Chapter One
'I love the atmosphere on an island morning.'
That is what our young friend- fresh from college- was thinking at this exact moment. Waking up to the crisp, morning air, he sat up in his bed, scratching his blonde hair; it stuck up to all ends. Yawning, he draped his feet over the bed, feeling the cold wooden floorboards. He yawned and stretched some more, scratching his stomach softly. Blinking open his blue eyes, he looked at the small digital clock that stood in his apartment room:
6:25 pm
The blonde male smiled, looking outside. Some birds perched themselves on the near by palm trees that rested by the apartment-complex patio. Getting up quite lazily, he walked out the glass French doors and looked around. The beach spray was sent to his nostrils as well as the smells of home made breakfast. Lifting his head to the breeze, the male allowed the wind to grace his body, blowing in his open polio shirt; he shivered slightly, enjoying the breeze's crisp morning wake up call. The sun's rays soon warmed his light skin.
A small grumble emitted from our friend, causing him to look down upon his stomach.
I obviously need some breakfast…
Walking back to his room, he made a right to the bathroom- but not before he stopped and looked down at his cell phone; he was quite new to this town and would have no clue as to where he was going if he just high-tailed it out of the apartment.
Picking it up, he dialed a few numbers and waited till his friend would answer…hopefully.
…
"I'm coming!" a woman called, placing down some laundry that she was folding. Shuffling through all the clothes, she made her way to the phone and answered in a kind tone while looking at the caller I.D.
"Good morning Roxas- what's up?" she asked.
"Oh, hey Kairi," Roxas started, propping his feet up in the desk that was by his chair, "I was just wondering, where's a good place to get some really good breakfast?" He waited, hearing a laugh on the other line.
"Hmm…You know, some how I knew you would be asking me that…" she chuckled, looking out the window of her house; she quickly waved to the neighbors, seeing as they were on their morning walk.
"Where you want to go is Lemon or Lime- they serve an awesome breakfast; margaritas for free today. Only because it's Tuesday."
Roxas smiled at the thought of a lemon-lime based margarita- and the salt that adds that tangy flavor to it. He silently licked his lips.
"What kind of food do they serve there?" he asked, hoping they would have something in his interest. Kairi was about to answer when she started to yell.
"TAYLOR! Put that down!" Kairi yelled, making Roxas pull the phone from his ear. Placing the phone down, Kairi walked over to her five year old and snatched the shirt that he was chewing on.
"Taylor- that was a clean shirt; why were you chewing on it?" Kairi asked, palming her fore head. Where on earth did her child learn such behaviors? He only shrugged as if he didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about.
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and went back to the phone; Roxas was slightly snickering.
"What's so funny Roxas?" she asked, lifting a brow up.
"Having trouble with the kid?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice; Kairi just sighed.
"Well if Daddy was home today…" Kairi didn't finish the rest of her grumbles and went back to what they were previously talking about. "What I usually get is tea with scones- or you could do some waffles; you like waffles right?" Roxas had said yes and asked her to continue.
"Well Sora likes the Meat lover's omelet- personally- I find that gross. They have fruit pizza- and it's a wide variety. All from different parts of the world."
Nodding his head, Roxas got an idea of what he wanted.
"Thanks Kairi," he started, hearing a 'you're welcome' response. "I think I'll go try it out; it's open right?"
"Of course it is!" she answered, "It's open 'till 8 pm. Have fun Roxas."
"Yeah- bye."
…
Placing his phone in the charger again, he went to the white drawer and pulled on the brass knobs that held his contents of clothing. He pulled out a long sleeved shirt that had two navy blue lines running down the arms. Roxas had also pulled out some dark blue jeans that reached past his ankles; he brought out his blue plaid boxers and went to his closet to pull out a pair of white Addidas.
Putting all of the garments on the bed, he scanned them over for his approval. Making a slight face, he took back all the clothes to trade with a grey collared short-sleeved shirt, a white under shirt, dark grey jeans, a belt, and a pair of white VANS. Of course he also placed on his silver locket in which his mother had given to him; he simply wore it under his shirt to hide it-yes, he was a man wearing jewelry. ("Oh-so colored coordinated," Roxas chuckled to himself).
