I always watched him when they played.

They trained in the school's gymnasium three times for week, right after the school. They all were tall and talented, and most popular of the all students, of course.

I could never be one of them. Naturally. I wasn't tall. Nearly all girls in my class were taller than me, not to mention boys. And more importantly, I wasn't popular. And somewhere deep inside me, even though I tried not to notice it, I knew that it wouldn't make me any more popular if I did play in the basketball team.

I just wasn't that kind of type that were popular.

Conversely, I was hated. It wasn't like that I got mocked and beaten or anything like that… well, not often at least. Most of the time people just acted like I wasn't there. It had been that way since I started High School. I just simply didn't exist here, no one bothered to look at me, and actually I didn't even remember when I had last time talked properly to someone my own age. When I tried to say something to someone, they looked at me like I was pestilence or something like that. If some other student said something to me, well, it was likely some big college student who was beating me up after dragging me behind the nearest corner.

That was my life in nutshell. And it was all because of one reason; I was gay.

All school knew that. It was now my second year here; this awful treatment had started in the end of my first. Before that no one had dared to touch me. That was because of Hayner, who had been my boyfriend back then. We had started High School together, and we hadn't cared to hide our gayness from other people. It hadn't matter back then; we got each other and others opinions were not important.

But our relationship's situation had been this: Hayner was strong, I wasn't. But we were supposed to stay together forever, so it really worked out well. But, yeah, my life started to get all wrong by then.

Hayner's parents found out about us, I they didn't accept it. So they moved away, I have no idea where, and took Hayner with them. I still miss him sometimes. We tried our best to hide out relationship from our parents, because we knew exactly how they would react. In fact, my folks don't still know that we were more than friends. My life sucks badly at the moment, and I don't want to make it even worse by getting thrown out from my home.

So what keeps me here?

And even more, what keeps me sitting in the gym's auditorium, watching basketball team's training, even though it breaks my heart? I've always loved that game, and I, more than anything, I wanted to play in school's team. My shortness was maybe a problem, but it wouldn't be insuperable. But 'cause of the fact that I was gay, the coach of the team only laughed meanly when I asked was there free places in the team.

"For guys, yes" He had said, "For queers, no"

That's why I sat here, in auditorium, three times a week after school, watching them playing. No one could forbid me for coming here. There was also lots of girls sitting and screaming for their favorite guys.

And, with the heavy feeling in my chest, I watched them playing. And particularly I watched him.

He was one of the best players, usually he played center. He scored all the time, he was the captain, and when the teams were chosen, he was always first picked up. When they took a break for drinking water, every other guy clapped his back, the couch nearly adored him. And every time I saw him in school's halls, he walked around, surrounded with his friends and fans, and other students let him pass.

He was everything I wanted to be, and that was why I watched him. Well, half of the reason.

The other half was that he was… well, he.

He was tall and lean, yet muscular. He had beautiful, white skin and clear blue eyes, and his hands were well and skillfully with the ball. And every time he jumped and scored, his long silver hair swung in the air, and light made it glow in the colors of blue and violet. I had never seen so amazing hair.

I had been watching him for couple of months now.

He grabbed a ball again and started to move, attentive and agile, like always.

"Riiikuuuu! Riiikuuuu!" punch of the girls next to me yelled and clapped their hands together, "Show them! You're the best! We love you!"

I didn't know if he heard the screams or not. Secretly I wished that he didn't. But I kept myself quiet and viewed my schoolbag quickly. After this game I might finally talk to him…

He pushed the floor with his long feet and jumped high in the air. Basket clanged and ball fell through it. Nearly everyone in the gym yell. He landed back in the ground and graced his long hair. Sight made my heart beat two times faster.

"Okay, guys, time's up" team's coach shouted, checking his watch, "To the shower then, and remember to eat well when you get home"

"To the McDonald's, gang!" one of the players said at once, causing others to applaud and laugh.

My heart missed a beat; that would mean that he was going too. And that meant that I had to hurry.

X

My feet felt like two piles of butter, when I approached the doors of locker rooms. I gulped for several times, before stepping forward and leaning my back against the rough wall. I put headset on my ears and started my CD-player. My parent never bought me an IPod.

The CD had already played three songs before the door opened. My heart fluttered hopefully, but comer wasn't him. It was one big guy from the third year. I knew him, he's name was Xaldin, and he was one of them who had one time force-feed me with heroin. I had never felt so horrible in my entire life.

"What do you want from here, poof" He snarled, punching me in the chest. The hit wasn't very hard, and after all I had gotten used to it, so I said nothing. Xaldin snorted, lighted a smoke, spitted on me and left.

I waited more. Songs passed in my CD-player. Finally the door opened again.

Now big group of guys came out. I looked at them quickly, but I didn't see him there.

"Ew, this disgusting creep is checking us out" I knew that guy too; he was Seifer, one of the biggest gay haters in school, "What's with you? I want to be part of the gang?"

I stood in my spot, saying nothing. I had figured out long ago, that it was the easiest way.

"He doesn't want to answer" Someone other laughed and splashed water from his canteen on me. I felt cold liquid running through my brown hair.

"Let's get out of here" Seifer said, "We have no business with this queen"

They left. When last one had disappeared from my view, I raised my hand and wiped my hair and face.

And then.

The door.

It opened once more.

And he stood in front of me. He had his black leather jacket on, and his hair poured along his back, wet and shining.

My mouth fell open. He eyed me behind his hanging forelock. I had never been so close to him, and now I saw that his lips were thin and pale, and that his eyelashes were long and bushy. And he stood there, right in front of me, other hand on his hip, and watched me from above.

"Hey" He finally said, throwing a burning cigarette away, "What do you want?"

He didn't say it like the others. His voice was not contemptuous or full of disgust. It was simply a question.

"Riku" I said, relieved that he hadn't just told me to go to hell, "I- I have something for you… wait…"

I started to cave my schoolbag as quickly as I could. I was afraid that he would get tired of waiting and leave.

But he didn't. He stood still and watched as I straightened with a bottle in my hand.

"Here" I said, a bit choking, "You- you forgot this in the gym after your last game… and I thought that…"

"Oh, my canteen" He said and took it from me. When he did, I felt his skin against mine for a second. It was soft, smooth, like I had assumed, "I've been looking for it" He looked at me for a moment, "Thanks"

He thanked me. ME! The most despised creature in the whole school. Riku, the whole school's star thanked me! I felt like floating three feet above the ground, and only hardly I managed to whisper: "No big deal"

He eyed at me once more.

"What's your name?"

Riku asked my name! I almost fainted right in that spot.

"I'm Sora"

"Okay" He said. Them we both heard two girls yelling from the corner:

"Riku! Come here already!"

"We've been waiting!"

I watched those girls. They were pretty, other one had red hair and other one blond.

Then I looked at Riku.

"Sure thing" He exclaimed, "Sorry for keep you waiting"

He left. The girls stock in his side right away. And he was gone.

Without looking behind.

X

X

X

Okay, I told myself that I don't put this in . Well, famous last words, huh. Please, please comment to me!

I do not own characters, Square Enix does.

First RikuSora ever.