Thank you guys SO much! i love you all! you're all beautiful, beautiful people! i'm not joking when i say that i got teary-eyed when i saw the reviews! thank you SO much! kisses and hugs to everybody who reviewed and stuff! next time i'll hand out cookies!

and i'll try to update every few days!

Darkblade Wielder: thank you so much! i'm glad you like it!

yuffiegal: i'm so happy you love it! thanks for the support!

MidnightAngel17: i'm sorry that Riku called her a stuck up brat...but she's gonna be the skeptical one (i dunno how she turned out that way, but she did). yes! Sora is a major blusher! expect more blushing from him! i'm glad you like it!

XO'MagickMoon'OX: yeah...i guess their feelings are developing a little quickly ; yes, Tidus is a little...vain. yes, Sora is good as well as Riku (you will find out soon in these next few chapters). and Riku's last name does relate to silver (i thought it sounded cool). Sora's last name is made-up unfortunately (no hidden meaning). its ok that you rambled! i love long reviews (they make me feel special)!

Thanks to the following people for alerts: Bonita San. Yuki-Hibuki. Darkblade Wielder. XO'MagickMoon'OX.

Thanks to the following people for favs: Darkblade Wielder. MidnightAngel17.

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"Cloud, would you please demonstrate to Riku how to correctly perform the bellwork?" asked the instructor, Ms. Bell.

"Of course," Cloud said, getting up from his seat. Standing in the front of the class, Cloud took out his tenor saxophone and played the B-flat concert scale without missing a beat.

"Very good, Cloud. Riku?" Ms. Bell gestured. Up in the front of the room, I copied Cloud by performing the simple scale effortlessly on the flute.

"Excellent, your turn, Yuffie," said Ms. Bell.

"Do we have to do this every day?" I asked Cloud as I sat back down.

"Nah, just at the beginning of every quarter. Wish it was every day though, the regular bellwork is hard," he replied. I chuckled. Cloud tried to get out of anything that made him work.

By the time we finished the bellwork, however, it was almost time to get out of class.

Now I knew why they only had to do this once a quarter, and why Cloud enjoyed this day so much (the lazy bum).

When we were dismissed from the class, Ms. Bell came up to me.

"Riku, would you mind staying after today? There's something I'd like to discuss with you and another student," she said.

"Sure," I said, praying she didn't want one of those student-teacher relationships. Wait, she said with me and another student, and I've never heard of a teacher-student three-some.

God, I'm either paranoid or perverted . . . or both.

On the intercom, she said, "Sora Lundao, please report to room 205. I repeat, Sora

Lundao, please report to room 205."

XXXXXXX

"Very well, Sora, you may go," said my teacher. I nodded and left the room, heading for room 205. Why does Ms. Bell want to see me? Oh wait, maybe it's for that Parents' Night thing. She did have me play for it last year.

I turned the doorknob and entered the room. Riku! What's he doing here? I wondered.

"Ah, Sora, have you met Riku yet?" Ms. Bell asked. I nodded. "Good, now, I found this piece of music that's a duet, and when I saw it I immediately saw you two playing it. Everyone has heard good things about your skill at the flute, Riku, and I know from personal experience how good a pianist you are, Sora." I blushed at this compliment. (Or was it from the way Riku was looking at me?) "So do either of you think you'd be interested in doing this for Parents' Night?" she asked us.

"Sure," we said simultaneously.

"Brilliant!" she cried. Ms. Bell was obviously excited that we were going to do this piece.

"I'll arrange practice times for you starting tomorrow after school! Is that alright with you two?"

"Yeah," Riku said. I nodded in agreement. I'd done a lot of nodding recently.

"Wonderful! You two may return to your classes. Riku, I'll write you a pass," she said, busily searching through her papers for the passes.

"I'll see ya later then, Riku," I said, walking towards the door.

"See ya," Riku replied. I glanced back at him for a moment, and almost melted at the smile he gave me. I gotta go . . . Riku smiled at me . . . I gotta get to my next class . . . Riku's beautiful eyes . . . gotta catch up with Tidus . . . Tidus's brother is Cloud, and Cloud was hanging out with Riku . . . Riku . . . Why do you keep entering my thoughts? Why can't I get rid of you? I know I have a crush on you, but still . . . it's turning into an obsession . . . I let out a deep breath as I returned to my class.

XXXXXXX

"So Riku, what do you think of our school?" Cloud asked me. We were sharing a locker (which Leon didn't seem to approve of) and packing our things. Yuffie and Namine had already left, and Leon said he wanted to ask me something after school.

"It's definitely everything the brochure said," I replied.

"Really?" Cloud wondered.

"Yeah."

"No, I meant, our school has a brochure? Ow!" Cloud yelped as Leon hit the back of his head.

"Of course our school has a brochure! Just how stupid are you?" Leon asked.

"Well . . ." said Cloud, apparently trying to remember.

"I wasn't serious, you idiot," Leon said. I just chuckled. They were a comical pair, those two.

"Cloud! You ready yet?" Tidus yelled from down the hall.

"Shut up! I'm comin'!" Cloud yelled in return.

"Well you better hurry up," Tidus complained.

"Shut up, I could leave you here without a ride home, ya know," Cloud threatened.

"And then Mom would kill you," said Tidus, knowing full well he was the favorite son.

"Fine, I'm goin'. See ya later, guys," Cloud said, waving as he left with his little brother who was pulling him by the arm out the door.

"So, what'd you want to ask me, Leon?" I asked.

"Well, to be blunt, I wanted to know if you were gay?"

"Why?" I asked. Thank God I can hide my emotions better than Sora. Otherwise I'd be sputtering like an idiot. (Not that he doesn't look cute when he does that.) But how the hell did Leon guess?

"Well, you said you don't have a girlfriend, and I personally find that hard to believe."

"We broke up right before I transferred here," I said. It was the truth, actually. In fact, she was how I figured out I was gay in the first place.

"So are you?"

"What?"

"Gay?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said, laughing.

"That is what I'm asking."

"You know," I said, looking him in the eye. "I'm not gonna tell you just for the fun of it."

"How is that fun?"

"Leon, you have no idea how funny your reactions are, do you?" I half whispered, leaning towards him. Leon's face went a little pinker than usual. Then I laughed and walked away. This is gonna be fun! I thought.

Outside, it was a nice day, so I loosened my tie. This school had uniforms, and they were really stiff. Navy pants and suit jacket with a white collared shirt and tie. Should've known, this is supposed to be a prestigious music school . . . But I think it's worth it. Funny classmates and cute pianists . . . What more could you want?

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and sorry for making Cloud kind of a...dumb blonde. it just seemed to fit somehow... (i dunno why though...)

please review! i love reviews and the people who make them! i have cookies for those of you who do! (bribing works wonders...right?)