Sora
I couldn't believe school was starting again. I mean seriously, where did the summer go? It felt like just yesterday had been the last day of sophomore year, a blink of the eye and bam! Junior year had begun. I slammed my fist on the snooze button of my obnoxious alarm clock and sat up. I blinked my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the sun light seeping through the blinds of my window. My room was an absolute mess. I hadn't cleaned it since the summer started. There were ice cream sticks lining the edges of my room. Clothes and shoes covered what had once been a beige carpet. Some of the clothes weren't even mine. Some belonged to my cousin Roxas, who had just moved in with me and my mom shortly after the vacation had started.
As I literally rolled out of bed, I was startled when my foot made contact with a sharp piece of glass. I groaned as the pain from the razor sharp edge broke through the skin. I looked down and a different kind of pain spread through my body. I had forgotten the argument I'd had with my girlfriend, Kairi, the day before. She was beyond ticked. She had smashed the picture I had of me and her on my floor and stormed out. I ran my fingers through my uncontrollable spikes and sighed as I recalled what had happened.
---
"Sora!" Kairi screamed. "I am so sick of your excuses!"
I blinked stupidly, not knowing what to say in retort. Kairi's face was so red with anger, it was almost comical, though I knew better than to laugh.
"Just calm down!" I shouted at her. It was embarrassing that she had to make a scene in my own house. I knew my mom and Roxas were in the kitchen listening to the whole thing.
"No Sora, I will not 'calm down'! All I want is a straight answer from you! It's a simple yes or no question, but you keep side stepping it!" Hot tears were streaming down her face at this point. She picked up the picture we'd had taken at the Destiny Islands carnival for our one year anniversary and stared at it, letting out a sob.
I wanted nothing than to make her feel better at this point. Just so she would stop making a scene. But I just stood there stupidly, putting a hand behind my head.
"Sora," Kairi asked, not raising her voice to an extreme level this time. "Did you kiss Ollette?" I stared back into her violet eyes. I couldn't believe she was bringing that up again. I loved Kairi; there was no doubt about it. I couldn't believe that she was always thinking I was cheating on her. I stared, dumbfounded. Now my blood started to boil.
"Seriously, Kai!?" I shouted. "You're bringing this up again!?" I shook my head. Ollette was just a girl at school. I wasn't even that good of friends with her. Sure she was captain of the basketball cheer squad, and seeing as I was point guard of the basketball team, we had to work together to form a pep rally for the big game last year. I didn't think it was such a big issue, but Kairi was always getting jealous. I mean, she didn't start out that way when we first started dating, but after we hit the ninth month mark, she started getting crazy jealous. I don't know what her problem was and why she suddenly didn't trust me at all.
"Well!?" Kairi yelled, a wave of anger shaking through her thin frame.
"Kairi I'm so sick of your issues with me!" I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you just trust me!?" I shouted, perhaps a bit too loudly. I knew I had made a mistake.
"Forget it Sora!" Kairi screamed. "I just wanted a straight answer! Yes or no! Is that so damn hard for you!? I'm so sick of hearing the rumors at school that little bitch started!" Kairi threw the picture on my floor. The glass shattered everywhere. I stood there in shock, regretting the fact that I didn't just tell her straight. I never knew there were rumors spreading at school. I wanted to reach out to her. Embrace her. Tuck her hair behind her ear. Wipe her tears. Do something! But all I could do was nothing. As I watched her storm out of my room and heard her slam my front door, I wondered if she'd forgive me at the start of school.
---
'Oh God…' I thought as I looked at myself in my bathroom mirror. 'What a mess.'
"Hey Sora, you ready?" the voice of my cousin, Roxas shouted from the other side of the bathroom door. I quick washed my face before replying, "Yeah! Give me a few more minutes!"
Roxas gave me the okay and I continued to get ready. I could tell that this was gonna be one hell of a day.
Riku
It would be a lie to say I wasn't looking forward to today. I always enjoyed the first day of school. Teachers were easy on you, you got to catch up with the people you didn't see every day during the summer. I was especially excited to see the one member of our group who hadn't been here this summer. Naminé had gone on a summer long trip to France to spend time with her mother. Her flight had gotten in the other day, but I was out at the islands with Sora and Roxas so I couldn't go see her in. Kairi had gone to see her though, so through her I know everything went well. I couldn't wait to ask her questions about the trip. I'd always wanted to travel outside the islands, but my dad's too stuck up for that, and expects everyone to come to us.
