Chapter 12

"Two servings of soba, coming right up."

I back out from the kitchen with two bowls of soba noodles swimming in a piping hot serving of broth. Please, sweet merciful Jehovah of dining outlets, don't make me screw up. I approach my customers with a forced and anxiety-ridden smile. They wait patiently at the counter; a balding, middle-aged man sits beside whom I can only presume to be his daughter with brunette hair tied into a ponytail. And can I just say she is absolutely freaking adorable?

But I can't be distracted by the cuteness. I have to focus. Eyes on the prize. Stay calm and steady. It's just giving a man some soba noodles, for chocobo's sake. How hard can it be? Yet I can't seem to ignore my trembling elbows and knees threatening to buckle.

Everything seems to go according to plan—that is, until I step on the wet rag I forgot to pick up five minutes ago.

"Nyagh!"

Typical.

I crash into the ground and rub my aching back. It's only a few moments later that I realize I'm empty-handed. I stagger to my feet, using the counter as support, only to find one of the bowls spilled across the older man's clothes and the other atop his shiny round head. His ears burn with rage and I remember why I hate myself. Well. Fuck you too, Jehovah of dining outlets. I didn't believe in your existence anyway.

I cup my hands over my mouth before snatching as many napkins out of the dispenser as quickly as possible. "Oh my god, sir, I am sooo, sooo sorry about that! That was totally on me! I—"

"It's fine," he says, gesturing me to stop. Judging by his tone, I'd say it's anything but fine. His daughter looks on with wide cerulean eyes before erupting into fits of mirth. Well, on the bright side, I was able to make her laugh. But the customer doesn't look very amused. "I believe I'll take my business elsewhere."

With another forced smile (albeit, slightly more painful), I nod frantically. "Y-Yes, I totally understand."

He sets the bowls down and takes his daughter's hand, practically dragging her out of the place with a dark cloud looming over his head. A few customers spread out across numerous booths and tables begin to whisper, eyeing me discreetly through their peripheral.

"That's the third customer this week..."

My boss, Cid, appears next to me with a look of exhaustion.

"Mr. Highwind, I'm so sorry—"

He cuts me off with his hand. "Make sure it don't happen again."

With a gruff, he heads into the back. Three customers and they all fled in the span of a week, singlehandedly by me. That's got to be some kind of world record, right? I hope you see why I never wanted a "regular" job now. This isn't anything new. I've had jobs like this before, and I was just as insufferable. My mental fatigue after what happened nearly two weeks ago isn't helping. Thanks a lot, Terra.

I turn around and jump slightly to find Kairi offering her sympathy in the form of two wide eyes and a faint pout tugging at her lips.

"Jeez! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?"

She wears the signature Shoyu Shoyu attire identical to mines: a white button down, black slacks, and a matching white cap. "I know you can be hard on yourself sometimes, but these things happen."

"I bet you I'm totally on probation."

She smiles sheepishly and places her hands on my shoulders. "Aw, you haven't been doing that bad."

I roll my eyes. "I spilled miso soup, ruining one of our best machines."

Her smile falters slightly as she recalls the recent memory. "Accidents happen."

"I dropped yaki udon into a bucket of dirty water."

She scratches her cheek, her eyes shifting to the ceiling as if searching for some kind of lame excuse. "Well, uh, I totally forgot to tell you that Toby mopped that day and wasn't done cleaning up. So it's partly my fault too!"

"I spilled an entire thing of seasoning over a customer's clothes! Hey, and guess what? Turns out she was allergic."

"Okay, okay! You suck! I get it."

"Hey, you're not supposed to agree with me when I'm beating myself up! It's the unwritten rule of friendship!"

"You won't listen to me when I try to encourage you! So what do you want me to do?"

I groan, removing my stupid hat. "I don't think I can manage this job right now."

She takes my stupid hat and places it back on my stupid head. "Sure you can! You just have to get used to it. You've only been here for a week. Things like this take time."

She won't say it out loud, but she's just happy that I'm not sucking dick for cash anymore. No matter how bad I mess up, she just comes up with whatever excuse she can find to make it seem not as bad and it all translates to the same thing.

Hey, at least nobody got hurt! – Translation: Hey, at least you're not sucking dick!

Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. Things can always be worse! – Translation: Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. You could be out there getting STDs!

