Only three more chapters till I'm done with Part One/Kairi's POV, yay! One, all my writing's horrible in part 1; well, most of it anyway. Two, I just love Sora-kun to death haha.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Jansport backpacks Oo; .
Shattered Dreams: Chapter Seven
XXX
"Kairi? What happ-" Sora skidded into the room, eyes widening as he glanced at the floor, "Oh my god." Placing his hands on my shoulders and easing me towards the door, he stated shakily, "Uh, lets go outside or something…Go ahead, I'll get the phone and call 911..." He was obviously scared out of mind like me. But while he could not take his eyes of their bodies, I could not even find the power to look at them at all.
"I…can't…" I gulped, unable to open my eyes or even breathe.
"Sorry, I'm not thinking right…" Sora grabbed the cordless phone from the corner of the counter, taking my hand, and rushing us outside. "Kairi…do you think you could call them? I just-I can't think of what to say…" Sora was pacing back and forth, freaking out.
"Um, yeah. I-I guess I can." I took the phone and slowly dialed the three numbers. I jumped when I heard the receptionist answer the phone, "U-um…I just got home and…found my parents…d-dead…" I stuttered. She respond saying that the police were coming.
"They're coming?" Sora asked as I hung up the phone.
"…Yeah." I wiped the newly formed tears that were starting fall on my sleeve, saying, "You know, even though they were really bad to me, I just can't believe this happened…I mean, they were finally starting to learn how to treat me right…and I was learning what it was like to have real parents…and then this happens…" I wiped my eyes again, "I guess that's just how my life is though, something always has to go wrong…"
Sora cut off my negativity with his exclamation, "Kairi, that's not true! Just because one thing goes wrong, doesn't mean everything will. I was taught a long time ago that whenever something really bad happens, it means something great is coming." Sora smiled slightly despite the situation, staring up at the star-filled sky.
I looked up too, thinking, 'The sky is way too beautiful for a night like this…even though it was the best night of my life until I got home.'
"Who taught you that, anyways?" I asked out of curiosity, sniffling a bit.
"Well, you might wanna sit down. That is, unless you want to faint and fall backwards onto the concrete." He gave a quiet laugh as he turned his head back to me.
I blinked, "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well, Riku told me that."
"What!?" I yelled out in surprise.
"We used to be friends in first grade. The next year though, we just didn't really get along…" He bit his lip as he flipped through images of memories in his mind.
"I don't see how Riku could have thought of something like that…" I was astounded that Sora and Riku had once been friends. What could have possibly made that drastic change to make Riku what I knew?
"He wasn't always like he is now. He used to be a really deep thinker…I don't really know what happened." Sora shrugged, putting his hands behind his head.
"Hmm…" I sighed tapping my fingers, "Shouldn't they of gotten here by now…?" As if in response, the screaming of the sirens suddenly over-ruled every other sound in the neighborhood.
"Does that answer your question?" Sora tried to yell over the sirens, as he got up.
"Yeah!" I stood up, trying to plug my ears so I couldn't hear the deafening screaming of the sirens…I wasn't really in the mood to be interrogated either, come to think of it. My emotions were really screwed up right now. I was, sad, happy, frustrated, calm, and confused all at once, if that was even humanly possible.
XXX
"Do you know where you're gonna stay?" Sora asked me as the police were leaving.
I shrugged, "Selphie's I guess. But, could I go to your house for tonight? It's really late, and I'd feel safer there than anywhere else…" I added the last part looking down at my feet to hide the obvious blushing.
"Of course." He answered, taking my hand and leading me to his house. "Be prepared…" He warned as he unlocked the door and slowly turned the doorknob.
"Huh?" I blinked, then figured out what he meant as soon as he got the door fully opened.
"What happened?" Sora's mom's worried sounded, she was so worried that she practically threw us both inside.
"Um…Kairi's parents were…" Sora trailed off, unable to finish.
"…Murdered." I finished.
"Oh my god, Kairi, you poor baby!" Sora's mom practically threw herself around me, "You of course know you're welcome here for as long as you like, and if there's anything I can do to help you, tell me, okay?"
"Um…Yeah, okay." I responded, practically choking due to the fact she was squeezing me so tightly. I took a deep breath as quietly as I could as soon as she let go. "Well, I'm gonna go to bed, but wake me up if you need something!" She ordered before she started walking back up the stairs.
"Um, are you gonna go upstairs, too?" I turned away from the empty staircase to Sora.
Sora shook his head, "Nope."
"Wha?" I blinked.
