A/N: I am proud to say that this is the longest one-shot I have ever written! XD However, there's a lot that happens in this one-shot, so that's why. Besides, I've personally read gigantic one-shots longer than this one.
Disclaimer: I do not own KH.
Meeting up and Catching up
Listening to the psychology professor drone on and on about Freud's theories regarding the human conscious started boring Olette Lockwood. This was nothing like high school, she knew that for sure. Usually, back at her old high school with those familiar friends, she always paid attention to her teachers and had to help Hayner and Pence quite a bit with their homework. As of this moment, she struggled not to look out the window nearby that let in the sunshine. The mild fall weather here at the college she attended tempted her to get out of this building. Occasionally, red or orange leaves would gracefully descent from the pretty campus trees. Olette sighed dreamily as she regressed to an old habit of playing with her brunette pigtail. At nineteen years old, she still wore her wavy hair in pigtails, more than likely to preserve childhood innocence.
The professor talked more in-depth about ids and egos while she returned her focus to him and absentmindedly jotted down notes. She couldn't afford to fail the upcoming test after all. However, she was about to doze off by the time the bell rang, much to her relief. That was the end of her classes for the day. Sure, she had an essay to type up and overwhelming amounts of homework, but she could easily do that later. She wanted to take a walk about campus for a while just to collect her thoughts. After gathering her textbooks and notebooks to place them in her khaki tote bag, she quickly, eagerly walked out of the classroom. Grateful to escape the confines of the building, she promptly stepped outside through the double doors.
It was an unbelievably nice sunny day for early October, Olette thought cheerfully as she walked down the paved pathway that twisted and turned about campus. Finches and a couple of cardinals chirped happily. The grass was still green, though it would probably die after the first frost in a couple weeks or so. She couldn't help but smile at this pretty scenery all around her, thinking how it suited her. On her first day here, she was more than happy to see that the college and its surrounding campus looked every bit as beautiful as the pamphlet had shown.
However, the one thing that wasn't so perfect about this place, so ideal for intelligent students who attended, was that it was several miles away from home. Almost everyone else she knew currently attended college at the local community one back at her hometown. Placing her tote bag on her shoulder, she remembered why she wanted to go here in the first place.
Her hometown had left something to be desired, for it had always seemed too small for her liking, too dull. Churches could be found on every other block, and the only half-decent places to hang out was the local park, fast food restaurants, and convenience stores like the 7-11. Then again, she did long for the taste of a Slurpee every so often, preferably cherry Coke flavored. Of course, now that she lived in a dorm in a bigger city, she realized it had been her friends who made this place worthwhile. The kids she survived living in a dead-end town with. Olette sighed again, this time with a considerable lack of contentment. She missed them, though she e-mailed each of them once or twice a week (when she first moved here, she had done this every day). Still, it wasn't the same as talking to them face-to-face.
Apart from casual conversation about college life, movies, and even the news, she had no idea what they were really up to with their lives. Her life, meanwhile, was generally boring though a peaceful boredom. Passing some couples on the pathway, she peered over at them laughing and talking and even exchanging some kisses. For the first time since high school, she envied them for their careless bliss. But, college was the important thing at present, studying to become a psychologist with a possible fallback of photography. No guys would stand in the way of that. Heck, she hadn't even gone to the parties she had been invited to because of studying. She had her own life to lead.
As she reached the main entrance of the college, she decided to walk the three blocks to the local Barnes & Noble for book browsing. Before she could cross the busy street, though, a certain blonde caught up to her and panted from heavy running. Olette raised a hand in greeting to her best friend and dorm roommate. Namine Aiko had been accepted to the same, exact college as her, so she went out of her way to ensure that they would share the same dorm, too. At least one friend was with her in this sometimes suffocating city, serving as the home away from home in a way. If a person could be considered home.
"Hey," she greeted, still panting. "I thought you were going to get away from me."
"Away from here anyway," Olette replied pleasantly. "I'm going to the bookstore."
Namine sighed rather huffily. "Again? It's Friday afternoon! You should go to the movies, go to the mall—something!"
The two girls finally crossed the street after the pedestrian signal flickered on at the stoplight, and Olette couldn't help but be amused from hearing her friend's suggestions. Usually, Namine was a quiet, reserved type of person yet was a more social person than she was in some ways. Luckily, she made no objections to the brunette wanting to go to the bookstore, where they soon walked to in a few minutes. After all, Namine hardly minded visiting Barnes & Noble sometimes herself.
The familiar green carpet was very welcoming to Olette as well as the crisp, rewarding scent of new books whether paperback or hardback. No bookstore existed back where she lived only whatever was in the newsstands at the stores. Her mother used to constantly drag her away from reading the latest novel with the cliché, cheap plotline when she was younger. This left Olette feeling rather nostalgic.
"Oooh, Rolling Stone!" Namine's blue eyes sparkled at the sight of one of her favorite magazines. "I wonder what their latest reviews are."
The other girl shrugged, casually responding, "I'm sure I don't know. I think they can get a little picky sometimes. I'll be over at the classics section."
"You do that."
Rolling her green eyes playfully, Olette wandered over to her most adored section which contained only the best of nineteenth century literature and more. She had always felt a special connection to the classics, as though she could be transported to the Victorian era and the romance of it all.
Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, David Copperfield...all of her favorite books in this one section. Of course, she already owned copies of these fascinating stories, so she browsed the shelves to see if there was one she hadn't read. Being such a hapless bookworm gave Olette the tendency to lose herself in the excitement of wandering about the store. It was practically a second home for her, though she always controlled her spending urges by buying no more than two novels at a time. And they had to be cheap paperback, despite the fact it was so much easier to dog ear the covers. Holding the copy of Rolling Stone under her arm, Namine soon joined her and stared blankly at the books.
"As much as I love being here," the blonde started saying, "I'm not really in the mood today."