Just thank God the glasses didn't break. – Translation: Just thank God you don't have to be a cum dumpster anymore.

But at the end of the day, I know she cares. So I can't really be mad at her. And taking a break from sex working has given me time to think about my situation more clearly. It gives me an excuse to avoid Terra all week. Kairi and I, along with a few others with similar shifts, get to leave ten minutes early before AP English ends to get ready for work. Better yet, I was able to convince Papa Nomura that I couldn't be partnered up with that long-haired piece of shit for the project any longer. My only concern is whether or not this is temporary. I can only take being the resident screw-up for so long.

My phone vibrates, signaling a new text message.

How's work? :) – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Yeah, that's the caption I set for him in my phone. What? So I still kinda like him. Sue me.

I tap away an instant reply.

Awful. I think my boss secretly hates me. Just lost us another customer :'( - Xion

Again? What'd you do this time? – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Dropped soba noodles on their head – Xion

LOL – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

I mean – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Awww :( - Roxas (10/10 would bang)

I shake my head but fail to restrain a smile. I never thought having his number could be so much fun. We practically text nonstop throughout the whole day, telling each other about every little nuance. Sometimes, our conversations last until three in the morning, sending each other random pictures and playing stupid little word games. I wonder if he's set my name to something specific...

You busy later? – Xion

Nope. Work only on Fridays and weekends – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Can I come over? – Xion

I figured you'd ask. Already got the popcorn and Disney movie lined up – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

Tangled or Frozen? - Xion

Tangled ;) – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

My man – Xion

"Ahem."

I look up from my phone to find Kairi with her arms crossed. A sly smirk rests easy on her face.

"Sorry." I send an apologetic smile.

"Texting Roxas again, huh?"

I frown. "Was it that obvious?"

She only gives a shrewd look.

Goodness. I guess that's just the power of Roxas. I'll admit it, I've dabbled in a few fantasies. Some romantic, some rated R, and some I'm not very proud of. Since I'm free from the chains of my previous enterprise, at least temporarily, I suppose that technically means relationships are back on the table. At the same time, I'm not sure if I'm ready for one.

I guess we'll just have to take it one step at a time.

S.E.X.S.E.L.L.S

I clear my throat and knock on the door. I take a deep breath and turn around, presenting myself to Kairi. "How do I look?"

She assesses me for a moment before giving a confused glance. "Like... a girl who works at Shoyu Shoyu?"

My face falls. "You're clearly no help in this department."

"Xion, we're still wearing our uniforms. And since when do you care how you look so much? It's just a study session."

I roll my eyes. "Come on, get with the program. Roxas is fixing up popcorn and a movie. Did you really think we were gonna study?"

She hides her English textbook behind her back with a faint blush residing on her cheeks. "Psh. No."

Soon enough, Roxas opens the door. "Alright, so nobody is on their period, right?"

I place my hands on my hips and give him a dull look for such a tasteless joke.

"So... yes?"

I roll my eyes and shove him aside.

Upon entering, I get a whiff of his cologne as I pass by. The perfect balance: not too little, not too much. He closes the door as he and Kairi exchange friendly greetings. In the span of a week, it's already become a tradition to come back to Roxas place to hang out.

"So, remind me the point of this rendezvous?" Roxas asks.

I plop down next to his table while trying, I repeat, trying to keep myself from shamelessly checking him out. Why has he looked so—good lately? He wears a long-sleeved polo and skinny jeans. It's simple, yet he rocks that shit. "You've been summoned to listen to my whines and complaints about how horrible I am at my job."

"I'm honored for the job," he says sarcastically. He walks into the kitchen and takes a bowl out of one of the cabinets. "Lay it on me, sister."

"First of all—"

I pause when the bathroom door opens and sure enough, it just had to be Naminé. I guess I was getting my hopes up thinking I'd be able to have Roxas all to myself without any competition. It's not like Kairi is pining after him. Naminé, on the other hand, is a problem. I glare at her ensemble; she wears a blue off-shoulder blouse and some denim shorts. Again, not much, but I probably pale in comparison. Here I am, still rocking my Shoyu Shoyu uniform.

"Oh. You," I deadpan.

"Xion! G'day, love! You made it," Naminé says as she skips over to the opposite side of the table and takes a seat. "And you brought a friend, I see. This is the Kairi Hart I've heard a bit of, yeah?"

