Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts…yet.
Author Note: Not much to say that hasn't been said on my webpage already. But thanks for your ideas everyone! I have to look at which one it was but I think someone gave a really good idea for a chapter! Well, enjoy this chapter and remember to review!
Genderless...One without a Gender
Chapter Eleven: Kudos and Karaoke
I do believe the moment I turned fifteen, my life changed forever. I think that God, or whatever force is controlling the universe, looked at me and went, "Let's screw up that Kairi kids life! It'll be fun!"
At age fourteen, I was a normal kid. I had friends, did well in school, and was a regular citizen and what not. I did NOT, repeat, did NOT fake family members, make out with drunk guys, become an undercover detective, and I did NOT CROSS DRESS!
It doesn't help that I have the worse luck. What am I talking about, exactly? Well, a few days ago my friends, Tidus, Sora, and Riku, came to me and told me their dates for Valentine's Day bailed. Being the nice and sympathetic person I am, I arranged dates with Namine, Selphie, and Paine for them and the problem was solved.
...Or so I thought.
At the very last second, Paine texted me and said she would have to skip out as well. Leaving me in a bind, I decided my twin sister would have to take her place.
Only, I don't have a twin sister. My conveniently placed sister is me, only with longer hair and boobs. Lucky. Freaking. Me.
"OW, OW!" Selphie howled, snapping me away from my thoughts as I stepped out of the bathroom. "Ms. Kairi Marie is sexy!"
"Shut up," I blushed fiercely. Selphie, Namine, and I were all in her room, getting ready for the date ahead.
"You do look cute, Kairi," Namine commented with her big, soft eyes examining me up and down.
I looked in the mirror to my right. I did look good. I had hair extensions in to make my boy short hair magically flow past my shoulders. Namine let me borrow one of her dresses, some pink one, to wear and I was also dolled up, thanks to Selphie's make up. It was rather refreshing seeing myself like this.
"Don't be so modest!" Selphie hugged me. "You look pretty."
"Thanks," I smiled and blushed again.
"I think I did a good job with the hair," Namine cracked her knuckles. "If I do say so myself."
"You did," I twirled a strand of extensions in my fingers. "Even better than the first time."
"This date is going to be so much fun!" Selphie exclaimed excitingly as she bounced around.
"Fun," I mumbled with a tone of sarcasm. "With Riku? Right."
"And Sora!" Namine smiled.
"And Tidus!" Selphie added.
"Hold on," Namine said. "What's wrong with Riku?"
What? Besides the obvious?
"Nothing," I sighed, not wanting to spread Riku drama around. "Shouldn't we be heading out? We do have to meet them at seven and it's already six thirty."
"Right," Namine nodded. "If we hurry we can catch the next metro."
We all nodded, grabbed our purses, and walked out of the dorm to the station to meet the guys for our "destined" Valentine's date.
...Please.
Time: 6:45 PM
Place: Bus
Mood: Nervous as hell .
I wonder how I look. Who cares how I look! What if the guys notice it's me? Does my breath smell? What do I say? What if Riku tries to hit on me? What if-
"So," Namine announced, interrupting my nervous thoughts. "Who should be paired up with who?"
"What?" I asked her.
"She's saying what guys should be paired with us," Selphie explained. "I totally call Tidus, by the way."
"You mean," I gulped. "We aren't just going as friends?"
"It's Valentine's Day!" Namine exclaimed. "The word 'friend' is used only for break ups and rejections."
"Great," I mumbled sarcastically. Then, all of a sudden, it hit me. I can finally go on a date with Sora! As a girl! This may be a once in a life time chance! Finally, things are looking-
"How about I go with Sora?" Namine suggested. "After all, he does like me."
...Oh NO, she didn't.
"Why not Riku?" Selphie took the words right out of my mouth.
"Hello! Ex-boyfriend, much?" Namine groaned.
"Wait," I said. "You know he likes you?"
"Please girl," Namine said as if it were obvious as 1+1. "I've known since August. He doesn't exactly keep it a secret."
...This is true.
"So," Selphie shot up. "It's settled! Namine's with Sora, I'm with Tidus, and Kairi is with Riku!"
And somehow I'm not surprised by this arrangement in the slightest.
"Here we are," Namine pointed out the window as the bus came to a stop in front of Karaoke Palace. We saw the three boys outside chatting with each other and waiting for us.
