And finally, the day of the festival approached. Roxas had memorized his lines and had practiced with the others during class. Olette still wasn't talking to him. It didn't bother Roxas much. It had just felt awkward when they rehearsed a love scene together.

"And I loved you all my life, Jess!"

"Oh, JOSH, I LOVED you as WELL. Too bad you're a giant asshole who can't keep his freaking mouth shut and deserves to die."

"...That's not part of the script."

Roxas sighed when thinking about it.

Namine greeted him as they both entered Roxas's car. The car ride started with Namine speaking animatedly about how excited she was for the festival. Roxas still pestered her to tell him what her class was doing. She still refused to give an answer.

"You're mean."

Namine's eyes became watery. "You think I'm mean? I'm so s-s-s...!"

"DON'T TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!" Roxas shouted. "It was joke! I think you're nice and wonderful and awesome and...!"

Namine then smiled proudly. She stuck her tongue out to him. "Just kidding."

"Okay, that's really mean there."

Her eyes became watery once more. "Wh-hat? I'm m-mean?"

"DON'T CRY, NAMINE!"

"You fell for it again."

"...shut up."

Namine and Roxas laughed together. At the stop light, Roxas turned to look at Namine. He smiled, wondering what she was thinking. She did look cute at that moment. She had this look on her face that made Roxas want to look at it longer than normal. She was wearing the school uniform, but Roxas guessed she may be changing out of it for whatever her class was doing. Roxas's cheeks became red, thinking of her in all the possible outfits. He shook his head, trying to get his mind of the gutter.

"You're staring at me. You better look at the road," Namine advised.

Roxas whipped his head back toward the road, just as the light turned green. The car began moving once more. Namine smiled at Roxas.

"You make me smile a lot, don't you? I like to think I make you smile a lot too. It's always this way, hasn't it? I want it to last forever," Namine whispered. "Because smiling means you're happy. I want us to always be happy."

"I'm happy too...when you're here," Roxas said quietly under his breath. He hoped she couldn't hear him well. She, however, heard him quite clearly. Namine spoke softly.

"But you know this can't last forever."

Roxas ran toward his classroom. Inside, he saw all his classmates dressed in various exotic outfits. The class representative tossed him a costume, telling him to hurry up and change. After changing, Roxas came back to find everyone walking toward the theater.

"We'll be performing in an hour, and later on near the end of the festival," the class representative stated. "Understudies, be sure you know the lines as well as the others."

Roxas wore an army uniform for the play. He walked behind the stage, watching as everyone seemed to be looking over their scripts and fixing their costumes. He then saw Olette. She turned to Roxas, with a scowl. He sweatdropped.

"I hope she can at least pretend to not hate me on stage," Roxas mumbled to himself.

A male brunet student came up to Roxas. He was the understudy for Josh, the character Roxas played. Roxas turned the the male, trying to remember his name. Roxas had been trying to remember more names now. The brunet had spiky hair and a boyish grin. His eyes were deep blue. The student held out his script, pointing to a line.

"Can you explain this line for me?" the male asked.

"I don't get it either," Roxas said, looking at the line.

"You have read the script before, right? You memorized it?"

"Well, no duh."

"Did you even think about what you're performing?" the brunet asked. "It would be best to know what you're talking about, right? You'll understand your character better. You can understand who your character is and why they do what they did."

Roxas recognized this as method acting. He had read about it in Drama. It was where the actor would recall previous emotions or put themselves in the character's shoes when acting as them. It gave more a realistic feel and helped them identify with their characters.

"Well, I never thought of that. Even though I'm in Drama..." Roxas admitted. "If I don't understand something, I just accept it as truth and move on."

The brunet showed a confused expression. "Why? Don't you want to know why it's the truth? It wouldn't hurt to look the answers to some questions."

Roxas shook his head. "Get out of my face. I'm tired of all the questions. Ask someone else."

The brunet walked away, toward someone else. Roxas sighed and sat down. He looked back at his script. What was there to understand? Josh goes to war and sees gruesome things. He questions his beliefs and struggled to keep his relationship with his girlfriend. His girlfriend gets killed, and he tries to get revenge. He dies in the end. The story had ended there.

The class representative beckoned for Roxas to come on stage. The play was beginning.

Roxas stared at the fake corpses on the ground, holding the plastic gun. He thought back to the script. He was supposed to feel horrified. Why? Roxas wondered about it. He looked at the fake corpse, trying to imagine someone he knew as one. No. Josh was the soldier at war. He didn't know half the people he killed. Roxas tried again, thinking about the person's life. What if that person had someone to go back to? What if that person wanted to do one last thing but didn't have have the chance? What if that person didn't belong in this mess but was dragged in?

That innocent person, gun to the head, was shot. They didn't even have a chance to tell anyone goodbye. Roxas fell on his knees, screaming at the thought of that one person. However dozens of "corpses" surrounded him. He "took" all those lives away. The chances they had, possible futures, and everything else was gone for them.

