Woot! Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

And thank you for all the wonderful comments!

Chapter 2

"Good God, Sora! Where have you been?"

It was not a sight Sora wanted to greet having just walked through the front door. His mother looked, well, let's just say, "not in the best of moods". Her soft brown hair was slightly askew with tendrils falling from her bun, and her red apron was crumpled from clutching it so much. He could tell she had been pacing.

"You've been gone three hours!"

Sora settled his bags on the floor with a loud thump. "Kairi took me out shopping. Sorry, I should of called but my cell phone was dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah, I forgot to charge it."

His mother tucked a loose strand behind her ear and settled her hand on her hip. "Well, remember to charge it in the future. I don't want another stress attack for the rest of the week." She smiled tiredly and glanced at the bags before her. "Why on earth did you buy all those clothes?"

Sora picked up a navy blue bag with Abercrombie & Fitch written across its front and shifted through its contents. "Kairi said I needed a new wardrobe and…." He held up a black collared shirt. "You like?"

"Black? That's certainly different. I thought you were going to wear red for the rest of your life."

The bag crinkled as Sora stuffed the shirt back in. "Well, yeah, not anymore. She made me buy a whole lot more black stuff too." He wrinkled his nose. "And it's all preppy looking. I guess I'll just have to get used to it."

His mother smiled at him again and gestured towards the kitchen. "I made dinner, so help yourself. Make sure you fold up those clothes once you get them upstairs. " She unwrapped her apron from her waist and hung it on a nearby doorknob. She then leaned in and gave her son a tiny kiss on the forehead. "I'm going up, I'll see you in the morning."

"Ok. Have a good sleep," Sora said as he watched her walk up the steps. He then walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge door.

"Mmm…mac and cheese."

He ripped off the Ziploc container top and stuck it in the microwave. Nothing like eating a yummy bowl of macaroni while you muddle over the day's events.

He turned around and leaned the back of his elbows on the counter andstared up at the ceiling. His bad mood was simmering quietly now that he was out of Kairi's car. His feeling of frustration was gone and now he just felt plain annoyed. Why wouldn't Kairi tell him what she knew? It wasn't like he was obsessed or anything…ok..maybe he was. But he couldn't help it! He wanted to win so bad!

Beep….

Sora plucked the bowl from the appliance and slouched over its contents. Not caring whether or not he spilled noodles all over his shirt. After he was done he plopped down on the couch and proceeded to watch TV for the rest of the night.

"No friggin' way!"

"Ah! Come on Sora!"

"Nah uh!"

"Just a little bit! Please!"

Sora brandished the hair comb he was holding threateningly. "Don't come any closer woman!"

Kairi shook her head, exasperated. "You're being ridiculous. It's only a little bit of hair gel, GOD!"

A loud thump was accompanied with Sora's loud protest of "No!" as he tripped over one of Kairi's stuffed animals trying to back out of the room.

Kairi looked down at him, rolling her eyes as he rubbed his head. "You're pathetic, you know that?"

"Am not," Sora said, picking himself up and regaining his defensive stance. "I just don't want that stuff in my hair."

"But your head is a complete rat's nest!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him toward a mirror. "See?"

Sora's reflection told him all he needed to know. His hair really was a mess, but he would never admit it. The brown locks stood straight out, in all different directions, giving him the appearance of a mad scientist who recently got electrocuted. He turned back to his friend, shrugging. "Looks fine to me." He received a thwap on the head. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Mr." Kairi said and tugged the comb out of his hand. "You know it looks bad. And I'm here to fix it." She paused before smiling. "It's part of his weakness you know."

Sora frowned as he watched her bring the comb through his hair and immediately snag on a spot near his left ear. "I still don't know what you mean by that."

Her grin widened. "You'll know what I mean…eventually."

He heard her snicker and he silently huffed. It was no use arguing with her, he had figured that out already. All he had to do now was wait and figure it out for himself. He hated waiting.

Thirty minutes later and an hour away from when everyone would be arriving, Kairi was done and she couldn't contain her glee as she swiveled her friend to face the mirror again.

Sora had to admit, she did earn snaps for her effort. His hair was definitely more tamed than before and did not stick up from his head as much. And instead, it fell around his face in, as she put it, a "sexily ruffled" way. He decided it looked good on him.

"Aren't I good?" Kairi said, not able to keep the smug expression off her face.

Sora breathed a sigh that sounded like it took much more effort than it was supposed to. "It's good."

She beamed.

"But," he continued, "I'm not wearing it like this all the time."

