Roxas,
I guess I'll get the self-conscious disclaimer out of the way first: bear with me. I think I kinda suck at this? I'll let you be the judge.
When I came up with the brilliant idea to write to you, my brain was charged with the numerous things I wanted to say. I had high expectations that I'd lay everything out in some poetic anecdote dripping with passion but joke's on me—I suck at living up to my own expectations. So, please forgive me if I come across as an inarticulate mess of disjointed thoughts packaged into an unpolished splurge of word vomit. This is me we're talking about here. Not that you weren't already aware of this.
After all, you probably understand me better than anyone I've met in my life. Including my secrets. In fact, it's pretty embarrassing. But despite your tendency to relentlessly tease me in a peculiar manner that is somehow both annoying and adorable, you've kept everything confidential in that big, dumb noggin of yours. But I'm glad I decided to trust you. You taught me how to do that again.
By the way, premature warning for an incoming cheesy cheesefest of cheese—you've been at my side ever since that summer and I'm eternally grateful. When my life figures it's bored with stability and crumbles, you smile and help pick up the pieces. When I fall, you're the first one to lend a hand. I'd like to think I've somehow contributed in helping you come to certain realizations of your own, but I don't know what kind of person I would be if you never entered my life. So... thank you.
But, anyway! This isn't about me! At least, it's not supposed to be.
I hope you're doing okay. I just wanted to check up on you. I know how excited you were about the gummi ship thingy. On the likely chance that you're curious, I'm doing well myself! It's my first day at Daybreak University and I've already checked into my dorm. My roommate is really sweet, the food here is nothing short of culinary mastery (there is a chocolate fountain surrounded by a spread of red velvet cake and coconut lime cookies, I ish you not!), the staff has been excellent, and I am beyond ecstatic. But I'm also super nervous. Crazy plot twist, I know. But I'm managing. A lot better than I used to, at least. I'm a big girl now. Aren't you proud? You better be. I owe most of it to you.
I can already hear you saying something delightfully corny like "Nam, you did it all by yourself" and I would roll my eyes but still cave to your recycled lines from the rom-com factory and kiss you regardless. I'm corny too, so it's cool. But sometimes, we can't always do it on our own. Not everyone, at least. Some of us need a little nudge in the right direction. So give yourself at least some credit, dork. Even though I know you won't.
I guess the underlying gist of all this babble is... I miss you. I wish you were here. I wish we could've gone to the same university and held hands while skipping through the park while high off Cupid's arrow stuck up our butts while it rained rose petals like the disgusting Hallmark card of a couple we are, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Things happen for a reason. And you know how I feel about long-distance. But I want you to trust me.
Who would've thought this all started at a party?
Memories of You
A loud cry cut through the silence.
"You'll never take me alive!"
Kairi watched tiredly at the top of the stairs as her sister gracelessly landed on the living room carpet and dashed to her left. She had a feeling it would come down to this. Kairi stomped downstairs and examined every corner of the quiet living room with the utmost scrutiny.
"Naminé," she sang. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."
She proceeded into her battle stance: legs slightly apart, a hair dryer close to her face, and all fingers wrapped tightly around the handle as if it were an actual firearm. She crept into the living room as her eyes dissected each corner. Mission status: N/A. Current location: decently-sized living room with two lounge chairs on both sides against a sky blue wall, one big sectional sofa in the middle of a coral-colored carpet situated before a glass coffee table and wide-screen TV. Visual on target? Negative. Kairi was genuinely impressed that Naminé somehow found a way to keep herself hidden in a small area with seemingly no conceivable hiding spots.
"I don't want to do this, Nam. But you're forcing my hand," Kairi warned. "This is for your own good, you know! We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
As expected, there was no response.
"Fine. I'm counting to three and I want your butt upstairs in the bathroom so that I can finish doing your hair." She was met with silence. "I mean it!" Nothing. "Okay, you asked for it. One," Kairi began, examining her surroundings carefully. "Two..."
Her head snapped to the side when noticing an unidentifiable figure whooshing past through her peripheral view with a gust of wind and a low, eerie whistle accompanying the sudden movement. Kairi remained defiant against the suspenseful air and narrowed her eyes.
"Two and a half... I'm not afraid to use this!" She motioned to her hair dryer as if it were lethal. "Three!" She heard soft footsteps and swiftly aimed at the culprit like a police officer. "Freeze!"
The rush of adrenaline tempered immediately upon discovering the source was not her quirky sister but instead a white and brown-furred snowshoe cat that happened to be bathing herself. Kairi lowered her defense as disappointment settled in the pit of her stomach.
"Mocchi, this is supposed to be a battlefield. Shoo."
Mocchi stared with her beautiful wide eyes before strolling along. Kairi sighed and let her guard down, leaving her completely vulnerable to the incoming attack. She screamed once her sister got the jump on her from behind and seized her by the collarbone. The unsuspecting redhead nearly lost balance while attempting to remove the bestial blonde from her behind her.
"No means no, Kairi!" Naminé exclaimed.
As if it were her secret weapon, Kairi turned on the hairdryer and pointed it behind her shoulder. Naminé hissed like a vampire caught in the morning skylight. She was forced to make a tactical retreat to her room and ascended the stairs on all-fours like an undomesticated savage.
"Oh ho, no you don't!" Kairi chased after her.
Naminé made a beeline for the door at the very end of the hall. It looked like a safe haven. Naminé leaped for victory before reality came crashing down on her, figuratively and literally, as Kairi tackled her moments before Naminé could reach the promised land. Naminé dug her fingers through the peach carpet, inches away from her room, desperately clawing for her sanctum.
"I-I said no! You can't make me!"
Kairi, who nonchalantly sat on the back of her squirming sister since there wasn't much strength required to keep her in place, sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Naminé, it's over. Give up already."
"Never!" she returned dramatically.
"I don't see what the big deal is. It's just one little party."
Naminé eventually stopped her pointless wriggling and leaned her chin against her palm. "You say that now. T-Then you'll be asking me to go skydiving or bungee jumping."
"Naminé, I'm not going to ask you to go bungee jumping." Skydiving sounded fun but Kairi made sure keep that to herself just in case.
"Are you crazy? Aren't you forgetting about Dad?"
"First of all, he's not home. And second, he's working late again. He'll never know either way. Try again."
Naminé growled. "How do you propose we get there? Isn't the beach, like, a forty-minute walk from here? And neither of us have a license or a car, for that matter. You can't honestly expect me to—"
"Uber exists, you know. I still have leftover cash from my old job at Radiant Garden. I can easily pay for us both to and from. Next?" Kairi blew at her nails confidently.
Naminé puffed out her cheeks. "How about I threaten to tell Dad you're planning to stay out after curfew?"
"Bluffing."
"And if I'm not?"
"Then perhaps Dad would also like to know of a certain ex-boyfriend you met online two years ago."
There was something incredibly satisfying for Kairi to see those wide eyes and the faint hue burning against her sister's cheeks. "You wouldn't," Naminé pressed.
"But I would," Kairi lied with a grin cunning and conniving. "That incident probably would've gotten pretty juicy if it weren't for long-distance. Otherwise, who knows what might've happened? Of course, nothing happened but you know how Dad gets. I wonder what he would do. Didn't that guy live here in Destiny Islands, too? Maybe he'd send a whole search warrant for him. Gosh, how embarrassing. Maybe he'd even take your laptop away—"
"Okay, okay!" Naminé plopped her face against the carpet, her hair messily sprawled out around her. "I get it," came her muffled voice. "Just... don't bring that up again. Please."
