...eggs...
Roxas' nose twitched from under the blankets. Why do I smell eggs? Groaning, he removed the sheet from his body and sat up with a sleepy yawn. He looked around groggily and found that that the sun was out and bright. Something sizzled from below, causing him to crane his neck to try and catch a glimpse of what it was.
Down on the lower level of the condo, a small, blond girl stood by the stove, cooking eggs on a frying pan. She had on a white shirt, grey shorts, and a pink apron that said 'Kiss the Chef!'. Her expression was calm and patient as she flipped the eggs over and continued to fry.
Eh...she looks familiar... Wait a minute. What is she even doing in my condo?! His eyes widened. He jumped doff of bed and marched towards the stairs.
"Roxas!" the girl suddenly called.
A voice as refreshing as a dew drop on a waking morning glory. Not too loud, not too soft. Roxas stopped and chuckled at himself. He had actually forgotten that this girl was Namine- his new roommate.
"Roxas?"
Roxas hurried down the stairs and entered the kitchen. "...'morning," he greeted uncertainly. He looked on as his roommate placed the eggs on a plate and then placed the plate on the table. "Namine, what are you doing?"
Namine turned to face him, lighting a smile. "Good morning!" she greeted cheerfully. "I just thought you'd like a good breakfast before going to school today."
... Roxas approached the table and grumbled, "You have school, too, you know. And besides, I only eat toast for breakfast."
Namine bowed her head in guilt. "I'm sorry," her voice cracked. "I just...I just..."
Roxas saw that her cheeks were bright red and her eyes watery. "O-on second though," he quickly added, trying to stop her tears. "I think I'd...better eat this and- Mmmm! Looks really good!" No good. Her tears were now threatening to fall. He sat down and dug at the scrambled eggs, stuffing them into his mouth. "It's super tasty!" he assured her and swallowed the food down with a hot cup of tea prepared for him. "Ah!" he breathed and smacked his lips in sweet satisfaction.
Namine looked up at him, saw the empty plate, and smiled again. "Did you like it?" she asked, eagerness in her powder-blue eyes.
"Sure did," Roxas hiccuped and held his chest. Aw, man... I swallowed too fast.
"I'm glad." Namine glanced back at the clock. "Don't you think it's time to leave by now? It's already 7:45."
"...7:45?!!" Roxas jumped out of his chair, tripped on the table leg, and fell face flat on the floor. Irritated, he stood up and punched the table, earning himself a bruised knuckle. "Yow! Namine! Why didn't you say the time EARLIER?!"
Namine flinched, a little frightened. "I...assumed you already knew," she trembled. "Why i-is...something the..matter?"
"I'm late!" Roxas exploded and rushed up the stairs. "WE'RE late! Argghh!" He reached the upper level and fumbled with his shirt. "Sensei's gonna kill me!" He stripped himself free of all his clothing except his boxers and rummaged through his dressers. "Uniform...uniform..." He stood up and looked over the lower level...seeing Namine's shocked face. The signal came to him and he covered his lower area. "Do you mind!"
Namine turned away in a panic, her face once again flushed. "Sorry!" she yelped.
"You've gotta get dressed, too!"
"R-right!" Namine headed for the stairs.
"Don't look!" Roxas shouted.
"Yaah!" Namine cried in fright and ran up the stairs blindly, hitting her leg against the rail along the way. She reached the door to her room and closed it. Moments later, she came back out. "Roxas, I don't have anything!" That shirt and those shorts were all the doctor gave me. Oh, how pitiful!
...shit! I forgot about her uniform! Roxas buckled his belt, fixed his tie and paced his room. Glancing at the watch, his heartbeat quickened. 7:48! "Umm...hmm...err..." He snapped his fingers and looked through his dresser again. "Namine!"
"Yes?"
Roxas threw her a white collared shirt and black slacks. "Put those on!"
Namine obeyed and retreated into her room. Some minutes, she emerged with her new outfit. Roxas' shirt fit her like a potato sack on a carrot and his slacks were much too long for her legs. "Roxas, they're too big," she complained.
"Bah. Uniform is a uniform. Let's go."
"But-"
"C'mmon!"
Namine gulped, grabbed her backpack, and ran out the door with the skater. But I'm suppose to wear a skirt. "Roxas!" she cried out as they ran down the streets. "I'm a girl! I have to wear a skirt!"
"Oh, crap. Why didn't you tell me earlier??"
"I tried but you-"
"Never mind." He stopped by a clothing cart on the way and looked over it. No skirts. Only hats, shorts, and hair clips. Hair clips! He bought a package and handed it to Namine. "Clip them on."
Namine rose an eyebrow. "How are these going to fix things?" she asked auspiciously.
"Just trust me."
Hesitating a bit, Namine put her hair and up and put on the hair clips. The breeze on her neck felt cold. "Thank you?"
"Pretend you're a guy," Roxas instructed as they continued their walk.
"But I still look like a girl no matter what..."
Roxas eyed her and shook his head. "Not in my uniform you don't." You look flat-chested under there. They reached the vermilion hill. "C'mmon!" He grabbed her wrist and they raced up the hill. 7:59.
The bell rang. Roxas and Namine made a great leap into the building, barely catching the other students walk in. "We made it!" Roxas cheered.
