Part TWO

Question 4. Has he tried to set you up with other guys?
a. yes
b. no

Maybe you expect a big confrontation. Seems plausible, given how straightforward Kairi is. But when it comes to relationships, like her budding one with Sora, Kairi is unexpectedly cautious and subtle. So no confrontation.

Maybe you expect a tearful apology fest where we say our sorries and pour out our deepest darkest secrets to each other. Like how my parents' divorce led to my low self-esteem, or Kairi's quest for true love left her quite wary and jaded of other people's intentions. Those points are all true, but you probably didn't think we found out all that about each other at a late-night sleepover in middle school. And we're big girls - we don't cry anymore. So no tears.

You probably don't expect everything to be over in less than a week. For everything to be over with a simple text.

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
Sorry. I was having a bad day

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
I mean I'm not trying to make up an excuse. I'm sorry.

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
It's k. I get it :)

Yup. Anticlimactic, you might complain, but that's how real life works. My friendship with Kairi has endured 7 years of high school, teenage drama, and puberty. Now, any disturbance is just a minor ripple in the grand lake of things.

Cause we tight like dat.

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
Really?

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
Nbd. Btw, I went ahead w/ the quiz. :o

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
Oh! Question 4?

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
Or actually I just came across the answer :/

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
Okay what is it?

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
IT'S A. SORA SUGGESTED I GO TO PROM W/ TIDUS :(

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
DOESN'T HE KNOW TIDUS IS LIKE A BROTHER TO ME?

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
AND TIDUS WANTS TO ASK YUNA. THAT DUMMY! XO

Kairi rebounds from things pretty quickly. Optimism really isn't an easy trait to stay true to. When bad things happen, it's so much easier to dwell in the negatives. Like me.

It's hard being a cynic, trust me. Always try to think positive, kids.

On another note, the mission is now back on. So I try my best to make up for my relational faux pas and be Kairi's one true supporter.

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
Okay, but...maybe Tidus asked him to ask, or something

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
If it's just a one-time thing, it might not mean anything

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
HMM MAKES SENSE ._.

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
Sry for all caps ^-^

...

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
ASLDKFJLDKJFLA;S

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
#SORRYNOTSORRY FOR THE CAPS

From: Naminé
To: Kairi
Jairo it's 3 I'm quaking up a 6.

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
SORA FOUND OUT TIDUS IS GOING W/ YUNA

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
SO HE SUGGESTED ROXAS THIS TIME :o

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
DIDN'T HE TELL YOU ROXAS IS A PLAYER?

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
WHY'S HE OFFERING ME UP? :(

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
WHAT IS THIS BOY'S PROBLEM? :( :(

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
IT'S NOT A ONE-TIME THING ANYMORE :'(

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
WHAT DO I DO?!

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
NAMINE?

From: Kairi
To: Naminé
WHAT DOES YOUR TEXT MEAN?

Kairi's early morning text disturbs my sleep, which I attribute to my loss of focus during my physics midterm. So in my book, we're even again.

Just like that, the cadence of our friendship is back to normal.


Question 5. Has he ever gotten handsy with you?
a. never
b. all the time
c. only when he's drunk

Prom plans keep everyone busy, and time flies when you're busy. Kairi is probably still a bit wary of me and my outburst, so we don't interact much for the next few weeks beyond a greeting in the halls. We don't plan our next encounter, which happens to be in the living room of the football captain's house. And I'm a little worried when she sees me because we're probably both not completely sober.

"I didn't know you come to parties like this!" Kairi hollers above the noise. I smile sheepishly and before I can say anything, she drags me aside to the kitchen where it's considerably quieter.

"Wow! I'm parched. Lemme grab a drink." Before I can stop her, she downs an entire glass of fruit punch that I'm pretty sure is spiked. But according to my observations, she's a little tipsy anyways, and I'm not her keeper so I let her be. As long as she doesn't puke on me.

"So! Since you're here, why don't we get the answer to the last question on the quiz?" Kairi says.

"What?"

"We need to get Sora drunk!" Kairi concludes.

"Wait, what?" I'm worried now. Kairi's never been so aggressive with the plans. In fact, the entire time, it's mostly been me orchestrating the entire thing.

"C'mon, I've seen him tipsy before." Kairi shrugs. "Plus, no harm, no foul."

