Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.


Authors Note: I really like Riku's character. Sort of the angel in disguise. Heh, you'll see. Um I really don't have much to say...LOOK! A BIRD! -runs-

Genderless...One without a Gender
Chapter Three: Crossroads and Conflicts

(START: April 4th FINISH: April 9th)

"Kairi," said the voice from behind me. That voice sounds familiar and in a very bad way. "Is that you?"

I tried to hide the horror from my face as I turned around and saw a silver haired boy. Well, he obviously wasn't a boy anymore! No, he did not get a sex change. He just became a teenager.

I'll explain. When I was little I went to visit my aunts house during the summer. I'm pretty sure I was around seven. Well, next door to my aunt lived a boy. The neighborhood knew him as Riku. I knew him as Hades.

He was seriously the meanest boy I ever met. Whenever my aunt bought me a new dress he'd squirt me with a water gun. Whenever I wanted to play with the other neighborhood kids he'd threaten to pin me down and cut off all my hair. And whenever he was 'nice' and let me play he'd always throw dirt in my face or tell the other kids where I was hiding. And he actually laughed when I cried. Not only that but called me mean names. And heck! Poopy head was a big insult back then.

And now, after eight years, he's standing right before me. After eight years of me forgetting who he was and what he done to me, he's gazing at me with those same intense and evil eyes. Question, how the hell did he recognize me?

I

Am

Mortally

Screwed

Over.

And Jesus? You suck. And I hate life. And baby puppies.

"What?" I simply answered. I honestly couldn't say anything else. Stupid Kairi can't even think of an excuse! Stop looking so nervous and dear-caught-in-the-head-lights-ish. Maybe if you dance it'll confuse him! Okay that's the plan. And a one, and a two-

"Kairi," he repeated and stared at me further. "Your the new kid right?"

New...kid?

"YES!" I practically, no, actually did scream with joy. My cheerful grin couldn't help but shine through. "Yes I am the new kid! Named Kairi! And I am one fine piece of boy!"

"A yes would have been fine," Riku looked at me strangely.

"Sorry," I smiled nervously again. "It's rather nerve rattling and all. Being the new kid, that is."

"Yeah," The silver haired teen smiled a grin I did not recognize. "I can understand that." His optimistic visage suddenly faded and Riku began to look at me intensely again. Wow, older Riku is slightly creepy (and I hate to admit, hot!).

"What?" I asked him. He shook his head and smiled a nostalgic smile at me.

"Nothing," Riku continued to stare . "You just look like someone I know."

BAD! Play it off Kai-chan! "Yeah," I smiled at his nervously. "I get that a lot."

"Doesn't everyone?" He laughed without a care. Riku looked at me again and said, "Your a sophomore, right?"

"Right," I answered. I tried to remember back to my child hood days. Riku was a year older then me, if I am remembering correctly. I remember because he kept constantly reminding me of it. "And your a junior I'm guessing?"

"How'd you know?" Riku kind of gave me a surprised look. Again, laugh it off. My new motto in life.

"Ooooooh," I smiled and began rocking back and forth on my feet. "Just a lucky guess."

Ha. Lucky guess my ass.

"Maybe if we're in luck we'll have some classes together," Riku winked at me. In return I gave him a blank look. If he's lucky maybe. I'd rather die then be in a class with this jack ass. "Or maybe a club or something."

"Yeah," I went along with it. After all, I was a boy now. Boy Kairi was new to him. AKA, I had to start all over. Girl Kairi didn't exists over in this part of the woods. All memories of her should be ignored.

Possibly. If I'm not on my period.

"Hey," I caught his attention once more. "I'm going back to the dorms." To get away from you. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" Or may not at all. That's also good.

"Alright," Riku replied as I walked past him to go down the street. "Have fun talking to Cid-meister."

I didn't turn back. Turning back would show that he was right. He knew something. Or maybe I'm being paranoid. But what I do know is that when I looked out of the corner of my eye he was sneering at me.

Either that or staring at my ass.

Either way I'm equally disturbed.


"Hey Kai," Tidus welcomed me as I entered the room. Sora and him were hovering over the computer. I didn't want to know what was on the screen. So I took off my shoes and set them by the door. "Your finally back."

"Yeah," I laughed nervously. "I had to take a private phone call." I didn't mention the part where Riku, the guy who bullied me as a kid, saw me, as a boy, making a so called private phone call. We have conversation, I 'remind him of someone', which is of course, me as a girl. Which, I am not going to add, is a very bad thing.

