A/N- So pay attention. This is chapter 2. I do not own Kingdom hearts. Thank you, read on.
"Namine! Wait up!" Roxas dashed after the sprinting blonde girl, dragging Sora behind him. Thankfully she stopped at the stairs and they climbed them together. She was muttering something about poor knees and not being able to do stairs well.
After climbing the stairs, they headed off just as quickly as before until Namine pulled up short right by the front stairs. Roxas followed, dodging students, teachers, even a chubby guy in a wheel chair. He even passed Namine and headed for his locker, and Sora split off and went to his. He dialled his lock, cursing softly when he got the combination wrong. He tried again, and pulled the door open. He slid his books onto the top shelf, hung his backpack on the back hook and pulled out his lunch bag. He slammed his locker shut, gaining a few unappreciative looks, and tossed his lock back on, heading back towards Namine. Sora was done a second later and they headed down the front stairs.
They turned down the hall leading straight from the front doors. Roxas approached the long line leading out from a double door entrance. It appeared that this was the food line at the cafeteria. He glanced to Namine and held up his lunch, they both looked to Sora and he also had a bag lunch. Namine smiled and half shouted over the chatter of students, "Come on guys, this way to my table."
She led them last a long glass wall that looked out over the cafeteria. The long room was composed of a row of freezers, heaters and glass coverings to the right, by the first entrance. There was also a small counter to buy food from the lunch ladies. On the wall across from that, there was a bunch of vending machines and a door that said "Teachers Lounge". In between the two walls there were 8 extremely long tables arranged in two columns of 4, there was also a section protruding off the back of the cafeteria with had 4 more of the long tables. Namine led them to that back section, to the table farthest back. She went around the end closest to the corner and sat 3 seats down.
Roxas glanced at her, not exactly feeling like sitting next to her. So, he plopped himself on the seat diagonal to Namine. Sora on Roxas left, even further from the blonde girl who was eyeing the entrances and lineup at the food stand. "What are you looking for?" Roxas asked curiously. She just grinned widely.
"Why me of course. How could our lovely princess manage a full day without me." Roxas jumped and turned to see a seriously gorgeous guy. He felt his face heat up a little, and found his eyes travelling the new boy's body as he sat down next to Roxas.
He was tall, at least to Roxas. He figured he must be about 7 inches taller, putting him around 6'2. His hair was doing death defying stands and flips on top of his head, sticking up in a way that could be compared to severely overgrown grass. To top it off, no pun intended, his hair was almost a blood colour. He wore punkish, cool clothes, a zip up white hoodie over a black shirt with baggy dark blue jeans, almost sliding off his slim hips. Roxas mind had just begun thinking of his first date with this stranger when it occurred to him that he was attracted to a guy. He shrugged it off easily though figuring that if he was bi, no-one in his family would care. He was shaken out of his thoughts when another stranger spoke.
"Yeah Ax, cause we all just can't keep our hands off you." This came from another tall guy, though not as tall as the red head. This one had a circle of blonde hair standing straight up around the top of his head. He was also dressed punk style, but mostly in black.
"Come on Demyx, don't ruin my fun with these new guys." He grinned down at Roxas turning his lanky body towards him. "So shortie, you got a name? How bout you shortie number 2?" He had glanced at Sora when he said "number 2" but otherwise his eyes never left Roxas' face.
Roxas glared back, insulted by being called short. It was bad enough that he was, he didn't want someone to rub it in. With a haughty voice he answered, "I'm Roxas, this is my friend Sora."
The red head seemed to consider this statement as if it were vitally important. He hummed once, "Roxas, that's a nice name. It suits you. I'm Axel, A-X-E-L, got it memorized?" A smile breaking out on his face as he leaned down towards the blond slightly.
Roxas couldn't help but grin back. "I'll be sure to make a memo."
"Good! So what grade are you in?" Axel seemed unnecessarily happy, for having a simple conversation.
"Uh, I'm in grade 9, so is Sora." Roxas glanced at the ground hoping Axel wouldn't think bad of him for being a niner.
"Awesome, so your new to the school. What classes did you have this morning?"
Roxas breathed a sigh of relief before giving his head a slight shake. He really shouldn't care about impressing this guy, but he did, just the same as when he was around a really nice, hot girl. "I had Art and Music. I love them both, even if Mr. Hallmer is a little scary."
"Just wait till you get to band and he starts to freak on you for messing up. I don't really know about that though, I only sing for me and Demy's little garage band. Demyx is in band though, he plays bass."
"Oh cool. I play guitar, I'm getting fairly good at it I think." Roxas really wanted to try to impress him, and what better way than jumping on a convenient subject.
Axel was cut off from replying though when a female voice shouted from across the room, "SORA! Hey Sora!" Sora spun around nearly knocking Roxas over. He was looking at a red haired girl who looked a bit like Namine, and there was a silver haired boy too. He was quiet, and just followed behind the girl as she dashed back to the table. "We've been looking all over Sora, where have you been?" She was clearly not seeing the other people at the table.
Sora was as perky as ever in the face of her rushed question. "I've been with my new friend Roxas!" He gestured vaguely to the blonde. "Hey common, have lunch with us! It's ok, right guys?" He had turned curiously to the others at the table, Roxas turned to them too after nodding to Sora. He was shocked to see another silver haired boy sitting beside Axel, but played it off as him having come from the lunch line not the doors. He looked around the table again, Axel and Namine had nodded, accepting the new comers, and that seemed enough for Sora.
"Awesome, here, sit down guys." So they sat. The girl sat across from Sora, while the boy got stuck between her and Namine.
Axel then had a brilliant idea, "Hey, I don't know everybody at this table now! Introductions must be made kay?" He stood up and announced, "Heya, I'm Axel. A-X-E-L, got it memorized, I'm in grade 10. Now you Roxy."