Namine coughed, trying to catch her breath. "My..heart...beating...too fast..whoa!" her head spun as Roxas pulled on her wrist again, forcing her to follow him down the hallway. "Slow down, please!"
"Just who do you think you two are trying to FOOL?"
Roxas shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This was not at all how he had planned his day to go. He looked to his right and saw Namine with her head down in humiliation, her hair free and flowing past her shoulders. Guilt shadowed him. Sorry about this, Namine.
The principal seated himself behind his desk and folded his arms crossly. "What do you have to say for yourselves?" he questioned in a disappointed tone.
"I'm terribly sorry!" Namine cried out, frightening both the principal and the skater. Her face was as red as a tomato. "I didn't have my uniform so Roxas allowed me to borrow his...a-and I...I... Oh, I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough." The principal tugged on his collar, slightly embarrassed by the girl's reaction. "Please, just don't bow like that."
Roxas placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't ever do that again," he scolded. "You sound ridiculous." All he received from her was a sniffle and squeak. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as he held her protectively beside him. "You don't have to cry to look sorry either..."
"Now, miss," the principal cut in. "You said that this young man here ALLOWED you to borrow his uniform?"
"Y-y-yes," Namine choked.
"Does that mean that you two share the same residence?"
Roxas' ear flicked in apprehension. "If you mean the same building!" he spoke up with a wide grin. "Then yeah. We're..uh...close neighbors! She lives right across my condo room."
The principal gave him a suspicious look. "Is that so?"
"Yes, sir!"
Namine stopped crying and looked up at Roxas. "What are you doing?" she asked sadly.
"Shush it..." Roxas whispered through his faltering grin. His left eye began to twitch from the pain in keeping such an expression.
"Hm." The suited man turned back to Namine. "Listen, I will only give you a warning. You are prohibited from wearing boys' uniform. If you must borrow a uniform, then at least ask from a fellow FEMALE student. Understood?"
Namine nodded. "Yes, sir."
"And you!"
Roxas flinched. "Uh..err....yeah?"
"Don't ever put those clothes on her again," the principal groaned. "They're much to big for her! And putting on hairclips just to make her seem boy-ish? Failed attempt."
"I told you so," Namine nudged Roxas lightly.
"I said shush!" Roxas chided.
The principal stood up and showed them to the door. "Bicker elsewhere," he said, pushed them outside, and closed the door.
"How cruel..." Namine remarked.
Hayner's eyes widened. "Namine..." There so much I have to say to you, but-
The teen looked at him in slight confusion. "You seem vaguely familiar."
"Why are you wearing really big clothes?" Pence asked, noticing the loose attire she wore. "Well they're not that big, but they are way too big for you."
"I-"
"Sorry for everything I did," Hayner apologized. "I was a jerk. Really, I was."
Namine looked around her. It was such a huge commotion and she didn't know why. All she knew was that it revolved around her. "Please, don't apologize," she said uncertainly. "I'm not even sure as to what it is you have to apologize for."
"..."
Olette studied Namine, grimaced, and took Roxas' hand. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked in a low voice and pulled him aside. When they were away from hearing distance of the other three, she let out an aggravated sigh.
"What's up?" Roxas shrugged.
"No offense, Roxas. But Namine is kind of...annoying." What am I doing?
Roxas frowned. He had not known Olette to say those kind of things. It was very odd. "Well, why do you say that?" he played along, trying to keep calm. "Did she do anything?"
"She's being fake, can't you see?" Olette placed a hand on her hip.
"Fake?"
"She's trying to be 'cute' and is obviously enjoying all the attention. It's really getting on my nerves." Why am I being such a total...female dog...
Roxas took a step towards her. "Olette-"
"Oi!" Hayner, Pence, and Namine joined the two, completely oblivious of the fact that they were in the midst of a private conversation. "What are you guys doing here being all left out and stuff? Let's go hit the pizza place!"
"In other words ditch," Pence pointed out in disapproval.
"AFTER school," Hayner corrected him.
Olette was obviously more irritated than before, but kept herself composed. "Pizza? That's way too expensive, Hayner. We're low on allowances, remember?"
"Yeah," Pence agreed. "Senior and club dues pretty much took everything out of our pockets."
"Fuck! I forgot about that..."
Roxas shrank as the trio turned towards him. Hell no. "Uh...sorry, guys," he said quickly. "I'm out of munny, too. I only have enough to pay for the condo and next week's grocery."
"Darn," Hayner, Pence, and Olette huffed at the same time.
Namine looked at the four teens, sadness and guilt in her eyes. I have to do SOMETHING. "I'll get a job," she suggested. "That way, all of you will be able to go out and have a good time together."
Olette's jade-green eyes glowed in anger. There she goes again.
"You don't have to do that, Namine," Roxas assured the worried blond. "Besides, you working alone won't be enough." The bell rang. "Oh, we'd better split. Classes are starting again."
"Uggghh, no!" Hayner whined as he led the way back into the building. "I don't want to go to English Language and Literature class! I suck at my pronunciation."
"Not to mention writing," Pence snickered.
"Yeah, Hayner," Olette giggled. "Your grammar is terrible! No wonder you have such a bad grade in that class."
Hayner turned red with fury and embarrassment. "Shut up!" he flared.
Everyone laughed.