Chapter 4: New friends
I half expected Roxas to start running, again, but he didn't. He led me by the hand through the center of the town, and neither of us said a word. We knew it would spoil the moment. My cheeks were hot, and his were pink. But it wasn't embarrassment, it was joy. I'm going to be honest, I was shy about holding Roxas's hand, but I wasn't embarrassed. That would have been completely different. In fact, I almost wanted people to see us together. When finally we reached the large home, it was all too soon. Roxas released my hand, turned to me, and smiled. "I'm really glad you came with me."
"Where else would I be?"
He shrugged. "Who knows, but you're here."
"With you."
"Yeah." I looked down a little, and I couldn't help but smile. "You ready?"
"Is there much to be ready for? I mean... I'm just meeting a few of your friends." I looked up at him awkwardly.
"Few... may very well be the wrong word..." He opened the door, and I was shocked to find nine teenagers stuffed inside of a tiny room, when Roxas and I entered, it became eleven. Looking around the room, I noted that Hayner, Pence, and Olette were all sitting on one little armchair. Hayner in the seat, Olette squished next to him, and Pence on the armrest. A boy with spiky brown hair was sitting in the middle of another four people, on a couch made for three. To his left, there was a boy with long platinum hair, to his right, a red-head girl. On the far left of the couch was yet another boy with not-sticking-up-brown-hair, and on the far right, was a brunette girl with hair that flipped out at the bottom. The last boy was sitting on a blue ball on the floor, next to a small brown and black Yorkshire terrier. All at once, everybody looked up at me and my face flushed red.
I turned to Roxas for support, and he smiled at me, then left to go sit down on the armrest of the longer couch. Some support he was... I felt uncomfortable, everyone still staring and all. I didn't know... whoever well enough to just go sit down in their house so I pretty much just stood there for a while. Finally, Olette came to my rescue.
"Oh my gosh, Roxas. I can't believe you." Then the attention of... most of the people... was drawn her way. Roxas smiled and shrugged.
"I can't make her friends for her." Then everyone looked back at me. Olette sighed and walked over.
"Everybody, this is Namine. Namine, this is... everybody." I looked at her thankfully, but in a way, I was still lost. "Okay, then... she pointed to the people one by one, starting with the boy on the floor. "This is Wakka," on to the couch. "Tidus, Riku, Sora, Kairi, Selphie," she skipped the armchair, seeing as I already knew them and went back to the floor. "And Pochi."
"The do–"
"NO!" Everyone shouted at once, throwing their hands up. Well, everyone but Tidus.
"What's the big deal, guys? Pochi is a dog. It's plain as the facts of life. It's like how... it's like how... it's like.." He paused. "Will someone give me a fact of life already?!"
"Pochi is a little person." Selphie huffed.
"Right!" Tidus exclaimed without thinking. "It's like Pochi is a..." the others snickered. "SHUT UP! Man! One of these days, Selphie! You just wait!" I smiled a little, thinking about their reactions. Looking over at Roxas, I found that he was just turning away, which made me smile even more.
"So, Namine, was it?" 'Kairi' said. I nodded, and she smiled. "Why don't you come sit down?" Everyone agreed by nodding or saying something. But really, there was only the other armrest left to sit on. I knew I would be uncomfortable if I sat so close to them, so I was about to disagree when a woman entered the room.
Her cheeks were slightly pink and her eyebrows were lowered. Sora straightened up immediately as she walked to the center of the room. "What is wrong with you kids?" A few snickers let loose, but I didn't see how it was funny. She had her hands on her hips, and her eyebrows still lowered. "Roxas, when did you get here? Oh never mind. Wakka, what are you doing on the floor? Honestly, there's ten of you and you always pick the smallest room in the house! Wha–" She cut herself of looking in my direction, and I could see Roxas and Sora exchange glances. "Well, hello honey. What's your name?"
"Namine." I said quietly, hoping she would leave. I didn't know who she was, and I wasn't sure I wanted to.
Suddenly she looked happy, and took a few more steps in my direction. "Well, how long have you been here?" Bipolar?
"A few minutes, I guess. I just... Roxas wanted me to meet his friends." The woman smiled lovingly at Roxas.
