Hi! Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. Of my knowledge. O.o

Enjoy!

This is probably the turning point in my life that will forever make me hate Sundays.

I was fine when my dog died on a Sunday, not so fine when my mom died on Sunday, and pretty damn depressed when my dad passed away later on a Sunday.

My brother moved out on a Sunday, I graduated on a Sunday, and walked in on my girlfriend cheating on me on a Sunday.

Until now, I've been fine. I didn't hate Sunday, because I had yet to find the pattern. It turns out, it's always on Sundays when my life gets even more screwed up.

So why was I surprised when a bird decided to strike up a conversation with me, right?

It's a Sunday, the last freaking day of the freaking weekend, and I just wanted to get some pizza for dinner.

But here I am, sitting on a bench in the middle of winter, talking to a damn bird.

"Hey. Hey! Are you just going to sit there ignoring me?"

I bite my lip, looking down the street impatiently for my bus.

"Aw, come on. What did I ever do to you?"

Did I ever mention I lose my patience really quickly?

"You started talking to me! You're a bird! You can't talk!" I explode, waving my hands in the air for good measure. "And since you are a bird I will not talk to you!"

I turn back to the street and exhale slowly, trying to calm myself down. The snow had stopped falling, but temperature had yet to stop dropping.

I hear a small chuckle to my side, and I scowl, to prideful to ask what the hell was so funny.

"Well, kid, I'd be pretty impressed if you hadn't been talking to me while making that little 'speech'."

I narrow my eyes, suddenly feeling the impulse to swat a couple of birds. I'm already on the bad side of the neighborhood, why not?

"Oh, well. Guess you're really not in a talking mood. I'll just reminisce on my poor dead ex-boyfriend then…"

My eyes very nearly fell out. I whipped around, staring in disbelief at the cardinal that just kept talking.

"He never was the smartest, he made up for that with being sweet. So I guess I really shouldn't be surprised at the way he went. Poor Dem, never saw that window coming."

He turned his beady eyes to me, and I swear he was smirking.

"Wha… How is…" I stutter, unable to take my eyes off the red bird.

I manage to resist strangling the thing when he started chirping victoriously.

"Haha! I knew you were listening!" He sang.

I scowl once more, this time reaching out to swat at the bird, only for him to fly away out of sight.

I sigh, and fall back onto the bench, glad it was finally gone. No more pesky annoyances such as talking birds.

There was a sudden weight on my shoulder.

My eye twitched.

"You have a very soft coat, you know that?"

I must not kill a bird, I must not kill a bird, I must not-

A load noise pulls me out of my murderous thoughts. I look up in relief as my bus finally drives up to the stop. I stand up quickly, shooing the bird off my shoulder as I climb in the bus.

Free! I am free! I smirk evilly at the cardinal who looks at me dejectedly from the bench arm.

Alright, so I figure I'm going crazy. But at least I'm winning.

It only took twenty minutes to get to the store. It took two minutes off the bus to shatter my peace once more.

"That was mean."

I spun around to face the bird perched on the awning of the grocery store.

"What? You're stalking me now?" I ask angrily.

He tips his head to the side before replying cockily, "If I was stalking you, I'd know your name, right?"

My eyes narrowing, I scowl at the bird, in all his red plumage.

"Not necessarily." I snap, walking forward to the store quickly. And entering it with a bird on my shoulder.

"Well, I don't know your name. That was supposed to be a hint, you know. Like a nudge?" He chirps into my ear.

"I'm not telling you my name." I mumbled, as I get a look from a pretty overweight employee in the cereal isle. I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to bring a bird in the store with me.

"Mine is Axel, if it helps." I can practically hear the smirk in his voice. He knows people are looking. And I bet I'd get in trouble if I kill a bird with a cereal box in the middle of the store.

I pretend he's not there as I pick up a Froot Loops box. I walk down the aisle, as a girl runs up to me.

"That's a really pretty bird." She whispers, brown eyes shining, fixed on the cardinal that was perched on my shoulder.
"Oh yeah?" I raise an eyebrow. "By all means, take him."

She smiles widely, as she reached to pet Axel- I mean, the bird.

"Young lady, what are you doing?!" I look at the source of the noise. A slightly disheveled woman was now making her way towards me. I would have hid behind the girl, if I hadn't heard a low chirp in my ear. Damn bird and my pride.

She reaches where I'm standing, and yanks her daughter back.