"Get changed uke," Sora informed me. I really hope that's not going to be my new nick name. I mean if Sora calls me it then it's okay. But think, it's going to spread around school. 'KAIRI-UKE-CHAN! YOU HAVE A HOT DING DONG! ME LOVE YOU LONG TIME!' Jesus, my life sucks already people. "We're going out for pizza."

And how does that remind me of Mean Girls? "Why do I have to change?"

"For the hot chicks!" Tidus bluntly exclaimed, literally throwing his hands up in the air and around my shoulder, nudging me slightly in my rib. I blinked at him with a blank expression on my face. (I seem to be giving people a lot of thoughs since I came here).

"Sadly," Sora laughed at the blonde. "As Tidus put it, that's why. It's Sunday, one of the only two days we can get out amongst the town."

"That and when we go to the public baths," Tidus added.

"But that doesn't exactly count," Sora informed me. I commenced more blinking action. "See, on the other side of town there is an all girls school."

"All girls school," Tidus repeated with a goofishly perverted grin on his tan face.

"And we are three," he pointed to himself, Tidus, and then me. "Heterosexual teenage boys. We like girls."

"If you catch our drift," Tidus implied. Oh gosh, I have the sudden urge to tell them they are finishing each other sentences. Fight it Kairi! Just keep it an inside joke between boy and girl Kairi.

By this time Sora had made his way over to the closet (no gay pun joke intended). "Tidus? Can I borrow one of your shirts? All mine are dirty."

"Dude," Tidus answered him. Dude? Why do guys/rocker chicks do that? Guess I better to remember to say it from now on. "If you want to impress Namine wearing one of my shirts then you must be insane."

"Namine?" I grinned at Sora in a slightly 'evil' (jealous more like it) way. "Who's she?"

"Only the chick he's been after for the last year," Tidus barged in with the answer. Sora's jaw was practically hanging off it's hinges. "And she's hot! Long blonde hair, perfect blue eyes-"

"Shut up!" Sora yelled as he threw a pillow at him. I noticed he was blushing. I now hate Namine.

Namine, huh? I shall like to meet this Namine. For we are rivals! Not that I have a chance anyways in this disguise...

"The metro bus will be here at seven," Tidus looked at his watch. "We have thirty minutes."

"This shirt will do!" Sora cried out. He pulled out a red shirt with black trimmings. He then commenced to take off his shirt and put the one he had on. I actually had to bend down and tie my shoe (let's hope they don't notice I'm not wearing any) to hide my blush right there. The next thing I knew I had a shirt covering my head. "Oi! Uke! Put that on."

I removed the shirt from my head. It was a gray shirt with a green collar. "Why do I have to change again?"

"Because your shirt looks like something a girl would wear," Tidus added his bluntness in. I looked down at it. It was a plain white shirt with Mario on it. This was girly? God I need to be more guy-i-fied.

I began removing my shirt, not arguing, when a thought came to mind. Underneath my shirt I had gauze wrapped around my boobs! What will they think if they see that? With that thought in mind I quickly pulled my shirt back down again. "I don't care if you aren't gay," I told them sternly. "You aren't watching me undress."

"Fine Kairi," Sora called me by my first name. "We won't watch you." He motioned for Tidus to turn around. When I felt it safe I took off my shirt and quickly put the other one on.

"You can turn around now," I told them. They did so with no major events happening. Sora did whistle a bit and yell 'sexy uke!' and Tidus just gave me his thumbs up of approval. Who knew I'd be such a hot guy? Kind of makes me sad. I can be a hot girl and guy? Transsexual, much?

"Hold on," Sora told us as he took his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the glowing screen and laughed out loud. "Oh my God, that freak! Riku! If you want to come in just knock, you nerd! Don't send me a text message!"

Riku? What? What the fuzzums, no!

"Sorry," laughed a voice from behind the wooden door. The sound of a knock followed. "I couldn't help it."

"Come in, loser," Tidus joked. Oh Jesus! These guys are friend with...HIM? Hide under the bed Kairi! DAMN! WHY DON'T YOU FIT! "Dude! I thought you were going to meet us there!"

"I got bored," The silver hair teen smiled gallantly. "So I decided to drop by."

"Is the junior dorm building that boring?" Sora asked.

"Pretty much," Riku put his arms around the two boys. "Besides, I love my little sophomores." My back was turned towards them and all I heard was silence. "Who's the uke?"

"WHY DOES EVERYONE CALL ME THAT!" I leashed out in anger. It was really misplaced. I don't mind being called uke (by Sora that is) but the combination of my hate towards Riku and...ok...it was just my anger towards Riku.