I grabbed the car keys to my new convertible, ran to the main stair case and slid down the railing, scaring our maid Kiki in the process. I laughed as she dropped the basket of laundry she had just finished folding.
"Niño loco!" she muttered under her breath. I did a front flip as I reached the bottom of the stairs, bumping straight into my mother.
"Riku!" she shouted more out of surprise than anger. I swear that woman was the coolest mom ever. It was my father I had the problem with.
"Sorry mom," I apologized with a smirk. She shook her head as she desperately tried to stifle a laugh. I felt sorry for her. My father was such a control freak. He never let us do anything fun. He thought the face that he provided us with so many material possessions was enough to make us happy and that to have family outings and do things normal people did would insult our social status. He never let my mother out of the house. Not even to go grocery shopping, no we had maids for that. According to my father I should be going to a private boarding school, but I argued against it for so long that I finally won that battle. I sort of felt like my mother got to live vicariously through me. She couldn't go against my father, but for her to see my defy him made her happy, which in turn made me happy.
"Well, I'm outing!" I said as I grabbed for handle of main entrance.
"What about breakfast?" My mom asked giving me her aqua eyes (the eyes I inherited) looking stern.
"Ma, I promised Sora and Roxas I'd pick up in the new car, and I'm already five minutes late!" I said, even though I was actually five minutes ahead of schedule. I just wanted to see the look on their faces when I pulled up in my new silver Mercedes-Benz. I knew they would freak.
My mother just shook her head, a few strands of platinum blond hair falling out of her messy bun.
"Teenage boys," she sighed. "Can't live with 'em–"
"Can't live without 'em!" I finished, opening the door and waving good bye. Before I slammed the door my mom shouted to be sure not to let the car get scratched because my father would be disappointed in me.
"All for the better," I whispered under my breath. I ran over to my garage; yeah. I have my own garage. My father's insane. He thinks each of us should have our own collection of cars, but hey, I'm not complaining. There's always a spare to wreck. I jumped into the driver's seat and pressed the button to start the car. I felt energized by the roar of the engine as I drove down our driveway and out through the gate. Today was gonna be great, I could feel it.
Kairi
I woke up with tears in my eyes. I still couldn't believe the fight I'd had with Sora only a day ago. I began to think that maybe Sora would finally break up with me. God, I could be such a drama queen. Maybe I'd over reacted. I couldn't help but get so angry! Ollette was always going on and on about how Sora had kissed her while they were working together for the basketball pep rally! At first I didn't believe it, but it kept spreading to everyone and everybody gave me such accusing looks! At first I just questioned Sora and took his word for it. But he would never answer the question directly! All I wanted was a simple yes or no. What was so hard about that? He always beat around the bush saying things like, "we were just doing what we were supposed to," and "Do you not trust me Kai?".
I just accepted his answer, but then more rumors spread about how they'd "gone further" than kissing, and that I just couldn't handle. I loved this boy with all my heart. I'd always had a crush on him since we were little. I just couldn't bare losing him, so sometimes I went crazy.
I hoped Sora still wanted to be seen with me, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. I couldn't believe how childish I'd acted yesterday. Was it really necessary for me to smash that picture? I loved that picture. It reminded me of how much closer we were now that we'd been steady for a year. I wanted it to turn into two years, three, and eventually get married. From how I acted yesterday though, I didn't think Sora would ever want to be with me again. I felt the anger in me building up once more, but this time directed at myself. I shook my head and took a deep breath. Now was not the time to be thinking about this. I needed to get up and get ready for the first day of our second to last year of high school. I wanted to look especially cute today, maybe that would be enough to get Sora's attention and make him want me again.
I made my way to the bathroom, all shower and grooming supplies in hand. I wanted to go for a vanilla scented theme today. They say vanilla is calming, so maybe it would smooth things over when I met up with Sora today. After quickly showering, I gently curled my red locks. After applying subtle makeup, and giving myself the once-over to be sure I looked cute but sweet, I decided it was good enough, and ran downstairs.
I'd always known I was adopted; it was never kept as a secret. So my parents didn't make it a rule for me to call them mom and dad. They were always Miko and Kori. Just because I called them by their first names didn't make me love them any less. I loved them a lot, and appreciated the life they gave me. The only person I knew from my biological family was my grandmother, but she died when I was three, so I never really knew her at all. But Miko and Kori kept pictures of her for me.
