How I Paid for College


Summary: All Demyx wanted was to go to Juilliard. But when his father refuses to pay the tuition, Demyx finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of minimum wage, fraud, and thievery. On top of that, he has to come to terms with the fact that he may be in love with his best friend, Zexion. This is going to be one interesting summer.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to SquareEnix. Inspiration from Marc Acito, who wrote the book by the same title. If you read this fic and hate it, go read the book. It's better. If you've read the book and hated it, read this fic. It's better.

Dedication: For all of us who have been in love. For all of us who have been rejected. For all of us who cringe when we spot a couple walking along, holding hands. For Dualism. Always for Dualism because she moves the ground beneath me and I cannot express enough how much I am grateful for her. And to the miraculous Animage! Who has returned! (At least to review.)

Opening Notes: FF(dot)net sucks. First the alerts go down forever, and then we get them back and for a whole – for me it was a day – the document manager refuses to let anyone upload a chapter.

But I feel so inspired to write now after a few days of typing this out like pulling teeth! I have just read the first chapter of a gift fic Dual has written for me, and let me tell you, I am a serious writer. Really I am. But when I read this first chapter I quite nearly lost my composure and was thisclose to dissolving into a pool of OMG-ing squealing fangirl. Shudder. But oh, it was lovely! It was so wonderful that I left a review about a page and a half long. I'm just going to brag to anyone what will listen: She wrote that for me!

And she rocks out loud, on ice and dipped in chocolate. So yeah... look for that story. Advanced Theory. I mean, I already read it, but I am absolutely hell-bent on getting some sort of virtual refrigerator so that I can stick it up there.

Anyway.


Started: November 27, 2006

Finished: December 1, 2006


Part Three: Fire

"Before you can say 'come' and 'go,'
And breathe twice and cry 'so, so,'
Each one, tripping on his toe,
Will be here with mop and mow.
Do you love me, master? No?"

I muttered these lines to myself as I put my books in my locker.

"Dearly, my delicate Ariel. Do not approach Till thou dost hear me call." (1)

I turned around, my smile only slipping a bit as I realized that Larxene was firmly latched onto Zexion's arm.

"Well, I conceive," I replied.

Larxene frowned, not entirely understanding. She only attended my performances when dad dragged her along.

"I want you two to meet a new friend of mine," Larxene said before we could continue shooting lines from the play back and forth. "Roxas was assigned a pair of eyes named Axel, and he's going to have lunch with us."

"We'll all toast his health," Zexion drawled, and I laughed.

"Zexion, that isn't very nice!" Larxene snapped.

"It's true, though," I said. "Whoever gets stuck watching after Roxas is in for one hell of a ride."

I closed my locker and all three of us headed to our lunch area, a picnic table between the two best trees on campus for shade, fall beauty, and alternative seating. Roxas and Sora liked sitting on the lowest branch on the shorter one, and Pence scrambled up to the higher branch on the other one every day. Zexion, Larxene and I had seen sitting at the table for a some minutes, Pence and Olette talking about the play and Kairi and Naminé deep in discussion about something, when Larxene suddenly stood up and called, "There you are, Roxas, darling!"

He was walking over to us, followed closely by Sora and a tall, svelte guy with an explosion of red hair.

"This is Axel," Sora said, nodding toward the new guy. "He's Roxas's eyes."

Axel shot him a look.

"Hey, it's better than being called my seeing eye dog, isn't it?" Roxas said, sensing the slight tension in the air.

Pence laughed, nearly falling off the tree branch.

"You will refer to me as 'Axel, My Savior.' And make sure it sounds as though you're capitalizing it."

Roxas smirked. "Hey, Dem. I think I found you a new theatre buddy. He's rather dramatic, isn't he?"

Everyone but Axel laughed.

"True!" Larxene said, fighting gales of mirth.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Axel muttered, but he was smiling. I hoped he felt immediately included and surrounded by friends.

To everyone's surprise, especially Sora's and Roxas's, Axel helped Roxas sit down on the low tree branch, then set up his lunch tray – opening his soda and ketchup packets and laying them all out neatly.

"I worked at a children's hospital for a while," he explained when he caught me looking.

"You're going to spoil him rotten," Larxene put in.

"But Roxie is so adorable!" Axel crooned in mocking sugar tones. "I can't help but spoil him."

