Sighing on the bus ride to school, Naminé Tamazaki pulled a stray lock of golden blonde hair out of her face. The sun was high in the sky, the blistering heat already tearing through the trees and searing the skin on her cheeks as she gazed out of the foggy window, watching the scenery pass her by. The teenage girls that sat around her on every other seat available chirped and chattered about the latest gossip, television show, or celebrity crush while she pushed a migraine away, not wanting to join any conversation about nonsense that was created for money. She slowly turned her gaze to the transparent reflection that was barely visible against the trees that flew by outside; the soft ice blue eyes, the silky golden blonde hair pulled over one shoulder, and the hideous blue checkered uniform that was much to big for her small curves. She brought a hand to the window, willing for her refection to truly show; but no, not in public, not where everyone could see them.
The bus came to a slow stop, the creaky doors pulling aside as a bubbly red head bounded up the stairs. She searched down the aisle for an available space, grinning as she sat herself down next to Naminé. The blonde swiveled in her seat, removing her hand, smiling.
"Good morning, Kai." she greeted her cousin sweetly, her honey covered voice tinkling with sincerity towards one of her only friends.
"Mornin', Nami!" Kairi Hara said cheerfully, rolling the short sleeves of her uniform high up her shoulders. Her violet eyes were warm and welcoming, her russet locks slicked back into a ponytail. She reached into her small carry on bag and pulled out some small notes. "Siax is pop quizzing us today. Axel told me so."
Naminé nodded, returning her gaze to the lush island palm trees flying by out the window. She blocked out all of the mindless chatter and the shuffling of paper as the bus rolled on.
Finally, after about another ten minutes, all of the girls began loading off, shoving each other away and pushing through the crowds to exit the bus first. Naminé and Kairi sat back and watched; it was said that if you got off of the bus first, you have high social status. Since the red head and the blonde could care less, they took their time.
They walked silently up the grand stairs into the Destiny Islands Art Academy for Girls, marching over to their beige lockers. The two girls collect their belongings and waved good-bye, separating to get to class.
Naminé was an art major. She could paint intricate designs, weave pictures through her sketchbook, and turn oil pastel doodles into a colorful fields of flowers. She handled a paintbrush with the skills of a master; and she was considered one, already being offered college scholarships and offers to feature her work in art exhibits. Personally, she hated the attention she received from her schoolmates the most; because she was considered one of the best, she was treated like one of the best.
Unlike normal High schools, where cheerleaders and football players made up most of the populars, DIAAGs popular list only accepted the exceptionally gifted. The top students in music, art, and theatre mainly; basically, Naminé, Kairi, Olette, Selphie, Xion, and Aqua. No one had to be jealous of boyfriends either- it was an all girls school, after all-but looks also contributed to the factor of acceptance. Naminé was always compared to the looks of a Barbie doll; silky blonde hair, deep azure eyes. The curves of a swimsuit model, just the right size at 4'11. Unlike the other girls, however, she didn't carry a compact mirror in her back pocket to reapply makeup.
She sighed, waving to people as she passed through the hallways. She climbed up to the second story, turned right, and entered her first class, always her favorite, art. The teacher greeted her warmly, offering her kind smile.
"Good morning, Mrs. Gainsborough," Naminé bowed, showing her respect and admiration. Mrs. Gainsborough gave a curt nod and gestured to Naminé's front row seat.
"Good morning, Naminé. I'll expect a perfect recreation of The Scream." the beautiful brunette winked, and Naminé grinned.
Aerith Gainsborough was a powerful figure in the world of art, respected by all within DIAAG. Her name was printed angelically on masterpieces around the world, most of which rested casually in the halls of the school, and the paintings she produced were enough to stun a room filled with critics into silence. Her casual clothing consisted of a pink skirt layered over white, with a matching pink and white blouse. She always wore her long brunette hair in a braid that traveled to the center of her back, and her emerald eyes were always filled with compassion.
"Class, please find your seats," she bellowed into the room, as the last of the students scurried to their assigned chairs. Naminé retrieved her sketchbook from her bag, setting it lightly on her desk and fiddling with the spiral coil. Mrs. Gainsborough called roll, receiving pleasant 'here's from all of the girls before asking the class to pass their homework up to the front row. Naminé, being Naminé, set her work on the very bottom, following one of her favorite well known sayings, 'save the best for last.'