Whistling, he made it for the showers, not before spotting a couple on a morning walk. As Roxas removed his shirt, he intently watched as the man leaned in slightly and gave his love a kiss; she smiled back as she blushed a hue of red.
Roxas only sighed as he stripped off the rest of his clothes and hopped into the shower.
'I wish someone was with me, here, in this new place that is my home…'
…
"Wake up already!"
"…Ugh…not now…Selph-!"
Falling to the floor in a heap of sheets, a blonde woman fell out of her bed, trying to block out her friend's yelling. Oh why did she have to be so damn loud in the mornings? Emerging from the covers, she simply sat on the wood floor for a moment, pondering if she should go to work today; it's not like she had anything better to do today.
"New pastels…" she murmured to herself. She had seen these GORGEOUS pastels on sale this week. If she worked enough- which she had- she would have enough to afford the pastel set that would most please her.
Yawning, she sat up from the floor and un-wrapped herself from the bed sheets, looking at the closed window. After getting up, she reached up and pulled the blinds up, revealing the beach and boardwalk that was a three-block walk from her house window. Selphie was smart for buying a house by the ocean- and did I mention you could see the ocean from here? People were out early walking dogs, pushing strollers, the works. She sighed as she rested her elbows on the windowsill, watching two doves in a nest, nuzzling each other. Smiling, the blond imitated the calls the doves were making, making their heads turn to her.
She smiled again as they flew over to her, and sat on the roof by her windowsill. They were close enough for her to pet; to her surprise they let her gently touch the smooth tops of their small heads.
"You are such beautiful bir-"
"Namine get DOWN here!"
That instantly sent the doves flying in fear as Namine glared into the distance.
Turning around, Namine yelled at her open door "Just GO without me Selphie! I woke up late and I need time to freshen up!"
'Sheesh…'
"Oh!" Selphie yelled back. "Why didn't you just say so?" Namine heard clicks of her friend's heels as she was leaving the house. "Make sure to lock up- and eat something before you leave!"
"Ok! I got it!"
The front door closed as Namine sighed, looking back at were the doves once were; she simply closed her eyes.
'Oh if I could have a love of my own…' She slightly blushed at the thought of having a male for more then just a friend in her life; some one to love, hug, kiss and to share emotions with. If animals could make loving simple, couldn't she and the rest of the human populous?
"Well, what shall I wear today?" Namine asked herself sarcastically. Walking over towards her drawer, our female friend pulled out her work uniform that consisted of black heels, white tights, a blue skirt that went mid-thigh high, and a blue vest and white shirt; she rolled up the sleeves and buttoned up the black buttons so it wouldn't show off too much cleavage.
Her jewelry was a gold pendent with a diamond in the inside; she gave a grin at the sight of that necklace, quickly reminiscing about her grandmother who had gave it to her long past.
Looking over at the clock, it read:
6:32 a.m.
Namine mentally slapped herself as she groaned, picked up a white towel from her desk and proceeded to the bathroom for a fresh shower before she left.
As she leaped out of the steaming shower, Namine glanced back at the clock in her bathroom:
6:58 a.m.
'Oh…My GOD,' was the only thought that was racing in her head. 'If…If I'm late for work again- that means no paycheck!" Running a brush through her clean, rose smelling hair, Namine quickly lathered her body in lotion and wiped on deodorant, brushing her teeth at the same time. Placing on her undergarments, she poured herself a minty cup of mouthwash and started to slosh it around her mouth before the phone rang.
'Oh dang it!' she shouted in her head- since her mouth was full. Tilting her head back slightly, she picked up the phone and answered to the best of her capability.
"Namine…Please spit the mouthwash out," Selphie replied, shaking her head. After hearing her friend spit out the mouth rinse, she added, "Where the hell are you? Cid wanted you down here ASAP- we have a dining hall meeting this morning and ALL staff is on duty!"
"Well! Perfect time to tell me Selphie!" Namine exclaimed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. There was no way that she was going to get that paycheck…
'That means no pastels…' she wept to herself.
"Namine- did you hear what I just said or are you thinking about them pastels again?" Namine only sheepishly laughed as Selphie sighed. "Please Namine, get down here SOON?"
"Alright alrigh-!"
