Edited September 9th, 2012
X Not Just Another High School Love Story X
. Chapter I .
*~X Totally Different Sides, Completely Different Stories X~*
xX*~*Kairi*~*Xx
I've finally made it out. No more crushed dreams. No more lost hopes. No more people bringing me down—
No more Hollow Bastion.
Ah. Is it really possible that it's only three weeks before the fall semester starts at my new school? The same school I've been desperately trying to get accepted into since before I even started my high school journey? Can it really be true that we are on the plane to Radiant Garden right now, at this very moment to start our new life?
The realization of it all finally hits me and relief washes over like a wave during high-tide as I relax in my first-class seat—or should I say: compartment.
I have never flown in first-class before. I really just assumed that it'd be a large reclining chair with slightly better service than coach. Oh, but this airline? The one right here that I'm flying with? It gives a whole personal area to lie down in and get a great view of the clouds that spread in uneven bunches across the sky like stretched cotton, through much larger windows.
This is heaven, and I haven't even gotten off the plane yet.
"Hey Namine..." I sit up, brush my red-wine colored hair out of my smiling face, prop myself up onto my elbows and look over to the next first class seat which contains my best friend. "...how great is this?"
"Just as great as it was five mins ago, Kairi…" Her tone is groggy as she groans and turns her back to me. "Now go to sleep. We've been on this flight for thirteen hours." She drifts off during the last few words of her sentence.
I sigh and lay back into my compartment (I still can't get over that) then look back outside of the window and enjoy the scene of clouds gliding across the sky.
I have always loved the sky. In the morning, in the evening—and especially at sunset. Something about during that time, right then when the sun burns across its surface and changes its hues from light blue to red and orange and violet, makes it really beautiful.
My grandmother always tells me to look to the sky whenever I feel lonely. She says that although there are many worlds—they share the same sky. There's no need to feel the loneliness that may hold you back anymore because you know that the people who you miss and care for the most will always be breathing beneath the same sky. How can we be alone when the sky's wondrous stitching always keeps us entwined together?
"Excuse me ladies, please fasten your seatbelts. We're about land at R.G.I.A."
A pointy-nosed woman with a corny smile posted on her face and a high-pitched voice stares at me, and interrupts me from my thoughts. It's a flight attendant.
Although a bit annoyed, I comply with her request and sit up to buckle my seatbelt. I, again, look outside of my window to still see the vast amount of white clouds. But, when I look a little deeper, I can just barely make out the fairly large city with humongous buildings radiating above the clouds.
Eventually, our plane lands and our group goes to the baggage claim to, well… claim our bags, and we walk outside to wait for our ride.
As soon as the sunlight hits our faces, we are greeted with an abundant amount of plant life. Definitely not nearly as much as you would see back home in Hollow Bastion. In fact; for a city, this place looks… I dunno, healthy!
"So..."
"Beautiful," I finish Namine's sentence with an obvious word.
We stand there for about three minutes, enjoying this sight.
The reason behind this city's name immediately becomes evident right before our eyes:
Almost everyone has smiles on their faces. But not just fake smiles. They have genuine kind-hearted smiles. And those who don't; just have a natural glow about them. They hold their heads up high with confidence, instead of looking down at the ground with shame. There isn't a hint of air-polluting factories, less cars on the road (well about 12% less than any other major city), not a speck of litter on the ground, and a large amount of recycling bins that are placed in random (yet somewhat systematic) places.
And... this is only the portion of the city that we can see from the airport!
"I think I could get used to this." Namine nods her head as we smile and stand there like a pair of world-class idiots.
"Yeah… me too."
Then, unexpectedly, a large bus obscures our vision; momentarily taking our small slice of radiance away from us.
GENESIS L. RHAPSODOS ACADEMY—BOARDING SCHOOL
Is written in huge purple and black letters across the silver bus. I grab my luggage and took in a deep breath.
For this is the first step to my journey of a thousand miles.
Namine does the same thing, as nervous as I am. And so do the two other transfer students from Hollow Bastion that we don't know. But as for everyone else that's either returning from summer vacation, or are from better and less… run down parts of the world, just walk on to the bus without a care in the world.
"K-Kai… Y-you can go first. You know, if you want to…" Namine says shakily.