Why'd did he have to "kill" them all?

"Josh, I thought you weren't coming back..." Olette said as Jess.

Roxas stared at Olette, trying to figure out Josh's feelings. Josh had loved Jess since they were kids, as it was often referenced. Like him and Namine. But the other person was missing from his life for a duration of time. What if Namine disappeared for a few more years and came back?

"Jess, it's really you. I'm not insane?" Roxas said, rushing toward Olette. He embraced her tightly.

"I'm really here. How long are you staying?" she asked.

Roxas and Olette broke off from the hug. Roxas thought back to the script. Josh was to tell her he'll be leaving soon again, disappointingly. Why disappointingly? Because Josh loved her. Was that a good enough reason? Roxas thought about the play's plot. It then clicked. Josh hated everything that was going on in the war. He wanted to stay with Jess, not just because he loved her, but because things could have been much more simpler. If he wasn't involved in the war, he wouldn't be questioning what he believed in. He wouldn't have to part with one the last bit of happiness he had. She became his anchor. Without Jess, he'd sink into depression from being in the war.

"Not long," Roxas said bitterly.

He reached for her hand, gripping onto it tightly. Olette winced, as he was crushing her hand. Roxas brought her hand closer to his chest.

"I don't want to leave."

Never again.

"Why?! Why did they take her from me?" Roxas shouted, on stage.

The audience's eyes were glued on him. They seemed to be captivated by the play. Roxas stood on stage, the setting being a religious shrine.

"What did I do? What did she do? What did we all do to deserve this?! I was told things happen for a reason, but where's the reason for this? Huh?!"

Roxas fell on his knees on stage. His hands clenched into fists. He began pounding the floor repeatedly. He continued shouting as he did this.

"People are dying for this piece of dirt? It's just land. Yet people like her are dying! What for?! What for?!" he gritted his teeth. "I hate this! I hate it. Damn it all. Where is the justice in this? Jess was an ordinary girl. She didn't have anything to do with this. Why did you...?!"

Roxas then took his plastic gun and pointed it toward his head. He could hear the audience gasp. His hand shook, dropping the gun instantly. He remembered this was the part where Josh breaks down. He thought of why Josh was reacting like this first. Jess died. His anchor was gone. He was sinking and no one could save him. He had no one.

But killing himself wasn't going to solve anything. Suicide never solved anything.

Roxas covered his face with his hands, screaming.

To be alone. It was scary. He didn't want that.

"Is this the afterlife?" Roxas asked, looking around the stage.

Olette came on stage, wearing a white dress. Roxas would admit she looked nice. She walked toward Roxas and forced a smile. Her hand reached toward him. Roxas took her hand into his and smiled back. The smoke machines backstage now turned on and smoke appeared at the bottom of the stage.

"We're together again, Josh," she said softly.

Roxas though of Josh's thoughts. Josh was finally free from the world he learned to hate. He was back with his anchor. That was the only thing that mattered.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, we are, Namine."

Olette and everyone else stared at Roxas, confused. Roxas realized his mistake. He was stuttering, trying to think of a way to fix it. Olette falsely grinned.

"You don't have to call me by the childhood nickname, you know? Come on. Let's go," Olette quickly said.

Roxas nodded. They ran off stage hand in hand. The curtains closed and applause followed.

Roxas ran toward Namine. They smiled instantly upon seeing each other. Namine had asked him about he play, as she did not watch it. Roxas told her that he did a good job, up until the end. Namine blinked twice. She tilted her head in confusion.

"How so? What did you do wrong?" Namine asked.

Roxas blushed, thinking about it. "It's nothing you need to be worried about." Roxas then reached over to grab her hand, smiling brightly. "Come on! You still have the rest of the festival to enjoy. Maybe we can check out your booth? Or you can watch my second performance later? Either way, let's enjoy the festival."

Namine pulled her hand away from his before they could touch. She put both hands behind her back. She smiled and nodded. As Roxas walked, she followed.

Roxas and Namine sat on the benches outside, under the big tree. Roxas munched on some barbecue chicken. Namine looked at him curiously at he ate. After he finished eat, he wiped his mouth and hands. He then turned to Namine, asking if she was sure she didn't want one. Namine nodded.

"You have to try something here. You can't have fun at a festival without doing anything," Roxas insisted.

Namine shook her head. "As long as I'm with Roxas, I'm having fun." She smiled brightly.

Roxas blushed and looked away. "That's good...I guess..."

Namine smiled even wider. She stood up and started walking toward the main door into the school building. Roxas seemed surprised to see her walk away. She looked back at him, laughing.

"Catch me if you can. Let's go the fortune telling booth!" she suggested.

Namine then ran into the building. Roxas got up and chased after her, laughing and determined to beat her.

