This is my second update today! It's only because I felt bad that I wasn't available to update for you. I hope you guys enjoy, I'll keep working and try to update later this week or even next week. Bye!

Axel and Sora had asked to take me shopping on the first Saturday since they had been out of school. Aerith told Axel to keep the speed demon out of the front seat. I did not know what that meant. A search of the phrase yielded cartoons of cars going over the legal speed limit. Axel did not resemble the little red man behind the steering wheel other than the color. Sora was just excited to show me the mall and all of his favorite stores. Axel was enthusiastic about food.

Cloud had lowered his newspaper and glanced over at us from his armchair. "You guys keep Axel out of trouble. I don't need a phone call about him ransacking the pretzel shop," he said with a laugh.

"Dad, it happened once. It was before you even knew me." Maybe I would ask Axel what that meant.

"But the fact that you actually had such the adventure you did is astounding, Axel," Aerith added from the home office.

"Let's just go before I ransack some else," Axel grumbled.

"Keep it up and you may be grounded. Stay safe, all three of you." Cloud had muted the television and motioned for me to come over.

"Yes?"

"I'd like you to have some of your own money to use today. We're always giving Axel and Sora money."

"Thank you, Cloud."

Sora called from the door, "Come on, Roxas! We've gotta go."

Axel did not wear a seatbelt. He was breaking a law. He drove six miles over the legal speed limit. It was another broken law. His music was loud and obnoxious, the decibels ranging between 100 and 110. Sora tapped absentmindedly on his phone's screen and mouthing the words to lyrics of Axel's songs.

Axel turned his head to look back at me and said, "How's the music, Roxas?"

"It's kind of loud, Axel. And wouldn't it benefit to keep your eyes on the road? Traffic is heavy on this road today; it shouldn't slow down until about 5:37 p.m."

"Roxas, the only thing that I could care about right now is whether or not you can find any speed traps."

"Axel, you can't treat him like that. He's our brother now, remember?" Sora chimed in.

"When Sparky starts acting like a brother, I might accept him as such."

Axel's words… hurt.

"What has he done to you, Axel?"

"I dunno. I just think it's weird."

"Axel, I'm right here. "

"Well, Roxas, we've already had a crazy night."

Sora's face held a confused look. "What the hell do you even mean?"

Axel cracked a smile. "Roxas is into the naughty stuff. Young girls getting fucked over a desk in detention. Some kinky shit."

Sora smiled wide. "Well then, Roxas. That does sound kinky."

"I don't even know what kinky is. And when you say shit, are you referencing fecal matter? Axel said there was no good stuff, though. He wanted to see the teacher's penis."

"Dammit, Axel. No more dicks."

Axel's face turned red and Sora laughed at him, his index finger pointed.

"Can we stop talking about porn?"

The rest of the car ride was silent, save for Axel's music. The parking lot was filled with cars, much to Axel's disgust.

"No fucking spaces. You've gotta be kidding me."

"Who's kidding you, Axel?"

"No one, Roxas. Just sit tight while I find a spot to park."

After seven minutes and sixteen seconds, Sora led me by the hand into the mall while Axel tried to keep his distance. Sora read out where he'd like us to go from an illuminated map of the building.

"We have to go here. And here. And this place has awesome clothes. Mom would'nt mind something from here for Christmas. This is the store Axel likes. And here is the pretzel shop. I think we should go here first, they have a huge selection of books."

"I think you should calm down, little bro. We'll just go to the closest places first," Axel announced.

We spent two hours and twenty-two minutes shopping, fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds eating pretzels; I couldn't exactly taste them, but I'd made sounds of delight to appease him. Sora carried bags from two clothing stores, one with movies he had gotten on sale, and a bag of books he had planned to read during the rest of his winter break from school. Axel had left Sora and I to go shopping on his own.

"Axel mentioned Christmas gifts. You did, too. What are they for?"

Sora sipped frozen coffee through a straw before he answered. "Christmas is widely known as the birth of Christ. It's a religion thing, look it up. Over the years, people started giving each other stuff. I'm giving Mom a new set of pajamas, Dad's going to get something sporty to use with his friends, and I have to get stuff for my own friends. And you. And Axel. Let's go get stuff for him." Sora's face began to turn red from the speed of his speech.

Sora and I went to four more stores to find a gift for Axel. He had tried helping me understand what Axel may want. Sora said: band shirts, music on CD because Axel finds downloading songs to be tedious, computer hardware, video games, horror movies, movies featuring comedic females, movies with hilarious plots, any movie with gay sex and kissing, books about murder, and any kind of cookbooks.

"He's really trying to get people to believe he's dark and edgy, but he also really likes baking. He can bake so goddamned well. His cakes are wonderful."

Cloud had given me thirty dollars to use today; Sora had assured me that I would either get more or he would pay for the things I would like to purchase.

"You see anything you want to get him?"

"I do not. What will you get him?"

Sora smirked and snorted. "You're not going to copy me, Roxas."

Sora helped me a find a reasonably priced coat for Axel to wear while he was cooking or baking. It was a black coat that the saleswoman could embroider Axel's name into. We had the coat wrapped before we met Axel at the front door of the store with bags of his own.

We drove home in silence. Sora told me to hide my bag and keep it a secret. I watched the Strifes eat dinner and finally retire to bed. Axel had finished watching some show on television and asked if I would have another late-night escapade.

"No, Axel," I stated. "I think I'll follow you."

Axel sat quietly on his bed and yawned quite loudly. He flipped the switch of his lamp and asked me to turn off the light. He gazed at me from his bed sleepily.

"Axel?"

"Yes, Roxas?"

"Can you tell me what it means to like or love someone?"

Axel cocked his head and smiled. "What brings this on?"

"While we were shopping today, I ran searches on what Christmas is and found many articles on what gifts you should get the one you love. I found articles on how you should surprise your girlfriend or boyfriend."

Axel laughed softly and laid back, making shadows with his hands.

"It's attraction. You feel pulled to this other person, Roxas. Understand?"

"Like magnets."

"No. Yes. I've heard love is like magnetic attraction. You feel a connection with the other person."

"Like friendship."

"It's a few levels above friendship. People who are in love want to touch each other, they want to kiss. They have sex. Babies. You don't have sex with your friends unless you're really into the friends with benefits thing or if you start dating."

"What is dating?"

"You ask a person on a date and you can almost do anything with them this person. A movie, dinner, a walk, a trip to an arcade, maybe even inviting them over an cooking for them. If you feel enough of a connection, and they feel the same way, you sk them on another date. Okay?"

"Okay…"

I laid back like Axel had and thought for a second. Axel had rolled onto his side and focused on me. He stayed in the position even when I mimicked him.

"Axel, will you go on a date with me?"

Axel closed his eyes and groaned into a pillow.

"Yes, Axel?"

"We can't go on a date, Roxas."

"Why not? You could cook for us."

"Roxas. You and I dating would be weird. The whole same last name thing would be weird to some people. You are also not a human, Roxas. And if you're going to invite to me to our own house, you'd have to do the cooking. Now, think of some normal questions for tomorrow." Axel turned his lamp off and buried himself in his blanket.

Axel was right, though. I am not human. It nearly hurt me to think so. If I were human, this could be where I would cry, I think.