A/N: OH MY FREAKING GOD! You'll never guess what happened! I have over one hundred reviews! That's more than 1 0 0! OH GOD! It's freaking orgasmic. AND! It's all thanks to YOU GUYS! I have never had this many fans in the entirety of my story life. I thought my life was awesome if I got five reviews per chapter in Easter is a Pagan Holiday. But YOU guys are so freaking amazing and I…You…I love you all! That's it! Plain and simple, I love you! I can say it. I'm a big girl. I LOVE you!

…Look at all those exclamation points…wow. I'm really happy. You should see the happy dance I'm doing, spinning around in my computer chair clapping my hands like a freak…makes it really hard to type.

ANYWHO! Chapter 11, for your happiness alone.

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We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are- Anail Nin

Axel sighed irritably as he looked at his new schedule as if it were the devil reincarnate. Spanish 2. Calculus. They had let him keep his position as an Aid to the English 1 class, as well as Chemistry before that, and English 4 after his lunch. Then he had History, and he finished the day with Physical Education.

At least he got to beat the crap out of things for his final class of the day.

He sped out of Vexen's room, his homework for the next three days done with, practically running to Ms. Almuerza's room, where his day would only worsen. He was sure of it.

He didn't notice that he was being followed by Riku, or that they were headed for exactly the same room.

"Ah, Mr. Wise!" Ms. Almuerza said, her voice nasally, as her fat fingers folded on her desk. "It's nice to see you again." She glared, her beady black eyes hardening at him. Her glare intensified when he bowed to her. "Decided to grace me with your presence agian?"

Axel smirked. "You know I can't live with out your ever furious gaze burning my neck when I walk down the hall." He said, grabbing her spanish two book, and workbook.

"Speaking of burning, try not to set my desks on fire agian! It cost more than your hyde is worth!"She commanded. He walked back over to her desk, letting her snatch the books out of his hand, so she could record the number.

"I love it when you talk dirty to me." He said, taking his book back with a smile. He heard someone walking in behind him, but he didn't pay attention to it. It was almost time for class to begin so several people would be filing in right about now. "So, I take it I just sit down near the back out of your site?"

"Oh no!" She said quickly. She grinned, maniacally. "No, I want to see every breath you take. I'm not going to have a repeat of your Spanish I class." She shook her head, his lip twitching. "Oh, I'm going to monitor you every move. So you need to sit directly in front of me."

Axel blanched, not liking the look in her beady little eyes at all. He grasped his books tighter in his hand, shifting his weight to his other foot.

"You're going to sit by Riku, for the rest of the year."

He turned around quickly, seeing his favorite silver-haired antagonist standing up in a slow calculated manner. Every muscle in his back was stiff and taut as he turned around, divulging his wide, angry eyes. His hands were clenched at his side; his lips thin, while he said, "Please tell me that was joke."

'This confirms it.' Axel thought. 'Everyone in the fucking universe is playing against me!'

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Sora kicked rocks on the way to his house. Not having anything of great importance to talk to Riku, who was right next to him, he grasped for whatever entered his mind first, which happened to be Axel's not so mysterious arrival into their Calc. class.

It hadn't been anything dramatic. There had been no blood, no fight, no claim for ultimate position as super dumbass. Overall, it had been beyond boring and Sora had desperately wished for a magic gameboy to pop out of nowhere.

"Hey, Riku…why's Axel in our Calculus class?"

Riku twitched unconsciously. "He's switched into three of my classes." He growled. "Three. Which brings my total class number with him up to five! Two was fucking enough. He had to go and stalk me? How am I going to get through this?" He shook his head, his silver hair falling over his face.

Sora laughed, feeling only a little bit sorry for his friend. "Riku, do you mind me asking why you have this inane dislike of Axel?"

"Because he's a prick. He's an insensitive jerk that should be flogged." Riku pursed his lips, trying to think of something else he could pin on the redhead. He threw his hair over his shoulder. "He threatened to light my hair on fire too."

Sora walked silently for a few moments, his eyes turned heavenward, trying to quell the urge to say,

"Riku that is possibly the most retarded thing that has ever left your mouth."

His friend completely stopped walking, glaring at Sora, very much upset for no reason at all, and he knew it. "Well, what the hell do you want me to say, Sora? There isn't a great reason for me to dislike him! I just do! It's a simple as that!"

"Fine!" Sora yelled, throwing his hands of in defense. "Why couldn't you just say that?"

"Next time, I'll be sure to." Riku said irritably.

Sora sighed, not liking the fact that he had just gotten into an argument with someone he rarely saw for unknown reasons.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Leon's." Riku lied, not wanting his friend to get suspicious of him.

Sora smiled, and clapped. "Oh, I'll go with you! I haven't seen him in a while."

Riku sighed, not liking that he would actually have to deal with Leon and not liking how he had to keep lying to Sora.

Or, the fact that his friendship was slowly crumpling out from under him, and it was his fault, entirely.

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"When did you get transferred into my History class?" Roxas asked, absently, his dark blue eyes watching as the concrete passed him.

Axel sighed, adjusting Roxas who was hitching a ride on his back, so he wasn't slipping further and further down. "When Ms. Fairbanks decided that I should use my brain this year." He sighed. "She changed four of my classes, three of them with Riku."

Roxas laughed. "Oh, I bet you're just so happy about that!"

Axel snorted, "Fucking thrilled." He said, his smile falling with ever step he took. He didn't like to admit that he noticed his nemesis that often, but there had been something off with his silver-haired whore. His eyes seemed hollow. Hollow, the same dull that Axel always saw before Riku crawled into a car.

