I'm trying to come up with a name for a writing/poetry group. Any suggestions? (I was told to ask around...)

~KeedaxEmry

Before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving. Kelly had ensured that her family was not coming. "It'll be nice for it to be just us, won't it?" she had sang. That morning, she put us into teams so that we could get everything ready. Her and Sora were in charge of getting the food; Riku, my dad, and I were in charge of cleaning, setting the table, things like that. Now, Kelly is bustling around, cooking, and everyone else is watching football (even though Sora doesn't understand it one bit).

I sat on my bed, letting my thoughts drift. Normally, I keep certain thoughts guarded. They're locked up in the back of my consciousness, behind feet of steel and chains. Those are the thoughts that use to keep me up to ungodly hours, when they would slip past my defenses and creep up on me. Just like they were doing now.

"Don't think about that," I heard myself say for the umpteenth time. At least when Kairi was here, I had something to occupy myself with. She was annoying, and she made me want to punch something, but that was better than this. Now, with nothing to do and no one to talk to, it was hard to keep my mind focused on things that don't affect me in the slightest, things like schoolwork and books, instead of family and friends. To be more specific, things like my mom, why Naminé was upset, why Axel wasn't answering his phone, why, why, why.

No matter how much I blocked it out, no matter how careful I was, it would slither in, more venomous than a snake and more lethal than a bullet.

It seemed like no matter what I do, things would go astray. Anything good in my life never lasts for long; I can cling to it and hope and pray, but, in the end, it will be consumed. Naminé is the perfect example of this: we were going great until I was forced to move and now...now...

I wrung my bedspread in my hands. Now she couldn't care less about me, I thought. Do you need any more evidence?

Another obvious one: Axel. I already, somehow, ruined that friendship. I haven't talked to him in what seems like eternity, much less seen him. Did I make him mad or something? We use to hang out practically every day and now it's like we never knew each other. Maybe he got grounded because he got in a fight with Clyde, I thought optimistically. But then, why would he be avoiding me, and why would he evade any questions I asked?

Of course I couldn't just make myself believe that simple lie, I laughed bitterly. That it was Clyde's fault and not mine.

What's worse is when I forget about all this, when I let myself feel the tiniest bit happy; then reality comes crashing down around me, and, as I watch the scenery burn and twist, I feel more miserable and resentful than before. It's easier to wallow in it, just a little bit, so that I don't forget, but it doesn't devour me. My mind tells me that I don't deserve to be happy, and I believe it. I believe every word it whispers in my ear, every negative complaint and every harmful notion.

I pressed my back against the wall, wishing I could cry. But, no, it was inevitable for me to feel this way, but impossible to do a simple act like that, something that would make my mind too numb to feel anything. I was at that stage where tears don't come, instead your insides rip and tear and every fiber of your being aches.

I can't—

"I'm going, Demyx! I'm already there!"

I froze. Axel? I crawled off my bed, hopping down onto the floor and going up to the doors that lead to the balcony.

Sure enough, he was standing outside, agitatedly talking on the phone. I opened the door a crack, unsure. He was wearing just a t-shirt even though the air was cold and frigid.

"Will you guys just stay out of my business?" he exclaimed. "...he did what?...no, I didn't know that!..." He sighed, shoving his unoccupied hand in his pocket and glancing around my backyard. "I guess...I don't need your advice...like he cares...uh-huh..."

Should I go outside and say something? That would probably be better than standing here eavesdropping...

I opened the door wider, and slipped outside, closing it behind me. Axel looked up at the noise, and he gave an oddly embarrassed choke-like cough and said hurriedly, "I gotta go."

He closed his phone and put it in his pocket with a, "Hey," to me.

"Hey."

"Um, sorry 'bout," he paused and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "'bout not answering my phone."

"You practically disappeared," I accused. I was kind of regretting having come outside, especially because by this point goose bumps covered a good portion of my skin, although I will admit it was good to see Axel again.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed.

"What happened?"

"Let's just say it's too hard to explain."

I groaned. "Why won't people tell me things?"

"Naminé?" he guessed.

"Yeah. Her crazy sister came and..." I waved my hand. "What are you doing here? It's Thanksgiving, shouldn't you be home?"

"Should be, but people kept bugging me to come over here."