Kairi nods. "Yup! You must be Naminé. She's said some... interesting things about you." She chuckles nervously. Naminé gives me a curious look. Bitch, what are you looking at? You heard her.

"Funny, Roxas forgot to mention you would be here." If I'd known, I would've at least stopped back home to change. But I'm victim to a powerful laziness that has conquered many of us. I send him a glare as he sets a bowl of kernels into the microwave.

He chuckles nervously. "Did I? Silly me." He hops over the couch and plops into the soft cushion. "It's just that I know how you are, Xion."

"How I am? What's that supposed to mean?" I cross my arms expectantly. "Please, enlighten me."

Roxas bites his lip. His eyes dart every which way trying to come up with something to say.

I look over at Kairi, and she quickly looks the other way as well, whistling low.

Naminé just winks and sticks her tongue out at me.

"You're just a little—how should I say this? Uh..." He rubs the back of his neck. "So, how was work today?" he asks, smiling like an idiot as he rests his fist on his chin.

I roll my eyes and decide to let it go. "I told you. I dropped soba noodles on a poor guy's head."

"Sounds rough," Naminé comments. "And hilarious."

"That's what I said," Roxas admits.

"It kinda was," Kairi agrees.

"Glad to hear that my misery brings you guys joy." I scoff. "Pretty sure I'm about one bad incident away from being let go. I've had this job for a week and I'm already a screw-up."

"You're not a screw-up," Roxas says. I give him a monotone expression. "Okay, you're kind of a screw-up. But! Look at the bright side. At least it's better than, uh, what you did before."

If Kairi had a glass of wine, I'm sure she'd toast to that. "You said it!"

Naminé looks between us confusedly. "What did you do before?" We still haven't broken the news to her. I would prefer to keep it that way, honestly. I feel like she'd secretly use it against me.

"None of your business." That probably could've came out friendlier.

"Always the brazen one." Naminé chuckles nervously.

Roxas gives me a scolding look.

"What?" I question.

"Be nice." The microwave beeps. "Popcorn time!"

"Hey Roxas, is there a little ladies room?" Kairi asks.

"Down the hall, first door to your left."

As soon as the two of them leave, Naminé looks directly at me; a cocky smirk plays on her lips and she places her hands underneath her large breasts tauntingly. I knew this bitch was gloating! In response, I rise to my feet and feign the need to hoist up the waist of my leggings just to give her a good look at what I have that she doesn't. She rolls her eyes in response.

Okay. So maybe not the classiest gestures but hey, I can't back down from a challenge!

I sit back down before Roxas notices our passive aggressive competition and he takes a seat in front of the table. "So, I just came up with a brilliant idea. What if messing up three times in a row might be some kind of - I dunno, a sign or something?"

"A sign for what?" I ask.

"That maybe this isn't the right job for you."

I stuff my hands into the bowl, snatching out a fistful of popcorn. "And here I was thinking that you, of all people, would be proud of me for settling down with an actually legal occupation."

"I am, believe me. But something about this still doesn't feel right. And you don't really look the part. In fact, you look like miserable half the time."

"Gee, thank you so much for your clearly necessary input."

"Legal?" Naminé inquires. "Just keep me out of the loop, why don't you?"

"Sure thing," I say. No need to tell me twice. Something about her just makes me want to reach across the table and slam her face into it. I return my focus to Roxas. "Did you have anything else in mind?"

He wipes his mouth with a napkin, hiding a sheepish grin. "Well... now that you mention it... I've been thinking, maybe I could put in a good word for you to my uncle and you can work with me at Seventh Heaven? I was thinking you could perform, sing a few songs, of course. Now wait a minute—" he says, before I can interrupt, "—before you say anything and obviously become more difficult because it can never just be a simple yes or no with you—" I roll my eyes to that, "—I think it could actually be really good for you."

I slump my shoulders. "You remember what happened last time."

"Wait, you can sing?" Naminé asks. I keep forgetting that she's here. Can't she like, I don't know, not exist? Her presence offends me.

Roxas laughs. "You kiddin'? She's awesome!"

I lean my head against my palm and tapping my fingernails against the glass panel of the table. "Awesome?" I ask with sarcastic disbelief.

"Amazing," he says in response to my dreary expression. "You gotta hear her sometime."