I quickly pull up the question on my phone. Question 5, the last one. "So are you saying he's never gotten handsy with you?" I ask.

"Kind of?" she says. "I mean sometimes when we're playing a sport, things get a little physical. But...does that count?"

"I don't see why not."

"I mean it's not 'all the time,' and it's definitely not 'never,' so it's either c. or n/a. We gotta test if c. works!"

"Okay..." I have a bad feeling about this, but I feel like I owe Kairi my full cooperation at this point.

We maneuver through the crowd, trying to locate Sora. When everyone's as loud as the music, it's harder to pinpoint where Sora is. I accidentally brush by Rikku, who drops her clutch as a result.

"I'm sorry," I mumble, bending down to pick it up. Rikku scowls, snatching her purse back. "Are you...okay?" I ask tentatively.

"Yeah," she says and then hiccups. Is she drunk? She isn't moving, as if she wants to say something, but she's not speaking. So I start talking.

"You, uh, congrats. I heard Sora promposed to you."

Rikku blinks awhile before a frown stretches across her face. "Yeah. Mhmm."

What did I ever do to her? Is she still mad about me messing up the physics experiment? That was weeks ago!

"Are you going by yourself?" Rikku asks.

"I - uh, my friend asked me. I don't think you know him."

Rikku narrows her eyes. "Try me."

Uh, okay, noted: alcohol makes Rikku strangely intense. "Do you know Pence?"

"Chubby guy on yearbook?"

"Yeah. He asked me last week."

"I see." Rikku composes herself and takes a step back. "Well, I'll see you."

Okay... "Bye, Rikku. Hope you have fun." I don't even wanna bother deciphering why she's acting like that - maybe she got rejected by her dream school like me? Maybe family troubles? Who knows what's going on in her life.

And frankly, I don't really care.

A hand latches onto my wrist and jerks, tugging me through the crowd towards the side. Thank god it's just Kairi.

"Where'd you go?" she hollers. "I turned around and you were gone!"

"Sorry, I was talking to Rikku." I wonder if Kairi's bitter over the fact that Sora's not going to prom with her. Maybe I shouldn't have brought up Rikku.

Kairi is visibly depressed for a moment before perking up again. "Let's go!" Her hold on my wrist is a little tight, but she can't hear my meek protests over the music and the adrenaline pumping through her blood.

We maneuver through the throng of people and finally get to the family room. With her hawk's eye, Kairi locates Sora watching some people play beer pong.

"HEY!" Kairi exclaims, jumping onto his back. I reach out worriedly, but Sora steadies himself with a firm grasp on the table's edge.

"Whoa, Kai," he says with a chuckle, turning around and setting her on the ground, "you surprised me." He notices me and smiles. "Hey there, Nam."

"Hi Sora."

"So, are you drunk now?" Kairi straight-up asks Sora. I take another look at her and realize she's a little more wobbly than before. Did she sneak in a few drinks while I was talking to Rikku? Sora chuckles, dragging her aside. The guys make him promise he'll be back for a round of beer pong, which he readily agrees to. I follow him to a cozy corner couch.

"How drunk is she?" Sora asks, pointing at Kairi.

I shrug. "I'm not sure. I met her about 5 minutes ago."

"You didn't come together?" he asks quizzically. I'm watching his every movement as he props her up on the couch and grabs her a pillow to hold. Kairi is half-asleep at this point. He seems a little handsy to me. After finishing, he lounges in his seat and looks at me expectantly.

I realize he asked me a question. "No. I was gonna come with Olette, but Hayner promposed so they're celebrating right now. I was all dressed up though, so I decided to come anyways. By the way, congrats on you and Rikku. "

"Huh?"

"You promposed to her, right?"

"Oh, yeah." Sora chuckles nervously. Aw, is he embarrassed?

"Your promposal was definitely the most epic one I've seen. But then again, Pence just sorta asked me in the computer lab so almost everything's more dramatic than that."

"You're going with Pence?" Sora asks.

"I'm still thinking about it," I admit. "We're just friends, and he suggested it cause Hayner and Olette were gonna go together and that's the other half of our friend group."

"That's a lame reason to go with someone. And that's a lame promposal too."

I chuckle. "You set the bar very high, Sora."

He laughs.

The more I look at him, the less drunk he seems. I mean, sure, his cheeks are a little red and he's a little twitchy, but he's pretty coherent, making jokes and not slurring his words or acting particularly out of character.