Roxas picked up a ketchup packet and squirted it at his fries. Of course, he managed to pull it off spectacularly, missing the fries entirely and shooting in Axel's general direction. The redhead sputtered and gagged, glaring darkly at his charge and we all laughed. Oh Axel. You really have no idea what you're getting yourself into.


Demyx called me several dozen times while I was out with Larxene. He was nervous about the play and about meeting this Clarisse woman. I assured him every time he called, that he was going to be a wonderful Ariel, and that Clarisse would love him.

"Thanks, Zexion."

I smiled. Demyx doesn't realize it, but he has such a nice voice. I love hearing him sing.

The fifth time my phone rang, Larxene snatched it away, flipped it open with a murderous snarl, and barked, "Demyx you whore! Zexion and I are trying to spend time together! Go listen to show tunes and play with your mermaid dolls, will you?" She hung up with a flick of her wrist that reminded me of someone throwing a dart. A poisonous one.

I'll bet you're wondering how I ended up with this girl, right?

You should consider yourself lucky, you know. My friends will tell you that I don't talk much. But here it goes.

My relationship with Larxene is a mistake.

I'd known the Suzumuras since I was five, at least. They moved in down the street one day when I was walking back from morning kindergarten with my mother. And let me tell you something. Morning kindergarten sucks. The kids who went to afternoon kindergarten got to watch cartoons and sleep in a bit before they were forced to the magic story rug. But I digress.

We saw a moving van, and my mother made some remark about how she read in the paper that Suzuma-san had been very successful in his business as of late, taking Clear Water, Inc. to a whole new level.

"He's a very successful man now,' I remember her saying. "We should drop by later, bring some cookies."

So we did, and Suzuma-san said his son and daughter were in the garden playing and that I should go join them. The house, like ours, was rather big, and I wandered a bit before reaching the back porch.

That's when I heard Demyx singing for the first time. And his voice was so beautiful, so sweet. It was like honey and spring.

Welcome the dawning of a happy age of new beginnings
Land and sea have come together
Joined in peace and harmony
Fairytales and miracles
Are what we're singing of
(2)

It was hard at first, to grasp that this little boy, this beautiful little boy with dark blonde hair and fair skin – this little kid who was my age – could sing so much like an angel.

He turned and looked at me, smiling.

"Hi!" he said, his speaking voice so unlike his singing voice but I loved it still. "We just moved here."

I nodded dumbly.

"You want to come play with me?"

And later, when we were nine or ten, I began subtly showing him my affection. A hug now and then. One of my mother's cookies. Demyx didn't get it. But then, we were young and I wasn't quite sure what I was hinting at myself. Finally, one day I blurted out that I liked him. We were twelve. He just smiled and said he liked me too. That I was his best friend. He still didn't get it. I was starting to wonder just how dense he was. I mean, I hugged him more often, I even kissed him on the cheek once. And that took a lot of courage.

Now.

Larxene.

Ever since that day when Demyx cemented our new friendship with a game of hide and seek, Larxene's jealousy toward her half-brother increased. I could tell almost right way that she liked me. She was constantly butting into our games, insisting that we include her. I tolerated her for Demyx's sake.

And then we were in high school. I withdrew a little from Demyx. Less hugs. I became afraid that people would scoff at my feelings.

And secretly, I hoped they would go away. My heart sped up when he smiled, when he sang. When he told me that he valued my friendship. On the rare occasions I allowed him to embrace me, I felt my whole body tingle with the pleasure of his touch. I was disgusted with myself. But I couldn't help what my heart was doing to me.

At the beginning of our junior year, I decided to finally put the cards on the table. Let Demyx decide what he wanted to do. I went to his house and found him waiting for me.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course, Dem." I laid aside my planned speech, recognizing that he needed me. Needed me to listen to his problems and possibly help him.

"Listen," he said. "Larxene... she really likes you." He smiled. "And even though I think she's a pain, I like her best when she's happy. So I wondered if you'd take her out on a date? I mean, just to see if you feel anything for her, too. And if you don't, it's okay. But I'm asking you to give her a chance."

One date turned into two. And three. And then we were an item, and I wasn't sure how it had happened, but I decided maybe it was better this way. It couldn't possibly be right for me to feel those things for Demyx, and instead I should look forward to a future with Larxene. Demyx could still be my best friend, but nothing more.