"Augh..." I groan. "Please don't raise her expectations."

"It could be fun." Roxas chuckles. "At least we'd get to see each other more often. And you'd be able to get some practice in. Come on, how are you going to become a professional singer if you're too scared to sing in front of a crowd?"

"I'm not scared," I declare with annoyance. "You just caught me off-guard last time. I just—I don't know. Maybe right now isn't the best time."

"Why?" I shrink a little when I can't come up with a reason. "Exactly. You don't even know. Like I said, difficult." He rests his hands behind his head. "I think you should do it. Don't you agree, Nam?"

Naminé lifts her head with a mouthful of popcorn. "Haah? Yreah!" She gulps it down. "Follow your heart, love!"

"See? Even Nam agrees," Roxas says proudly.

She gives a guilty look and a sheepish smile. "Um... what are we talking about again?"

Roxas face palms and I can't help but a smirk. That's a negative point for her. Stupid blonde.

"I guess I can't expect an answer out of you right now," Roxas admits. "But you should think about it. At least consider it. Can you do that much for me?"

I guess it's worth a shot. No promises on me going through with it. I don't think I'm going to be able to step inside that place again without cringing. "Fine," I mumble.

"Hmm?" he hums with a teasing smirk. "I'm sorry, didn't catch that."

"I'll think about it. Just don't get your hopes up."

He grins, stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "I'll take what I can get."

Kairi returns from the bathroom and takes her spot next to me once again.

"Now," Roxas says. "You ladies up for a little bit of Netflix and chill? Preferably without the Netflix part?"

We pick up handfuls of popcorn and throw it at him.

He shrugs with that stupid grin. "It was worth a shot."

S.E.X.S.E.L.L.S

After dropping Naminé and Kairi off, Roxas pulls up to my house. We double check to make sure my dad isn't watching us this time. An almost seductive-looking gaze takes over his face. It's getting a bit too hot in here for comfort. I hold my breath, waiting for him to break the ice, but in typical Roxas fashion, he never does.

So I beg the question... "What is it?"

He shakes his head and smiles, moving some of my bangs away from eyes. "Just gorgeous."

Whoa. Didn't see that coming. Thankfully, the evening lighting can shadow however pink my cheeks probably are. "Oh. Thanks, I—"

"The moon just looks absolutely gorgeous tonight, doesn't it?"

Why do I keep falling for his trolling? Seriously. When am I going to learn my lesson? I jab him on the shoulder while he laughs at my expense. "Baka. Quit toying with my emotions."

"I can't help it." He grins with a shrug. "You're fun to mess with. Besides, I can't help it if you want my big, fat, juicy—"

"Roxas, I swear to god..."

"Lollipop." He pulls out an actual lollipop from his bag. "What'd you think I was gonna say, perv?"

I snatch the cherry-flavored lollipop from his possession, unwrap it, and stuff it into my left cavity. "Do you ever get tired of being a jackass?"

"Nope. Why stop when your reactions are priceless?" He winks. "Besides, it's a sucker. I thought you specialized in that department."

Okay, maybe I walked right into that one. "Alright, chill out. You're gonna make me sock you in your tit one of these days."

We share a brief laugh before Roxas turns my way with a much sincerer looking smile. "But you know, I never compliment people if I don't mean it."

I'm keeping my guard up this time. "Don't fuck with me, Roxas."

"I'm not." He laughs. "You'd be surprised at how long I've been waiting to say that, actually." He rubs the back of his head in his usual boyish fashion.

Bow chicka wow wow? I struggle to find the proper words before noticing that we're being watched from my living room blinds. I can't really tell whether I'm grateful or disappointed.

I sigh. "I better go."

He leans over with that seductive look of his again. "No goodnight kiss?"

"Goodnight, Roxas." I push his head back and exit the car.

Roxas salutes in return and speeds down the road. A second later, I receive a text message.

Nudes? ;) – Roxas (10/10 would bang)

I roll my eyes and cross the street. I like to believe that I'm pretty good at reading people; I'm pretty perceptive when it comes to deciphering motivations - except for Roxas. He's one of the few that can evade my - how should I say this - cognitive scrutiny? I'm just trying to sound smart. His constant teasing makes me contemplate whether he's seriously interested or if he's just trolling me all of the time. I feel like if I make a move, he'll just reject me again. And then I'll feel stupid.