"N-no. I'm okay." I give her a pathetic smile. "You go ahead and go… I-I'll be right behind you."
"O-okay." She sighs and slowly walks onto the bus.
I am the last person to approach the intimidating doors. Come on Kairi. It's only a bus. You can do this! A little self pep-talk is all I need to summon enough courage to climb up the stairs and give a small glance to the bus driver then hurry to my seat.
"You need help with your bags?" Namine asks while placing her last suitcase in the large storage compartment above our row.
"No I got it." I hoist my suitcase up from its place on the floor and set it into its new temporary home. A few of my other duffle bags soon followed behind it. I sit down in my chair next to Namine who has the window seat.
"Ready, Kairi?" She lets out a large breath of air then grabs my hand, squeezing it to the point of lost circulation.
I look at her and also let out a breath of air. "Ready."
And off we go to our new home.
xX*~*Sora*~*Xx
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The annoying sound of an electric alarm clock that's snooze button is locked, blares from my nightstand. God I hate this clock. Since when do snooze buttons have locks?! Ugh. AND it's the first day of going back to that campus. This day sure is going to be swell.
"Sora," I hear my mom call to me from my doorway, "it's time to get up. The bus will be here in an hour and a half."
"Mom…" I say in a sleepy and breathless tone muffled by the pillow under the side of my face, "I still don't get why I can't just live off campus and stay here-"
"No Sora. Do we really have to go through this again?" She rubs her forehead. "You know very well why you can't live off campus. So GET UP so you can get to the bus on time. I know how much you like to take 25 minutes just inside of the shower."
"But Mom…" I whine to her like most teenagers do in the morning to their parents, "I don't want to live-"
"Hikari. Get out of bed. Now!" My mother practically switches personalities when she uses my middle name to show me that she's losing her patience. I mutter something quietly in hopes that she wouldn't actually hear it. But; of course, she did. "What did you say?"
"N-nothing." To be honest, my mom scares me sometimes. Don't get me wrong, she really is a nice person, but has a strict zero-disrespect tolerance. I immediately get from underneath my silk comforter and start to get ready for my day.
"That's what I thought." She holds her head proudly while arrogantly walking out.
After an irritated roll of my eyes, I go across to the other side of my room and pick out clothes. Then I drag my feet over to the door of my bathroom, which is right beside my bed. After thoroughly brushing my teeth, I prepare myself for taking a shower.
Showering really gives me time to think. Time that I don't have in the cold and dry-cut world. Something about how the warm drops massage my back and run through my hair just relaxes me and clears my mind in such a way that I can't explain. To me, it's just self-explanatory.
By the time I finish my shower, my mom informs me that breakfast will be ready in 15 minutes and the that bus will follow soon after in 30 (I guess I took longer than 25 minutes in the shower today). I use this time to ready my suitcases and check them to make sure that I have my necessities. Yep, looks like everything's here. But… where's my phone?
I look around my room and start off calm, then start to panic and have a mini heart attack within the next 2 minutes of not being able to find the small device. When's the last time I had it?
"Sora, breakfast is ready!" my mom calls to me from downstairs.
"Okay. I'll... I'll be down in a minute," I call back down to her. Sighing in frustration of still not being able to find my phone, I decide that it will be better to just wait and look for it until after I finish breakfast.
I go through a long hallway with my bags then down the staircase to find that my dad is already packing up his things to leave.
"Leaving already?" I ask him.
"Mmhmm, I have to be at work a little earlier today. I'll see you later, son." He is already out of the door.
"Okay… bye." I hold my hand in the air even though I know he can't see it. I sigh then set my things next to the front door and go into the dining room/kitchen and sit down at the table.
"What's wrong Sora?" my mom asks me as she sets down a plate of food in front of me, noticing my funk.
"Nothing… it's just that Dad…" I shake my head then let out a pathetic chuckle. "heh. I don't think he even realized that today was my first day…"
"Oh, I see," she sighs then sits down across from me.
"I mean, he just works so hard… and it just bothers me, is all."
"You know that he just wants the best for you, Sora. And we wouldn't have all of the nice things that we have if it weren't for him," she tries to comfort me.
"I do know that but…" I shake my head again. "Tch. Nevermind. I don't know."