She smirked. "After tonight you will be."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Stop trying to burn a hole into the back of my head, Sora."

Sora jumped at the sudden comment and immediately averted his attention to a spot on the carpet near his left foot. Ok…so he was guilty for wishing Kairi's head to blow up, but she had been standing there for fifteen minutes contemplating over several different outfits lying on the bed. And it was driving Sora bananas! Do girls always take this long to pick out clothes? Normally he would just throw on whatever his hand landed on in the drawer and not care what he looked like. Women are a very confusing gender.

"I think I'll wear this." Kairi picked up a lacy white tang top and a pink, skin-tight mini skirt. She then stood in front of the mirror and held it up to herself. "What do you think Sora?"

Sora looked at the outfit and rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "Uhh…looks good?"

She smiled at him in the mirror. "Thanks." Setting the outfit back down on the bed and brushing the others aside she turned to him and gave him a swift look from head to toe. "Now it's your turn."

Sora took a small step backwards, eyes wide. "You're not going to take an hour to pick it out are you?"

She laughed, her eyes twinkling. "No I'm not. And the reason is because I already have one in mind. Do you have the bag of clothes you picked out yesterday?"

The brunette held up a crinkled plastic bag. "Yes, ma'm."

"Good." Kairi then proceeded to shift through its contents and ended up pulling out a simple black shirt with a button down collar. Handing it to him she said, "Make sure you unbutton the top two buttons."

"All right….."

Sora shrugged his own shirt off his head and yanked down the other, and not forgetting to do what he was told. However, he felt a bit exposed with a lot of his collarbone showing.

"Oh and these."

A pair of dark, blue-wash jeans were thrown at his chest. He stared at them in his hands, wondering why in the world he got such a small size.

"Well, go on," Kairi said, shooing him into the bathroom. "Hurry up."

Five minutes later, Sora was feeling very uncomfortable. The pants were so tight! He should have realized this yesterday. But once he stepped out of the bathroom, he was met with a loud squeal.

"Oh my God! Sora, you look so sexy!"

"Uh..I do?"

Kairi's smiling was blinding. "Yes! Look!" She pushed him in front of the mirror. "You look like one of those Abercrombie & Fitch models!"

Sora stared at his reflection. The black shirt, oddly enough, made his skin look even tanner than it already was and made his eyes a more pronounced blue. And the pants…he didn't even want to go there. They clung to his every curve like they were a second skin and not leaving enough to the imagination.

"Kairi, I can't wear these jeans, they're so tight." He picked at his wedgie to make the point clear.

She swatted him on the head. "Shut up. You'll get used to them." She giggled into her hands and Sora swore he heard words like, Riku, love, and this.

What was he getting himself into?

Ding-dong!

"They're here!"

Kairi bounded the stairs and almost tripped over the carpet as she went to open the front door. Sora shook his head, amused, from his position at the top of the stairs. Kairi could be such a klutz sometimes. He took the steps slowly, trying not to make his wedgie even worse than it was.

"Sora! Get your ass down here!"

"I'm coming! Give me a minute!"

He glared at her when he finally made it to the bottom and walked over to stand next to her. A soft appreciative whistle met his ear and he turned to look at the person standing outside the door. The girl smiled at him and looked him up and down.

"Wow, you sure know how to clean up, Sora."

Sora rolled his eyes but couldn't help and smile. "Thanks Namine."

The blonde stepped through the threshold and set her purse down on the hallway table. "Tidus and Wakka should be here any minute. I passed them on the way, their car was parked outside the supermarket."

Kairi frowned. "I thought I told them not to bring any drinks. We're all going out tonight."

Namine flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Oh really? Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure, I guess we'll decide that when everyone gets here."

"Sounds like a plan."

The three made their way into the living room and took seats on the large couch. Sora sat himself as far up on the couch as possible so not to show the whole world how low his pants really were. Five minutes later the doorbell rang again and Kairi got up to get it.

"You guys! I told you not to get drinks!"

Sora heard Wakka and Tidus reply, "Sorry!" in unison. He turned to finish his conversation with Namine but found her looking at him strangely.

"What?" He asked, adjusting his sitting position.

"Did Kairi dress you?" Her eyes were sparkling.

"Er..yeah, why?"

"Oh just curious." She shot him a wink. "You look cute."

Sora felt his face heat and he looked down at his lap. "Thanks."

"You're not trying to impress anybody are you?"

He looked up, eyes wide. "No! I..uh -- "

But before he could finish Tidus, Wakka and Kairi entered the room. He stood up, pulling at his pants as he went.

