Disclaimer: The author does not own Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, worry not! There are no spoilers in this chapter. Just a brief reference to its setting.
PROJECT: TEENAGE WASTELAND
XXVII | a night under the stars
Atop the resort's impressive replica of Rapunzel's tower, Kairi and Naminé occupy a table at the homey café inside, partaking in comforting hot drinks and sweet treats.
The subject of their conversation, however, is far from sweet.
"Thanks for joining me, Kairi," Naminé says while stirring some milk into her tea.
"Of course," the redhead says in an understanding tone. "I sensed that something was wrong when you left the yacht yesterday, but you looked like you needed some space, so I chose not to approach you just yet."
The artist smiles sadly but appreciatively into the rim of her teacup as she takes a sip. "Thank you, Kairi. I did need some time to myself. I got to thinking last night and, well… I wanted to ask you something. I hope it isn't an awkward thing to ask, but I don't know who else to talk to about it."
Kairi reaches over the table and places a supportive hand atop her companion's. "You can confide in me."
Naminé nods gratefully and inhales a preparatory breath before dropping her bomb.
"How do you know when it's time to break up?"
The blonde feels Kairi's hand slip slightly at the question. For Kairi, it brings about fresh salt to a wound that has yet to heal. She thinks back to when she'd first received her acceptance letter from Radiant Garden Academy and the immediate dread that came with it. When her parents encouraged her to apply, she didn't think much of it as there was an extremely slim chance of getting in, but somehow, she'd actually got in. That summer, she had been so caught up in her new relationship with Sora, enjoying every blissful moment with no ending in sight, never thinking that a measly piece of paper could be their eventual demise.
So when she'd gotten the letter, it was pretty much the end of the world as she knew it.
Two sixteen-year-olds who had been dating for two months up against three thousand miles apart and a six hour difference? There was no way boyfriend and girlfriend Sora and Kairi could handle it; best friend Sora and Kairi, however, stood a chance. So in that moment, there was only one clear path to save their friendship: they'd had to let go of the romance and break up.
"I only ask because you and Sora have broken up before," Naminé continues when Kairi tunes back into the conversation, "and you two are still good friends, so I can only assume that you did something right."
Kairi's lip twitches. For the first ten months of their breakup, she and Sora hardly spoke. Sure, they exchanged some words during their three-way MoogleTalks with Riku, but exchanges between only the two of them were rare. She purposely didn't come home to Destiny Islands for holiday and spring break to avoid seeing him, and if it weren't for their serendipitous encounter on the resort, things would probably still be weird between them. In fact, it wasn't even until Riku trapped them both in a freezer that she decided they could still be friends.
In hindsight, they actually didn't do anything right. The world just kept forcing them back together, but because Kairi doesn't want to scare Naminé from the get go, she eases it in.
"It's… a hard decision to make," she starts carefully while picking at her cream puff. "One of the hardest I've ever had to make, actually. I'll be the first to admit it: things between Sora and I weren't great at first. A breakup will hurt no matter what, that much is inevitable, and things will be awkward, there's no escaping that, but… a healthy breakup will at least consider what is best for the both of you."
Naminé hums into her teacup, considering the words. Would breaking up be beneficial for her and Roxas? Well, if the answer was a hard no, she wouldn't have been up for most of the night thinking about it. If she and Roxas broke up, he could focus on his music career wholeheartedly, and she wouldn't have to be hurt or disappointed for his commitment to it.
In all honesty, it probably would've been best if they weren't together, and the thought squeezes at her insides.
She loved him, and because she did, she knew what would be best for him if he wanted to achieve his dreams.
"How do you know if you're ever ready for it?" she then asks.
"You don't," Kairi answers simply. "It will hurt like hell no matter how much thought or planning you put into it."
Naminé weakly sets down lemon raspberry madeleine before responding.
"I just… I don't know if I'm strong enough to handle it," she admits while hugging her shoulders. "I'm too weak."
Kairi shakes her head in disagreement. "I know it's hard for one to see their own progress, so take this from an outside observer: you are not weak, Naminé. You're one of the strongest people I know."
Naminé only nibbles on her madeleine, unconvinced.
"You came all the way to an island full of teenagers, you're the furthest away you've ever been from home, and yet, you've never had a full-blown panic attack," Kairi reminds. "Strength and courage doesn't always roar, Naminé."
Naminé reflects on Kairi's words with her lips parted slightly in surprise. Now that she thought about it, apart from a close call last night, she actually never had a panic attack on the resort. All things considered, she'd been handling things quite well, even when Roxas was too caught up to be by her side.
"Not that you have to decide right now, but if you do follow through," Kairi starts while tracing the rim of her mug, "will your living conditions back at New Twilight be okay? I know you live with Roxas' aunt, so…"
Touched by her concern, Naminé assures her that she'll be fine. "Roxas' aunt is wonderful. She had the misfortune of losing a daughter a few years back, but… she's happy to have me even if Roxas and I aren't together anymore."
Kairi hums as she takes a sip of her latte, pleased that her friend would be taken care of outside of the island. When she sets her drink back down, she reiterates her support. "Then whatever you choose, I'll be here to support you."
Naminé nods thankfully as she finishes the last of her tea, still contemplating her next move. Across the table, seeing Naminé consider a breakup with Roxas makes Kairi reflect on her own breakup with Sora in a different light. She had told Naminé that a healthy breakup would consider what's best for both parties, but did she even do that in the past?
She thought she did, but looking back, none of them actually benefited from their breakup after all. The aftermath had been excruciating. She'd hoped that breaking up would ease the pain of being apart, but it still hurt anyway. Perhaps, then, she was too quick to pull the trigger. She jumped to conclusions because she underestimated her relationship with Sora. Best friend Sora and Kairi had (and still have) an inseparable bond, so why did she think boyfriend and girlfriend Sora and Kairi would be weak and not strong in the face of separation? Kairi ponders on this thought for a while and, for the first time ever, she begins to consider that breaking up with Sora might have actually been a mistake.