Kairi snores and we both turn towards her. I chuckle while Sora sighs. With her knocked out and Sora not as drunk as I thought, it'll be hard getting an answer to Question 5.

I look around the party, trying to decide what to do. Kairi's out, none of my friends came, and I don't know if there's anything for me to do here. I sneak a peek at Sora, and to my surprise, he's looking at me with a weird look on his face. I cock a brow at him, and it takes him a second to realize I'm looking at him looking at me. The corner of his mouth quirks up a little before his mouth stretches into a smile. Okay...

I rise to my feet and sway a little. Whoa, what's wrong with me? I swear I only had like one cup of beer... I guess I'm tired. "Well, I think I'm gonna head back home. I need to get up early tomorrow."

Sora jumps to his feet too. "Oh, for what?"

"I volunteer at the orphanage Saturday mornings. It's my Good Samaritan deed of the week. Anyways, I hope you have fun."

"I can walk you back," he volunteers.

"But didn't those guys just wanna play beer pong with you?" I gesture at the mass of people behind me.

Sora shrugs. "There will always be another beer pong game."

"You don't have to walk me back. It's sorta out of your way."

"No, we're in the same direction. And I should probably take Kairi back now - I don't know how she got here, but she's falling asleep. And she's a real deep sleeper."

Oh! I grin, pleased with the way things are turning out. "How're you gonna bring her back?"

Sora looks around and pauses. "Uh...you didn't happen to drive here, did you?"

"Nope. I walked."

"It's a little before my house from here, right? I'll walk you back and then drop Kairi off. It's not safe to be out at night at this hour, Naminé."

"This is a safe neighborhood."

"I don't want anything to be on my conscience," Sora says. He looks at Kairi and pauses. "Though I'm not sure how to get her back..."

"Why don't you give her a piggy back ride?" I hope he doesn't realize I'm teasing him pretty badly. My wide smile is more than indicative that I like how things are going. Let's see you not get handsy with a girl on your back, Sora!

Sora blanches for a moment. "I - " But considering his options, that's really the only practical one he has. Right? Right. "Okay," he finally says.

We take awhile to convince Kairi to latch onto Sora's back. Once she's steady, I let go of her and take a look at them together. They match so well! Sora seems a little reluctant to be here - it is a little weird, considering he's piggy-backing Kairi and going to prom with another girl - but they look good together.

"Let's go!" I'm a little happy with everything, so my voice perks up and I lead the way out of the messy house party. The crisp evening air sobers us up a little, and Kairi groans a little due to the cold.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Sora exclaims as I undo the jacket tied around his waist.

"You have a human blanket over you, so let's give this to those in need, hmm?" I secure the jacket's sleeves around Kairi's neck. She snuggles into the warmth a little.

"You're thoughtful," Sora mumbles.

"Thank you. I also like to think I'm funny and a beast at tennis."

Sora pauses and then chuckles. "Man. Oh, man, you're - pfft." He laughs, and I don't even bother asking him why he's laughing cause it's always been easy to make him laugh. I'm not even self-conscious around him anymore.

"Have you decided where you're going for college?" I ask.

"Oh. Uh, since Twilight Tech rejected me, I'm probably sticking with Destiny Islands schools. Most of the UDIs have gotten back to me, except UDI-Cove. That's where I wanna go."

"All the way on the opposite end of the island!" I exclaim.

"I know. I gotta get away from home somehow. What about you?"

"Believe it or not, I got in UDI-Seaside." I grin widely as Sora cheers for me. "I'm pretty sure I'm going there."

"We'd be less than half an hour away from each other if I get in Cove."

"Dear god, and I thought I could get away from you."

"What?" Sora exclaims. "I'm hurt!"

"Just kidding, Sora."

"What do you wanna do?" he asks. "Journalism?"

I sigh. "It's not that practical, is it? My mom doesn't say it, but she's strongly suggested I look into a preprofessional degree. God, she'd be ecstatic if I fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse. But anyways, I was thinking maybe public policy? It's practical, right? And non-sciencey enough for me."

Sora chuckles. "I can't see you willingly huddled over a microscope studying biology."

"Right? I tried telling my mom that but she says I can do it, since I'm her daughter. Like how am I supposed to argue against that?"

Sora laughs and takes a moment to adjust Kairi's position on his back, cause she's slipping a little. Kairi mumbles something in her sleep and I chuckle, cause she kinda looks like a toddler at this moment.