Olette grinned evilly. "Then too bad for you."
Exchanging glances with each other, Namine backed down once realizing that there was no arguing with her best friend the avid reader. To humor her, she picked up a book to look at its cover.
"Wuthering Heights? I've heard of it. Isn't it supposed to be depressing?"
Olette clicked her tongue. "Yes, but it's the ultimate gothic love story! Though I admit I thought Cathy was kind of unlikable at first. I thought it was a great read, though."
"So, what are you planning to get? Hopefully not anything depressing," Namine joked slightly.
"Hm, well, I've always wanted to read Emma. That one movie Clueless is based off it."
"I hate that movie."
Laughing under her breath, Olette nodded in agreement since she truly thought that movie wasn't for her. The book she contemplated buying was literally a different story, and she was confident it suited her tastes more. Jane Austen was one of her all-time favorite authors, naturally. Just as she nearly touched a paperback copy, she heard Namine gasp, which caused her to turn around almost too quickly.
"What is it?"
For, the blonde had started trembling. "Oh my God, I can't believe it. He's here!"
That was weird. Normally, Namine was calm and didn't resort to freaking out over a guy.
As for her friend's voice, it was usually soft and serene without it being raised at any given moment. She wasn't one to excite unless it was something important like a party at somebody's dorm. Or something more important than that.
Annoyed, Olette grabbed the book. "I thought someone was going to rob this place."
Grabbing her by the shoulders, Namine spun her around. "No, but this is awesome. Look over at the thrillers section. Now there's someone we haven't seen in forever."
Meantime, the brunette girl forced herself to blink several times in order to check that the guy in question had indeed shown up. That silver hair was unmistakable.
It was Riku Hayashi, one of her friends from back home.
All of a sudden, her heart pounded uncontrollably as her cheeks reddened a great deal.
To say the least, she felt odd about seeing him again, especially if him just hanging out at a bookstore could induce this type of reaction from her. Honestly, she had always seen Riku as a good friend and nothing more. Maybe she blushed because she knew of the ensuing awkward conversation to come. After all, she hadn't talked to him in over four months, not since graduation. Currently, he attended the community college back home where he planned to spend a couple years like everybody else. Considering the distance between his school and hers, Olette never imagined she would see him again. Like all of her friends, she expected to lose touch with him soon after college. It was the natural way of moving on from old friends, the whole drifting apart thing. She hated it but was fully aware that it had to happen someday.
She just wondered what the heck he was doing at a Barnes & Noble.
Impulsively, she ducked behind the shelf so he wouldn't notice her and hugged the book tightly against her chest. Like the bomb would go off at any minute. Her heart continued to pound loudly to the point that it was nearly deafening to hear. What if he assumed she was here? He would be right, of course, but that didn't mean she wanted to talk right now. At the very least, she wore a lavender blouse and a pair of attractive jeans. Even with that...
Namine impatiently pulled her to her feet. "Now that wasn't the reaction I was expecting. I thought you would run up to Riku and say hi. It's the least you could do."
"The least I could do is to avoid him," Olette replied, her voice rising to a shriller pitch.
Her blonde friend giggled from hearing this definite change in tone, because she obviously had good intuition regarding just what was going on in the brunette's mind.
Slyly smirking, she whispered in her ear, "You have a crush on him, don't you?"
"What? No! I...I don't think...There's no way I could..."
Throughout high school, Olette always considered herself to be immune to boys in general without feeling attracted to any one teenage boy. Maybe that was one of the main reasons she kept up with her studies so well, almost too well. She preferred to be just friends with guys, which was why she hung out with Hayner, Pence, and Roxas a lot. And she had known them enough to know they would never have made her feel uncomfortable by asking her out. Though Roxas had once, but he was with Namine now without complaining.
Riku, as much as she had enjoyed spending time with him all four years of high school, could never possibly be more than her friend. Besides, every girl had lusted after him, and because of this, he had dated quite a few of his many admirers. These relationships were never anything serious, and most lasted on the side of three or four weeks. Olette thought that if their relationship went beyond friendship, she would end up getting hurt. Though she wouldn't know. Riku usually didn't go for his female friends in terms of dating. For the present, she would at least try to hold a decent conversation with him. Finding out what was up with everyone else was way more important.
Pretending to forget what she said moments before, Namine suggested, "Let's just go talk with him anyway."
Olette nodded. "OK."
Wandering away from the classics section, they passed elderly women and a small family over at the kids' book section before reaching the one Riku browsed. In fact, he was reading a book before even buying it. Olette observed his teal eyes slowly moving as he skimmed the page, which he flipped then. He looked very intelligent and thoughtful, holding the paperback thriller in his hands like that. It was attractive to her, for she always valued smarts but didn't look down upon people less brainy than her. She couldn't exactly imagine Riku being much of a reader, though, because he seemed to prefer skateboarding during their high school years. Now, she knew that she entirely misjudged and therefore stereotyped. That thought embarrassed her.
She was about to consider walking off to the music area of the store, but Namine put that decision out of her hands. "Riku Hayashi, long time, no see!"
Glancing up from the book he had steadily read, the addressed teenager grinned almost dazzlingly (too dazzlingly, Olette thought) upon seeing two people from his hometown.
Without much more ado, he closed his book and replied, "Hey, Olette, Namine! It's been ages."
Namine immediately hugged their friend while Olette used every ounce of her restraint to hold back. If she had given him a hug of her own, she was afraid she would end up kissing him. And with Riku's track record, he never stayed single for long.
"Hey, Riku, how have you been?" she asked after clearing her throat several times.
He let go of Namine to look over at her next, and their eyes met and locked.
Suppressing the impulse to shiver at that moment, Olette found herself not looking away from those gorgeous blue-green eyes of his. They seemed to glow with this soft intensity she had never really noticed before. Time had stopped completely, and it was just those eyes gazing at her, trying to figure her out. She already felt too much exposed, so she promptly broke their contact.
