Chapter 1: A Revelation
The taste of summer was beginning to wear thin, like a piece of gum that had long lost its flavour. Autumn was nigh, and already the crisp new uniforms for school arrived in the mail, packaged in plastic that crinkled when the unwilling teen pulled it forth from the mailbox, along with a card stating their homeroom and grade. Echoes of disdain could be heard about town as soon as another day of summer was brought to a close, bringing the children one step closer to the place that they dreaded most. Supplies were to be bought, summer clothes were to be stored away, and teenage freedom to be broken apart. And people wondered why the air was so heavy the week before school. Dare to mention the dreaded 'S' word in the presence of a child, and they react as though the world was to end at the mere mention of such a dreaded thing.
Life in the --- household was being held together by a thread. The two daughters were running about the house, holding back tears and attempting to get everything organized before Doomsday hit. However, their stepmother halted their deeds, forcing them upstairs to try on the uniforms that just arrived in the mail the day prior.
Naminé was struggling with the plaid blue tie, her blonde hair creating a veil about her pretty face as she looked down to do so. Her fraternal twin sister was still standing around in her bra and panties, examining her red shoulder-length hair in the mirror, a sour look plastered upon her features. She sighed, tugging on a clump of hair.
"I should get my hair cut again," Kairi said, mainly to herself as she continued tugging on the cluster of hair. Naminé looked up, her tie hanging about her neck limply, the collar of the white polo still popped up.
"Personally, I like it at that length," stated the blonde, removing the tie altogether and tossing it on the bed. She approached her sister, hands on her hips as she continued, her tone of voice sounding superior. "It makes you look less like a little boy with chest deformities and more like a girl with breasts."
Kairi pouted, casting a sideways glare at her sister. "Well, my friends know me like that, and if they see me like this—"
"So you'd rather your friends view you as 'one of the guys'? Something tells me that Sora and Riku would prefer it if you opened up to your feminine side. Heck, they might even love your feminine side more than your tomboyish side."
"This is exactly why I didn't want to buy the skirted uniform. I'd rather be viewed as a friend rather than anything different," snapped the redhead, pressing on her chest as though to make it look smaller. At her sister's actions, Naminé rolled her eyes as she marched over towards Kairi's bed, tossing the uniform over towards the reluctant redhead.
"Put. It. On." Nami demanded as she returned to her trials with the dreaded tie.
While her sibling was grunting and cursing at how terribly difficult such a task was, Kairi picked up the plastic-encased bag. As she turned it over in her hands, her blue eyes flinch slightly as it crinkled from the movement. Psh, be more feminine. That would be a laugh.
However, at this, her thoughts were brought back to the early days of summer, when Sora was away spending time with Tidus's family on a cruise, and Riku was away for the day to visit his aunt in the city. Kairi had nothing to do, so instead of waiting for her two best friends to return from their travels, she decided to spend some of her time with Olette and Selphie.
Despite the fact that school ended a week ago, Selphie was already cooing over the fact that both Kairi and her older sister were to be freshmen in high school.
"Oh…high school. You guys are so lucky."
"Calm down Selphie, Riku told me it isn't that amazing," Kairi had said as she looked at the starry-eyes brunette whose hands were clasped by her cheek. "He said the classes get harder, and waking up earlier was a bitch"
"As if I give a damn about classes," Selphie scoffed, turning her nose up into the air as though disgusted at the thought. "I'm talking about the boys. The older boys." She waved her hand dismissively at Kairi, and Olette rolled her eyes at her sister's sophomoric attitude. "Not that you care, Kairi, since you're a raging lesbian 'n all…"
"WHAAT?!" Both Kairi and Olette looked at the younger girl with horror in their eyes. After recovering somewhat, the older brunette smacked her sister in the head, looking utterly embarrassed at the younger one's comment.
"I'm so sorry Kairi. Sel has no idea what she's talking about!" Olette clamored apologetically.