"Is she heavy?" I ask.

"…is that a trick question?" Sora returns hesitantly.

I laugh. "I'm not asking about myself. I just wanted to know if you're doing alright."

"Of course!" he says. "Kairi's like…100 pounds, right? That's what she told me."

"Pfft." The laugh escapes my lips before I can stop it. My god, why can't I control myself anymore? Sora's obviously intrigued by my response. "Ah - no, I can't," I say, covering my mouth with my hand.

"What?" Sora exclaims. He rushes up in front of me with a silly grin on his face. I roll my eyes and sidestep him to keep walking. Despite having a teenage girl on his back, he quickly catches up. "C'mon, Nam, why'd you laugh?"

"I can't - okay, you don't really think Kairi's 100 pounds, do you?" Oh man, this is bad…but it's too good to not say something.

Sora's brows furrow. "That's what she said."

"Why do you think Kairi would tell you her actual weight? She's a girl."

Sora shrugs - or tries with the 100+lb weight on his back. "Why would she lie to me? I'm like her best friend."

"I was."

"I'm her best guy friend."

"So even you think so?" I ask.

Sora blinks. "What?"

"Sora, have you ever thought about dating Kairi?"

I'm one hundred percent sure I'm drunk now. Cause unless he's dumb as a rock, Sora's gotten the hint already.

"…me, and Kairi?"

"Yeah." It's Kairi - she'll forgive me. Eventually. After killing me and bringing me back to life. I know she loves me enough. Anyways, we're running out of time, given that he's going to prom with someone else. Maybe I can squeeze in a dance for her or something.

"Kairi and me?" he repeats.

"Yeah." I don't think it's a good sign that he's somewhat in shock by the idea.

I want to say something to help out Kairi's situation, but before I can think of what to say, Sora bursts out into loud laughter. His voice echoes in the quiet night, and it sends chills up my spine. I don't like this feeling I'm getting - besides the fact that the alcohol is making my stomach queasy…

"Me - and Kairi?" he repeats again between gasping laughter. "I - oh my god, Nam, that's what you've been thinking about?"

Now's my turn to shoot him a quizzical look. "What are you talking about now? It's plausible." Sora keeps chuckling, so I feel the need to explain. "You guys have the whole guy-girl-childhood-best-friend thing going for you. It's, like, written in all the stories. Dave Matthews said it. 'A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point, they will fall for each other.'"

This is why I'd ultimately decided to help Kairi: I don't believe a guy and girl can be 'just friends.' Especially since we're teenagers, with pesky hormones and all. He's gotta have thought about it at least once.

And did I just quote someone while half-drunk? Wow, maybe I should consider majoring in history.

Sora laughs. "Do you wanna know what I think about that quote?" Sora says. I blink, intrigued where he's going with this. "Yeah, I also think when a guy and girl are friends, the guy'll think about her in a romantic context at least once. But he won't act on them if he prioritizes the platonic feelings more. Meaning he won't flirt with her or anything if his romantic feelings aren't strong enough."

I blink and - that makes sense. "So what you're saying is…you don't like Kairi?"

"I like Kairi platonically. It's hard not to like someone who's been with you for such a long time. But romantically? I'll admit, I thought about it last year, but I decided I don't like her like that enough. She's a good friend - a great friend. But I'm not interested in dating her."

"Not even try?" I exclaim.

"To me, it's not worth the risk of losing her."

"Not even sleep with?"

Sora makes a face. "Naminé, what - what are you thinking about?"

I groan. My tipsiness is not helping in this situation.

"Are we there yet?" I completely change the subject.

"Almost. Probably five more minutes."

"Why's it so far?"

"It's a fixed distance, Nam." He pauses for a moment. "How much did you drink?"

I decide to ignore that question - it sounds a tad patronizing. "Why won't you even go to prom with her?" I ask.

"With Kairi?"

"Mhmm."

"Cause - look, I know how she feels about me. Kairi's not exactly discrete when it comes to her feelings. I didn't want to lead her on."

My eyes widen. "Oh, so I didn't spill the beans? Thank goodness. Kairi would've killed me."

Sora chuckles. "Nah, she wouldn't. She knows you mean well."

"Wait, so how'd you know?"