"This is going to be awkward," I sighed as I stood up.
"How so?" Namine asked.
My thoughts flashed back to the day Namine made me over and how Sora and Tidus called girl me 'hot'. Then my mind flashed back to when Riku and I encountered each other at the book store.
"No reason," I told her as we hopped off the bus.
"Hey boys!" Selphie called and waved to the trio.
"There are the lovely ladies!" Sora smiled at us. He turned towards Riku and Tidus and said, "See you guys! I told you Kairi wouldn't screw up!"
...Thanks.
"Well," Tidus observed us. "He did find us Selphie, Namine, and his sister. Definitely no screwing up was involved here!" Tidus coughed to clear his throat. "Now that we're all here," Tidus clapped his hands together. "Let's go inside and start this thing!"
"Wait a minute," Riku stopped him. His face was tainted with red and he had conveniently avoided my gaze since I stepped off the bus. "Who exactly is paired up with who?"
"I'm with Tidus!" Selphie cheered and clinged to his arm.
"And we've decided I'd be with Sora," Namine walked over to him casually.
"So," A frozen Riku slowly turned his head. "That means I'm with-"
"Me," I answered bitterly.
"Oh," Riku averted his eyes sadly.
I sighed, feeling slight sympathy towards him. "Don't worry. I'm not a complete bitch, as shocking as that may be. I'll be," I tried not to force these next three words, "Nice to you."
"Really?!" Riku exclaimed with a large child like smile.
"But only today," I sternly told him. "It is Valentine's Day after all."
"Thank you," Riku came over to give me a hug.
"Woah," I put my hand out in front of his face to stop him. "No touchy. I'm not that nice."
"What just happened?" I heard Sora whisper to Tidus.
"I'm not sure," Tidus replied. "Isn't Kairi the one Riku likes and she hates?"
"I think so," Sora whispered back. "They made out or something, didn't they?"
"Are we going in or what?" Namine said with an impatient tone.
"Sure we are," Tidus held up a card similar to a hotel key. "Room Five."
"Great," Namine smiled with a complete change of tone. "I want to get something to eat. I'm starving!"
"Eat?" I asked her as we entered the karaoke building. "Why would we eat?"
"Have you never been to a karaoke box before?" Selphie asked me in an astonished voice. I shook my head. "You pay for a certain amount of hours before you start. Then you can order food to eat!"
"But it depends on what place you go to," Tidus explained. "Most places do but some don't have the food option."
"That makes sense," I nodded.
"I hope they have calamari here," Sora thought out loud as we approached our room. "I've been craving some all week."
"Calamari?" Namine scrunched up her nose. "What is that?"
"Fried squid!" Sora and I both exclaimed in unison. We looked at each other and laughed.
"Gross!" Namine implied her disgust.
"It's actually really good," I told her. "But I agree, it sounds disgusting."
"But it tastes amazing," Sora licked his lips. "Who knew Kairi's sister and I would have the same taste in food?"
"Yeah," I smiled at him. "Who knew?"
"Hey Sora," Riku grabbed me by the shoulders. "Stop hitting on my date."
"Sorry," Sora looked at Riku's hands on my shoulder. My eyes moved towards them as well.
"What did I tell you about touching?" I gave him the evil eye. He removed his arms.
"You'd said you'd be nice," Riku pouted.
"That was me being nice," I explained.
"Don't worry, Riku," Sora told him. He put his arm around Namine. "I've got a date of my own. There'd be no need to hit on yours."
"This is true," Riku laughed and patted him on the back.
I will not hate Namine. I will not hate Namine...
"Here we are," Tidus pulled out the key. "Box Five."
"Let the games begin!" Selphie yelled at the top of her lungs as she followed Tidus into the room.
I took a peek inside the 'karaoke box'. It looked like a regular room. It had (what I'm assuming is) a karaoke machine at the far end and red couches leading up to it, all surrounding a small coffee table in the middle.
"I love this place," Namine smiled and jumped onto the couch. "Much nicer than other karaoke places around here."
...This was nice?
"I wonder what songs they have," Selphie wandered over to the song list, Tidus following her like a lost puppy.
"I'm going to order some food," Sora flipped through the provided menu on the coffee table.
"I'll join you," Riku walked over to him, most likely to get away from the awkward tension (AKA me).
Tonight will be fun.
"I like big butts and I cannot lie," Namine rapped into the microphone, Selphie at her side.