Miko was the mayor of Destiny Islands, but that didn't make him the stuck up snob Riku's father was. Riku's father was the CEO of a construction company, and lived the life of luxury that showed off his yearly salary. My father wasn't anything like that. We had the money, but we didn't feel the need to show it off. We were a down to earth type of family, only spending money on what was necessary. That way we always knew we'd have money if anything ever happened. I liked the way my parents thought, even though sometimes I'd wish they'd spend a little more, but that was just me being selfish.
"Hey kiddo," Kori said, sitting at the kitchen table, hair curlers still in her hair giving her a comical appearance.
"Nice hair, Kori," I joked grabbing a pop-tart from a cupboard. She laughed as she sipped her coffee.
"You ready for school, Kai?" she asked as I sat down across from her. I nodded, my mouth full of cinnamon goodness. I quick took a swig of orange juice from the container in the fridge and grabbed my purse, digging for my keys.
"I promised Naminé I'd pick her up today," I said, finally finding the keys in the dark depths of my oversized bag. I honestly don't know why I used that thing. It was large enough to be a duffel bag and then some extra space. But it was the new style, and I liked to be trendy.
"Have fun sweetheart," Kori called as I walked out our front door. I went out to the driveway and put my belongings in the backseat of my maroon VW Beetle. I loved that car. It was beat up and showed obvious signs of use, but I considered every scratch one of love. There were a lot of great memories held within that car, I couldn't bear losing it.
Naminé
I couldn't believe that just two days ago I was in France. It felt like the summer was a blur. That's not to say I wasn't excited to be back on the Islands. I couldn't wait to be reunited with my friends. I had caught up a bit with Kairi yesterday after the flight, but I was so jet lagged and exhausted that I really didn't get to talk much. Kairi usually does all the talking, but that's how our friendship works. She's the extrovert, and I'm the introvert. Together we make a well balanced person. She and I went way back, all the way to kindergarten. We met on the playground and Kairi's been dragging me around by the wrist ever since. But I don't mind. She brings the spice to my life, and I bring the calm to hers.
It's because of her that I'm even friends with the rest of them. I honestly don't know how a girl like me is friends with four of the most popular kids at school. They're all so, so "cool", and I'm so geeky. Riku's the most sought after guy in school. He's on the soccer team, he's got an insanely rich father, and I'm not going to lie, he's one of the hottest guys at school. If it weren't for Kairi, I don't know why he'd even waste time talking to a plain-Jane like me. Then there's Sora. He's point guard of the basketball team, and super cute, not to mention he has such a quirky personality. He's been Kairi's boyfriend for a little over a year, and they are wonderful together, but lately they've been having so many fights. Kairi told me about their latest when she came to see me at the airport. And finally there's Sora's cousin Roxas. Roxas is relatively new to our group. He came in the middle of last school year. He hasn't told us everything, but Sora told us that he was trapped in some bad stuff on one of the other Islands, but he needed to get out, so he came to live with Sora. He quickly built up his reputation as being the "bad boy" at Destiny High, which as all the girls going ga-ga. I also think it helps some that he's friends with Riku and Sora.
I wish that would help me, being friends with all them, but all people seem to do is hate me. Girls at school are always saying such mean things like, "you don't deserve to be friends with them" and "they only like you because Kairi makes them like you,", but Kairi somehow always knows when to come to my rescue and stand up for me. Those girls never say those things when I'm near the boys because they don't want to look bad in front of them. Kairi says they'd stick up for me, but I really don't want to burden them with silly little things like drama. I try not to let their words get to me too much. I've got to many other things to be worried about like keeping up with the art department. Becoming president of the art club this year meant that I would have plenty to do to keep me distracted from all the mean and rude people at school.
I was in charge of decorations and layout of this year's homecoming dance, just two weeks away from the coming Saturday. I was excited to get started with the project. With Kairi's fashion sense, I knew she would be able to tell me from an onlooker's point of view if the dance was 'hip'.
In my excitement of starting a new year of school, I almost forgot to at least run a comb through my naturally blond hair. I liked to have it all hung over one shoulder. It was an easy 'do and looked like I at least half-way tried at looking good. Kairi approved, so I guess that meant something.
I heard a familiar car horn outside my apartment, and quickly stuffed my sketchpad into my backpack.
"Naminé!" My father called from our living room. "Kairi's here!"
"I know, dad, thanks!" I called back, slipping my feet into a pair of sandals my mother bought for me while in France. I exited the residence and ran down the flight of stairs that separated me from the ground. I grinned at Kairi in her signature shade of red car.