I take out my key and prepare to open the door—

"There you are, Xion. Just in time."

—but instead it opens before I can do the honors. And to make matters worse, that voice brings about a certain queasiness to my stomach. I slowly raise my gaze to look into a pair of blue eyes. Tan skin. Long brunet hair. I think you know where this is going.

So, the world is conspiring against me. It's official, right?

"Well, aren't you cute in your little uniform? But I have a feeling it might be a little bit too late for that." Terra makes way for me to enter. "Aren't you gonna come in? It's getting pretty chilly out."

So many questions. For instance, why is he here? Why is he smiling like that? And why has he not gotten ran over by a bus yet? That third one is crucial.

I walk inside of my house, my shoulders stiff and my fingers weak. The door shuts and a momentary silence takes over. I turn to face him and get a good gander of his oddly calm and almost arrogant demeanor. He smirks and places a hand in his pocket, using the other to snap in front of my eyes. "You dead?"

I shake out of my trance. "W-What are you—"

"Hey, Xion." Sora walks in, eating a banana. He tosses an apple over to Terra. "Hey, you should make yourself useful and cook me and my buddy here something to eat."

"I, um..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Okay... pretty weak comeback. I was expecting you to say something like 'either make something yourself or eat shit.' What's the matter with you?" he asks. "Oh, right. I forgot you both go to Twilight. You know my buddy, Terra, don't you?"

Unfortunately, a bit too well. "Uh, we share AP English."

"Likewise," Terra says with a grin.

"What's he doing here?" I ask Sora.

"He's pulling some strings to get me a job at his dad's company. Turns out, this guy is awesome so we've just been hanging out. We're on our way over to his place, but I needed to change, so we stopped by here. This man is hilarious, Xion. I think you two would get along."

I purse my lips. "Mm hmm..."

"Oh, most definitely," Terra says. "But you know, if I were friends with your little sister, I don't know if I'd be able to keep my hands off her."

"Bro, are you seriously hitting on my sister right in front of me?" Sora playfully jabs him in the side with his elbow. "Don't make me hurt you." He laughs.

He chuckles. "No worries. Your sister's cute, don't get me wrong, but I have a girlfriend. You don't need to worry about me."

Oh ho, I beg to differ.

Sora points a finger at him teasingly. "I better not. This guy is a total chick magnet. We can't walk for two seconds without some girl asking for his number."

He shrugs. "What can I say? They can't resist an honest man." He rubs the back of his head with sudden boyish charm. "Hey, where's the bathroom again? I keep forgetting."

"It's upstairs, it's the third door on the right hand side of the left hall," Sora answers, finishing his peel of potassium. "I gotta go downstairs real quick. Xion, make yourself useful for real this time and show him where the bathroom is."

"W-Wait, Sora!" I grab his arm.

He raises an eyebrow. "Yeah? What's up?"

"I, uh..." Think, Xion! Think! "Uh, where's Dad?"

"He had an appointment at the hospital. I think the doctors might clear him to work again. After that, he says he's gonna visit Mom."

"And Shiki?"

"How should I know?" he asks, clearly irritated.

Okay, so neither of them are home. Now what do I do? "You think you can show me where the... uh... hair brush is?"

"What are you talking about? It's on the sink counter, like always."

"Well, I don't remember seeing it there! So, you'll have to show me!"

"Man, what is with you today?" He groans. "Dude, no. I just got out of the bathroom ten minutes ago. I saw it up there. Go see for yourself." He scoffs, turning to Terra. "See what I gotta put up with? Stop messing around and show the man the bathroom. Jeez."

His arm slips from my grasp and it only takes approximately ten seconds before I hear his footsteps clambering into the basement. Holding onto him made me feel safer. That sense of security escapes along with his presence. The air grows silent and I can feel my heart pounding for dear life. Stay strong, little fella. Oh, who am I kidding? I feel like I'm on the verge of passing out any second.

"Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to show me where the bathroom is?"

I keep my head low and make my way upstairs. Inevitably, he follows behind. Not one word is uttered between us, only to add to my discomfort. Is there even anything to say? Once we make it upstairs, I point down the hall and quickly shift towards my room, but he grabs me by the wrist.

"Hold on a second." I dare not look him in the face. "We need to talk."

"What if I don't want to?"