"Kairi?" Riku looked at me in surprise. "Your rooming with Tidus?"

"Yes," I answered truthfully. Sora and Tidus looked at each other.

"You guys know each other?" They asked in unison.

"We've crossed paths," I muttered softly.

"Yeah," Riku explained the two, if they had any doubts. "Right around the time you were talking to Cid on the phone."

"Cid?" Tidus asked Riku. "Who's he?"

"I don't know myself," Riku told them. "But she did tell them the boys here were gay, something about notes and reports, a costume, and weird stuff like that. I didn't really understand it myself."

"Reports and notes?" laughed Sora. "What are you? A detective?"

...Right on the dot Sora. But I just laughed and decided to tell another one of my lies. "It was my boss," This was the truth. "He wanted to know how my new school was," This was a lie. "I forgot to send him something so I told him I would send them on Friday," Lie. At least about the forgetting thing. "..." Crap I'm stuck at costume. Just blurt something out! "I work at a theatre for little kids!"

Kai-san, where did that come from?

"Stop being so paranoid," Sora patted me on the head as if I were a puppy. "We are only teasing you. Your way too stressed out."

"Well," I said. "I am in a new school after all." Hey, it was a valid excuse and I'm milking the most out of it!

"So Riku," Tidus asked the teen. "Why are you here?"

"I thought I'd be an awesome junior," Riku wasn't low in his ego, was he? "And give my sophomore friends a ride to the pizza place. You know, so you don't have to cram on the metro with the freshman and other poor sophomores who can't drive yet."

"You treat us like we're still freshmen!" Sora barked playfully in the way that Riku would know he was insulted.

"But life is just so fun that way," Riku teased the brunette. "Anyways, are you taking me up on my offer?"

"Hell yes we are!" Tidus seemed to blurt out the answer for all of us.

"Okay then," Riku motioned towards us. "Let's get going then."

The ride over there was rather uneventful. If you had to know, Riku drove and insisted that I got shot gun while Sora and Tidus ranted about boy things in the back. We listened to Riku's Dir En Grey CD (I must add that I love, love, love Kyo! Kawaii to the max! -Cough- In the most manly way possible...) and rocked out like complete idiots. Hey, who said a girl couldn't be a guy?

Besides God and stuff.

"Here we are," Riku finally parked the car. "Peter Pan's Pizza."

I stepped out of the car was nearly blinded by the light. Wait. Light? It's night. I squinted and looked up and realized the bright light was coming from the bright neon lights from above. I hate to tell you boys, but this looks like a strip bar.

"Let's go," Riku motioned them forward. We went inside and saw that the inside an outside were complete opposites. It looked like a regular pizza joint. "Yo!" He yelled to someone behind the counter. "Two cheepep's!"

"Got you Riku!" Winked the girl. Two cheepep's? Oh. I get it. Two cheese and pepperoni pizza's.

"The girls are over there," explained Riku as he sat down at what I was guessing was their usual table. He pointed a few tables away where a group of girls were quietly chatting and laughing. "And look there Sora," Insert Riku's smirk here. "There's Namine."

"Oh Great," said Sora while him and Tidus took seats. I did too (but just my luck, it's across from Riku). "Guys, I will talk to Namine tonight."

'Not if I have anything to do with it,' I thought silently to myself. And to quote my friend, 'God! I'm such a bitch!'. I turned around towards her and saw a ghostly image. She looked like me! Well, my face at least. Her hair is completely different. And the boys are right. She is hot! Confidence level goes down a point...

"Sora, Sora," Riku shook his head at the sophomores behavior. "You remember that me and Namine dated before. All I have to do is ask and-"

"Hold on," I stopped him. "You dated her?"

"Yeah," Riku nodded calmly as if this sort of thing happened everyday. "It's kind of ironic because she looks exactly like this girl I used to pick on when I was little. I actually thought it was here at first-"

"What girl?" I interrupted him again, knowing very well it was me. Not like I'm admitting that out loud though.

"See," Riku decided to go into story for us guys. "When I was around eight there was a girl who came to visit her aunt. In a nutshell, I picked on her everyday."

"That doesn't seem like much," I commented. He's not even telling the entire story! That bastard! TELL YOUR FRIENDS WHAT A JERK YOU ARE!

