Hello! This is the First book of my Lighted Hearts series. I have already written and posted number two. It's White Light and the Darker Angel. Feel free to read that one, but it will take place after this,so gives many spoilers to how this one ends... Please Review and let me know how you like it :) Thanks and God Bless!

Protector of the Heart

Chapter 1

Life was as it always had been. I walked into school with my best friend and neighbor, Naminè. We had walked to our lockers with the same relentless stride as we always did. Twilight Town High was full of restless students. We all seemed to have something to prove. It was only when my history partner, Selphie came running up that things got interesting. Her long brown curls falling in her face as she hurried to my side.

"You guys are never going to believe this!" She squealed jumping up and down. Her usual behavior about anything really.

"What is it?" I asked getting my math book out. Ugh, Ansem's sophomore class…

"They finally got a new French teacher! Today is his first day!" She said still bouncing a little.

"What's so unbelievable about that?" Naminè asked brushing through her long blonde hair.

Selphie looked from one to the other as if it were obvious, "He's Crazy Gorgeous!" She said sighing from a memory.

"Really Selphie? He has to be like…thirty?" Naminè said shutting her locker.

I laughed lightly as Selphie rolled her eyes are Naminè, "Naminè….stop being so practical"

Selphie kept walking with us as we kept walking through the sophomore hall. Selphie's boyfriend, Tidus, walked up to us. He threw an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. I looked down feeling my cheeks grown warm. Not from their public display, but wishing with all my might that one day…someone might do that to me. I felt someone squeeze my hand, I looked up to see Naminè pass me a kind smile. I had told her all my frustrations over the many sleepovers we had. It wasn't hard since her aunt lived beside my father. She had quickly become my best of best friends. She was becoming more of a sister.

"Hello Class…I hope you all had nice Spring Breaks. Did anyone do anything educational?" Mr. Ansem asked almost sarcastically clicking on the bulky projector.

Everyone shifted in their seats as he looked frigidly at all of us. There was something about this older man – in his late fifties- that made him seem even colder. I looked over at Naminè in surprise as she quietly raised her hand. Ansem lifted his eyebrows…surprised to see us answer.

"Kairi and I went to Agrabah and she studied fashion from her aunt Jasmine and I was able to draw the architecture of the buildings." She said quietly.

He seemed impressed with that one… and with Ansem, he wasn't easily done so. He actually lifted the corner of his lips in a little smirk. One step closer, and he would have actually smiled.

"That sounds very educational. I would like to hear about it after class…My wife and I went to Agrabah when we honeymooned. Maybe eons ago, as you kids say. My brother is a builder for the king there." Ansem said leaning back in his rolling chair clicking his pen. Wow…he was actually being kind today.

"Alright…back to class"

He started to write with one hand and erase with the other. I hated how he did that, I peeked over at Naminè who diligently was taking her notes with her purple inked pen. I would copy them later when we got home. That's how we were. Either one of our houses is home. Namine's aunt Tifa wasn't there lately. But my dad loved Nami like a second daughter. I was so thankful for both of them…

"Ladies" Ansem greeted us as Nami and I walked up to his old wooden desk after class. He was looking down writing something, but when he looked up, his chilly brown eyes almost made me shiver with fear. I notice Nami shift from one foot to another, a little move she did when she was uncomfortable.

"Ladies…the reason I wanted you to stay, was that I was wondering if you would like to do an extra credit report on your trip. It could count a little for every class. Would that be something you ladies would be interested in?"

"Yes sir" We said in unison. Thank goodness Naminè answered earlier, now we get some extra credit.

"Could you two do it together? A ten page report should be sufficient. Five pages to be on art, and five to be on fashion" He spoke looking from Nami to me.

"Yes sir, extra credit is always appreciated" I said knowing that there were a few classes where I could use all the help I could get. With the late French Teacher- Monsieur Maurice- left, I had gotten some bad grades due to not understanding the Substitute- who talked in a bad French accent. I hope the new French Teacher is better this this time.

"I thought so" He simply said. "It shall be expected to be in by next week" he said simply he nodded his head in dismissal. We gladly took the nod and hurried out of the class.

"Can you believe that?" Nami asked as we walked towards the Lunch room.

"We'll have to get to work…I think we should add pictures to the front cover for extra pizzazz." I said as we took our spot into the lunch line.

'Whatcha doing?" A voice asked behind me, I turned to see a sparkling pair of bright blue eyes looking down at me.

"Ansem is letting us do some extra credit" I said lightly.

"Oh…he scares me" Sora said doing a fake shiver. He's so silly.

Sora showed up at the beginning of the year. He had come to stay with his brother Roxas, he worked with my father at the fire station. It was only when we both had history together that Nami and I had become friends with him. You see, unlike all the popular kids, Nami and I just like being with each other. Not with people who don't really care about you, but what you can do for them. Well when Sora first got there, he only had one friend, named Riku. But since Riku was a junior he only had weight training with Sora. He seemed like such a sad puppy. I decided to take him into our small group. He had become a major part of it ever since…

"ugh…school food" Nami said with disgust as we went through the line.

"Getting your usual?" Sora asked poking at her same old peanut butter and jelly, per wrapped of course. Naminè didn't truworkers lunch room workers here. His hand suddenly slipped towards mine as it fell more towards his side.

He left it there for a moment, I felt a little blush cross my cheeks as I felt the warmth creep up my hand and through my arm. I didn't want him to move it. He did though to pick up his tray after reciting his lunch number to the grumpy looking lunch lady. I followed him and Nami to our usual spot. A little round table sat in the far corner near the full wall of Window. I sighed as I saw the light blue sky with the green inviting grass.

"I can't wait to get to swim practice today. Then the meet is after. Hey, you guys want to get something to eat in between?" Sora asked as we settled.

"Sounds good to me" Naminè actually said biting into her sandwich. She had seemed a lot more open around Sora. I wonder if she has a crush on him…

"Kai?" He asked using the nick-name that he had come up with. It made me smile as he caught my eye.

"That would be great, swimming always makes me hungry…where we going to go?" I bit into my grazed pizza with anxiety hoping I didn't look like a pig. I hated eating in front of people.

Sora smiled at me, his teeth full of cheese that made me smile. He was so comfortable with himself. He could always be goofy and love being himself not caring what anyone else thought. His spiky hair seemed perfectly pointy as he laughed lightly. Oh crap, he caught me staring at him…

"Here" I leaned over and with a napkin took off some of the cheesy strains off his shild like cheek. Whew...that was a good excuse.

"Thanks" He whispered to me. I saw Naminè out of the corner of my eye. She was looking down at her sketchbook. What am I doing? If she likes him I really need to reel myself in. I could be such an unconscious flirt sometimes. I sat back down disgusted with myself. I know how I would feel if Naminè flirted with a guy I liked.

"What's wrong?" Nami asked as we walked back to our lockers… her mind reading powers never failing.

"Nothing…can I ask you something?" I asked leaning up against my locker as she unlocked hers.

"You know you can ask anything" She said pulling out her brush again, she was always worrying about her hair…

"Do you … Well…Um…" I shifted uncomfortably.

"Do I like Sora?" Naminè asked reading my mind. I love how she could do that.

"The answer is…"