10

Kairi stood very still on the edge of the orphanage porch and looked out at the lamp lit street. There was chatter inside the building. It was hard to decipher what they were saying. She turned around and saw Sora doing pushups with a small kid on his back. He was skinny but he was really strong.

She was thinking about Roxas and Riku.

She liked them both. Roxas was really funny and good looking, but Riku was really, really good looking and so kind. I hate this stupid world; I wish that I was allowed to date both of them at the same time. She reached into her pocket and took out a small wooden figurine. It was a penguin, her favorite animal. Roxas had carved it for her. She kissed it and put it back in her pocket. Then she felt a bruise from paintball and thought of Riku.

I hate this stupid world.

Riku sat on his bed after Pence and Sora had left and rubbed his head which had been pounded by Sora's fists on several occasions. He was really a good fighter for being so skinny!

Guess it has nothing to do with muscles.

He took a sip of water and went to sleep quickly.

The next morning Riku felt even sorer than he had on the Monday after being beat up. It even hurt to stretch.

"Mom! Help me out of bed!" he yelled, his voice cracking from the grogginess. She didn't answer him.

"Great." He slumped out of his bed and crawled into the shower. He laid there in the scalding water until he felt awake enough to move again and walked off into the kitchen to a breakfast of the grocery store's version of Lucky Charms.

At school Riku got even more stares and sideward glances even more than yesterday. This time he didn't mind them though because they were pretty much self-inflicted.

In lunch Pence was covered in band-aids and had trouble chewing because of the hits Sora kept getting on him. Riku didn't have it quite as bad except his field of vision was slightly intruded by a bruised eyelid. Demyx came over halfway through lunch and sat down in an empty seat.

"Hey," Riku looked up. "Dude... Can I ask what happened?"

"Sora, you tell him."

"Okay." Sora was the only one at the table besides Demyx who wasn't completely beaten. "So I taught them how to fight-"

"And we still suck!" Pence jutted in rubbing his temple.

"Apparently," Demyx said quietly so that only Riku heard. He laughed.

"No pain no gain," Sora said but something caught Riku's eye.

Namine was sitting at a table alone. Her blonde hair hung in front of her eyes, and Riku wondered how she could see the words on the page with so many obstacles. She wore a white tee shirt and jeans. She looked content reading her book and eating her apple but nonetheless he still went over to her table.

"Hey." He sat down across from her and Namine looked up.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Why are you sitting there all alone?"

She looked around and down at her book. "I'm reading." Riku made a face that said 'oh really' and breathed out through his nose.

"You can read at home. Why don't you go sit with your friends?"

She paused and then put her hand over her eyes.

Wait, I think she's crying. Now what do I do!

"Namine? Are- what's wrong?"

She looked up from her hand barricade, and he could see that her tired looking eyes were welling up with tears.

"I- uhh," Riku fumbled with his words and then walked to the other side of the table and sat down next to her.

"I don't have any friends," she squeaked out and sniffled.

"I'm your friend," Riku said in an attempt to better her mood.

"Thanks." She smiled turned and stared at him.

She's really pretty. Where did that come from?

He smiled. "Hey, why don't you come and sit at our table?"

"Okay."

She grabbed her book and metal lunch box and walked with Riku.

He told her the details on the walk over. "So the fat Japanese guy is Pence. Don't tell him I said that," she laughed, a good sign, "the tan guy is Sora, and the guy in skater apparel is Demyx."

She sat down next to Riku and looked at the faces staring at her then spoke quietly.

"Hi." She said meekly.

"Hey guys. This is Namine, and she will be joining us for lunch." Riku made a hellish face at the ones who still had an accusing expression on their faces. They (Pence and Sora) stopped immediately.

"So, Namine, what math are you in? You're apparently not in any of our classes." Demyx asked.

"Calculus." She was apparently oblivious to the fact that that was the highest math course in the school.

"Holy Crap." Pence was behind one and was taking geometry with the freshmen. "Are you like some kind of super genius?"

"I guess," She affirmed, "I just study a lot and it comes to me easily."

"Well I feel stupid," Demyx mumbled. There was a lengthy pause. Then Sora brought out the techno which was never a good sign so Riku gave him a good kick in the shin and watched his expression change wildly.

Sora got the idea and spoke up.

"Well, you're probably wondering why these lard asses are so bruised." She nodded. "Well, we fought yesterday." She looked interested and Sora looked proud.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Namine said casually and the islander continued.

"You see, Riku, Sam, and I are training," He gave a look to Riku that asked 'can I tell her?' which Riku responded to by nodding. "-training in the arts of martial so that we can take down almighty Roxas and end his reign of terror on the unpopular populace. Quote, unquote, sensei Sora."She thought before responding immediately.

"That's magnanimous of you." She said eloquently. "I once knew a girl who left the school because of him. I really don't like that guy."

She probably was just thinking about her. Riku thought to himself and realized why she tea red up so easily.

"Yeah, what made you hang out with him Demyx?" Pence asked.

"I was power hungry. Heh, yeah he invited me to join his gang because of my skateboarding... finesse, you could say." Riku realized that Demyx had just done one of the noblest things possible. He joined Sam, Sora, and Riku's feeble group and left the safest position in school for them too.

Namine ate the rest of her apple and threw it away.

"So why exactly is she here?" Sora whispered loudly leaning in over the table.

"She's going through a tough time in her life. For cryin' out loud, she's sittin' alone at the table, and did you even hear what she said? Her friend just left the school." Riku was adamant in sticking up for this new interesting girl, and he didn't know why. He felt like Demyx.

Ha!

There you go, some Naminaction. Well, not really but if I advanced the story any faster then my poor typing fingers would snap right off.