We were quiet for a moment; I had started shivering, and I wrapped my arms around myself. Axel noticed and began to say, "Are—"

"I'm fine," I insisted, already knowing what he was going to ask.

"You can go get a sweater or—"

"It doesn't matter," I dismissed it. "I'm use to this."

He looked at me questioningly and I muttered, "Montana, remember?"

"Oh, right," he said. "We can talk later."

"No, I've been trying to get a hold of you for over a week now, do you really think I'll let you leave just like that?"

"But you'll turn into a popsicle," he complained.

"No, you will."

"I'm hot-blooded; it's perfect out here."

I rolled my eyes. "You can come inside."

"Nah, Roxie, I should get going."

"You just got here. And you can't leave until you tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's going on," he muttered, kicking a rock with his foot.

"You can't lie. At all," I said flatly.

"And you can?" he dared, now looking up at me.

I bit my tongue, even though I knew he was joking; he was just trying to change the subject. "Axel," I whined.

"I'm sorry! I can't talk about this now, you would just..." He looked up at me, and his face turned, like always, worried. He seems to constantly worry about me, while everyone else pretends to not notice things, I thought. "You sure you're-"

"Yes," I said exasperated. "You know Zexion called me."

"How'd that go?"

"He was trying to tell me something about you. I think."

"Really? What'd he say?"

"I don't know. I was...um...preoccupied with Kairi."

"Kairi?"

"Naminé's sister. She use to date Sora and he cheated on her and blah blah blah."

"As much as this story fascinates me, I should be going," he repeated.

"Are you grounded?"

"No," he shook his head. "Just busy."

"Are your parents really strict? Did they freak out when you were suspended?"

He paused. "Not really."

"You know, your lying skills improved immensely in the past ten seconds."

He laughed, although he still refused to explain himself.

"Do you have to go eat Thanksgiving dinner or something?"

I knew I was throwing him an excuse, but he was being impossible. "Yeah," he nodded.

"I'll see you later then."

"Yeah. Bye."

He began walking away, his head bowed and his hands pulling out a tangle of wire, which I assumed was attached to headphones and, thus, an iPod. Standing there, watching his back grow smaller and smaller as he lengthened his stride, was when I came to a rash, irrational decision. I would follow him. I would figure things out for myself and, hopefully, solve one mystery that was rattling around in my head.

I rushed back inside to grab a hoodie. I shoved my shoes on as quickly as I could, and ran downstairs and out the door, completely ignoring the questions Sora and Kelly hurled at me. ("Roxas it's almost dinner time! Where are you going?"; "Are you going for a pre-dinner walk? Can I come?")

I went around the side of the house and into the backyard, where I had last saw Axel. I walked in the direction he had been going, thinking, he's long gone by now.

But, no, he was a good distance ahead of me, although I could easily catch up if I wanted to. I thought better of that, and decided to just barely keep him in sight.

I must have been following him for at least twenty minutes; twenty minutes of "where the heck is he going?" and "hopefully he doesn't turn around." There was little to no chance of the latter happening, when I was confident that he was listening to music, and, besides, I was a ways behind him.

He mostly walked through the woods, but eventually he stepped out onto a street. A few more turns, and a few minutes later, we arrived at our destination.

I had an inkling that I had been on this street before. Yeah, I have, I thought, my eyes surveying the houses. I was here on that night when I couldn't sleep. So this must be where Axel lives.

He had slipped inside a large, cobblestone building. I stood outside a safe distance from it, studying it uncertainly. It looked old-fashioned, but could have qualified as a mansion; it had a pleasant, welcoming feel to it besides the white picket fence that seemed sharp enough to cut through skin and bone alike. Axel's car was parked in the street next to it.

I shuffled closer, thinking, what kind of home is this?

I gasped a little as the door flew open, revealing Larxene. She was upset about something, and she slammed the door behind her, strutting down the yard and out onto the street with a fed-up look on her face.

A thousand thoughts raced through my head, mainly concerning my well-being and whether or not I should hide. I wasn't fast enough, and Larxene was smirking at the sight of me.

Before I knew it, she was in front of me, one hand on her hip, one hand resting by her side. "Well, well," she said, in a harshly high-pitched and exaggeratedly girly voice she used when talking to me, "what do we have here? A squealing piglet who lost his way?"