"I'm too worried about you."
I laughed slightly as I sat down; he was truly the master of lines, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine…"
"I'll still be up all night though," He trailed off, falling backwards onto the couch beside me.
"Um, thanks." I answered, laughing nervously; I did not have a clue what else to say.
He apparently did not know what to say either. "Uh…Okay." He laughed in response.
"Hmm…" I tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling for a spilt second before closing my eyes.
"You okay?" Sora asked, brushing some of my hair away from my face and behind my eyes, causing me to shiver involuntarily.
"Um, I guess. For just loosing my parents…Guess I seem pretty horrible for not even crying that much about it, huh?" I sighed, giving him a distressed look.
"Of course not." Sora pulled me into a tight embrace.
"…Sora?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah?" He responded, not loosening his hold on me.
"Are you okay?" I asked him, giving a small laugh.
"As long as I'm with you." He whispered back. The only response I made was smiling before I slowly drifted off to sleep.
XXX
I woke up and blushed, noticing neither of us had broken the embrace. Sora had either very gently moved me or I woke up and did not remember switching positions. I tried to gently pull myself up, but that definitely was not going to work because Sora had a death grip on me and he was much stronger than I was. Actually, mostly everyone was stronger than me, but that is not important.
'I wonder what Sora's mom would think if she saw us…' My cheeks turned a darker shade of red as the thought ran through my mind. I tried to pry Sora's arms off me, which I never thought I would ever want to do, but failed.
"Um…Sora?" I asked loudly, slightly pushing against him.
"…Wha?" Sora asked groggily, starting to open his eyes.
"Could you, uh, let go of me…?" I gave a nervous laugh.
"Gah!" Sora blushed, quickly taking his arms from around me and stuffing his hands in his pockets as he sat up, "Sorry!"
"Heh. It's okay." I gave a smile to show him that I was not uncomfortable, which I assumed that was what he was thinking by the way he reacted.
"Ah, good, you're up now, " I swear I could have jumped as high as the ceiling from hearing his mom's voice, "You two looked comfortable this morning."
I knew my face was probably scarlet by now, "Um…"
"Mom…" Sora said in a go-away-and-stop-embarrassing-me tone, blushing too. I can just imagine how amusing our tomato shaded faces were to his mother.
"Okay, fine, I'll go start breakfast then…" She walked into the kitchen smirking, turning back around to wink at us before she went out of sight, making my face darken again.
"Sorry about that," Sora smiled apologetically, "I don't know why she's like that."
I laughed, "It's okay. It's better than the way my parents would-" I looked down, guilt beginning to surface in my sapphire eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" Sora threw his hands up in an apologetic gesture.
"No, it's okay." I smiled weakly, "Technically I'm the one who said it, so it's my fault."
"Breakfast's ready!" Sora's mom called from the kitchen, saving me from anymore stupid breakdowns or embarrassments.
"Hey, Kairi, when do you want us to take you to Selphie's?" Sora asked as he grabbed a piece of golden-brown colored buttered toast from the pile on the counter and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Oh! Selphie's house is on the way to where we're going this afternoon, so we can just drop you off then." His mom answered him.
Sora raised an eyebrow, signifying that he forget, or she never told him about the trip, "And where's that?"
"Your cousin's, remember?" She answered again, turning to him for a second before going back to dish washing.
"…Yeah." Sora rolled his eyes and groaned under his breath.
"Okay, sounds fine to me." I responded, nibbling at the corner of the piece of toast.
"Okay, well I gotta go grocery shopping, so I'll be back in an hour or two." She brushed her long chocolate-colored bangs behind her ears, before kissing Sora on the forehead, making him groan again.
"Mom…" She just smiled at him and ruffled his hair before walking out the door.
I giggled at Sora's reaction to him mom. "C'mon Kairi, give me a break…" He gave an embarrassed smile.
"What if I don't want to?" I laughed still, his obvious embarrassment making it all the more amusing.
He replied with a small smirk, "I'll make you."
"How's that?" I asked curiously, starting to smirk too.
"Like this," He moved closer to me, and leaned forward. I closed my eyes, expecting him to kiss me, but he started tickling me.
"Sor-ahh! S-stop!" I was laughing so hard my ribs hurt, "Okay, okay, you-win!
He immediately stopped as soon as I gave up, putting his hands behind his head, "Told ya."
"Told me, what?" I questioned, trying to sit up again; my stomach aching from the laughter.
"That I could make you give me a break." Sora still smirked as he ran his fingers through his spiked hair.
