Chapter 4: Go Away!
-Roxas's POV
What...happened? I push myself up onto my knees, wincing as my eyes scan the room. He destroyed...everything. My closet had been ransacked, and my dressers gone through. The mirror mounted on the wall had been shattered, and the pieces scattered.
I look to my bed and see a brown paper bag sitting there. Sighing, I stand and walk over to see what it was. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I open the corners of the bag and pour the contents onto the bed.
My eyes widen as I look at the shredded remains of cloth. On one piece, a star had not been ripped through. Shoving that piece in my pocket, I pick up the note that had fallen out of the bag as well. Unfolding it, I hold it to the light.
"So, you and your boyfriend have matching clothes? Cute."
My hand trembles as I place the note back on the bed.
B-boyfriend? I blush as the note's meaning sinks in. I'm not too sure if I disagree.
Shaking the thought out of my head, I get up, and clumsily start walking out of my room. At the door way, there is another note. Picking it up, I pocket it without even reading.
As I make my way out of the house, I find more and more folded pieces of paper. Back pockets bulging, I step out of the door and look at the windows. Someone had broken them. ALL of them.
The same words written on my wall are written out here. Frustrated, I run a handover my face and recoil. My face feels like I fell through a thorn bush. I bring my hands down and can tell that the cuts are still bleeding. Feeling dizzy, I walk to the porch stairs and start down.
"Roxas!"
"Huh?" I look up to see Axel dashing towards me. His face is clouded with anger, concern, and guilt. Dizzy, I take another step, and trip down the stars.
I can hear Axel's steps grow faster, as my knee hits every one of the stairs on the way down. When I reach the bottom, my body turns, but my leg goes the opposite direction.
"Aaaaahhhhhhh!" On the sidewalk, I grip my twisted leg in an unsuccessful attempt to not cry out. This, added to the pain on my face, makes me feel like I am swimming in lava.
Shaking at the base of the stairs, I hear Axel comfort me as he lifts me up. For some reason, this kind of dulled the pain. It was warm in his hold.
"Roxas! What happened? Who did this!" Through half closed eyes, I could see Axel's bright eyes scanning the nearby roads. I really couldn't answer his question, not knowing who it was. As Axel turns to look at my house, I hear tires screech to a stop in the parking lot. A door slams, and a pair of tennis shoes patter up the side walk.
"Oh my god! Roxas, Are you okay... what happened to the house?" she asks. Namine is home. I shut my eyes and sigh. In a way, I'm glad she came too late. What if she was there alone when those...guys arrived. The thought makes me shudder in Axel's warm arms.
Thinking I was in more pain (which I WAS) Axel carries me down to Namine's car and slides in, me still on his lap. I would've argued, but exhaustion overtakes me. All I can do is nestle my head in the crevice of his arm. As Namine gets in and starts the car, I open my eyes.
"Axel?" I ask. He looks down to me, concern in his eyes, and frowns.
"You okay?" I nod, but this sends waves of pain through my head. I shut my eyes, holding my mouth closed tight so I wont scream. I hear Axel sigh beside me.
The car starts to move, and I wince as we go over a bump in the road. Whenever we approach a speed bump, or ditch in the road, Axel holds me a little tighter to guard my leg from the impact. Soon, nausea builds up from the car's motion, and I try not to get sick.
"Axel." I groan. He looks to me, startled, and replies.
"Yeah?" I wait a moment until the latest wave of nausea passes. Swallowing, I look up to Axel.
"I think I'm going to be sick." At this point, Namine pulls the car over in a general store parking lot. Holding me tightly, Axel slides out of the car. Now outside, I breath in the fresh air... and almost vomit.
Curling up into a ball (with one leg sticking out) I try to push the feeling down. Opening my eyes, I spot a trash can at the end of the lot. Following my gaze, Axel nods and walks over to it, Namine following. Letting me down on one leg, she rubs my back as I hunch over the side, sickness taking the best of me. It didn't last long, and when it did end, I look up to Namine.
"What happened, Roxas?" I shrug, and look over to Axel.
"I don't know, but they threw...these at me." I dig in my back pocket and pull out the notes. Axel seems to stiffen at the sight of them.
I open them and, one by one, read them in my head. With each one, my expression grows colder. With each one, my eyes go blurry from moisture build up. With each one, Axel self control crumbles a bit.
"Let me see those." Axel says. Looking at his expression, I know that there is no room for disagreement. Handing them over, I (carefully) wipe my eyes on my sweat shirt. After a moment, Axel throws the notes down and stomps on them.
While he has his little tantrum, I pull out the piece of shredded cloth and run it through my fingers. Looking down, I press it from one hand to the other. Axel, noticing my sour mood, looks down to my hands and frowns. Walking up to me, he lifts my chin and looks at me, confused.
"I guess they saw you in the pajamas. They went through my room, destroying it, and shredded the ones I had." I hold out the patch that held the star, and Axel takes it. He hands it back and walks to the car.
Picking up the half destroyed notes, I try putting weight on my leg, and find that it isn't broken, just sore. Limping back to the car, denying any help from Namine, I sit next to Axel. I'm feeling MUCH better. (well, aside from facial cuts, and a headache.)
"Namine? Can we just go home?" She looks back to me, obviously wanting to go to a hospital. After a moment, she reluctantly nods and turns to start the car.
-Axel's POV
Sitting in the car, I watch Roxas limp into the seat beside me. Damn it! I should have helped him. Well, at least his leg wasn't broken. That saves hospital bills!Leaning against the window, Roxas rubs his temples and speaks.
"Namine? Can we just go home?" She looks back to Roxas, obviously wanting to take him to a hospital. After a moment, she reluctantly nods and turns to start the car.