"What are you doing at Axel's house?" I asked, because I couldn't think of anything else to say that she wouldn't use against me.

She glanced behind her for a split-second and a torrent of giggling flew out of her lips. "You...you..." she choked out in-between her laughter. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if what I had said was the funniest thing in the world.

I waited, irritated, for her to stop. She was wearing a tight, black tank top; on the far left of it was the image of a single flower. It looked like a white dandelion, and it started at the bottom edge of the tank top with the pale roots and ended up near her neck with the petals. It had a swooping, circular neckline despite the weather. She was also wearing light-blue jeans that bent over her black-and-pink skater shoes.

She let her arms drop as she finally stopped laughing. "This is too perfect," she snickered. "You really don't know?"

"Know what?" I frowned.

"I guess he doesn't trust you enough to tell you. Isn't that a shame? Even I know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I don't know if I should tell," she purred. "It could get me in trouble."

"I'll just ask him myself," I snapped. I attempted to storm past her, but she held her arm out to block me.

"That won't do. Tsk, tsk. I would think, you, of all people, would know," she chided.

This is getting nowhere, I thought. "I didn't come here to be insulted."

"Then why did you come? To whine to Axel about your absolutely dreadful life?" she trilled sarcastically. "Oh, poor baby. Do you need someone to bottle feed you and change your diapers?"

"Get out of my way," I snarled through my teeth, pushing past her.

"Have it your way! And don't let Uncle Xemmy scare you!" she yelled after me.

I forced myself to keep walking; she was just baiting me, I told myself, and it wasn't worth it.

I knocked on the door, despite the bad feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. It took a moment for anyone to come, but soon I heard footsteps and I unconsciously tensed up, my breath getting caught in my throat.

"Hello?" Axel swung the door open; the door screeched, obviously in need of oil, and Axel stopped. "Roxas?" His eyes widened at the sight of me, and he stared, dumbfounded.

"Hi," I said hesitantly. Maybe I actually made things worse by coming because he must have had a reason behind his actions for the past two weeks, and I was just being nosey, really, and it was none of my business, he didn't need to spend every second with me, he obviously had his own life and...

Thankfully, that is not what I said. The noise coming out of my mouth was oddly like a grinding noise, as if my throat was closing in on itself while air desperately tried to escape. The second I noticed it, I made it stop, although that didn't stop me from feeling like a gigantic idiot.

We stood there in silence for a few more awkward seconds. He wasn't inviting me in, but I wasn't asking to come in.

"What are you..." he shook his head. "Did you follow me?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Can I come in?" I asked timorously.

He sighed, and opened the door all the way.

The living room was decorated lavishly; it had a plush, deep red carpet, thick curtains that matched, an open fire place, and a large plasma screen TV. Axel scurried around, doing things to clean the spotlessly clean room.

I watched, slightly dismayed, as he tidied up by moving the papers on the coffee table around, and by straightening the pillows on the couch.

"Axel, what are you doing?" I asked, momentarily distracted by his behavior.

"Nothing," he muttered, dropping a pillow onto the couch. "Shouldn't you be with your family?"

I shrugged. "Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he said again.

He started to say something else, but at that moment, Zexion walked in, a book tucked under his arm. "Dinner's done," he said. He saw me, his face staying stoic and uncaring. "Roxas, you never called me back," he said, annoyed.

"Oh," I muttered, guilty, "I kind of...forgot. What are you doing here?"

They both ignored me, because at that point, Axel turned to Zexion angrily. "Without saying a thing to me—"

"You needed a push," Zexion said coolly, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't need your help! Everything's great!"

Zexion looked from me to him; I'm sure I looked as bewildered as I felt, while Axel just seemed mad. "Really?" he asked wryly.

"Yes!"

"Then you told him? You told him about Beatrice and Marcus?"

Axel shot him a look. "It's not like that matters."

"To you it does. And if you expect to get any—"

Axel suddenly jumped towards him and ripped the book out of Zexion's hands. He opened it threateningly, looking at Zexion expectantly.

Zexion actually blushed and tried to get it back. Axel laughed coldly, holding it above his head. "Let's see here." He opened it and began flipping through the pages.

"Give it back!" Zexion attempted to grab it, but Axel's long arms put it out of reach, even if he jumped.

