Author's Note: I feel so bad for Sora in this chapter... and for Kairi.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine. If it was, it probably wouldn't be as good.

Chapter 7: Before You're Gone

Kairi watched her ex-friends jaws drop. She was glad that they were upset. They deserved to be.

"Come on, Selphie. Let's go hang out with some real people." Kairi said, turning around and walking away.

"I am so going to kill that girl when I get my hands on her." Yuffie said.

"I'd love to help you." Aqua muttered.

"Man, that girl is hot!" Some boy yelled as he walked by.

"I know, right? Who is she anyway?" The boy's friend asked.

"I heard that she's that Kairi girl." The boy said.

"Seriously? I thought she was an ugly nerd!" The friend replied.

"Yeah, I think Selphie changed her." The boy said, walking into the building.

"At least now Selphie and Tifa will forget about the deals they made with us." Roxas said.

Sora was silent. He ran into the school after Kairi, Tifa, and Selphie.

"Kairi!" Sora called.

"What do you want?" Kairi asked, coldly.

"I want to talk to you. Alone." He added, looking at Selphie and Tifa.

"Fine. You have two minutes." She said, walking off to the library, where nobody was. Not even the librarian was there.

"Before you ask, I did this. I didn't like my look, so I got contacts and bought new clothes." Kairi said.

"Listen, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I knew that Roxas had a crush on you, and you didn't believe in love, so I was trying to make you fall in love, then get you to go out with Roxas, because Roxas went out with Namine to make you jealous." Sora said quickly.

"That wouldn't have helped anyone anyway." Kairi said.

"I know that now. But I really regret it now because I think I'm in love with you." Sora said.

"Well, that's too bad for you because I don't believe in love. And your two minutes are up." Kairi said, walking away.

Sora just watched her go, shame and regret as his only emotions.


Just as soon as it left, the weekend returned. Sora, unlike everyone else, was hating the weekend. He had nowhere to go. So he just walked to the beach and went to the secret cave. What shocked him was the fact that Kairi was there. And in her old clothes. With her glasses on.

"K-Kairi?" Sora asked slowly. Kairi whipped around.

"I... uh, you... I mean... What are you doing here?" Kairi asked nervously.

"This is my secret cave too, you know." Sora said. Kairi was silent.

"I really did mean what I said at school, you know." Sora continued.

"Sora... I'm sorry, but I don't think I can go out with you. You broke my heart once. Who says you won't do it again? I don't think I could take that." Kairi whispered.

"But you won't have to take that. I won't leave you this time." Sora argued.

"I'm sorry." Kairi said, walking out of the cave.

Sora just watched her go in silence. He was about to leave when he saw something sitting in the corner. It was a piece of paper. He picked it up and read it.

Sora,

I am truly sorry. I wish that I could be with you, and I know that you wouldn't hurt me again if we did. It's just that... well, I'm moving. That's the reason why we can't be together. I wanted to be friends with Selphie, because her parents are divorced and her mom lives on Destiny Islands, where I'm moving. I figured that I could have Selphie as a friend there, and make new friends as well. I'm sorry about what I said to you and the crew. So the only thing left to say is I'm sorry.

-Kairi.

Sora blinked. Kairi was moving? That was just one more thing to make him upset.


Kairi sat in the corner of her room and cried. She cried and cried. She wanted to be with Sora, but she couldn't, because her mom wanted to move. Somewhere warmer.

"Kairi, are you ready?" Aerith called.

"Yes, mom." Kairi called down, putting the last object into the box. She picked up the box and walked down the stairs, handing the box to her mom.

Kairi carefully got into the car and thought about the single object sitting at the top of that box. A silver necklace in the shape of a crown.

It belonged to Sora, but Kairi always liked it, and she wanted something to remember him by. What surprised her was that it was sitting on a rock in the secret cave. He usually wore it, so it made her confused as to why it was there.

"Alright, Kairi! You ready?" Aerith asked.

"I guess..." Kairi said.

"What's the matter? I thought that you made friends with Selphie so you'd have a friend there. You also told me that you didn't like your friends anymore." Aerith said.

"Yes, and I didn't. But... I feel... upset. I feel like I should've given them another chance... and... I don't want to move anymore." Kairi said firmly.

"What? Why?" Aerith asked, stunned.

"Because... I think I'm in love with Sora."