My mom looks as if she's going to say something else but a ringing telephone disrupts her thought process. "Uh. Here Sora, we'll talk again in just a second. Just…eat your breakfast."
I look at my plate of food, but then suddenly don't feel an appetite pulling at my stomach. I have 99 other things on my mind and eating isn't really one of them. Staring at the plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, I notice its attempt to entice me with its aroma. But I fight the temptation to eat the food and start thinking about my new year in school. After an unknown number of minutes filled with partially intense thinking, a deep sound of a bus horn echos from outside.
"The bus is here." My mother sets the phone down and gives me a hug. "I love you so much, Sora. I'll see you in a few months." She pulls away from the hug and hands me a jacket, "Are you forgetting anything?"
I am about to hurry and answer 'No', but then remember my phone. Swearing under my breath (this time I was sure she didn't hear me), I run back upstairs to go to my room.
"Your phone's down here," she says to me as soon as I make it to my door.
I groan then go back downstairs to thank her and retrieve my phone. I hear the horn honk again, signaling that it is going to leave very soon.
"Hurry up, Sora," my mother warns me and I nod then grab my bags and drag them outside. "Don't forget to call me when you get there!" She waves as I get on the bus.
"'Kay, Mom. I will!" I assure her and climb the bus' stairs. Is there anyone I know from school on here? No. There's not. I go to a pair of lone seats in the back and put my bags away inside of the bag carrier. The bus starts up as soon as I take my seat and buckle in.
Sitting back, I plug headphones into my iPhone and turn on 'Shuffle' so I can tune out the rest of the world.
xX*~*Roxas*~*Xx
"Hey Roxas," I can just barely hear Pence grab my attention with his soft voice over the sound of my suitcases dragging along the stone paving of the very entrance to the train station.
"Hi Pence." I let go of the extended handle in my left hand to wave to him. "Where's Hayner and Olette?"
"Oh, they're with my dad so that they can get all of the information sorted out for us to ride the train and stuff. They told me to wait for you out here for you."
"Oh okay." I display my understanding by grabbing my suitcase's handle again and sling my other bag on my shoulder. "Let's go inside then."
He nods and leads the way inside to the checkout desks where the waiting area is then waits for me as I put my baggage down in one of the seats. They're becoming too difficult to haul around everywhere. We see that Pence's father is at the counter consulting with someone, so we go to Hayner and Olette, who are in conversation, and head towards them.
"Finally you get here," Hayner groans as he 'greets' me.
"Hello to you too…" I stretch my arms out and yawn then wave at Olette in the process. "Hey Olette."
"Hi Roxas," she says with a smile.
"Have...you guys seen her at all?" I ask them.
"No…" All three of my friends sigh in unison then start to turn their heads to search for her again.
I just shrug. "Don't worry, guys. We'll just try and find her when we get to Radiant Garden, I guess…"
"Wait a minute…" Hayner says, looking into the distance then he points a finger towards the entrance. "Look. She's over there."
This time, it's my turn to turn my head and face the direction where Hayner was pointing. Just like he said, she's walking in the front entrance with one of her father's assistants carrying her bags for her.
I start to walk to the front entrance but Pence steps in front of me. "Roxas, are you sure you want to go over there right this moment? I mean… maybe we should wait until we get Radiant Garden."
I shake my head. "No. I have to talk to her now. I just… yeah I need to talk to her right now." Pence hesitates for a second, but moves out of my way. I start to move again so that I can see the only reason why I'm at Twilight Train Station to Radiant Garden right now:
Xion.
Walking the small distance from the waiting area/check-out center to make my way to the entrance, I pass through loads of people just to get to the brunette girl. I take in a deep breath as I get closer to my destination where she unknowingly waits for me.
"Uh… Hey Xion." I casually lift my hand and wave as I approach her, my heart pumping fast.
Her head quickly snaps upward from its previous downward position, making her eyes look into mine.
Anger.
That's the first thing I see when her cold indigo eyes meet my large blue ones. But it isn't unexpected.
"Roxas," I could tell she was questioning my presence, but she said it so dull that it sounded like a statement, "why the hell are you here."
I wince are her harshness, though I knew this was coming. "Xion, I'm a… GLR student now."