Atop the Disney castle, Roxas rests his elbows against the rails of his balcony with a heavy sigh. His back is hunched, his balance is slightly off, and his eyebags are darker than usual—all signs of a sleepless night. Behind him, his ears perk upward when he hears the sound of the doors opening. As he turns, he hopes to see a well-rested and happier Naminé so that his world can be right again, but in her place, he finds Xion holding two sea-salt ice cream bars instead.
"Xi," he breaths, confused but still pleased to see her. "How did you get in here?"
"Riku leant me his master key card," she answers while handing him one of the popsicles. "I didn't catch you in the dining hall, so I thought you could use one of these."
Just as night swimming was a Destiny Islander thing, eating sea-salt ice cream from great heights was the act of a true Twilight Town local, so Roxas accepts the treat graciously. He pops it into his mouth, hoping that its soothing powers could miraculously help him think of a solution to his girl troubles, but finds no such luck. He is, however, joined by one of his best friends, the one that happens to be a girl, so the fortunate feeling is not lost on him.
"No band practice today?" she asks.
Roxas shakes his head. "No. Cancelled it."
"Hmm. So what happened last night?" Xion asks, going straight for the kill.
The relief brought forth by the first taste of fresh sea-salt ice cream instantly wanes. At the question, Roxas can't help but reflect that a few weeks ago, their roles had been reversed. Xion was the one who was confused by her first kiss with Riku, and Roxas was the one in a supposedly stable relationship; but now, Xion and Riku were official and going strong, and Roxas had no idea what to make of his relationship with Naminé. He tells Xion as much, as well as everything that had transpired on the upper deck, and suddenly Xion looks as if she's sucking on a sour lemon-flavoured ice cream bar rather than a sea-salt one.
"So do you want a sugar coated answer, or a best friend answer?" she asks.
"What are best friends for?" Roxas asks, though last time he'd said this, he meant it in an encouraging manner. Now it just sounded bleak.
"Well Roxas, it's obvious you've got a choice to make here," Xion deduces. "One can't exist without giving up the other. If you want to keep Naminé, you'll have to reduce your commitment to your music. If you want to chase your dreams, you'll have to let Naminé go."
At the two extremes, Roxas feels himself being torn in two. How could he possibly keep one but have to give up the other? Both meant the world to him. How could he determine which one meant more? His first thought is terrible but true: music should be more important, because raising the munny for Xion's treatments was involved.
As if reading his mind, Xion herself stops him by wagging her half-eaten popsicle in his face.
"Ah ah," she reprimands. "Remove me from the equation, Roxas. This is not about me. This is about what means most to you."
Roxas groans as he's faced with a difficult decision yet again. Two moments immediately begin to compete in his mind: ten-year-old Roxas strumming a chord on his first guitar and realizing his dream, and sixteen-year-old Roxas confessing his feelings for Naminé atop the clock tower and learning that she miraculously felt the same way. Both brought him unimaginable joy, but which would he continue to pursue?
"Why do I have to decide?" he groans. "Can't I somehow have both?"
"In a perfect world, sure," Xion answers with a shrug. "But alas, I'll be the first to tell you that we don't live in one. Having both would be ridiculously unsustainable for you."
"Isn't there a way to, you know, compromise?"
Xion looks at him with saddened eyes. "Rox, I know it's been difficult for you to notice, but Naminé has been trying to compromise. For weeks she's been trying to be okay with your rise to stardom, but it's getting unbearably painful, and I can tell you that both as her friend and from experience."
Roxas finds himself at a loss for words. Firstly because he didn't realize how much pain Naminé was undergoing, and secondly because he'd forgotten that he'd done something similar to Axel and Xion in the past.
"You're showing all the telltale signs of being in love with something else," Xion observes. "When you first met Naminé, you started seeing us less, and when you started dating her, you stopped visiting entirely. Don't get us wrong, Axel and I were happy for you, but at the same time, we missed you. We knew you weren't ignoring us on purpose, but you're easily distracted, Roxas. Whenever your heart is set on something, everything else just kind of… fades away."
Roxas stiffens as he accepts one of the hardest pills he's ever had to swallow. On the upside, this was why he and Xion were best friends: she gave him the cold, hard truth, no matter how icy; however, on the downside, every breath of what she'd said was true. He was easily distracted, and when he was focused, he suffered from tunnel vision mentality.
And what was worse? He'd denied it all last night.
"It's great that you're passionate," Xion continues, "but until you can learn how to balance everything, then I'm afraid you have a difficult choice to make, Roxas."
When Roxas falls silent, she places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, I know it's a lot, and you may not have it all figured out now, but whatever you choose, I'm with you," she says in a comforting tone. The ends of Roxas' lips twitch into the smallest of smiles. He'd told her something similar, too, but she had the fortune of having Axel and Riku cast their differences aside for her.
He had a much more difficult decision to make.
After her pep talk with Roxas, Xion collides with her boyfriend who appears to be pushing a cleaning kart in the hallway.
"Hey," she giggles after he greets her with a kiss on the cheek. "Want to go for a bike ride after your shift?"
"Sorry, can't," he answers. "I've got band practice."
Xion raises an eyebrow at this news. A few minutes ago, Roxas had just told her that he'd cancelled band practice. Unless he'd suddenly changed his mind and messaged everyone in the few seconds it took for her to leave, that would make what Riku had just said a lie.
Not wanting to come across as a paranoid girlfriend though, Xion chooses to trust him and ignore it. "Okay then. Catch you later?"
"Definitely," he says while kissing her lips quickly and wheeling his cart down the hall. When Xion is out of sight and earshot, Riku swerves the cart into the Kumandra-themed lounge where Sora, Hayner, and Axel already appear to be waiting for him inside.
"Everything okay?" Sora whispers discreetly. "Your girlfriend doesn't suspect anything?"
