Dreamer Boy
Z~Z~Z
Chapter 1
"Beginnings are sudden, but also insidious. They creep up on you sideways, they keep to the shadows, they lurk unrecognized. Then, later, they spring."
― Margaret Atwood
Z~Z~Z
Roxas woke suddenly from his slumber, annoyed. He was just about to unveil the identity of his frequenting dream figure by turning him around and finally getting a good look at his face when he almost fell out of his bed, jerking himself awake in the process. Jeez, it's like I'm my own worst enemy.
The brilliant sun made Roxas squint as he pushed aside his blonde hair to glance at the intricate train and tracks/alarm clock his father built for his 8th birthday across the room from him. 8:23 a.m. Twilight Town was already beginning to stir with action as its inhabitants bustled about in the cobblestone streets. It was nowhere near as big as the nearby cities of Luca or Bevelle, but Roxas loved the charm of all the old shops, mysterious back alleys, and friendly citizens scattered throughout the town.
As Roxas rose from his bed, the faint aroma of pancakes tickled his nostrils. Yes, Mom's pancakes! Roxas joyously exclaimed to himself. Shera Strife knew that her homemade paopu pancakes got her boys out of bed faster than anything, and for good reason, too, as anyone who had tasted them before could attest. Roxas quickly threw on his favourite pair of jeans and Teen Titans t-shirt and rushed barefoot downstairs to get his share before they were completely devoured by Cloud and his father.
Fortunately, though, Roxas was the first to arrive, even though it meant he had to endure the torture of waiting for the other two to wake up. "Good morning, Roxas," Shera said as she went about setting the table. "I hope you're excited for today. You know your father and I have been anxiously preparing for this. Well, at least I have."
"Of course, Mom," Roxas replied as he helped distribute the silverware. "It'll be so awesome finally having my own car."
As Roxas had just turned 16 last week and passed his driver's license test with flying colours, his parents had been looking for a suitable first vehicle for him as a celebration. They couldn't afford anything flashy, and Roxas didn't want to stand out driving around in a BMW or anything like that, so when they found a decently working Chevy S-10 for sale at an equally decent price, he was ecstatic. Sure, the tailgate creaked a little upon inspection, and the truck had well over 100,000 miles on it, but the charm of the little black pick-up was enough for Roxas to fall in love with it.
Three minutes passed, and the bulky, ever-sulking frame of Cloud Strife came hovering through the kitchen and plopped into his chair without a word. Another two minutes, and Cid Strife appeared, attempting to light a cigarette (which Shera immediately swatted out of his hand). Grumbling slightly, Cid picked up the swatted cigarette before bidding his family a gruff "good morning." "And Roxas," he added, "don't forget that I need you to go by the post office to pick up that part I ordered for your Chevy after we've bought it. You're going to need it if you ever want to drive that thing long-distance."
"Yes, dad. How could I forget? You know I'm going to run away to New York with all my friends and all of the family's cash as soon as you get it fixed up." Everyone laughed as they dug into breakfast. Said escape from his home life was the common jest among the Strife residence as Roxas truly did miss living the city life in Traverse Town with his best friends Axel and Demyx.
"Yes, well, no matter where you drive it, you have to remember to be safe, so buckle up, drive the speed limit, and avoid dangerous areas," Shera interjected.
"That also means no girlfriends in your truck for your first six months." Cloud added. "You, especially with your lack of attention, don't need any, erm, feminine distractions while driving. Believe me, I know."
Shera threw a look at him (Cloud had had a minor fender bender when he and his former girlfriend Tifa were PDA-ing at an intersection), and everyone laughed again though Roxas was still left feeling slightly awkward. Among his entire family, Cloud was the only one that picked up on Roxas's complete disinterest in girls, though Cloud didn't care who his little brother dated as long as whoever it was made Roxas happy.
"Yes, well, pregnancy is also something you need to avoid as your new truck has taken a considerable chunk of mine and your mother's money set aside for you," Cid added. Shera shot him a dirty not-at-the-table look, which made Cloud and Roxas laugh again. Roxas then took the opportunity to excuse himself, brush his teeth, and make sure his ever-spiky blond hair looked presentable before they picked up his truck.
Z~Z~Z
On the ride over to Zanarkand where the truck's current owner Jecht lived, Roxas couldn't help but daydream about driving his nameless, faceless, dreamy boyfriend around town on date after date as the two explored teenage love. He could practically feel the wind whipping past his face as he cruised to the sound of the local electro radio station—until a blast of wind and a sweetly stale aroma woke him to find that it was actually just his father rolling down the window to smoke a cigarette while Cloud was interrupting the Pointers Sisters' song playing to find a station playing the new Fall Out Boy single. Thoroughly disappointed once more with his fantasy being interrupted, Roxas sighed heavily as his mother smiled at him with the tiniest hint of worry from the passenger seat.
They soon were passing by the city's famous arcane buildings decorated with strange, glitzy, futuristic design schemes from the glamorous past era that Zanarkand thrived during. Jecht's house was half a mile down the road from the strangest looking building in the town: something that looked like a cross between a cathedral, a night club, and a football stadium. Sure, Zanarkand was still a contemporary and commercially functioning town dotted with fast food restaurants, grocery stores, and the like, but with most of these places being run out of such avant garde buildings, it made even the local McDonald's seem like a themed night club from the exterior.
While Cid and Jecht made the transaction, Roxas tried to imagine what the place must have been like in its prime. He saw lights of every colour flashing advertisements for contemporary products as, for some reason, a really cute boy he imagined was strolling along fascinated by the town's grandeur. Roxas was so busy staring at the brunet angel that he didn't even realize that this boy actually was walking down the street 500 feet ahead of him with a taller silver-haired boy and a shorter red-haired girl trailing closely behind. His ears could just barely pick up the three of them discussing a Struggle tournament next Saturday…
"Ready, Roxas?"
His mother's sudden inquiry snapped Roxas out of his fantasy and made him stumble and almost fall as he had been gradually leaning to walk toward his brown-haired fantasy (whom he now realized was real). All of these converging factors caused Roxas's face to turn a deep shade of red, which was not helped by the image of Cloud silently laughing his ass off behind his father. Now thoroughly embarrassed, Roxas took the key from his father and thanked him.
Only after he had gotten inside his truck did Roxas notice the peculiar design of the key. It had a glossy black finish with a badass bat wing design around the handle and a small, blue plastic gem at the center of the base. A chain pattern ran up the center of the key, and instead of teeth, the key was smooth up to the end where there was an intricate-looking crown-shaped design. All in all, it looked like a tricked out skeleton key. Roxas checked the ignition and inserted the key; it fit like a charm. Wondering who was talented enough to make such a practical piece of art, Roxas started his truck, plugged his iPod into the auxiliary jack, selected "Sweet Talk" by Kito & Reija Lee, and drove back to Twilight Town with a smile on his face.