Roxas: A ferris wheel, huh?
Xion: The day we met again...
----------Beginning----------
Chapter 1: Love Wind
Roxas slowly walked down the hallway of Verona High. With his hands in his pockets and his slumping stature, he did not appear all that impressive. His somewhat spiky hair seemed to lose interest and drooped down. His blue eyes gazed onto the dirty hallway floor.
Roxas sighed and rubbed one of his eyes. They appeared bloodshot, as if he was crying for quite some time. No one walking by him seemed to pay any mind to this as they pushed him out of their way.
"Outta my way, freak!"
"Get out of the way, crybaby!"
Roxas was used to this by now. He never did try to fight back. He would sometimes consider it, but then simply give up after seeing that there was no point in doing it. He set aside their insults as he walked outside the school.
He emerged outside. There was a cool breeze.
Roxas looked around, trying to spot his friends. He then saw them nearby, huddled into a group. He walked over to them, still slumping.
One of his friends, another spiky haired boy, came over to him and patted him on the back. "Hey, Roxas, finally made it out here!"
Roxas stared down at the ground. His friend, Sora, seemed to be a total contrast to Roxas. Bright eyed and hyper, he was pretty much Roxas's polar opposite. Sora was brave, optimistic, and seemed to literally stand out among the 1500 kids at Verona High. Oh, the two were very similar in appearance, but drastically different in personality. Sora's veneer was easily the most attractive.
"..."
Sora pouted, sticking out his lower lip in a childish manner. "Aw, cheer up, Roxas! It's not the end of the world!"
Roxas did not respond. Even though it seemed like another passing-and-going part of life to Sora, it meant much more to Roxas. What happened really hurt him, leaving him depressed and uninterested. He felt like a stagnant pond, lacking motion and unwilling to flow.
His second friend, a redheaded girl, came to Sora's side. "Don't worry about it, Roxas. What you had wasn't even all that great."
What this girl, Kairi, said made Roxas feel a sharp pang in his heart. Kairi was the type of friend you like to hang out with, but not the type you expect to listen to your feelings. Unless, of course, you were her boyfriend. Kairi really does try to be sympathetic to her friends when they are feeling down, but she has a habit of saying things that tend to make the person feel worse. An example is what she just said to Roxas.
"..."
The third and final friend, a blonde girl named Namine, came up and lightly pinched Kairi. "Kairi!"
Kairi had an apologetic face. "Oh, sorry. I said something bad again, didn't I?"
Namine nodded. "You need to be more sensitive to him," she said quietly. Namine then turned to Roxas and smiled shyly. She handed him a sea-salt ice cream on a stick. "Here, Roxas. I, um, I bought this for you. I, um, know how much you like sea salt i-ice cream."
The indifferent Roxas took the ice cream and bit a piece of it. "Thanks," he said in a monotone voice.
The girl Namine sighed. The pale skinned and delicate girl seemed to be fragile and weak, which was reinforced by her notable quietness. But inside, Namine has a strong heart and deeply cares for her friends and loved ones. She seems to particularly care for Roxas...
Sora shook Roxas's shoulder. "Cheer up, man! She wasn't even all that great anyway. Kairi's better than her!" Sora exclaimed, hugging Kairi and holding her close.
Kairi giggled and blushed. "Oh, Sora."
Roxas looked up at his friends. "Even so..."
"Look, Roxas," Kairi interrupted, "I've kept this in for a long time, but now I want to be frank with you. Your ex-girlfriend was a loudmouthed bitch, whined about everything, and constantly insulted you and us. I'm sorry, but I don't get what you see in her."
Roxas scratched the back of his head. To tell the truth, he did not really oppose any of Kairi's statements. Everything she said about his ex was basically the truth.
"Well, yeah, but...she was still my girlfriend. My first. And probably my last."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Kairi said with a scoff. She then nudged Namine with her elbow.
Namine blushed and pushed Kairi's arm away. "K-Kairi, stop."
Roxas paid no mind to the two girls. "And her last words...were perhaps the ones that really hurt me."
-
"What?!? You're breaking up with me?"
Roxas could not believe his ears. He felt sadness and rage boiling up inside of him. But due to the nature of his character, he kept those emotions bottled up inside.
The girl in front of him rolled her eyes and groaned. "I don't feel like repeating myself."
"B-but Olette! I didn't do anything wrong!"
Olette looked at Roxas fiercely. "Oh, you don't know how wrong you are. You have absolutely no idea how long I've been waiting for this. I feel like a giant burden's been lifted off of my shoulders."