Kairi chuckled while eying her empathetically. She didn't really want to go there but Naminé forced her hand. "It's not like I want to make this any more difficult than it has to be. I just want to sort this out properly like two women on the verge of young adulthood. Not like when we were children fighting over the remote. We can at least do that, can't we?"
After a moment of hesitation, Naminé exhaled deeply. Running around the house was admittedly tiring. "I suppose so. Help me up?"
Smiling victoriously, Kairi stood from her comfortable position and helped Naminé to her feet. Naminé readjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. Then, a devious half-smile.
"Sucker!"
Naminé shoved an off-guard Kairi and slipped into her room, slamming the door and locking it just as quickly. Kairi recovered with a groan. She admitted she probably walked right into that one, but it didn't make her any less frustrated. "Okay, that was just plain childish!"
"And you fell for it. Soooo... I win!" came Naminé's suppressed gloating. "Serves you right for being so persistent."
"Only because that's the only way to get through to you! You're not exactly open-minded," Kairi barked back.
"I could say the same to you," Naminé snapped. "You're not open-minded to the idea that everyone just isn't built like you and force your way of thinking onto others!"
"Naminé, I only say this because I care. You need to get out of your own head and stop being afraid of people or worrying what they think about you. This shutting yourself out of the world thing—you know it's not healthy. "
Naminé bit her thumbnail. She conceded she had been cooped up in her room for months and probably needed a good few hours of exercise. But there were too many dangerous obstacles lurking outside—like the cashier at the supermarket, sitting next to strangers on the bus, and don't even get her started on silent elevator rides. It was a ferocious concrete jungle of impending awkwardness that Naminé had no desire to participate in.
Naminé pressed her back against the door and buried her face into her hands. "I-I... I can't, Kairi."
"Sure you can. The problem is that you just keep telling yourself you can't. How can you expect to be productive like that?"
"I'm plenty productive, thank you very much." Kairi wanted to protest but held her tongue. Their definitions of productivity were very different. "Can't you just go without me? I promise I won't tell Dad. Just let me self-depreciate and tend to my 'forever alone' party where I eat comfort food, watch cartoons, and sleep. It's surprisingly cathartic—highly recommended."
Beginning to grow impatient, Kairi tapped her foot and set her hands on her hips. "We've been living in Destiny Islands, one of thee most gorgeous worlds in the entire galaxy for three weeks and you haven't gone outside once to appreciate it. This place is practically a landmark for tourists. And I still have to pull teeth just to get you out of your room."
"Well, it isn't like we're still in Radiant Garden. You can't just expect me to get used to this so quickly when we've just—"
"You've been like this for years, Nam. I'm worried about you," Kairi added tenderly.
Naminé fiddled with her thumbs. Just the thought of social interaction made the hairs on her arms stick up. She was never what one would call a social butterfly in the first place but after a few unfortunate incidents that happened within the previous decade, she had even less of an inclination to get out into the real world. Everything seemed so much scarier than before. What kind of people lurked on the outside? How did she know who to trust? These were the questions Naminé had but didn't desire the answers to.
"Can I come in?" Kairi asked gently. She received no response for a brief window of stillness. "Please?"
Soon, she heard fumbling from the other side and the doorknob click before the disheveled blonde revealed herself. She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. As Kairi stepped inside, her eyes trailed towards the state of her sister's fairly spacious room. When they first moved in, it was plain white and she failed to understand why her sister was adamant about singling out such a lifeless room as her own.
But now, the walls were decorated with many of Naminé's signature art pieces, breathing life and color into an otherwise dull living space. Paintings and sketches covered nearly every inch. Miniature sculptures were situated on a rectangular shelf mounted on the wall. Kairi was impressed, but she still saw an underlying sadness hidden beneath the display of creativity. All of that talent being wasted in a blank four-walled canvas just because a girl was too afraid to step outside of her own world. This was her comfort zone and she wasn't willing to leave it behind.
Kairi tried putting on a smile for Naminé. "Looks like you've been busy."
Naminé stared blankly before plunking at her workstation, cluttered with empty cups of Chinese takeout, and mindlessly scribbled raindrops on the tablet she used for digital art. Kairi huffed at the failed attempt at lightening the mood and decided to get to the point.
"I understand you love to draw and stuff, I really do. But you can't just—I dunno—hide from the world."
"I-I'm not hiding," Naminé insisted. "I'm just, uh... planning."
"Planning what, exactly? Your funeral?"
Naminé leaned her forehead against her fist and bulged out her bottom lip. "Maybe."
"You're so overdramatic."
"Maybe."
Kairi rolled her eyes. Mocchi entered the room and beckoned for Naminé's attention by pawing at her leg; the artist smiled and patted her thighs, a familiar signal for her to hop onto her favorite respite where she received soft strokes from Naminé's delicate hands.
Kairi looked over at the shelf to find a familiar picture of a cheerful nine-year-old Naminé holding hands with a middle-aged but young-looking woman with shoulder-length wavy pink hair in front of a large fountain. Kairi swallowed a lump, unsure how to address a delicate topic properly. "This, uh, still doesn't have anything to do with Mom, does it?"
She noticed Naminé stiffen before resuming her aimless scribbling. "No," Naminé answered. "Not entirely."
"But partially?" Kairi asked, sitting on the neatly made bed next to her.
"Yes. Or, no! Well, I mean... I dunno."
Kairi let out an inaudible sigh. She hoped Naminé would leave that incident in the past after five years and realize what happened wasn't her fault, but Kairi surmised that she was dealing with the queen of overthinking. Plus, that couldn't have been the only thing bothering her. "Look at me, Nam." Naminé made a pathetic attempt at craning her neck before shifting her focus back to her tablet. Kairi snatched the tablet and crossed her arms.
"Hey!" said Naminé with a pout.
"No more of this anti-Naminé pity party with you as the honored guest. You think I'm just okay seeing my sister shut herself out from the world and spare no time for friends, family, or even something basic like walking to the convenience store down the street for a candy bar? It hurts to see someone you love do this to themselves."
Her voice and eyes were assertive, but compassionate. Naminé couldn't overlook how kind and helpful Kairi had been for the past few years. She always brought her food and made sure she showered and brushed her teeth twice a day when Naminé's body felt too heavy to get out of bed. A favor should have been the least she could do for her. Normally, it would have been.
But of all things, it had to be a party. With people. Where she had to use words. To speak. And interact. Naminé's heartbeat raced and her hands became hot and clammy. What if she messed up? What if she said something inappropriate? What if she accidentally spilled her drink on someone's brand new shoes? What if she met a cute boy and passed gas during her first impression? What if she ran out of things to say entirely? What if a meteor ironically crashed the island on this exact day and the person she was talking to nearly fell off the edge of a cliff due to the sheer impact and Naminé would have to pull them up but her hands always got so sweaty when she's under pressure and she accidentally dropped them—
"Naminé!" Suddenly, her hands were entangled with Kairi's, who sat at the edge of her bed. Her panic was soothed by Kairi's warmth before Kairi continued. "I won't let anyone hurt you. You have to know that."