He drags me towards the bathroom; despite my resistance, he doesn't budge. I try calling out for my brother, but I'm quickly muffled before I can even sputter the first vowel. He shoves me into the bathroom. I almost lose my balance, but thankfully, I fall back onto the closed toilet seat.

No longer wearing his fabricated charm, he locks the door shut. I glare back at him, despite being a nervous wreck on the inside. He wouldn't go so far as to assault me, physically or sexually, while Sora is right under us, would he?

His scowl gradually deforms into an almost bored-looking expression, and he sets his sights on the hairbrush mentioned earlier, right on the counter just like Sora said. He tosses it my way. "There you go."

I catch it, but try my hardest to maintain eye contact. I have to be calm. If he sees how vulnerable I actually am, he'll take advantage of it. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"Good. Then just listen." Oh, great. Grab your popcorn, everybody. "I already know you stole my wallet. So, don't even try to deny it."

"Um, is it okay if I prefer the word 'borrowed' instead?"

He scrunches his eyes bitterly. "Try not to piss me off, either—because I could easily make your life a whole lot worse if I really wanted to. Especially after that little stunt with the pepper spray you pulled last week."

Which I forgot in my room, because I'm totally smart. But in my defense, it didn't really occur to me when the most notable threat I knew I'd be around was Roxas.

"Sure." I keep my eyes focused on my thighs. So much for the eye contact.

"Here's what's going to happen. Since I'm feeling generous, and since your Sora's little sister and he just so happens to be a really great guy, I'm going to let go of the fact that you had the audacity to not only steal my money, but the balls to actually defend yourself." He grins maliciously. "Hate to say it, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and you've got spunk, Xion. I have to respect anyone with those kinds of guts."

So, it's over? Just like that? Right. And I'm a three-headed rhinoceros preparing to give birth to pink elephants. "You must take me for some kind of moron. As if I'm supposed to believe there's not a catch. Don't play games. Just get to the point already, will you?"

He chuckles dryly and approaches slowly. "See? That, right there. What is wrong with you? After everything I've done to you, even though you know I can easily pin you to the ground, muffle that loud mouth of yours, and rip those pants right off of you, you're still bold enough to talk back?"

He kneels down on one leg, slams his hand against the wall, and increases our proximity. Way to be a total creep about it, Terra. I turn my head and cross my arms.

"I expected you to be timid, but you just mouth off at me like it's no big deal. But you never back down. That attitude of yours is annoying, but you don't see it very often. That's what fascinates me about you. You're not like the other girls. You don't break."

Oh. So I guess he doesn't notice that I am on the brink of wetting myself out of fear for my well-being. Though, me constantly tapping my foot is probably a decent distraction. Of course I'm scared. Why wouldn't I be? This guy singlehandedly orchestrated a traumatic experience that gave me anxiety and nightmares for weeks. Now I finally find myself mellowing out, at least a little, and he pops right back up to make matters worse.

I crunch the last bit of my lollipop and toss the bare stick into the trash. "What about your girlfriend?" I ask. "So, her feelings just don't matter to you at this point?"

He scoffs. "This isn't about her. Unlike you, she already knows not to step out of line. But that makes it less fun. Besides, she doesn't have to find out." His look turns stern. "And if she does, you'll regret it. Not because I give a damn about her finding out, but because I am directly telling you not to, and that would be a sign of disobedience, wouldn't it?"

"What do you want?"

Suddenly, his lips crash against mine. What the hell! I try to punch him in the chest, but he won't flinch. I can feel his smirk as he forces me into his hold.

At last, he releases me and I place a hand on my chest. Oh, sweet oxygen. How I have taken thou for granted. "Dude!"

He smirks. "Heard you finally retired from being a slut and got a real job. In that case, you owe me."

He yanks me up and turns me around, grasping my upper body from behind while he hands slither down my thighs. This brings back unwanted memories from last time. Temperature level, rising! A hundred and twenty-one degrees Fahrenheit!

"Until you've paid me back every single penny, this ass is mine. I own you. Whenever I call, you give me what I want. I don't care if you're in class, if you're at work, or if you're on the other end of Twilight Town. You come to me. Am I understood?"

I gulp. "And if I refuse?"

"Well, I would hate for it to have to come to this, but I guess I'd be forced to make your brother a target. I really don't want to do that; he doesn't deserve it. But if that's what it's going to take for you to learn some obedience..."