As she flipped through the pile, Mrs. Gainsborough gave a warm smile. "Very good, Yuna…oh, wonderful piece, Alice…You're all very talented artists, class," she praised, earning girlish giggles from the room. "Now please, open your books to page two-fifty."
The girls rushed to flip through the pages, the scrap of paper echoing. Naminé grinned; they would be studying the concept of nature in the next lesson, something she had already mastered as a child. She sat back, folding her hands neatly in her lap, listening to Aerith's tender voice as she read out loud to the class.
"What are you going to do for the homework assignment?" a petite raven haired girl asked, fumbling with the combination to her locker. Naminé sighed, wheeling the dial around until it clicked. She was always in charge of remembering her friend's locker combinations. "Thanks."
"I thought maybe I'd draw that nest of blue jays that live by my window," Namine answered thoughtfully, clutching a math book. Xion nodded, liking the idea, before slamming her locker closed.
Xion Kiryu was Naminé's art partner and best friend. She was complex, a respectable painter with a few college scholarships, although she wasn't considered an artistic genius like Naminé. The two had known each other since the sixth grade, and had instantly clicked; both were shy, both were artsy, both had personal problems. From far away, you'd think the two were polar opposites, however; Xion's midnight back hair was cropped short in contrast to Naminé's shoulder length blonde locks, and she always wore black in opposition to Naminé's white. Like Yin and Yang.
The duo pushed their way through the crowds, catching their enthusiastic red headed friend somewhere in between, on their way to Math. The now trio of friends sat down in their aisle seats and waited for their teacher to enter to begin the lesson.
Math was never Naminé's favorite class. She never understood the need to use math in the real world except for maybe in construction, but it wasn't like she was going to be a construction worker any time soon. Her teacher always told her that math was like art, but she couldn't tell the resemblance. Compared to Art, Math was just pure torture at its finest. Although, she did understand some of the problems written on the white board; some, not all, but it was better than nothing.
After an agonizing hour in Math, she headed for Chemistry, bidding her friends farewell. In this class, she was always bored out of her wits. The Chemistry lab, occupied by Mr. Vexen, was filled to the brim with flasks, beakers, thermometers, and various chemicals that created a foul stench in the air. Mr. Vexen obviously didn't mind, but for first year students, the smell is overwhelming; in her first class back in freshman year, someone had actually passed out.
"Take your seats, girls, I don't have all day," Mr. Vexen snapped, his voice high pitched and nasally as he pulled his long blonde hair into a ponytail. Many girls grumbled under their breath as they sulked into the odor of science.
For the past month since school started, Naminé had been trying to identify the cause of the sickly air she breathed. The cabinets containing each of the chemicals were sealed shut and bolted down with heavy locks. The Bunsen burners on every table were usually turned off, and the smell couldn't be gasoline. She even wondered once if it was Mr. Vexen himself causing the smell; but after catching him in the aisles of Bath and Body Works, she doubted it.
Mr. Vexen droned on about the periodic table, something Naminé had memorized in full detail in the fifth grade. She rested her chin on her palm, gazing silently out the window until the bell rang. She was anxious to return home, like always, to stare into the mirror.
At lunch, she crept over to a circular table in the center of the large cafeteria, bringing her sack lunch onto the table with a silent crumple of paper. Her friends greeted her warmly, making her smile.
Naminé and Xion were the art divas; Kairi and Selphie, drama. To make the last of the small group, Aqua and Olette, the musicians.
Naminé placed herself between Kairi and Aqua, grinning as they made small talk with each other. Aqua Egami was a sweet girl that was one year older than Naminé. She was considered an expert in the string instrument department, but her true talent lied within the cello, having won various contests and performing in orchestras. Her light blue hair was abnormal, but she prefers to stand out. Sitting next to Kairi were Olette and Selphie Tilmitt, twins from Twilight Town. Polar opposites, Selphie was an over-the-top romantic while Olette was a quiet hard worker. Selphie's domain lied within Drama, where she frequently battled Kairi for leading roles. Olette preferred the safety of her flute.
"Hey Kairi, my cousin's coming back over to visit," Xion said casually, smirking at her red-headed companion. Kairi blushed; they all knew she had a small crush on him since second grade.
"H-he is?" she asked her voice jumping another octave. Xion and Naminé snickered.
"Come on, Kairi! Sora's been coming over on like, every holiday, and he stays during summer vacation! Why haven't you asked him out?" Selphie whined, completely oblivious to Kairi's flustered reaction.