Roxas' head shot up to look at Axel. He had had his head down, giggling at Axel's odd antics, now he was on the spot, and gaping up at the taller boy. Axel reached down and tugged him up by his elbow, then sat down. Roxas glanced around then cleared his throat, "Um, Axel, this is a ridiculous idea... Uh..I'm Roxas, I'm in grade nine and I just moved here." He sat down quickly, just a little bit of red on his cheeks.
Axel leaned over to whisper to him, as Sora jumped up and started to talk about himself jubilantly. "I'm sorry, if I had known you were shy Roxy, I wouldn't have called on you right away." Axel's eyes searched Roxas' looking for forgiveness. Roxas turned to him with an exasperated smile, but his eyes held a twinkle that said he didn't mind too much so long as he felt sorry.
They both looked over when Sora finally sat down. The red headed girl stood up and looked around nervously. She spoke with a steady voice though. "Hi, I'm Kairi. I'm in grade 9, and I used to go to school with Sora."
She sat down again quickly, as the silver haired boy reluctantly rose. His voice was rather deep for a grade 9. "I'm Riku. Grade 9." With that, he sat back down. Apparently he was a man of few words. Roxas whispered this to Axel and the older boy chuckled, which made Roxas blush a little in pride.
Namine stood up next and giggled. "Hey, I'm Namine, grade 10. I go on the bus with Roxas. Which means so does Axel." She giggled some more and sat down with a grin. Roxas noticed Riku eyeing her a bit strangely, as if she were something completely new to him.
The blonde boy called Demyx pulled himself up lazily, but his face was full of excitement. "Heya people! I'm Demyx, you can call me Demy. I'm in grade 11, with Namine and Axel and Zexy."
Roxas stopped listening again as Demyx rattled on. He was as bad as Sora in Roxas' opinion. He felt Axel lean closer and looked over at him. Axel whispered, "I've known Demyx for a while now, and he seems a lot like Sora."
Roxas laughed quietly, meeting Axels confused look with a smile. "I was just thinking the same thing." Axel began to grin too, seeing the humour in the coincidence.
Axel kept smiling as he asked, "So Roxy, what classes ya got this afternoon?"
Roxas thought about it for a moment before answering, "I have English with Laker, and Gym with Strafmos."
"Sweetness! We have Gym together! We're gonna be partners kay?"
"Sure, that will be fun." Roxas was just glad he'd be able to spend more time with the attractive guy he was starting to like.
"Hey! What are you two whispering about? Axel asking you out yet?" Demyx had spoken. He was leaning over the table to get a better look at them.
Roxas flushed a little, but Axel just laughed, he looked at Demyx and replied, "Naw, not yet Demy, be patient." Then he turned to Roxas and questioned, "So Roxy, how would you like to come with me to the Highwind after school?"
"What's the Highwind?" Roxas was obviously a little confused, ad put the thought of Axel kind of asking him out to the side.
Axel was more than happy to explain though, "Ah, the Highwind is a kinda restaurant club thing. It's where everyone goes to hang out. It's shaped like a ship which is kinda cool, and it's run by a guy named Cid. He's sweet, even if he swears a lot. He makes sure to keep the newest music playing, and serve lot's of different stuff."
"Umm... I guess I could go." Roxas looked contemplatively up at him.
"Oh go where?" Sora had spun around in his seat from his conversation with Kairi.
Axel answered, "To the Highwind."
"Awesome! Can we come?" Sora gestured to the entire group. Axel's face became a little strained as he looked around the table.
Demyx jumped on the idea quickly, "Yeah Ax, ya can't just leave us out if you going to the Highwind."
Roxas meanwhile decided that while he wanted to hang out with Axel, it would actually be better if their friends came. With them they could disperse the awkwardness that typically came with a first date, even though if they came it wasn't really a date. He weighed the pro's and con's and decided a group outing was better.
"Sure, you guys can come! Everybody can. Let's meet outside the front doors after school."
Axel turned to Roxas with an odd look on his face. "Oh, alright Roxas."
Roxas could detect the slight hint of rejection in his voice, he also picked up when he didn't call him "Roxy". So, of while the group burst back into happy chatter around them, he nervously pulled Axel's head closer to he could whisper to him, "Don't take it wrong Axel. I didn't want anyone to feel left out."
Axel smiled again instantly, "Alright Roxy, I'll take the rain check." Then he turned his attention to Demyx who had just asked him a question, and Roxas turned to Sora who wanted his opinion on something.
The rest of lunch passed in peaceful eating and talk for Roxas. He quickly asked Namine where his English class was before the warning tone sounded, giving them 5 minutes to get to class. Turned out it was just a little ways down past the cafeteria, the first classroom to his left. He thanked her, and headed out the door, Axel on his heals.
The red head stopped him at the front stairs, apparently his locker was down the front wing. "Hey Roxy, I'll meet you outside your English class, we can go to gym together kay?"
Roxas grinned, thankful that there was someone to show him around. "Yeah, sound great, see ya Axel."
"Bye Roxy." The taller boy reached over and ruffled Roxas' blonde hair. Unknown to Roxas, as he headed up the stairs, Axel had a vast grin planted on his face. His first interactions with the cute little blonde had been a vital success. He didn't even mind the adorable nickname usage. Now he could just let them flow where ever the wheels and board of teenage life brought them, and hope they didn't wipe out on their first Ollie.
A/N Ok, I know, I KNOW, things went a little fast between Roxas and Axel. But think about it, Axel is really outgoing, and defiantly not new to dating, he wouldn't care to much about getting to know Roxas ahead of time. Roxas on the other hand is being a little more reluctant, and you'll see more of that later. He'll teach Axel some boundries.
Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated
critiques are noted
flamers are ignored.