"Yeah I did stuff like throw eggs at her window to wake her up at night, made her cry, pretend to be a ghost and scare her," Riku named off the list. "But I did a ton of other shit too and-"

"YOU BASTARD!" I yelled loud enough for the girls at the other table to hear. I'm sorry, I've been dealing with him for hours and I can't stand it anymore. I have a great urge to kick this guy right in the balls! I grabbed him by the collar and shook him a little. "YOU ARE AN ASS HOLE!"

"Kairi!" Sora stood up to help Riku. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" I asked him in angry voice. "That so called little girl was my sister!"

"Dude!" Riku held up his hands to surrender to me. "You didn't let me finish!"

"I don't need to hear the more things you did to make her cry," I snarled. "Did you know she didn't talk to another boy her age for an entire year after she got home that summer? You really messed her up!"

"No I don't mean that," Riku sighed. Then he looked up at me and said. "It's was boys do. I only picked on her because I liked her."

I instantly let go of his collar and let myself stare at him blankly. "...What?"

"I liked her," Riku repeated. "Your a guy. You know that boys pick on the girls they like when they are little."

"...What?"

"That's what I used to do," Sora admitted. "There was a little girl where I used to live and I used to pull her pig tails when I saw her."

"...What?"

"Riku," Tidus laughed as he forced me to sit down in my seat. "You put Kairi into shock."

"No wonder I recognized you!" Riku exclaimed in wonder. "Your twins! Well, I'm assuming your twins..."

"...What?"

What the hell is happening? No! My life is a lie. The boy who practically tortured me turned out to actually liked me? Well, it would explain that one time...(time for flash back mode!).

I remember because it was the last day of summer. A girl in the neighborhood invited me to the end of the summer bonfire. I've never been to a bonfire before. So, yes, of course I was going to go. And, let me tell you, it was amazing! They collected firewood all summer long and made a pile as big as a house. It was really fascinating when they lit it up. The entire block was in a harmony of oh's and ah's. But I couldn't look at the fire long because the bright light really hurt my eyes.

The reason I had fun that night was because Riku wasn't there. Someone said he was skipping out. We played loads of games! I remember there was duck duck goose (Come on. That's like the best game ever!), hide and go seek, I-spy, and wow we played for hours. We even made s'mores. I almost won the hot dog eating contest too. It was a great end to a ubberly crappy summer.

But then, while eating another s'more, I saw something in the dying fire. I swear I saw Hades, AKA Riku, himself standing in the fire. I blinked and realized he was just on the other side of the circle and his image bleed through the fire. I guess I was having so much fun that I didn't notice him. Maybe he was avoiding me so that I actually could have fun that summer. But then again, we're talking about Riku here.

After most of the kids had left to catch their bed times, Riku motioned me over. If I had any guts at all back then I wouldn't have gone. But this guy manipulated me with his words. If he said sit, I would sit. Simple as that.

I remember that I never said but one word to him that night. But I did see a first from Riku tha night. I saw him smile as he did when he was around his friends. "Did you have fun tonight?" He asked me as if he were completely normal. I nodded shyly. He grabbed my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Then he looked me in the eyes and said, "Have you ever kissed a boy before?"

"No," I shook my head. The next thing I knew was that his warm lips were touching mine and there wasn't anything I could do to prevent it.

"Kairi," he whispered to me. "Remember me. Remember everything I did this summer from pushing you and making you hurt your knee to shoving your face in mud. Remember how I stole your first kiss." He turned his back towards me. "Remember me Kairi." And then he walked away.

I really hoped that memory of his back would be the last. But now here he is, admitting his child hood crush to me, who is his crush!

"Kairi?" Sora snapped his fingers in front of his face. "You okay?"

"Sorry," I got out of my shock. If I were girl Kairi right now I would have stormed out of the place. But think, what reasons would boy Kairi have for running out? So I had to stay there, despite my hearts wishes. "Just sort of surprised."

"That's okay," Riku laughed. "You've probably grown to hate my for what your sister told you about me. I don't blame you." The two 'cheepep' pizzas finally arrived and no longer had to indulge ourselves into conversation.

Which was good because I was at a total loss for words.

End of Chapter


Authors Note: Did you like? Remember to review. I want to know your opinions and ideas!

Oh yes, I'm spoiling something (not major really). By the way, I don't want to include many order members in this story (I get dizzy just thinking about all the characters I would have!). So, here's the characters I'm definitely having (questioning more)

BOY SCHOOL STUDENTS:
Sora, Tidus, Riku, Kairi, Cloud, Leon, Roxas

GIRL SCHOOL STUDENTS:
Namine, Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, Yuna, Rikku, Paine