It seems that putting on tights with one hand while holding the phone in the other was not so smart of an idea for our friend, seeing as she fell flat on her face. Selphie only sighed as she said bye and hung up while Namine did the same. Recomposing herself, she slipped the remainder of the tights with ease, placed on the skirt and the vest top before placing on the jewelry. Slightly spinning in the mirror, she got one last look at herself. Nodding for approval, she applied on some lip balm before grabbing a small smoky blue messenger bag and swinging it over her right shoulder. And last but not least, Namine spritzed on a light rose body spray before walking out of her room, down to the kitchen to grab a cereal bar and out the back door and locked it.
…
Trains are the cross-country transport of antiquity and therefore are often perceived as romantic.
The train station is the place of life choices in the dream.
…
"Maybe if I take a train…" Namine pondered aloud to herself as she started to jog, avoiding the people who were walking, "I could get to work faster!" Smiling at the thought, she came to a halt and began to rifle around in her bag for some quick cash.
"Perfect!" She pulled out two one-dollar bills and held them tight in her fist while turning right and went to get in line for the tickets.
'God thisBETTERhurry up!' she whined aloud in her head, bouncing on her feet; it was getting later and her boss would be ROYALLY PISSED.
'Like always…'
…
As Roxas made his way onto the train, he made sure that he held very tight to his olive green messenger bag; it held…pretty much his very being in there. Looking at his cell phone, the clock read:
7:15
'Obviously the WRONG time to get on the train or something…'He thought to himself as more people crowed onto the train car.
'This MUST be the work rush.'
He was practically forced to stand and hold onto one of the rails; how that sucked cause everyone was all bunched up and what not. Thank God he wasn't claustrophobic. He watched as the last remainder of people got on the train while the other few had to wait for the next one. His head shot up immediately as he heard someone cry out-
"Wait! S-stop the train; I have to get on!"
His head turned several ways till he found the source. It seemed a young woman was pushing past the people and was trying to get on yet the guard was pushing her back. Her blonde hair was lightly swaying in the morning sea air while she tightly held onto her blue sling bag.
"Please sir! You have to let me on this train-"
"I'm sorry ma'am- it's full."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'IT'S FULL?' IT'S A TUESDAY FOR GOD'S SAKE!" As hard as she tried, she could not push herself between the guards to get in. Strangely, Roxas knew he had to do something to help- to just…
With out thinking, as the doors and the train started to move and close, Roxas stuck his arm out, snatched her wrist and yanked her as hard as he could onto the train before the door snapped shut on either of them, making the woman squeal slightly from fright. She seemed to lose balance as she fell onto him while his hands immediately went to brace her from falling.
Namine looked up, wondering as to whom in the high heaven would do such a thing. And clearly, God had sent her a blonde angel with soft tufts of hair that stuck up weird; his eyes were like hers, blue, and seemed more attentive and endless. His skin looked soft and his hands held her firmly to him so she wouldn't fall over again. Her face slightly flushed, making her glance down; but she glanced back up and…
Time must have seemed to stop…
Roxas could only see her, hear her breathing and her heartbeat- feel her, smell her scent of rose. Her hair looked smooth and soft and how he had a sudden urge to stroke it. Her eyes were a somewhat tired, soft blue that showed life.
"Uh…T-thank you..." Namine stammered, giving him a smile. As her eyes looked around, she could see all the people- crowed onto the train- staring at them.
'Oh lord...I bet I look like a real IDIOT…' Namine thought as she sighed and released her hold on the young man as he did so to her. Their eyes and bodies separated, looking out the windows and viewing the scenery. Roxas, on the other hand, turned his head to view the woman again, wondering to himself as to why. All he did was help her on the train…but…something seemed odd about her ('a precognition?' he wondered to himself).
Looking at her fully, her light blonde hair had that same effect on him, making him want to stroke her hair and let the strands dangle in his hands; he could remember the soft smell of rose on her light ivory skin and her soft pink lips. And her eyes…so vivid…His eyes started to trail down and up slightly, noticing the interesting choice of clothing she chose for today, which fit her petite body nicely.