"Selphie, that goes against the girl code! The guy has to ask the girl out, unless it's the Sadie Hawkins Dance or something," Kairi said in a rush, trying to rid herself of her blush. Aqua giggled lightly.
"Girl code or not, you like him, and he likes you. One of you just needs to make a move," she commented, earning a dejected sigh.
"How's your love life with Terra?" Naminé asked. Aqua laughed, rolling her eyes.
"Terra's fine. He took me to the movies last weekend," she answered. Namine smiled, happy for her friend.
"Psh, that's nothing. Riku took me out on a moonlit picnic on the island. It was the epitome of romance," Xion said playfully, sticking her tongue out at Aqua, who returned the gesture.
"Speaking of dates, you know Hayner finally asked Lette out?" Selphie chirped, and Olette blushed a deep crimson. All three girls awed at her, throwing questions at her like bombs, cooing at the cuteness of the couple. Hayner and Olette had liked each other almost as long as Kairi and Sora; this was a big jump in Naminé's book.
"Oh, Lettie, I'm so proud of you!" Kairi cooed, putting a perfectly manicured hand over her heart. Olette blushed a deeper crimson, waving everyone off.
"Guys, stop it! You're embarrassing me," she mumbled, smiling as the group laughed. A comfortable silence enveloped them as they ate, stuffing small portions of food into their mouths.
"What about you, Naminé? Got your sights set on anyone?" Kairi chirped. Naminé looked up and shrugged; she didn't have her sights set on anyone but herself, so to speak.
"Nope," she replied, popping the 'p'. Xion and Aqua exchanged a look.
Naminé, you've never had a boyfriend before, and we've been asking you since fifth grade. You're seventeen now, and you've only had one crush in your whole life!" Xion said, exasperated. Selphie and Kairi nodded their heads.
"Seriously guys, I don't have a crush on anyone! Besides, the only guys I ever really see are Terra, Riku, Tidus, Sora, Hayner, and Seifer. And Seifer is a no go, for sure," she answered.
What happened to that Roxas kid you told us about in third grade?" Selphie asked, squinting.
Naminé hesitated, biting her lip. It is true that she had told her friends a tidbit of her secret once before, but she honestly couldn't give it away. The boy in the mirror - the boy she had a crush on - was never to be mentioned, a pact between the two. She composed her expression, allowing a small blush to enter her cheeks for effect, and looked at her food.
"H-he moved to Twilight Town." the stutter in the beginning was perfect, adding to the effect she wanted. Her reflection would have been proud.
No! why did the one boy you like move away?" Selphie cried dramatically, slumping forward on the table and play-sobbing. Kairi rolled her eyes.
"Find him on Facebook or something!" she threw in casually, throwing the last of her lunch away. Naminé shook her head sadly.
"He doesn't have one," she answered truthfully, then gave it some thought. "And neither to I, for that matter."
"Which brings us to another problem of yours. You know, you could meet a whole bunch of nice, smoking hot guys if you actually tried to have a social life outside of us," Selphie chirped, returning from her fake tears and cries.
"Selph, talking to strangers online isn't really the safest idea," Aqua chided, folding her napkin neatly and dabbing her lip gloss. Selphie pouted.
"I'm with Aqua there," Olette and Xion said simultaneously, before grinning. "But she could still talk to our friends, maybe hook her up with Terra's younger brother or something."
Naminé shook her head furiously, a real blush creeping into her cheeks. "N-no! guys, don't set me on a blind date!" she whined, flustered. "Really, I'm too busy to have a boyfriend."
"Uh-huh. Sure," Kairi sniped, drawing out the 'u'. "Nami, RGUA already has its sights set on you, and you don't have an exhibit till August."
"Can a girl not be seventeen and single?" Naminé mumbled, finding no suitable comeback. Her friends chuckled, deciding now was a good time to back away from the boyfriend subject. Naminé was grateful. Her friends always had her back; there was no chance of them betraying her, and they could read her like a book. When she was uncomfortable with a subject, they would immediately back off.
"Anyway, have you seen Selphie's new flat screen? It's the biggest thing I've ever seen in my life." Kairi said abruptly, slamming her hands down on the table and sending disbelieving looks around the table. Selphie and Olette smirked at each other while Aqua, Xion, and Naminé giggled.
And so lunch went.