"You look super good today, Kai," I commented as I buckled myself in. She was in a floral sundress with a white three quarter length sweater with matching yellow sandals. Her hair was curled perfectly so it still looked natural, even though anyone who knew Kairi knew that she had pin straight hair.
"Thanks, Nami," she said. She looked off into space and continued, "I wanted to look good so maybe Sora would forgive me for the way I acted yesterday,"
I moved my gaze to my feet, unable to respond.
Roxas
I was pretty happy to be starting a new year of school. Even though I had to attend summer school to be able to catch up with everyone else my age, I was honestly glad to be in school. Made me feel like my life actually mattered, as opposed to before when I was involved with the Organization. I was amazed at how much my life had turned around. I swore before that I was just going to kill myself because that was the only way out. But I was always too chicken to do it. There were only two people in that gang that gave a shit about me. And they were miles away now. A part of me never wanted to see them again. I was so thankful the day my aunt Rita allowed me to stay with her and my cousin Sora. I hadn't seen them since I was little, but the day my parents died in the car accident when I was 10, I started getting into trouble. I dropped out of school. Then I got involved in the most notorious gang of the Island; Organization Twelve. Of course after I was finally inducted, they changed the name to Organization Thirteen.
Luckily I was able to escape. No one had ever made it out of the gang, but no one had ever actually tried either. I was the first. That made me feel like I had accomplished something none of the others had.
I gelled up my spikes to make them stay in place after I had showered, and took a long look at the blue eyed person in the mirror. I had to constantly remind myself that I wasn't who I was. I may have had to see a counselor every other weekend to make sure I was doing okay psychologically, but I was finally starting to see the light. I had made a great group of friends here on the main island. All thanks to Sora. Without him, I don't know what I'd do. He was a great friend. He forgave me for what I'd done and swore he'd keep it a secret from everyone else because it was my secret to tell; not his.
I threw on my signature white jacket with checkered cuffs. My aunt had bought it for me when I was officially allowed to live with her. She said a brand new wardrobe would help me forget my past and start a fresh slate. I was so thankful for her. She was like my mother. Actually, she and my mother were sisters. It still hurt me sometimes, how much aunt Rita looked like my mom. I got my stuff together and went to go see if Sora was ready as well.
I shook my head as I walked into the disaster area he called his room. I made sure to avoid the pieces of glass still scattered on the floor from Sora's argument with Kairi yesterday. I really wish they'd make up. I was tired of them doing nothing but fighting.
"Hey Sora, you ready?" I shouted at the closed bathroom door. Sora's muffled response was, "Yeah! Give me a few more minutes!"
"Okay!" I called back. I followed my tracks back through the mess and out into the hallway and down into the kitchen. Aunt Rita had already left for work, and had left a note on the kitchen table for us.
Have a great first day you two!
She'd signed her name with a smiley face. I smirked. She was always doing quirky things like this. I could tell Sora got his funny side from her. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and for an instant I saw the strained look on Sora's face, but he immediately flashed his familiar grin, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. I'd learned from my gang days how to analyze a person. It was part of the training. We had to look for the moment of trust, that way we would have access to anything we wanted from a person and take something right from under their nose without them even noticing. It was all in the eyes. A person's eyes really were that old cliché; "eyes are the windows to the soul".
I knew Sora was stressing over what would happen when he and Kairi finally made contact. I couldn't say for sure whether it'd be pretty or if it would turn into a full blown argument. Their relationship was too far on the rocks. As soon as Sora went over to grab his backpack, we heard a car horn blast outside along with some far too loud bass music.
"That'd be Riku," Sora said, reaching for the front door. I locked the door behind me when I heard Sora shout, "No freakin' way man!" I ran out to see what the commotion was about, and when I saw, I swore my jaw was going to hit the cement of the driveway.
There was Riku sitting in the front seat of what must have been an angel from heaven. A brand spanking new silver Mercedes-Benz. I could not believe my eyes. Riku smirked at our shocked expressions.
"Yeah," he said, "The old man just gave it to me as a 'going to school' present yesterday." Sora and I just stood there, paralyzed.
"C'mon, get in! I don't have all day," Riku joked, patting the black leather interior.
"Shotgun!" Sora shouted so quickly I didn't process what he said until it was too late and he was leaping over the passenger side door to sit.
"No fair!" I yelled angrily, climbing into the limited space of the back seat. All Riku could manage was a laugh. And as Riku threw the car into drive, I knew that this was gonna be one of the most interesting years of our young lives.
Not all chapters will be like this. Mostly a chapter will cover just one character, but I wanted to develope all the characters for the opening chapter.