Author's Notes: THREE-SHOT MADNESS! - - This is the second in line.

'SKREEECH' It is the sound of the chair slinking upon the floor. The blonde head just pushed off her computer chair from the computer table. She stood and plainly picked up her iPod resting beside the monitor. Her dainty fingers found its way to its ear phones, stretching its white wires. She placed both ear phones in her ears and the iPod was inserted in her pocket.

She turned her heel, heading to the exit of the room. After a few steps, she reached the door knob and turned it. Upon opening the door, Naminé, age nineteen, exited her Computer class for a personal break time.

Listening to Ne-Yo's 'Because of You', she nonchalantly sauntered thru the hallway of the fifth floor of one of the University's buildings. In no time, she arrived by the elevators. She eyed them one by one- there were three elevators. She pressed the 'down' button and patiently waited for one of them to open.

'Baby, you…has become my addiction.' Ne-Yo's voice ringed in her head. Scowling a little, she took her iPod once again. Her eyes squinted at the little screen. Moving her thumb in a circular motion, she got busy on choosing another song.

'TING!' The silver elevator doors slid open. Listening to 'Billion Dollar Babies' by Alice Cooper, she entered it. She walked in with her head still tilted low. She was still busy searching for other songs, not giving a single care to anyone who's in the elevator. All she knew was that she can still fit in it. She didn't even notice how many people were there. She just settled her self at one corner, not bothering to press 'Ground' on the elevator buttons. If the elevator is going down, it's palatable that it will land on Ground.

Pleased with 'Can I Go Now' by Jennifer Love Hewitt, for the first moment since she entered the elevator, she finally lifted her chin, inserted her iPod back in her pocket, and scanned her surroundings.

Surprisingly, no one else was there except for him.

For the first time in two years, she found her image clearly reflected upon the long-missed-but-shall-never-admit turquoise orbs.

Her reflexes made her immediately look away…and then the light vanished.

Hell Bent on the Past

By Tammi Super Girl

'Can't change your mind; can't leave it all behind.' Hewitt kept on singing. 'You're living in the past.'

Naminé's heart pounded. She wondered if the pounding is louder than the music coming from the ear phones. The entire cubicle was swathed in pitch black. She wanted to let out her panic…but she decided not to…not in front of the twenty year old silver haired boy…even if they can't see each other at the moment.

Red. Everything black evolved into red. The emergency lights of the elevator turned red.

Red. Red light. Red means a lot. Naminé wondered which one of its meanings is inclined upon this dire farce.

'Red is the color of fire and blood,' it's like there's a deep hoarse voice reciting in her head, 'so it is associated with energy, war, strength, power, determination,'she cursed her self for wanting to take a break from her class, it's not even break time yet. The voice in her head kept on and it made her realize a not-to-be-mentioned-now-please thing 'as well as passion, desire, and love.'

'I don't wanna fight; don't wanna waste my time.' It was sort of a form of mockery that Jennifer Love Hewitt seemed to be singing her thoughts. She wondered if that American girl made this song especially for her…especially to ridicule and tease her helplessly.

"This might take a while." She heard him speak from his corner. Once more, it's another long-missed-but-shall-never-admit thing- his voice. She hasn't heard his voice for a long time.

'Red is an emotionally intense color. It is thought that it tends to raise blood pressure and make people breathe faster.' Naminé's cornflower blue eyes roamed the area. It's been seven seconds and nothing has changed yet. 'Red brings attention to text and images. It is a perfect color for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners and websites, because it may make some people want to act quickly. In advertising, red is often used to cause erotic feelings.'

"Yeah… I guess." She finally responded. She hoped she didn't stammer.

'Happy you got your way, there's nothing to discuss.' The song continued in her head. What the hell, she thought. Clearly, too, this isn't the good part of hell where some dopeheads imagined that there would be an endless stream of beer.

'Red is widely used to indicate danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights).' That's it. She won't be thinking of another futile meaning of Red. It's just a color. Damn it, she cursed in her head.

'What's the story? I can't make you see that I'm not always wrong. I can't make it right.' She just tried to sing with Hewitt. It's just a song…just a song. She pampered her self. Might as well go with it. 'I'm moving on…moving o-'

"Hey..!" His voice replaced Jennifer's. Her eyes widened and once again, she was face to face with him.

So close.

"Were you listening to me?" He asked in annoyance. Naminé noticed that he's holding onto one of her ear phones…one of her protections if you ask her.

