Chapter 2: Come Together
"Mom! I'm …home." Kairi called out to the empty apartment, looking around the living room for signs of her mother. She stopped walking, as she was nearing closer to the kitchen. Peeking her head inside, she looked at the refrigerator and saw a small yellow post-it note stuck to it. She ripped the note off, looking down to read it.
Working late honey, I left you some money on the table, order out if you want anything. I'll see you in the morning. Love, Mom
Kairi sighed crumpling the note up into her hand and throwing it into the garbage behind her. Mom's always works late, nothing new. She opened the refrigerator, looking at it contents for a moment before moving backwards. Not hungry …
She sighed, walking up the stairs to the second level on her loft apartment to her room. She opened the door, stumbling in as she removed her sneakers by kicking down the backs, not even bothering to untie them. She dropped her messenger bag to the floor, falling face first onto bed and letting sleep claim her.
o—o
"I'm home!" Yuffie shouted, closing the door behind her.
She kicked off her shoes before stepping onto the wooden floor of the foyer. Letting her gym bag drop from her shoulder, her brown eyes surveyed the foyer area. She took a few steps in the direction of the living room, stretching as she went. "Dad?" she called out, running an idle hand through her hair.
Her father was currently dozing off behind the Radiant Daily, their local. His green tea had already gone cold, hinting that some number of hours might have elapsed with him in this position. Yuffie sighed, blowing hair out of her eyes, before leaning in the shake his shoulder, "Dad. …Dad, wake up."
Godo snorted in rather loudly, blinking blearily from behind his newspaper before shifting his attention to his daughter was currently standing over him. "…Yuffie…? Yuffie!" She stepped back as he got up, fixing his clothes and coughed. "…How long was I out for?"
"I don't know I just got home." She replied, shrugging.
He stretched his back, cracking his stiff bones in the process. "Mmm …what time is it?" he asked.
Yuffie looked at the clock over the television. "A little bit after five." She raised one slender eyebrow; right hand on her hip, "Don't you have to be at the dojo soon to go teach your night classes?"
Her father grumbled, yawning loudly. "Yeah, yeah." He began to look around for his keys on the coffee table in front of him. Finding them, he spun them around on his fingers once before pocketing them. "Why don't you come with me?"
"I …er …"
"You used to be so full of energy when you were younger. Always jumping at the chance to follow me to the dojo …" With her father rambling off about his dojo and how she never showed up to help around anymore, Yuffie took the time to take her leave. Whenever Godo got to talking about something, he could go on for hours about said topic, completely oblivious to what was happening around him.
Yuffie backtracked out of the living room, and rushed over to the foyer to retrieve her bag from in front of the door.
"Yuffie!" he called after her as she made her way to the stairs.
"Sorry, pops! Um, big paper! Big paper to write for English!"
"But you just started school today!" He called from down stairs.
"Yeaaaa …but you know school! Work work work!"
"Ughh …Yuffie."
Yuffie closed the door to her bedroom, dropping her bag to the floor once again. Waltzing over to her computer, she wiggled the mouse gently before watching the screen flicker to life. Eyes searching the screen, she hit the play button on her iTunes, the sounds of Come Together by The Beatles began to flood her room.
Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly…
She sighed, breathing in deeply before crossing her room and opening a window on the other side. Unlatching the window, she pushed it open slightly letting a cool summer breeze float in. Sitting on her bay window she propped her feet up on the other side, adjusting the pillows around before she got into a comfortable position.
He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roller…
The sun hung lazily in the sky; tendrils of its light shifting in-between stray tree branches, casting shadows where it saw fit. The sky was nearly cloudless, a few lazy wispy clouds hanging here and there. A light breeze blew in every few minutes, cooling the already humid day air. Yuffie loved this type of weather, deeming it the perfect type for running. She closed her eyes, breathing in gently as the breeze blew again and ruffled parts of her hair.
He got hair down to his knee…
All in all, she'd deem the day a pretty okay way to start off the year. Hell, she already had her schedule memorized. …Honors English, Physics, Asian Customs and Cultures, American History, Free, Lunch, Home Economics, Intro to Photoshop, Pre-Cal, and Japanese 3 Accelerated.