"Fine," he finally managed to answer as he stuffed the hand that wasn't holding the book into the pocket of his navy hoodie. The hometown school logo along with the community college name was imprinted into the fabric. Last time she checked, Olette was sure that he hated their town, too. She wondered still further why the hoodie wasn't currently in the possession of a lucky co-ed yet. Perhaps he was still looking for the worthy girl.
She relaxed somewhat, now that the initial shock of encountering him at the bookstore had worn off. Quietly exchanging glances with Namine, she noticed the blonde slightly smirking at her.
"So," Olette continued as though nothing had happened. "What brings you here?"
Wearing an expression of pure indignation, Namine stomped her friend's foot in protest, which made the brunette practically wince from pain. Though she had a point. Maybe that question had unintentionally come off as rude.
Riku shrugged. "Well, I just thought it was time to catch up with you guys, see how things are going. That...and I figured I would find you at a bookstore."
Olette nearly flushed to the roots of her hair, rather embarrassed at this blunt response. She didn't know whether to be offended or amused.
Namine took it from there. "We haven't seen you in a while, so it's great to see you again. Anyway, no more stalling. How is everybody?"
Riku grinned again. "Great. The other day—or I guess it was night—Sora decided to throw a toga party at his house. It got a little insane."
"You don't usually associate just a little insane with Sora," Olette joked.
He laughed as did Namine. "True. So, at one point, Sora gets drunk off his ass with beer and manages to toilet paper his house. And Kairi helped to teach him a lesson."
Smiling fondly from hearing the story, Namine said, "She would do that. I bet her parents weren't too happy though."
"Then Axel and Demyx topped it all off by throwing Roxas into the pool. Don't worry, Namine"—at the particular girl's dropped jaw—"He's OK. Though since it's cooler back home than here, he did shiver quite a bit. I gave him cider to cheer him up, poor kid."
"And where were you during all this insanity?" Olette inquired of him, curious as to why he technically hadn't mentioned his involvement with the party. She only hoped he didn't get himself into stupid stunts like Roxas. Namine clicked her tongue and shook her head.
Riku leaned back against the shelf, folding his arms across his chest. "I was having conversations with the other partygoers like a civilized person. I didn't even wear a toga."
"Then who did?" Namine asked, forgetting her stern, almost maternal anger at her boyfriend.
Smirking in an amused way, the silver haired young man replied, "Hardly anybody, to be honest. Sora did—he was the one who called it a toga party. It was really college kids being college kids. He's just been watching too much Animal House. He's watched it way more often since our high school graduation. I believe...about twenty times now."
"That's what he gets for imitating what he watches," Olette pointed out.
"He's enthusiastic about being in college. Who isn't?"
"Hear, hear," Namine agreed with Riku before tacking on, "Any girls in your life by the way?"
Oh no, she knew her best friend asked that for her benefit. After all, Olette hadn't dated anyone before in her life.
Even with that fact, she doubted Riku would remotely consider her as a potential girlfriend, though Namine's intentions were harmless and well-meant. She was an intelligent girl, a reader, and frankly the last person anyone would want to go out with...in her opinion. And she chose not to think about love and relationships. Her mother once told her that if she kept acting the way she did about dating (the pessimistic attitude), she would remain single. Well, good. Bring on the solitude.
To her surprise, Riku chuckled while overexaggerating his eye rolling. "I swear that everyone asks that. Selphie's asked that, Xion's asked that, Kairi's asked that about a million times since school started...and now you, Namine? And I thought you were different."
"I am. It's Olette who is really curious about your dating status."
Olette swore her face would turn purple at any second. "She's joking, Riku."
The five foot five blonde stood to her full height, as though she could tower over her five foot seven friend. Reproachfully, she cast her friend a look that was bordering on the melodramatic side.
"I'm being perfectly serious here. So, Riku, what's your status?"
Appearing somewhat apprehensive about revealing something so personal, he wasted some time just glancing over at other customers. A man in a suit and tie had walked in and proceeded to ask the clerk about his reserved book in a crisp, business-like manner. He was obviously on edge.
Heaving a reluctant breath, Riku murmured, "Single."
"And not proud of it. Why? You can have your pick," Namine encouraged, beaming in her sunny, free-spirited young college co-ed way. Olette had seen that expression a million times.
Riku chuckled at the truth of her statement, though the laugh was rather forced as he shoved his hand deeper into his pocket. And his other hand, his right one, tightened on the book so hard. It was a cute display of insecurity, though Olette wondered how bad he had it.
His face then turned serious. "I'm just tired of doing the same ole, same ole with dating."
"Naturally, anyone like you would get tired of the high school sex god title," Olette cheekily joked before she opted to change subjects. "What book do you have?"
"Only the latest from Dean Koontz. And Olette?"
"Hm?" She raised an eyebrow, confused at the sudden change in topic yet again.
More confident than he had acted a minute ago, he grinned in that entrancing way of his, a grin that exuded warmth and kindness. When she thought about him, she usually associated those personality traits with him. She remembered how fake she wrongly assumed he was, how stuck-up. But, one day in freshman study hall changed her perception of him. Like that one fateful detention made those kids off The Breakfast Club change their minds about each other...if only for a while. In this case, with her and Riku, it had been far more permanent, a lasting effect. That one day in study hall hadn't come to nothing the next day or the next day or the next day after that. They had been friends from there on out, and Olette never considered the possibility of him being fake again.
However, she hardly expected him asking her, "How about I take you out tomorrow night?"
The world stopped again, only this time it hadn't been caused by her green eyes locking with his slightly bluer green ones. No, this was numbness of shock she was feeling, all the way down to her toes. It paralyzed her. With fear. Like she shuddered at the shadow of a suggestion of commitment. Maybe this was why she avoided high school dating.
