Okay, so here's my first completely AU that I've ever written. It might seem kind of confusing at first, but it should hopefully clear itself up in the end. The title was stolen form a Velvet Underground song called "All Tomorrow's Parties".
I'd also like to note that most of the pairings in the first couple chapters are going to be very, very, mixed up. I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible in some aspects.
Chapter One: 45th Avenue
(Sora's POV)
Okay, I'd like to let you know that this is real. This isn't some sapped up Californian teen soap opera that seems to be ruling the TV along with those damn reality shows. Where I'm from, there are a lot of people who try to make a fantasy world for themselves where the girl always gets the guy she wants, but a crapload of drama ensues later, screwing up everyone's lives.
Okay, so maybe that happens in real life too, but I digress. The point is that you need to forget everything The O.C. taught you and open your eyes to reality. Not everyone's relationship is drama, sex, drama, and more sex.
Again, I'm digressing. Summer is nearly over so I'm in a "I'm super negative today" mood.
My brother, Roxas, is already in the southwest part of town, where he recently got a job at a coffee shop there called Lucy's. He's been working a lot this summer; I've been too. Right now, I'm working at a friend's resale shop called Lady Luck. It's a vintage clothing/resale store in southwest Portland, a few blocks away from where Roxas works.
Why would two, perfectly healthy twin 15 year olds spent their entire summer working their butts off, while all their friends are having fun?
Firstly, it's not like we don't have fun. We've done some partying and hanging out with whoever's in town. Secondly, work equals money; money equals the ability to get something nice for once. Thirdly, it's not like Dad would want to drive us anywhere, pay for us, or actually bother doing anything for us.
Now, where was I? Oh, yes, my friend, Yuna got me a job at Lady Luck. There's nothing real special about it, except for the people you see come and go. Besides that, it's just like any other store on 45th Avenue.
"Hey, Sora," I heard Yuna greet from somewhere at the back for the shop. I could hear music playing softly as I joined Yuna in clearing out the dressing rooms of clothes people left behind simply because they didn't fit.
"So what's up?" I asked as the last 80's rock concert T-shirt was hung up.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Almost no one's been here since that mid-morning rush that you 'conveniently' missed," she said, giving me the 'look'.
I threw up my hands in defense. "Sorry my shift doesn't start until noon on Saturdays."
"I'm sorry you're lazy," she replied.
Touché.
"Don't make me say it, Sora; Yuna: 1, Sora: nada," I heard someone say at the shop entrance.
"Well, well, well. Mr. Kumonari," I replied in a cool voice, like Agent Smith in The Matix.
"Mr. Inaya," he replied in the same tone.
There was a moment of silence as I stared my opponent down. Yuna sighed and saying something about boys, walked off.
Silence.
Blink.
"You blinked!" I said, ending the staring contest.
My best friend, Riku, shook his head sadly. "And I still wonder how you've made it past the age of ten," he said, patting me on the head like a dog.
"Hey!" I objected, swatting his hands away. "When did you get back from the beach?"
"Last night," he said. "You should've been there, man. I got fifty-three phone numbers and thirty-six emails and IMs exactly."
"Tsk, tsk, Riku, you're starting to slack," Yuna joked from behind the counter.
Riku, I should say, has been my best friend since second grade. In the simplest words, and the most convenient definition, Riku Kumonari is a player. He's not an ass or vain or anything, he just has the ability to attract multitudes of females, heck even some men, too, on occasion. I guess if I were a girl, I'd think he's attractive. Silver hair that can go whish and bright turquoise eyes are apparently lady killer traits. But I'm not gay. I'm perfectly interested in a certain blonde girl right now if your not convinced.
My looks aren't too bad, though, if I do say so myself. I'm in shape, but not completely ripped like Wakka or Riku. I'm "sculpted" as Selphie once called me. My eyes are a nice bright blue and I have cool hair that's completely uncontrollable.
I'm capable of scoring chicks. It's just with Riku around, you kind of get bumped into the shadows, you know?
I like cake.
Right, anyways, I don't need to be looking for a girl. I already have my eyes set on Namine Asya, possibly one of the most beautiful girls my age that is a real person, and not off TV. Everything about her, the way she talks, laughs, walks. I love it when she walks… She doesn't need to try really, but she's like some bright, glowy light, and I'm a fly who wants to touch the pretty light.