Got to be a joker he just do what he please…
Yet now she found her mind floating too other things. … Like Kairi…
Oh yes, how could she forget her lovely English partner?
She knew Kairi.
Hell, everyone knew Kairi and the type of reputation she had around the school. Smartest girl in the entire Junior class, she'd would probably end up as valedictorian for their senior year. Her mother ran some big corporation in Traverse Town, and was loaded beyond all belief.
As far as Yuffie knew, she'd only said hi to Kairi once or twice because she was good friends with Riku and Sora and the three of them were attached at the hip.
And now she was her English partner.
"Yuffie!" Her father yelled from down stairs, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'm off! I'll be back around ten!"
"Okay!" She called back, hearing the door slam. She turned back to looking out of her window, watching as her father started the car and pulled out of their drive way, heading off down the street. As soon as the car faded away from her vision, Yuffie slumped back into the pillows and took to staring at the sky again.
Oh well …
o—o
When Kairi woke up, she found that it had already grown dark, soft tendrils of what remained of the sunlight floating into her room.
Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she yawned rolling over onto her back and stretching. From her upside down position, she looked up at her window watching the colors of the sky turning a thousand shades of red, yellow, orange and pink as dusk had settled over Traverse Town.
Her eyes flickered over to look at her alarm clock. It was nearing six o'clock already, and she hadn't started on any of her homework.
Breathing in deeply she sat up on her bed, looking around momentarily before standing up. Her cell phone beeped behind her, alerting her that she had missed a call from her mother and Sora. Shrugging dismissively, she sent a text message too her mother, telling her she'd gotten home safely and dialed Sora's number while she worked on her Physics homework.
"KAIIIIIRIIIIIIII" Sora yelled into the phone, picking up just as soon as Kairi had dialed him.
Kairi rubbed at her ear, mumbling a low, "ow" before putting it back to her ear. "He …hello, Sora."
"I tried calling you earlier but you didn't pick up, were you sleeping …or something?"
"Yea, I fell asleep for a little while." She yawned, and falling onto her side, letting her pencil fall from her hand. "I needed it …I'm so used to my summer schedule and all …"
"Tell me about it, I couldn't get to sleep last night…"
"Mmmm …" She sat back up, scribbling something onto her paper, before looking back at her textbook.
"So what do you think of this year so far?" he asked excitedly, shifting on his bed.
"Well I'm taking a lot of honors and advanced placement's this year …so my workload should be pretty heavy. "
"Eesh, when aren't you? Then again you always were the overachiever Kairi."
"Am not!" She protested.
"Are too! Ever since we were kids you've always been the one 'challenging yourself academically'."
"Oh shush you. I just want to know that I have what colleges call, 'an enriching schedule full of topics and subjects that are sure to prepare a student for doing well in Universities'. Quoted straight out of 'Traverse Town Colleges the '07 Edition'." She stated matter-o-factly.
Sora snickered on the other end, "You're such a dork, Kairi. But that's why I love you."
She grumbled, writing another problem down on her homework. If she wasn't a lesbian, she was always an overachiever. Sometimes Kairi didn't know why she put up with Sora.
"Aww, I made you angry, didn't I?"
"No."
"Yes I didddd."
"No you didn't."
"Yesss I dddidddd!"
"SORA!"
"Now I made you angry!"
"More like irritated."
He giggled, shifting on his bed again. "Awww, I'm sorry." He laughed a bit more, before musing thoughtfully, "Hey Kai, can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
"Why'd you leave so abruptly earlier today?"
She hesitated before answered. "I don't know." Absent mindedly, she erased at a mistake she'd made on her Physics homework. She began redoing the problem again.
"You don't know?" He asked.
"No, I don't."
"Well …" Some shuffling, "Hold on Kairi?"
"Okay," The line clicked momentarily before Sora came back on a few minutes later. "Sorry, Kai. That was Riku. …Um …"
"It's okay, talk to him. I have to finish this Physics …I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Are you sure it's okay?"
"Yes yes, go talk to him. I'll be fine."
"Alright then! Byeee Kai!"