The best thing about Larxene was that she didn't expect me to be overly affectionate. She didn't mind sitting in silence with me, and she wasn't high maintenance. What bothered me, what really bothered me, was how she treated Demyx. He was my best friend. And I loved him. And she had to go and treat him the same way she did when they were kids.

"Lark," I said, taking my phone back. "I'm going to go be with Dem for a while. He shouldn't be alone right now." (3)

"Zexion. I want to be alone with you for an hour or two, and he has to go and throw his personal problems in between us. He's such a drama queen and he really needs to learn to get on by himself." She held out her hand. "Now give me your phone so that I can shut it off and we can spend the rest of the afternoon together."

A mistake.

I look at her, standing there, sleek platinum blonde hair and impish smirk, a bolt of lightning in her eye.

"Lark... I'd love to spend time together, just you and me..." and I would. Larxene is very good at just sitting and letting each of us be lost in our own thoughts. She's not afraid of speaking her mind, and she's a natural leader. But she can be insensitive without meaning to, and she can be bossy. "But Dem needs me right now. And you know? I think he needs you, too. We should go be with him."


There had been a couple of guys before who'd fallen hard for Sora. And both of them had used me. These guys seemed to think that the way to my brother's heart was though me. In a way they were right. Sora always paid attention to anyone who was nice to me. He was especially appreciative of them, but I had other views.

And then there was Riku. Riku treated me the way I wanted to be treated. Like there was nothing wrong with me at all. Riku, who could also be called my best friend. Whenever we were alone, just him and me, he never made a huge fuss if I was going to run into someone or something because I couldn't see. He'd simply put a gentle hand on my shoulder, and I knew to move toward him, averting whatever minor disaster. And if he ever noticed I was in a bad mood, he'd drag me off to "show" me something.

Riku's hobby was finding interesting sounds for me. Sometimes it was something completely traditional. Like the new timpani in the bandroom. Sometimes it was just weird, like the sound the library door made if you opened it fast enough. If I didn't know for sure that Riku was in love with my brother, and if I swung that way, I probably would have fallen in love with him. He was a very understanding guy, smart and loyal to us all.

"Hey, Roxas," Riku leaned over toward me. "You got a minute? I want to show you something." He sounded excited, so I nodded.

I felt someone take my tray, and then a hand trailed from my shoulder to my wrist softly. I shuddered involuntarily at the touch, a numbness leaving a line of fire in its wake. I turned my hand over, taking the one offered, and Axel pulled me to my feet.

"Thanks," I muttered, letting go.

"Do you need me to come with?" he asked.

"It's okay. Riku can watch out for me."

We walked down the short path, away from them, and I felt Riku's hand alight on my shoulder. I moved toward him and heard someone call my name in greeting. I lifted my hand and waved vaguely.

"My music professor was talking to us about expressionism the other day," Riku explained, tapping softly on the piano bench and waiting for me to sit down. "He was talking about how composers started experimenting with all sorts of new sounds. Listen to this."

The piano started up, a rickety lullaby in a minor key, climbing and falling, and then there was a sound like rumbling thunder in the distance, like a monster, like the place between awake and asleep.

"What was that?"

Riku laughed.

"The inside of the piano," he explained. "You drum on the strings inside."

"That's amazing," I said.

"Yeah... hey Roxas?"

"What?"

"How do you feel about this whole Axel thing?"

I shifted until I knew I was facing him. "I hate how Principal Xemnas is treating me. I hate that from now on this guy is going to be constantly watching me."

Riku chuckled.

"Well, I dunno, Roxas. If you didn't get in trouble all of the time, we might be able to avoid this."

I sighed.

"You know me, Riku. I can't help it."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "I know. You're a rotten little prankster and whenever you get an idea in your head you go with it. But Roxas... I do agree with the principal that sometimes you don't think about what you're doing. And I wouldn't want to see you get hurt because of one of your stupid pranks."

I smiled.

"I'll try to be better about it, then."

"Hey," I could tell by his voice that he was grinning. "I'm sure he isn't too happy about getting stuck with you, either. Maybe you should both try to make the best of it."

Later on, months later, I would remember this conversation with fondness. Axel and I sure did make the best of it.


Chemistry was my favorite subject. I'd always enjoyed making things explode and combust and... I mean, I find it very interesting how different chemicals react with one another. And fire.

"You'll be Larxene and Roxas's new lab partner," Professor Venxen said when I reported to class.