Classes went by in a jumble of boring words, but once school was over, Naminé hurried onto the bus, a winded Kairi following close by. She deliberately pushed girls out of her way as she passed, enthusiastic to return home; earning grumbled profanities and other disturbing words. What could she say? Naminé was always excited to return home and share her day - no matter how boring it was - to the eager ears of her reflection. He was always sitting patiently behind the glass waiting for her anyway.
"Sheesh, Nami! Why do you always rush?" Kairi panted after finally reaching the blonde, who sat impatiently in the very front row. Naminé grinned, bubbling up inside.
"Because!" she declared positively. Kairi shook her head, chuckling.
"You're something else," she mumbled under her breath, waving Selphie and Olette - who took a leisurely pace - into the seat across from them. Aqua and Xion were always driven home by their parents.
Naminé only smiled and faced the window, glancing at the flimsy image of herself reflected back at her. She grinned, seeing the smallest and lightest of bright blue ripples - like water - and then the equally bright blue eyes staring back at her, the blonde spikes falling into them. One eye winked; and then she was staring back at boring old Naminé again.
"Hey, Naminé, we need to hang out sometime," Selphie quipped from across the way, bouncing slightly in her seat as the bus ran over bumps in the road. Naminé smiled for show, but she groaned internally.
"I would love to, Selphie! Girls night out on the main island say…Friday?" she prompted, crossing her fingers in hopes for cancellations. She was disappointed to see her friend bob her head up and down enthusiastically.
"So Olette, Aqua, and I will meet you, Kairi, and Xion at the front doors maybe, four-ish?" Selphie asked, receiving a nod from Kairi. "Great! I'm excited."
"You're always excited to shop," Olette sniped, and the group laughed as Selphie's face twisted into an overdramatic show of embarrassment.
"I am not!" she tried defending, earning giggles from Kairi and Olette. Naminé smiled, but said nothing for the remainder of the bus ride.
Whenever Naminé jumped off of the last step sitting behind those sliding glass doors on the bus, she literally sprinted to reach her home, which was a block away. She waved Kairi, Olette, and Selphie farewell from the windows as they passed.
The blonde ran along lawns and beach sand, dodging Mrs. Ito's pit bull, until she stood panting at her doorstep, trying to catch her breath. Huffing loudly, she pushed the door open and hastily slipped off her shoes.
"Dad, I'm home!" she called before running up stairs. Her father took a quick peek around the corner as she whizzed past, chuckled to himself, and returned to cooking. She bolted up the steps, taking two at a time, and finally burst through the door to her room.
He was waiting, sitting on her bed on the other side of the mirror, smiling softly. Naminé released a smile of her own; he was always waiting for her, forever patient.
"Hey," she called breathlessly, approaching the mirror. The boy mimicked her.
"Hey yourself," he greeted, placing a hand up to the mirror.
Naminé pressed her fingers to the glass, feeling the cold barrier beneath her fingertips and willing it to vanish.
"How was your day?" he asked playfully, ignoring the empty feeling he received whenever he touched the glass. Naminé shrugged.
"Same old. We were talking about you today in lunch," she said.
"Really? What were you saying?" he asked, genuinely curious. Naminé smiled.
Roxas sat behind the mirror every day and he always listened to her rant until she was out of breath. He always questioned her about her life, but when she asked about him, he always swerved off topic. Naminé never asked why; she didn't want him to leave her because she had said something that offended him.
"We were talking about my lack of a love life, so I used you to get them to stop pestering me about it. Is that ok?" she asked, looking a little skeptic. To her relief, Roxas let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.
"I don't mind at all, Nami," he grinned. "I'm glad you used me!"
Naminé blushed a deep shade of crimson, and pressed her forehead against the glass. Roxas mimicked her, his hair flipping up as it made contact with the mirror. Ripples of blue floated away from his touch.
"I wish I could see you…like, really see you," she murmured, her hand curling into a fist on the glass, is if attempting to clutch a handful of his shirt. His eyes, so like her own in its icy blue storm, dimmed.
"I do too. I wish I could touch you, hold you, kiss you… but I'm only a reflection," he sighed sadly. Naminé blushed again; he often declared his love shamelessly, which was perfectly fine, if it didn't embarrass her so much.
"I…I love you, Roxas," she whispered.
"I love you too, my precious counterpart," he whispered back. Naminé pulled away and curled her arms under her knees. She shook her head in determination, and stared with a gaze like fire into Roxas's eyes.
"We can't be like this, it's too depressing!" she declared, cracking a soft smile. "So Roku, tell me about your day."
