Change In Me

.:Sora:.

He sits in the truck, foot on the pedal as rain pours onto the windows. Windshield wipers swing back and forth, ridding his sight of the droplets. He wishes his arm was as good with his eyes.

Everything to him is wrong. The past few months, weeks, days—it's all wrong. The day isn't supposed to be like this, gloomy and disheartening, threatening to break him even more than he already is. This week hasn't been the same as last, and the previous few months have had him feeling different for a while. His heart beats to a slower rhythm, his thoughts moving at the same pace as he replays the last year of his life.

Shyness, then small conversations, which were followed by laughter and embraces. Then came the dates, which led to handholding, then cherished moments with that special girl. Those were all things he had experienced earlier on, but recently things had been worse. Instead of shyness and small talk, there was anger and arguments, which led to screaming and misleading. There were no more dates, just long periods of no communication. His hands no longer held hers, and the cherished moments were things he likes to now consider petty occurrences.

Everything—it's been a mistake all along.

Once she had gotten to know him, she tried to change him, and he finally believed it a few days ago. He isn't who she wants, and it's unfortunate for him because she is everything to him.

No, not is. Was. He's driving down the highway, away from her house. He's ended things, for good. He isn't the kind of person to deal with change, especially within him. He feels ashamed for what he's dealt with and believed in the past, and he thinks it's his fault for going along with it for so long. It only took him a little while to see what was really going on, but he tried not to believe it.

But she was trying to change him, transform him into somebody he isn't. He's goofy, childish at times, and naïve. Even so, he knows right from wrong, believes in justice, and protects those he loves. There's nothing wrong with that, so why was she trying to make him into somebody different?

He hates all he's known, because he's hung onto it for so long. Before, he found it hard to speak what he thought, but she found it hard to even care about what he wanted. She focused on her wants and needs, and paid no attention to his.

The pressure has built up on him, and it is caving in as he drives down the road, in the roaring thunder and cracking lightning. Nothing is going to stop him now, for he feels as bitter about his life as anybody else feels about this day. He isn't sure exactly why he's crying. He should be happy about getting out of the relationship that wasn't in his favor. But he's aware that he's going to miss her, no matter how wrong of a want she had.

He's so focused on his thoughts that he neglects to pay attention to the road. When he finally does concentrate on what's going on in front of him, he can't help but notice a vehicle pulled over on the side of the road. He peers at it as he passes, and just as he does, he sees that a young woman is at the hood of the car. His foot instantly presses against the brake pedal and he steers to the shoulder of the road, climbing out of the truck despite the fact it's raining outside and that his keys are still in the ignition.

"Hey! You alright?" he calls, peering through the rain, his eyelids blinking rapidly due to the rate of the falling raindrops. He's secretly proud that the rain is so fierce; it hides his tears. He approaches the white Tucson, the rain falling so hard that it blurs his vision of the young woman at the hood of the car. She turns, and the first thing he notices is her damp red hair.

"I'm fine," she cries over a boom of thunder. "But my car… It just broke down on me."

As he gets closer, he notices the distress in her stunning periwinkle eyes. He nods once as he steps past her. "I'll take a look at it," he offers. As he begins to check the underside of the vehicle, he recognizes that she is watching him. Even through the rain he smells her perfume, something lovely and warming.

"Are you good with cars?" she asks, and he notes that she's trying at small talk.

He shrugs as he checks out the alternator. "I'm pretty descent. I learned a few things from my older brother growing up," he admits, moving on to check another source for the problem. "My friends and I used to work on them when we were in high school."

"Neat. I've never been able to speak guy-and-car," she continues, and he smiles to himself in amusement. "I always resort to mechanics."

He glances at her over his shoulder, smiling a little. "Good way to go, but a little too expensive if you ask me." He watches as she shrugs, tucking some of her wet burgundy hair behind her ear.

"There's nothing I can really do about that. None of my friends are really that good with cars." His smile grows somewhat.

"No guy friends?" he asks.

She smiles some. "One, but he's more interested in blitzball tournaments. Obsessed with it, really."

He laughs softly, noticing that her smile widens at the sound. He can't help but feel comfortable around her, even out in the pouring rain. As he leans up from the hood, he sees that she offers out her hand.