"Hmmm..."Last night Xemnas actually let me stay at Demyx's house and—"

"I won't say anything. Just give it back," Zexion said, trying to sound calm. He was actually so furious, his voice was low and shaking.

"You should've said that in the first place!" Axel laughed and threw it at him. Zexion took it, gave him a dirty look, and left before Axel could change his mind.

"What was that about?" I blinked.

"It's his diary," Axel smirked.

"Who's Beatrice? And M...Mmmm...the other person?"

"No one. What are you doing for the rest of Thanksgiving break?"

"Nothing."

"We could hang out."

"And do what?"

"I have no idea. I'm kinda curious to see what your house looks like," he grinned.

"Ok. You can come over tomorrow if you want to."

"I know what we can do tomorrow. We can keep playing Truth so I can win."

I rolled my eyes at that conceited remark and he leaned towards me with a smug look on his face. "Just you wait and see," he smirked.

"I can think of a million questions you don't want to answer," I snorted. "And if we're playing, you'll have to answer them."

"I'll just have to ask harder questions," he said, unconcerned. He straightened so that he was no longer leaning towards me as someone yelled that dinner was getting cold. "Arg," he groaned.

"Miss me or something?"

"Yep," he said happily. "Like a cat misses honey."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"No, it doesn't," he tapped his head thoughtfully. "Like a cat misses catnip...?"

"If you missed me, you could have called." I let my annoyance seep through that statement.

"I know, Roxie. I'm sorry, like I said, things were crazy."

"If you say so. Call me before you come, ok?"

"Ok."

"And ignore anything that comes out of Kelly's mouth," I warned beforehand.

"Gotchya."

"And ignore anything that comes out of Sora's mouth."

"Gotchya," he laughed.

"I'm being serious."

"I'm being just as serious." He frowned in an exaggeratingly grave way and looked at the indignant look on my face, which just made him laugh.

"Idiot," I muttered, stepping around him to get to the door.

"I heard that," he pouted.

"You were suppose to."

"Wh—"

He was cut off as someone yelled at him to "hurry up and get in here so we can eat."

"Bye," I shook my head as Axel sulked.

"Bye."

I left. A second later, I turned around and knocked on the door, annoyed with myself. Axel answered, confused.

"I can't remember how to get back," I explained, disgruntled.

"Roxas, geez," he chuckled. "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" he yelled over his shoulder, grabbing his keys off a hook near the door.

I followed him to his car; it took only a few minutes to get back to my house. In that short time, Axel managed to annoy me even further. When I got out, he was laughing, and I ignored him as he said, "See you tomorrow!"

I let myself inside. There was no sign that anyone was home. I peeked in the living room to find it empty. Then I heard the clinking of silverware and dishes.

They were all in the kitchen, seated around the table, happily gorging themselves with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, the works.

Kelly was facing me and she looked up, smiling. "Roxas. Join us," she invited, raising a wine glass full of ruby-colored liquid to her lips.

I was about to sit down when a wave of anger hit me; I stood there, shaking, as they continued with their meal as if I wasn't there. A few seconds passed and I listened to Riku and my dad cracking jokes that were directed towards some rival football team. Sora was watching me carefully. "It's delicious," he smiled at me, trying to get me to sit.

I bit back a mean retort, instead I glared at each of them, and left to my room. "Roxas!" Kelly called after me.

I ignored her, already bounding up the stairs. A slam of my door, a twist of the lock, and I had some alone time.

"What is wrong with me?" I asked as jealousy curled around me, its nails painfully digging into my skin. It's probably just the fact that he treats them like his real family, I thought, while...

I shook my head, putting on headphones and blasting music. Let them enjoy Thanksgiving, let my dad indulge in his ideal and much-more-perfect family. I don't want to hang out with them anyway.

"Roxas?" Kelly knocked softly. "Please come and have dinner with us."

I turned up my music a notch and stretched out on my bed.

"Roxas?" she knocked louder. "Maybe in a few minutes, you could come downstairs for dessert? I made pumpkin pie and...so, I'll see you in the kitchen, okey dokey?"

Dang, her voice is loud...I raised the volume even more, but she was gone.

She came back a few times; each time I successfully drowned her out with whatever was playing on my iPod.

