A/N: This was something that I started a week or so ago and had not planned on posting it anytime soon. Hopefully, it'll turn out alright. Again, ignore any of my mistakes. I'm lazy and don't want to go back and fix stuff. I hope you guys like it! I actually have chapter 1 done and part of chapter 2 done, but I won't be posting them until I've got my other stories that are currently out updated as well (which will hopefully happen before the weekend, since I've been so busy lately).
Disclaimer: Don't own. Sorry.
Coming Home to Nothing
Prologue
"Hello! I'm home from school!" Seventeen year old Kairi Takaishi yelled as she walked into her home that she shared with her father.
You see, when she was ten, her mother and father had decided to call it quits after 15 years of marriage. Kairi was only ten at the time and she was given the option of either living with her mother or her father by the courts. She immediately chose to live with her father. It was later, when she was fourteen, that she had found out the real reason for her parents' divorce was because her mother just 'didn't feel like trying anymore,' which broke Kairi's heart, causing the relationship between her and her mother to grow more distant. Aside from a few visits on the holidays and birthdays and phone calls, Kairi and her mother were pretty much estranged.
Kairi stood in silence, noticing that she didn't get a response back and shrugged as she let her backpack fall to the ground. 'He's probably still at work,' she thought. Her father worked at a business company that dealt with overseas trade. So walking into an empty house was something that Kairi had grown accustomed to over the years.
She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, pulling out a water bottle. As she chugged down the refreshing beverage, her father came into the kitchen, pacing back and forth with the phone pressed to his ear. Kairi was about to say something when she noticed he was speaking to the person on the other line.
"Okay, so it won't be a problem then? Are you sure?" Her father noticed Kairi standing there and locked eyes with her briefly because turning away. "No, I haven't told her yet. She just got home from school right now. I will. Thanks again." He hung up the phone and faced his daughter who was looking at him with confusion written all over her face.
"Who was that? And tell me what, dad?"
"Kai, baby, I got the job in New York!" Her father yelled happily, ignoring her first question as he picked her up and twirled her around.
"Really?! Oh my gosh! I'm so proud of you, daddy!" Kairi exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her father's neck. "So you mean we're going to be moving to New York? When are we leaving? This summer after I graduate? Oh my gosh, I've never been to the States before. Dad, this is going to be so awesome!"
Kairi felt her father's hands on her shoulders and pulled her back away from him slightly. She saw the look of sadness in his eyes and she immediately grew worried.
"What's wrong, daddy?"
"Um, well you see..." Her father began. "I don't know how to exactly say this, baby. But the company only gave me one ticket to go to New York." He waited for Kairi to say something, but nothing left the girl's mouth as she stared at her father. When he saw that Kairi wasn't going to say anything, he continued. "They're going to send me there for 6 months so that I can get everything settled down with the job and a house and everything."
"So... what happens to me, daddy?" Kairi asked. She was almost too afraid to hear what the answer may be.
"Well, I was just on the phone with your mother..."
"Oh no." Kairi immediately responded, pulling away from her father and backing away from him, her head shaking slightly. "Do not tell me you are to make me stay with that... that woman for the next 6 months. Dad, you know how I feel about her after she left us! And now you're throwing back into the lion's den with her?! Dad! And you know I hate it at Twilight Town, too!"
"Kairi, don't talk about your mother like that." Her father responded sternly. "And besides," his voice began to soften. "You loved it back when we lived in Twilight Town with your mother, remember?"
"Well things change, dad. 7 years can do quite a bit considering what we've been through after she decided to leave us. You can't exactly blame me now, can you? That town brings back so many terrible memories. You don't understand, dad. I refuse to go." Kairi said, her hands flying up to her hips. She watched as her father sighed.
"Kairi, baby, please. Don't make this difficult." He watched as his daughter stared at him before blinking and turning her head away. Her arms where now crossed across her chest and she was looking off to the side, not wanting to make eye contact with him. 'She's so stubborn sometimes' he thought. He sighed and his left hand rubbed the side of his temple while the other rested on the side of his hip.
"And besides, we both came to a mutual agreement that it would be best if we continued on our lives separated. It wouldn't be fair for you to live in a home where there was no love. I've told you that many times already, Kai. Please, stop putting all the blame on your mother for our divorce. It's partly my fault that it happened too, you know."
