A/N: Hey everyone! So this story is something I started about a year ago but kind of lost after a few chapters. Life get's a little crazy sometimes. But I've had a recent spark of creativity and feel completely determined to touch it up and make sure I finish it this time because I put sooooo much thought into the plot and it's been killing me not having it out here for everyone to read! So I hope you enjoy my work, please let me know what you think :)
Have you ever felt so nervous that you could feel the blood rushing through your veins; the sound of your petrified heart pounding in your ears? Or when you notice that your hands are getting clammy and you try to wipe them off, but it doesn't make a difference because your stomach is in knots and your heads is spinning and all you want to do is pass out?
Calm down Kairi.
I stood on the front porch clenching onto my duffle bag, so hard that my knuckles were turning white. I read the address one more time, reassuring myself that I was at the right place. Closing my eyes, I slowly extended my hand, my finger inching it's way toward the bell.
Just ring the doorbell.
With one quick breath, I mustered up the courage to press that dreadful button and it felt like I had a lump the size of a bullfrog in my throat. At the sound of the melodious chime, I reluctantly opened my eyes, waiting for someone to answer.
It had only been a few seconds, but in that moment it felt like I had been standing there forever before the door began to creak open. A robust woman in her late twenties suddenly appeared, her hands rushing to her mouth the moment she saw me.
"Hi Tifa…," I awkwardly waved. She sort of looked how I remembered her - she had the same burning crimson eyes, long raven hair that draped to her mid-drift - only now she was a grown woman. Her features were defined and her body held a natural confidence most girls would die for.
She started to smile, but as she did, eyes began to gloss over, almost as if she were about to-
"I'm so glad you're finally here!"she ran over in tears and pulled me into a suffocating hug.
Can't...breathe…
I lightly hugged her back, "Oops, sorry,"she chuckled, wiping her tanned cheeks. "I told myself I wouldn't get emotional…"
"It's okay," I gave her a little smile.
She's so much prettier than I remembered.
"My God, look at how much you've grown, I can't believe this! And you're absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed in awe, causing me to shyly blush, even though I knew I had terrible dark circles under my eyes from recent lack of sleep. "You get that from this side of the family you know," she joked, trying to make light of the nervous energy. I giggled, brushing my hair behind my ear.
"Well come on in, let me help you with your stuff," she picked up two duffel bags, leaving me with a slung backpack and a box of assorted things.
Following her inside, the house immediately gave off that cozy, warm, "home" feeling. It was actually a comfortably sized house, not too big not too small. It was perfect for Cloud and Tifa...and now me. I was impressed at how well furnished they had it; most importantly, it had that tropical vibe I was missing out on for so long.
Home sweet home…. Destiny Islands.
See, Tifa is actually my aunt; my mother's little sister. She was only nine years old when my mom gave birth to me at eighteen. She was definitely the "cool aunt" while I was growing up and always preferred I call her Tifa instead of "Aunt Tifa" because it made her feel old. She was always involved, practically like a second parent since my dad was never in the picture. That is, until we moved away.
Now here I am: seventeen years old, with the aunt I always looked up to, and it's been seven years since we last seen each other... oh and I'm moving in.
I tried to be tentative as she gave me a brief tour of the house while we walked to the room I would be staying in, but my mind couldn't help but wander off. As excited as I was to finally see her again, I was exhausted from the trip and absolutely overwhelmed. I couldn't seem to shut my thoughts off. Destiny Island had been the place I called home for the first ten years of my life. Even after I moved, I never looked at Radiant Garden as the place that I belonged. I guess that's why I'm back after all this time.
"Now we go upstairs!" her eager tone temporarily snapped me out of my head. I followed her up the stairs where we made our way to the second floor. Walking down another hallway, we kept going until we reached the last door to the left. "Cloud and I had been using it as a spare room, so it's nothing fancy." she stated, referring to her fiance, "But you can do whatever you want with it!" she caught herself. "It's your room now."
Behind the door revealed a spacious room painted grey with white wood trimming. There was a walk in closet, a desk, a large tv screen mounted on the wall, and an opposing king size bed that looked so fluffy I just wanted to throw myself onto it and sink into it's comfortable abyss. There was also a little nightstand next to it, with a small alarm clock and lamp.
"I love it," I grinned the most genuine smile I had given in about a month. She seemed relieved and I could tell she was nervous about making me feel comfortable. "Thank you, Tifa. For taking me in, and for doing all of this for me." I could never thank her enough for taking me away from that place.
She looked at me the same way people look at a puppy that's injured. "Of course, Kairi. I don't want to overwhelm you anymore than I'm sure you already are. So if you want, I'll leave you to yourself for a little bit; let you relax and process everything. I'll be downstairs making dinner. We can catch up once you're ready." We both set my luggage on the ground.
I felt a sense of relief, glad that she was being so understanding and not hovering over me. "Yeah, that sounds good," I nodded in acceptance.
Giving me a warm smile, she left me to myself, shutting the door behind her.
A heavy sigh escaped my chest as I walked over to collapse onto the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I kept telling myself to think positive, but it was harder than it seemed.
