Chapter 11: Picture Perfect

Twenty seconds.

A new record. I'm getting better at this, but it's starting to wear on me. It's like working out. I'm left in the same miserable state: covered in sweat, breathing hard, and knees about to buckle. Only the pump of sweet endorphins makes it worthwhile. The more I stretch my limits, the longer I can endure. At this rate, I might make it to a minute by tomorrow. My recovery time is also getting shorter. Sometimes, too much of a bad thing can be good for you.

I'm still waiting on them, Roxas and Kairi. If they were quicker, I wouldn't have to stand outside the school gate like a lovelorn schoolgirl waiting for the object of her confession. Now I'm forced to entertain myself with grueling training sessions. I stare at my cell phone, which glows dully in the afternoon light. There's only one line of text on the screen: 000KTP/JPG.

A couple of options pop up: View, Delete, or Rename. If I click "view," I will be submitted to the most harrowing and exhausting experience of my life, a mental gauntlet like no other, with my nerves set on fire, my senses smothered, and my balance askew. Just the thought of pressing "View" is enough to make my sweat glands go into overdrive. Thank god for the "Back" button. Pressing that will return me to tranquil equilibrium, like waking up from a bad dream. It's quite maddening what a picture can do to me, but even more maddening is what's in the picture. It's a candid shot of Kairi.

It was just a couple days ago when Roxas begged me to give him and Kairi a tour of the beach. It was one of the moments where I had to relent, just to maintain a proper 2:1 ratio of "no" to "yes." You can deny a man for only so long before he gets suspicious. He also had a point when he said that it would be our last chance for a stroll on the beach before school started. I wouldn't mind so much if Kairi wasn't included, but arguing for her exclusion would be a lot more suspicious than simply saying "no."

I wore my standard outfit, a white T with beige shorts, while Roxas donned new ones bought from the island. It was a chance for him to show off some new threads, but the shopping trip to get them—ugh, I won't be forgetting that anytime soon. He was wearing his swimming trunks with an Oathkeeper-branded T-shirt. I wasn't planning on swimming, so I was comfortable in my plain attire. I had no idea what Kairi was going to wear. I was hoping against common sense that it would be anything but a swimsuit to the beach. If a glimpse of her in normal clothes was enough to send me careening off the proverbial cliff, a glimpse of her in skimpy swimwear would probably make me explode. I had my sunglasses on as a buffer, just in case. It might not protect me from a supernova, but any edge, no matter how slight, was helpful.

It wasn't entirely blind hope; there were several factors in my favor. Having just moved in, she didn't have any new clothes, and by clothes, I include swimwear. Without strong female guidance, she wouldn't be able to go shopping until she's made a few friends at school. She could take us if she wanted to, but such a role was reserved for a "boyfriend," which neither of us qualified for. She probably had swimsuits from Radiant Garden, but she wouldn't wear them since feminine impulse dictated an aversion to old clothing, especially if said clothing was not in vogue. Radiant Garden and Destiny Islands couldn't be more different in terms of fashion. For once, I bowed down to social conventions for saving my ass from another wretched day of... well, retching. She would no doubt wear something light (the heat necessitated it), but considering the more provocative possibilities, I wasn't complaining.

I held my breath as we waited outside her house. Would my prayers be answered?

"Hey guys," she greeted. I didn't see her directly. By using the edge of my vision, I pieced together her outfit. She wore a white blouse, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, with the top buttons loose. Around her waist was a pair of tight jean shorts. The sight of her shining pearlesque legs almost made me call off the trip right then and there, but I didn't.

Not exactly the best outcome. I'd prefer her to don a full body cloak that obscured every inch of her being. The situation did present me with a unique opportunity. Roxas' photo gave me the idea to retry photo desensitization using Kairi. The effect of his cell phone photo was strong enough to warrant closer examination. The problem was getting a good picture in the first place. I needed something risqué but not too daring. Since asking her to pose for me was out of the question, it was nice to see her dressed in an outfit that already matched my criteria. With one condition down, I just needed a chain of amazing coincidences to set up the perfect shot.

"You look great!" Roxas said.

"Thank you. Are those new clothes you're wearing?"

"You can tell?" He really liked his Oathkeeper shirt with its silver and gold design. Even I had to admit that he looked pretty sharp. "You look great, but you know we're going to the beach, right?" He needs to hide his disappointment better than that.

She giggled. "I just moved in a week ago. I haven't had time to buy anything new, and there's no way I'm swimming in my old ones."

"It's a tropical island. Doesn't swimming go with the territory?" He really wanted to see her in a swimsuit. Unfortunately for him, I didn't.