Naminé gave a meek smile. "Well, it's not you I'm worried about." She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, already regretting what she was about to say. "Fine. I'll go. Just this one night, though."
The redhead beamed like the horizon during the break of dawn and clamped her sister into a hug with a squeal. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret this!"
Naminé begged to differ as Kairi's squeeze and shrieking brought pain to both her lungs and her ears simultaneously. "You're already making me regret this..." she said in a pained voice.
"Oh, oh! Sorry!" Kairi released her with an apologetic grin. "Don't worry, this is going to be great. I'll take care of the presentation side of things; all you need to do is let your hair down and have some fun!"
Unfortunately, Naminé didn't find her sister's enthusiasm very contagious. Did she actually agree to this? But Naminé offered a contrived smile regardless. "Great," she said through her teeth.
On the inside, however, Naminé was yearning for the sweet release of death.
Roxas stared at it with contempt.
He didn't mean to stumble across his father's old Keyblade, the Fenrir, while in the middle of cleaning his closet but it just turned out that way. It was a painful reminder of everything he didn't want to be. It brought back memories best left in the void of his mind. Especially after the day he had, this Keyblade was the last thing he wanted to see.
Roxas surmised he could use a break. He borderline chucked the Fenrir back into his closet and chose to do his best to forget about it. He pulled out his phone, some earbuds, some chips from the kitchen cupboard, and plopped back onto his bed. Nothing beat laying back and allowing the music sing melodic tales of personal struggle or sweet nothings to him all night long. He reached for a chip and hurled one into the air before effortlessly catching it with a definitive crunch. He closed his eyes, letting the soft inflections and tender lyrics ease him into a nap. Yes, nothing could possibly distur—
"GET UP ON THE HYDRA'S BACK!"
Roxas jolted out of his trance, much to the amusement of a familiar duo laughing at his priceless reaction: a spiky-haired redhead with two reverse teardrop tattoos under his eyes and a girl with shortcut jet black hair. Roxas threw a pillow at the perpetrator that nearly busted his eardrum. "What the hell, Xion."
Xion laughed despite the pillow hitting her in the face. "Sorry! He dared me to do it. You know I had to." She pointed at his lower half. "Cute boxers, by the way."
Roxas rolled his eyes. As if they hadn't seen practically every inch of his body, and vice versa, within the past ten years of silly pranks and "accidentally" walking in on each other in the shower while conveniently having their phone or camera ready to snap embarrassing pictures to hold over each other's head.
"Besides, you know Lea and I can't resist messing with this adorwabu face." Xion pinched his cheek, resulting in him smacking her hand away.
Suddenly, all fun and games stopped for Lea and he adopted a poker-face. "How many times have I told you to call me Axel before it sinks in?"
"Okay, Axel," she emphasized in a fake deep voice. "If it helps your testosterone sleep soundly tonight."
"It's my stage name. Don't diss the stage name."
"Guys," Roxas interrupted. His smirk was shrewd despite his eyebrow twitching. "Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but... get out of my house."
Xion made a pouty face. "I get the feeling he doesn't want to see us right now."
"Whaaat? Nooo," Roxas replied sarcastically. "Why are you even here?"
"Whaddaya mean, why?" Axel asked, his jaw hung loose. He grabbed Roxas by the shoulders and shook him vehemently. "It's the day, man," he said with urgency. "You know, thee day that is the highlight of every summer?"
It took a moment for Roxas to register it. "Oh. The party."
Axel looked offended by his lack of enthusiasm. "What kinda reaction is that? You would deny the copious amounts of awe-inspiring exhilaration that the Destiny Islands annual summer beach party has so graciously bestowed upon your feeble and unworthy existence? Beer, kick ass music, babes? Hello? Now, are you comin' or not? Yes or yes?"
Roxas used his index finger against Axel's chest to gently create some much-needed space between them. "No."
"I hate you."
Roxas chuckled. "Besides, I don't even like beer. Is it that odd that I'm just not feeling a party tonight?"
"There's a distinct difference between a party and thee party," Axel stated matter-of-factly. "The whole town is gonna be there, man."
"Honestly, I don't really want to go either," Xion admitted. Ignoring a dumbfounded Axel, she situated herself next to Roxas on his bed. "Let's not forget that I'm only going this year to introduce you guys to that friend I met on Mognet I told you about. We've all been so busy these past few weeks we never found the time for it, but this seems like my only option. And I shamefully admit that I, for once, have nothing better to do this evening. So, I'm all yours. Chips, please?" Roxas complied with her request.
"Besides, you know it's just gonna be the same thing as last year," Roxas continued. "There'll be crappy music you can barely have a conversation over, Sora and Riku will somehow find a way to get into some pointless dick-measuring contest, Xion will get drunk and I'll be the one stuck with hauling her home—"
"I resent that," Xion weakly protested with a faint blush.
"—and you," Roxas said, staring at Axel with a half-lidded, bored gaze. "You'll be gawking at every girl that walks past you like a dirty old man until one of them is dumb enough to look back and you'll disappear for the rest of the night without giving us a heads up."
Axel returned an equally dull stare before shifting his attention towards Xion. "What about you? Are you also gonna be an ass puss tonight?"
"Certified and approved," she said with a sheepish shrug. "I'm still going, of course. But maybe on a liquor-free diet? I don't think I'm up for a morning hangover."
"You're both fucked!" Axel smacked his own forehead. "And you're both forgetting the most crucial detail and I'm hurt that neither of you remembered. Do I gotta spell everything out for you nitwits?" Roxas and Xion stared at him dumbly while their loud chewing overtook the silence. "Here's a hint: The Melodious Nocturnes! As in, me and my band are one of the acts tonight and I would've thought my so-called best friends would've had my back on this."
"We just saw you perform at Shoyu Shoyu a week ago," Roxas reminded.
Axel shivered while recalling the bittersweet memory. "But that was when we were playin' for some dipshits who got no appreciation for the contemporary Fine Arts. This is gonna be an actual concert with people who are actually our age who actually know how to get hyped about somethin'. A chance to get the word out about us. So, blame a guy for hopin' for a little moral support from his best buddies. Memorized, got it?"
"I think you said that wrong," Xion noted.
Roxas sighed as he sat up from his position and headed into the kitchen. "I'm just not in the mood tonight. Maybe next year, Ax."
"Next year?" Axel asked incredulously, following Roxas. Xion didn't trail too far behind as she continued to freeload Roxas's chips. "And if I tragically die in a car crash before the next annual beach party, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life for not comin' to support me at my last one."
Roxas gave him a dreary look before rummaging through the fridge for a soda. "Stop being dramatic. How about I just morally support from afar this time?"
Axel crossed his arms and examined his friend up and down. "What's goin' on?" Roxas looked disinterested while taking a sip of his grape soda. "You've always been a pretty chill dude, I'll give you that, but you've never been this prude about a party. What happened?"
"You do seem a little different," Xion said in-between her chip chewing. "We haven't seen you in a week. It's almost as if you were avoiding us."
Roxas chuckled bitterly. He couldn't fool them. They were his best friends, after all. "I didn't make the cut."
It didn't take the two long to realize what Roxas was referring to. "Let me guess. The grant for the Geppetto Foundation for Gummi Ship Piloting, right?" Axel asked.