"You other brothers can't deny," Selphie mimicked. Why does everyone like this song?
"GO SELPHIE!" Tidus cheered with a mouth full of the hot dogs we ordered. Gosh, they act like a drunken married couple. I guess it's close enough to the real thing.
"When a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist," Selphie and Namine rapped in unison, getting in tune with their 'gangster' side. "And a round thing in your face you get sprung!"
"I love this song," Riku laughed, taking a swig of what I expected was a non-virgin strawberry daiquiri (What kind of place is this?).
I want to die. Maybe if I just close my eyes I can just tune them out for the rest of this song.
"MY ANACONDA DON'T WANT NONE UNLESS YOU GOT BUNS HUN," Selphie and Namine more yelled than rapped. Everyone clapped and cheered as they yelled along. I really wonder how a man could make so much money rapping for four minutes about how he gets horny by looking at large buttocks. I mean, seriously! (A/N: Remember that Kairi's thoughts do not equal my thoughts...I love that song XD.)
Namine and Selphie ended their song and everyone cheered for them so loud that I wondered if they would break the barrier of our sound proof walls. Selphie went back over to Tidus, who are hitting it off like horny rabbits in spring, and Namine sat back down by Sora. "Riku and Kairi!" Namine called to us. "You guys go and sing a song!"
"No thanks," I rejected politely, keeping my 'nice' part of the bargain. Sora's heard boy Kairi sing before! We happen to have the same singing voice, being the same person and all, so I'd rather not jeopardize myself more than I am.
"I'll sing something," Riku stood up and looked at the list. "I wonder if they have the song I want."
"Look in the index," Sora suggested.
"Okay," Riku nodded. He did so. "Yes! They have it!"
"Have what?" I asked.
"You'll see," Riku winked at me. GAG!
He grabbed the microphone and selected the song. The machine started to play with some sickly familiar music.
"I'm bringing sexy back."
Oh...
"Them other boys don't know how to act."
Dear...
"I think you're special what's behind your back."
God...
"So turn around and I'll pick up the slack."
Is it completely wrong that I think Riku is extremely attractive while singing this song?
...Shut up.
"Dirty babe! You see these shackles, baby I'm your slave!"
Don't look at him, Kairi! Just turn your head and..
"I'll let you whip me if I misbehave," Riku winked at me. An extremely red Kairi just slapped her forehead. I swear I'm going to kill this boy before the night is over.
The song after that wasn't all that bad. Everyone, including me, actually started singing along with it, screaming loudly at the 'yeah''s. When the song finished, Riku sat down with a satisfied look on his face.
...He will not win that easily.
"Hey Sora!" I turned towards the boy with a smile on my face. "You go up and sing a song!"
"Hell yes!" Sora slammed down his drink and stood up.
"Bad idea," Tidus laughed. "I bet Sora has had too much to drink."
"Hey!" Sora pouted. "I swear to drunk I'm not God!"
"He's not drunk, Tidus," Riku indicated.
"Thank you, Riku," Sora pouted.
"If he was," Riku smirked. "All the plants in this room would have lost their virginity by now."
"Oh my," Namine blushed.
"Oh shut up," Sora snapped angrily as he picked up the song list. He scanned through it. "Oh good God, yes! I'm totally doing this one!"
"Which one are you going to sing?" asked Namine, fluttering her long eyelashes at him.
"You'll see," Sora winked at her in the same way Riku had towards me.
...I hate men.
He grabbed the microphone and waited for the music to start. When it did, Sora completely changed his personality. He took a very melodramatic pose, as if he were a woman. Suddenly, I recognized the music.
"Holy crap," I started cracking up. "No freaking way!"
"At first I was afraid! I was petrified," Sora sang in an equally melodramatic way. "Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side." He stood and acted like he was a big, angry, PMSing black woman. "But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong. I grew strong and I learned how to get along!"
"Is this what I think it is?" Namine asked me.
"Gloria Gaynor," I stated, clapping along with the music. "I Will Survive. A 1970's classic."
"Oh God," Riku laughed. "I don't know whether to clap along or cover my face in shame."
We turned to Sora, who was still singing in his almighty black woman ways (and doing a disco move, it seemed, at the same time). He was actually enjoying this!
