Chapter Four – Fun At The Mall

Kairi was glad that it was the weekend. She slept until eleven, something she hadn't done for a while. The phone rang.

"Hey Selphie." Kairi said wearily after getting out of bed.

"Hey Kairi! Want to come with me to the mall?" The brunette asked eagerly.

"Sure," Kairi responded without really knowing it. She hung up the phone and yawned. After she got a shower, she went downstairs to eat. Selphie ran the doorbell.

"Are you ready?" She jumped up and down.

"Huh? I was eating breakfast…" Kairi raised an eyebrow and let Selphie in. Selphie walked inside and took off her shoes. They went into the kitchen. "You want anything to eat?" Kairi asked as she started to eat her cereal again. Selphie shook her head. "I ate breakfast a while ago."

After Kairi was done eating, she left a note on the table that said she was going to the mall and left. Kairi was the only one of her friends that still was scared to death of driving. It made her feel bad and she didn't like to talk about it. Plus, even if she did know how to drive, she didn't have a car. Her mom would be pissed if she took her car and drove somewhere.

They arrived at the mall. There was a long line at the theater as they walked by. Selphie and Kairi headed straight for the CD shop.

"YUNA's CD!" Kairi squealed, holding up the new single by YUNA. Selphie hugged onto an anime soundtrack she found. "Too bad I don't have money…" she put it back. Kairi had plenty of money. "I'll buy it for you."

Selphie knew it was pointless to argue, because Kairi was always offering. They walked out happily.

"Hey, Yuffie works in Hot Topic. Let's go visit her!" Selphie skipped into the store. This place scared Kairi sometimes. She was better off at some Bookstore or something. (A/N: I have no hatred towards Hot Topic!) However, Yuffie was her friend too.

"ARGH!" Yuffie wasn't in a very good mood. The person at the counter had been going through their wallet for every single cent they could find when they obviously didn't have enough munny to buy it. Selphie and Kairi looked around the store before going to talk with Yuffie, who was about to lose her patience.

"Whoa, I didn't know you guys came in here." They turned around. Riku was looking at them strangely. Kairi shook her head. "Oh no! We're just in here to see Yuffie… but she's a little busy…" She pointed over to Yuffie who was tapping her fingers on the counter. "Is this enough?" They heard the person ask.

"This is why I don't want to get a job." Selphie said. Kairi couldn't agree more.

"Well, look out for the Pac Sun restaurant. Sora just started to work there. I can't stand him…" Riku left. Why did everyone always tell Kairi where Sora was? Were they trying to torture her?

Selphie elbowed Kairi's arm and smirked mischievously. "We should stop by…" Kairi blushed and hit her. "No! I mean…"

"Oh, hey guys." Yuffie appeared in front of them. They waved. "I just got off. Man… I thought that person would never give up!" She cursed under her breath. "Great! How about we all walk around the mall together?" Selphie suggested. "I'd love to…" Yuffie started, "But I have to get home. I left my little sister there all alone and who knows what chaos she's caused. See you later." Yuffie left, and so did Selphie and Kairi.

"Getting all dreamy about Sora again?" Selphie teased after she noticed there were a few moments of silence between them. "No!" Kairi denied quickly. She saw Sora inside the Pac Sun Restaurant just as they walked by. He was a waiter. "C'mon!" Selphie grabbed her arm and rushed into the restaurant without Kairi's consent. Before Kairi could say anything, Selphie had already ordered a table for two.

"Are you trying to torture me?" Kairi asked furiously. Selphie merely smiled. "C'mon, if you don't talk to him, how will he ever notice you?" She had a point, but Kairi didn't want to believe that.

"Selphie… I get goose bumps whenever I talk to him. I don't know what to say!" Kairi tried to explain. "Oh! Waiter!" She waved her hand in the air. "Over here!" Luckily, Sora wasn't their waiter. Instead, it was an older lady.

They ordered their drinks. "You know," Selphie began, "I didn't come in here just for you." She was staring at someone on the other side of the restaurant. "Huh?" Kairi looked over and laughed. "No way, Wakka?" "Isn't he dreamy?" Selphie drooled. "I thought he hated you." Kairi said. "So! It's still nice to look!" Selphie didn't seem to be affected by what Kairi had just said, which was a good thing. Wakka thought Selphie was insane. He always tried to avoid her.

Kairi tried to look out the display window they were next to. She didn't want to make eye contact with Sora. But she couldn't help staring at those gorgeous eyes of his… or that beautiful brown hair that pointed in every direction…

"You have to talk to him." Selphie said. "No! I can't!" Kairi began to shake. Selphie just called Sora's name, and he was coming over to them.

"I wanted to ask you," Kairi was surprised, "how much does the buffet cost?" Sora glanced at Kairi for a moment and then turned back to Selphie. Kairi tried to look away. "It's $5.95 for the buffet." He smiled. Selphie thanked him and he walked off.

"See? Just ask a simple question, and you'll be talking to him!" Selphie exclaimed happily. "You don't have to start a conversation… he's at work. Just say hello." Kairi's legs were shaking. Why was Selphie doing this to her?

About thirty minutes later, they left. Selphie and Kairi got into the car.

"Why are you so afraid of him?" Selphie asked.

Kairi hesitated before saying anything. She wanted to get her words right. "Uh… I don't know." Wow, so much for thinking on that one.

"He's a nice guy." Selphie mentioned.

"And popular." Kairi added, putting her head down.

"Screw popularity. If you like who you are, it doesn't matter how many backstabbing friends that only want to be you that you have."

In a way, that made sense to Kairi, and in a way it didn't. But she understood. They arrived at Kairi's house. Kairi waved to Selphie and went inside. She sat down in the TV room. Koru was watching TV on the couch eating some popcorn. Kairi let out a big sigh.

"What's the matter with you?" Koru asked.

"Nothing."

"Right." He flipped the channel onto some cartoon Kairi didn't care for. Kairi got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Oh, some guy called for you." Kairi immediately thought Riku. She was right. Kairi picked up the phone, but her brother came into the room. "I need the phone." She glared at him and stormed out. It was pointless of him to even tell her that Riku called.

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