Roxas nodded and shrugged. "The guy said my résumé was great but that Destiny Islands is too far from their home world and didn't want to accommodate for living arrangements just in case we had a change of plans. It's not like I can afford to move right now. And you know Mom is too preoccupied with work. Kinda bummed me out, I guess."
Xion and Axel exchanged looks of concern before nodding understandably. Xion played with a few strands of his golden blond hair. "Poor baby."
"But hey, no worries." Roxas perked up with a slight smile. "I'm not giving up. I still haven't given the McDuck Enterprises training program a shot and that's the one I wanted the most."
"But you were really bettin' on this one, huh?" Axel asked, crossing his arms.
"Guess you could say that," Roxas answered, briefly averting his eyes. "But it is what it is. That's why I kinda just wanted a day to take my mind away from everything."
"Listen," Axel spoke. "I know how much that program meant to you, so I'm not gonna have my buddy sitting in here all by himself when there's babes and booze waiting for him just a block away. You're comin' with us." Noticing that Roxas wasn't budging, he bumped Xion on the shoulder. "Help me out here, will ya?" he muttered.
Xion sighed. "Roxas, you know I'm always up for lazing around in your undies with nothing but a bag of chips and a good sentimental song to keep you company after a long day, but Axel might have a point. You know, for once," Xion said as she traded the bag of chips for his grape soda and took a sip without permission. Roxas glared at her once he realized the bag was empty. Why were they his best friends again?
"Yeah, for once!" Axel agreed. "How about I selflessly volunteer to be your appointed wingman for the night? I promise that you'll be going home with the babe of your choice once the evening is over. Guaranteed, or your money back."
Roxas didn't consider himself a pushover, but when it came to disregarding Axel and Xion, he had a difficult time and they knew it. Maybe they even had a point. Lounging around his house doing nothing all day probably wasn't the healthiest. Some fresh air might have done him some good. Roxas groaned and raked a hand through his already messy hair. He was going to regret this, wasn't he?
"Fine."
Axel lit up as he patted Roxas on the back, probably a bit harder than necessary. "My man!"
"But no wingman, no babes, and no beer," Roxas quickly demanded. "Unlike some people, I'd actually like to have some self-control tonight."
Axel winced with disgust.
"Aww, who's trying to be a good boy?" Xion teased while ruffling his hair.
"I am!" Roxas returned with a cheeky smile.
"Fine, I'll take what I can get," Axel said somewhat begrudgingly. "But don't come cryin' to me when you see 'em all half-naked and change your mind."
"Dude, you have a girlfriend, remember?" Roxas said nonchalantly.
"Hey, lookin' is free." Axel shrugged.
"Whatever you say," Roxas said. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle the massive amount of groupies coming your way after your legendary performance tonight."
Axel rubbed his chin in deep contemplation. "Good point."
Xion sighed at Axel's obliviousness to sarcasm. Roxas laughed and moved past them, snatching his half-full soda from Xion and shoving the empty bag back into her possession. "Let's go, losers. Before I change my mind."
This was a mistake. Abort mission!
Naminé would have liked to, at least. But she knew it would've been a futile effort considering Kairi was a short distance away ordering at one of the many snack bars and kept a sharp eye on Naminé to make sure she didn't sneak away approximately every fifteen seconds. But it didn't stop her from being anxious. Kairi couldn't hide her excitement if she wanted to (she didn't) and practically discharged rays of mirth throughout the entire duration of the ride mostly over the fact that she could finally meet the mutuals of her online friend.
Naminé envied her sister. It must have been wonderful being able to enter the scene of a massive shindig with an overabundance of attendees dancing to overtly loud and explicit music and somehow not be on the verge of a mental breakdown. When they arrived, Naminé was about to make a run for it, but Kairi read her like a book and dragged the protestant Naminé into the extravagant scenery nonetheless.
The party was massive. Set on the already impressively-sized beach, it seemed like the entirety of the neighborhood's youth were in attendance. Teens and young adults of all variety, both half-naked and fully clothed, could be seen dancing in a big, sweaty bundle of pure body heat. The assigned act, apparently dubbed "The Melodious Nocturnes" played a cover of some popular hard-rock song on a stage dazzling with neon lights and even some mild pyromania. There were scrumptious spreads of food on display in a meticulously designed buffet (with chefs nearby to ensure nobody poisoned anything). There were a large number of tables. Some relaxed on beach chairs underneath stylish cabanas. Others swam in the ocean where friends and couples splashed one another jovially. There were various totem pole-themed lights illuminating the area with real fire. All of this scenery was accompanied by a cool evening air and the stars. Kairi was in awe of the contemporary beauty, while Naminé was stiff from shoulders to toes. She wondered who in the world could even afford all of this in the first place.
It wasn't like Naminé didn't try to take a page from her sister's book and think positively for once and ignore the negative nancies nagging at her in the back of her mind, but all of that positivity flopped immediately upon arrival.
It was a miracle that they found an empty table. Naminé sat by her lonesome waiting for her sister to return with their orders. Her body contracted out of discomfort while longing for the safe and secure sanctuary that was her room in the company of Mocchi and her tablet. In fact, she realized what a missed opportunity it was to not bring her tablet. It would've been a perfect way to avoid inevitable social awkwardness. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Luckily, she did remember to bring her earbuds—the go-to modus operandi for social aversion. Truthfully, she wasn't listening to anything. She just took it as an opportunity to study others and observe how the average, mentally stable human communicated with their fellow mentally stable humans and tried to figure out how she could exist amongst them without sticking out like a sore thumb. She also took the time to make mental observations of the environment in reference for future sketches. Even she had to admit Destiny Islands truly was a gorgeous spectacle, brimming with gorgeous people on top of it.
Kairi returned with both orders in her possession: a strawberry shortcake milkshake for Kairi and a tall glass of paopu fruit juice for Naminé. She gave a tiny smile of appreciation before taking a small sip out of her drink. "You know Dad would kill us if he found out we came here, right?"
"You worry too much," Kairi said with a blithe smile. "Even if he does, I'll just tell him we were at a friend's house. Problem solved. So, try to smile and live a little, okay?"
Naminé sighed. "I'll try."
The song ended and the DJ's voice came booming from the speaker. "Yo! Make some noise for Saïx, Lexaeus, Demyx, Axel, and Larxene for rockin' the stage tonight! The Melodious Nocturnes!"
The entire dance floor erupted with cheers and whistles. The red-haired one, who had been playing the electric guitar, as well as the one with dirty blond hair who played some sort of sitar, were particularly relishing in the crowd's adoration. They probably would've stayed up there all night if not for Saïx tiredly prying them from the spotlight.
"Hey! Took me forever to find you," came an unfamiliar voice, at least to Naminé.
Kairi apparently recognized it judging by her delight towards the approaching source. "Xion!"
Kairi and the short-haired stranger shared a hug. Naminé kept her eyes trained on her thighs and inwardly prayed that the two would just start their own side conversation and forget she was there. Please don't introduce her, please don't introduce her, please don't introduce her, please don't—
"Xion, this is Naminé."
The aforementioned girl cursed under her breath.
"We're twins, if you couldn't already tell," Kairi said shyly. "Nam, this is Xion. We met online a while back and I finally got the chance to meet her in person a few weeks ago once we settled."