"Whatever." I laughed in response.
XXX
"Ready to go, Kairi?" Sora's mom turned back at me as she opened the door of her blue PT cruiser.
I nodded, "Yeah." I hastily opened the car door and jumped inside. I slammed it shut again and sighed to myself as I put on my seatbelt. Selphie was of course my best friend, and I loved staying with her, but I really did not want to leave Sora's house. 'But I guess I have to…' I thought as I sighed, watching everything around me pass by.
"Hey, Kai, we're here." I heard Sora say barely above a whisper, tapping me on the shoulder.
"Huh?" I snapped out of my daze and looked outside the car window, "Oh. Right." I unbuckled my seatbelt, warily opened the car door (trying to avoid hitting Selphie's mom's car) and jumped out.
"Thanks for letting me stay the night." I said to Sora's mom as I walked up to her car window.
"Like I said last night, you're welcome any time you want, Honey." She gave me a reassuring smile.
"Thanks. Bye," I waved as they starting backing out of Selphie's drive way then walked to Selphie's front door.
"Hi, Kai," Selphie gave a nervous smile as she opened the door, "I'm sorry about your…" Selphie looked down at her feet.
"It's okay, Selph." I gave her a reassuring smile, "I know this may sound mean, but I'd rather forget about that." Selphie gave a small nod, her brunette hair bouncing as she did.
XXX
"Are you sure you want to go to school today, Kairi?" Selphie's mom stared at me, worry shining in her emerald eyes.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." I answered as I picked up my purple Jansport backpack, which the police had to retrieve from my house.
"Okay, but if you don't feel good or if you're uncomfortable at school, call me, okay?" She continued to stare at me, waiting for my response.
I nodded, following Selphie out the door, "I will."
"If I were you, I would've stayed, just so I could miss school." Selphie laughed as she closed her front door.
I smiled, "Yeah, well, you're not me so, I'm going to school."
"You're kinda weird, ya know that?" Selphie joked, starting to walk down the road.
"Yup." I answered her statement truthfully, even though I knew she was joking. I am kinda weird, I have to admit. I laughed under my breath at myself.
"Um, Kairi, what are you gonna do when you see Riku at school?" Selphie bit down on her lip slightly as she asked. The thought of going to school with a murderer must be getting to her.
"I don't really know. I haven't thought about it…" I trailed off, biting my lip too. The rest of the walk to school was silent. I just stared down at the asphalt the whole say, zoning out from the rest of the world in my thoughts.
"Hey Kairi," I heard kind of static-y, thinking I was imagining it until I saw Sora's hand waving in my face, "Kairi? Hello?"
I smiled apologetically, "Hi. Sorry, zoned out."
"Hey, Sora." I heard a voice that sounded like Riku's, but yet it sounded different. It sounded…kinder.
"Why're you talking to us, Riku?" Selphie raised an eyebrow and gave him a small glare.
"Because Sora's the only one I know here…" Riku trailed off a bit, seeming a bit uncomfortable at the harsh looks that we were all giving him.
"What are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes, knowing whatever he was about to say was a lie.
"Don't tell him I told you this…" Riku sighed, his aquamarine eyes looking as if they were full of anguish, "or he'll kill me, literally."
"Okay, continue." Sora stared at Riku, and something about Sora's facial expression told me that he was starting to believe him.
"Well, my twin brother, Ryou, has been pretending to be me since the second grade, while I've been at home, getting home-schooled." Riku started his explanation.
"So that's why you acted so different!" Sora exclaimed, the puzzle pieces of memories starting to fit come together.
"Yeah," Riku nodded, looking around nervously before continuing his story, "So he's been the one doing everything, like slitting your arms and like totally stalking her," Riku pointed at me, "I don't know what his problem is, but he's definitely not right in the head…"
"Of course he isn't, he killed my parents!" I outburst, regretting it a little after it passed my lips.
"I know…" He looked down at his feet, "He always brags to me about things he's planning to do before he leaves…"
My anger began to rise. "So why haven't you told any one!" My parent's lives could have been saved, so many injuries could have been avoided just because this guy had been keeping all of the warnings to himself!
"After seeing what he's done to other people, do you seriously not know what he would do to me if I tried?" Riku looked up, his sliver bangs covering his eyes.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't think…" I closed my eyes and tilted my head downward, embarrassed.
"Then maybe you should start." I heard the Riku's voice that I had known all these years before meeting the one that was standing before me. I could not even scream or react as Ryou pulled me back against him, his hand tightly around my jaw.