Larxene immediately pulled me over to their table. "I'm so lucky," she said to me. "I have the two hottest guys in class as my partners."

I grinned. "What are we working on today?"

"Just some basic chemical reactions. Roxas, get me the Bunsen burner, the striker, and the Erlenmeyer flasks. I'll get the other things from Professor Vexen."

My ears perked up. "Bunsen burner?"

Roxas smirked. "Are you afraid of fire, Axel?"

I shook my head. "Oh no. Not at all." I grinned like a maniac, and in a moment, the same expression had lit up Roxas's face. Sora would later tell me that I should have run for my life at the sight of that grin on Roxas's face. Personally, I was too wrapped up in my fantasizes about the flurry of dancing flames (4) to notice. Okay, so I did notice how a dimple appeared on his left cheek, making him look very impish in a way that was different from Larxene. Less attack of the talking dolls and more "You're so going to have wet dreams about me tonight." At any rate, I was a pyro.

"Hey, Axel..." he began, attaching the tubing of the burner to the gas source, "I think you should light this. The last time I did, I set my textbook on fire."

"Did you?" I ask, amused, picking up the striker and playing with it. Oh look. Sparks.

"Yeah. I couldn't see it, of course, but Larxene told me it was really awesome. You know, huge flames shooting out of the Braille and everything." He grinned.

I switched the burner on, cackling under my break and raising the striker. (5)

"Perhaps this was my fault. I neglected to inform Professor Vexen about Axel's... fascination with fire..."

Roxas snickered.

"Nonetheless, this will not go unpunished."

Roxas was silent.

"You will both clean Professor Vexen's lab, and I will be speaking to your guardians."

It wasn't so bad, actually. The punishment, I mean. The fact that Roxas managed to trick me into helping him conduct mischief wasn't so great. I was going to have to keep a closer eye on him and make sure the two of us were never left alone with combustible things. After school we re reported to the lab, and I started cleaning up the broken glass, telling Roxas where there were spills of chemicals for him to mop up. He had donned his dark glasses again, much to my disappointment, and I was trying to think of a way to ask him to take them off without offending him.

"Axel?"

I blinked, realizing that he was leaning across the lab table toward me, idly blotting a puddle of distilled water.

"Yeah?"

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"Oh. Sure."

"It's just down the hall," he said, picking up his cane. "I'll be back in a few."

I finished cleaning up the broken glass and started in finishing up what Roxas had been doing. I was amazed by him already. A few minutes passed and I started scrubbing hard at the burn marks on our lab table. Then, I heard a scream.

Shit.

Roxas!

It sounded as though he's walked into the girl's bathroom by mistake.

I rushed out into the hall, hoping that I was going in the direction. I certainly wasn't prepared for what I found: Roxas in the girl's locker room.

Now, understand that if a normal seeing male walked into a girl's locker room. He'd be screamed deaf and then have his brain slapped upside-down and his balls skewered and roasted.

But when Roxas – Roxas with eyes like blue crystal and a smile that would make Brittany Snow (6) swoon – walked into a girl's locker room, the scenario is very different after the initial shock. Because Roxas is blind, it is immediately understood that there has been a misunderstanding. So Roxas, instead of having his manhood fried and minced, is cooed over like a very adorable lost puppy.

"Roxas!"

There were quite a few shrieks and a squeal or two when I entered, pointedly looking down at the ground and snatching his wrist. "There you are!"

"What are you doing?" he hissed, only loud enough for me to hear.

I smirked.

"Roxas, you pervert!" I said with an audible gasp.

The girls threw us questioning glances, and I continued. "No, I will not describe to you how they look in their underwear!"

As I pulled him out of there, cheeks red from embarrassment and a few stinging slaps, he muttered, "That was mean, Axel." Then he began to laugh. "But I like your quick thinking."


- The Writer

(1) Please tell me you know how to read into this.

(2) "A New Day is Dawning" from Kingdom Hearts II.

(3) Zexion's pet name for Larxene is kind of a playful jab at her, being tone deaf as Demyx explained earlier.

(4) Axel's Organization XIII alias.

(5) Gourd... you should have seen me with this thing in high school chem. It's a little thing with a flint on the end. You sort of pinch together the handle and the flint scrapes against the metal and makes a spark for lighting the Bunsen burner. I loved making the spark.

(6) The American voice actress for Naminé.

Go read Advanced Theory now!