"Way to be subtle about it. Did you just forget about jail?"

"Did you?" he returns. "Did we already forget who decided it'd be a good idea to become a professional slut in the first place? Did we forget that it's illegal in this town? Did we forget that you're only seventeen? Gosh, I'd hate to see the shame your family would have to bear. Man, the humiliation. So, do us both a favor, and don't piss me off. Don't make me do something I don't want to do."

It's always a lose-lose scenario with this creep. Sure, I could report him, but I'm not completely innocent in this exchange either. Besides, he seems like the kind of guy to have power to pull strings even from behind bars. Who knows who else I might have endangered just by being associated with him? God, I am such an idiot!

"Any questions?" he asks.

"Why me?" I inhale, trying to catch my breath. "I don't understand..."

"You think you're the only one?" He laughs. "I'm talking to a lot of different people. I like to keep an open market. But you're my first bitch, so feel honored."

You are such a piece of shit and I hope you get decapitated by a forklift!

That's what I would say if my heart weren't on the verge of exploding...

"Any more questions?"

Reluctantly, I let my arms fall to my sides. "No..."

"Good." He leaves a trail of kisses down the side of my neck. "I promise, this'll be just between you and me. No third parties involved. This time, you're my property only."

Oh, gee. That makes it a whole lot better.

"Hey! You still in there?" Sora calls from downstairs. "Are you almost done?"

"I'll be right out!" Terra calls back. "I'll be in touch."

"Yay..." I mutter sarcastically. He forces me into one last kiss before letting me free. Exhausted, I plop back down onto the toilet seat. What have I gotten myself into? What did I do to deserve this? In fact, why is he so bent on making my life a living hell? "Wait."

He turns around with a puzzled expression.

"Before you go. Your girlfriend... her name is Aqua, right?"

He takes a moment to respond. "How did you know that?"

"Lucky guess."

"Don't screw around with me, Xion. Don't let me hear anything from her about this. You don't want to do that."

"Oh, I believe you." I don't put anything past him, at this point. "But let me ask you, how would you feel if you found out she was doing something like this to you behind your back? Did you even consider that?"

Terra averts his sights to the ground for a moment, and for a split second, I detect a dash of vulnerability. I would've missed it if I had blinked. But almost just as quickly, he returns to his stone-face front, looking me dead in the eyes. "That would never happen. Trust me. She isn't worth the heartache. Nobody is. And that's why she keeps coming back."

I get it. His lack of remorse, his spitefulness towards women, and that damn temper of his. It's no justification for being a piece of shit and I'm still banking on that decapitation, don't get me wrong. But I think I understand what's going on. I just wish I knew the context in full detail.

"Someone broke you."

He pauses and turns his head back halfway. "What?" he asks, with a hint of irritation in his tone. "What makes you say that?"

"Because..." I sigh. "That makes two of us."

"What are you—"

"Terra! Come on, man!"

He hesitantly tears his eyes away from mine before marching downstairs. "I'm coming."

Let us all have a moment of silence to digest what just happened, shall we?

Oh, god. I really, really hope he gets hits by a bus within the next few hours. I don't think I've hated someone so much in my entire life, and that's saying something. But you want to know what the worst part about it is? I look into his eyes and I only see myself, except ten times worse. And that only makes me hate him ten times more.

I take a moment to process everything. If he seriously thinks I'm just going to sit back and obediently act as his "bitch" then he hasn't met Xion Spades.

But I don't think I can do this alone. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I walk into the hallway and pull out my phone, click on my go-to emergency contact, and wait patiently for her to pick up.

"Oh, hiya!" Kairi chirps. "I was just about to call you to make sure you study for that quiz."

"Kairi, I'm going to need your help."

"What? Why? What is it?"

I peek out the window to find Sora and Terra pulling out of the driveway. "I'm being blackmailed."

"...Who do I stab first?"


Okay... so this one got a little delayed ^^; But I got it out before the month was up (barely, you big lazy!) shut up! *ahem*

Part of the reason why this got so delayed though, was because I've been going through a horrendous editing process with this story. The first two chapters have been entirely rewritten and edited (although, the second chapter still needs a few finishing touches but I didn't want to spend the next five hours editing and get this out at around 3 AM or something).

