Me: Okay… Well I'm back… Short notice too I know… Anyway I'm sorry the first chapter was SO corny… I was having a hard time getting started…
It gets better from here.
Chapter Two
"Actually," came a very masculine sounding voice from the doorway, "Otaku is at college. This is my room."
Everybody spun around to face the dripping wet figure standing in the door way; Selphie's mouth began salivitating almost instantly.
Riku was in the door way with a towel slung around his shoulders and another towel hanging dangerously loosely over his perfectly shaped hips (I apologize for my fan girly-ness). His silver hair, which had once seemed dorky and bizarre, now hung attractively around his face and fell two inches below the shoulder. And his body build was… nothing to hide that's for sure.
Once they'd gotten over their initial shock the seven people in the room all at once realized that Riku was only wearing a bath towel and their faces instantly reddened, especially seeing as the towel was just barely hanging there (this is where all the fan girls start chanting to get it to fall off).
"Mind getting out of my room so I can get dressed?" asked Riku playfully with one eyebrow arched up perfectly.
"Oh, um…" said Sora, clearly still in shock, "um, uh Riku?"
"Yes Sora?" asked Riku; clearly enjoying the awkwardness of this situation.
"You're really Riku?" asked Tidus, mouth hanging open slightly.
"Last time I checked I was," said Riku in an amused voice, then he noticed Namine and Roxas for the first time, "And you are?"
Namine's face reddened; she'd never talked to a guy who was completely naked with the exception of a towel before.
"Um, I'm Roxas and this is Namine," Roxas gestured to Namine; he was nervous and it was plain why. He'd once been one of the popular guys that had made fun of Riku back in elementary. But now Riku was a skyscraper compared to him.
"Nice to meet you," said Riku casually holding out his hand.
"Um, Riku?" asked Kairi, "Mind getting some clothes on before we begin the formal greetings?"
"Oh, good idea," said Riku laughing in a care free laid back tone.
With that the group left him in his room to get dressed. Riku sighed as he watched them go. He'd expected their reunion to be awkward yes, but this was… Well, for one thing he had expected his old friends to be just like him. Overflowing with popularity and exceedingly good-looking.
Not that Riku was conceited or anything it was just that he was hott and he knew it. Sora and the others though were a completely different story however. Riku had to admit he was surprised. He had always looked up to his friends but now… Well it looked like he was the only one turning out well.
Quickly and expertly he grabbed a tee shirt out of his suitcase along wit a pair of jeans. Once he'd stepped into these he grabbed a pair of gloves from the bag along with a handful of bracelets. To wrap it all up he pulled his hair back in a low, loose ponytail.
He gave himself a once-over in the mirror before turning the handle to his door and bracing himself for the embarrassing situation that lay ahead.
Everybody walked down the stairs in silence.
"I thought you guys said he was… um, dorky," said Namine in order to break the silence.
"Um, he was," Wakka replied.
"Wow," said Namine, "talk about a change for a better…"
"Is it?" asked Kairi bitterly as she cast a glare at Namine who flinched at the harsh look. She hadn't meant to be insensitive.
"Did you see him?" asked Mrs. Ishida as she walked passed the group with stack of very full looking boxes and crates. The group nodded dumbly in response, "I know it's a bit of shock isn't it?" she asked sympathetically spotting the looks on their faces.
"What… What happened?" asked Selphie as she seated herself down at the table along with everyone else.
"I wish I could say," said Mrs. Ishida and she laughed a little, "it came pretty much out of nowhere… I'm still not sure about how it happened…"
"Well… This is gonna be awkward…" said Roxas.
"Hey."
Everyone turned to see Riku stomping down the stairs; silver ponytail swishing with every movement. The metal chain that around his waist made tiny clinking noises every time he made a sudden move.
"Hey, Riku," said Sora trying to seem cheerful but failing dismally.
"Hey," said Riku, "it's good to be back. So," he pulled up a chair and seated himself down at the table with the back of the chair between his legs, "you two," he pointed a finger at Roxas and Namine, "you must have moved here after the fifth grade, right?"
"Well, I did," said Namine quietly.
"But umm…" Roxas stood up and walked over to where Riku was sitting, "I went to the same school as you guys since first grade… Um, so you might remember… me…"
Riku got up and stood towering over Roxas like a pillar looking thoughtful, "Nope sorry, I don't think I…" His voice trailed off as realization dawned on him and his eyes widened. He stared at Roxas like he'd never seen anything quite like him.
Roxas cringed and braced himself for the punches he was sure would fall; now that Riku could get revenge there was nothing stopping him from beating Roxas to a pulp. But nothing came and slowly Roxas decided it was safe to open his eyes.
Riku was still in front of him but strangely enough he was grinning. And quite suddenly he burst out laughing. Grabbing Roxas by the top of his head with one hand Riku pulled Roxas foreword so that their foreheads were pressed together and their eyes were literally only centimeters apart. And Roxas felt like he was going to melt under the look those emerald eyes were giving him (and no this story is not a RoxasxRiku so you can stop with the perverted images people!).
"You know," said Riku casually (he seemed unfazed by how close their faces were), "this is really weird. I mean really weird."