Of course I'm thankful for Tifa and Cloud taking me in. It's funny, she had just started dating him right before I moved, and now they're engaged.
I felt bad, actually. I mean, Tifa's only twenty six, she shouldn't have to parent me. I was worried I would be a burden, but she's the one who pleaded with my mom to let me move here.
But to be completely honest, I felt miserable.
Seven long years…
So much has happened…
Having me at such a young age, my mom wasn't able to go to college, so she worked full time while I went to school. It wasn't easy though, because my dad left when I was only a couple of months old. Mom didn't like to talk about it, and so I never asked. Thankfully we lived very close to my grandparents and Tifa, who helped us out as much as they could. Then, when I turned ten years old, my mom landed a really great job opportunity in Radiant Garden.
And in the blink of an eye, I left everything I loved behind, and entered Hell.
Radiant Garden was a lot different than the easygoing nature of the Island that I had been used to. It was a town of prestige and wealth; a town I didn't fit into. My mother was doing great with the company she was working with. In fact she had gotten promoted up into administrative work for the business, and began working more and more, later and later. I saw her less often, and the close relationship we once had began to fall apart. It was like she didn't have time for me anymore, and I felt like we hardly knew each other...and then I started middle school.
I didn't fit in with the kids there. I was the weird Islander with strange short, red hair and acted like a tomboy. I was made fun of a lot, but I dealt with it the best I could. I didn't really care what the others thought of me at first. I mean, I had my fair share of outcast friends I guess, and I kept holding onto that happy go-lucky attitude I had gotten from an important friend back home.
That cheesy lopsided grin he would always give me when I was upset…
But in high school, it was like I was a constant target. I kept getting into fights and the girls would constantly ridicule me. I'll admit it; it finally got to me. A lot more than I'd like to confess. I subconsciously rubbed my left wrist, my fingers lightly trailing over the scars; a constant reminder of those times of desperation. A person can only take so much until their spirit breaks. It was like the care-free and easygoing person I was had been beaten down into a sadder, lonelier version of myself. The old me was somewhere in there though; I just needed an escape. And that is why I'm here.
My head hurts.
I sat up and ran my hands through my hair. It had darkened as I reached my teenage years, going from a bright red to a deep burgundy. I also decided to grow it out a little past my shoulders for a change. It was strange how different I probably looked to Tifa since the last time she saw me. I guess that explains why she looked so shocked to see me earlier.
Glancing at the alarm clock, I realized it was already eight o'clock. I hadn't eaten all day, so I got up to head downstairs. However, when I stood up, the view from the window peaked my interest and I walked over to peer outside.
It was undoubtedly beautiful. You could see the tops of palm trees and a few other houses trailing down the road. The moon was illuminating the sand, giving it a silver glow. The window had been perched halfway open, and you could smell the tropic breeze of the beach and sand. Chills ran through my body. That was one part of my childhood I had always missed. The atmosphere of this island was amazing.
You could even see part of the beach from up here - mostly just the shoreline and the large body of water that I couldn't wait to rush into tomorrow. I didn't even realize how close to the beach the house at the luminescent depths of the ocean I could faintly make out a mass in the middle. Barely, but just enough for my heart to stop.
My eyes widened and I gasped, realizing the familiarity of that place. The old island I use to play on. God…
I wonder whatever happened to my old friends...The image of a silver headed boy and another with a mess of brown spiky locks rushed to me.
Riku and Sora.
My thoughts were taken over by childhood memories spent with the two of them on that island; our explorations into the secret place, racing each other along the shore, play fighting and throwing each other into the ocean or collecting shells all day.
I'm sure they've forgotten all about me. Besides, I doubt they'd care about some girl they played with as kids. It's funny because all my time in Radiant Garden, I never once forgot about them or stopped wondering what their lives were like. Especially Sora.
No. They wouldn't care now. It was so long ago.
I grunted, aggravated that all of these memories were surfacing. I wanted to move on with my life. Suddenly, I could hear Tifa's voice faintly calling out that dinner was ready. Perfect timing. Might as well go eat to distract myself.
Heading out of the room, I trotted my way downstairs and into the kitchen. Tifa was sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching a TV show as she intensely inched closer off the edge of her seat, engulfed in the suspense of the episode.
"No don't go alone! For God's sake!" she yelled at the character, as I chuckled in amusement.
She spun around, her eyes wide. "I'm so sorry," she laughed at herself, "This show gets to me." She got up walked into the kitchen to grab plates and silverware for us, filling my plate with some pasta that looked absolutely delicious, then grabbed me a drink. "Hope you're hungry," she spoke as we sat down on the couch together. Tifa's laidback demeanor was already a breath of fresh air. I took a giant bite and was not disappointed.
"So," Tifa spoke as the show went to commercial, "How are you feeling about everything?"
I looked up from my plate to see her genuine face of concern, chewing so that I could speak.
"I'm sorry," she cut me off before I could even open my mouth, "If it's too soon to talk, you don't have to."
My head shook, as I swallowed my food. "No, really, it's fine. I was just nervous earlier."