But she's way out of my league. If this were The Outsiders, she'd be a Soc, and I'd be a greaser. We're from two completely different worlds.
'How romantic' my ass.
Later, after my shift was over, Riku and I walked along the Waterfront. We briefly ran into Pence, Roxas's friend. Shortly after, we actually did run into my brother and his really good friend, Hayner.
"L'chiem!" Roxas shouted good-naturedly to us. Seeing Riku he mock scowled. "Damnit Riku, you're back already? You're gonna steal all my girls!"
"Pardon me for being more mature, hot, and sexy than you, Blondie," Riku teased back.
"Twelve o'clock dibs," Hayner suddenly said, pointing to a real pretty ebony haired girl walking by.
"Then I call three o'clock," Roxas replied, eyeing a blonde.
"Psh, what losers," someone said none too quietly as they walked by.
"Wanna say that to my face, Seifer?" Hayner challenged.
"Okay," he said and went right into Hayner's face, "What losers."
I guess I should make some things clear before I continue.
One, obviously Hayner and Seifer don't get along. Roxas doesn't like Seifer either. But as far as I can remember, Hayner and Seifer go way back to the third grade. They were the best of friends, then some feud erupted between them and they've hated each other since. Roxas got dragged in because he pissed Seifer off in freshman year, that's how he and Hayner became friends.
The animosity between Seifer's gang and Hayner's gang is like Capulet and Montague's vendetta in Romeo and Juliet.
….
What? A dude can't relate something to Shakespeare? Well, you can go to hell if I can't. I read in eighth grade, just so you know.
The point is that Seifer's gang of Rai, Fuu, and Vivi, and of course Seifer himself, have gotten into many fights with Hayner's gang(Hayner, Pence, Olette, and Roxas). One time, Roxas actually got his head smashed in a locker door during a brawl in the hallway at school. It was pretty bad. Lots of blood. I don't particularly like blood.
I hoped there wouldn't be a brawl today, especially on the Waterfront. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a police officer. If fists broke out now, we'd get into so much trouble.
Not like I'm a goody-goody two shoes kind of person, but my troublemaking doesn't extend to fistfights in front of a cop.
"Piss off, Seifer," Roxas said, quietly, but threatenly. He had that ability to be quite intimidating without much force.
"Even if you did want to fight, Seifer, there's a cop right over there," said Riku nodding his head over where the policeman was. "So I'd say you follow Roxas's advice."
Seifer glanced at the cop, and turned back to us. With a smirk he said, "I'll be seeing you boys in school then."
Seifer wasn't stupid; he knew when it was safe to pick a fight and when it wasn't. He'd finish his 'business' some other time.
As the sun began to set, Roxas and I said our farewells to Riku and Hayner and began to walk home. While we walked, we talked about all sorts of thing. We're close like that. He knows all my secrets, and I know all of his. We're each other's supports. Dad isn't any help; in fact, he's the reason we even need "supports".
You see, my dad met my mom at one of those AA meetings. They became friends, hung out, and eventually started dating. It helped with their alcohol problems and sped up the recovery. Eventually they got married and had two twin boys: me and Roxas.
When I was in the fifth grade, Mom got killed in a car accident. I have a scar on my leg from where a scrap of car metal was stabbed. Fortunately Roxas hardly remembers the crash due to a head injury.
It was horrible. We were just simply driving on the highway then it happened. Blood, shattered glass, torn metal, people screaming, and the ambulance sirens, then the sterile white of the hospital and Dad waiting anxiously by my bed for Roxas's and Mom's conditions.
Roxas survived thankfully, but the paramedics told us Mom was already dead before they arrived.
After Mom died, Dad lost it. He began drinking to drown his sorrow, and the alcohol problem he thought had gone away returned. He blamed Roxas and I for the accident and would do anything possible to hurt us.
Over the years, we had gotten pretty good at covering up our bruises and other signs of abuse. As far as our closest friends know, we just verbally fight with him a lot, there's no beating, belt lashing, bottle hurdling, or disowning that's completely forgotten the next morning because a the hangover washed it all away.
As we approached our shabby north Portland home, there was a sigh of relief from Roxas when he saw that Dad's car wasn't in the driveway. So he was still out drinking, which meant we could have an evening in peace for once.
"Someday, we should just ditch this place for good," Roxas muttered more to himself than me.
I couldn't help but agree more.
So what do you guys think? I need constructive critisim amd reivews are greatly appreciated.