While Axel still stiffens at the word, Riku only rolls his eyes at the way Sora says it.
"Dude, has it not sunk in yet?" he asks.
"Well sorry!" Sora exclaims while throwing his hands up. "You've just never had a girlfriend before, let alone been in a committed relationship. It's going to take some time for me to digest."
"Anyway," Hayner interjects to move things along, "are we in the clear?"
Riku nods. "Yeah. I don't think she suspects anything. We can proceed with planning."
Sora rubs his hands together mischievously. "Excellent."
Backstage of yet another successful gig, Roxas sits alone on a large amplifier, his chin resting against the body of the guitar Naminé had given him for their anniversary. In his free hand, he holds his phone and watches the first MeTube video that had ever been posted on his account with misty eyes.
In the New Twilight mental institution, Naminé had recorded him performing a cover in her room without his knowledge, created a MeTube account when he left that night, and posted it online. Overnight, he'd gotten over twenty-thousand views, and his following only grew from there. Looking back, he recalled how astonished he'd been upon discovering that there were a lot of people out there who actually believed in his talent. He'd been passionate about sharing his music with the world since he was a kid, but to have actual admirers (apart from his friends and family) made him believe that it was actually attainable.
Flash forward to the present, and it was almost unreal how far he'd come: he now had hundreds of thousands of fans, the name Roxas Akiyama was practically synonymous with rockstar, and he was leading the band on the cusp of winning the prestigious Battle of the Bands competition. It was as if his music career was a fast moving car and his foot was planted firmly on the gas pedal. How could he possibly slow down now?
He pockets his phone and lets his hand fall onto the body of the guitar where it rests above the clock tower Naminé had painted. The familiar warmth that he'd first felt radiating from it was no longer there. That world felt so far away now, like an entire lifetime ago, and the thought only confirms what Naminé had claimed: he had changed.
When he'd performed earlier, everything else faded away. It was a feeling reminiscent of the first kiss he'd ever shared with Naminé, only she was replaced by spotlights, a microphone, and a cheering crowd. Things were different back home when it was only him and Naminé recording covers in his garage. All his fans were online, and he'd only ever interacted with them online.
But now that most of his admirers were up close and personal, Roxas forces himself to admit it with a heavy heart: he did like the fame. He was addicted to it, relished in it, and often craved it. He didn't even think about it or realize it until after the gig was over because he was so engrossed in the energy and praise given to him. Of course he was still doing all this with Xion's treatments in mind, but if he had to be true to himself, it was mostly because he enjoyed the attention. It was exactly how Xion had put it: he was in love with something else now, and everything, including Naminé, was fading away…
His heart clenches as he looks towards the two paths set before him. To mend things with Naminé, he'd have to focus less on his music, thus giving up his dream, but if he did, would he end up looking at Naminé differently? Would there eventually be bitterness inside him if things didn't end up working out between them? Alternatively, if he pursued his dream instead, he'd have to kiss his relationship with Naminé goodbye…
But then another thought occurs to him. If he chose his music, would it really be a purely selfish decision considering how much pain he'd unknowingly caused Naminé because of it? His rise to stardom and his inability to find a healthy balance was what created a rift between them in the first place. But if he removed himself from the equation… maybe she'd hurt less. Looking at it that way, perhaps pursuing his dream was both selfish and selfless if it caused Naminé less harm.
Besides, it wasn't like he didn't love her anymore. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her (even more, at least), and it was because he loved her that he probably had to let her go.
He feels as if an invisible sword pierces through his chest at the thought. He'd have to give it more thought, but if he couldn't handle this fast moving car, then the best thing he could do for Naminé would be to let her go.
Text received from Kairi:
U guys in position?
Affirmative, Olette texts back the following morning. She then pockets her phone and turns to her partner in crime. "Ready?"
"Hell yeah," Hayner answers. "Let's do this."
With a mutual nod, the two position themselves right in front of the doors leading to the left wing lounge and initiate their mission.
"Hayner, you won't believe what I just saw," Olette then says dramatically. "I was walking by the home theatre and I totally caught Riku and Kairi making out!"
Hayner lets out a shocked gasp. "No."
"Don't tell anyone though," Olette pleads, "especially Xion. She'll be livid."
"Okay. I'll make sure to keep this really juicy gossip to myself," Hayner says, purposely emphasizing the words "juicy" and "gossip". "You think that did it?" he then asks in a secretive whisper.
Oh yeah, Olette mouths. She then takes Hayner by the hand (something that still catches him off guard because an incredible girl was actually holding onto him) and runs off to the end of the hallway to hide. The two poke their heads out from the corner and watch as Selphie cautiously opens the doors they had just been speaking in front of. She checks if the coast is clear then ushers Wakka out with her.
Target is on the move, Olette texts Kairi. She and Hayner share a giggle before running off to commence the next part of the plan.
At the home theatre, Kairi receives Olette's text and gets things moving.
"All right everyone, they're on their way!" she announces. "Pence, do you have the video ready?"
"Locked and loaded," he answers by his laptop.
"Okay, places everyone!" Kairi orders as she dims the lights. While the rest of the household members lay low in their seats in the back row, Riku stands by the door. A few moments later, Olette and Hayner run in to join them, and it isn't long after that they're followed by Selphie and Wakka.
"What the hell?" Selphie asks when all she sees is an empty theatre. "Where are Riku and Kairi?"
"Right here," Riku answers while shutting the door and locking it behind them. Beside him not only is Kairi, but the rest of the household.
Selphie scoffs at what was now obviously a trap. "What is this, an intervention?"
"No," Kairi replies with crossed arms and a smirk playing at her lips. "It's payback. Hit it, Pence."
At the sound of his name, Pence hits play on his laptop, and everyone in the theatre goes silent as the video begins to play.