Just when I started thinking about going to bed, Sora came. I could hear him shuffling his feet outside my door, and I could see his shadow blocking the hall light from falling into my room.

"Roxas?" he rasped his knuckles on the door. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping," I muttered, even though I was still sprawled on my bed, in the exact same position. I hadn't even put my pajamas on yet.

"Did you have fun at Axel's?"

"How did you know I—"

"So you're friends with him again?"

"I've been friends with him," I paused. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"You want to hang out with me and Riku?" he asked hopeful.

"No. Just stay out of my way."

"I always—"

"Leave me alone tomorrow. Got it?"

"Um, sure. Why?"

"Axel's coming over."

"Oh, really?" he perked up. "The four of us could—"

"No," I said dryly. "Can I go to bed now?"

"But you didn't eat yet," he whined.

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, Sora, I'm not," I growled.

"Don't make me tell Axel," he threatened.

I laughed darkly. "You don't even have his phone number."

"It's right here!" he chirped.

"Right here...?" I trailed off in thought. Then, once realization hit, I was frantically searching through my pockets. "You...you little—"

I clenched my teeth, unlocking the door and throwing it open. Sora was standing there with a gleeful look on his face as he pressed a button on my phone and held it to his ear.

I jumped at him, and a frenzy of me trying to grab it, and him dancing away from me, ensued.

"Hello?" he giggled into the phone, running down the hall to his room.

I snarled, bolting after him. He disappeared, and I caught up a second later to stand in the doorway, breathing heavily.

Sora was standing in the middle of the room, saying, "It's Sora! And I wanted to tell you that Roxas didn't eat his din—"

I tackled him, and we fell backwards onto his bed. My phone fell out of his grasp, and vanished; he pouted at me, moaning.

I glanced around, finding my phone when I heard a confused Axel ask, "Hello? Sora?"

"Hi," I picked it up.

"Hi Roxas."

I shot Sora a look, noting the pleased look on his face, and went back to my room, locking the door once more.

"Sorry," I said. "Sora's being an idiot."

"Is what he said true, Roxie?" he whimpered, sounding a lot like Sora.

"That I haven't eaten?"

"Yeah."

"Roxas! Open up!" Sora yelled from outside.

"One sec," I murmured into the phone. I turned towards the door. "Can't you go hang out with Riku or your mom or someone other than me?"

"No," he sniffed. "They're busy having fun without me."

"Learn how to entertain yourself!" I was about to say something into the phone when he asked me how. "That's for you to figure out!..."

I waited until I heard him shamble back to his room, and then I said, "You there?"

"Yep," Axel said brightly. "Your family's insane."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically, although I couldn't agree more.

"Your welcome. I can still come over tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye."

I plugged my phone to the wall to let it charge, got into pajamas, took a sleeping pill, and sank onto my bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. Sleep, I demanded out of habit. My eyes were closing, despite the annoying voice that was still blabbering outside my door. It was Sora, of course, being concerned and needy and whiny and clingy.

My thoughts floated onto other things, waiting for the medicine to kick in, but I would be pulled back down to reality as Sora's voice rose in pitch.

"Sora! I'm trying to sleep! Shut up!" I yelled angrily.

The hall fell silent, and I shifted positions, closing my eyes.

A while later, when I was on the verge of falling asleep, I heard a bang and I shot up in bed. What the...

I rubbed my eyes, wobbling out of bed to flick the light on as the banging continued; it sounded like it was coming from...

I flinched at the sight of someone standing on my balcony, using his (her?) knuckles to knock on the glass of the door. Then I realized that it was Sora. I smirked at the sight of him.

"Roxas! Open up!" I could barely hear him, or see him. The only things I could see was the outline of his spiky hair, and the arm he held up to knock.

I went back to bed after turning the light off, thinking about how happy I was that the balcony had a lock on it. How did he even get there, I thought, tucking the blankets closer to me. Despite the slight tinge of guilt that ran through me, I ignored the hysterical hammering Sora was making.

I don't remember when I fell asleep. What I do remember is this:

"I'm gonna smash your skull in..."

I opened my eyes to see Riku's face a centimeter from mine, the smell of alcohol becoming stronger with each word he spoke. I cringed, scooting backwards from him, and he fell over onto my bed; my light was on, and Sora, Kelly, and my dad were in the corner of my room. Sora was crying, while Kelly clung to him, and my dad reassured them.