To her deeper shock, she found herself murmuring, "OK."
Namine almost squealed, and that grin threatened to break her face apart. Really, the general support from a best friend could cause something like this to happen. Olette didn't know whether to be flattered or disturbed. She instantly recalled the music video for Soundgarden's classic '90's song. "Black Hole Sun", she remembered, she saw that video on TV a couple times before.
Once she envisioned those creepy people with the smiles even wider and more grotesque than Namine's, she spaced out. She would have lost herself in watching those clownish creeps grin in her mind (and God, how she hated clowns), but Namine tugged at her arm gleefully. Which was weird, because Ms. Usually Demure Artist Girl Who Listens to The White Album Nine Times a Day wasn't the touch-feely type.
Nor was she this hyper until now, when she gushed, "It's great that my two friends are going on a date!"
"It's not a date, really. I just...kind of...want her to show me around the city," Riku said haltingly.
Of course, that was all she could be useful for: Olette the Friend, Olette the Tour Guide...
Bitter thoughts like those could go to hell, she reprimanded herself to also cheer herself up. Why would she want a date with Riku? They were friends. Friends tended to not go out with other friends, because the break-up could ruin everything. It was common knowledge, something that didn't need a book to know. And she doubted she wanted the excess awkwardness. Maybe this was a benefit instead of a setback. Apparently, Namine didn't share those sentiments.
Her creepy grin faded to a more in-character smile of hers. "Well, whatever you call it, you two need to catch up. As for me, I think college is boring for the most part. Just like high school, only a little better. Still drama though, but you know. Well, Olette, let's go."
Staring into Riku's unbelievably beautiful eyes one last time, she waved. "Bye."
"Yeah, later. See you tomorrow night at seven, OK?"
Soon, the two best friends parted ways with their handsome silver-haired friend. Olette wanted it to be strictly friendship anyway.
"Namine, no, don't! As your best friend, I have to tell you not to force me into things like this. He said it wasn't a date. Get it through your head! And stop this torture!"
A couple of thirty-something women near the two girls gave them strange looks. Olette was OK with that, since she had quickly gotten used to it. High school idiots could be mean to anyone who happened to walk by, and she had been no exception in those days. However, those days had come and gone too fast to the present. Currently, Namine dragged her about the ladies' department at a JC Penny's, insisting that Olette try this, try that, try every casual dress in the flippin' store to pick out the perfect one. She could barely recall the last time the blonde was this excitable. Except maybe the time Roxas first asked her out and the following first date. But, that was a long time ago.
Now that she thought about it, though, she honestly never saw Namine this excited before, so enthusiastic to be alive. If only this pointless shopping hadn't been the cause.
"Come on, Olette, you're just shopping, not dead. And did you honestly think that Riku, being male and all, would say it was a date?" she asked, throwing back her blond hair somewhat impatiently.
Olette sighed. "Good point. Still, I don't need a dress for—"
"Don't need a dress?" Namine looked scandalized. "That's like saying you don't need make-up, too."
"Actually..."
"Don't get me started. Besides, I know you must be nervous, but you underestimate my abilities."
Olette felt rather dubious at this comment as she followed her best friend about the department, not wanting to be dragged again. This late afternoon was already stressful enough without being prey to Namine's incurable (at this point) enthusiasm. And then she concluded that maybe the blonde artist was only overjoyed that she managed to land a very first date. Once they sidled past the thirty-something women (who now stared at them sourly, most likely jealous of them and their youthful beauty), they stopped at yet another rack of dresses. Standing off to the side, Olette could only helplessly watch while Namine greedily continued the quest for the perfect dress. Her blue eyes gleamed, and she took out a spring green one that wasn't too ugly.
She grinned. "This...is...perfect! Olette, this one will bring out the color of your eyes."
Admittedly, Olette thought after inspecting this casual dress that dropped down barely past her knees that it looked extremely attractive. The neckline didn't plunge too low—that was the main thing. She absolutely despised ridiculously low V-necks. She wanted to appear elegant, not trashy. Without even trying it on, she knew this dress could provide that and more. Even though she really didn't care all that much for green in general. With Namine fervently insisting she try it on, she stepped into one of the stalls in the changing room to see how it fit her. Her jaw dropped. No way was she this pretty in real life! It had to be some sort of dream or hallucination for it to be that good on her. She suddenly had curves she didn't even know she had along with eyes that truly never looked greener. She was impressed.
The girl staring back at her in the mirror seemed to approve of this dress too, judging by the almost goofy grin that was on her face. Satisfied, Olette walked out of the changing room to hear Namine's praise...or critique. But, fortunately, her best friend gushed over how the dress looked on her. Perhaps she had underestimated her fashion expertise.
"See? What'd I tell you? Perfect, absolutely amazing! But, something's wrong with this picture."
Aware that something sank to her stomach, Olette groaned, "What?"
With that determined, you're-going-to-see-things-my-way expression on her face that never boded well, Namine marched up to her and forcibly pulled out her yellow scrunchies.
The pigtails were gone, and now Olette's brown hair was probably the worst tangled mess in the world. She winced, for Namine had tugged her hair a little too hard.
"Um...ow. Namine, why should I even lose the pigtails? I thought they'd look good."
"You'll get over it. And Olette, you'll thank me one day. I don't mean to be this brutally honest, but you're not in kindergarten any more. It's time to look it."
Olette slapped her forehead. "You sound like someone off one of those makeover shows."
Taking this as a compliment, Namine beamed like sunshine. "I love makeovers!"
She proceeded to lead the brunette back toward the changing room to see her hair without pigtails. Surprisingly, Olette realized her hair was naturally wavy and that it would look almost...beautiful by the time her not-date with Riku began. If anything, she liked this style. Before they left JC Penny's, she thanked her for the help. Namine insisted it was no trouble.