"Daddy," Kairi finally said, her voice dripping with sadness. Her eyes were firmly shut and her head was still turned away from him. "Please. Let me go with you."
"I'm sorry baby, but I can't." He responded. Kairi's father stood as he watched her slowly drop to her knees. He felt his heart break.
"Daddy…" Kairi's head dropped as she fought to hold the tears back. She didn't want to go and live with her mom. She didn't want to go and leave her best friends behind just to move all the way to a new place and start new, especially during her senior year at Destiny High. But most of all, she didn't want her dad to leave her behind. She didn't want to be left behind.
As if instantly reading her mind, her father walked up to her and got on his knees in front of her. Kairi avoided looking at him and he took her hands into his and began speaking.
"Baby, please. This is a great opportunity for me, for us. And it's not like I'm going to be leaving you for forever. I promise after 6 months, I'll come back for you and we'll both go to New York together. But for now, can you please just do this for me? Please, go with your mother just for 6 months. That's all I ask, Kai."
Kairi looked up at her father and saw that he was smiling warmly at her. She felt angry at herself for being so selfish. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath as she felt the tears roll down her cheek. Her father took his hand and brushed them off. "So what do you say, Kai? Will you do this... for me?"
Kairi opened her eyes and looked at her father. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck, surprising him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm so sorry for being selfish, daddy." She quietly sobbed into his shirt.
"It's alright, baby. I understand." Her father cooed as he gently rubbed her back. Kairi pulled back and rubbed the tears away from her eyes before smiling and laughing softly.
"I'm such a baby." She said quietly. "I can't believe I'm crying."
Her father smiled and pulled her into another embrace before the two stood up.
"Come on. Let's get you packed, hmm?" He told her as he offered his hand to her. "Your mother is expecting you tomorrow afternoon." She nodded as she took his hand and the two walked out of the kitchen and made their way to Kairi's room.
'I guess I'm going to have to call Selphie, Tifa and the others later tonight,' she thought sadly as she walked into her room and watched as her dad pulled out two big suitcases and set them on her bed.
Kairi sat in the cabin of the small jet that was taking her and its other passengers to an airport near Twilight Town, where her mother lived. She looked out of the window and saw the island that served as her home, slowly disappear into the horizon. She sat back, letting out a sigh and replayed the events of earlier that morning before she boarded her flight.
-Flashback-
Kairi stood at the entrance of the security guard, looking back at her father and her friends, Selphie, Tifa, Yuffie, Cloud, and Leon. They had all showed up earlier that morning at her house to see her off. The announcement that her flight was now boarding was heard once again. She tightened her hold on her purse and let out a sigh.
"Well," Kairi began. "I guess that means me. So… I've got to get going now." Kairi turned her head away from her friends before letting a small smile slip up. "I can't believe I'm about to cry in front of you guys."
She heard her friend laugh before engulfing her into a big group hug.
"We'll miss you, Kairi." Selphie said once the group had finally pulled away from her.
"You'll call us when you land, right?" Tifa asked as she clung to Cloud's arm.
"I will, I promise."
"Take care, alright kid?" Leon spoke, smiling down at Kairi as he gave her shoulder a small brotherly squeeze.
"Heh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She flashed him a crooked smile.
"Here," Yuffie stepped forward and handed Kairi a folded up piece of paper. "It's our addresses. Be sure to write us, okay?"
"I will, Yuffie. Thanks guys." Kairi smiled at her friends as she put the piece of paper into her purse. She felt her eyes stinging, threatening to spill tears that she had been holding back.
"Last call for flight 436 leaving for Twilight International. All passengers who have not boarded yet must proceed to the terminal immediately."
"Hey Kai," Her father spoke. "It's time for you to go now, kiddo." Kairi nodded before hugging and kissing her father goodbye. "I'll call you before I leave for New York, alright?" She turned and nodded before making her way down the security guard. She turned back one final time and waved goodbye to her friends and father before turning and heading down to where her flight was boarding.
-End Flashback-
Kairi walked down the long terminal and made her way to the luggage claim. She got there and saw that it was too crowded for her liking. She sighed and instead of going to look for her stuff, she walked around looking for her mother. Her father had told her that she would meet her at the luggage claim and take her to her new home.
