Chapter one: Reunion
"Omigod, lookit this Hayner!" Olette Hikiri was sitting on her living room floor at the feet of her boyfriend, Pence Ota, looking through an old year book from their sophomore year. The girl's dark tresses were draped over her shoulders in an almost elegant way. Emerald irises danced as she glanced over to the recliner her best friend was sitting in. She held the old book out. "Hayner, look!"
Grumbling darkly under his breath, the blond took the book, scanning the page Olette had held it open to. At first his Auburn orbs couldn't find what the big deal was, until he noticed that they were in the H section of the sophomore class. The bad-boy smirk that was a trademark for the now eighteen year old Hayner Toshi bloomed on his lips as he scanned the page. "Wow, Olette," he muttered in his baritone voice, finding what he was looking for. "You haven't changed much have you?" He laughed as Olette let out a huff, snatching the book.
"Well, then," she hissed, her soprano tone down to an alto in her slight bitterness. "Forget you." She then flipped through the pages again, stopping at the A's of the juniors. "OMIGOD!"
Pence dropped the bag of chips he'd been holding at his girlfriend's exclamation. Chocolate orbs stared incredulously at her as he tried feebly to clean his mess. "What's got you in a tizzy?" He yelped as Olette shoved the book in his face. "What?!"
"Look!" She pointed at a particular picture of a young man. His face was boyish, even though he was maybe seventeen when the picture was taken. His hair was flipped slightly to the right, where it partially stood up. For a second, Pence had no idea who it was, so he scanned the name. "…Omigod, it's Roxas!"
Roxas Akari had been a year older than the other three, and had graduated before them. They hadn't seen him since.
Hayner cocked his head to the side, reaching for the book. "Lemme see." He took the bonded paper from Olette, staring at the picture of his former best friend. It had been a long time. He smiled faintly at the picture. "I wonder…Where are you now, Roxas…? How you doing?"
XxXxXxXxX
"Mr. Akari, would you please tell me the three stages of development in young children?"
Roxas Akari stood at his seat. He was approximately five feet tall, with sapphire eyes and blond hair. At nineteen, he still looked like a junior high student. Adjusting his checkered wristband, he answered the professor's question. "Social-emotional, which is the social and emotional capabilities of the child; physical, which is the fine and gross motor skills the age group is capable of; and cognitive, which generally consists of understanding such as mathematics and memory." He then sat as his professor nodded and began to write on another blackboard, which would soon be covered in an abundance of notes that no one would be able to organize.
The sophomore in collage sighed, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. You have one unread text, the screen read. He flipped it open with fluid ease, reading the message, which happened to be from his cousin, Sora Hikari.
To: Roxas Akari
From: Sora Hikari
Subject: Roxie! 3
Message: Hey! When do u get out of class? I don't have class 2day. Let's go 2 Starbucks this afternoon! I'll call every1 down!
Roxas thought for a moment. "Everyone" usually consisted of Riku Nonaka, Sora's boyfriend, and all of Sora's friends. Roxas didn't really have any. He sighed, figuring it was in his best interests to go along with Sora's wacky plan to get everyone together.
To: Sora Hikari
From: Roxas Akari
Subject: Re: Roxie! 3
Message: Class gets out 2. I'll meet u & Riku Starbucks 2.30. C U L8R.
XxXxXxXxX
"Hiya Roxas! You actually didn't flake on me!"
Roxas sighed, setting down his messenger bag next to his chair. "Please, I haven't been doing anything but school and work."
A blond with a mullet to Roxas' right laughed. "Yeah, don't I know it? I only see you at work and on Thursdays in class!"
The nineteen year old shrugged. "It happens. I don't have much of a life." He looked up at his brunet cousin, who was telling a silver tressed young man to get more latte's. "So…What have you been up to lately?"
The blue eyed Hikari shrugged. "I moved in with Riku last weekend." Suddenly Sora's phone vibrated with a text. As he read it, he smiled. "AND!!!! I have a surprise for you!" He stood up and took Roxas with him, walking to the street corner.
"What is this about?!"
A soprano scream erupted in the blond's ear as he was immediately attacked, his face being buried in soft and plump appendages. "OMIGOD! ROXAS! I haven't seen you in so long!!!!" The girl held Roxas away from her to get a good look at him. "You haven't changed at all since high school! You're just the way I remember!" She then squashed him into her breasts again. "Oh, I just can't believe it's really you!!!"
Shoving away ever-so-slightly as to breathe, Roxas glanced up at the girl's face, his face a comical shade of rose. "Wha-? Olette?" At her nod, he stared open-mouthed. "God, it's been AGES!!!" He then looked behind her, elated. "Pence? Hayner?" The two nodded sheepishly, having a hard time believing that only two seconds ago, the sophomore had had his face shoved into Olette's breasts---and he wasn't even fazed. Being so small and quick, they almost didn't realize Roxas had pounced on the two of them, an arm around each of them. "It's been fucking FOREVER!!!!!!!"