But don't worry, because the plot is generally still the same! So any of you current readers don't have to be confused. I'm only doing this to make the reading experience better (hopefully) better for future readers. I didn't like the way the earlier chapters were written, so I was planning on rewriting the chapters at least up to chapter 6.

I've made a few minor changes, so hopefully it isn't too confusing. The changes I've made are:

1. I changed the school name from Yasoina High to Twilight High, so there might be some errors here and there I'll have to patch up. Yeah yeah I know, it's kinda basic but Yasoina High wasn't doing it for me lol

2. Lots of dialogue has been spruced up, and the scene between Yuna and Tidus happens a bit differently, but nothing crazy

3. I added a lot to the conversation between Roxas and Xion at the end of last chapter (this is one of the few changes I recommend going back to read, there's actually a few important details in this conversation now)

4. The bar Roxas' uncle owns is now a club and it's called Seventh Heaven, only because Tifa works there xD also, a few things added to the first time Xion met Roxas there

5. I scrapped the scene between Xion and the old man back in chapter 8. Wasn't feeling it anymore. I think I could've pulled that off better but something similar might show up in the future.

6. Instead of making Isa call at the end of chapter 8, I just changed it to Demyx. It makes more sense lol

If any of you guys find this confusing, or have any suggestions about what I should or shouldn't get rid of (if you remember that far back) please feel free to let me know in a review!

Guest time!

Taythekid: Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate you taking the time to say something as well! I've really enjoyed writing her character, so I'm glad to see that it's paying off at least a little bit! ^_^

Guest #1: I don't think it was that obvious. I think everybody kinda figured that Demyx wasn't exactly trustworthy, but I think (at least I hope) most of you guys were surprised that it was as many people as it was.

Guest #2: Pretty sure you're the same guest from above? But I could wrong. Anyway, that's a good point, but again, you have to look at the character of Xion, not what you would do. Like I said, Xion, (at least before this chapter) didn't and still partially doesn't like involving people into her problems. She prefers to handle things on her own and if she got Sora hurt just because of her own mistakes, she wouldn't be able to handle the guilt. Even if they did catch Terra, Sora would still be hurt. So in her mind, it's not worth it. If anyone should pay for the consequences of her own mistakes, it should be her. That's just how she feels. Don't you think it would be pretty selfish of her to put him at risk like that? Also, she couldn't really do that if she wanted to because there are multiple witnesses to her own illegal activity. So no matter what, if she tries to take him down, she'll go down with him. She might not get something too serious, but it'd still be a humiliating experience for her. That's what makes it tough. It's hard to say what she "should" do in this scenario because there are a plethora of possibilities. Also, you're right, this story was getting pretty dark to still have it categorized as "humor" lol so I changed it to Romance/Drama instead ^_^

I gotta give another shoutout to the wonderful SummonerDagger88 for drawing me up another cover photo up there! It's so nice to have a visual reference at what my characters look like (yeah, I know their designs aren't really my own but it's not the same when I look at a picture of Xion wearing her Organization outfit as opposed to seeing her in the leather jacket I've imagined her wearing so many times xD). I think this one came out awesome too, especially Xion! I should be having one more coming from her soon! I'm going to be switching the covers every now and then, just to change it up every once in a while. So you might come back to this story with a different cover each time.

Alrighty, thanks for taking the time to read! If you could be so kind, please leave a review down below! I would REALLY appreciate it and it would seriously make my day! :D

Oh, almost forgot to thanks everybody for reviewing last chapter!

Much love and thanks to La Esmeralda Gypsy Witch, Sinful Serenata, Dream Fighter75, ForsakenXIII, SummonerDagger88, Escape the Shadow, DUSoft, The Fool's Arcana, SoraLover1994, and the guests for reviewing the last chapter! You guys keep me going and I can't thank you enough!

EDIT: There's the new cover! I think it's really cute! Captures Roxas and Xion's relationship perfectly! The little smirk on her face says it all. He gets on her nerves and she finds him annoying as hell, but at the end of the day she can't stay mad at him. I love it so much! Check it out over on her Deviant Art, it's the same name: SummonerDagger88! Especially since a lot of it unfortunately had to get cut out

Also, I changed the summary! Let me know what you guys think! Should I keep this one or go back to the old one? Let me know in a review please, it would be very helpful!

#bananasquad because why not?