This forced the awkward girl to terminate her naive plan of keeping quiet and make eye contact with the newcomer. Her eyes darted back and forth between Xion and her rapidly tapping feet, despite the girl looking friendly enough. "H-H—'lo."
Xion didn't seem to mind the lackluster introduction. "Hiya, I'm Xion Valentine. Kairi speaks highly of you! She says you're a super talented artist."
Naminé's cheeks went bright red. "O-Oh. I see," she said quickly and almost below her breath.
Xion waited for more but it never came. A bead of sweat trailed down the side of Naminé's face. Should she have said more? Was Xion expecting more? Was that enough? She needed to think of something. Quick! But it had been fifteen seconds of awkward silence already. Was she too late? Did she miss her opportunity? Xion must've thought she was so weird. Maybe it would've better if she—
"Anyway, I got your text," Xion said, returning her attention to Kairi. "It wasn't easy trying to get over here through the dance floor. I nearly got twerked on by the entire party, guys included."
Kairi laughed. "Sounds kinky."
"You're coming to meet my friends, by the way. They're right over there," Xion said while motioning over to one of the nearby hot dog stands. Two guys talked amongst themselves before the guitarist from earlier, Axel, approached them to receive congratulatory high-fives. "They've been dying to meet you because I kinda never shut up about you. And, well, they saw your picture and got a bit excited. So, beware."
"Well, I'm flattered," Kairi said teasingly. "But of course I'm coming to meet them! You lead the way."
"Did you wanna come with?" Xion asked the tense blonde in a friendly voice. "Don't worry, I promise they don't bite. Most of the time. And if they do, I'd knock some sense into them," she added with a wink.
Xion was actually inviting her? Naminé figured she ruined her first impression. "O-Oh, no, no. That's okay, I think I'll just s-stay here," Naminé said, forcing a smile.
Kairi glared and marched over to her sister. "Now, wait a second. I brought you here so that you could—"
Xion noticed Naminé tense up at the approaching Kairi and held her friend back before she practically scared the poor girl to death. "Oh no, that's totally cool," Xion assured with a nervous smile. "If she doesn't want to, then she doesn't have to. But maybe later?"
Naminé was internally grateful for the clutch save from Xion. "Y-Y-Yeah."
Despite her disappointment, Kairi let Naminé win this one and allow Xion to drag her away by the forearm. Naminé was relieved. She could be alone again. Sure, it was a little lonely but at least she could go back to being invisible. Naminé plugged her ears once again and resumed people-watching. It only took five minutes before she started berating herself for everything she considered a mistake during her first introduction to Xion. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
At the other end of the party, Roxas was leaning against a hot dog stand occupied with some nachos and spoke casually with his tall, silver-haired friend before a certain redhead interrupted their exchange.
"So, how'd you guys like the new arrangement on the song?" Axel asked, his lips forming an overconfident grin. "Most of it was my own touch."
"It was excellent," said the toned silver-haired boy. "You know, if you turn the volume all the way down."
Axel was about to put his friend into an armlock before they were distracted by Xion and the unknown but incredibly attractive redhead approaching, both recognizing from Xion's phone. The boys released each other and sprayed their mouths with breath spray and slicked their hair back. Roxas shook his head.
"Look alive, gentlemen," Xion said upon their arrival. "This is the mysterious online friend I've been telling you guys about, Kairi Villiers. Kairi—this is Roxas Strife, Riku Miyano, and Lea Flynn."
"Axel," said boy corrected.
"Whatever," Xion returned. Nevertheless, the group exchanged friendly greetings.
"Yo," Roxas said with a cordial grin and a small salute despite being occupied with nachos. Riku gave her a wink and Axel raised his eyebrows suggestively. She made a mental note to watch out for the latter two. She was beginning to understand what Xion was talking about. She had to admit, they were all pretty cute in their own ways. In hindsight, most natives of Destiny Islands were known for being easy on the eyes, but it definitely did not fall short in living up to its reputation.
"Nice to meet you," Kairi greeted.
Riku took her hand and gave it a tender kiss before flashing a look bordering between self-assurance and self-absorption. "Nice to meet you, too. I almost would've mistaken you for a native."
Kairi rolled her eyes but maintained a smile. "You know, I almost fell for that one, but then I remembered this probably isn't your first time pulling it on some lovelorn girl."
"Touché." Color him intrigued by a girl immune to his charms. "Xion already said this, but call me Riku. I'm a Creative Writing major at Estheim Hi—"
"Yeah, he's not important," Axel rudely interrupted, practically mugging Riku to the side. He put on his self-proclaimed lady-killer grin. "I, on the other hand, would be honored to give you the ol' tour of Destiny Islands and help ya break in a little easier. We redheads gotta stick together, feel me?"
"I'll be sure to keep my schedule open," she said, though she didn't plan on being alone with Lea in particular. "For Xion," she added teasingly.
Axel felt the blow of that rejection. Behind them, Roxas grinned. "Ouch. Maybe next time."
"Aw, shuddup," Axel cursed back. "It was worth a shot."
"Anyway," Riku said coolly. "Where're you from, Kairi?"
"My sister and I just moved here from Radiant Garden. We're over on 2000 Alexandros Street now." She figured if they were associated with Xion, then informing them of her address wouldn't be such a big deal.
Axel's ears fluttered at the sound of relatives. "A sister, you say?"
"Yeah. Twins," Kairi replied innocently.
"Twins?" Axel asked incredulously. Whether she realized it or not, Kairi was saying all of the magic words. "And where might I find this sister? If it ain't too much trouble, of course."
"Oh, uh, she's just over there," Kairi said with a nervous chuckle and motioning to the lone girl sitting at the dining table, breaking crackers in half and tossing them to the sand, watching the seagulls gobble them up. "She's very sweet, she's just a little shy." She sighed, as she felt the word "little" was a gross understatement.
Axel scanned the blonde dangerously. "A shy one, eh?" he muttered quietly to himself. He figured the quiet ones were always secretly the most libidinous. He cleared his throat. "I think I'll go break our other newbie in." But before Axel could take a step, Xion pinched him by the ear and jerked him back into place. "Ow, ow, ow! Not cool! What's your deal? I just wanted to say hi."
Xion gave a disapproving look and crossed her arms. "And have you simultaneously scar the poor girl for life in the process? I think not. You stay put."
Roxas was half-listening to the conversation by this point, being that he was much too captivated by the mysterious blonde sitting by herself. What caught his eye the most wasn't just her physical beauty, but the content smile on her face as she fed the incoming seagulls. He could sense a veiled melancholy beneath that smile. Her eyes would occasionally look up and examine the people around her and he couldn't tell if it was paranoia or envy. Or both. Still, he chuckled.
"Where'd the goofball go, anyway?" Xion asked, looking around and noticing they were missing someone.
"Goofball?" Kairi echoed. Then, as if timed perfectly, someone bumped into her from behind.
"Oh, whoopsh! Shorry about that!" said the faceless individual. It sounded like he was talking with a full mouth.
"Oh, it's totally fine." She turned around to lock eyes with a boy with the most unruly spiky brunet hair she'd probably ever seen. The mouthful of noodles and chopsticks in his right hand explained the weird accent. She felt her cheeks burn slightly out of embarrassment. "Oh, uh... hi."
