Jump Rope Trouble
Chapter 9
Christmas Eve Village Adventure
"So what should we do now?" Sora asked the group as they wandered the hotel after getting kicked out from the karaoke room.
"I dunno. Pictionary?" Roxas replied as he held Namine's hand.
"Nah, whoever has the mini Leanardo DeVinci over there would win." Kairi gestured to the blonde girl.
"What time is it anyways?" Selphie asked Kairi, who whipped out her cell phone to check.
"It's one Fifteen."
"How about heading down to the village to goof off?" The green-eyed brunette suggested. Everyone nodded before heading up to their rooms to grab their gear.
"Selphie what's wrong?" Kairi asked said girl when they reached their room. She had noticed Selphie seemed more… Calm…
"I dunno." Selphie sighed. "I guess it's just that I don't think Riku will ever like me as more then a friend." The blonde and redhead exchanged looks- it wasn't right for the hyper one to be depressed.
"C'mon Selphie, cheer up! You're a great person and I wouldn't be surprised if he did like you!" Namine encouraged.
"Yeah! And he will definitly worry either way if he notices your mood. How will you explain that to him?" Kairi pointed out. Selphie looked at her two friends- one that was already with her love, the other she had plans to hook with her's. Selphie decided it wasn't worth worrying about and pushed it to the back of her mind before hopping, hyper as ever.
"Ok! Let's get ready to go!" Her two friends smiled before picking out their essentials.
Roxas knocked on the girl's suite and Selphie answered.
"Yeah?"
"You guys ready?" The blonde asked her.
"Umm, Hang on a sec." Selphie closed the door and looked at Kairi and Namine behind her.
"You guys set?"
"Yeah." Namine grabbed her wallet, put it in her jeans and Kairi slung her silver purse onto her shoulder.
"You have your kitty, Selphie?" Kairi asked her.
"Yep!" Selphie grabbed her kitty backpack and slung it onto her shoulders. Namine opened the door and the group started walking down when Roxas's cell rang.
"Hello?"
/Roxas?/
"Hey Axel!" Namine glanced at Roxas in joy and shouted "Hi Axel!" Roxas grinned at her and quickly kissed her.
"So what's up Axel?"
/When are you guys coming back? It's so boring!/
"Oh, What's wrong Mr. Hips Don't Lie? Miss me?"
/Yeah! Now get your butt back here!/
"In a little. Oh, by the way, Namine and I are a couple."
/Wha?! Yo-Nam- But I thought you hated he-/
"Bye Axel, Talk to you later!" Roxas hung up on his fiery friend as they reached the front of the hotel.
When they reached the village, a small store caught her eye, and without thinking, she went in. unknown to her, the group moved on, leaving her behind. When the brunette left the shop, she finally noticed she was alone. Selphie reached for her cell phone before remembering she'd left it turned charging in their suite. The girl ran off to find her friends, unknowingly going in the opposite direction.
When it was getting late, Selphie was officially lost. She was lost without her cell phone and the sun was already setting.
Roxas noticed the sunset and pointed it out to Namine.
"Hey, check it out!" he put his arms around his girlfriend and they stared at the beautiful scene. Riku saw the couple and instinctly turned to find his love- the small cute brunette- when he noticed she was gone. He glanced at Kairi with urgency in his voice.
"Kairi, where's Selphie?" The violet eyed girl met his gaze before turning back and looking in the shop they had just left, Riku right behind her. When they didn't find her, The group split up to locate their friend.
Selphie was wandering down an empty street when she heard some men laughing behind her. She nerveously glanced over her shoulder and saw one pointing in her direction, then more laughing. the scanned the street for anyone else and was discouraged to find it empty. Selhpie found a street next to her and followed it until she was met with another intersection. She contiued down the maze until she didn't hear the men's laughter as much and decided it was safe to crouch down and look unnoticable. She curled up into a ball with her head on her knees, squeezing her eyes tight, wishing she were back on the beach where she'd first met Riku.
(Flashback)
"C'mon Selphie! There's someone I want you to meet!" Little Kairi dragged her friend behind her, seeking out her other companions.
"Really? Who?" The small brunette couldn't help feel delighted to meet someone new- it meant more friends!
"Hey, Riku! Sora!" Selphie's eyes widened as she saw who was turning towards her, away from their sand mound yet to become a castle.
"This is my Best Friend, Selphie! Selphie, these are my other friends, Sora, and Riku!" Selphie blinked and smiled "Hi!" and the two little boys kneeling on the sand smiled at her.
"Hey Selphie!" Sora grinned the huge grin that he had even to this day.
"Hi Selphie!" Riku smiled the gentle smile that was Selphie's Favo-
"Selphie?" Said girl looked up and saw the person she was just remembering.
"Riku?" She whispered, her green orbs huge. He sighed in relief and sat down next to her, cuddling her petite body next to his.
"I thought we'd lost you." Riku buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her familiar scent. When a cold breeze came through the alleyway, Selphie couldn't help shiver. Riku noticed and moved her onto his lap, holding her close. Selphie asked into his collarbone
"How did you find me?" Riku smiled into her soft hair.
"I don't know. I just kept running." Selphie heard some laughing in the distance and was reminded of the stalker men, shuddering away from the memory, nearer to Riku. She couldn't help but start crying when she realised what her silver haried friend had just saved her from. Riku saw this.
"What's wrong?" he asked her urgently, concern coloring his voice, but Selphie just shook her head and continued snivelling into his shirt. Riku was content with holding her shaking body, pushing the question aside until she was ready to talk about.
10 minutes later, Selphie's sobs had subsided and Riku asked her if she was ready to go find the others. Selphie nodded her head and clung to him as Riku called their worried friends and told them he'd found Selphie and that she was ok, also informing them where to meet up. Riku put his arm around her protectively and held her until the others spotted them.
"Selphie!" Kairi and Sora ran and glomped her, the poor brunette would have fallen for sure if Riku hadn't been supporting her. Her hometown friends backed away and a second later she was pummeled into by two blondes. Given a chance to recover, Selphie grinned at the group.
"Uh, Hi guys! Long time no see, eh?" Her comment was returned with glares.
"You have any idea how worried we were Selphie?!" Kairi shouted.
"You weren't anywere!"
"You disappeared!"
"Poof! Vanished!"
"Something could have happened to you!"
It was the last comment that striked home with Selphie, but she did her best to hide it.
"Heh heh, yeah. but I'm cold- can we go back now?" Namine, Roxas, Kairi, and Sora sighed.
"You can't ever talk any sense into her." Namine commented.
"Nope." Sora agreed.
"Impossible" Namine added, Roxas nodding next to her.
"Oh well, That's Selphie." Riku smiled Selphie's favorite smile and ruffled her hair.
During the walk back to the hotel, Kairi slid her hand into Selphie's and the brunette teen noticed her friend's hand was shaking slightly, as was her own. She gave her best friend's hand a reassuring squeeze as the hotel came into sight.