However, despite Olette's sincere apology, Kairi upped and left the group, hearing Selphie should "But it's true, right?" in the background. That was the last time the redhead had hung out with Selphie, and when inviting Olette over, she made it a point to add: "But leave Selphie at home."
Upon recollecting such thoughts, Kairi found herself gripping the parcel of clothing tightly in her hands, tearing the thin plastic with her unpolished nails. Why oh why did such an event cross her thoughts just now, when Naminé suggested something about her appearance. It shouldn't bother her at all, because, after all, Kairi knew for a fact that she was straight.
But did the others know so? Was her obsession with being 'one of the guys' causing people to assume her of homosexuality? Not that there's anything wrong with that, Kairi found herself adding mentally as she mused those things over. She should be used to such accusations, considering Sora and Riku were once thought to be a gay couple due to their brotherly relationship. However, that was cast aside when Riku started high school and nearly went 'all the way' with one lucky girl. Of course, his parents caught him before any damage was done, but it was still enough to proclaim him a stud amongst the high school population.
Now Kairi held onto the plastic-wrapped school uniform in a more delicate manner, looking it over as though it were portrayed in a new light. She didn't want to be thought of as a lesbian (Not that there's anything wrong with that, she added again) in high school society, a place where rumors like that could make you or break you. However, nor did Kairi want to do what Riku did in order to disperse such rumors. Besides, attempting to have sex just because you could was such a guy thing, the exact thing Kairi decided to avoid at this very moment in time.
The plastic crinkled as she opened it, and the smell of a clean uniform wafted up to the redhead's nose. She tugged on the white polo, tied the tie with ease, and help up the matching plaid skirt, looking at it with determination set in her crystal blue eyes.
Time to build a new reputation, the freshman though as she pulled the skirt up over her legs and onto her waist, the zipper making a satisfying zziipp was she pulled the little flap up to close the teeth. Hands on her hips, she looked herself over in the mirror, her red hair brushing against the fabric of the white polo.
"Alight Nami, I'll take your suggestion," Kairi stated as she examined the curves she never realized she had. Naminé looked up, a sarcastic grin splayed across her usually calm features. Annoyance showed through her eyes as she looked at her redheaded sister.
"Good. Now that you're done with your revelation, can you help me with this damn tie?"
xoxoxoxoxoxo
I know what you're thinking: Oh no! Not another high school Kingdom Hearts fic set in an Alternate Universe! Well…yeah, it is. However, I hope this is one of the better high school fics, but if it isn't, oh well. Guess I suck, huh? I know I have another story in the works (A Keyblade is NOT a Hoe), and I'll get to it once my muse for that story gets up and running. But this story has been bothering me. I mean, after all, Kairi could be considered a 'tomboy' in the first game, but in the second game she's all BAM! WOMAN! So that's where this came from. Though Kairi is a pathetic excuse for a tomboy in the game, whatever. She gets no love in the world ruled by fangirls, so why not make a story starring her where she isn't bashed, but portrayed as a complex female teen struggling to find herself in a high school world. And if that's been done before, too bad. I don't read through all the thousands of fanfictions to see if my ideas are taken.
Love Sincerely,
Wayward Child
PS: I know I have trouble with tenses and such. Any misspellings and misuse of words I blame on a fritzy computer for not letting me check over to the fullest extent. Constructive critisisms are welcomed, normal reviews are welcomed, and I use flames to warm me up for the upcoming winter. Suggestions for my story are fine too, just as long as it isn't "LOL KAIRI SHOULD DIE!!11!1!!111!!!" or something immature like that...-.- And sorry that this story isn't filled with Soriku goodness, because I don't support that shipping. It's clichéd and overused, and it isn't the ship I support. But be prepared, though, because I might feature another shipping that you yaoi fangirls (or boys) know and love.
PPS: If anyone points out my Seinfeld reference, kudos to you. And I'll shut up now.