Dis-thingy: Uh-uh.
Naminé did not want to get up in the morning. Her body ached, her feet throbbed, and her brain was pounding against her skull. Not to mention the fact that once she began to dream, her stomach grumbled, waking her up.
She was able to fight off her hunger by the time 10-o-clock rolled around. She was only tossing and turning anyway. Naminé kicked off her sheets, struggling to leave the warm comfort of her bed, and trudged to Kairi's door. It was slightly ajar.
"Hey, Kai…" The blonde yawned. She slipped a hand on the doorknob and opened their adjoining door.
First thing she noticed was how much pink Kairi had decorated her room with. The walls, the bed sheets, some furniture. Even the possibly sanitary clothes strewn about her room. Second thing: the giant Halloween dress was half clinging to her desk chair, half falling on the floor. Why would Kairi be so careless?
Third thing: Kairi wasn't there. Her bed was empty of a body, and her room was dead silent. It was eerie not to her Cascada wafting in, or her cussing out someone on Jerry Springer. Naminé didn't like the feeling of Kairi's absence.
"I wonder where she went…" Naminé left the door open, in case she came back soon. She approached her dresser and opened the third drawer. She threw on a huge t-shirt and some cotton shorts. She needed a shower, bad.
When the water hit Naminé's body, she almost didn't feel it. She cranked up the heat. She felt so…blah, today. Like suddenly all the color of her emotions got sucked dry and now she was an empty canvas. She didn't know what to feel, what to think.
Turning off the water, she left the shower in a daze. If you could call it that. She was in more of a routine: grab the towel, dry off, get dressed, walk back to the room. Change. Brush teeth. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor to reach the Cafeteria.
The routine remained unbroken until Naminé took her fifth bite of her tomato-cheese omelet, when her cell rang.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, Naminé."
It was her father. She lost her appetite completely. The blonde was feeling her morning-sickness (not that kind) come back to her full force.
"Hello, Dad." Neither said a thing for a long time. Both were quiet people. They tended to avoid trying and complicated situations such as these. Neither knew what to say.
"…How are you?" She asked.
"Fine, fine. Everything here is just fine. Everyone's asking about you."
"Oh, that's…good. I guess."
"Naminé, I'm afraid you can't come home on Thanksgiving."
"What!"
She didn't see that one coming. Usually she could read her father like a book, but this…. She didn't understand. Why would he say something like that? What had she done to deserve that?
"If it's because we haven't spoken, I'm sorry! I lost track of time and—"
"No, no; it has nothing to do with that. I figured you were busy with your second year of college and all. I have to give you space, I understand that."
"Dad…"
"I have a business trip to attend to. They need my help in Basilisk District. Something's gone horribly awry with the program…I'm the only one who can ease the people and fix the issue."
"Are you leaving on Thanksgiving day?"
"…I'll be gone the whole month."
"The entire month!"
"There's a virus as well. The program isn't setup at a certain domain, it's distributed to many offices, many places. I might have to go and alter each one."
"So I won't see you at all?"
"Had I known this any sooner I might've been able to request less time spent there. But I'm afraid I have to leave tomorrow to reach Basilisk. Naminé…I hope you won't be alone on the holiday."
"No, no, I-I have plans…I could go somewhere too…." What a lie. She had nothing to do. She was sure her friends had plans. Ones that didn't involve a college friend intruding on family time. How did she end up alone again?
"Good—I couldn't have you spending the festivities by yourself. I know how you get terribly lonely when you're alone."
"Yeah, well, you don't need to worry Dad. I'll call every now and then, okay?"
"…Alright. I miss very much, you know."
"You're going to make me cry…"
"Sorry, sorry. I'll leave you to your studies now. Keep up the good work, Naminé."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
Her shoulders drooped on instinct. Her eyes glued to the silent phone. At least her father would spend Thanksgiving miserably too.
-- --
"Hey, Selph…c'mon, I got you some toast…." Olette rubbed Selphie's back, and the girl burped in a sickly way. Apparently the thought of food was enough to make her stomach flip and jump.
