The spark in his eye was gone. That's how Sora could tell that there was something very wrong. The glimmer in Riku's eyes that used to be filled with lust for adventure was gone. Sora wondered if it had left with age over the summer, or if it had been taken from him.
Sora smiled and nodded at Kairi, not hearing a word she was saying. He finally turned his attention away from the blue-eyed stranger that sat across the lunch room and back towards his best friend. Sora's worries were piled on as he realized that Kairi had said something important.
"...Got that?" She asked, her eyes searching Sora's face for any form of recognition.
"Ummm..." Sora laughed nervously as Kairi rolled her eyes playfully.
"You were daydreaming again, weren't you- you lazy bum." She giggled and Sora Laughed along with her contagious smile.
"I said," Kairi repeated, "'Please, please help me with the art project! I promise I'll help you with math. We'll meet up this Saturday at my place. Around 3 pm. Got that?'" She eyes him skeptically. "And you do need serious help with math; It's your weakest point. But agreed? You're the best artist in our class- maybe even in the whole world!" She looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Alright, alright. But it's not like we need math in the real world!" Sora pouted. "It takes real talent to be an adventurer."
Kairi snorted. "We're freshmen in high school Sora. It's time to grow up." She looked solemn for a moment. "But... I don't really want you to. Don't change, Sora." She smiled sadly.
The bell rang suddenly and Kairi grabbed Sora's hand, her mood back to the Kari he knew. " C'mon, I'll race you to art!" She dragged him behind her. Sora grinned evilly and yanked his hand out of Kairi's, having a running start. It didn't take much for Sora to accept a challenge.
...
His day ended in Geometry. Sora stared out the window longingly at the breezy summer day. Summer would turn into fall and fall into winter. Soon enough, summer would be right along the corner again, filled with freedom and warmth. He sketched onto his paper, lost in the world that seemed to forever be inside a window. Or was he the one locked inside? The only way to find out, he told himself, is to go on an epic adventure. There was more to the world that being locked between walls.
Sora noted the change in atmosphere as students began to put away their notes. Sora glanced at the clock with surprise at the half hour left in class- which could only mean... uh oh. Quiz.
And considering Sora's complete entrapment in the outside world and notes that only consisted of doodles, this quiz would kick his butt. He turned back and shoved his "notes" into the messy looking book bag behind his chair. He jumped with a start at the sight of Riku- perfect looks, perfect grades with a devil-may-care attitude- staring out the window and oblivious to the teacher's monotonic chants of "no cheating" and "pencil only."
Wasn't Riku usually paying complete attention to the teacher? Sora poked Riku with his pencil. His blue eyes looked so sad and lost, and Sora was glad for the excuse of a quiz to snap him out of his reverie. No one with a passion for adventure should so sad- actually, no one should at all.
Riku jumped back in his seat, and when he saw Sora watching him his eyes turned blank. "We're about to have a quiz. You should probably put away your notes." Sora smiled nervously. Riku's eyes seemed to cloud over- Sora hated that faraway look in his eyes- as he robotically put his stuff away. Riku's notes, Sora noticed, were nothing but blank sheets of paper.
...
"Wait, Riku!" Sora caught up with his silver-haired acquaintance after class in hopes of receiving Geometry tutoring. When Riku didn't turn around, Sora lept toward him in a playful manner and spun Riku to face him. Sora grinned at the surprised look on Riku's face, then froze.
Sora finally realized what had replaced the strong gleam in Riku's eyes as he pulled back on him, his hand on Riku's shoulder. It was fear.
Riku jerked back, staring with huge doe-eyes, his face torn in torment and pain. He turned away from Sora and raced away. His feet thud heavily against the pavement and tearing apart the unseen silence surrounding them.
Sora's hand stayed in the same position, reaching toward the Riku that had long since left his grasp.
"Riku...?"
...
Sora returned home. The apartment complex was grungy at best- but it was also the best he could afford. He grinned at his neighbor, receiving a grunt in return. Sora unlocked the door and winced when his book bag hit the floor with a thud- he hoped that when he dropped it he hadn't woken anyone up. Securing the door behind him, he wandered into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
...
His head began to ache as it slammed against the table. Actually, "ache" wasn't the word for the throb filling and pulsing through his skull. "What the fuck is this? You call this food?" his father screamed angrily. Sora didn't bother looking at his mother for help, knowing that she would only be looking cloudy-eyed. Sora sighed and let the pain envelop him and wash his senses away.