"We should get going," I interrupted. I wasn't a fan of standing still. When I'm in motion, I have an excuse to look away from the people talking to me. Gotta look where I'm going.

I ignored any protests as I left for the beach. They followed my lead even though Roxas dragged his feet like a kid who was denied candy—eye candy, in this case. We found ourselves in the midst of Starwalk, Destiny Island's famous beach street notable for its colorful shops, characters, and cordial atmosphere. The street was built from colored tiles that decorated the ground with starry sky patterns and sea-related iconography. If the ground didn't catch your eye, then the pedestrians most certainly would. The crowd was an eclectic but hot mix of well-toned bodies from both sexes.

"No matter how many times I come down here, I'm always amazed," Roxas commented. His eyes were fixed on bikini-clad torsos and legs. How typical.

Starwalk was packed as usual, a flow of bodies running through like a river. It was easy to experience a bout of ADD with the flashy shop exteriors, attention-grabbing solicitors, and sidewalk entertainers.

"Is that a pit?" Kairi asked, pointing to a giant gaping hole in the ground. Heh, those street paintings always threw tourists for a loop.

"Walk up to it," I suggested. As we got closer, the "hole" distorted until it revealed its true nature as a perspective painting.

"Wow!" she squealed in delight. "That's awesome!" Many of the local artists use it as a canvas for some truly mind-bending optical illusions.

Starwalk was one of those places where there was always something shiny to catch the eye. It was the reason I brought them here. If their attention was stuck on some glass trinket displayed on a street-side vendor, then I'm free to move about without Kairi infringing on my personal space. It was better that she ignore me than I ignore her. I wanted to kill as much time as possible. When the evening breeze came blowing, we would call it a day and head on home.

There were no end to the wonders on the street. We saw a clown juggle flaming bowling pins, witnessed a magician levitate, and watched Roxas lose his munny on a game of Lucky Hit. I felt like an adult in charge of two kids at a carnival. They were so amazed by the sights and sounds, they ran around from one point to the next, giggling madly like children high on sugar and nitrous oxide. Kairi's squeaks of pure glee wrecked my back, causing spasms with each note of happiness she squealed.

"Sora, check out this statue!" she called to me. She was closely examining a giant creature, a big white moogle with a black cat riding its shoulders. The cat was standing on its hind legs with a cape wrapped around its neck. A small crown rested between its ears and a giant megaphone was held in its paw. How cute, she thought it was a statue.

"Wowza! Whatta looker!" the cat purred to Kairi's astonishment. The feline pulled off its crown and proffered it to her. "Will you marry me?" it proposed. As if the idea of a talking cat wasn't ridiculous enough, its Scottish accent pushed the scene over the top.

Kairi giggled. "Wouldn't it be better to introduce yourself first?"

"Oh, alrighty." The creature placed the megaphone before its mouth. "I'm Cait Sith, a true gentleman, perfect for a lady such as yourself!"

"I'm Kairi," she answered back while petting its head. It seemed to enjoy the sensation. If she did that to me—stop, just stop.

"Whoa, is that thing real?" Roxas blared out in surprise. He approached the cat and cautiously touched its ears.

"Hands off the merchandise!" it yelped, smacking the hand away like a ball of yarn. Seeing Roxas getting told off by a cat... priceless. "And of course I'm real, it's not like I'm fake!"

Roxas looked to me for an answer.

"It's a robot," I explained succinctly. "A very well-made one."

"Aww, looks like the cat's out of the bag now," it sighed. The robot kitty turned to me at and its mechanical eyes widened cartoonishly. "Sora?" Before I knew it, Cait Sith leaped onto my head and rode my spiky mane like a head jockey. "I haven't seen you in six years, three months, one week, three days, and seven hours!" Machines and their perfect memory. "I remember it like it was yesterday! It took us days to clean out the stall, I've never seen a mess like that since—"

"Blah blah blah, crazy robots and their imaginations! Hahaha!" I clamped the cat's mouth shut and whispered into its ear. "If you know what's good for you, you would do well to delete that memory right now." It just had to bring that up. Those were dark times. I haven't been able to enjoy ice cream ever since.

The robot nodded its head under my grip and I let go. "Lighten up, Sora, it's just a joke!" Cait Sith bounced around some more until he finally returned to his rightful place on top of the moogle's head. "Why don't you guys come in? We got fresh sea-salt ice cream, perfect for a day at the beach."

The words jived with Roxas. "You have sea-salt here? Whoa, I thought it was totally a Twilight Town thing..." He turned to me. "Can I have some?"

"I'm not your mom. Whatever you do with your munny is your business." I'm flattered he thought so highly of me as to ask for permission, but if I have to hold his hand for every little thing, I'm gonna go crazy. Kairi seemed to enjoy the robotic feline's antics. "You like cats?" I asked her.