"I'm Kairi," she greets, and he finds himself fascinated with the name. Simple, yet fitting. His bright blue eyes gaze into her unique shade. He wipes his dirty hand on his pants before grabbing onto hers.

"Sora," he says with a nod. He shakes her hand gently, taking in how soft her skin is against his calloused fingers. After a second they let go and her eyes dart to the machinery revealed from the hood of her SUV.

"So, how's it looking?" the redhead wonders aloud, glancing back at him.

Sora turns his head to glimpse back at the engine. "Well, it looks like you have a dead battery." He focuses back on her. "I'm guessing you didn't notice the warning light in your car."

She shakes her head. "I was too worried about getting home."

He tilts his head to the side. "Something wrong?"

"My niece is sick," Kairi explains. "I was supposed to be home a while ago to watch her for my brother."

"Oh. Well do you need a lift? I could drop you off," Sora offers, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at his truck. "You can use jumper cables on your car in the morning, when it isn't raining."

"Sounds great. Thank you so much."

Sora nods and he closes the white hood of her SUV. Kairi grabs her keys and purse before following him to his truck, where she jumps into the passenger seat to avoid the thick sheet of rain. He climbs in on the other side and closes the door, glancing over at her. She's running her hand through her wet red hair, trying to make it look more presentable.

In Sora's eyes, she looks beautiful with the raggedy hair, damp skin and clothes, and mascara smearing slightly from the rain.

Kairi turns her head to look at him as she slides her fingers through the strands. She smiles in embarrassment, it seems, her teeth showing slightly as a soft chuckle leaves her. "What is it?"

Sora blinks, jerking back slightly as he shakes his head once. "N-nothing. It's nothing," he says, his eyes falling on the steering wheel as he reaches for his seatbelt. He notices Kairi doing the same out of the corner of his eye, and he mentally scolds himself for being so oblivious to his own actions.

He checks his mirrors before pulling out into traffic, windshield wipers still moving over the window. He's happy he doesn't have to do so regarding his eyes anymore. In fact, he had completely forgotten his own problem when he confronted Kairi's.

"Thanks again, Sora." He turns his head to glance at her, seeing that she's smiling at him with a grateful glint in her eyes. He can't help but love the way his name sounds leaving her lips—it's new, but he likes it. "I really do appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he insists, offering her a silly grin before focusing back on the road. A few minutes pass between them, the soft sound of instrumental music playing through the speakers.

"You listen to Wesley?" Kairi inquires after a few moments, her voice higher than usual. Sora glances over at her, nodding in confirmation. "Oh, well thank God there's somebody else out there that listens to him! You are the only person I've met that actually appreciates piano music."

Sora chuckles. "It helps with days like this." He offers her the smallest smile before his eyes dart back to the road.

There's a pause. "…Is something the matter?" He can't help but note the concern in her voice now, and he feels bad that he drug her down from her hype just a few seconds ago.

He shakes his head, not wanting her to get involved with his little "crisis". "It's nothing worth mentioning. Don't worry about it," he tells her honestly.

The sound of her positioning herself in the seat next to him catches his attention, and he briefly glimpses at her. Her body is directed toward him, and he thinks of a way that a child would do that when interested. "It must be something if you're listening to music like this," Kairi says, waving toward the stereo system in his truck. "You even said so yourself."

"What if I was talking about the rain?" he asks, arching an eyebrow at her.

"The weather's worth mentioning, Sora. Look at it—it's everywhere. Surely you can't keep your feelings about rain inside. That would just be silly."

He chuckles despite himself. This girl… She isn't one for giving up. At the same time, though, he has a feeling she is just concerned, not meaning to badger him with her insistence. "You really wanna know?"

"You seem deeply upset," Kairi tells him. "You look like you need to talk about it. Since I'm already here, why not?"

Sora looks at her, finding her words strangely tempting. He's only been with her for a few minutes, and already he feels so comfortable with her, as if he can tell her anything. Maybe that's the way Kairi is, he thinks. Somebody that goes out of her way to help other people.

"Alright," he caves, steering down the highway with one hand on the top of the steering wheel. "It involves this girl…" And he continues on, telling her all about the past few months, weeks, days—even hours—up until the moment he pulled over to assist her. Throughout the story she had guided him along the roads to her brother's place, and Sora finds himself in a small, classy neighborhood by the time he finishes.