"I won."

"Did not."

"Did too."

The two argued until Roxas was in the front of the line. The one giving fortunes was a young sophomore with long, straight black hair. Roxas thought she resembled that girl the ring a bit, except she had a more innocent look on her face. She held out a glass ball.

"T-touch it and think of what makes you happy!" she instructed.

Roxas did so and touched the ball. He tried to think of what made him happy. Chocolate, actually cooking, crab, actual cooking, pandas, actual cooking, Namine...He blushed upon realizing she was on his mental list of things that made him happy. It was true though.

"And um...close your eyes and drink this spiritual water!" the girl took out a bottle of red liquid. "You will doze off for a minute and have a dream. The dream will either become your future or what your heart desires. Whichever is more powerful within you. The power of fate or desire."

Roxas slowly took the bottle and sipped it. It was just orange soda with food dye. He closed his eyes, seeing if he would actually fall asleep.

He did.

A twenty-nine-year-old Roxas awoke from bed. He slowly got up from bed, dragging his feet down the stairs. It was still early in the morning, as the sun was still rising. The rooms with dark in the house that he lived in. He did not bother to turn on the lights.

The smell of eggs and bacon filled the air. Roxas came down the stairs to see an older Namine cooking breakfast for him. She smiled upon seeing him, greeting him. She set two eggs on his plate. She told him the bacon wasn't ready yet. Roxas began eating it, thanking the heavens his fiance was a great cook. Namine laughed.

After they finished eating, Roxas looked outside the window. The brown, crispy leaves feel from their tree. It was autumn. The air was cooler and chillier. Roxas sniffed the air, inhaling the smell of possible rain. He then felt a tap on his shoulder. A hand held onto his.

Roxas turned around to see Namine with a devilish grin. She pulled on his hand and led him up stairs. Roxas stared at Namine, blissfully. She turned to look at him as they ran up the stairs. She laughed, pulling on him harder toward the bedroom. Roxas was dying to get in.

Roxas's eyes shot open. He looked around to see that he was still the fortune telling booth. The "Ring girl" looked at him nervously.

"Did you dream?" she asked.

Roxas nodded. The girl smiled with relief and thanked him for visiting the booth. Roxas exited, paying her the proper amount. He then went back to enjoy the festival with Namine.

Namine wasn't able to watch the second performance of the play, as she had to get back to her class's booth. When Roxas he asked her about her class's booth once more, she told him to go room 613 to see it. However, by the time the play would end, the booth would have been cleaned up and gone. Roxas was forced to not see.

The second performance the play did not live up to the first one. In the first one, Roxas showed his true first reactions to the situations the scenes portrayed. In the second one, he could only mimic his actions from before. They were not a good. On the other hand, he didn't mess up on any lines.

Fortunately, the play finished up faster because of this. Roxas checked the clock, seeing if he had time to see Namine.

"Good job, jerk," Olette said to Roxas, after the play was finished.

Roxas sighed at Olette's remark. He then decided to change the topic.

"Hey, do you know where room 613 is?" Roxas asked. "My friend told me to see her class booth there. I have spare time to kill now."

Olette blinked twice. She frowned slightly. "You sure that's the room she told you?"

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"There is no room 613 in this school."

A/N: DUN DUN DUN. This was fun to write. It's a bit lighter than the last chapter. The next one will continue to have less drama. So what do you think? Was Roxas's dream his future or just his desires? As you know, this story was inspired by All Time Low songs, especially "Remembering Sunday" -- which I used to help me write that dream. On a random note, hey, I did include Sora in this story 8DD Such a minor part.

Oh shoot. I had more than one review for the last chapter. It's been a while since that happened XD Thanks for the reviews. Remember, reviews makes an author feel happy and may make them speed up updating days. Lawl, but not many people read this story in the first place so maybe only one or two of you will care if this is updated. Oh well. This story is mostly for the fun of writing and to tell a cool plot I thought of one day.

I did ask my mom how she met my dad. Apparently, they went to the same vocational school. They had to get this book from the library about technology, and my dad got the last copy. My dad, being a nice guy, decided to share with my mom. They eventually became friends and fell in love 3 My mom never did get to the "then we fell in love" part of the story though. She just kept telling me about how unlucky they were and all the car accidents they had O___O

Review Replies:

Sato Tadashi: What do you think of the bits of the play I put in? :) Yeah, Roxas is acting like a jerk. Remember he hasn't had any close friends since he was five. He's still immature when it comes to relationships between others :P
Hoshi: Thanks :) This story does make me feel good. It's fun to write.
Yay: I actually haven't decided who Roxas's father is. From my outline, it's not necessary he needs to make an appearance for plot's sake. But I could add him at the end of the story for funsies. Like how I added Sora as the understudy. By the way, I love the name you put there XD "Yay"

See ya next time folks!