Chapter 10: Inexperienced caller

I sat on my couch, ruffling the fur of the two kittens. "Cookie," I said, and he turned to me, and meowed. "Snookie." And she purred sweetly. Cookie jumped up to the top of the couch and curled up next to my head, Snookie preferred, however to stay in my lap. I pulled from my pocket my cell phone and took a deep breath. Snookie opened one eye and glanced at me, then closed it and shifted a bit. I exhaled and closed my eyes. I had memorized it. My fingers moved swiftly. Center, down, right, right, center. I moved the phone up to my ear, and it began to ring. I was nervous, I didn't really know what to say.

It rang several times, and then... "Hello?"

"Hi... Roxas. This is Namine."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Nothing... how about you?"

"I'm out with my mom. She took me for ice cream." It pained me. 'Out with my mom'. The words echoed in my mind until he broke my concentrated thoughts. "I thought you and your mom had something to do. Didn't you?"

"Oh." I was hesitant to speak. "Yeah... but, we kind of couldn't. Something huge came up at work and... I understand it." He didn't say anything for a while. I heard him say something to his mom, and then come back to me.

"What's wrong?" His voice was calm, and soothing. It almost didn't sound like a question.

I forced a faint smile, thought I knew he wouldn't see. "Nothing."

"Come on."

"Nothing."

"Okay, if you don't want to tell me. But I'm not that stupid."

"Okay." I almost whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Maybe you'll tell me later, when you get to know me better or something. But for now, whatever."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"So um... I guess... I didn't ever give you my number, huh?"

"No. Why?"

"I kind of... want you to have it."

"Oh... okay."

"So um... do you need it... or does you phone have that thing...?"

"What thing?" I felt stupid. That was like, the worst description of anything ever. No seriously, EVER.

"That... thing that tells you the number that called."

"Oh yeah. It has it. So... I have your number now. Um... what else?" I couldn't really tell if by, that, he was trying to rush me off the phone, or just asking.

"Oh!" I said, suddenly remembering what I had told Kazuki. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have invited someone to hang out with you all... and me... but I didn't want them to have to be all alone because–"

"Hey, Namine." He spoke softly.

"Yeah?"

"You can say 'us'."

I blinked a few times. "Yeah... okay."

"So, who's your friend?"

"Actually, I just met him. But he seems really nice." He didn't say anything. "Roxas?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I... I just remembered this thing."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on." I mocked him.

"Fine." He said, laughing a little. "These two little girls live across the street from me and I promised them I would play with them tomorrow. And I said I would bring a friend."

"Aw! It's so nice that you hang out with the little girls."

"Nah. They're cool."

"So," I said, moving around on my couch, and possibly disturbing Cooks, and Snooks, because they started to meow a whole bunch. "Who are you gonna take?" I prayed for the answer to be me.

"Riku."

"Oh." My smile melted away. "Well... that's cool. I mean, I have to hang out with Kazuki anyway." I covered my mouth. I had basically just told him that I expected to be invited. I must have sounded like the rudest pig he had ever met. Way to go me. Now you blew it.

"Yeah... that's kinda what I thought. Hey, do I hear cats?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. That's Cookie and Snookie. They're my kittens."

"That's cool. I don't have any pets."

"You wanna come over and see 'em?"

"Uh... sure. Okay. Where do you live?" I gave him the address and we hung up. Only then I started to freak out.

"Oh my gosh!" I yelled. Roxas was coming over to my house! It wasn't exactly clean... or big... but he was coming over. He probably expected me to live in some huge mansion with a pool the size of the Caribbean Sea or something. Or at least a big house. But no, I lived in a small, rundown apartment, in the small rundown part of down, full of small rundown people. Now what was I gonna do? I remembered what Pence had said.

'The only house big enough to fit us all is...'

"Great." I said out loud, and buried my face in my hands. Cookie and Snookie began to rub against my leg, and I pet them, wondering what would happen in a few minutes.