"Umm…" She pressed her own lips. No, she wasn't listening. She was much occupied with the music. "Sorry." She apologized without an apologetic tone. She took the white wire clutched within his right hand fingers. She removed the other ear phone from her ear and made her iPod sleep. Now, why did she do that? Was that the right thing to do? She knows that turning off her trusted iPod will make her self be exposed to more awkwardness.

Awkwardness that is known to be Riku.

"So…" He stood beside her. He had his arms crossed upon his chest. He gazed up to the ceiling of the elevator. "How are we gonna get out of here?" He questioned but it didn't sound like he was asking her for answers.

"The rescue team might arrive any minute now…" She plainly responded, hiding anything emotional.

"I hope." He said but he didn't sound like he was really hopeful. "Those dimwits can't do anything right." Yeah right, like you do, Naminé thought. Even if that's what she thinks, she kept silent. She doesn't want to start a fight now, does she? She's tired of skirmishing…skirmishing verbally with him.

She buried those negative (or positive if there were) feelings two years ago.

She slowly tilted her head and gaped to his tall figure. She watched him ran a hand thru his silver strands. His forehead was beginning to sweat. Hot.

He was still hot.

She shook her head and stared at her feet.

"What?" He uttered like he was abruptly accused of something.

She got nervous and maintained to keep her head low. "Nothing…"

Usually, he'd just roll his eyes and shrug it off. But since this isn't like two years ago, he found this state a perfect time to stare, I mean, to examine her…for uh…for scientific or whatever academic purposes. He just won't admit it…even to his self.

His turquoise orbs observed her long yellow hair freely flowing thru the left crook of her neck. They were golden, his were silver. Perfect. Even so, who cares about mindless things like those. They're just hair! There are more important aspects to give magnitude to.

Fourteen seconds. She lifted her head. "Ehem." He looked away from her and returned his gaze to the ceiling. "What's up?"

Stupidity, she thought. "Nothing much." She answered. It was a shock that she knew what to answer, "you?" and even more shock that she asked back.

"I… I uh…" was he stuttering? "I have a girlfriend." Stuttering to her? C'mon! That's ridiculous!

She bit her lip for a while. "Oh." Her heart sank. Wait, it did?

"You?" It's like a game of twenty questions; only that they mostly use the word 'you'. Weren't there any other words to use? Even so, he wasn't sure why he asked that. Wait, was that even a question? Well, whatever, she just has to answer; answer anything that is.

"Umm…" Lie or not to lie. That was her question. "I don't have a boyfriend..." still, she can't let him win. "…yet."

"Right." He quickly said. "Aren't you hanging out with thatdude?"

There are loads of dudes in the University. "Who?" She gaped up to his eyes that are still focused on something that isn't her.

"Err… Xaldin."

"Oh… him." Naminé paused for a bit, being reminded of that long haired dreadlocked man. "He's stupid."

He raised his left eyebrow for a while. "I thought you like him." He stated. "You were mentioning him loads of times after we-… you know…"

She was disgusted that she ever set her self to like Xaldin. She said "Yeah, that was two years ago. I don't even see him anymore." He chuckled at that. Wow, it made him laugh, she thought.

Silence.

Everybody seemed to shut up. The abrupt stillness was like 'What's gonna happen next to the blonde girl and the silver haired boy? Stay tuned, kids! And remember, don't sit close to the TV!'

"They're sure taking their time..!" Naminé uttered, not being able to take the silence. She just can't let her self be devoured by him…even when he's doing nothing at all. His presence alone does it all. He was always been very intimidating.

It was one aspect why they didn't end up 'together'. And that's not the 'friendship' together. It's the 'together' with 'romance'; whatever romance is…to them.

"Still hasn't changed, huh?"

She suddenly felt like glaring at him. And she did. "What?" She snapped.

"Impatient. You're still childish." He said without looking at her.

Her mouth fell open. How dare he say such things? "You're one to talk."

His head slowly turned to her direction. Oh no, he's gonna retaliate, she thought. "What?" It was his turn to snap.

"I'm not the one who is still fucked up with the past. Even when it's palatable that it's a failure. I'm not the one who jumps around the bar all panicked and excited..!" It was a word vomit. It was something she dared not to say but said it anyways. How she wanted to spat it in his face two years ago. But she didn't. She loved him that's why she kept quiet and dared not to make him feel bad abouthis own past.

A slight resentment began to erupt in his turquoise eyes. "What do you mean?" He hardheartedly questioned.

Ok, fault's done, time to regret, she thought. "…Nothing." She had an apologetic tone and looked away. She was discreetly preparing her self for an ultimate strike back from Riku. Retaliating, it is what he normally does.