"No thanks—oh God, my head!" The bundle beneath yellow sheets hunched closer into itself. Kairi, who was on the top bed staring down, bit her lip a little harder.
"Take the aspirin, Selph…"
"No—" She made another burp. "I don't want it."
"But it'll help!"
"Nooooo…"
Kairi would've tried to shove it down the girl's throat but knowing Selphie, she would have just thrown it back up just to tick her off. No one really understood why Selphie didn't like medication. Olette, being her best friend for many years now, had watched as she would writhe in pain, moaning about the pain. But she would always refuse help in the form of a pill. Even DayQuil was like death to Selphie. And no matter what you tried she said 'no'.
So Olette, Naminé, Kairi just watched their friend complain about the pain. The blonde was scratching Snappers behind the ears. Her eagerness to force some Tylenol into Selphie's mouth was growing with each whine.
There were two knocks at the door. The hung-over brunette cursed the sound not-so-quietly. Tidus entered the room with a confused expression.
"What are you all doing here?"
Suddenly Selphie was as quiet as the dead.
"Basically Selphie's got a hang over. But she won't take any aspirin." Kairi glared at the burrito in the bed. Naminé guessed the she was glaring right back at her. Tidus's face took on an annoyed look. He gestured for Olette to move, and he sat in her place. He laid an elbow on the curve of her hip.
"Selphie you know it's just gonna get worse. Whining about it won't help." His other hand started to pull the covers back. Selphie didn't stop him.
"C'mon…take the stupid aspirin." When her mused brown head appeared Naminé saw a different girl. She had bloodshot eyes and pasty skin. Nothing on her face was made-up with cosmetic products. Her hair wasn't style to perfection. But she looked absolutely beautiful. She looked like she could be a perpetually happy, just-about-fun type of girl. Selphie didn't look herself at all.
Naminé handed him the Tylenol behind her on the desk. He asked her if she could get a water bottle.
"I heard drinking lots of water helps. Bring two." She nodded, and walked downstairs to the vending machine and bought the waters. It gave her some time to properly assess Tidus.
He seemed different from the awe-struck teen she had seen at the festival, gazing at Selphie's cleavage. Of course, no one was really themselves that night. That's what it was for—to loose yourself in the hype of the party. She guessed that he was a caring person, more on the sports-fanatic, hid-playboy-under-my-mattress, big-eater type of guy. But the only thing that mattered was that he was able to get Selphie to take some pain-reliever. He won major brownie points for that.
When she returned, Selphie was sitting up with a tiny scarlet blush on her cheeks, and popping back some Tylenol.
The boy is a miracle worker. Naminé laughed a little. There goes an hour of her life she could never get back.
"Thanks." Tidus smiled, and she noticed how nice it was. It seemed cocky but genuine all the same. Through it, she could see what he was like as a child.
He handed Selphie the water but she didn't automatically take it. Instead she folded her arms and looked pissed.
"Why did you come in the first place Tidus?"
"To see you, stupid. Would you take the water already?" He shook it for emphasis. Selphie wouldn't drop the glare.
"Did you have fun last night? With Yuna?" Her voice was like a whip, and it crackled through the air, slapping Tidus's expression into one of embarrassment and shock. Naminé noticed how the air got tense. Anger was radiating off Selphie and making the atmosphere really awkward. It was like her to do this. To make one simple thing into a dramatic scene and making everyone but herself uncomfortable.
After all, that's what Selphie did best.
"Selph, that's not fair."
"You're not being fair, Tidus. Sneaking around with Yuna behind my back. Do you think I'm stupid?"
"You know I don't." Tidus was starting to look angrier by the second. But for some reason blurry to Naminé later on—she just couldn't leave them alone. She had to see the outcome. Maybe Selphie wanted that.
"So you brought her to you dorm right? Fucked her and then today you act like nothing happened?"
"Cu—"
"I hope you enjoyed yourself Tidus. She was probably much better than me. Wasn't she?"
"Shut the hell up Selphie!" Tidus's voice rose. He stood over the sickly brunette. Her face was turned away like he had slapped her.