"Oh no, not I! I will survive!" Sora belted out. Everyone started clapping along with the epic song he was singing. "Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I am still alive! I've got all my life to live and I've got all my love to give. I'll survive. I will survive. Hey, hey!"
I started laughing so hard that my eyes started to water. Sora started dancing to the instrumental as if he were from the sixties.
"It took all the strength I had not to fall apart," Sora sang, covering his face in an emo way. "Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart."
Sora continued to sing as Riku told me, "Only Sora."
"He's the only boy I know that can pull off singing an all famous black seventies song," Tidus said.
"Except maybe Kairi," Riku bluntly stated. I started coughing on my water. "But he's pretty much a black woman at heart anyways."
"Go! Walk out the door!" Sora pointed in a random direction. "You're not welcome anymore!"
"Epic," Tidus was cracking up. "Purely epic."
"Not I! I will survive!" Sora came back to the chorus as the song started fading. Everyone in the room burst out in a tidal wave of clapping and cheering. (A/N: BTW..If you haven't noticed I don't do the entire song...because no one wants to read that XD.)
"Sora," Riku tried hard not to laugh. "You're my hero."
"I know," Sora grinned. "I get that a lot."
"I don't think anyone can top that off," Selphie calmed herself down. "Our two hours are almost up anyways. Let's just go our separate ways with our dates."
NO! ARE YOU INSANE?
"You just want an excuse to make out with Tidus," I told her bluntly.
"Well," Selphie grabbed onto his arm. "Kairi Anne does know me best!"
"S-Selphie!" Tidus blushed fiercely.
"Let's get some coffee, Tidus!" Selphie pulled him in the direction of the door. "And do that making out thing!"
We all watched the two love birds scurry out the door. "Those two are going to get married one day," I laughed.
"And I wouldn't doubt that," Sora smiled softly. I looked up at him and smiled as well.
"Do you want to walk around too, Sora?" Namine asked him shyly. I sort of hate her. Just a little.
"Sure," Sora nodded casually.
"Let's clean up in here first," Namine suggested. "It's a complete mess!" She turned towards Riku and I. "You guys can go ahead if you want."
I gave her one of my fakest smiles. "I think we're fi-"
"Sure!" Riku hugged my waist. I turned around to slap the boy when I saw Riku give me a 'Let-them-be-alone' look.
"Alright," I nodded sadly as I shook Riku off. Afraid to do so, I turned to Riku and asked him, "Where do you want to go?"
"Let me just drive you home," Riku told me. "It's pretty late and every place is going to be too crowded to hang out anyways."
I was shocked! Riku + Gentlemen equals WTF, much?
"Besides," Riku started walking out the door. "I'm pretty sure you don't want to stick around with me anymore than you have to."
"At least you know me that much," I turned towards the door, following Riku's lead. I took a quick glance back at Namine and Sora. They were picking up random soda cans and putting them in the trash. Sora was smiling at Namine. Namine was laughing with Sora. I can't help but feel-
No. He wasn't yours for the taking, Kairi.
"See you two love birds later," Riku yelled at the two. With that embellished last remark, Riku took the lead once more and started walking down the hall towards the entrance. "Man," Riku laughed. "If those two get together, I'm going to tease them non-stop!"
"Yeah," I quietly added, feeling the silent daggers of his words.
"What's wrong, kitten?" Riku saw the opportunity to hit on me. I gave him an evil look. "Can't get your thoughts off of me?"
"You wish," I rolled my eyes. Riku laughed.
"Tonight was fun!" Riku exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd agree to go on a date if you knew I'd be there!"
Boy, this guy is hard on himself, even if it is true! "Me either," I mumbled.
"Your brother is a good match maker," Riku smiled at me. He quickly caught himself and turned a familiar shade of red. "I mean..that is.."
"Save it," I sighed. "You don't have to do that."
"Do what?" He asked innocently.
"You know," I said. "Pretend. Just act yourself in front of me. I bet we could actually hang out together without you pinning me to a book shelf and making out with me." It's true! Even if he doesn't realize it, he's been hanging out with me normally for a long time! Even if I am dressed like a boy and pretending to be my own twin, I enjoy that Riku a lot more than this one.
"But it's so fun!" Riku grinned. I gave him an icy glare. "Sorry," he gulped, his face reddening. This wasn't going to work out.
"Here," I said, stepping in front of him, forcing him to face me. "Pretend I'm my brother."
"Your..?" Riku asked.