Upon staring at herself in the mirror again, Olette could barely recognize the reflection girl on the other side. She wore some mascara, blush, and peach eye shadow for the make-up on her face. That dress that actually looked good on her despite it being green had seemingly cast a magic spell upon her body. Mainly the curves—though that didn't stop her from feeling naked. For some reason she could barely understand, she didn't mind the old comforts of a hoodie and jeans for once. For shoes, she managed to find a pair of green (Emerald City green) flats to match the short-sleeved dress.
As for her brown hair...Letting it fall to her shoulders in natural waves was probably one of Namine's brightest ideas yet. And her best friend had come up with many before, being an A student. She nodded at her reflection, acknowledging she could be pretty once in a while.
Once she completed her self-inspection (hopefully, Riku would notice her as a young woman instead of Olette the Friend), Olette proceeded to emerge from the dorm bathroom. In the mean time, her friend since kindergarten dully typed away on her laptop. Whatever her assignment was, she was loathing every second of it. Upon glimpsing the smart brunette out of the corner of her eye, she smiled brightly and put the laptop aside.
"You look great, Lette! And I'm serious about that. Riku will want to do more than talk to you."
Olette blushed. "The makeover was your idea. I owe it to you."
"No prob. Well, have fun, while I'm stuck here doing English homework. Who knew college grammar could be so hard?"
At that, the brunette grinned cheekily. "For once, I'm actually glad I'm not the one doing homework."
She had finished her homework (or at least part of it) just last night. Currently, Namine stuck her tongue out at her, much to her personal amusement, before giving a brief wave.
"Less talking, more making out with Riku. Aight?"
"OK...in your fictional fantasy land," Olette muttered under her breath, heading out the door with her brown leather purse in tow. After all, since she knew the bigger city well enough, she felt she might need to pay for the food and other expenses. She couldn't expect Riku to do it; he was the guest who needed a break from college life. Honestly, she doubted being stuck at a community college back home soothed his restless spirits. As long as she had known him, she was fairly aware that he always liked adventure, never staying in one place. That probably applied to his past relationships.
Walking toward the main entrance of the college for the second time in two days, Olette quickly realized the hard way how nervous she had become. Her hands started shaking badly, not to mention the disgustingly warm sweat forming on her palms. She had to smooth her dress to distract herself and reassure herself that this was a not-date with a friend from home. The least she could do was to avoid looking nervous around him in any way. She had no feelings for him (she reminded herself repeatedly), and he definitely wouldn't have strong feelings for her. The anxiety must have made her lose her train of thought. Hopefully, that wouldn't happen during conversations tonight.
When Olette saw Riku, who wore jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black leather jacket, she felt extremely overdressed. Maybe they were going to a McDonald's.
"Idiot," she chided herself under her breath and therefore continuing her harsh self-deprecation. "You don't wear a dress at McDonald's. You get laughed at for that. And what will he think?"
Not like she should care. Riku was just a friend, but he would never try to put her down in any way whether through taunting or other sadistic methods. So, Olette took a deep breath before heading the rest of the way toward where he stood, hands once again in pockets.
He started to smile at her as soon as he noticed her coming up the pathway, but this smile soon faded. His beautiful, almost too agonizingly gorgeous blue-green eyes softened, taking in every detail of what she looked like. And his mouth was slightly agape, probably with sped-up breathing.
For some reason, Olette liked the way he stared at her, almost as though he thought she was pretty. That kind of positive attention drastically lifted her spirits. She knew she didn't need the good opinion of a guy to make her feel great (as sensible as she was), but it certainly helped. She grinned at him.
Seeming to wake up from a dream, Riku cleared his throat. "Um...wow, Olette. You look pretty good—great, in fact."
"Thanks, you look great yourself. Like James Dean or something."
He chuckled. "Not quite. Anyway, I know this awesome place. It's near the hotel I'm staying at. It's about three blocks or so. Let's go."
"At least it's not McDonald's." Olette could barely contain her relief at not being overdressed.
Sure enough, hardly any time passed in the two of them walking to the restaurant Riku thought was amazing. Along the way, they talked about each other's lives over the past few days, basically nothing worth mentioning. But, it was just companionable chatter to break the ice. Olette actually appreciated this, walking beside Riku and sharing her thoughts. Like of college in general and even Namine's descriptions of the parties she went to.
"Namine? A party girl? You got to be kidding," Riku told her, amused that their formerly shy friend liked mingling with all sorts of people now. This was brought up when they were mere steps away from the restaurant.
Olette smiled while shaking her head. "She wants to be more social. She's sure come a long way."
If somebody had told her five years ago that the shy artist drawing in the corner would gradually become more outgoing, she wouldn't have believed them. She was proud of her best friend for coming such a long way. Now, dinner would be at that pretty little restaurant she saw out of the corner of her eye. It looked like an outdoor/indoor place with tables and chairs off to the side by the entrance door. Since fall had almost been unseasonably mild, people still occupied quite a few of the outside chairs. Riku, meantime, scanned the area for any empty spots.
"There's a couple chairs over here," he pointed out before they took their seats at an unoccupied table.
A waitress (about twenty-two years old and eyeing Riku in a way Olette thoroughly disliked) took their orders before sauntering away. The brunette subtly gave her a dirty look and then shrugged. Once again, they talked lightly about relatively impersonal things such as future movie releases, television shows, and the like. However, since service at the restaurant was very excellent, they received their orders in twenty minutes. Olette's order consisted of jumbo shrimp with a Caesar salad on the side and a cherry Coke as a beverage. Riku opted for a simple Philly cheesesteak with his drink of Dr. Pepper. As he took a sip from his medium-sized glass, he peeked over it at her food. He smirked jokingly.
"What is it with you chicks and salad?" he asked.