"We didn't…we didn't do anything, Selphie…" And with that he left, running his hands through shaggy blond hair—which were shaking—and slammed the door.
Before Naminé could even tell herself who rude it was to sit there and watch, Selphie told the trio to leave her dorm. They did it wordlessly, leaving the pills and the water on her desk.
Olette shook her head once they were outside. Kairi sighed the way you would roll your eyes.
"She does every time he's off with Yuna. I can't blame her for being a little jealous, but they're not even dating." Olette tugged on a pigtail. The tense air followed them like a cloud through the halls.
"Is Yuna really flirtatious or something?" Naminé asked.
"Not really. I mean, she's confident, but she's not a whore. If anything, she's always sad about something or other. I guess that's why she clings to Tidus. He cheers her up."
"Hm."
Thought she was silent, it was obvious Kairi was fuming. There were times when she loved her friends to death and others when she was ready to behead them with a rusty axe.
This was one of those times.
Naminé noticed Kairi's tight lips (literally and figuratively). Now was a better time for silence.
--
"You may now work on the selected pages. Silently." Mr. Valentine said in his monotone voice, typing away at his computer.
"You're awfully quiet today Roxas." Naminé nudged him to get his attention. He slid his eyes to her in a way that made her smile. He had a twin grin on his face.
"I'm sorry, but I've been rendered speechless by your beauty."
"...Seriously. What's wrong?"
"Eh, just stuff." He reached out to fiddle with a strand resting off her shoulder. Her whole shoulder began to heat up, as if blushing.
"That's not an answer. I'll stop by your dorm, Roxas."
"I wouldn't mind that." Naminé knew she was blushing when she faced him, gaping. Roxas was waiting for it, mischievous smile in place.
"I meant I was going to nag you, Roxas. Not seduce you."
"Why can't you do both? But without the nagging?"
"Roxas!"
"Alright, alright. You're so tense today."
"Why won't you tell me what's bothering you." She was worried for her friend. She couldn't take it if someone was distraught. Naminé wanted to help.
"It's just…a lot of family issues. My dad is being a jerk, and everyone is getting so sick of it. Mom's calling a lot…I just don't understand why he can't just live with it…." Roxas shook his head. His brows were furrowed, and he was frowning deeply now.
"If it's personal you don't have to tell me."
"No—I should stop worrying you." He beamed back at her, hiding a lot of anger. Naminé knew him long enough to say that he was really unhappy. But he'd tell her, if and when, he wanted to. So she smiled and tried to help him forget about home.
- -
She didn't spot Riku all over campus, and there was a sub for Mr. Lumarai. Larxene obviously hated this because she kept "accidentally" kicking the back of Naminé's desk. When Marluxia was around, she was much too absorbed in murmuring about his perfect ass to bother her. Today it was Hell, and her back was still aching when she threw herself into the bed.
Kairi just stepped out of the bathroom when Naminé's face meet pillow.
"You look beat, Nami."
"Yeah, that's exactly what she did to me."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, nothing…." She didn't feel like elaborating. Besides, Kairi would probably attack Larxene the moment she saw her if she did. The tired out blonde was having a hard enough time as it was.
"Mmkay."
"Hey...where were you in the morning? I wanted to catch breakfast with you." Naminé switched sides, staring blankly at the redhead. She made a confused face then she remembered where she was.
"Oh, I had to go to class, remember?"
"Right, sorry. I forgot."
"Jeez, Nami, blonde moment."
"Shut-up!" They shared some laughs, leaving their adjoining door open so the feeling of loneliness never crept around.
Random: Yeah, not as interesting as some may have hoped, I know. This was more or less a filler chap.Um, Roxas won the last vote (again) so he has some alone time with Nam for Thanksgiving. He won't open up, though, until the chap11 or 12. But I do gurantee some NamIku for chapter 11. What exactly? You'll have to wait! Excuse me for any spelling errors!
No vote. Sorry, but right now they wouldn't do anything for the story. Chap 11 has one already.
PEACE!--randomness: rules of chains and links of guides--