Hot tears came to Roxas's eyes. "O-Olette-"
"Oh my god, stop crying! This is one of the many reasons I'm breaking up with you! You're weak and timid! You never stand up for yourself, and constantly let people push you around! You never give me a good reason to like you, you never buy me nice things, and you always act like a spineless freak! That's right, you're a freak!"
Roxas bit his lower lip hard. He soon tasted blood. "I'm a freak...just because I'm weak?"
Olette nodded and waggled a finger in front of his face. "Exactly. Oh, and one more reason. You're short."
Roxas looked at Olette in disbelief. "What?!? But we're about the same height!"
Olette crossed her arms and gave Roxas a disappointed look. "I'm normal height. You, however, are too short. You're about as tall as a freshman! If big bad guys ever came, you'd never be able to protect me from them! I need a real man protecting me, and that is certainly not you!"
With that said, Olette walked away. Roxas stood there, his fists clenched and tears coming out of his ocean blue eyes.
-
Kairi shook her head in shame. "I'll say it again. She is a B-I-T-C-H!!!"
Roxas finished the last of his ice cream. He tossed the leftover stick onto the ground.
Sora put his hands behind his head. "Roxas, we're gonna try to make you feel better! That's why we're going to the amusement park over in Capulet Town!"
"I don't feel like it," Roxas said bitterly.
Both Kairi and Namine grabbed Roxas's arms. "You're going whether you want to or not," Kairi said.
Namine smiled warmly at Roxas. "You won't get over it by being alone. Just come with us!"
Roxas looked at his three friends. They all really did mean well. True friends will always stay with you, through good times and bad.
Albeit reluctantly, Roxas finally agreed. "Alright. I'll go."
-I-
The amusement park was bright and lively, with happy-go-lucky teenagers and kids scattered about. The four friends walked through the park, three of them eager to have a good time. The fourth, however, seemed uninterested.
"What do you guys want to do first?" Sora questioned.
Go home, Roxas muttered under his breath.
"How about we go to the ferris wheel?" Kairi suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea," Namine said.
The four walked to the ferris wheel. As they got in line, Sora goofily put his arm around Kairi's shoulder and pointed to the sky. "Someday, Kai, I'm gonna take you to the stars. For now, though, you'll have to settle with the top of the ferris wheel."
Kairi laughed. "You're so weird, Sora."
Roxas stood with his hands in his pockets again. He looked at the ground, not seeing the point in all of this. Just how was a stupid ferris wheel going to help him? Was it going to mend his relationship with Olette? Was it going to give him courage? Was it going to make him taller? Exactly.
Suddenly, Roxas felt someone being shoved onto his back. He looked back, and saw it was a black-haired girl.
"Ah, sorry," Roxas apologized.
"No, it's my fault," the girl responded.
Before long, Roxas and his friends reached the front line. An dirty man with a big beer belly stood at the front. He was wearing a park uniform.
"How many? Two to four people in a seat."
"Four," Sora replied.
"Look, just you guys go," Roxas said.
Namine looked at Roxas worriedly. "Why?"
"Just let me be alone for a while, okay? Can you do that, Nami?"
Namine blushed and put her hand to her cheek. "O-Okay."
Sora and Kairi groaned, but they complied with Roxas. The three went into a seat, and the wheel turned. Soon, the next open seat came.
"Just one," Roxas said.
"Didn't you hear me before, kid? Two to four people!"
"B-but," Roxas said in protest.
"No buts!" The man said as he pushed Roxas into the seat. The man grabbed the black-haired girl and pushed her into the seat as well. "Here, now you're two!"
The wheel turned again. Roxas smoothed out his clothing and his hair. He sighed as the wheel followed its cycle.
Roxas looked at the girl next to him. She seemed to be about the same age as Roxas. Her skin was light, and her eyes were a shining blue. However, she looked sad. She simply looked down at her lap with a blank look on her face.
"Is there something wrong?" Roxas asked the girl.
The girl blinked. She looked at Roxas. Roxas could not help but think she reminded him of...well, himself.
"You want to know?"
"Um...if it's not too personal."
The girl looked at the panorama of the park in front of her. "Well...this morning, I told a boy I really liked that I liked him. He rejected me so bad, I cried my eyes out. To cheer me up, my mom brought me here to this amusement park. It's not really helping at all."
A small chuckle escaped from Roxas's mouth. "Can't say I'm much different. My girlfriend of six months recently broke up with me. My friends took me here to make me feel better, but it's not working."
The girl giggled and smiled at Roxas. "I'm Xion. I'm a freshman at the all-girls' school Rosaline Academy here in Capulet Town."
"Roxas. I'm a junior at Verona High in Verona City."