"Hello Kingdom Hearts Island Resort, and welcome to this special edition of Teenage Wasteland!" greets the voice of Kairi, much to Selphie and Wakka's surprise. "For the past few weeks you've heard Selphit Tilmitt talk a lot about the sweepstakes winners and other juicy island drama, but what about Selphie Tilmitt herself? How much do you really know about our favourite TV personality? Well, we're here to enlighten you."
The jaws of both Selphie and Wakka drop when photos of Selphie conversing with a bunch of younger teens at the yacht are shown, but the mocktail that had actually been in her hand that night has been altered and replaced with what looks like a bottle of elixir and a bag of pills.
"For instance, did you know that she sells alcohol and drugs to minors?"
"You do?" Wakka asks, flabbergasted.
"No, you idiot," Selphie answers with narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. She gets a sense of where this video is heading, and she doesn't like it—she doesn't like it one bit.
Another headshot of Selphie is shown, but it is the accusation of the voiceover that shocks her the most.
"And did you know that she got a boob job for her eighteenth birthday?" Kairi continues as the image quickly zooms into her breasts. "That's right, her boobs are totally fake!"
"They are not!" Selphie can't help but cry out, and the members of the household snicker at her misery. But just when Selphie and Wakka think it's over, the video delivers the final blow as it shows a photo of someone with their leg raised over a cowering puppy, but Selphie's face has been edited onto it.
"She's also quite abusive! Towards puppies, in particular, and she has a nasty habit of kicking them."
While Wakka gasps in pure shock, Selphie gets up with a disgusted look on her face.
"That's ridiculous!" she insists. "I could never kick a puppy!"
"And Kairi could never be an evil spoiled brat," Sora reminds when Pence ends the video.
"Nor could I ever be interested in Xion romantically," Axel adds.
"Nor could I be mentally unstable!" Hayner exclaims.
"Dude, again, that one was pretty accurate at the time," Pence whispers.
Selphie, however, disregards the gamer's outburst and places her hands on her hips. "So this is your idea of payback, is it? Well, joke's on you, because there's no way you'll be able to get it up on the website."
"That's cute," Olette remarks, "because Hayner and I already hacked the site last night. The code for the video is just hidden, and you best believe that it'll be right at the top of the homepage."
Selphie gulps. If those words had come from anybody else, she may have called their bluff, but Olette was brainy and meant business. With their skills, she and Hayner really could've hacked the site.
"You can't release that," Selphie whimpers, hands balled into fists. "It would ruin me and destroy my credibility as a TV personality forever."
"Well," Pence starts as if fully expecting this, "we won't release it if you agree to a few conditions."
"Fine. What are your… conditions?" Selphie growls while keeping her head held high.
"First, that you will no longer include the sweepstakes winners or any members of the Disney castle in your future Teenage Wasteland episodes," Kairi starts.
"And that you release a statement that you and Wakka have been manipulating footage this entire time," Xion adds.
"And if people want updates about the sweepstakes winners, Pence will edit and oversee any footage that is released," Hayner says.
Selphie tenses at their requests, but after a few moments of consideration, she eventually nods in defeat. Cheers sound from the household members above as they're freed from their shackles, and Sora excitedly seizes Kairi by the shoulders who blushes at the contact. It had, after all, been a while since they'd been physically close.
"That was brilliant, Kairi!" he compliments, praising what was initially her idea.
"It wasn't just me," Kairi reminds sheepishly. "Pence was the one who retouched the photos and put the video together."
"Well thanks to you both," Axel starts as he pats them both on the shoulder for a job well done, "we've got about ninety-nine problems, but at least Selphie won't be one!"
One late afternoon, Xion sits on the edge of Riku's bed with her arms crossed and eyes skittish. For reasons unknown, her boyfriend had been strangely evasive towards her for the past few days, so she figures that cornering him in a place where he's bound to show up and can't escape is her best course of action.
At first she didn't want to come across as paranoid or pushy, but enough was enough. Why was he acting so strange? She tries to think back to when his weird behaviour began and traces it back to the day after Roxas and Naminé's anniversary. Did something happen between them beforehand that caused him to act this way? With heated cheeks, the only thing she could think of was what they'd done in the yacht. They didn't exactly go all the way, but it was the furthest she and they as a couple had gone in terms of physical interactions.
Was that it, then? Did she perform terribly or something? She thought it was great, and judging by his reaction, she'd assumed he thought so, too… but was he having a hard time being around her because of it? Her blood turns into fire coursing through her veins as another thought occurs to her. Maybe it wasn't that. Maybe it was that he'd never actually changed, and now that he'd gotten what he wanted from her, he was dismissing her like all the other girls he'd been with...
Her eyes burn at the very thought. Despite what Riku had said, was she really just another conquest? Could Axel have been right to warn her about him all along?
By the time Riku walks into the room, Xion is livid. He stops abruptly when he sees his girlfriend on his bed and can feel her blood boiling from where he's standing.
"Everything okay, Xi?" he asks nervously, but judging by the heated diatribe that she unleashes upon him, everything was clearly not okay.
"Whoa," he then says after a few moments with his hands raised defensively. "Slow down, Xi. You're jumping to conclusions here."
"How am I not supposed to jump to those conclusions?" his girlfriend asks with her hands firmly planted on her hips. "I want to think better of you despite your past, I really do, but you're making it really hard. You've been ignoring me and making up excuses for almost a week now, so what am I supposed to think?"
"Go out with me tonight," Riku suddenly blurts out.
Xion looks as if she'd just been hit with a struggle bat. "Go out with you? Are you seriously asking me out on a date while I'm mad at you?"
"Yes," Riku answers, still surprisingly calm. "I promise it'll explain everything. Just go out with me tonight… please. Oh, and pick a nice dress. We're going somewhere pretty fancy."
Xion's face contorts into an expression Riku can't quite read, but she appears to be stunned, excited, and confused all at once. Confused, however, seems to outweigh the other two.
"It'll all make sense tonight," Riku assures amidst the tense silence.