"Don't run off without me! And don't talk to strangers!" She scolds the little girl, who pouts.

"But look, mommy. He has a really pretty bird. He said I could have him."

I resist the urge to squeak as the lady looks up at me. She notes the cardinal on my shoulder before curiosity gets the better of her, and she asks,

"Is that a wild cardinal?"

"Um… Yeah, I think so…" I'm just glad she's not killing me. And Axel here is loving the attention. He's preening his feathers, stretching so his red feathers show more.

"How did you manage to get it to stay on your shoulder?" The woman asks in awe.

"I don't really get a choice in the matter, unfortunately." I reply dryly, ignoring the way the red bird danced around on my shoulder a bit, offended.

The lady smiled at me, and laughed a little.

"You have a way with animals, young man."

The little girl looked up at the cardinal, and held out a hand hopefully. The bird cocks his head to the side for a bit, as if considering it, before fluttering over to her hand, landing on the edge. The girl squealed and looked to her mom.

"Aw, he's very cute, honey." The lady seems fine with it, I bet she isn't even considering the diseases I'm sure that pest is carrying.

The girl looked up at me, smiling.

"Does it have a name?"

I glare at the bird a little before responding, "I'm pretty sure it's something like Axel."

She smiled even wider, and stroked him with one finger.

"She's pretty sweet."

I scowl, hearing that chirpy voice again.

Fortunately, the mother glances at her watch, and reaches down to take her daughter's hand.

"It was very nice to meet you, young man, but it's about time for us to go." She said, beaming at me.

"Aw…" Her daughter complained quietly, as she put her hand down. And of course, Axel found his way back to my shoulder again.

"Goodbye Axel!" She yells over back, halfway down the aisle, her mother tugging at her hand in a hurry.

"Heh heh, kids, gotta love 'em." He says in my ear.

"But I don't have to love you. In other words, get lost." I reply harshly, reaching my main destination. I pull the fridge door open, and grab a cheese pizza box. My hopes of my stalker bird actually taking my advice go down the drain as I hear him chirp loudly from my shoulder, "Oh, grab the pepperoni! Pepperoni!"

I shut my eyes tightly in annoyance, and against my better judgment, I grab a pepperoni pizza instead of cheese. He starts doing a happy dance on my shoulder, and just hops to my right one when I swat at him again. I choose to ignore him again as I go to check out, grabbing some milk and a loaf of bread on the way to the counter.

I set my load down on the checkout, and grab my wallet from me back pocket.

"Awesome bird. Cardinal?"

I look up.

My checkout person turns out to be a teen with periwinkle hair that's hiding one eye.

"Yeah."

He runs my four items over the scanner skillfully, and puts a hand out for the money.

"20.49. How did you manage to get him to sit on your shoulder?"

I fork over my cash, waiting for my change.

"I didn't."

He raises his visible eyebrow, counting some coins.

"You're telling me he just did that by himself?"

Axel chirps proudly as I try not to knock him off my shoulder violently.

"Pretty much. Followed me all the way from the bus stop to here." I grimace.

"Bird must be determined to stick with you." He chuckles, shaking his head, and hands me my change. "You going to name him?"

I pocket my wallet once more, gathering my bag.

"Don't have to. It's Axel, apparently."

He seems to be even more amused by this. I wonder if I could get Axel to annoy him instead.

"Right. Have a nice day then."

I nod, shaking his hand with my free one.

"You too." I walk out the exit, the bird starting to chirp in my ear again.

"He was nice."

"You're just saying that because he liked you." I scowl, swinging my bag as I walk away from the door.

"Psh, of course he liked me. It's the beauty that gets them." He sighs.

"That, or the fact you're silent around them." I mutter under my breath, spotting my bus already at the bus stop. "Damn it!"

I run to the bus, waving my arm to try and keep them from leaving. I'm left staring after the bus, as it pulls away, some kids laughing out the back window.

I cradle my head in my hands.

"Why me?" I whine pathetically.

"Because you're mean to me." Axel sniffs from my shoulder, shifting from one claw to the next.

I scowl half-heartedly at him, and start walking.

It's going to be a long way back.

I realized a bit ago I was only writing one-shots, stuff like that, so I decided to try my hand on a chaptered story. I started this, but I'm not quite sure where it's going. So if you have any ideas, they are much appreciated! :D

I've already started writing the second chapter, but it might take a bit, I'm moving and that tends to take up most of your time. If you like it, please review! Bye byes! :3