The boy slurped the rest of his ramen with a dumb look on his face. "Hey there."
"Speak of the motherflippin' devil," said Xion as she leaned her elbow on his shoulder. "Kairi, the idiot who can't seem to look where he's going here is my brother. We're fraternal twins."
"Something like that," the boy said, rubbing the back of his head with a toothy grin. "Uh, and I'm guessing you're...?"
Kairi looked into his welcoming eyes and felt the ends of her lips perk up. "Kairi Villiers."
"Right. From the pictures," he said, thinking back. He already thought she was pretty, but the picture really didn't do her justice. "I'm Sora!"
Kairi wrapped her arms behind her back. "Well, someone certainly seems chipper."
Sora shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. "Well, I always say you gotta try and think positive."
Kairi's face brightened. She was all about positivity. "I think we're gonna get along just fine."
Meanwhile, Naminé mindlessly tossed crackers to the seagulls. She always had a thing for animals. Sometimes she considered Mocchi her best friend. There was no need for words, no awkward introductions, no worry of betrayal or embarrassment—they were (usually) pure creatures capable of unconditional loyalty that humans couldn't always provide.
In fact, she knew of human disloyalty all too well thanks to a certain someone. It felt like yesterday when Naminé spoke to the long-distance boyfriend that left her heartbroken and even more paranoid than before. Which reminded her that he lived—
"Naminé?"
—in Destiny Islands.
She was certain that irony was playing a huge inside joke on her and assumed it must have been hilarious for a third-party spectator. But Naminé wasn't amused. In fact, she was terrified. This was someone who did wonders for her lack of self-esteem and there he was, haunting her again.
His name was Tidus Fleming. She met him over Mognet a few years ago. She wasn't expecting much initially but things eventually got spicier than she expected. It was her first real relationship. Tidus was extremely supportive in her time of grief. He was there when she needed to vent the pain away. He seemed sweet and considerate. Everything would've been perfect—should've been perfect—if not for one inconvenient detail.
Long-distance.
And logging on to video chat with her presumed boyfriend only to find another girl failing miserably to escape his room undetected wasn't a very fun experience. The rest was standard: jagged words were exchanged, people yelled, and tears were shed.
Needless to say, this was one of the many reasons why Naminé had no desire of leaving the house. She couldn't say she was surprised, but all hope for a smooth evening fizzled out in an instant. Luckily, she had her earphones plugged in. Maybe if she just avoided any trace of eye contact, she could subvert the situation entirely.
"Is that you?" Tidus said as he pulled one of her earbuds away, which Naminé noted as being quite rude. "Whoa! It is you!" Tidus said incredulously, placing his hands on his waist. "Wow, I-I don't believe it! You're actually here? You... you look great, by the way. Just how I remember you."
Her breathing picked up. Where was Kairi when she needed her? She nestled her fist against her thumping chest. She couldn't force herself to make eye contact even if she wanted to. The memories just came flooding back. The distant pain of a broken heart mixed with crippling anxiety didn't mesh well together. "Th-Th-Th-Thank you..."
"Hey, uh, are you okay?" Tidus asked. "I know this is kinda weird, but I can get you some water... if you want."
"N-No, no," she sputtered. "I-I, uh... j-just moved here... few weeks ago..."
Tidus crossed his arms. "You could've told me. I would've shown you around."
Naminé tried to temper her breathing, but it wasn't doing her much good. "O-Oh. S-Sorry..."
"Well, it's nothing to apologize for, but..." He scratched the back of his head. "You sure you're okay? You seem different than I remember."
"I-I-I, uh—"
"Tidus," sang a high-pitched squeak. "Is everything okay?" Naminé turned to find another girl headed their way, this time with brunette hair styled as a big curl that swooped up on each side. Naminé knew this girl. It was the girl she saw Tidus with when she contacted him.
"I was on the way, Selph," Tidus said. "I just got a little sidetracked. This is, uh... you remember Naminé, don't you?"
Selphie eyed the blonde up and down, dissecting her carefully, leaving no stone unturned. Considering the hoops she had to jump through to convince Tidus that a long-distance relationship was a doomed endeavor, she assumed this Naminé was a threat. Tidus must've really cared about her to resist temptation for so long.
"Oh, yeah! The girl from Mognet!" Selphie chirped. "How have you been, girl?"
This girl was already making Naminé uncomfortable. More than she already was. She could feel the insincerity exuding from her tone. "F-Fine."
"That's gooooood," Selphie said. "Hey, I know we had sort of a rocky start. Y'know, me sleeping with your boyfriend and making him mine and all." She laughed as if she weren't aware of the awkward atmosphere she was creating. Tidus noticeably stiffened. "But I just hope there's no hard feelings?"
Naminé tapped her foot and kept her hands stuffed into the crease of her thighs. "O-Oh, not at all. I-I understand—long-distance can be... trying."
Tidus clenched a fist while repressing his own guilt. He never meant to hurt Naminé. Selphie was just persistent. It seemed like she always got what she wanted.
"Aww, I'm glad we could sort this out!" Selphie continued. "I hope you'll be sticking around! I'd love to show you around town whenever you're not busy, and—" Selphie cut herself short when she "accidentally" spilled her drink all over Naminé's head. The artist was left paralyzed, watching the raspberry liquid drip from her hair to the lens of her glasses to her white A-line dress overlapped with a grey cardigan. The act created a scene and made a few nearby become onlookers, including Kairi and her new acquaintances.
Xion was already rolling up her sleeves, ready to knock the lipstick off Selphie for that one. "Oh, hell no!"
Selphie gasped, faking her own shock. "Oh, my god! I am so sorry! Do you need some napkins or something? I can get you some napkins!"
Naminé wasn't listening. She was too busy imploding from the inside. This was the absolute last thing she wanted—being the center of attention. She could feel their eyes. She didn't know what to do.
"Hey!" Kairi said, stepping into the fray with Xion for backup. "What the hell is your problem?"
"I'm so sorry," Selphie insisted. "Is she with you? I promise it was an accident! Ugh, I just get so clumsy sometimes when I'm excited." She shrugged but didn't fail to notice that even Tidus was giving her a disapproving look.
Roxas didn't believe her for a second. He and Selphie went to the same school, and she had a reputation for being catty. "Yeah, sure," he said. "Just like it was an accident when you forgot to give Yuna Toriyama her clothes back while she was in the locker room showers last year and humiliated her in front of the entire class."
Selphie scowled at him. "How rude. Do you believe every rumor you hear?"
"Cut the shit, Selph," Xion barked. "I was there. The bottom line is that you're way too possessive of Tidus."
Naminé, on the other hand, was too embarrassed to look up. Her breathing was out of control and she felt like she was going to puke. The eyes—they were burrowing into her. She couldn't handle the pressure. She couldn't deal with the attention. She couldn't tell if their eyes were full of sympathy, pity, or apathy. Everything was hazy and her heart rate must've been going through the roof. Feeling like she was bound to implode at any moment, she did the only thing she could do.
She ran away.
"Wait, Naminé!"
Naminé didn't hear her sister call after her. She was trapped in her own thoughts and continued running down the road that she and Kairi tread on foot earlier after being dropped off. She had no idea where she was going and she didn't have the strength to care. She just ran away and hope to make it home safe and sound.
Without hesitating, Roxas chased after her.