Unsure what else to say, Xion crosses her arms again with a frown and lets out a huff.
"Fine, but you better have a good explanation for all this," she grumbles.
Riku only smiles. "Oh, I do."
Later that night, when both Xion and Riku are dressed in semi-formal wear, the latter pulls into the lot of the island's largest gym and parks the golf cart by the front doors. The place looks deserted.
"Uh… are you sure we're in the right place?" Xion asks as she steps out of the cart, smoothing out the skirt of her pale yellow dress in the process. A gymnasium hardly seemed like an appropriate place for a fancy date, but Riku oddly seems to be quite sure of himself.
"We definitely are," he answers, and what? Was that a smirk playing on his lips? More confused than ever before, Xion only shakes her head as her boyfriend takes her by the hand and leads her inside.
For Xion, the whole thing is quite bizarre. One moment she's walking through an abandoned parking lot, and in the next, a celestial wonderland. Her lips part as her eyes feast on the magnificent venue surrounded by twinkling lights. From the contrast of the navy blue and gold to the stellar decor, Xion feels every inch of her body leave the earth and lift towards the starry heavens.
"Teenage bucket list item number twenty-seven," Riku says while lifting the piece of paper that they'd been passing off to one another all summer. "Attend prom."
And it's only then that Xion becomes aware that they're not alone, but in the presence of over a hundred other appropriately dressed teens (their friends inclusive) awaiting their arrival.
"I thought it was a shame that your school wasn't going to throw one," Riku continues, "so I decided to throw one for you."
Unable to contain her joy, Xion can't help but chuckle while letting out a sob. So this is what Riku had been up to over the last few days. He hadn't ignored her because he was dismissing her and no longer cared—he was hiding from her because he cared so much that he'd rallied the troops and planned an entire surprise prom.
"Riku, this is incredible," she voices. Pleased by her reaction, Riku pockets the bucket list and pulls out an origami corsage from his other vest pocket.
"Xion Shidehara, will you do me the extraordinary honour of attending this fake prom with me?" he then asks formally.
After releasing another sob, Xion nods, and the crowd before them erupts into applause as Riku places the corsage on her wrist. As if her acceptance was their cue, Axel initiates the start of another Oathkeeper performance with his drumsticks, and after kissing his girlfriend on the cheek, Riku joins the rest of the band onstage. Kairi, Olette, and Naminé, all dressed for the occasion, emerge from the sea of teens and immediately pull Xion with them towards the front row with excited giggles.
As she jumps and dances to the beat along with her friends, Xion can't help but think that back home, she'd felt like an outcast at school. With Roxas in New Twilight and Axel in university, she didn't have many friends; but here, on an island miles away from home, she was living the life that she had been afraid to live back in Twilight Town. She figured that because of her stigma, befriending other people would've been pointless, but perhaps it was because of the stigma that she had to live her life to the fullest while she could. Looking back, the only thing getting in her way had been herself.
So as she dances, feeling every ounce like a normal teenager, Xion throws her hands up and lets loose as the crowd roars for an encore.
When the Oathkeepers are finally relieved of their duties by DJ Demyx, Sora and Hayner approach Kairi and Olette at the origami flower station manned by a budding artist from Artist's Alley. While Hayner purchases a matching set for both him and Olette, Sora catches Kairi eyeing a baby pink corsage in particular. Much to her chagrin, he purchases the origami corsage and matching boutonnière not long after.
"That's really pretty," Kairi comments, but there's a hint of bitterness in her tone. "Shiki will really like it."
"Hmm," Sora hums while playfully tapping his chin. Some feet away, Shiki, dressed in a crimson-coloured dress, appears to be conversing with her fellow bandmates. "I'm sure she would, but I think this would suit your dress more, wouldn't it?"
When Sora outstretches the corsage towards her, Kairi's cheeks flush the same shade as her hot pink dress.
"What? M-me?" she stammers while pointing at herself.
Sora crosses his arms with a knowing grin. "What, is it so surprising that I want to go to fake prom with my best friend?"
"Well, no," Kairi starts, "but it's just that… I thought you'd… well, that you'd want to go with Shiki."
"Come on Kairi, give me a bit more credit! Just because I'm dating someone doesn't mean I'm going to forget about you."
When Kairi remains unresponsive, Sora begins to turn his heel with a shrug. "Well if you don't want to go with me, I guess I could ask her—"
"No!" Kairi exclaims, her hand outstretched towards the corsage. It had felt like an eternity since she'd had some quality time with Sora. Who was she to deny this opportunity? "I'll gladly go to fake prom with you, Sora."
With a chuckle he fastens the corsage to her wrist, and she attaches the matching boutonnière to his vest. A few weeks ago, they had been in this same gym having their first blitzball lesson as just friends, then a few weeks after that, they were training for the Underworld Tournament as best friends, and now they were attending prom together as… well, best friends, but one was dating a total hottie and the other was starting to think that breaking up with the other might have been a mistake.
"So, shall we get this fake prom really started?" Sora asks when he notices his date space out.
Kairi shakes her previous worries away. Right now, all that mattered was that she and Sora had a fun-filled night ahead of them, and she wasn't about to waste another minute of it with her silly thoughts.
"Yes, we shall," Kairi answers while giddily dragging him towards the photo booth operated by Pence.
A few silly photos, dance numbers, and multiple helpings of punch later, it's time for the superlative portion of the evening, and Kairi, who was tasked with hosting the activity, walks onstage and takes the mic. After explaining that a secret survey had been sent out for teens to vote on which Disney castle member(s) best suited the provided categories (more for Xion's sake than anything else), Kairi starts off with a title that she knows everyone will get a kick out of.
"And the winner of best bromance goes to…" Kairi checks the tallies on her tablet and enthusiastically screams into the mic, "Sora Takeuchi and Riku Kenbishi!"
