Big Girls Don't Cry - Chapter 1 - I Pray the Lord my Soul to Keep

Sora rang the doorbell to Kairi's house. Scratching the back of his head, he waited. He rang a second time, holding it down impatiently.

"Just a second! Hold your horses!" Sora could hear Kairi's voice through the open windows. A warm, summer breeze gently tousled his hair. A moment later the door opened, revealing Kairi with a sweatshirt on. With tightly clenched fists, she held the sleeves down. Her eyes were tainted pink and her eyelids drooped. Sora paused awkwardly.

"Uh...Kairi? You okay...?" He raised his brow in concern. Kairi smiled meekly and dismissed it quickly with a wave of her still-clenched hand.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry." The boy hesitated, unsure.

"Well...okay...if you're sure...." The duo began to walk down the path towards the beach. He shook his head and moved on, grinning. "So, you ready for the big competition today?" Kairi's expression suddenly became panic-stricken.

"Competition? What competition?" She asked eagerly.

"Kairi," Sora laughed as if she were joking. "The body surfing competition on the other end of the beach. We've been talking about it for weeks!" Kairi grew pale.

"Oh...uh...I," she stuttered. Folding her arms, she winced slightly. "I can't! I just remembered I ripped my suit so I can't wear it now. Yeah, I ripped my suit...." She laughed tensely. Sora cocked an eyebrow.

"What about your other one? The blue one?"

"Uh...I'm sick. So...if I go in the water...I'll get even sicker." Kairi didn't look him in the eye once. "Don't worry, I'll just watch you guys." She tugged lightly at her sleeves.

"Aren't you hot in that sweatshirt?"

"No! No, not at all! I'm fine, perfectly fine. It's a little chilly, you know." Sora just shook his head.

Kairi lied in her bed, staring out her open window. She tenderly ran her fingers over her exposed arm, feeling the rough, healing cuts. She sighed disappointedly.

"Why?" She whispered to herself. "What's wrong with me?" Hot tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. She ripped the pillow from beneath her head and hurled it against the wall. Sitting up, she drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face, her back heaving with rasp breaths between sobs. Kairi jerked herself up at the sound of a soft knock at her door.

"Yeah?" Kairi tried to contain her cracking voice.

"Kairi, honey? Are you alright?" Her mother's gently voice sounded through the door. Kairi attempted to level her voice.

"I'm...I'm fine, Mom." The door creaked open.

"What was that noise?" Kairi recoiled in the dark, not wanting her mother to see her blotchy cheeks and red eyes.

"Uh...nothing...I just fell out of my bed, that's all."

"Oh...you're not hurt, are you?"

"No, no. I'm fine. Go back to bed, Mom." The door finally closed, and Kairi heaved a sigh of relief. She laid back down on her bed, curling up in a fetal position. Her body shook. "Oh God, help me. I'm scared..." With her body still shaking, she climbed out of bed and onto her knees, pressing her hands together, and gasped a prayer in between silent sobs.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep,

To watch me safely through the night,

and wake me with the morning light."

Eh...yeah, a work in progress. I really have no idea where it's gonna go. Actually, no, I lied. I have some idea. ; Well...any suggestions, you should know what to do. ^_~

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters. There. Blah blah blah.

-=[Iwakura ~ JustCallMeEd@hotmail.com]=-