Xion was already rolling up her sleeves, ready to knock the lipstick off Selphie for that one. "Oh, hell no!"
Sora held Xion back by holding onto her arm. Her first instinct was to send him a glare and shirk herself away from him but the look on his face was enough to calm her. Sora sent a scowl at Selphie himself. "Don't even bother, Sis."
Xion restrained herself but didn't stop burrowing daggers into Selphie.
"I'll go get her," Kairi said, beginning to chase after her.
"We'll come with," Xion said on Sora's behalf. Which he was fine with since he was planning on stepping in to help anyway.
Before they could run away, Kairi stopped before Selphie and shot an intense stare. "You stay away from my sister."
Selphie gasped, pretending to be offended at the mere notion she would do this intentional. Kairi, Sora, and Xion hurried into the distance. They came across an intersection without Naminé or Roxas in sight and were clueless on which way to go. Kairi bit her lip out of frustration before they ran down the opposite direction that Naminé took.
Selphie figured she was in the clear, before she turned around to see both Riku and Axel towering over her with their arms crossed. She looked towards her boyfriend for support. "Tidus!"
But Tidus only made a poor attempt at looking inconspicuous and whistled.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Naminé had been telling herself that all evening. She was stupid enough to allow Kairi to convince her to go to this dumb party. What was she thinking? She just wasn't designed to be a people person. Why couldn't Kairi just see that?
Naminé ran along a dark road that was steep and gradually tilted upwards. She had to take off her glasses in order to run freely, making her vision blurred. She just had to trust herself to keep going. She had to get away from that stupid party and away from the prying eyes of those onlookers. She would go back to ensure Kairi she was okay after she cooled down a little.
Then her mind began to clear. When she realized she was in a brand new world with no sense of direction, she stopped in her tracks. What was she doing? Where did she think she could go? She had no idea how to get back home from there. She acted on impulse. Maybe she should just go back before she was really lost. Her first instinct was to pull out her phone and call Kairi. Just her luck, her phone was dead. It looked like she would just have to retrace her steps.
When Naminé turned around, she bumped into someone and it sent her falling flat on her bottom. What just happened? Her head was aching and she attempted to groan the pain away. In a daze, she slowly regained her consciousness. That's when she noticed the blond boy staring at her like an optometrist. Though, she couldn't quite make out the finer details due to not having her glasses. Still, she gulped. She could make out their proximity at least, and it was enough to get her cheeks to heat up. For a moment, neither of them spoke. They just stared.
"Sorry about that," was the first thing the boy said. "I kinda bumped into you on accident. In my defense, it was dark. Are you okay?"
Realizing that this was a person and not a figment of her imagination, Naminé recoiled with quivering lips. Xion was one thing—she was associated with her sister, plus she was a fellow member of the female variety. But a complete stranger of the opposite sex? That was death. She was tongue-tied.
She eventually noticed through her blurry vision that the unfamiliar boy staring at her confusedly while he scanned her stunted expression. Realizing she couldn't find the proper words, she pursed her lips to keep them relatively steady and nodded her head vehemently.
Roxas put on a relieved smile, thankful that the girl could understand him. "Good." After helping her up to her feet, he handed over her glasses. "Here. You dropped these."
Unfortunately, one of the rims of her glasses broke and wouldn't stay situated on her ears, meaning she would have to be blind as a bat until she taped it back together. She opened her mouth to say thank you but all that came out were her incoherent and shaky exhales.
Roxas noticed her lips shivering and recalled what Kairi said earlier. He did his best to put her mind at ease. "Hey, I know this is all probably a little new to you. Destiny Islands can be... a little alien and ruthless to the new guys. But don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you."
Naminé opened her mouth to speak, to clarify that she wasn't afraid of him specifically, but of the situation. But she held her tongue when she couldn't figure out how to say it and shut her eyes. She was screaming on the inside. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she bring herself to speak? It was like her voice was lodged in her throat and refused to resurface. This should not have been this difficult. And yet, every time she opened her mouth, her brain froze.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she let out a soft hiccup. Concern overcame Roxas and he knelt down to get a better look at her. Naminé felt like a child lost in the supermarket. She was too ashamed to look at the stranger any longer and turned on her heel, walking as fast as she could and hoping the boy would save himself the headache and leave.
Roxas was taken aback for a moment. She just walked away from him without saying a word. And was she... crying? The majority probably would have taken the hint and headed for the hills, but Roxas didn't fit in that category. Not when he sensed that something was severely wrong. "Hey, wait up!"
Naminé didn't respond nor did she stop walking. She figured he would give up eventually. All she cared about was getting home and putting this shoddy day to an end. She didn't know where to go but as long as she could get away from this situation, she could put herself at ease.
Roxas caught up to her and walked backwards in an attempt to get a good look at her and casually stuck his hands in his pockets. "So, where we goin'?"
Naminé's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets but thankfully her bangs kept her eyes hidden from the stranger. What was that supposed to mean? Maybe this guy wasn't so nice and was just some creep looking to take advantage of her. After all, it was getting dark out. Naminé paced faster but the boy was able to keep up.
"I get the feeling that I may not be wanted here," Roxas said with a nervous chuckle. "Well, too bad. You don't have to trust me, but I don't exactly feel comfortable letting you walk around by yourself this late at night. You'll just have to forgive my persistence, I suppose."
Naminé didn't respond. She wasn't sure if he was trustworthy or not, but there wasn't much she could do about him following her. It wasn't like she had anything that could act as self defense on her. But he was starting to become a nuisance.
"Stimulating conversation, by the way," Roxas quipped. She didn't spare him a glance, making his smirk slowly faded away. How long was she going to keep up the tough girl act? He was also getting tired of walking. He stepped in front of her path, forcing her to stop. Naminé recoiled timidly and her breathing picked up noticeably, her forehead became humid, and sweat began to—
"Hey." Roxas gently placed his hands on her shoulders, his touch making her shiver. "You're okay. Relax."
Slowly but surely, Naminé's breathing gradually came down to a more steady pace, but her brain was still a complete jumbled mess. She could barely look him in the eye, but it helped that her vision was blurred.
"I get it, this is new territory for you. You're a little nervous. But I'm not letting you walk around here alone when there's a party full of intoxicated people less than a block from here, okay?" After a moment of silence, the girl nodded. Roxas carefully released her. "You know, I have a car parked a few yards from here. I can take you wherever you need to go. You're with Kairi?" Again, he only received a nod and no vocal response. "It's 2000 Alexandros Street, right? I can take you there. You don't have to say anything if it makes you uncomfortable."
He sounded sincere but Naminé wasn't sure if she was a good judge of character. But perhaps that was irrelevant, considering she wanted to get home and had zero clue where to go. Did she really have a choice? Her voice seemed to be failing her. Her phone was dead. She didn't even know how to get back to the party to find out where Kairi was. She had no munny. No idea where she was. She just had to hope this guy was as genuine as he seemed. She nodded in response to his inquiry.
Roxas sighed with relief. The last thing he wanted was for this girl to get chewed up by some lurker. Destiny Islands was a fairly peaceful paradise but it wasn't immune to its fair share of creeps. He noticed she was still soaking wet thanks to Selphie, which probably wasn't very comfortable in the midst of this cool evening weather. He removed his bomber jacket and placed it around her shoulders. She protested at first through nervous hand gestures and facial expressions, but he just laughed before insisting. "Take it."