"She stopped talking about other guys in front of me. It's not exactly rocket science when it comes to Kairi. And like you said, I've known her since forever."

"Aren't boys supposed to be clueless about this stuff?"

"Hey, don't stereotype us. That's offensive!"

"That's true; I'm sorry," I say. At least my manners are intact. "Oh my god - if you knew, why'd Kairi and I have to do all this then?"

"Were you two trying to see if I liked Kairi?"

"Yeah! We even got this quiz from Destiny's Embrace for whether your guy friend is interested in you!" Sora laughs aloud while I sigh exasperatedly. "This was all just a waste of time! You kept mentioning Kairi whenever we talked so I thought you were interested in her! Oh my god, now I feel bad for leading her on! Sora, this is all your fault!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Sora exclaims. "My fault? You kept bringing Kairi up, so I just went along with is! I just wanted to talk to you!"

"Why would you want to talk to me? You're supposed to want to talk to Kairi!"

"I just said, I don't like Kairi."

"So what, you're saying you like - " I pause for a moment and rewind what I'd heard. Because I just heard what I just heard…right?

"You - you like me?"

All of a sudden, Sora can't meet my eyes. He smiles sheepishly. "I…I did just say that, right? Basically."

"Basically," I repeat.

Silence. Except for the crickets. Thank god for the crickets.

Okay, maybe they're just making it even more awkward.

I suddenly stop moving, and after awhile, I stop hearing Sora's footsteps too. He's probably a few steps behind me. I try to think of what to say but I'm really bad at thinking under pressure. I decide to take a page from Kairi and Sora's book: I whirl around and say what's on my mind.

"You - ah blahgerblah, blah, blah, said that you, erghhhhh…"

Okay…bad idea. How come 'speak my mind' for me comes out as gibberish? Is this what's on my mind?

Sora laughs at least. "You - is it that surprising?" he asks.

I shrug. "I - I was trying to get you and Kairi together."

"And I thought you just wanted to talk to me. Way to break a guy's heart, Nam."

"Stop it!" I exclaim. "I didn't do anything!"

"Okay, that hurts," Sora says. "Cause then you're saying I made up all the times you flirted back?"

"I - !"

Oh my…I can't go into this now. I've focused on helping Kairi so I've always compartmentalized pretty well. So - so what if I think Sora's cute? I'm pretty sure I've even said that before. It's totally an objective observation, right? Plus, it's normal to have these types of feelings for your friends - otherwise, you wouldn't be friends. We're hormonal teenagers. Chemical imbalances in my body dictate that I find his tall Roman nose and cheesy smile attractive. That doesn't mean anything though!

Gargh, emotions are so complicated.

"See, you're not denying it!" Sora points out. "You were flirting with me, so you like me!"

Bold move, Sora. He smirks at me challengingly, as if daring me to prove him wrong.

And it's Sora, honest and grounded Sora who's probably never lied. So I've never lied in front of him - I've never had to. Compartmentalizing is one thing. Now, with him standing right in front of me, how can I not think about this?

Great. Now we have two unspoken confessions. What're we supposed to do with that?

"A - anyways," I stammer in an attempt to change the subject, "aren't we both too late on this? I mean, for prom, you're going with Rikku and I'm going with Pence."

"You are?" He looks up at the last part. "I mean, you've decided?"

I groan. "No, I - that's not the point. You're going with Rikku."

"Actually, I'm not."

"What?" What? He just said he was - and Rikku did too!

"Yeah, I don't know where you heard that, but it's not true."

"I got that information from you!" I exclaim. "I just asked you earlier if you're going with her!"

"No, you congratulated me on a promposal. That doesn't mean we're going together."

I'm so confused. I shake my head a little and try to figure out the situation. "Wait, so…she said no?"

Sora grimaces. "Yeah."

…awkward. Why did no one tell me that?

"But why?" I exclaim. "You're…you! You said she was all over you in chemistry!"

"I think she wants to go with someone else. Ah well; I don't think I asked for the right reasons anyways. It probably all worked out for the best, cause now..." He looks towards me expectantly and I take a step back.

"Wait a sec," I hurriedly say, raising my hands to place a physical barrier between us. "No, Sora."

"Why not?" he complains. "We both like each other, we're both single, so..." He shrugs, and I just want to reach over and grab his cheeks and - oh my goodness, it's the alcohol and Sora's confession talking and - OH MY, HE CONFESSED TO ME, DIDN'T HE? BASICALLY. HE CONFESSED. NOT TO KAIRI. TO ME. AND I CONFESSED TO HIM.