Minutes go by in awkward silence, as we drive back to Namine's house. Man, I can't believe they went for Roxas.
I turn to look at him and frown. He is looking down into his lap, mumbling something under his breath. In his hands were the notes I had stomped on. I can see my foot prints on many of them. How can I help him?
"Hey, Roxas?" I ask. He turns to look at me with halfheartedly curious gray eyes. I hold up a finger and dig my hands into my pockets.
"If it helps to know... I have lots of them, the notes." Roxas's eyes widen, as I pull out piles and piles of papers. He looks from his dozen notes back to my million and sighs.
"Sorry, Axel. I'm sitting here like I have the biggest issue here. You..." His face goes pale, probably out of exhaustion. He slumps against the window as we pull into his driveway. Undoing my seatbelt, I nudge Roxas to tell him to do the same.
"Roxas. We're here." Looking up, I gasp at the damage done to his house. Words too bad (even for my mouth) were painted onto the door and surrounding wood. Every window had been shattered, and I'm guessing the interior is in the same condition. I try to get out of the car, but Roxas is still sitting there.
"Hey, Roxas." I shake his shoulders, but his head just hangs limp. Not again... I shake my head at the events of this morning and sigh.
"Namine. Roxas is out again!" At this, she gets out of the car and runs over to the other side, opening Roxas's door. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Namine pulls him out of the car, supporting Roxas on her shoulders. I quickly slide out, and pick up Roxas. Following Namine up the sidewalk, I watch as she takes out her keys and unlocks the door.
Stepping into the house, I look around for a place to set Roxas down. The couches were ruined, and all of the chairs broken. The floor was covered in broken glass, couch fluff, and wood fragments. Namine runs a hand through hair, her face covered in tears.
"Roxas's room is past the room over there and down the hall." She points towards the kitchen, and I start walking. Stepping past overturned furniture, I make my way down the hallway. Coming up to a door at the end, I take a deep breath and push it open. What I see almost makes me drop Roxas...almost.
-Namine's POV
Oh...my...god! What happened? I walk into my house to find it completely destroyed. Scanning the mess, I spot a shattered photo frame hanging off of the table. No... please tell me that's not the one I think it is! Holding my head in my hands, tears threatening to spill, I look over to Axel. He's looking around too, but more for trying to find a place to set down Roxas. Running a hand through my hair, I assist.
"Roxas's room is past the room over there and down the hall." I point towards the kitchen, and he starts walking. Trying (unsuccessfully) to not trip over anything, I pick my way towards the coffee table... well, what's left of it. Picking up the broken frame, I wipe the dust off of the ripped picture. My eyes widen in horror as I identify the photo.
"No..." Covering my mouth to hide cries of dismay, I shuffle over to the door at the end of the room. Opening it up, I step in... and my mouth falls open. My room is spotless, just how I left it!
Nothing is touched or moved. All of the jewelry I own still fills the vanity drawer. Closet clean. I look to the dresser, and see a posted note stuck to the mirror. Frowning, I walk over and pull it off. Turning it over in my hands, I stop.
Should I read it, or should I show the guys first? Giving myself over to curiosity, I lift up the note and read:
"As your protector,
I guarded your light.
From all of those who,
Turn day into night."
"I am so sorry,
That I couldn't save more.
Just the personal belongings
Behind your room door."
Love (hopefully) V19
Who is V19? Gripping the photo in my hand, I look to the mirror and gasp. A light blush had risen in my cheeks while reading the poem. An embarrassed smile only made the color deepen even more.
"NO!" I gasp, turning, as Axel's yells ring through the house. Is Roxas okay?! I run past the door, leaving the photo behind, and dash past the kitchen. Turning down the hall, I see Axel holding Roxas.
"Is Roxas okay?" I ask, holding my breath. When he nods that he is, I exhale in relief...only to have it stick in my throat. What... happened to Roxas's room?
-Axel's POV
This is my fault! I look to his room and frown. Everything was destroyed! His belongings were shattered, dressers smashed, and closet gone through. Graffiti is sprayed on the wall. Reading the messy words, my eyes widen.
"No!" I yell. There calling him... what they call me now?!
Shit! Not him! It's my fault he was pulled into this. I look down at Roxas's calm face, now covered in scars. He was too innocent for those marks.
I hear footsteps run through the house, and soon enough, Namine stands by my side.
"Is Roxas okay?" she asks. Speechless, all I can do is nod. She seems to calm down a bit, before looking to Roxas's room. Turning my attention back to the room, I scan the damage.
A brown bag, a note, and some tattered cloth lay on the bed. Remembering the pajamas Roxas showed me, I set Roxas against the wall.
Sitting on the edge of the broken bed, I pick up the cloth and smirk. So he did have the same outfit. Yay.
I toss the bag onto the floor and reach for the piece of scrap paper. Reading the note, heat rises in my face. Namine seems to notice and walks back into the kitchen, obviously not wanting to ask. Looking to Roxas, I can only wonder: Does he feel the same? I go to turn my attention back to the note, but Roxas starts to wake up.
I get up, moving towards him, as Roxas shakes his head. Blinking his eyes groggily, he opens them up to stare at me.
The anger that replaces his normal expression startles me.
"This is all your fault, isn't it?" He accuses. Forgetting that I am holding the note, I raise my hands in defense.
"I can explain." Roxas looks to my hands and his face goes red. He glares back at me.
" No. I don't want to hear it. Just get out." He points towards the door and frowns. Looking around, it feels like everything that had been ruined was pouring guilt onto my chest. Stepping forward, I try again.
"Roxas l-" I reach out, but he stands and backs up into the corner.
"Get away from me!" I stand there, mouth open, as he yells at me. Tears are running. From Namine. From Roxas.
And from me.