"Well that's great. I'm Sora's mother. Please, have a seat. I'll go get you kids some snacks." As she left, she turned back to Wakka and pointed to him. "And when I come back, I want Pochi to be the only one on the floor. You kids are gonna get so filthy!" And then she left the room again. Wakka instantly shot up and sat on the last available armrest, leaving me no space to sit.
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Slowly, I walked with Namine through the town. I knew the walk to Sora's wasn't all that long, but I kind of wanted it to last. A couple times, I looked down at our hands in between us as we walked, and I noticed Namine was blushing a little. I smiled and slowed down a little more, but I don't think she noticed. When we got to Sora's, I let go of her hand, assuming she wouldn't want people to see us together, their first time seeing her. I smiled and said, "I'm really glad you came with me."
"Where else would I be?" I didn't really know what to say, how do you answer that?
So I shrugged. "Who knows, but you're here."
"With you." I smiled, but I don't think she noticed much, she was kind of looking down. It made me feel a little bit better, just being with her, that she said that.
"Yeah. You ready?"
"Is there much to be ready for? I mean... I'm just meeting a few of your friends." She looked at me kinda funny, and I realized I hadn't told her the whole story.
"Few... may very well be the wrong word..." When I opened the door, Namine's eyes widened, my guess was she hadn't expected to see that many kids. Looking around the room, I noted that everyone was sitting in their usual spots, except Wakka was trying to get away with sitting on the ground. Like my aunt would have that when she came in... Everyone looked up to the door to see me and Namine come in. She got kinda embarrassed, which made me feel bad about what I did, but I had to do it.
She turned to me, but I just smiled and sat down. She looked really cute... I mean... awkward just standing there, but eventually, Olette helped her out.
"Oh my gosh, Roxas. I can't believe you."I smiled and shrugged.
"I can't make her friends for her." Olette just walked over to Namine and made a brief... VERY brief introduction.
"Everybody, this is Namine. Namine, this is... everybody." Namine looked at her funny, and she kept going."Okay, then..." She pointed them out as she introduced them. "This is Wakka, Tidus, Riku, Sora, Kairi, Selphie," She skipped the armchair and went back to the Yorkie. "And Pochi."
"The do–" She started, but nobody was gonna let her get off to the same start that Tidus did.
"NO!" We all shouted, throwing our hands out.
"What's the big deal, guys? Pochi is a dog. It's plain at the facts of life. It's like how... it's like how... it's like.." Tidus knew he was already bad off with Pochi. "Will someone give me a fact of life already?!"
"Pochi is a little person." Selphie huffed.
"Right!" Tidus exclaimed without thinking, the guy is a little... distracted when Selphie talks. "It's like Pochi is a..." We took our turn to laugh. "SHUT UP! Man! One of these days, Selphie! You just wait!" It was good for me to see that Namine was laughing, but I didn't watch her for too long.
"So, Namine, was it?" Kairi said. Namine nodded quickly, and Kairi smiled. "Why don't you come sit down?" Everyone agreed, trying to make her more comfortable, but really, there was only the other armrest left to sit on. She was about to, it seemed, when Sora's mom -my aunt- came into the room.
Sora sat straight up because she looked a little mad. "What is wrong with you kids?" We kind of laughed a little, she always did this. She turned her attention to me. "Roxas, when did you get here? Oh never mind. Wakka, what are you doing on the floor? Honestly, there's ten of you and you always pick the smallest room in the house! Wha–" She cut herself off, looking at Namine. Me and Sora exchanged glances, not knowing what to do. "Well, hello honey. What's your name?"
"Namine." She almost whispered.
"Well, how long have you been here?"
"A few minutes, I guess. I just... Roxas wanted me to meet his friends." She just had to say it, huh? Well, now my aunt knew, meaning, my dad would hear... not good.
"Well that's great. I'm Sora's mother. Please, have a seat. I'll go get you kids some snacks." As she left, she turned back to Wakka and pointed to him. "And when I come back, I want Pochi to be the only one on the floor. You kids are gonna get so filthy!" And then she left the room again. Wakka instantly shot up and sat on the last available armrest, leaving Namine nowhere to sit.
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Uh oh. Nowhere to sit? This could be bad... :)