"Only when they're not real." Er... what? "Real cats make me uneasy." I didn't see Cait Sith as a real cat either, but that was a rather strange answer.

"Are you allergic to cats?" It was the only explanation that made sense.

"Something like that."

Either way, Cait Sith's Ice Cream Parlor was a prime attraction on Starwalk. Even without the robot mascot, the shop would still attract droves of customers because of its high-quality ice cream. They serve the best icy desserts on this side of the ocean. For a tropical island to not have the best ice cream in the world would be an affront to our standing as the number one island in the universe. Next to the beach, the shop was definitely up there on the list of places you have to visit while you're here. However, it was on top of my list of places to never visit. Only thing worse than lukewarm vomit is ice-cold vomit. I've learned that brain freeze works both ways, and it's even worse going in the opposite direction.

"Aren't you gonna come in?" Roxas asked. He and Kairi stood by the entrance expectantly.

"Go ahead without me, I'm not in the mood for ice cream."

"If only you guys knew," Cait Sith mumbled mysteriously. I glare at him. "B-but hey, this guy's a native, he already knows how great we are! Since you two know my good friend Sora-boy here, I'll give you the special native discount. Don't tell anyone, but I jack up the prices for the tourists." They nodded their heads conspiratorially and followed the robot in.

That was how most of the afternoon went, walking into shop after shop marveling at island novelties that have since become an old hat for me. It was all part of my plan. There was no end to distractions and diversions that allowed me to operate without bouts of stomach-clenching cramps or spine spasms. Kairi would briefly walk across my field of vision at times, for such incidences were unavoidable, but they were at least kept to a minimum. I almost considered the day a success until our sight-seeing went from Starwalk towards more natural landmarks—namely the beach. The natural beauty here is vast and numerous, from the sparkling ocean water to the iconic island palm trees. Large quantities of water have a way of drawing even the most grounded of us to its shores. Roxas wasted no time as he rushed towards the ocean, taking off his shirt, and dove right in. I didn't see Kairi join him, so I assumed it was safe to sneak a peek.

Oh, how wrong I was. I barely turned my head when I saw her in the middle taking off her shirt. There are moments in life when you just can't tear your eyes away. The act was far from a car wreck, but it drew my gaze the same, and was just as dangerous. There's a method to undressing. You can just pull the bottom of the shirt over your head and be done with it, but depending on how you take it off, the mundane act can be transformed into an incredibly sexy one. Kairi elected for the slow and painfully teasing approach. She unbuttoned her blouse from the top, with each button parting ways for a view of an ample chest bound together by a pink bra. It was a string bikini top that satisfied the definition of "swimsuit" in the most basic sense. No special designs, no frills, or any other distinguishing features. By island standards, it was the plainest piece of swimwear imaginable, but seeing that cloth hold together Kairi's chest was the most excruciating sight I've ever had to endure.

I vaguely remember the shirt rolling off her shoulders like an angel shedding her wings. It was divine. I could see a beam of light from the heavens engulfing her as her shirt wrinkled and fell off her slender form in slow motion. She noticed my gaze and looked at me. She looked at me. She freakin' looked at me.

Darkness.

Impenetrable.

Pitch black.

Complete absence of light.

I blacked out for five seconds on my feet.

It was a momentary lapse. For one fleeting moment, I disappeared from the face of the earth and chanced a glimpse into the dark abyss that resided deep within my soul. It felt... familiar. Just as soon as I came in, I was sucked out of my insides and thrown back to reality.

"...tide pools okay?"

"Huh?" I opened my eyes and saw the sand beneath my feet. I stumbled slightly, wondering what the hell just happened. From the angle of Kairi's shadow on the ground, I knew she was standing in front of me. I wasn't going to be looking up anytime soon.

"I'm going to check out the tide pools," she informed.

She didn't seem to notice my blackout, probably because of my shades. I turned away and shook my shoulders to jolt some feeling back into my body. "Sure. I'll be... here."

"Okay?" I stood there with my back to her. She eventually got bored with my non-responsive posture and left me.

After I determined that she was far enough, my legs buckled and I collapsed onto the sand. It was the furthest I have ever gone into oblivion. To think I'd skip all the nausea and jump straight into a blackout... it was scary as hell to contemplate. My sensory system was incapable of processing her action. My body had shut down and rebooted for the sake of basic comprehension. I held my head with both hands, gently massaging my temples. As long as she remained shirtless, it was impossible to do much of anything. I was paralyzed. There was only one thing I could do: wait.