She looks at me, her eyes going from going from 'Angry' to straight up 'Pissed'. "You're what?"
"...Yeah. I'm going to Radiant Garden." I scratch the back of my head to try to find comfort in this uncomfortable situation, then I clear my throat. "Look, Xion. I really didn't want to make you mad… I just want-"
She starts to shake her head in disbelief. "Wow. This is just—I can't even believe you would…" She trails off when she sees Hayner, Pence, and Olette walk over to me and starts to laugh, but I could tell she was far from amused. "You even brought your whole crew with you!" She pauses then looks back at me in even more disbelief. "Roxas. Honestly, did you really think that this was going to change anything?"
I was going to answer but then she started to walk off away from me.
"Xion, wait!"
"Just leave me alone." She waves her hand to shoo me, I stand there frozen for a second. "I don't want to think about YOU or anyone else for that matter."
"Please, can't we just talk?!" I beg as I follow after her, but it's hard to keep track of one person in this crowded train station. Even if she is one of the only people with black hair.
"NO. Can't you just take a hint? I'm done, Roxas! I'm done with you and your games. And I have been for a while now. So leave me alone!"
"Xion, I said that I'm sorry! Please, just forgive me at least."
Xion stops right in her tracks, almost causing me to bump into her. She turns around and cuts me a look as sharp as a thousand knives. "Fine. I forgive you. Happy now, Roxas? Are you satisfied? You came here and you even switched schools just for that. My forgiveness. I guess you can go home now, can't you?"
I just stand there, my mouth slightly open. Speechless. I couldn't think of anything to say at that moment.
She scoffs impatiently and walks away from me again. This time...I don't go after her.
Hayner, Pence, and Olette run up behind me and catch their breath.
"Hey Roxas," Pence says to me, still gasping for air, "y...you okay?"
"I'm fine…" I mutter, although I don't really mean it. I sigh then get ready to go through security so that I can get on our 3-hour train ride.
I can't believe this. I thought that switching schools with Xion would make her at least stop trying to avoid me so much! I even convinced Hayner, Pence, and Olette's parent's to let them come with me! But… she won't even give me the time of day. What am I supposed to do? This whole thing is just discouraging.
"Roxas, cheer up." Olette comes from behind me and smiles. "Things will work out in the end. You'll see."
Sighing, I pick up my bags up from where I left them earlier.
I... I hope you're right, Olette. I really do.
~Story Guide~
New characters, new places, and the number of minutes spent typing/editing.
Characters In Action So Far—
Kairi Noelle LeRoux
Bio: Kairi is a Junior in High School and age 16. She lived in Hollow Bastion her whole life until she goes to GLR Boarding School. Kairi moved away from Hollow Bastion with her best friend, Namine, because she got the Angeal Hewley Fund Sports Scholarship for her gymnastics and blitzball playing skills.
Sora Hikari Akarui:
Bio: Sora is a Junior in High School, age 16. He was born in Radiant Garden, and lives a wealthy and well-lived life. He has been attending GLR since his freshman year in High School. He also has a best freind named, Riku, who also attends the school.
Roxas Equinox Villanueva:
Bio: Roxas is also a Junior and is age 16. He lived in Twilight Town with his best friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette. But for some unknown reasons, he has decided to live out his Junior year in High School at GLR Academy. It is said to be because of the brunette beauty, Xion.
Places So Far—
Kingdom Hearts: The distant land where all of the places are located and all of the events take place.
Hollow Bastion: The place where Kairi was born. It is one of the smaller cities in Kingdom Hearts and doesn't have the best education system either.
Radiant Garden: One of the best cities in all of Kingdom Hearts. And is the home of GLR Boarding School.
Genesis L. Rhapsodus—Boarding School: Also known as GLR Academy Boarding School. One of the biggest and best high schools in all of Kingdom Hearts, located in Radiant Garden.
*Namine's Bio will now be introduced later on.
Disclaimer: I don't own any Kingdom Hearts worlds, characters, etc. All Copyrights go to Square Enix and Disney.
Number of Minutes Spent Typing/Editing: 489
So, what do you think of it so far? I hope you enjoy this story.
Thank you for reading! Please review, favor, and alert!
xxxHikari-Kuraixxx (xxxLight-Darkxxx)