While squeals sound from the crowd (predominantly SoRiku fangirls, no doubt), Axel cups his hand over his mouth and boos (likely because he thought AkuRoku would've won) as the lead guitarist and bassist of the Oathkeepers walk onstage and accept their dual bromance plaque. They pose for a photo taken by Pence, and Kairi moves onto the next award.
"Next, most likely to get arrested goes to… Axel Kiryu!"
While most of the crowd laughs, Axel takes the mic from Kairi after accepting his plaque and yells, "Joke's on you, I actually like being handcuffed!"
When everyone waves off the inappropriate joke, Pence wins most likely to become an award winning director, Hayner takes most likely to be a meme, and Olette secures most likely to win a Nobel Prize.
And just when Xion thinks she's had enough surprises for the night, she's proven wrong when Kairi announces that she wins the award for most resilient. Xion looks at her boyfriend, stunned, and he gestures for her to get onstage with them with a wave. The crowd cheers when Xion accepts her plaque, but they wait in anticipation as the most coveted award is saved for last.
"And by a landslide, tonight's prom king and queen are…" Kairi starts dramatically, although the winners are obvious. "Roxas Akiyama and Naminé Sato!"
The loudest of the night's cheers sound from the crowd as Kingdom Hearts Resort's "power couple" walks onstage to accept their sashes and paper crowns. As Kairi places Naminé's crown atop her head, she sends her a look that asks if she's okay, and her fellow girlfriend nods wordlessly. DJ Demyx then supplies a romantic track, and everyone on the dance floor empties off to the sides to grant the king and queen their first royal dance.
To all the attendees offstage, it's a scene taken straight out of a feel good teen movie: the popular charismatic guy with the timid but also fiercely talented girl, but to Roxas and Naminé, it's one of the most awkward moments they'd ever shared as a couple. Roxas bows stiffly and takes her by the hand, but the once warm feeling is almost foreign to them. It was the closest they'd ever physically been since their anniversary, but they had never felt further apart. The two make their way down to the dance floor and stop at the center. Roxas' hands automatically slip down to Naminé's hips, she rests hers on his shoulders, and the two sway slowly to the music, wondering who would make the first move.
By the end of the first chorus, both try to talk at the same time, but Naminé offers to let Roxas go first.
"I just want to say that I'm sorry," Roxas starts softly. His voice is loud enough for her to hear over the music, but not loud enough for everyone else to eavesdrop. As far as they were concerned, Roxas could've been whispering sweet nothings to his girlfriend, not apologizing for their crumbling relationship.
"You were right," he continues, his voice hoarse and unlike the one that had the crowd on their feet earlier. "Fame has changed me, even though I promised I wouldn't let it. The more the Oathkeepers rose in popularity, the more I lost myself and neglected you. I'm sorry that I denied it, sorry for all the pain that I've caused you, and sorry that I didn't notice how selfish I was being."
As Roxas leads her into a half-twirl, Naminé feels her heart tighten in her chest. His words were supposed to comfort her, but instead they made what she wanted to say even more difficult to express.
"Things were a lot easier when my music career was purely online," he confesses with her back to him. "I think we were both overwhelmed by how it played out in person. If I'm being totally honest, I'm not quite sure how to handle it all yet…" He twirls her back around so that she's facing him, and his hands once again find themselves at her waist. "What did you want to say?"
Naminé tries to swallow past a great big lump in her throat. He'd acknowledged all his wrongdoings and apologized for neglecting her. He'd even admitted that he wasn't handling it well. That should've been enough for her, but… nothing in his apology indicated that they could make things work; nothing about it suggested compromise or improvements; nothing about it promised sustainability.
The prom queen purses her lips. This was hardly the time to discuss such things, but would there ever be a "good time" to do this? Probably not, and she had the courage inside her now. It didn't roar, but it was there. So without giving doubt and confusion time to consume her, Naminé takes a deep breath and knows with certainty what she must do.
She has to look out for the both of them.
"I… I think we should break up," she manages to blurt out. Roxas' eyes widen at the suggestion, and Naminé feels his heart skip a beat beneath the palm of her hand. "It's not because I don't love you anymore," she immediately reasons when his expression changes to one of hurt. "It's actually quite the opposite. I've said it once and I'll say it again: it's your destiny to walk amongst the stars, Roxas, and here you are. It's much more overwhelming than we thought, but I don't blame you for not handling it well. Do you remember how we all reacted to the first episode of Teenage Wasteland?"
Roxas recalls how everyone in the home theatre had reacted to the pilot episode and the chaos that inevitably ensued afterwards.
"Fame, no matter how good or bad, gets to all of us," Naminé admits. "Some handle it better than others, but this all happened so fast, so I understand why it would've been easy for you to lose yourself. But… I also understand that your career is moving faster than our relationship, so until you can learn how to balance everything… I'm afraid you're going to have to let me go."
Music swells all around them, but Roxas' heart has never felt so torn. Part of him is devastated at the thought of losing Naminé, but another knows it's for the best. As much as he wanted her to be his girlfriend, he didn't have the time to treat her the way she deserved to be treated, and for someone as incredible as Naminé, that just wasn't fair. So with a heavy heart, he too knows what has to be done.
"I… I agree," he eventually chokes. "We need to work on ourselves and chase our goals, but it's hard to do that while we're together right now, and the last thing I want is for you to hurt even more, so... the best thing I can do for you now is let you go."
Naminé's lip begins to quiver as reality sinks in. This was really happening. She and Roxas were actually breaking up. From this moment on, they would no longer be a constellation, but two separate stars, shining bright on their own.
"I'll always be grateful that you've gotten me this far," she whimpers as fresh tears begin to form in her glassy blue eyes. "I never would've left the institute if it weren't for you."
Roxas, too, starts fighting back tears. "And I never would've gotten this far with my music if it weren't for you, so I'll always be grateful for you, too, Nam."