She looked up, returning his smirk. "I like to be healthy. Anything wrong with that?"
Riku shook his head to tell her that he honestly was joking before returning to his meal. Wanting to take fun revenge, she decided to find something "wrong" with his dinner.
"So, that's all you're having for dinner? A sandwich? Why don't they just call it a Philly cheesesteak sandwich? The plain cheesesteak's just misleading."
He shrugged. "Dunno. 'Sides, I ordered a pizza earlier."
They stared at each other for a minute before they burst out laughing for apparently no random reason. Olette assumed it was only the fact they enjoyed each other's company. But, she also noticed there was a certain glint in Riku's eyes when he laughed. Those same pretty eyes looked like they smiled along with his soft looking lips. Turning her head away, she blushed.
And making sure to quickly change the subject as well, she asked him, "So, how are Hayner and Pence doing, Riku?"
He frowned slightly, and she wondered why her question could warrant such a reaction. Maybe he was thinking. Or, worse, he possibly suspected her of having a long-distance relationship with either of them. That was virtually impossible. The way she acted so reserved about dating, she was unobtainable. Besides, her parents were divorced, and this contributed to her fear of commitment.
Finally, he replied, "They're fine. Hayner keeps insisting he'll be a BMX rider."
"Still not giving up the dream he's had since twelve, huh?" She giggled at the thought.
Relaxing visibly with his shoulders less tensed up, Riku nodded as he shrugged off his black leather jacket. "Nope, not at all. Though he said he's considering being a cop or something. Pence is into photography, obviously. He's got great computer skills, too. My bet is he'll probably be the next Bill Gates."
"And take over the world too, no doubt. Hm, I wonder if they offer dessert by now."
"Yeah, usually. I'm craving chocolate desperately. Plus, we still have our menus."
"Yeah..."
The conversation had taken an awkward turn, not that Olette wanted it to turn out in that manner. Riku was one of the closer friends she had who she felt like she could talk to about everything. Why then was this suddenly uncomfortable? She started tucking her hair behind her ear.
Hair playing—the worst thing she could do at a time like this. It was one of her most favored and most often used nervous habits. As her fingers restlessly combed through it, she saw Riku's jaw drop open for the second time that night. She retracted her hand, embarrassed.
"You're not wearing your pigtails," he murmured. "I just noticed that."
Olette smiled wryly, grateful that a different waitress walked toward their table. "Namine insisted."
"Well...um...I like it. It looks good on you. Oh."
The waitress stopped to ask if they'd like anything more, and Riku replied they would both share the chocolate cake. Without flirting (thank goodness), the waitress soon left them to their devices.
Twiddling her thumbs, Olette asked, "So...how is Xion doing?"
After pondering last night before bed, which was never a healthy thing for her to do in the first place, she speculated on the girls Riku would want possibly. Xion was a more than likely candidate, what with her punk rocker chick image. Olette thought herself to be on the ordinary side in comparison. Despite her smarts and that she had been top of her class, the adjective she would use to describe herself was average. Did Riku want someone boring? Not like he was potential boyfriend material in the first place anyway. She was only speculating after all.
"Good. Crazy as ever but otherwise OK. She hasn't burnt down the college yet."
They smiled and almost disregarded the rather large chocolate cake being set down between them.
For the better part of an hour, Olette inadvertently had had her eyes transfixed on Riku. But, when that bit of chocolate heaven descended on the table, she gazed at it longingly. It smelled freshly baked, what with the aroma drifting toward her nostrils. She breathed it in, her mouth watering to the point she was in danger of publicly drooling. And she had enough dignity to shudder at the thought. Still...what a masterpiece of a cake.
"Oh my God...Oh, it smells so chocolately and delicious and...oh yeah..."
Riku chuckled yet again, spinning his fork idly. "I had no idea cake could make you this excited. Then again, Sora would be worse. He'd probably shove the whole thing in his mouth."
"Well, I'm about there," Olette commented spiritedly, her eyes daring him to question her love for chocolate.
"We're supposed to share, you know. Do you have any memory of preschool at all?"
As she cut herself a good-sized portion in order to pretend she didn't hear what he was implying, she said airily, "Nope. Though I think I learned the concept of 'mine' pretty well. You know, me being an only child and all."
"Just save some cake for me," he told her but cut his own slice whether it would be her say on that matter or not.
It was safe to say that the cake tasted as enticing as it smelled, and the two teenagers managed to get in seconds. However, just as they prepared to take their knives to the dessert again, Olette felt Riku's hand brush hers. Shocked at the contact, she immediately dropped her fork. She didn't understand it. While messing around with Riku in high school, she swatted his hand while ignoring the touch.
The one question she needed an answer to was why was his touch so warm and too comfortable, too familiar? It felt like she held his hand many times before and pretty much all her life. Squirming in her chair slightly, she nibbled on her second slice of cake to distract herself from what happened. Riku gave her a concerned glance, but she assured him everything was all right.
"OK," he said, finishing off his slice in only four bites. "If that's the case...So, you're single too, I'm guessing?"
Olette laughed nervously. "Where the hell did that come from?"
"Oh, you know...I was just thinking Namine purposely set us up."
Practically choking on the bit of cake she put in her mouth, she dependently took the last few gulps of her cherry Coke. Of course, it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to her. Namine hadn't been exactly subtle in declaring Olette's dating status as single. However, the blonde failed to figure out that she, the sensible one, remained single to love the feeling. Being by oneself was vastly underrated. Everyone always had to rely on other people. They didn't know how vulnerable that left them. No idea.
So, it shocked her to hear herself say in a tone of regret, "Yeah, I'm single. And yes, Namine probably set us up. She's been trying to get me to date for years."
"Why haven't you dated before ton—I mean, back then?" Riku asked softly.
Olette's hair playing got drastically worse, for her hands would shake if she didn't tug at something.