---

I followed my mom to the ice cream parlor down the block. "Roxas," she said, once we were inside. "Your father and I talked about this and he wanted to send you." She put her hand on her chest. "I was sent to a boarding school when I was younger and I hated it. Some of the kids liked it, though, and I didn't want to pressure you into it. I wanted you to choose. So go ahead. Choose."

"But... my dad–"

"He'll come around. But this is–" My phone started to ring, but I didn't want to interrupt her. She smiled and motioned for me to answer it, so I did.

"Hello?"

"Hi... Roxas. This is Namine." Came the unsteady voice from the other line. I smiled big.

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Nothing... how about you?" It sounded like she was kinda freaked out talking to me. But I didn't know why.

"I'm out with my mom. She took me for ice cream. I thought you and your mom had something to do. Didn't you?"

"Oh." Her voice was shaky, pained. "Yeah... but, we kind of couldn't. Something huge came up at work and... I understand it." I was thinking about what I could say, but I didn't know what was wrong.

"Mom," I whispered. "Can we talk about this later? Sorry. My friend really needs to talk right now." She smiled and nodded, picking up her purse. Then she left. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I almost told her how much she sucked at faking that time. But I decided not to say the wrong thing at a time she really didn't need it.

"Come on." I urged her.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Okay, if you don't want to tell me. But I'm not that stupid." I said, just to let her know.

"Okay." She was really quiet. "I'm sorry." I didn't mean for her to feel bad.

"It's okay. Maybe you'll tell me later, when you get to know me better or something. But for now, whatever."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"So um... I guess... I didn't ever give you my number, huh?" I was confused.

"No. Why?"

"I kind of... want you to have it." A faint smile passed my lips.

"Oh... okay."

"So um... do you need it... or does you phone have that thing...?"

"What thing?" I felt stupid. Not knowing what she meant...

"That... thing that tells you the number that called."

"Oh yeah. It has it. So... I have your number now. Um... what else?" I kind of didn't want to linger on an uncomfortable topic.

"Oh!" She kind of scared me. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have invited someone to hang out with you all... and me..." I smiled. "but I didn't want them to have to be all alone because–"

"Hey, Namine." I said, reassuringly.

"Yeah?"

"You can say 'us'."

She waited a while and then, "Yeah... okay."

"So, who's your friend?"

"Actually, I just met him. But he seems really nice." Him. I knew it wasn't a big deal. But... She kind of just met me, and thought I seemed really nice... what if– "Roxas?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I... I just remembered this thing." I lied.

"What?"

"Nothing." I stalled.

"Come on."

"Fine." I laughed a little, then said the first thing that could have passed for 'remembered'. "These two little girls live across the street from me and I promised them I would play with them tomorrow. And I said I would bring a friend."

"Aw! It's so nice that you hang out with the little girls."

"Nah. They're cool."

"So," I heard weird noises in the back, it almost sounded like cats. "Who are you gonna take?" She sounded excited, and it killed me to answer.

"Riku." I was originally going to bring her, but she had... whatever his name was. Plus, Haylie and Bailey will be happy enough if Riku comes.

"Oh." My smile had faded a while ago. "Well... that's cool. I mean, I have to hang out with Kazuki anyway." I exhaled sharply. She did want to come.

"Yeah... that's kinda what I thought. Hey, do I hear cats?" I tried to change the subject.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. That's Cookie and Snookie. They're my kittens."

"That's cool. I don't have any pets." I had always wanted one, though.

"You wanna come over and see 'em?"

"Uh... sure. Okay. Where do you live?" She gave me the address and we hung up. That's when I started to flip.

"Crap." I said, calmly. I was going over to Namine's house? I hadn't exactly known her that long, and what if someone else was there, or her mom got home or something? I looked at the address and realized it was on the... smaller... side of town. I smiled. At least she won't live in a neighborhood full of evil stuck up people with evil stuck up jobs and evil stuck up service attendants. I thought about what Pence had said.

'The only house big enough to fit us all is...'

"Great." I said out loud, and slapped my forehead. She knew I was... rich... quote end quote... and now she probably felt bad. I sighed and started to walk to her house.

---

Aw, mixed feelings... and I thought I'd throw in some jealousy. Kazuki... remember the name.