And with those words, Naminé releases the sob that she'd been trying to withhold, and Roxas pulls her to his chest for one final embrace, his only consoling thought being that there may not be a time for them now, but maybe one later.
On a much lighter note, when the king and queen finish their dance and disappear from the venue, Yuna Riel wows the crowd with a surprise performance, and the atmosphere returns to one of high energy.
At the punch fountain, Axel approaches Sora and Kairi as they down another cup to recover from another round of upbeat dancing.
"Whoa," the drummer of the Oathkeeper says when the ex-couple dunks their cups into the fountain for more. "Take it easy, you two. You know the punch is spiked, right? I poured like five bottles of elixir in there."
While Kairi nearly drops her cup, Sora hiccups.
"The spike is punched?" he squeaks.
Axel bites back a laugh. "How many have you two had?"
"This is like… our eighth cup," Kairi fully admits, and her fellow redhead gapes at the answer.
"So you're telling me that Kairi and I are like... super wasted right now?" Sora asks for confirmation.
"Uh, yeah," Axel replies while confiscating both of their cups. "Okay, I'm cutting you two off. Go drink some water while I grab you both some pizza or something."
"Oh, pizza sounds great," Sora comments dreamily.
This time, Axel releases the laugh he'd been withholding. "I'm sure it does."
After grabbing two water bottles from the beverage table, he ushers the two outside for some fresh air. As promised, he returns to the buffet table to grab them a few slices of pizza, but as he does so, he catches sight of Riku and Xion posing at the photo booth with props in hand, the latter of the two the happiest he's seen her all summer.
Axel shakes his head in confusion. He'd imagined a few outcomes over their vacation, but Xion with a boyfriend was definitely not one of them. And of all people, that boyfriend happened to be Riku Kenbishi, but what surprises him even more was that Riku was actually a good one. Not many would fight for a girl as hard as he did, let alone throw them an entire fake prom. When he'd first raised the idea, Axel was admittedly impressed by the thoughtful suggestion. Could it be possible that he actually really cared about her? That he was trying to take care of her heart as opposed to breaking it? That he'd really changed?
Axel begins to feel something stir in his chest. Something about seeing Riku and Xion this way made him wonder all sorts of strange things, like if he could change, no matter the outcome of the test that Larxene hadn't taken yet, and if there was hope for Riku, could there be hope for him, too?
Back with Riku and Xion, the two receive their polaroids from Pence and admire their silly photos with lighthearted chuckles.
"I'm so sorry I ever doubted you," Xion then says as she holds the photos close to her heart. "I shouldn't have gotten so paranoid."
Riku shakes his head. "Don't be. You had every reason to be annoyed with me. My timing also admittedly wasn't the greatest..." And as if just remembering the other concern his girlfriend had earlier, Riku snakes an arm around her waist and pulls her close enough for him to whisper in her ear. "By the way, I had an amazing time on the yacht, so that's the least of your worries."
Xion blushes from both his words and the hotness of his breath against her ear.
"Oh. Well then, we may have to do it again sometime," she suggests casually. "Maybe tonight? When we get home?"
Riku can't fight the smile that forces its way onto his lips. "I'd like that."
Outside in the parking lot, Sora and Kairi munch on the pizza that Axel had so kindly brought them, but it doesn't seem to be satisfactory.
"Is it just me, or is this just not cutting it?" Sora asks while raising his half-eaten and stale piece of pizza.
Kairi nods fervently in agreement. "You're totally right. This isn't cutting it for me either."
"You know what would be amazing right now?" Sora asks, but before Kairi can guess, he answers for her. "A milkshake."
Kairi gasps as if it's the most groundbreaking idea she's ever heard. "With french fries and spicy mayo?"
"Yes!" Sora exclaims as he recalls their usual order from back home. "Okay, that settles it. We have to get some like, right now." His eyes then land on the golf cart that Riku had parked nearby and light up. When he plops down in the driver's seat, Kairi saunters next to him but doesn't sit in the cart.
"Are you sure you should be driving right now?" she questions with her hands behind her back.
Sora pauses. Kairi may have been tipsy, but Tipsy Kairi was still Responsible Kairi.
"You're right," he decides while hopping off the vehicle. "We shall walk!"
Five minutes later, when Axel walks out to check on them with Hayner and Olette, he finds the parking lot completely empty.
"What the hell. They were just here," Axel swears. "Where could they have gone?"
"Well according to Sora's Quickgram story, they're on the hunt for a milkshake and some french fries," Hayner informs while raising his phone with a chuckle. On the screen, Sora and Kairi appear to have taken a selfie, and below, the former had typed the words "Looking 4 milkshakes and french fries. Pls send help."
In the next part of the story, Kairi can be heard giggling as she records Sora singing some song about his milkshake bringing all the boys to the yard, and judging by their surroundings, they appear to have reached the entrance to the Atlantica water park.
"Should we go after them?" Olette asks, entertained but concerned at the same time.
"Nah, they'll be fine," Axel insists.
"You just want this mess to keep playing out," Olette says knowingly.
"Oh hell yeah."
At the Atlantica water park, Sora suddenly recalls that there are snack bars inside and helps both Kairi and himself over the gates. When they successfully manage to trespass, they sneak their way towards one of the snack bars situated at the end of the (currently non-functional) wave pool but find that the side door is locked. Sora finds a pool noodle nearby and begins to whack the handle, but before he can give it another helpless whack, Kairi stops him and takes the supposed weapon from his hands.
"Wh—but Kairi, I almost had it!" Sora whines.
"Or you could just use your master key card," Kairi suggests.
"Oh. Right."
Sora reaches into the pocket of his pants, presses the gold card against the door handle, and the sound of a high-pitched beep followed by a click tells them both that they've secured entry. After turning on the light, the two get straight to work. While Kairi gathers the ingredients for a cookies and cream milkshake (Sora's favourite), Sora is tasked with french fry duty. By the time Kairi tops their drink with extra whipped cream and a cherry on top, Sora raises the fries from the oil and throws them onto a plate. Unable to help himself, Sora immediately reaches for a handful of fresh fries, but Kairi reprimands him.