Naminé decided not to argue with him and accepted the offer.
It was an uncomfortably quiet, but short walk to his car. Naminé followed behind Roxas meekly, her hands clasped around her broken glasses. Roxas didn't mind the silence much. At this point, he figured she was simply incapable of producing sound with her vocal cords and let her be.
They reached a black Sedan. The pair buckled in and were on their way to find Naminé's home. It was only a ten-minute drive. Naminé set her glasses to the side and kept her eyes trained on her thumbs and her thoughts on the texture of her skin. She didn't look up once. Roxas eventually put on some soft music to fill the air as he drove down the serene streets. It was empty since almost everybody was at the party.
Eventually, he broke the silence. "Sorry if I scared ya back there." She peered towards him slightly. "Like I said, I understand. You're new here, there's a bunch of people you've never met, somebody decides to be a jerk to you for no good reason—it's overwhelming. Moving isn't easy. I should know, I was new here a long time ago myself."
Wasn't he a native? That piqued her curiosity a bit. But the boy waved it off.
"A story for another time." He gave her a smile. "Just want you to know that it's okay to be afraid. I'm not judging."
Naminé blinked. It seemed she really did have the wrong idea. She felt bad for assuming the worst of him. The boy didn't say anything for the rest of the trip but it wasn't any longer than three minutes before they pulled up to her house on Alexandros. It was a nice two-story house.
"Well, here we are," said Roxas, putting the car on neutral. "Guess I'll be seein' you around then."
Naminé looked as if she was about to say something, but chickened out at the last second and quickly left his car after leaving his jacket on the passenger seat. She wasted no time retrieving her key and hurrying inside without looking back once.
What a strange girl. Roxas didn't even get a chance to ask for her name, but then again, it might have been impossible for her to vocalize it. Besides, he'd seen enough lame romantic comedies that Xion would force him to endure with her to get a feeling this wasn't the last he'd seen of her.
Yeah, right.
Roxas chuckled at the thought while shifting the gear and speeding back the way he came.
When Naminé shut the door, she took in the familiar lemon scent of their home. After a quick inspection of the house, she concluded that her father wasn't back yet. She ran upstairs and into her room, slamming the door shut and locking it. Mocchi rose her head curiously as she was curled up on Naminé's bed. Naminé was safe. Therefore, she was free to let the waterworks come as they pleased.
She kept a hand on her doorknob as she slid to her knees with her head hung low. The peach carpet absorbed her tears. She couldn't believe was she so pathetic that she couldn't even speak to the mysterious boy that not only saved her but drove her home safely. She couldn't even say thank you. She opened her eyes to find Mocchi looking up at her and reaching up to her face. Naminé smiled sadly.
After washing her hair and face, she changed out of her damp clothes and dumped them into a pile of dirty laundry before slipping into something more comfortable. Never again would she let Kairi convince her to do something when her gut adamantly disagreed. She slithered to her bed with Mocchi and plopped onto her pillow face-first, feeling like she was ready to get smitten by a bolt of lightning.
It wasn't long before Kairi entered the house. She looked exhausted as if she just ran for some Olympic track team. She was relieved when Roxas called Xion to inform them Naminé was safe and sound. She had circled the block in search of her missing sister for what felt like forever.
Kairi hurried up the stairs and wasted no time knocking on her sister's door. "Naminé? I know you're in there. And I know you can hear me." She received silence in return, which was about what she expected. "Okay... maybe I deserve the silent treatment a bit. But please just hear me out: I am so, so sorry for making you go through that. I just didn't think that, well... that would happen." She bit her lip. "I know he lived here but Destiny Islands is so populated and I never would've thought the chances that we'd run into—a-anyways. It's on me. So, like... don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"
Fully aware of her sister's poor sleeping habits, she was positive Naminé wasn't asleep. Kairi figured she just needed to give her some space and hope she wasn't disowned by tomorrow.
"I'll... be here if you want to talk about it. Goodnight," Kairi said before reluctantly making her way to the bathroom to wash her face.
Grateful that Kairi gave up sooner rather than later, Naminé clutched onto her blankets as she gazed at the stars twinkling beneath a dark blue sky, dried tears staining her cheeks as Mocchi bundled up next to her. She sniffled.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid."
Dearly Beloved
Yeah, I know. Anybody from Sex Sells is probably wondering what the heck I'm doing starting up another fic. I'm like Nomura at this point, he can't get games done, and I just can't get stories done… (that was just a joke pls don't kill me)
So like I said earlier, this story is dedicated to SummonerDagger88 who has been such an amazing friend to me in the past… almost two years?! Hello?! Time is flying yo. I'll never forget being so excited when she drew a beautiful piece of artwork for Out of Sight, a collab fic between SoraxKairi7 and I. And I don't even really remember how it happened tbh lol, but we just ended up becoming super close ever since and she's a big RokuNami fan, and I've always secretly wanted to write a RokuNami, so… here we are. I hope you liked it, Dagger! You're the best!
Also, check out her DeviantArt if you can! It's the same name. Also her Tumblr, by the same name haha. I love her art so much because it looks like official manga artwork or something, and she's so good at capturing the characters and making it look like them! A lot of artists take a lot of liberties and that's fine, but I also really like artwork that's very true to the characters.
I apologize for the length you guys. I always aim lower and somehow get these ridiculous word counts, but like… almost everything I've written is important to set up the story so far! I could get rid of some of the jokes, but where's the fun in that? Ugh. So yeah. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope it wasn't a slog to get through, and if it was, please let me know in a review and what I should trim down on in the future, if you would be so kind ^^
So yeah, a bit of Naminé's character is inspired by my own social anxiety. But don't worry, I'm not nearly as bad as Naminé. It's just a more exaggerated version of my experiences. And she's definitely not a self-insert or anything either, though there is a little bit of me in there, but mostly she's just a vessel for me to show how social anxiety can suck sometimes lol
I also just haven't been inspired to write lately, so hopefully writing this story will pull me out of my funk.
Just to clear some things up if any of you are from Sex Sells, I know there might seem like there's some similarities here like with a (spoiler alert) "she was cheated on" backstory and another "bitch" character like Yuna with Selphie, but I promise this story shouldn't be like Sex Sells from this point forward. Although, I was originally planning on basically importing the Sex Sells Xion into this story except without all of the baggage because I thought that'd be kinda fun, hence why this Xion still has Sora for an older brother and Kairi for a BFF and has the same parents, but she ended up kinda finding her own personality and I'm actually very happy with how she turned out!
Also, isn't it kinda weird how in AUs we always make Selphie basic and shallow? Lol it's kinda weird because I don't think she's supposed to be like that in FFVIII. Maybe it's because she had that little thing about "the paopu fruit being sooo romantic" in KH1 and we've kinda just turned into this lol idk.
Anyways, I'm not sure how long this fic is going to be. I don't imagine it being as long as Sex Sells, but I doubt it'll be, like, less than 10 chapters or something. Oh and the title of this fic is inspired by the song Memories of You from Persona 3, which is a beautiful song I recommend if you haven't heard it. Most of all, I just hope this story brings any of you some form of joy or emotional response if it can. :)
And thanks to SoraxKairi7 for betaing this!