Before Kairi could get a word out edgewise, the phone line clicked. She looked down at her cell phone before tossing it off dismissively too her side and finished up the last of her homework. Pushing her books to the side, Kairi sighed and fell over on her bed, staring at her alarm clock.
Why had she left in a hurry earlier today?
It's not like she was in a hurry to get somewhere. It was just …something about Yuffie unnerved her a little.
Rolling over again on the bed, the splayed her arms out over her head. Kairi scratched at her head, moistening her dry lips with her tongue. I mean …I'm not the weirdo who stares down people and then leaves them hanging without saying anything too them. She rolled onto her side.
Don't worry, you'll only have to deal with her for a year. …Not too long, right?
Right.
o—o
Kairi woke up the next morning feeling dead tired as usual. She threw on a pair of khaki cargo pants, a green polo and pulled on her regular tennis shoes before grabbing something quick to eat from the kitchen and headed out the door. She arrived at school within an hour or so, finding Sora and Riku at their usual spot and waved out to them tiredly, stifling a yawn with her other hand.
After conversing with them for awhile, the bell rang for homeroom and they all went off in their separate ways. Kairi took her seat in homeroom sinking heavily into it and sighing, resting her head against her folded arms on the desk.
"Morning Kairi!" Olette chirped happily at her as she took her seat behind her.
"Mornin'" Kairi mumbled sleepily from her arms.
Olette laughed, turning her attention from Kairi to the morning news being shown on the television before them.
"Gooooddddd morning Twilight High! I'm your host Selphie with today's morning news!" The chirpy brunette shuffled the papers in front of her, smiling brightly. "I hope everyone had a great summer vacation! …Ah summer …getting tans, spending all that time at the beach …ice cream …boyfriends …summer romance. Getting kissed under the stars and—" She stopped when someone hissed her name from off set. "Whoops, sorry guys. Getting off track there!"
"Selphie's such a goofball." Olette mumbled to Kairi.
"Uh huh …"
"Lettt'sss …see. Ooooh! Big news guys! Homecoming is coming up soon! And you know what that means! Spirit week, the school fair, the homecoming game and …oooo, the fun!" She looked down at the papers, shuffling them once more, "Starting next week, voting will begin for homecoming queen and king will begin! And …tomorrow morning the themes for spirit week will be posted in homeroom." Selphie let out a squeal, and hugged the papers to her chest, "This is going to be soooo exciting!" She continued to blab on about other happening around the school, most of which some students found boring and other's listened intently too.
Olette leaned forward in her chair, tucking her feet underneath her. "So …homecoming Queen?"
Kairi snorted, "Just another popularity contest if you ask me."
"I knew you'd say that." She grinned, "So, are you going to be taking pictures and whatnot?"
Kairi yawned, and sat up off her desk. "I have too… seeing as it's a school related event and all." She stretched, "…Part of my responsibilities about being on the paper…" she turned around to look at Olette.
"Speaking of the paper …"
"Meetings today. I'll tell Zexion to put it into the afternoon announcements."
"Great." Olette clapped her hands together, smiling.
The bell rung and the class was once again brought to life as students began filing out into the hallway. Kairi waved goodbye to Olette as she filed out into the hallway, finding her place in the throng of students as they headed off to their first period classes.
o—o
Kairi arrived at her English class early as usual, taking her seat in the back of the classroom. Just as the bell rung again, Yuffie came in running. "Safeee!" She declared to no one in particular.
"Miss Kisaragi. If you will." Zexion muttered from behind her.
"Oh …uh, heh. Sorry." She waved apologetically, and went to take her seat in front of Kairi again.
Zexion sighed, running a hand through his silver hair. Checking off the attendance list quickly he turned his attention back to the class, crossing his arms. "I'll pick up from where I left off yesterday. But first, I want to mention something about your projects for a bit more …"
He crossed over to the blackboard and began writing. Students shuffled around in their bags for something to write on and with, as Zexion scribbled out information in front of them. "It will be due October 4th. As to what exactly it will be composed of I have yet to decide but it will be on, but it will center around the book of Macbeth, seeing as we will start discussing it with in coming weeks." He took a seat behind his desk, "I'll give a little bit of leniency on grading seeing as this is your first project, but that should give you no incentive to slack off." Groans flooded throughout the class, as Zexion took moved toward the window. "Are their any questions?"