I had to wait until the sun went down and things got cool enough to warrant a proper redress of her torso. It was around 4:00, which meant a couple hours before sunset. In the meantime, I sat in the sand and twiddled my thumbs, lamenting the awesome power Kairi possessed. She was breaking all the rules, all the limits, and all the boundaries I discovered through experiments conducted over the last decade of my life. I had put myself in compromising situations to test myself; I had sought creative solutions, developed complex methodologies, and inferred causes and effects all in an effort to understand my disease. Out of nowhere, this girl comes barreling into my life and demolishes everything I thought I knew about myself. A single glance reduces me to a puddle of puke, makes me black out, and what else? What new rule will she break next? Is it possible that the next time something like this happens, my heart will cease beating entirely?

I didn't know. The uncertainty gnawed at me and drove me more insane than I already was. There was only one way to salvage the trip. If I had any hope for progress, I needed research material. It was time to take a picture of Kairi.

A normal picture was dangerous enough, so a shot of her in her current shirtless state could pose significant health risks. Then again, the more potent the photo, the quicker my gains. That thought was the only thing that propelled me through this suicide mission. I found her easily. Even from a distance, she grabbed my attention like a lighthouse in the dead of night. She was dawdling by the coastal rocks, tiptoeing on wet stones and collecting sea junk. I psyched myself up in preparation through a series of deep breathing exercises before making my approach. Using every ounce of muscle control I possessed, I made my way as stealthily as I could. I used random people as cover, strained my feet to reduce sand rustle, and angled myself behind her at all times. I got as close as ten feet. Any further and I'd be stepping into the kill zone. There were enough people around to hide my presence.

It was finally time to snap the shot. I put my back towards her, whipped out my cell phone, and held it over my shoulder for the snap. I pressed the button and heard the tell-tale click of the camera shutter. It was a wild shot, a stab in the dark, a test run. I knew I needed several shots before I could get a really good one since there were many factors I had to account for, such as lighting, her pose, and any possible obstructions between her and my lens. I viewed the photo to see what adjustments I needed for the next shot, but the picture on my screen was so shockingly amazing, I accidentally slipped on the wet rocks and fell into the ocean.

"Sora! Oh my god!" My spill in the tide pool caught her attention, prompting her to laugh. Her giggles were insult to injury—more like additional injury to injury, actually. To make things even worse, I felt a numbing sensation on my rear-end and realized that I landed on a cluster of sea anemones. It was the low point of my day, both figuratively and literally. At least it cut the trip short and forced all of us to go back home early. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Too bad it had to be me.

Ouch. My ass still feels a little tender. I couldn't tell you how she looked that day since my memory was soured by pain, agony, and immeasurable bodily harm, but constant reexamination of the photo has burned her image into my mind. It was perfect. She was gazing at the sunset sky setting fire to the sea. The ocean surface was an exploding blossom of yellow and orange petals rippling in delight. Her arms were crossed behind her back as she stood over the water.

I couldn't figure out how my half-baked attempt at a photo resulted in a professionally framed image worthy of being the cover of a fashion magazine. I know nothing about framing, lighting, or any other variables that pros take into account when they snap shots. I usually roll with the philosophy of, "if it looks good, it's good." But even to my newbie eyes, I could tell this photo was the kind that won awards based on technical merit alone. How could an amateur like me produce such a fantastic photo? Because of the subject.

Kairi was a natural. All her mannerisms were governed by the rule of grace and poise. She possessed the most filmic movements of any girl I've seen. These are physical motions that real models have to learn and practice in order to be successful at their jobs, but Kairi had it by instinct. It's the reason why the crowds parted like the Red Sea for her. Where did she pick it up from?

Given that her mom wears a business suit, I somehow doubt that it was a maternal inheritance. I don't think she's modeled either, considering her seeming obliviousness. It might be innate. It could be rooted in her genes... perhaps island genes. It's a stretch to make such a theory based on model-like behavior, but her natural ability could be indicative of the possibility that she is, in actuality, an island native. If that's the case, it only adds weight to the idea that we've met before. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. All I need is the evidence to back it up.

000KTP/JPG.

Kairi Training Photo.

The image is locked. There's no way I can delete it. Despite not being able to sit straight for days, despite suffering the first blackout of my life, and despite the terrible feelings of sickness the photo inspires, it was worth it. Maybe I'm just a masochist and I'm getting way too used to pain. As I live through these days with all my misgivings, doubts, and fears, there's one thing I know for sure: Kairi is the key.

Until the day comes that I can confront her face-to-face, I will have to be content with this cell phone picture. I turn the screen off and slip the phone back into my pocket. It's been half an hour since school let out. What's taking them so long?

I just want this damn day to end already.