I stood up, and Riku grabbed my shirt to try to pull himself up. His clothes were disheveled and his face was flushed. "Get...back...here," he slurred. He managed to stand up, holding a beer bottle up and swinging it, obviously aiming for my head.

I ducked, and he ended up on the floor, a string of curses and profanity spilling out of his mouth.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking outside (it was still dark), and then looking at my family huddled in the corner, and then at Riku, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to stand up. He had dropped the beer bottle, which, luckily, was empty.

"You are grounded," my dad glowered, "until you're thirty-five."

"What'd I do?" I asked just as angrily. I know, it's was a stupid question to ask.

"You left Sora outside to freeze to death."

"What was he doing there in the first place?"

"He was worried about you! And you—"

Kelly grabbed his arm gently, and whispered something. He nodded, then stood up and helped both Kelly and Sora to their feet.

They left me alone with Riku who, by the looks of it, had passed out.

I glanced at the clock; Sora hadn't been out there for too long...just an hour or so...

"Roxas?" Kelly came back. "Your father wants you to go downstairs and apologize."

"What about him?" I gestured towards Riku.

"I'll get him." She picked him up and threw him over her shoulder like a handbag.

Sora was sitting at the table, sipping at steaming hot chocolate in a blue mug; my dad was nowhere to be seen.

"Sorry," I said, leaning against the doorpost. Sora looked up at me, his eyes red and his childish features disoriented with fear.

"Why didn't you open the door?" he rasped.

I shrugged, turning away.

"You'll never get anywhere if you keep acting like this." I paused, and he went on to say something about the boogie man.

I walked away to escape from his yapping. Before I could get out of the kitchen, my dad and Kelly appeared, and made me sit at the table next to Sora.

They sat too.

"We're waiting," my dad spoke calmly although I'm sure on the inside he was furious.

"I already said it," I muttered.

"Then say it like you mean it."

"I'm sorry," I said spitefully.

"To him."

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Sora."

"Good; Sora you can go to bed now."

"The boogie man will get me if I go alone," he frowned.

"Riku's waiting for you, sweetie," Kelly gave him a little smile.

"I don't like it when he acts like this," he moped.

"Then don't let him drink," I muttered darkly.

"What did you say?" my dad asked in his "I'm-warning-you" voice.

"I said, sleep well," I said, my voice dripping in disdain.

"That's what I thought you said."

"I'll be there in a moment, ok?" Kelly said. "And the bad oogie oogie won't be able to get you while you're inside."

He agreed, getting up and finally leaving.

"Roxas, we've very concerned," Kelly began, "that you would do something like this."

"Let's discuss the repercussions," my dad said.

"No TV privileges."

"No phone privileges."

"No computer privileges."

I just sat there and took it, waiting them to hurry up and finish so that I could go back to bed.

"No reading privileges."

"No friend privileges."

I narrowed my eyes. "What does that mean?"

"if you're not at school, you're at home. And you can't have friends over either," my dad said.

"That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair. What you did to Sora isn't fair."

"What am I allowed to do?" I asked, annoyed.

"You can hang out with your family or do homework or help around the house," Kelly said.

"What about Sora? What about Riku?" I snapped. "Why aren't they in trouble?"

Kelly blinked. "They didn't do anything."

"Didn't do anything?" I exclaimed, disgusted. "Sora wouldn't let me sleep and then he snuck onto my balcony! And Riku got drunk and tried to kill me!"

"I'm sure they were both just trying to help," Kelly said, uncertain, glancing at my dad.

"He was trying to kill me!" I repeated. "With a beer bottle!"

"This isn't about them, it's about you," my dad cut in. "What made you think this was ok?"

"If it's ok to attack someone in the middle of the night, I thought it would be ok to leave someone outside."

"Don't get smart with me."

"Smart? Me? Never!" I mocked.

"You're just making this worse for yourself."

"Oscar," Kelly murmured. "You're both tired and..."

He nodded. "Go to bed, Roxas."

"I shouldn't—"

"We're not discussing this now. Go."

"You can punish me. Whatever. It's not like I'm your son or anything; they obviously are. Good night," I droned.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't and I went back upstairs.