"Yeah. Do we have to do it." Yuffie mumbled to a blonde haired girl sitting across from her. The girl across from her snickered in response, and Zexion turned his attention to the two of them.
"Is there something you would like to share with the class, Miss Kisaragi? Miss Lamport?"
Yuffie waved a hand at Zexion, "No, sir." She flashed him her characteristic grin, and Zexion rolled his eyes.
Kairi looked up from her notebook at Yuffie, frowning slightly. Cocky, arrogant and full of herself. That's what Yuffie Kisaragi was.
Class continued on with Zexion starting handing out books on Macbeth, dictating to the class the main back story of the book. Kairi kept half her focus on Zexion and the other half on Yuffie, watching as the girl conversed with the blonde next to her.
The girl's name was Rikku and she was on their schools swim team and from what she knew, she and Yuffie were attached at the hip. Anything Yuffie said, the other girl would laugh at. And yet from the way they reacted to one another, Kairi seemed to pick up something more than just friendship between the two. …Or maybe she was just being delusional from her grogginess.
She continued to watch the two for some time before she realized she had been staring at them for too long seeing as Yuffie turned around and looked at Kairi, but Kairi quickly turned her attention back to her notebook pretending she was writing down notes ignoring the gaze the black haired girl had on her.
Weirdo.
"So …with the time remaining in class, I'll let you get started with getting too know your partners a bit better." Zexion dusted the chalk off his hands as he sat back in his seat. And with that, desks began to move around and the room filled with chatter. Rikku whispered something in Yuffie's ear before looking at Kairi behind her and then waving and dragged her desk over toward Yuna. Yuffie sighed, biting her lower lip and staring off into space. Kairi remained quiet behind her as she packed away her books.
"Miss Ifans, Miss Kisaragi." Zexion called from the front of the classroom. "Work."
Yuffie turned around to look at Kairi, who pretended to be preoccupied with whatever she was doing, ignoring the girl in front of her. Yuffie gaged Kairi first before making the first move.
"…Kairi …right?" she asked a bit hesitantly.
Kairi looked up to meet her eyes, "Yes." She answered with a blank, yet suspecting look on her face.
Yuffie looked sideways toward Rikku across the room then back at Kairi, "Listen …I don't know much about you, and you don't know much about me. But uh ...if you don't mind, I'd rather we change partners for this project seeing as—"
Kairi's lips thinned and her eyes narrowed at Yuffie. Her eyebrows creased inward, one raising slightly, "Seeing as, what?"
"Well you're kinda weird, and …"
Kairi scoffed, "I'm weird!? I saw that look you gave me the other day! You're the weirdo!"
"I …look. I just would feel more ..." Yuffie paused looking for the right words.
"I see what this is."
"…Wha?" Yuffie asked.
"This is about your reputation, isn't it?"
"Um …" Yuffie stalled. I've had my eye on you … She looked off toward her left, hesitantly.
"It is." Kairi shuffled her books not even waiting for an answer. "Well Yuffie. You'll just have to deal with me for the year. Sorry you couldn't get one of your normal friends to work with, but you're stuck with me." The nerve …
"That's not it at –" Before Yuffie could get a word in edge wise, Kairi was already out the door as the bell signaled the beginning of second period. Shit.
o—o
"The NERVE!" Kairi spat out, slamming a fist on the table.
"I …don't think she meant anything by it Kairi, Yuffie's not the type to be rude too people like that." Sora offered, flinching as the auburn haired girl seethed on in front of him. Kairi turned around to face him, staring him down intently. Sora laughed nervously, looking to Riku for back up.
"Maybe you intimidate her." Riku suggested, stealing one of Sora's fries.
"With what? Her big brains?" Axel asked, slapping Demyx a high one. Roxas head desked on the other side of the red head.
The table grew quiet as Kairi turned to face Axel slowly, murder clearly written in her eyes.
"Kairi, Kairi, Kairi!" Sora quipped from in front of her, "Calm down."
