Here is the first chapter of my first story! Okay, okay, it's not really my first story, I wrote a bunch of lame Digimon fanfics before (which I deleted), but this will be my first Kingdom Hearts fanfic, and the first one I'm really serious about!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, settings, or basically anything. That's why it's called a fanfic.

Fridays are usually pretty good.

In fact, sometimes, they're the best day of the week. I get to walk home with my friends, Riku and Kairi. Sometimes we hang by the beach. Sometimes they even come over to my house. It's a lot of fun. And let's not forget, after I get home, there's always the added bonus that I now have two days to do whatever I want.

But today is different.

First off, Selphie's dad's birthday was this Friday, and so Selphie took off from work at the Golden Tree Branch.

"…So I offered to fill in for her." Kairi explained during lunch at school that day. "So, I can't walk home from school with you guys, if that's okay."

"That's okay." Riku said immediately. "We understand."

"Yeah, of course." I said.

"Thanks, guys." Kairi said, and went off to eat with Selphie (we don't know why.)

"Looks like it'll be you and me, Sora." Riku said. That was okay, although I'd definitely miss having Kairi around. But it didn't work out like that. After math class, Riku got a call.

"Hello?" he said, taking out his cell phone. "Hey, Loz, what's up? You sound like you've been crying." Riku winked to me. It was a joke with the whole Darkside family that Loz cried a lot. He doesn't really, although he does get emotional. But the whole playfulness flowed from Riku's face suddenly. "Why? …You can't be serious. Well I'm not coming. I'm not! I don't want to have to suck up to Mayor Leadfellow and all dad's stupid friends. I don't care, Loz. Whatever. See you later." Riku hung up and banged his head against his locker.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Dad's throwing a party." Riku said. "He wants all of us to be there. Loz said Yazoo's calling the math teacher to let me out early. I have no way out of this…unless…" Riku stared at the locker for a long time, and then said, "Sorry, Sora, but I gotta go."

"Wha--?" I said, but Riku took off running out the door. Riku's fast. Even if I tried, I couldn't catch up to him.

So, in the end, I ended up walking home alone. I was pissed that Riku and Kairi weren't coming with me. I hate being alone. But there's more bad news. I get home and mom's all dressed for work.

"Hi, honey." Mom says. "I'm sorry I have to just up and leave like this, but there's a party and I'm supposed to be the caterer." I sighed audibly. "What is it, honey?" Mom asked. "I noticed you were home early."

"Kairi had to go to work and Riku ditched me."

"Oh." Mom said, understanding now. "Well, you can see them tomorrow, can't you?"

"Yeah, but…I've got nothing to do today but hang out with Roxas."

"Actually, Roxas is staying over at Hayner's today. When your father gets home, he'll pick Roxas up."

"Great." I muttered. Mom came over and kissed me on the top of my head.

"Hey, if you get lonely, you can invite Riku or Kairi over." she said. "But…not Tidus. Last time he was here, he broke your grandmother's vase."

"I know. He said he'd pay for it."

"No, that's okay, I sent it over to the Cid's workshop. If Riku's hiding from his father's party, he might have gone to work and then he'll be bringing it over today."

"Oh, cool." I said. Then I realized something. "Mom, how did you know about Riku's dad's party?"

"Who's party did you think I'm catering?" Mom asked. "Tchau." she said. I kissed her cheek.

The moment mom was gone, I sat on the couch to watch T.V. I wanted to call Kairi, but knew that it would be pushing it to call right away. Kairi needed to get settle first, and I didn't want to be too clingy. Selphie used to be like that. She was horribly annoying. Not anymore, though. So, I watched an anime about a guy named Skye Bleu. Soon enough, I got caught up in it. This was a major episode, because one of the major characters, a girl named Anna, died. Some dude named Somihoth killed her. Afterwards, there was a show about a guy named Guy Braveheart. It was also interesting. There was another one after that, but I found it boring, and went on the computer and searched "Skye Bleu". The show was called Final Quest 7. Go figure. Then I called Kairi.

I called The Gold Tree Branch, the restaurant where Kairi's a waitress.

"Gold Tree Branch on Esuna Street, how may I help you?" Kairi said breathlessly.

"Kairi! It's me!" I said.

"Sora, I'm sorry, but it's really busy right now, and I can't stop to talk." Kairi said.

"Oh…okay."

"I'll call you back!" Kairi said.

She didn't call back. Even after the store closed, I didn't call her. I didn't want to. I just didn't have the heart, or the energy. I tried calling Riku, but he didn't answer his phone at all. In the end, I went to bed early, to feel sorry for myself until my parents came home with Roxas. I even heard Roxas talking to Naminé, Kairi's little sister, on the phone. I felt jealous. My mind drifted to numerous things. I thought of Riku and Kairi at the Golden Tree Branch (as I assumed they had passed the afternoon), I thought of my job as personal assistant to Squall Leonhart, I thought of school, I thought of my parents, I thought of Roxas and Naminé and how they're like a couple, and lastly, I thought of how I loved Kairi.

I didn't remember any of it when I woke up.

But what I did, pales in comparison to what Riku did. Although I had assumed that Riku, like me, would have taken this chance to hang out with Kairi (or better yet, me), Riku had actually preferred to be alone today. Riku had chosen the one place he knew no one, besides me and Kairi, would find him. He had gone to the old Secret Place.

Riku was getting too big for this place. He had to stoop to get in, and had to duck through the tunnel, and when he got to the end of the room, his head brushed the ceiling. Maybe we'll make this place bigger…Riku thought. He'd never tried it before. Maybe take out some rocks? But no…there were drawings on all the rocks, and you could already see the sky through the holes in the ceiling--no chance of making it smaller without completely ruining it. So Riku contented himself with trying to draw more drawings on the walls. He drew a picture of himself, to start off, and then drew a big black guy with a gun for a hand, just because he felt like it. Eventually, though, he got bored, and sat down and stared at the sky. He fell asleep.

When Riku woke up, he was looking at a night sky.

Oh, shit! He thought. I slept too long! Oh, God, what am I gonna do? It's nighttime! Oh, man…dad must be out looking for me, when I get home I'll be in so much trouble! Kadaj'll kill me, if dad doesn't first. Maybe by now Yazoo's calmed him down. Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man…

While all this was going through Riku's mind, he looked cool, and calm and collected, as always. Just as he was getting up to leave, Riku noticed something. The door, the door in the Secret Place that no one had ever been able to open. Riku and I have tried, millions of times, but we never got it open. Today, it was wide open. Riku could see inside.

How lame. Riku thought. It's just like outside, but without the drawings. At least it's bigger. Something else caught Riku's eye. A sword. Not a wooden one like his and mine, but a real, nice one. A plastic one, it appeared to be. Riku picked it up. In chalk, someone had scrawled on a rock behind it "Soul Eater". Riku decided to show Kairi and me tomorrow, because he had to get home. He left this new cavity of the Secret Place, and left the Secret Place altogether. Outside seemed normal…until…

"Oh shit." Riku said, as he suddenly found out why he had never been allowed out at night.