She absolutely humiliated herself right there in front of him! Why couldn't she have just lied and said she had plenty of experience with relationships? Oh, that's right—she was horrible at lying. Even Riku's best friend Sora saw through her half the time. It was as though her mind was made entirely of glass or something.
Staring too long at her cake slice, she mumbled, "Just never got around to it."
"Come on, tell me what it really was. I won't laugh, I swear."
Olette searched the depths of his eyes to see if he was telling the truth. He looked really sincere about what he said. He had also pushed aside his plate, ready to listen. Most other guys (well, at least Hayner, Pence, and sometimes Roxas) would tune her out every now and then. But not him.
She finished off her cake before replying, "I guess I'm just scared. You hear about all these dating nightmares and what might happen if they break up with somebody. And I never was the type asking to get my heart broken. I focused on being valedictorian. That's it. No prom, no dating—nothing. My parents are divorced, too. That might have something to do with it."
Riku nodded in agreement. "It might. But, not every relationship has to be that bad. Nothing wrong with holding off until college either."
"Like you would know," Olette said half-playfully. "Reigning sex god of the school all four years, always on dates and never single for long. You even went to prom."
He smiled wryly at that just as the waitress from ten minutes earlier gave him the check. "Well, that was because Wakka was dumb enough to dump Selphie at the last minute. I thought she deserved the prom experience, so I went with her."
"Pretty noble."
"Nah, I was just helping her out. And as for all those girls, they didn't really mean anything. They just wanted to brag they went out with me. I think I was too easy. Not like I had sex, but I was still easy."
Olette subconsciously reached inside her purse for her wallet. "Never a good idea."
"Nope. Hey, let me pay the check. I took you out."
"Mmm-mmm." She shook her head with a half-smile. "You're my guest. Plus, it's the 21st century."
Refusing to take no for an answer, though, Riku dug a handful of dollar bills out of his pocket along with two quarters. "Well, it was my idea in the first place, Lette. So, shut your mouth while I pay the check."
"Fine, boss man."
He smirked roguishly at her. "I'm not a boss. The music store back home pays well."
"It does? I thought those were becoming a thing of the past."
"Not if this one also sells DVDs and X-Box 360 games among other things."
Olette nodded her approval. "Good merchandise. I never really went there myself."
"Yeah, everyone has iPods and maybe iPhones now. Is 50¢ a good enough tip?"
Assuring him it was probably the perfect tip, she followed him away from the restaurant after he laid down the money. The night looked perfect and romantic with the gem-like stars sparkling in the dark blue velvet sky. Basically, it had been the ideal night for their date—Olette thought it appropriate to call it a date now. She could tell that even Riku had been about to call it that. Though she could barely believe this, considering how long they had been friends. Especially since a girl would always claim him at any given moment while most of the other boys in her grade ignored her. Kept back in the shadows, she pored over a textbook to study for the latest test. Had her life been this hollow for that long?
Maybe not—she had befriended other kids when she wasn't burying her nose in a book. But, even they had real social lives, so they left her once in a while. Anyway, he had constantly belonged to another girl, only without his requited heart. Could she win his love?
To her dismay, she realized the later the time, the chillier the temperature had become. And she stupidly forgot to take along a jacket or sweatshirt. Groaning out loud at her thoughtless stupidity, she shivered with the slight cold. Riku noticed.
"Here." He held out his leather jacket toward her. "You can't hide things from me, you know."
She childishly stuck out her tongue. "I doubt it. Besides, you might need it."
"I don't. I'm a man. We don't get cold."
Giggling and rolling her green eyes, Olette replied, "Suit yourself," but gratefully grabbed the jacket.
As she slipped it on, it nearly went down past her waist. The height difference obviously factored into that, since Riku had a good four inches on her. But, she loved the soft lining of the black leather jacket. It was warm, comfortable, and kept her insulated. What she adored most about it was that it contained vestiges of Riku's scent. There were traces of cologne that weren't too overpowering along with another different smell that was simply Riku. She sighed out of satisfaction before shrugging it further on. He grinned at her.
"You look like a rock star in that jacket. I'm telling you, it looks good on you," he complimented.
"No, I just look like the rock star's girlfriend who's wearing his jacket."
They both laughed at her joke, but Olette thought she saw a tinge of color on his cheeks.
"So, what are you planning to do as a career?" she asked him, wanting to change the subject to make him feel less awkward. Sure enough, that light pink on his face faded.
"Hm...Well, I was thinking of becoming a graphic arts designer. Like with T-shirts and stuff."
She smiled at him as they stopped at a "no walking pedestrians" traffic signal. "To supply a new generation of skaters?"
"Probably, and I could go further with that, you know. What about you? What are you planning to do through taxes until death?"
"Psychology, maybe photography."
He murmured, "Photography...So you do have an artsy side after all. I like that."
However, Olette leaned more toward becoming a shrink than snapping pictures of landscapes or people. Maybe Riku preferred not to accept that side of her. He long accepted her, though, so maybe she was just being paranoid.
"Yeah, sort of. I'm more than likely to be a shrink, though."
"That's not so bad. Actually, you'd be perfect for that job. Heck, you're capable of anything."
Admittedly, it felt really nice that there was someone else besides her family and best friend who believed she could do anything she set her mind to. From the way Riku talked, he had complete confidence in her. Not like she lacked it. It was genuinely sweet of him to say that.
She amicably chatted with him some more, ensuring to walk as slow as possible back to the college. Leaving him would be the worst part of the night, because he probably would have to go home tomorrow.
When they did arrive at the main entrance, time hadn't passed slowly enough but instead way too fast. Talking with Riku was unlike conversing with any other friend of hers. She hardly remembered the last time she enjoyed his company this much. There had to be something more.
"Hope you had a good time, Olette," she heard him comment, and a warm hand larger than hers slipped into her hand. Their fingers interlocked. She loved this feeling.