Kairi slammed her fist down on the table again, taking a swig of her water, "Just …her arrogance!" Ahh, Kairi. Blessed with a notoriously short temper.
"And her sexy body!" Axel offered, swigging his orange soda in unison with Kairi's water. And a ketchup dispenser magically hit him in the head two seconds later! But oh, it wasn't Kairi's doing. Oh no. Roxas sighed, blowing bubbles into his chocolate milkshake while Demyx pointed and laughed at Axel.
"Why don't you just talk to her?" Roxas, probably the most sane one at the table, spoke up.
"…Because she's not worth talking too."
Roxas shrugged, and went back to drinking his milkshake.
Kairi looked at the clock, "Look. I'm going to go." She gathered her stuff up, "I'll see you guys later. She threw her garbage out and was about to place her tray back on the stand when she bumped into someone, "Oh …excuse …" she stopped half way, frowning at who she saw.
Yuffie.
"Uh, Hey…"
Kairi heard none of it and pushed her way past the other girl, and headed out of the cafeteria, leaving Yuffie to scratch at her head absent mindedly. She surveyed the cafeteria looking for one person in particular and grinned when she found him, "Hey, Sora …"
The final bell had rung as school was let out for the day. Kairi sighed as she found Sora and Riku in their usual meeting place, giving them giving a tired half-hearted wave. "There's our favorite lesbian!" Riku called out happily, waving to the auburn haired girl as she stopped walking.
"…Oh, shut up."
"Hey, I'm not the one who runs away from cute girls when they walk my way."
"She was not cute! And why would you? YOU'RE GAY!"
"Yuffie's not cute then, Kairi?"
"NO. SHE'S NOT."
Riku looked behind her, and then smiled happily. "…Oh. Hi, Yuffie."
Kairi felt like a thousand bricks had hit her straight in the head before turning around to see Yuffie standing behind her. The Japanese girl had her hands shoved into the pockets of her mocha colored UFO shorts, hips pushed outward, raising an eyebrow at the auburn haired girl in front of her.
"Um …" Kairi began, caught off guard. She couldn't find anything to say so she kept her focus on Yuffie's t-shirt, admiring how clean and nice it was. And was that a black bra she saw underneath that clean and nice white shirt?
"Uhm …yea." Yuffie lowered an eyebrow, and coughed. "Look, ah …I, um …came to find you to talk too apologize for today … uh …" She shook her head, "Look, are you busy now?"
An apology? Wow. "I, um …" She coughed. "I mean …yes. Kinda …sorta. I have to sort of get to the paper and um …do papery stuff."
God if she didn't sound stupid.
Riku snickered behind her and Sora elbowed him in the ribs. Kairi turned around to look at her two friends as they shucked off to the side, waving at her as they went, "Byeeee Kairi! Call me!" Sora called out to her as he grabbed Riku and the two of them disappeared around the corner.
Kairi shook her head at the two of them before returning her attention to Yuffie. She took a deep breath before looking Yuffie in the eyes, "What I meant to say was. I don't really have time right now, but I might have time to talk after the meeting for the paper; that is if you can stay for an hour or two?" Score, Kairi. You actually articulated your words for once without sounding like a complete mental patient.
Yuffie smirked down at her, "It's alright. When does your meeting end?"
"I'm not sure, but at the latest, it should be five o'clock."
"I have practice til 4:30. I'll meet you back here then." Before Kairi could give her an answer, Yuffie flashed her a grin and turned around, "See ya."
As soon as Yuffie was out of sight, Kairi exhaled slowly before turning around to see Sora and Riku peeking at her from behind the wall. They smiled cheekily at her while she glared at them.
"I …am going …to KILL you two."
"Oh no! Not me! Riku! You're going to kill Riku!" Sora protested jabbing at his boyfriend.
"It wasn't my fault, really. Yuffie just …so happened to be walking toward us while you were shouting about how cute she was …or was it wasn't?" He put a finger to his lip in mock thought, trying to push down a grin from forming on his face.
"You two …are IMPOSSIBLE!" And she proceeded to stomp down the hallway on her way too the news room.
"She's so totally gay for Yuffie."
"Oh yea, totally."