"What are you doing today?" Roxas said, breaking Axel's train of thought.

"Dunno."

"Wanna stay the night? My mom has the night off. She wants someone to cook for."

"Why don't you invite your boy toy?" He said with a slight smirk.

The little blonde flushed, ducking his head, as was his habit. He finally sighed, apparently upset with his inability to keep from blushing when Axel mentioned Sora. With his embarrassment in check, he said, "Because he's on a secret mission to find out why Riku spends so much time away from his friends and family." Roxas paused. "That and you need to eat. You're getting way too thin for my liking."

He poked his side for emphasis, but Axel didn't pay it any attention.

'Am I the only one who knows?'

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The next few days passed without incident. Riku said nothing to Axel, and Axel didn't really make an effort to get him to do otherwise. He wasn't going to say anything about Sora getting suspicious. He didn't honestly care. Yet, days passed by, and he noticed that look. When Sora looked at Riku, he could see that doubt, that slowly growing discontent.

He didn't know why he cared so much that Sora was getting that look. He didn't know why it bothered him the more he watched Riku, the more he noticed the Riku was becoming withdrawn. He couldn't understand why he cared at all. But he did.

One Wednesday he decided to corner Riku, to tell him. Riku needed to know that his life was disintegrating from under his feet. He needed to know that he was losing his dearest friend to a secret, a secret that Riku only kept so he could continue his romps for easy money. Axel shook his head, wondering why he was doing this.

"Riku!" He called, smirking as the other turned in his slow, irritated manner.

Riku glared at him with his hollow eyes, his body tensing. Never taking his eyes off the other, he walked toward the redhead, making sure to be out of arms reach. Just in case, he told himself. Just incase he tried to do a repeat of the Library. "What do you want, Axel? I have better things to waste my time with."

"I think you should tell someone about your after-school activities." Axel said, leaning in close so no one around heard them. The ring was already forming; closing in on them to see what today's bloodshed was about.

Riku leaned away, his eyes flaring angrily. "Since when have I cared what you have to say?" He sneered, daring Axel to continue this conversation.

"Since your little friend is catching onto you. How about that?"

Riku blanched, glancing at his friend, who had only now pushed his way through the crowd. He looked back to the pale face in front of him his eyes solidifying once again. "How would he be aware, Axel?"

"You're not exactly stealthy, Hollywood. Anybody going for a joyride could catch you." Axel grabbed his arm, shaking him a little, trying to get the silver-haired brat to listen to him. "The entire school could find out about your job blowing…"

Whatever Axel had been going to say was cut off when Riku's face twisted in pure hatred and he shot a sucker punch straight at Axel, catching him square in the jaw. Satisfaction rose in his chest as Axel's head was knocked to the side with the impact, and he stumbled a few paces. However, such satisfaction was cut short as Axel popped his jaw, holding it tenderly as his face turned slowly toward Riku, green eyes glowed with anger unlike any he had seen. His thin lips were twisted into a sneer, and he stalked toward Riku so quickly there wasn't any time to back away. He grabbed Riku by the back of the neck, halting all of the other's movement in the brief second before he was flung into the lockers.

The wind was completely knocked out of the younger teen, his head was swimming, and his left arm and shoulder hurt from the impact with the solid and not moving locker system. He grasped his hurt arm by the elbow, gasping for air to fill his shocked lungs. He slowly sank to the ground, his eyes wide with shock, pain shooting every which way.

Axel didn't even freeze before he started walking towards him again, his face set and his hands clenching painfully. Riku turned around, falling to rest on his elbows as the angry redhead stalked towards him, his eyes slowly filling with unfamiliar fear. However, before Axel could reach the other, Sora had come from nowhere to stand in front of his prey, pushing his chest angrily as Roxas came to pull his arm sharply.

He allowed himself to be pulled back, but he still stared over his shoulder, watching as Sora pulled Riku to his feet and they walked in the direction of the nurse's office. Riku looked back just long enough to see that Axel was still glaring at him ominously before turning his head forward. However, in those three seconds, Axel was able to see that fearful glint, still lodged into his eyes. It was then that Axel realized what he had done. He had completely shut down Riku.

He thought he should be happy that he had finally put the snot in his place. On the contrary, as he watched Riku rotate his arm experimentally, and he, himself, rubbed his jaw, he felt angry with himself. Riku hadn't done anything that had warranted all of that. Riku had thought he was going to spill his secret. And even if the younger had hit him, was Axel's only intent to hurt Riku? Or, was he going for something a bit more carnal?

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"Are you sure this is still a good idea, Sora?"

"No, but we've locked ourselves in this downward spiral. I fear we may have no choice."

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A/N: Don't you just love a good ending? It's a damn wonderful thing. This isn't one of the longer ones, as you can probably tell, and the next chapter won't be long either. BUT chapter thirteen will. I know; it's mapped out on paper, and wow is that going to suck. So enjoy these while they last.

But one of my friends had a brilliant idea! (He's amazing like that.) He suggested that I write a super long chapter, then a short chapter, and rotate them. That way you can have a sucky wait…then a not so sucky wait. Isn't that fantabulous. Everyone give a round of applause to Lucas. He's beautiful like that.

So, now you have my grand plan. I have to go to prison…and by prison I mean school. I'm pretty sure prison has better food. Thanks for reading.

AND FREAKING THANK YOU FOR ALLLLLLL THE REVIEWS! I love you all to death. (Mine, not yours.) Hope to hear from you all again.

InnocentGuilt