FRICKKKKK.

I take a wary step back. "Sora, no." It's like talking to a dog. Or maybe puppy suits him better, cause he's cute, you know - ARGH.

"You can't stop me, Naminé."

And…he's right. I can't. What right do I have to prohibit him from asking someone to prom? I gulp and stare at him intently. He opens his mouth to speak when...

Of course, protagonists know how and when to make an entrance.

"Mmm?" Kairi groans from Sora's back. God, I'd forgotten all about her! She basically heard our entire exchange! Thank goodness she was asleep… Sora fidgets a little and sets Kairi down on the ground. I approach the two of them. After making sure she's steady on her feet, Sora speaks. "You okay, Kairi?"

"It's cold," she whines, rubbing her arms. Sora unties the knot of his jacket's sleeves and helps her put it on. She sighs in the warmth but still shivers.

"We're on our way back home, okay, Kairi?" Sora mumbles with care. See, when he does stuff like this, I can see them together! And it doesn't even hurt - I'm happy for them! I am!

Does it really not hurt?

Supporting herself with Sora's arm, Kairi stumbles along us as we reach my house. And on the silent walk over, I decide that I'm way too involved at this point to make a rational decision about Sora's confession. So the one solution I come up with is to stop thinking about it and distance myself from everything. Maybe then I can decide what exactly I'm supposed to do about all this.

We reach my house. I pause at the front steps, looking at the two of them. Kairi scowls at the cold while Sora tentatively smiles at my direction.

"Good night, Kairi. And good night, Sora," I say.

Kairi's focused on a point on the ground. Sora smiles.

"Hey," Sora calls out as I'm walking up the front porch stairs. I turn around and look at him. "Don't ignore me or push me away. Just...kinda think about it, okay? I'll see you at school."

And how does he know exactly what I'm going to do? Creepy.

I stare, locking the image of the two of them together in my mind, reminding myself why I set out on Kairi's crusade.

And before I can say anything to embarrass myself, I shut the door.


I don't talk to Sora for the next week.

Which isn't the same as ignore, just so you know.

I have a perfectly legitimate reason: I'm preoccupied with other important things. Like...like...Hayner and Olette. Someone's gotta celebrate with them! And be there for Olette every time Hayner does something stupid. And tell Olette to take a chill pill when she's way too nervous about their prom plans. I'm telling you, friends take effort. Especially these friends.

And I eventually figure out a way to let Pence down nicely. It isn't that hard. I bring up his promposal over lunch and he's super chill about it, listening while Photoshopping something on his laptop.

"I'm sorry, Pence...I don't think I can go with you to prom."

"That's cool." His eyes don't even leave his laptop screen. I can't tell if he's hiding his feelings or really that nonchalant about this entire thing. I don't really like either situation.

He doesn't even ask why! What does that mean?

I want to explain though. "It's not because of you, or anything, it's just - I don't think I'm going to prom this year."

And now he chooses to look up from his laptop. "Wait, what? That's not cool. Please don't do this just cause I asked. We can go separately, it's not a big deal. C'mon, Naminé."

"No, that's not it." I smile weakly. "I...just don't feel like going."

Pence regards me cautiously. "Not because of me?"

"No," I confirm. "Not at all."

Pence pauses for awhile and regards me carefully. "Okay..." He drops the subject, but I know he's just waiting to tell Olette who'll tell Hayner so they can confront me together.

I know Olette's schedule like the back of my hand, so it isn't hard to avoid her. I feel a little bad, but I don't know if I can explain my entire reasoning to them now.

While Olette's preoccupied with her bajillion extracurricular activities, another redhead is wrapping up her one sport and knows where to find me. It's just an ordinary day after school when she tracks me down. I guess my schedule's pretty predictable too. Or at least Kairi's smart enough to lay in wait by my locker, where I'll have to go to some time before I head home.

"Naminé."

I gulp, slowly turning around to face her.

"What's up?" I greet nonchalantly, returning my attention to my locker. It's easier if I don't have to face her doing this.

"What's up with you? I tried texting you like a billion times."

Yeah, so I might've not been talking to her either. "Sorry, I've been busy." I hurriedly grab my books, hoping I can get out of here soon.