Namine only sighed as she still held onto her bag. She would never get that art set and NOW she was going to be late to work for SURE. But…she wouldn't be as late because he pulled her in…into his nice, athletic chest. His scent lightly lingered on her clothes since they were so close and Namine could breathe it in every time she took a breath- what a romantic she was! A slight blush smeared her face, enhancing her features while thinking of how they shared a silent moment. Turning around to look around out of pure curiosity, Namine caught him glancing right at her while his eyes went up; her blush only grew as she quickly made eye contact with him and instantly turned her gaze away.
'Was…was he checking me out or something?' Namine thought, slightly hoping he was. Her heart started to flutter.
Roxas could see what he was doing and cleared his throat to explain himself.
"I…um…it's not…your uniform…" that's all poor Roxas could muster since Namine was making a confused face that was simply too cute.
Namine looked down at her own uniform and laughed, a slight pink shade forming over Roxas's face.
"This is my uniform; I work at a restaurant," she replied, looking at him with a smile. "And thank you for-"
A loud noise emitted from the train as it came to its destination and to a sudden halt, sending a few people forward, including Namine and Roxas. Both of them dropped their bags from the impact as Roxas caught Namine again, making her topple over Roxas as he caught her.
As Namine's eyes came open, she only met blue as she squealed from freight and jumped off of him.
"I…am SO sorry about that!" she said, bowing while most of the people were filtering out.
Roxas sat up and dusted off his pants, waving it off and saying "It's cool- I was the one who caught you…so…yeah…" He shyly smiled, as did Namine while both of them picked up a bag.
Namine gave a short wave before she left, letting her hair glow in the morning sun and trail behind her as she ran; Roxas stood statue still…
'She…she's gorgeous…' Roxas dreamily thought; he was snapped out of his revere as the doors almost closed on him while he tried to get out.
…
"Man this ocean's great!" Roxas sighed to himself as he yawned and stretched while he walked the boardwalk; the people were friendly, the air was calm- even the ANIMALS were nice. This was a nice place, a nice town…he could get used to nice.
'And she was a nice girl…' Roxas thought to himself. His eyes instantly grew wide; he shook his head to get rid of the angel he had encountered earlier. Why o WHY was she invading his personal thoughts?
'Just admit it!' a voice yelled in his head, 'You think she's amazingly beautiful and you want to see her again!'
He simply grumbled as he glared out at the blue sky. To take his mind off of…well other things, he looked into his bag to get out…
"A sketch book?" Roxas pondered, shifting around in there; since when did he have one of those? And since when did he ever draw? Wait….
"Wait a minute…" Roxas said to himself; his hands started to move things around; things that weren't his. Like lip gloss and pens, pencils and note books. Where was his film and cameras? Where were all his lenses and straps? This only came to one conclusion:
He had taken the WRONG bag. This bag was exactly like his- but only blue…
…
"Wait! S-stop the train; I have to get on!"
His head turned several ways till he found the source. It seemed a young woman was pushing past the people and was trying to get on- but the guard was pushing her back. Her blonde hair was lightly swaying in the morning sea air while she tightly held onto her blue bag-
A loud noise emitted from the train as it came to its destination, and to a sudden halt, sending a few people forward, including Namine and Roxas. Both of them dropped their bags from the impact as Roxas caught Namine again, making her topple over Roxas as he caught her.
As Namine's eyes came open, she only met blue as she squealed from freight and jumped off of him.
"I…am SO sorry about that!" she said, bowing while most of the people were filtering out.
Roxas sat up and dusted off his pants, waving it off and saying "It's cool- I was the one who caught you…so…yeah…" He shyly smiled, as did Namine while both of them picked up a bag.
…
OH. MY. GOD.
I TOOK HER BAG. I TOOK HER FUCKING BAG!
Roxas only sighed at the dumbest mistake in the HISTORY of dumb mistakes. Of ALL THE FUCKING DAYS IN THE WORLD he had to loose it today and his CAMERA was in there. His 625-munny camera was in THAT BAG that SHE WAS WEARING! And only God knows where she was now…
The distressed male groaned, shoving his hands into his pockets. Why did this HAVE to happen? Looking at the blue bag, a yellow nametag caught his eye. Taking it out of the see-through pocket, his fingers traced what could only be her name:
Namine Sasaki
'Namine…Sasaki…' Roxas pondered. What a very nice name. His eyes found out as to what her uniform went to and where he had to go to find her- and his bag:
Lemon or Lime:Waiter.