He turns his eyes to Kairi and sees that she has a disapproving frown against her lips. "…That's horrible," she says softly, her voice showing her sympathy.

Sora shrugs. "It happens. Can't really do anything about it, you know?" He smiles at her despite the mood of the conversation, and he focuses back on driving when he doesn't receive one to match. Just like him—trying to lighten the mood.

"Sora," Kairi says, and he exhales softly at the way her voice sounds when she calls to him. "You can't possibly blame yourself for what happened, can you?"

"I'm the one who broke up with her, remember?" he replies, stopping at a stop sign. He keeps his foot on the brake, his gaze falling on her. "Of course I don't blame myself. But I can't help but feel a little guilty."

"Why? You were just being yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Maybe…" he says sadly, pressing his lips together for a moment. "But, what if it wasn't enough? What if she needed more from me, and I was just being narrow-minded about it all?"

Kairi shakes her head. "Don't think that way. She was the one in the wrong here, Sora. You knew that. That's why you ended things between you guys." When he feels her fingers brush his arm, he stiffens in surprise, but her hand doesn't move. Sora looks up at her, blue eyes curious.

"But isn't it part of the deal to change for someone you care about that deeply? Don't you want to?" he wonders aloud, staring at her, practically begging for a reasonable answer.

"Not necessarily," Kairi explains. "Relationships are different for everyone, but you seem to think that way. Listen to me, Sora. Did you feel obligated to change for her? For the girl you were with?"

Sora opens his mouth to speak, but he finds that he has to think for a moment. "I… I guess so."

"You shouldn't feel obligated to do anything in a relationship," she continues. "And when you feel obligation that means you don't feel want. I'm sorry to say this so honestly, Sora, but you evidently didn't care that deeply for this girl if you were experiencing that."

Sora lowers his head, closing his eyes. "…Maybe not."

"I'm sorry," Kairi apologizes gently, causing Sora to raise his sight to her. "I really am. But…coming from an outside source, it really does seem that way. I know it may not be what you want to hear—"

"No." Sora shakes his head, the tips of his spikes bouncing slightly. "It's what I needed to hear. I'm glad you told me, Kairi."

She nods once. "Sure…"

He stares at her for a moment, and she stares back. There's something about the way he feels around her that triggers something in him, a sensation he doesn't believe he can describe. But when she smiles shyly at him, he knows—Kairi makes him feel more confident and warm, something the last girl he was around never did for him.

When Sora notices Kairi's rosy cheeks, he clears his throat and puts his hands back on the wheel. "Um… Which way?" he asks, referring to the direction to her brother's home.

"Take a left," she instructs softly, and he does as she says, only his music playing quietly throughout the truck. A small silence passes between them, with Sora staring out the windshield as the wipers move back and forth. It's only when Kairi tells him to pull into a driveway that he realizes he followed her other directions without thought, and without speaking.

Kairi moves to grab her purse, setting it in her lap before turning to Sora. "Thank you so much for the ride. Zack would have killed me if I was late."

Sora dismisses it with a small smile and a shake of his head. "Don't worry about it," he insists.

The redhead gazes at him for a long moment before digging through her purse. Sora watches with curious eyes as she pulls out a pen and reaches for his hand. "Here is my number," she says as she writes on the backside of his hand. She graces him with a polite smile when finished. "Call me if you need anything, or just want to talk."

Sora rubs the back of his head as he glances down at the numbers. "Uh, o-okay! Thanks, Kairi." When his eyes find her, he can't help but smile warmly. There's something different about her, and he finds himself wanting to see more of it.

Kairi nods and reaches for the door handle. "Nice meeting you. Bye, Sora."

"Bye."

She's out of the truck and darting for the porch in seconds, making Sora look on in wonderment. She's so beautiful, inside and out. She seems to like him for who he is, and not just for his looks. Sora appreciates that more than Kairi could possibly imagine. And as he pulls out of the driveway and heads back the way he came, he realizes something:

He's willing to take a chance now, a thing he never would have imagined doing after all he's experienced in one day. But meeting Kairi has opened up his eyes. This could be different. This could be all I'm waiting for.

Short little thing I had come up with a while ago. Been sitting in Word for weeks.
Hope you guys enjoyed. Inspiration: Different by Acceptance

And regarding the "girl", I'll let you believe whatever you want as to her identity. ;D

R&R