"Talk to me, Naminé. What the heck happened that night at the party? I remember seeing you, but I must've had too much to drink cause that night's a blur. You and Sora walked me home?"

"Yeah." Let's keep this clean, folks. "We walked you home."

...

"...and?"

"And...you got home. End of story." What is she fishing for?

"Well, what about the question? Question 5? Did he get handsy with me or what?"

I snort. "Kairi, we were supposed to see if he got touchy with you when he was drunk, not when you were drunk."

Kairi pauses and then laughs. "Man, I'm sorry. I just went and knocked myself out even when I asked you to help me with the quiz that night."

"Nah, it's okay." It's easier to get along with Kairi than I'd expected. If I just pretend the entire conversation with Sora hadn't happened, it's like things are normal. Maybe that's the solution to my dilemma. I've been avoiding the problem so far, cause thinking about it makes my head hurt, but it'll be easier for everyone if I just tell him no.

I'll just tell him I'm not going to prom.

"Are you okay?" Kairi asks, and I'm a little startled by her perception. Kairi's not the most observant person - usually she's quite self-centered, not entirely in a bad way - so I'm reeling as she keeps talking. "You look a little out of it. Did something happen?"

"No," I respond immediately, and I wonder if I sound too defensive.

"You sure? What about your prom plans? You going with anyone?"

I make sure to pause before I answer this time. "No. I'm not going to prom."

"...WHAT?"

Remember when I said Kairi's a little dramatic? Yeah.

"Uh, some things came up," I phrase carefully, vaguely, "and I decided I don't think I'll be going this year. I'm, uh, busy."

"With what?" Kairi exclaims. "You're a senior, you're going to college - what was it, one of the UDIs? You have no excuses, Naminé."

"Yeah I do," I protest. "I...am spending time with my family."

Kairi groans. "Ugh, seriously? You have to spend time with that on prom night?"

"Hey, they're busy people!" I love how you can always just count on your parents to be your excuse for everything and anything. "Anyways, I don't really feel like going either."

"Why?"

Kairi's a little more straightforward than usual today. My decision seems to have affected her more than I thought it would. "I just...have a lot on my mind. It's such a hassle to dress up. And it's so expensive. Prom's not the only time to hang out with my friends."

"Naminé~" she whines. I wonder if that works on guys and what she expects that to accomplish with me. She soon composes herself. "Jeez, I tried. Just...please reconsider, okay? I don't care about what you're wearing or who you're coming with or anything. Prom's not supposed to be so complicated. It's just a night to spend with your friends, a memory of high school. And I want you to be there."

After her monologue probably meant to incite thought-provoking insight in me, she leaves with a dramatic swish of hair and skirt.

Commence provoked thoughts.

Well. Maybe it's a bit selfish to deprive my friends the chance to hang out with awesome ole me just cause I'm avoiding Sora (there, I admitted it - it was pretty obvious anyways). But I really don't wanna touch that matter with a ten-feet pole, and this is the easiest way out. What else can I do? Either way, I'm screwed, cause Sora's already confessed and this ruins Kairi's entire plan and everything we've been working on for the past few months. This is all Sora's fault.

"My fault?" a somewhat whimsical voice says.

And of course, who else can it be?

I barely stifle a high-pitched squeak that would've even made Kairi embarrassed. It takes me a moment to realize that somehow, Sora has snuck up on me.

Oh frickkkkk.


A/N: Ahaha so I lied; this isn't a two-shot, the story can't stop here. I can't help it; this story just keeps writing itself! So, I'm aiming for a three-shot now. School's starting soon but I'll be working hard on finishing this mini-project.

Disclaimer: This author does not endorse underage drinking. On the other hand, the drinking age in Canada and several European countries is lower than the U.S.-mandated 21, so it's possible that Naminé&co. are legal in this story. Conclusion: follow the law of your country, everyone.

And most importantly, thank you all for your support! I'm always excited when I get a follow/favorite, I absolutely adore reviews, but what I love the most are thoughtful reviews that tell me either what you like or didn't like. I'm sure this goes for all writers out there - not just me. Feedback is a way for me to improve, so if you could let me know your thoughts about part II in a review, you'll absolutely make my day. Or even if you wanna chat about something not related to this story, feel free to PM me! I like to think I'm friendly.

Gonna cut this A/N off. I hope you all enjoyed part II, and look forward to the next chapter!