I got more reviews than I expected and all really did make my day! This chapter is longer than the last one so be happy folks!
Thanks to roxas-kh, Somebody's Dreamer, love.of.roxas, heyunloving331 and E Muja SN and TN(strange name) for reviewing for the first chapter.
Disclaimer: Out of all the things I own, I assure you that Kingdom Hearts is not one of them.
Second Flower: She came back.
The shop was very busy next day. The owner of the shop, Cid was returning after three months. Everyone wanted to have everything to be in perfect condition. Everyone was helping, though it was more of getting into other people's way than helping. Hayner and Seifer looked like they were having a silent battle. Their eyes threw daggers at each other whenever they crossed paths. Pence was busy in taking pictures and wasn't really paying attention to his work. Olette and Selphie looked like they had no other work other than talking about all the useless stuff. Cloud and Leon were silently having a battle of strength. They were comparing who can carry more heavy stuff not caring that where the stuff was supposed to be kept. Merlin was still in a bad mood that Cid was coming back.
"Why can't he just stay there?" when he complained for the fiftieth time, he got himself some well earned deadly eyes from some of the people who were working, including Roxas. Kairi was helping in any way possible and Sora, who ditched his work at the last moment kept calling Roxas that how sorry he was. Roxas was so frustrated by this that he switched off his cell. Axel kept guiding people which was supposed to help but he kept adding, "Got it memorized?" in the end which frustrated people more than ever. After three long hours, when their work was finally complete, they had victorious expression on their faces as if they have won a long lost battle.
"Finally, our work here is done," Aerith sighed in relief.
"I thought that this was never going to end," Yuffie said, sitting on the couch. "I want to relax a bit."
"But you can't," Leon said without caring how tired she was. "Cid will be here in about an hour and look at your condition. You look like you haven't changed for a week,"
Yuffie wanted to argue but she knew that he was right. She was the first one to go out, followed by Aerith, Selphie, Olette and everyone else. Roxas looked around the neat and clean empty store and put the 'Close' sign on the door before going out.
The store looked more crowded than before. Those who didn't come to help were admiring the clean store and making the hard workers happy. They were waiting eagerly for Cid.
The door opened and they everyone's eyes automatically moved towards it.
"CID!" Yuffie cried and went to hug him.
"YOU'RE BACK!" the remaining people cried and went to greet him. Cid was smiling as his friends greeted him one by one. All the tiredness forgotten, they talked and laughed happily. Roxas knew that no customer was going to come today but he still sat at the counter. Cid was very happy because Roxas had taken care of the shop greatly.
"I am flattered that you didn't give useless offers like giving discounts to pretty girls or inviting them to do their own work at the store," Cid smiled at him. Roxas felt a little guilt inside but it went away as soon as it had come, because he knew that the girl had already declined her offer.
"That's how you run a shop!" Roxas said proudly. Cid laughed and Roxas grinned but his grin disappeared as the door opened and the girl from yesterday entered the shop, looking confused as she watched the crowd. Cid noticed her and looked at Roxas, a stern look on his face. Before Roxas could explain anything, Cid walked towards her. Roxas had no choice but to follow him.
"You girl, who are you and what are you doing here? Didn't you read the close sign on the door?" Cid asked her in a strict voice. The girl was so shocked by the man that she couldn't answer.
"I…" she said as she regained her voice but Roxas cut across her.
"She works here," he said rubbing the back of his head.
"I never appointed her in fact, I have never even seen her," Cid's complete attention was on the girl.
"One week after you left she came to me asking for a job because she said she was poor and besides, I needed an extra hand to help," Roxas lied in one breath. The girl raised her eyebrows at him as Cid looked at Roxas and then again at her. Roxas pleaded her to say 'yes' by hand gestures.
"Yes, I am very poor and I was in need of a job so I came here looking for one," the girl replied in a sweet tone. Cid made no comment on it which showed that he didn't disapproved her presence. He showed no particular expression and went to join Yuffie and others. Roxas sighed in relief.
"What did you just say?" the girl asked. Roxas couldn't stop noticing that even though the girl was supposed to be angry, her voice and expression didn't show any expression of being angry.
"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked rather than replying to her silly question.
"You offered me that I can come here and draw, I believe," she said.
"You declined the offer, I believe," Roxas replied in the same tone. The girl was speechless. She took a deep breath and sat on a nearby chair.
"Do you plan on sitting here all day?" Roxas asked her.
"Well, as I can't go to my home right now and I have nowhere else to go so, I think I will sit here by the time of sunset. I don't think I am bothering you," she said softly and put her hands on her lap. Roxas shook his head lightly and went to join others.
"Hey Roxas, who is that girl sitting there?" Kairi asked pointing towards the girl. This caught Cid's attention.
"She works here Kairi," Roxas said through gritted teeth which meant that he didn't want Kairi to ask further questions about her. Kairi rolled her eyes.
"Really! But I have never seen her!" Yuffie said in a loud voice. Roxas cursed Yuffie in his heart.
"That's because you rarely came here," Roxas lied again. How many times did he lie that day?
"Wha-? BUT I CAME HERE EVERYDAY!" Yuffie screamed. Roxas rolled his eyes as he noticed Cid watching him.
"Yuffie, I know that you want to act all 'Miss Goody Good Girl' because Cid is back but that won't change the reality," Roxas said with false pity in his voice. Leon and Cloud laughed at his comment. Even Aerith smiled a little. Yuffie was at the verge of tears. Aerith started comforting her and looked at the girl with a gentle expression. The girl saw this and bowed her head. This seemed enough for Cid. He closed the topic and went for a good fight with Merlin. Roxas made apologetic faces but Yuffie didn't pay attention to them.
"You lied for me, didn't you?" the girl asked as Roxas as he passed by.
"Correction, I lied for myself," he said in annoyed voice. Was it a lie too? He didn't have the answer for this. Roxas watched the girl play with her fingers. He felt guilty for what he did to her and Yuffie. He knew that Yuffie would probably forget about it, as for this girl, he thought he knew what would please her.
"Here," he gave her a sketchbook and some pencils. She looked up in surprise and accepted them thankfully but she didn't smile. Roxas had begun to doubt that she couldn't smile.
The rest of the day passed smoothly. The girl drew quietly at the corner. Nearly one hour before the sunset, she got up and Roxas walked towards her.
"Listen, my offer from yesterday is still open. You can come here everyday if you want to. I'll arrange something for you. If any of the days I am not present, just tell any of my friends that you are with me," he pointed towards the group. "I am Roxas and you are?" he asked eagerly. The girl just nodded and went out of the store without saying a word.
"Strange girl," Roxas thought and walked to help his friends all the mess they had created.
A really quick update!! But don't get used to it people, cuz I am the slowest writer of my age. One of my most major problems is that whenever I listen to a song or watch a video, stories start haunting me. Right now my one-shots on which I am working along-side this story are:
1. Hiccups (Olette x Hayner)
2. Incomplete Melody (Cloud x Aerith)
3. Angels In Flight (Naminé x Roxas)
4. What Is Life? (Naminé)
5. Summer Melody (Olette x Hayner)
6. The Last Night (Naminé x Roxas)
And many more. "Incomplete Melody" will be up in "Final Fantasy VII" category. Plus, if you want me to upload any of these before others, then PM me or mention in the review. Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to.
Now please review me about this story. The story is just getting started.
Jane!
