal.
"I have a surprise for you today." He began, and she tried not to wince. "Actually, to be fair, it's Cleo's surprise."
"Great." Sophie focused on her pancakes, trying not to seem nervous. She had yet to decide whether she should be concerned about the surprise he was speaking of. "I love surprises." She added quickly, hoping it sounded as confident as she meant it to.
"I doubt you'll like this one." Robert leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Sophie chanced a glance at him and found that he'd stopped smiling. "No, I'm positive you won't like it at all."
"Is it some kind of torture?" Sophie joked, trying to smile away the tension that had settled between them.
Robert let her question hang in the air, and Sophie felt chill bumps race up her arms.
Feeling the need to break the silence, Sophie continued speaking. "Well, even if it is, I won't mind. I told you I wouldn't give up, so no matter how awful the surprise is, I'll deal with it."
Robert narrowed his eyes. "I wonder if it will be that easy." He whispered, looking genuinely curious.
Before Sophie could answer, Rylan interrupted their conversation by walking into the room. He held a pile of clothes in his arms, though Sophie was more focused on his face. It looked like he had eaten something rotten, and was about to throw up.
Walking towards her, Rylan offered out the pile of clothes. On closer inspection, Sophie found that the pile consisted of sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
"Your new wardrobe." Robert explained, as he stood up from the table. "As soon as you finish eating you can change into that." He placed a reassuring hand on Rylan's shoulder, but Rylan brushed it off rudely. Sighing, Robert turned towards the kitchen door. "We'll be having company soon, so you should hurry and get ready. After all, this is your first test."
"What kind of test?" Sophie pushed away her plate, deciding she couldn't eat while being this nervous.
"Oh, don't worry. It's really simple. If the guest finds out who you are, you fail. If you convince him you're a boy, you pass. Easy as that."
Without waiting for a reply, Robert exited the room.
Sophie only realized after he'd left that her mouth had dropped open.
"Sophie." Rylan began, and she turned towards him in surprise. She'd forgotten he was still in the room.
"What's up?" She asked, smiling at him. Her frustration at Robert was hard to ignore, but she didn't want to take it out on Rylan.
"You should stop now. This test… it's not what you think it is." Rylan looked like he was struggling to speak. "Please, don't do this to yourself."
Sophie's smile faltered for a moment. "I expect it to be a challenge. I promise I'll be okay, no matter how scary the guest is." She patted Rylan on the arm, trying to sound braver than she was. "I promised myself I wouldn't quit, and it's only the beginning."
She lifted the clothes he had given her off the table, and motioned to them with a wince. "I might need your help in pretending to be a boy. I didn't take Robert seriously until now, but I guess I have no choice but to put up with this role."
Rylan looked like he wanted to say more, but he closed his mouth determinedly. "I'll teach you what I can." He finally replied.
After thanking him, Sophie quickly made her way to her room to change into the sweats. Despite her initial doubt, it took only moments for her to
"Have a seat." He said good-naturedly, with a fox-like smile.
"Thank you." Sophie scowled as she sat down in front of him. They were alone in the kitchen, though Sophie could hear voices coming from another room. Someone had politely fixed Sophie's breakfast for her, which consisted of a stack of at least five pancakes. They were lukewarm and somewhat soggy from the syrup, but she was still grateful for the gesture.
Feeling Robert staring at her, Sophie awkwardly began eating her meal.
"I have a surprise for you today." He began, and she tried not to wince. "Actually, to be fair, it's Cleo's surprise."
"Great." Sophie focused on her pancakes, trying not to seem nervous. She had yet to decide whether she should be concerned about the surprise he was speaking of. "I love surprises." She added quickly, hoping it sounded as confident as she meant it to.
"I doubt you'll like this one." Robert leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Sophie chanced a glance at him and found that he'd stopped smiling. "No, I'm positive you won't like it at all."
"Is it some kind of torture?" Sophie joked, trying to smile away the tension that had settled between them.
Robert let her question hang in the air, and Sophie felt chill bumps race up her arms.
Feeling the need to break the silence, Sophie continued speaking. "Well, even if it is, I won't mind. I told you I wouldn't give up, so no matter how awful the surprise is, I'll deal with it."
Robert narrowed his eyes. "I wonder if it will be that easy." He whispered, looking genuinely curious.
Before Sophie could answer, Rylan interrupted their conversation by walking into the room. He held a pile of clothes in his arms, though Sophie was more focused on his face. It looked like he had eaten something rotten, and was about to throw up.
Walking towards her, Rylan offered out the pile of clothes. On closer inspection, Sophie found that the pile consisted of sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
"Your new wardrobe." Robert explained, as he stood up from the table. "As soon as you finish eating you can change into that." He placed a reassuring hand on Rylan's shoulder, but Rylan brushed it off rudely. Sighing, Robert turned towards the kitchen door. "We'll be having company soon, so you should hurry and get ready. After all, this is your first test."
"What kind of test?" Sophie pushed away her plate, deciding she couldn't eat while being this nervous.
"Oh, don't worry. It's really simple. If the guest finds out who you are, you fail. If you convince him you're a boy, you pass. Easy as that."
Without waiting for a reply, Robert exited the room.
Sophie only realized after he'd left that her mouth had dropped open.
"Sophie." Rylan began, and she turned towards him in surprise. She'd forgotten he was still in the room.
"What's up?" She asked, smiling at him. Her frustration at Robert was hard to ignore, but she didn't want to take it out on Rylan.
"You should stop now. This test… it's not what you think it is." Rylan looked like he was struggling to speak. "Please, don't do this to yourself."
Sophie's smile faltered for a moment. "I expect it to be a challenge. I promise I'll be okay, no matter how scary the guest is." She patted Rylan on the arm, trying to sound braver than she was. "I promised myself I wouldn't quit, and it's only the beginning."
She lifted the clothes he had given her off the table, and motioned to them with a wince. "I might need your help in pretending to be a boy. I didn't take Robert seriously until now, but I guess I have no choice but to put up with this role."
Rylan looked like he wanted to say more, but he closed his mouth determinedly. "I'll teach you what I can." He finally replied.
After thanking him, Sophie quickly made her way to her room to change into the sweats. Despite her initial doubt, it took only moments for her to
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