A hand quickly landed on her blonde head. She feared it and tightly shut her eyes. Why? What is he going to do? It's at the edge of her mind that he'll try to harm her physically. Is this his new year's resolution? Hitting? He doesn't like quarrelling anymore?

A feeble laugh escaped his lips as he patted and messed up her hair. "Don't tell me you're still jealous..!"

She opened her eyes and shoved away his hand on her head. "Of course not..!" She faced him with a scowl. It's been two years, how could she still be jealous?

And then she saw it clearly- he smiled at her. It's been a long time since he had that thing for her. It was those times that she honestly enjoyed. It was when it seemed like he only has his eyes for her, no one else. Yet again, it was another long-missed-but-shall-never-admit thing. And now, she's jealous of her…again.

She pouted and looked away.

He let out an irritated sigh. He rested his back upon the elevator wall and slid down upon it. His buttocks landed on the floor. "Naminé…" He called her. He never does. Whenever he'd see her in the hallways, in the streets, in the cafeteria, he'd never call her or even stare at her. She was invisible in his eyes. "Why don't you take a seat? It's gonna be quite a while before they fix the jam in the elevator." Taken aback, she did what she was told. "Why don't you tell me how you and Xaldin broke up..?" He casually asked when she was seated next to him.

Her eyebrows furrowed. What an uncouth topic, she thought. "We didn't break up. There was never an 'us'." She answered boringly.

"Oh?" Doubt was visible in his tone. "Some say you guys were an item."

What do you care, she thought. "Well… Almost…but no."

"Right. If you say so."

"How 'bout you?" She faced him. "What happened to Larxene?" Larxene was the girl Naminé was jealous of. Riku never stopped liking her even when he had Naminé.

"We were done right before you came along. You knew that, right?" He faced her as well. Why did he do that? Now, it's awkward again.

She started to answer "Well…It's not like-"

"Two months after what happened to us, I had a girlfriend. We broke up after a month and I never had an official girlfriend ever since." He cut her off with his abrupt explanation.

That wasn't right, Naminé thought. "You said you have a girlfriend..!"

He let out a feeble laugh. "Okay, I lied. Hahaha..!"

Yet again, that wasn't right, she thought. Why the hell would he lie to her? It's not like he's protecting some reputation, right? "Ha?" was all she replied.

He smirked. "That was before you said you don't have a boyfriend." He said it like it was the most common thing to say. It was as if it was just some 'Good morning' or 'Hey'. It sounded so different in Naminé's ears.

And so, yet again, that wasn't right, she thought. "Right back at you…" She said when she stood. "You're still the same and I still don't understand you." Even two years ago, she lived the moments with him with undying feelings of being blindfolded. He's one complex man. Every step she took with him is like a large adventure waiting for her.

"It's not like you tried hard." He also stood and his entire figure faced her. "You always seemed so distant from me…" He said. Her cornflower blue eyes crawled to his face. He pulled her into a surprising embrace. "…even when you were this close to me."

Yet again, long-missed-but-shall-never-admit. She hoped he didn't do that…because it made her want to admit it.

Two seconds. She smelled his masculine cologne. It was amazing. Did he wear cologne before? She can't remember. This new one is very luring.

Four seconds. She's preventing her self from making her chin rest on his shoulder. Honestly, he really has to let go now. He has to. He doesn't want her to hug him back, does he?

Six seconds. She's forcing her hands from roaming around his back. Make it stop.

Eight seconds. She's almost returning the embrace…almost the-

'TING!' "Are you alright, kids?"

Dammit, she cursed in her head. Damn rescue team. "Damn rescue team! What took you!" Riku scolded. She didn't notice that he was on his way out when she was still there, dumbfounded.

Naminé snapped back to reality. The supposed-to-be red hell-like surroundings turned back to normal again. The air isn't as hot anymore…or wait, was it the elevator or was it him that was hot? Speaking of him, she spotted him right outside the elevator. "Are you alright, miss?" One man entered the elevator for her.

She ignored him. Staring blankly ahead, she made her way thru the rescue team. "Are you alright, Nam?" She heard him ask her.

"Y-yeah." She answered.

"Good." Once again, he placed his hand on her head. She didn't shove it away this time. She admitted that his touch felt good. He smirked and a sparkle played in his turquoise eyes. "To be continued..?"

She was indecisive at first...but she gave in and nodded.

On the ground floor, standing on her spot in front of the elevator doors, she watched him stretch his arms as he walks to the exit of the building.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Notes: Wrote this in a day; surprised my self that I'm not slacking off with my fictions. This THREE-SHOT MADNESS is a real folly for me. YAPOOOO!

(Alt C) plus (Alt V) equals Copypastah!

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