"Twin brother," I restated. I grabbed a pony tail holder that hung around my wrist and put my hair up, to get that boyish appearance. "You'd act normal in front of him, right?"
"Right."
"So," I put my jacket on as we approached the exit doors. "Just pretend I'm a boy and-"
Wait a minute.
Boy!
My boy clothes!
I left them in my bag-
IN THE KARAOKE BOX!
CRAP! SHIT! DAMN!
"I'll be right back," I ran away from him in the direction of our room. "Wait right here, okay?"
"Okay," Riku blankly nodded.
With that, I sprinted down the Karaoke Palace halls. Room five, right? God I hope no one looks in my purse! I'd be mortally screwed over. Again!
And there is no good way to be mortally screwed over, let me tell you!
"KAIRI!" They would say. "What normal, self respecting, heterosexual girl keeps male clothing in their hand bag?"
"And their brothers, in fact!" They'd say.
Then it will catch on quickly from there. Twins! One person! Same name!
They'll write novels about me! The weird girl who cross dressed and pretended to be her nonexistent twin in order to solve a murder mystery! They'll have at least three manga series about it! MY LIFE WILL BE A FIVE SEASON, HOT SELLER ANIME!
...Well maybe I'm exaggerating, but I do need to get that purse.
I slowed down and caught my breath in front of room five. "Here we go," I sighed a breath of relief. "Now then, all I need to do is knock and-"
"Sora," I heard Namine's voice through the crack of the door. Oh yeah! I almost forgot they were here. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Sora asked. I peaked through the crack. Sora and Namine were in the center of the room facing each other. NOW I'm curious.
"About us," Namine touched his arm. "I know you like me, Sora, and I know you've liked me for a very long time-"
...This isn't happening...
"And although my feelings for you probably aren't as strong," Namine looked him in the eye, catching the boy off guard. "I feel there is a connection between us-"
...He's finally going to get his girl...
"I didn't know how fun you could be-"
...You're happy for them, Kairi...
"And my first impression of you was false-"
...You aren't sad. Stop being selfish...
"And what I'm trying to say, Sora," Namine said quietly, stepping closer to him. "Is that I want to give us a chance."
...You're happy..
"Will you go out with me, Sora?"
...You're definitely not crying right now. Only fools would cry right now...
The room, usually filled with music and joyous teenage singing, was, on a rare occasion, silent. It was so quiet that I heard the second hand of the clock tick back and forth. With each tick of the clock, my own heart's ticking became louder. The louder it became, the faster it went. The faster it went, the more painfully it broke while I waited for his words.
'It's like a train wreck,' I silently sniffed. 'I just can't turn away.'
"Well?" Namine asked him. Just say it, Sora!
"Namine," Sora finally opened his mouth. "You were honest with me, so I'm going to be honest with you."
...Here it comes...
"I do agree with you," Sora noted. "We do have a connection-"
...Is this what heartbreak is?
"And it is fun hanging out with you," Sora admitted. "And I did like you for a long time. During that time I would crave for those words more than anything, even if they were a lie."
...Which is the hardest for me to accept.
"But not anymore," Sora admitted.
...What?
"I did like you once," Sora confessed. "I will give you that. But I don't like you that way anymore."
WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!?
"I like someone else now," Sora smiled bashfully.
...HUH?!
"So," Sora held out his hand. "Friends?"
Namine looked down at his hand and smiled at the irony of his words. "Friends!" She picked up an empty coke can. "Here is to losing love!"
"And gaining it as well!" Sora grabbed a can of his own and clanked it together with Namine's.
"Let us both find happiness with the person we love the most!" Namine exclaimed. What? Namine likes someone like that? She's never told me about it!
"Banzai!" Sora cheered once more as he and Namine finished off the cans, and threw them in the trash.
...Hold on now.
So, Namine just asked Sora out. Sora liked Namine, but now he likes someone else?! And to top that off, Namine also likes someone?
When did this happen?
Why didn't he tell any of us?
Why didn't she tell me?
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?
End of Chapter Eleven
Author Note: So! I won't be updating until after Anime Expo..which I will be going to HURRAY! Look for me there! Details will be on my "website". OH YA! I made a movie! It was going to a fan fic one shot with Sora in it but..it didn't work out XD. It's also on my "website". Please watch it! I would appreciate it so much! It's my first movie and..ya ;. Website link is on my fanfic profile page!