"Me too," she twirled her fork around in the pasta. "I know it's probably weird for you, but I'm just here to help. I already know what happened," she said, as I felt my heart tense up, immediately knowing what she was referring to. Of course she knew, why else would she have been so persistent on having me move in. But having her announce it made it so real. I wanted to sink into my chair, instinctively turning my palms face down so she couldn't see the result of that day. "I'm not going to talk about it though. It's okay," she looked me in the eyes, "I just want you to know I'm here for you and I'm really glad to have you here. We both are," she smiled at me, easing my discomfort.
"I just don't want to be a burden. I know this is what's best for me. I'm glad to be here too, even though my head's a mess."
"You're not a burden, I promise. And I can imagine, it must be really weird coming back. But hey, I'm sure you'll be able to see your old friends again!" her eyes lit up, as she recalled how infatuated I had always been with one of those two friends in particular.
I already knew where this was going.
Please don't….nooooo….
"Especially that Sora boy," she slyly smiled, sipping on her wine.
She did.
"Oh god," I lightly laughed, looking away, my cheeks red from childhood embarrassment.
"Don't act like you did not have the biggest crush on him," she teased. "You, Riku and Sora were so cute when you would all play together. It was precious," she admired.
Yeah….but that was seven years ago…
The show came back on from commercial and I joined in, watching it as I scarfed down the meal. We would talk in between segments, joking around, casual talk, and catching up for all the lost time. After a while, the day started to take a toll on me and I could hardly keep my eyes open.
"I think I'm going to head upstairs and lay down now," I yawned, "Where has Cloud been all day? I wanted to say hi." I glance at the clock on the stove and it was eight forty.
"He's suppose to be home soon, he worked overtime today but don't worry. He'll be here tomorrow, just get some sleep," she approached the sink to start the dishes.
"Okay," I rubbed the back of my neck, "Night Tifa."
"Goodnight Kairi."
And with that, I went back up to my room, not once bothering to unpack. Instead I crashed right back onto the bed and curled up under the covers. My body was turned, facing the window so I could stare off at the shore. The sound of the crashing waves and summer night breeze quickly eased my troubled mind, and the exhaustion of an emotional travel quickly rendered me to sleep…
"Kairi!" a voice called from behind me.
I quickly wiped my face and turned to see Sora racing over with a grin on his face. He halted when he was able to see my eyes were red and puffy. "Kairi?"
He walked over and stood in front of me. "Are you crying?" his face was concerned.
"No!" I rubbed my eyes and frowned, trying to play it off.
"I hate when you're sad, you know," he jumped up and sat next to me on the twisted papou tree; the sunset casting an orange hue on our bodies.
"I don't want to leave," I muttered, angry that my mom was taking me away from all of my friends.
"We could just sail away together," he spoke, his eyes never leaving the sunset.
I raised my eyebrows surprised, as he looked at me and coyly grinned.
"Here," I dug into my pocket. "I've been out here making this all day for you." I pulled out a good luck charm I had crafted out of thalassa shells and held it out to him, "So you don't forget me."
I placed it into his hands and he held it up, in admiration. "I could never forget you Kairi."
His eyes were filled with sadness as he tried flashing me a smile. I brushed my hair behind my ear and looked down, blushing.
"Why don't you two just share a papou fruit already, jeez," a voice mocked from the distance. We both jumped and realized Riku was walking over.
"W-what?" Sora stuttered. Riku began to laugh, obviously joking.
I giggled at Sora and smiled at Riku, "I thought you were at your grandma's house?" I changed the subject, saving Sora from Riku's taunt.
He shrugged and joined us on the tree,"My little sister was throwing a tantrum so we left early, thank god. What have you guys been doing?"
"Nothing really," I looked at Sora and realized he had been gazing at me. He quickly averted his eyes to the ocean, his cheeks turning red. My stomach started to flutter a little.
Stop it Kairi…
The three of us have always been close since we were little. Actually, for as long as I could remember. We would play with the other children on the island but for some reason we were just closer. Riku was a year older and always very competitive with Sora. They would tease each other and wrestle around, but Riku was always more on the quiet and burley side, while Sora was happy go lucky and laid back about life.
Lately, I've been getting a weird feeling when I'm around Sora. My mom would tease me growing up saying that I had the biggest crush on him when we were toddlers, but I really didn't start noticing this feeling until recently.
We sat there, laughing and talking about random things and our plans for the rest of summer before I left, when we realized the sun was practically gone.
"We should get back, our parents are probably freaking out," Riku looked up at the increasingly dark sky.
We all hopped off and went to our small row boats to get back to the main island.
"Race ya back," Riku called to Sora as he jumped in his and began to row away.
"Yeah yeah," Sora waved him off and turned to me. "Kairi…," he kicked at the sand, awkwardly.
I looked at him, confused, "Yeah?"
"I promise I'll always keep you close to me, even when you leave, okay? I'll be here to protect you. Just promise we'll see each other again someday," his eyes begged me.
"I promise," and our pinkies latched, our sworn word forever etched into our hearts.