"Kairi?" At the sound of her name, she turned and saw her mother looking back at her. Her mother looked exactly like an older version of her. Kairi stared at her mother, and noticed that she still had her doctor's uniform on. 'She must have come from the hospital.'
"Hi mom." The woman immediately engulfed her into a hug, surprising Kairi a bit.
"You've grown quite a bit, Kairi." She whispered into Kairi's ear.
"Yeah..." Kairi said as she awkwardly hugged her mother back. "Um… I'm going to go get my stuff, okay mom?" The older woman nodded and followed Kairi to where the luggage was being let out.
Once they had found all of her stuff, the two quietly made there way out of the building and into the parking structure to her mother's car. They sat in silence as they made their way to Twilight Town from the airport.
"So, how've you been, sweetie?"
"Fine."
"And you're father?"
"Fine."
"How's school?"
"Fine."
"Kairi," her mother said with a hint of annoyance and frustration in her voice. "Please. I'm trying"
"Sorry…" Kairi said as she sighed and turned her attention to her mother. She saw her flash a soft smile before turning her attention back to the road.
They arrived to her mother's house 10 minutes later. Kairi got out and went to the trunk as it popped open and retrieved her luggage. She pulled her stuff out and shut the trunk and looked the house that she once had shared with both parents before sighing and picking her stuff up, following her mother.
"Need help, sweetie?"
"No, I'm fine." Kairi said as she dragged her stuff down the pathway and up to the front porch. Her mother opened the door and Kairi walked in, setting her stuff near the door and shutting it. She watched her mother walk to the kitchen.
"Kairi, sweetie, are you hungry?"
"No." Kairi responded as she looked around the house. It hadn't changed much since her last visit there, almost a year ago. Aside from some new furniture and a new paint job, the house was basically still the same.
"Mom, my room is still in the same place, right?"
"Yep," her mother answered. "Up the stairs, down the hall, 2nd door on the left." Her mother responded.
Kairi nodded and headed up the stairs and down the hall. When she opened the door, she found everything to look just about the same, save for the fact that the room felt so unfamiliar to her. 'Wow. Everything looked so new and so clean,' Kairi thought to herself as she inspected the room. She walked by the dresser and touched its surface. She suddenly felt a strange feeling hit her before she let her hand drop back to her side, ignoring that feeling. Her eyes fell to the bed and she made her way to it before collapsing face first into the pillow. She heard a soft knock and lifted her head up.
"Come in."
Her mother walked in and looked down at her daughter who was lying in bed. She was currently drying her hands with a small towel she brought up with her from the kitchen.
"You feeling okay, sweetie?" She saw the features on her mother's face turn into one of worry.
"Yeah. I'm just a bit tired, I guess. That's all. I'm fine, mom."
"You sure?" Kairi nodded. "Okay. Well, when would you like to start school? Twilight High already knows you're here since I registered you after your father called me yesterday afternoon."
"How about next week? I want to familiar myself with the town first, if that's okay. Besides, tomorrow is Friday anyway and I wouldn't want to waltz on in on the last day of the week."
"Alright, sweetie. I'll let the school know then." Kairi smiled at her mother and was about to lay her head back down before her mother called out to her again. "Oh, and by the way, you remember you cousin, Naminé, right?" Kairi nodded. "Well, she was having problems at her old school so her mother sent her here and she is living with me, well, us now. So you'll probably see her when she gets back from school." Kairi's features lit up slightly as she sat up and smiled at her mother.
"Really? Alright. Thanks mom." Kairi's mom smiled and walked up to her, placing a small kiss on her forehead then walked to exit her room. As she was shutting the door, her mother turned back and spoke softly. "I'm really glad you're back, Kairi. I've missed you." With that, her mother shut the door quietly. Kairi sighed and gazed out the window into the bright blue sky.
"Well, since Nam is here, it shouldn't be that bad, I guess." Kairi said as she got up from the bed and walked to the window and looked out. She sat on an old toy trunk that was sitting below the window and laid her arms on the window sill. She laid her head on her and let out an inaudible sigh.
"I want to go back home…" Kairi muttered as she shut her eyes and absorbed the sounds around her.
A/N: Well? What do you think? It's a bit, ehh so far, I know. I'll try to make it better though, I promise! I've sorta got the idea as to where I'm going to go with this. At least that's why my mind has told me anyway. x)
Please review and tell me what you think! Thank you!