Chapter 3: People You Can Trust

Roxas spent the whole week hanging out with his new friends, but mostly Namine. He loved the way he felt when he was with her. She made him feel normal, as if he belonged. Roxas hoped that maybe they could be something more than friends, but shook that thought off quickly. He should just be happy with what he has.

"Hey Roxas, want to hang out with us after school tonight?" Sora asked as he sat down at the usual table.

"Hang out?" Roxas asked when he put his tray on the table.

Kairi flashed him a huge smile. "Yeah, it's Friday after all. We're all going to Namine's house for the night. She'd love it if you came along...she's just to shy to ask you."

"What are you guys talking about?" Namine asked when she sat down.

Riku looked up from his food. "Sora and Kairi we're just telling Roxas he should come with us to your house tonight after school. You know, just to relax and stuff."

Namine smiled. "That's a great Idea. Would you like to come?" she asked turning towards Roxas.

Roxas looked down at his arm and saw the newer bruises his dad gave him and it only took him a second to respond. "Thank you everyone for inviting me to come along with you, and I'd love to go."

"Yay! I'm so glad your coming Roxas." Namine cheered as she violently threw her arms around Roxas.

"Group hug!" Sora shouted and before Roxas could blink he had four pairs of arms thrown around him. He winced in pain as his cuts and bruises were hit but then he bursted out laughing. He loved being the center of attention and having people who cared. He finally belonged somewhere.

"We're finally here!" Sora said as he ran full speed ahead. He quickly grabbed onto the railing of Namine's porch and flung himself over.

"He's going to get himself killed." Kairi sighed ash she ran up the stairs. Namine just giggled and followed closely behind as Riku rolled his eyes at them.

"Ladies first." Sora said as he held the door opened and bowed like a prince as Kairi and Namine walked in.

"Thank you." both girls giggled in unison as Riku and Roxas made It up the stairs.

Riku looked at Sora when he neared the door. "Well aren't you going to go in?" he asked.

"I said ladies first." Sora said with a teasing smile on his face.

Riku glared at him. "What did you just say?"

Sora just smiled, "You could pass for a lady with hair like that."

"That's it!" Riku yelled, putting Sora into a choke hold and digging his knuckles into his spiky head.

Roxas burst into laughter until his stomach tightened and he started coughing. He leaned over the railing for support and coughed up blood. He quickly took in quick, sharp gasps of air as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Hey Roxas, are you alright?" Sora called out as Roxas stared at the blood on his hand.

Roxas wasn't sure what to do about the blood. He didn't want his friends to worry about him, and he couldn't wipe it on his clothes, they'd see it. "Yeah I'm fine." Roxas said as he started licking at the blood. It didn't taste good, but he didn't really have a choice. "I just swallowed wrong." he lied as he turned around and walked inside.

When the boys walked inside, the girls were already filling the coffee table with Mt. Dew and Doritos. "So who's going to order the pizza tonight?" Kairi asked.

Sora reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "I'll take care of it, I just got paid so it won't be hard to pay for."

"I'll tip in." Kairi offered, smiling sweetly at Sora.

"I'll help too." Roxas laughed pulling a ten out of his pocket.

Once they finished eating, Kairi talked everyone into playing a game of truth or dare, which was surprising with a room full of boys.

"Truth or dare Roxas." Kairi asked with a teasing tone in her voice.

"hmm..." Roxas thought. He was always up for challenges. "Dare." he smiled.

Kairi giggled a little. "I dare you to...kiss Namine."

"What?" Namine blushes as she took a sip from her pop.

"Do it." Kairi laughed.

Roxas blushed slightly as he turned to face Namine, who was a deep red. He swallowed hard before taking her face in between his hands and gently pressed his lips to hers. As he pulled away, Namine leaned in and made the kiss last longer. When they broke apart, Roxas kissed her again with more force. He wondered if his lips tasted of blood, but since she didn't say anything, he didn't worry about it.

"Okay you two, break up the make out fest." Riku said as he looked up from the book he was reading for English.

They both blushed and giggled a little. "Goodnight everybody!" Sora called out as he tackled Kairi to the floor.

"Goddamn it Sora! Get off of me." Kairi complained shoving him a little.

"You know you like it." Sora laughed as he nuzzled his head into her stomach.

"Behave you two." Riku said as he marked his page and turned the light off.

Roxas just lied down on the floor beside Namine. "So everyone just sleeps where they want?"

Namine smiled and laid her head on top of Roxas's stomach gently and closed her eyes. "Pretty much." She yawned. Roxas wrapped his arms around her and within minutes everybody was asleep.

In the morning while everyone was getting themselves some breakfast, Roxas looked at the family portraits on Namine's wall. "Those are my parents. They're really nice but their gone a lot on business trips so I live by myself for the most part." Namine said as she came down the stairs in a spaghetti strap white dress that came above her knees.

"They seem like nice people." Roxas smiled, all he knew was everybody else's parents were better than his.

"I'd like to meet your parents." Namine smiled.

"I only have a dad, and you really don't want to meet him" he answered looking down at the floor.

"Please Roxas." She begged with a sad look in her eye that he couldn't refuse.

He sighed. "Okay fine. Let's just go get this over with." he said taking her hand.

"Hey, we're going out for a bit, don't destroy the house." Namine called ash she put her light blue sandals on. There was a chorus of okays from the kitchen and they were gone.