"I did. Did you?"
"Yeah, 'course I did. I got to hang out with you. It's been forever."
Lightly, she squeezed his hand. "I know it has. I was very happy to see you again."
And she knew that was the truest thing she had said tonight.
Looking toward him, she saw those bright blue-green eyes soften, and his grin was as white and sincerely happy as ever. Suddenly, he placed his other hand on her waist and started dancing with her on campus. As he spun her about, Olette soon laughed uncontrollably at his antics. This was the most random, spontaneous thing that happened to her this far in the date. And he impressed her with his graceful moves.
"What are you doing, Riku?" Olette inquired of him, holding his strong shoulders.
He slowly moved her closer to him. "Dancing with you. What's a date without dancing?"
"Good point...but this is so random!"
Riku then guided her down the pathway, still in a graceful dancing style. Not bad for someone who most likely never took lessons in his whole life, she thought. His touch seemed to set her body on fire and made her pull off her own moves.
He replied, smiling brightly, "Life is random. Why not make the most of it? Besides, dancing with you has to be the best ending to the date. Don't you think? Leading you through these moves..."
It almost came out of left field, but he went the extra mile by dipping her as low as possible to the point her head practically touched the ground. Her eyes widened out of slight shock that she had been dipped so abruptly. Riku sure knew how to surprise her.
Leaning down toward her, she noticed his moonlit silver bangs nearly cover his eyes as he whispered gently, "And I'd never let you fall."
He was so close to her that Olette heard him breathing somewhat faster than usual. Who knew dancing could be an aerobic exercise? However, they were both close to each other. She could barely get that through her head as she felt her cheeks get hot. Her whole body had been lit on fire, so it seemed. She reached out her hands to touch that beautiful silver hair, and he let her. She started to like this proximity, though unfortunately, he lifted her to her feet. At the same time, they both sighed while looking into each other's eyes and holding that gaze, like at Barnes & Noble. Liking the silky strands of his hair that the barely streaming moonlight accentuated, Olette continued to stroke it. There was something between them that she never realized before. It was incredible chemistry.
"What a date, huh?" she asked while awkwardly laughing.
Riku only gripped her hand tighter and leaned in close again like with the exquisite dip he performed with her. No one had witnessed it, though, they weren't on stage. They were two people nearly out of their teens, hanging out at a college campus and falling in...
He subtly gasped, his blue-green eyes widening from an amazing revelation he just had. The girl he held in his arms...She was different from all the others he had gone with. In fact, Olette Lockwood had always stood out. And throughout high school, he truly liked her, maybe more.
His breathing coming out nervously, he told her, "I...I think I'm in love with you."
Olette shivered, this time excited, as she felt her whole body tingle.
Seeing her shake like that caused Riku to adjust his jacket on her, which caused her to shake somewhat. "Cold?"
"No, not at all. I...You really mean it?"
Her green eyes shone while she smiled hopefully up at him. After all this time, she should have known how deep her feelings were for him. When she studied at school, he would drop in to chat with her at the library there. It seemed like he was always there whenever she wanted him.
His face completely serious, Riku said, "Yes. I mean it."
"I love you, too. Or, at the very least, I could see myself falling in love with you."
She closed the little distance between them by embracing him tightly. Stiffening at first, he gradually wrapped his arms around her, too. Olette sighed happily and loved how safe she felt with him this close.
Once they finished hugging, she stepped back to see his facial expression. He was as handsome as ever, his blue-green eyes smoldering with a sort of passion she hadn't seen before.
He smiled softly at her, the smile reaching his eyes. "You feel that way, too. There can't be any other girl. That's why I've been single. I've been waiting for you."
"You can't be serious."
"Lette," he whispered, taking some of her hair and smelled the sweet perfume of strawberry scented shampoo. "I don't think I've been this serious about a girl before. Get used to it."
Riku cupped her face with his hands, warmly and kindly staring at her before slowly...so slowly...starting to kiss her lips.
His hands moved through her hair, descending toward her back. All the while, he kissed her softly to not pressure her into anything. He was undeniably sweet, and Olette soon found herself caught. Caught in a way that probably meant she was in love—she didn't mind this feeling that had such an identifiable name now. Regretfully, she finished her first kiss ever, the first one with him, and she touched his face as well.
"You're amazing. It's too bad that...that you have to go tomorrow."
His smile faded somewhat but was still there. "I'll e-mail you. Every day. I promise."
"You better," Olette retorted, making him chuckle appreciatively.
Giving her one slightly more lasting kiss to her forehead, he told her, "I love you. You think I would just forget about you like that?"
"Well, no. Just don't date for a long, looong time—at least don't date other girls."
Riku grinned. "You have my word on that. I've dated too many of them in high school anyway. I'm trying to grow up now."
"We'll see how that works." Olette smirked.
They stood there in silence for a while before he assured her more seriously, "I'll come back as soon as I can. OK? Tell Nam I said bye. And as for you..."
"Just say 'later.' Please?"
Riku waved at her as he started walking away. "K, later. By the way, keep the jacket. I won't need it any more anyway."
With that, Olette was on her way back to the college, where she would comfortably go to bed early and dream about a guy who she might call her boyfriend. Namine had been right in setting them up. Their date had been truly magical, full of wonders she hadn't dared to anticipate. She thought for a minute she lived another girl's life. But, thankfully, she was living her own. After all, she had the jacket as proof. She was here in the now, ready to make the most of life as Riku said.
And now she couldn't wait to spill all the details to Namine.
A/N: I really like this pairing. Other people might find it weird, but I just got randomly addicted to this pairing a while back. I don't know, something about how cracky it is, I guess.
Well, if you guys want to review, please do so. That's all I can say about that. Besides, I can't type too much more, because my computer is overwhelmed from this much text. XD