Namine walked down the streets of Tram Common, deep in thought. My past is such a blur to me. But I only remember that boy... That blonde boy. When we were young, I remember that we were connected in a way. But...now? She was so lost that she bumped into a very irritated Seifer. She staggered back and rubbed her sore forehead. "Ow..." she mumbled, "I-I'm sorry."
"Yeah, you'd better be!" Seifer countered, "You'd better watch where you're going or else you're going to be black and blue all over that small, skinny body of yours!" He roughly pushed her aside and let himself and his gang pass through.
Namine watched him walk away and frowned. "He's DEFINETELY not the one I was thinking of," she said to herself and turned around to continue her walk, but immediately stopped when she faced someone's black shirt. "Oh...sorry." She looked up and stared into matching blue eyes. Oh my gosh! It can't be! She gasped.
The boy with soiky blonde hair and skater attire looked down a bit and saw the girl he had just bumped into. "N-Namine?" he asked. His mouth hung open in shock. Her fitting white dress was new.
Namine stood frozen, too surprised to do anything. "Roxas..." she finally said. She frowned and glared at him. "What are you doing here?"
Roxas's face fell into a sad expression. "I live here now. Why, is THAT a problem to you, too? Would you rather have me dead?!"
"Roxas, it's just that..." Namine held back tears and glanced over her slightly shaking shoulder. "I-I have to go!" She turned around and ran off. She never even DARED to look back. To look back and see HIM. To look back, and see the face of her supposed-to-be-true love. She ran up the slope that lead to Station Heights, ignoring Roxas's calls.
Roxas tried to run after Namine, but hesitated. "Namine..." he said sadly and fell to his knees, ignoring the pain. She still hasn't forgotten... Small, faint tears ran down his cheeks. "I'm sorry."
When you walk away, you don't hear me say- Please, oh baby, don't go. Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight. It's hard to let it go.
"Hey!" a voice snapped, "Sitting in the middle of the streets is not allowed! What the heck do you think you're doing, anyway?"
Roxas looked up from behind him and saw a boy with pale-blonde, spiky hair. He scowled scornfully and stood up. "Leave me alone!" he growled and was about to walk away when he was roughly pulled back by the arm.
"You can't talk to me like that!" the boy shouted, "You'd better show me some respect, or else you're gonna get it good, do you hear me?!"
"How's this for respect?!" Roxas threw a fist and hit the teen's face.
The blonde staggered back, but quickly regained composure. "Why, you!" He gritted his teeth and charged at Roxas.
"Stop it, Hayner!" two voices ordered at the same time.
"Hayner?" Roxas questioned and dodged his opponent's punch. "That's your name?"
"Yeah, it is! Got a problem?" Hayner turned around and held back his rage. This guy's got some nerve! Ugh! He just makes my blood boil! He clenched his fists.
A brunette girl and a short boy came running to the two and glared at Hayner. "I thought I told you to stop intimidating new people!" the girl scolded. She turned to Roxas and smiled assuringly. "I'm Olette, one of Hayner's friends. I'm sorry if he caused you any problems."
"It's okay," Roxas hoarsely mumbled.
"You okay, Hayner?" Pence, the short boy, asked.
"I'm fine!" Hayner spat, "What really ticked me off was that this guy was sitting down, blocking passages like this town was his own!"
Roxas was taken back at Hayner's tone, but simply muttered, "Sorry. I...I fell down." He clutched the black fabric of his shirt, mentally groping his heart. It hurts so much.
Olette noticed the pain-filled expression in his eyes and touched his shoulder, receiving a small shudder. "You're suffering from a heartache...aren't you?" she asked quietly so that he was the only one who was able to hear her.
Roxas nodded. "I was her first love," he whispered to himself, but it was loud enough for only Olette to hear, "I returned her feelings and told her how I felt. But then...I let her down." A flash of his 8 year old self with a 7 year old blonde girl crying in front of him flashed in his mind.
"Who?"
Roxas swallowed the painful lump in his throat and choked out, "Namine..."
Namine entered her home and ran to her window. She slid the curtains aside and looked down to see Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette in a cluster. His three new companions were strangers to her. Jerk. She breathed in shakily when she saw Olette talk to Roxas and hug him lightly. "You really ARE a jerk!" she cried. He met me after seven long years. Yet, he's still the cheating player I remember! She fell to the floor, crying.
"It's okay, Roxas," she heard Olette say cheerfully, "You're going to be alright. You can hang out with us, if you want to."
Namine rushed to the window once again. "Huh?"
"I don't think that's such a good idea..." Roxas started, but was cut off when Hayner placed a hand in his face. "Uh..."
"It IS a good idea!" Hayner insisted, "Now, we got off on the wrong start. But we'll be okay." He held his hand out and smiled. "Wanna be part of our group...ROXAS?"
Roxas looked at Hayner's hand and smiled back. "Sure, thanks." He took his hand and shook it.
Namine blinked and blushed. Now I remember what it was about him that I liked. It was his smile. She giggled and remembered a small scene from her childhood.
7 years ago...
It was a snowy day in elementary school. Namine held the card in her gloved hands and looked around. All of the other children were playing and laughing while she stood in the middle of the playground like a wandering idiot. "I wonder who sent me this card?" she asked herself.
"It was me," Roxas's voice answered. He stepped out from behind the tree and approached the young girl.
"Hi, Roxas," Namine greeted happily, an adorable pink blush on her cheeks. "So...uh... You really mean all this?"
"I sure do," Roxas replied. He surprised Namine by wrapping his arms around her in an affectionate embrace. "I really love you, Namine. And I always will."
Namine simply stood there, blushing like crazy. She finally came to her senses once more and returned the hug. "Hmhm..." she hummed softly. When she saw his smile, she felt like melting...
"I should've told him that I loved him!" Namine cursed herself, "How could I have been so stupid?!" She hugged herself. "I can't blame myself. We were so young..." She sniffed. "We didn't even know what love was back then. It was all just a small crush."
You're giving me too many things. Lately, you're all I need. You smiled at me and said, "Don't get me wrong I love you. But does that mean I have to meet your father?"
She remembered those words so well. In that one card. She wiped her tears in an attempt to dry her eyes. "I can't love him..."
"When we are older you'll understand what I meant when I said no- I don't think life is quite that simple..."
"Wow, Roxas," Pence remarked, "You sure are in a tight situation. Pretty sad."
Roxas looked down at his shoes. "Yeah..."
"Just tell Namine that you love her, silly!" Olette giggled, "Besides, she's the most gentle and benevolent girl in town! At least, that's what I heard." She held her chin. "Not to mention that she's very pretty in the snow. That's why winter's her best season!"
"Competition's tough, too," Hayner said solemnly, "A lot of guys like her."
Roxas looked at the three teens worriedly. "Has...has anyone kissed her yet?" The trio shook their heads and he smiled, hope growing within him. "That's good. I might still have a chance!" He felt a cold breeze blow by and shivered. "It's almost winter, huh?"
"Yep," Olette chirped, "Meaning that you have to do this as quickly as possible. Who knows? Namine might not show up for many months."
"Why's that?" Roxas rubbed his hands together.
"You see," Pence stated, "Namine seems to always become...dormant...in winter. On the seventh day of winter, she sleeps in her room until the snow melts away. As soon as the flowers bloom, she...well...comes to life again." He held his chin thoughtfully. "You know, she's like a flower herself."
"Then I should do this," Roxas announced confidentally, "And I won't give up until she knows the whole truth!"