Xion inched closer to Roxas. "It's nice to meet you, Roxas. I'm actually kind of new here. My mom and I moved here to Capulet Town only a few months ago, before school started. I still kinda get lost."
Roxas laughed. "Well, Verona Island is a big place. Yet it is still one of the most beautiful islands in all of the Destiny Islands."
Xion chuckled. She then looked into Roxas's eyes. Roxas felt his cheeks get hot. "Um, Xion?"
"Roxas...your eyes."
"What about them?"
"They're really pretty and all, but they keep reminding me of someone."
Roxas turned his head and looked into Xion's own eyes. "Yeah, your eyes too. They seem really similar."
The two stared into each other's eyes for quite some time, trying to figure out who they reminded each other of.
"Hey, kids. The ride is over, so get off."
Roxas blinked back to reality. He looked and saw that the ride was finished. He and Xion were back on the ground. Xion also came back to reality, feeling embarassed. She and Roxas scrambled out of the seat.
"Um...well, it was nice meeting you, Roxas."
Roxas smiled, something he had not done for a while. "You too, Xion."
Their farewells complete, Xion scurried off. Roxas stared after her.
Xion...
"Hey, Roxas!"
Roxas saw Sora, Kairi and Namine coming to him. Sora appeared to be out of breath.
"You're finally off! It's about time!"
"Yeah!" Kairi exclaimed. "Come on, let's go to another ride."
"You guys just go on ahead."
Sora groaned. "Oh, come on. We already left you alone on the ferris wheel."
"Look guys, this park just isn't helping me out at all. It was really nice of you to take me here, but I think it would be better if I just go home."
"Roxas..." Sora said, exasperated. "Okay, fine. But tomorrow, you're hanging out with us no matter what, you hear?"
Roxas smiled. "I get it."
Sora exhaled. "Alright. Come on girls, let's head to the roller coasters."
Sora ran off deeper into the amusement park. Kairi followed, with Namine close behind. Then Namine turned and yelled out at Roxas. "Bye, Roxas!"
Roxas waved at Namine. When his friends were no longer in sight, he turned to exit the park. It was time to end a pretty much lousy day.
-II-
Roxas exited the park, eager to get home. He rushed forward, heading for the bus.
I'll make myself a bowl of soup and some milk. That's sure to make me feel better.
Roxas failed to see a woman in front of him. He accidentally bumped into the woman and fell to the ground.
"Ah, I'm sorry ma'am."
Roxas looked up at the woman. The woman appeared to be studying Roxas.
"...Roxas."
Roxas looked at the woman in surprise. "Do I know you?"
The woman put her hands together, as if she was praying. "Oh, Roxas, it has been so long!"
"...Again, do I know you?"
"Roxas?"
Roxas turned around. He saw Xion heading his way.
"Roxas, why are you with my mother?"
Roxas stood up and scratched his head. "I dunno, I accidentally ran into her. Strange enough, your mom seems to know who I am."
Xion gave her mother a weird look. "Mom, you know Roxas?"
"You two have met?" Xion's mother asked in pleasant surprise.
Roxas crossed his arms. "Uh, yeah. We met on the ferris wheel."
Tears of joy came to the mother's eyes. "Oh, you two have finally seen each other again. I'm so happy."
"Why mom, were we supposed to know each other in the past?"
"Well, it would make sense if you did. You're siblings after all."
"WHAT?!?!?"
Roxas and Xion turned and looked at each other, not believing what they just heard.
Sh-she's my sister?!? This can't be true!
"Roxas is my brother?" Xion asked, still finding it hard to believe.
Xion's mom...no, their mom nodded. "When your father and I divorced, you were only two, Xion, and Roxas was four. I took you, and your father took Roxas. I'm not surprised that you don't remember each other. You grew up your entire lives without seeing each other."
Roxas tried to say something, but all that came out was gibberish and nonsense. The fact that Xion was his sibling overwhelmed him.
She's my sister! Then that means we're blood related...dammit!
"Roxas, you don't know how happy it makes me to see my only son again! Here, I'll drive you home," mother offered, grabbing Roxas's hand. Roxas was still too shocked to oppose.
"Oh, Xion, you'll get to meet your father! He and I actually haven't talked for quite some time. But oh well, at least he'll get to see his daughter!"
The siblings walked with their mother, completely shocked over the ordeal. The boy and the girl had just gotten close, only to find out just how close they actually were. The boy's conflicting feelings only added to the emotional turmoil he was currently feeling.
The breeze picked up.
----------End----------
-Thank you very much. This story is loosely based on the anime/manga Koi Kaze. Keyword loosely. Some OOCness: Kairi, Roxas, Olette. Sorry if the ending seems a bit rushed. Thanks for reading. R&R.-