Hayner shoved away, expelling a small, "keh" as he smirked his trademark grin. "You act as if you thought you never would see any of us ever again!"
Roxas stared idiotically at the younger blond. "You've GOT to be kidding me. I mean, for god sakes, when was the last time we saw each other?" He took Hayner's larger hands in his own. "It's been, like…three years! Aren't you at least a little excited?"
Hayner rolled his auburn irises. "Chill out, Squirrel McSpazzy," he replied, referring to an inside joke between the two of them. He ruffled Roxas' already messy hair. "I never believe anything until it happens. So I knew we'd see you again."
"And then Sora texted me today and told us to meet here," Pence explained, wrapping an arm around Olette's waist. "What's ironic is that fact that we found your junior picture today too."
The older blond couldn't help but smile. It faded quickly, however. He glanced at the screen on his cell phone. "…I have work in a half hour…" Azure orbs saddened slightly. "I have to go."
"Wah?!" Sora pounced on Roxas' back. "You didn't tell me you had work!!! You snot! Had I known that, I wouldn't have arranged this!!!"
Roxas smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…I thought you knew…" He then shrugged Sora off. He handed his cell phone to Hayner. "I realized I don't have your guys' phone numbers." Hayner then nodded and entered his, Olette's, and Pence's cell phone numbers. "Thanks, Haa-kun." He then tucked the phone away, pulled his messenger bag over his shoulder, and walked off, waving hurriedly over his shoulder. Roxas had just arrived to work, a small little café run by a young woman named Aerith, when his cell phone went off in his pocket. Pulling it out hesitantly, he read the new text.
To: Roxas Akari
From: Hayner Toshi
Subject: Srry
Message: 2 bad we didn't get 2 talk much. Can u meet me Starbucks l8r?
Walking into the café, he waved vaguely to customers as he retreated to the back. Setting his bag down, he replied:
To:Hayner Toshi
From: Roxas Akari
Subject: Re:Srry
Message: I have break 6. I work the café on Sakura st. Come in and visit. Aerith won't mind.
Sending the message, he tucked his phone in his bag before going to change into his uniform, a white polo shirt and black slacks.
XxXxXxXxX
"Welcome to Aerythum's; how many?"
"Actually, I'm here to see someone."
The young woman smiled, tucking brunette tresses behind her ear. "May I ask who you are here to see?"
Hayner shifted, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh…Roxas Akari? If he's still working I can leave…"
Aerith shook her head softly. "He just went on break." She motioned Hayner to follow her. She led him passed many circular tables, many with a person or two sitting at it. After a moment, she pointed to a table, where Roxas was laying his head on his arms. She then smiled at Hayner and returned to the front of the café. Hayner watched her for a moment before walking up to the table, rapping Roxas sharply on the head before sitting across from his best friend. "Hey."
Roxas stared comically for a moment before smiling. "Hey. So, what's up?"
"Actually…" Hayner looked around sheepishly. "I wanted to ask if you wanted to come to the cabin with us…"
The blond blinked rapidly. "Cabin?"
Hayner nodded. "Olette, Pence, and I have been saving money, and we're going to go up to a cabin we're renting this weekend…We're leaving tomorrow night, and I kinda wanted to see if you wanted to go." When Roxas opened his mouth to respond, Hayner blurted, "I've already okayed it with them, so it's okay. I mean, you don't have to go if you don't want to. You're not obligated. I just thought, since none of us have seen us in a while, I thought it would be cool, you know?"
"Hayner…" Roxas muttered, his voice calm. "Chill." He smiled as Hayner tensed, then slumped in a defeated manner. Then Roxas smiled sincerely. "I would love to come up to the cabin with you guys. It would be fun." He tapped his lips in thought for a moment. "Grant it, I need to ask Aerith, but I have all my vacation time free still." He smiled at Hayner's incredulous look. "Look, I haven't seen you guys in ages. Any time with you guys would make it so much better." He placed his hands over Hayner's on the table. "You needn't get so flustered."
Hayner's cheeks were a candy apple red as he jerked his hands out from under the older teen's. "Yeah, well, I just wanted to let you know." He stood up. "You're welcome to come. Just get to Olette's house by seven tomorrow night. She lives in the same house." He then went to leave. "So, uh…I'll let you get back to work." He started to walk back to the front, when he heard the scraping of the chair on the wood floor, and felt a hand on his wrist. He turned to look at the hand's owner. "?" Auburn and Sapphire irises widened as their lips brushed quickly. It was silent between the two, their hearts doing a frantic rabbit dance against their ribcages.
Licking his lips nervously, Roxas muttered, "I'll…call you later…okay?"
Once he'd found his voice again, Hayner nodded. "Right…I'll be waiting for it."