"So, does this mean you remember me?" Roxas squeaked, he thought Riku was trying to get him to relax as some sort of clever ploy.
"Yup," said Riku grinning, Maybe he's mistaken me for someone else, thought Roxas, "You're one of the stupid preps that always teased me back in elementary school!"
Oh… So he does remember that… But why is he still grinning?
"Yeah, that was me," said Roxas putting particular emphasis on was.
"So that was you," said Riku clearly proud that he had remembered, "You know what this is called, Roxas?" Roxas shook his head (still highly perturbed by how close their faces were), "This is what you'd call irony."
Then with a shove of his hand Riku pushed Roxas back just lightly enough to send him stumbling backwards a few paces. Riku straightened up and laughed at the expression on Roxas's face.
"What?" asked Roxas in disbelief.
"What wrong with you?" asked Riku taking in the terrified expression on Roxas's face.
"Aren't you going to get revenge?" asked Roxas and when Riku continued to look blank he sighed and added, "You know, for all the terrible things I did to you before?"
"Oh that," said Riku laughing a little, "well the way I see it it's in the past and besides… If I were to beat you up that wouldn't exactly bode well for our friendship would it?" Riku laughed again when he saw Roxas's face, "What did you think I was going to rape you or something? Sorry, but I'm straight."
Roxas recovered from his shock and straightened up, "Sorry I just thought-
"You thought I'd take advantage of the fact that I'm a foot taller than you and beat you up," said Riku simply, "because that's what you'd do in my situation." Everyone in the room blinked at Riku; he seemed to have developed a knack for saying uncomfortable truths rather bluntly.
"Well," said Wakka trying to recover from that little incident, "should we show Riku around the town? It's been a while…"
"Sorry," said Riku as he leaned up against the wall, "but I gotta finish unpacking now. Maybe we could all get together later today?"
"Um okay," said Sora, "Oh, I know! Why don't we all have a sleep over at my house later? It'd be fun!"
"Sure," said Riku and everyone else in the room nodded their assent.
"Alright then, I guess we'll see you later!" said Sora, cheerful as ever.
"Yup, see ya' guys," said Riku giving them all a mock salute.
"Well," said Kairi as they walked down the street leaving Riku's home, "he's definetly changed. Probably more than all of us put together…"
"Yeah," said Tidus, "I mean did you notice when he was in the towel…?"
"Yup," said Selphie, "he's hott."
"And I'm pretty sure he knows it too," said Namine giggling slightly.
"Aw, c'mon guys," said Sora and he ran ahead and turned to face them all, "he's still the same old Riku on the inside! It was just a little awkward in there that's all! You'll see tonight at the sleep over! Everyhing'll be okay!"
"Um Sora about the sleep over…"
"What?"
"Don't you think you should have told your parents first?"
Sora dead panned and stared at his six friends blankly for a moment before:
"AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!" And with those parting words he ran off towards his house.
"Sora's never gonna change," said Wakka shaking his head sadly.
"Nope, he's not," Kairi smiled as she said this last part.
Riku stuffed some clothing into his black duffel bag for the sleep over hastily. He was feeling apprehensive (No Giver jokes please --).
As he left the house he said a quick good bye to his mom and dad before setting out for Sora's house. When he got there he stopped on the porch right outside the door. It had been a long time.
When Riku had moved he'd made himself a mental promise that he would start his life over. He was sick of being the class dork and wanted to change. When they'd first arrived at the house it had been the beginning of summer. This was good, it gave Riku plenty of time to fix himself as he put it.
He'd started working out (anything as long as he was still moving). Then half-way through the summer his dentist had announced the blessed news. He was getting his braces removed. He'd almost cried from happiness that day. After that he also started eating better. His parents had been in shock from his sudden change. Near the end of summer he had begged his parents to get contacts.
But it wasn't selfish/spoiled begging. No, Riku knew how to lay it on well. After all he'd had plenty of practice acting from coming home every day beaten up by bullies and yet somehow managing to convince his parents it was nothing. So Riku begged and pleaded so well that he turned it into an art form. He knew when to stop for one night and when to continue the next day; he knew when to start shouting and when to go with the silent treatment. Yup, he had developed a talent in acting.
A talent that he was going to need when school started.
When he'd first arrived at his new school he was average in height and okay in build. Luckily he'd already lost the glasses and braces though. The popular group had decided to give him a shot (just so that they could evaluate the new kid). From that point on Riku watched and learned.
He knew how to be the class-weirdo but he didn't know how to be and more importantly stay popular. So he watched the others for a while.
He had to admit it was his best performance yet. After he'd gotten the personality down he'd waited a while before laying it on. And then he let it show through gradually, so that it looked natural. And it worked.
Everyone thought that he'd been shy at first because he was the new kid and slowly as he grew used to the school he let out his real personality. At first the act had been hard. Riku wasn't the laid back care free type, but eventually he'd grown into it and soon the role came naturally. These days it wasn't even an act; it was his real personality now.
Riku hadn't realized how long he'd been standing outsides Sora's door reminiscing until suddenly the door opened up for him.
"Riku!"
Riku looked up, startled. There was Sora standing in the doorway looking at Riku standing on his porch.