"Sora, wait, you need to let them cool—"
But she warns him too late.
"Ow!" Sora yelps. After whimpering in pain at his–now–red hand, he turns to partner in crime with a sheepish grin. "That was hot."
"No kidding," Kairi comments while holding back a laugh.
"I should probably get some cold water on my hands."
"Good idea."
But instead of using the sink like a normal person, he has the brilliant idea of leaving the snack bar and heading towards the lazy river nearby.
"Sora, wait!" Kairi pleads, but before she can get another word in, a loud splash tells her that he's already jumped in.
"Oh, much better!" Sora cheers, and because the water is quite shallow, he's able to stand without treading. "Kai, you need to get in here! The water's great!"
At the sight of him playfully splashing water in semi-formal wear, Kairi can't help but chortle into her hand. "Sora, I'm not dressed properly for a swim."
"Neither am I, but I'm not complaining!"
"Yeah, well, you're not in a dress," she reminds. "Now come on—the fries are going to get cold and the milkshake is going to melt!"
Sora sighs as he recalls their original mission. "Okay. Can you at least help me up?"
After rolling her eyes (albeit with a smile), Kairi walks over to the edge of the lazy river and extends a hand out to assist him. Sora takes hold of her wrist, but when he clasps it tighter than expected, Kairi knows she's made a grave mistake and shrieks as Sora pulls her into water to join him. Underwater, amidst all the bubbles, Kairi can only form one coherent thought, and it was that she was going to kill Sora.
When she emerges, however, she notices that Sora isn't laughing like she expects, and that the expression on his face is not entertained, but serious. He slowly walks towards her, and with every step, Kairi's cheeks grow hot. Suddenly, they are longer seventeen-year-old Sora and Kairi, but sixteen-year-old Sora and fifteen-year-old Kairi about to share their very first kiss at the "end of school year" beach party. He stops just before their chests can meet and places his hands on the edge of the pool on either side of her, trapping her in place.
"S-Sora," Kairi can't help but stammer. He was so close, and the way his dress shirt clung to his body made her feel like they were in a scorching hot tub as opposed to a near freezing lazy river.
He then tilts his head to the side ever so slightly and she loses her breath.
Could it be possible? Could Sora still be into her? His actions definitely suggested it, and if he was, well… kissing him wouldn't exactly be criminal, right? It wasn't like he and Shiki were official or anything, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't completely open to drowning in those deep ocean eyes… But before he can inch even closer, a blinding light catches both of them off guard.
"Hey, the pool's closed!" booms the voice of the security guard on night patrol.
"Oh shit," Sora curses, and just like the night they'd paintballed Tidus Clearwater's car, the two hop out of the pool and make a run for it.
Back at the Disney castle, Riku takes Xion up on her suggestion to reenact what they'd done on the yacht, and the two find themselves tangled on the edge of her teacup bed. Riku's dress shirt is already half unbuttoned, and Xion's dress rests loosely on her hips.
"Riku, wait," Xion pleads breathlessly. "I… I want to add something to the list."
"Uh… okay," he says as his girlfriend gets off of him and takes the bucket list from his discarded vest on the floor. He finds it rather odd that she'd chosen to do this in the middle of a smoking hot makeout session, but when she returns from her desk and shows him what she'd written, he suddenly understands why.
Number twenty-eight, he reads, go all the way for the first time.
Riku's eyes widen when the meaning of the words sink in. "Xi, are you sure?"
"I know it'll technically be only my first time," Xion says while timidly hugging her arm, "but yes. I'd like to… with you…"
Riku clears his throat and lowers the piece of paper before making a confession. "It would be mine, too."
It's Xion's turn to be shocked. "What?"
"I-I've actually never…" Riku starts, but his voice trails off. Despite her initial shock, Xion's eyes soften at Riku's confession. Up until that point, Riku had already experienced everything on the list, but not this. No, this was something they could experience as one.
"Then let's cross it off together," she whispers, and he kisses her deeply to get a head start on doing just that.
tbc
Chapter inspirations: The songs the Oathkeepers performed at the fake prom were Closer by Tegan and Sara (can you just imagine Jesse McCartney doing a cover of this?) and Naked by DNCE. The song Roxas and Naminé danced/broke up to was So Close by Jon McLaughlin, and the song Yuna performed was This Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen (I also imagined this song playing throughout Sora and Kairi's drunk escapades). Last but certainly not least, the song that inspired that last scene with Riku and Xion was Lights Down Low by MAX (I really love this song btw).
A/N: Hot damn I feel like I really hit the gas pedal in this chapter lol. I hope you'll forgive me for the late-ish update, but at least this chapter was pretty lengthy! There were also a lot of scenes that weren't supposed to exist, particularly the ones involving Roxas, but they just kind of found their way there, and I'm actually quite glad they did? I hope it wasn't too speedy, but did you think RokuNami's breakup was justified? Did Riku and Xion do it too soon?
Also I have to confess that I had way too much fun writing tipsy/drunk Sora and Kairi. Those scenes were supposed to be much quicker but the shenanigans just kept delivering itself to me haha. The SoKai is actually one of the reasons why I was so excited to write this chapter, and of course, the fake prom! I've been imagining it in my head for ages, honestly. Hope it translated well into words.
Special thanks to haku5518, Caelum, Tyjet Ansatsu, Mr. Spinner, Shiranai Atsune, and Aundielen for reviewing the last chapter! Sorry if I missed or misspelled any pen names.
Hope you all enjoyed the twenty-seventh chapter of Project: Teenage Wasteland! Please kindly leave a review to let me know your thoughts and/or feels, I apologize for any grammar errors I might've missed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! It's hard to believe, but if I stick to my current outline, we've only got five chapters left to go!
xoKyorii