"Hi guys!"

"Hey Sora." Tidus strolled over and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "How's it goin'?" He stood back and gave his friend a funny look. "What did you do to your hair?"

Wakka laughed lightly. "Looks, like Kairi attacked you with a brush, ya?"

Kairi stepped forward, proudly. "As a matter of fact, I did." She reached out tosmooth Sora's collar. "And he looks so much better."

"Agreed," said Namine while applying pink lip-gloss to her lips. She capped it and walked over to him and plucked a loose strand from his shirt.

Sora stepped back , his arms waving wildly in front of him. "Stop picking at me and stuff! I look fine!"

"Of course you do," Kairi crooned and reached out again to adjust a misplaced strand of brown hair.

"Arghh!"

Sora left the room, escaping the clutches of both girls while Tidus and Wakka laughed their heads off. He stumbled into the hallway and leaned his back against the front door. It pained him to think that his discomfort and troubles were caused by his earlier determination of wanting to win against Riku. The situation was getting ridiculous.

Several ding-dongs! rang through the house, startling him and a second later Kairi's voice yelled out, telling him to answer it. He unconsciously picked at the back of his pants before reaching for the doorknob and opening it.

"Hey Riku."

Sora smiled brightly at the bowed silver head before him and watched as the aqua eyes looked up from the ground.

"Hi Sora I brought……" Riku dropped off mid-word, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "Sora?"

"Uh yeah…Hi. Forget my name or something?"

Riku blinked several times.

Sora smiled uneasily and rubbed the back of his neck. "Er..do you want me to take that for you?" He gestured towards the bottle of soda in his friend's limp grip.

Riku cleared his throat and returned his gaze to the ground. He shook his head ever so slightly before lifting it and staring straight into Sora's eyes with a confident smile. "Sure." He handed it over and roughly brushed past Sora into the house.

"Hey! Watch it!" Sora snapped barely catching the bottle as it slipped out of his hands.

"Gotta be more careful, Sora," Riku called over his shoulder as he walked towards the living room where laughter could be heard. "You might drop something."

Sora narrowed his eyes at Riku's back and then went the other way to the kitchen. He set the bottle down next to the others on the counter and glared at the Diet Pepsi label. Riku could be so snide and arrogant at times, and it was getting really annoying. Now was a better time than any to use this…..Sora looked down at his outfit and frowned……weapon that would successfully weaken his opponent in battle. It made no sense though, why would he be the weapon? Kairi clearly knew more than he did.

Lifting his heavy glare off the soda label, (it really was unfair to take his anger out on an inanimate object) he made his way back to the living room. He smiled weakly at his friend's questioning stares and sat down between Namine and Tidus.

Kairi grinned at him from where she was sitting next to Riku. "Heya handsome!"

Sora colored for the second time that day.

"We've decided to head out to that restaurant near Perkins Pier and then come back here for a movie. Sound good?"

Sora nodded.

"All righty then!" She jumped up. "I'll get the car started."

"But we can't all fit in one car, somebody will have to drive alone," Tidus piped up.

"Nonsense," Kairi said waving her hand as if the comment was hanging in the air and she could swat it away. "Four can squish in the back of my car no problem."

Sora sneaked a glance at Riku who was standing next to Namine, shoulders slumped, staring at his feet. His silver hair spilled out in front of his face, hiding his expression. It was so uncharacteristic for Riku to have a posture like that.

Kairi grabbed at his hand before he could contemplate his friend further. "Come on, Sora."

Out in the garage everybody stood on either side of the car, unsure of where they were going to sit. Sora was still worrying over Riku and wanted to sit next to him to ask him what was wrong. Unfortunately it didn't end up like that. After a moment of stalling Riku yelled out shotgun! and immediately sat in the front passengers seat, leaving everybody else to cram in the back.

"Thanks a lot Riku!" said Wakka sarcastically as he scooched himself into the middle seat while the rest of the group filed in on either side of him.

Riku turned in his seat and shot a wink at the red head, apparently all traces of sulking gone. "Anytime."

Glad, that Riku was feeling better, Sora put on a bright smile. "Hey Riku, you up for a fight tomorrow?"

Riku's expression was not entirely relaxed but notentirely pained. "Sure Sora. Same time?"

"Yup."

Riku's smile was soft. "I'm in."

A/N: Wow, I am sooo bad at keeping my promises. Didn't I promise that there was going to be some action in this chapter? facepalms Next chapter there will be! I'll seriously try! I just love taking it slow with the boys.